Sounds a great idea. But maybe XC not DH. I don’t have the skills or balls for DH racing

Thanks for the replies guys.

I like a drink, but the drink doesn’t really like me. So nowadays its maybe one beer or a small glass of red wine a week if that. Find alcohol really affects my sleep, so don’t really bother these days. So can’t really blame that.

Do like a cake and biscuit, but try not to go crazy. Maybe a food diary would help??

Hardest part is, I can loose 2 to 3kg but it takes several weeks to do that. Then something gets in way of exercise like injury, work or just general life and all the hard work is gone in a few days. Weight goes back up and usually more, constantly feels like 1 step forward and 2 back.

Any good tips for loosing weight and keeping it off, especially for those with a sedentary job?

Never use to be a problem for me, I could put on a few kgs if I wasn’t riding much, but i could easily loose it with regular riding. I know a major issue is my job. about 6 years ago I took a more office based job, so most of my time I’m sat on my backside. Since Covid-19 I’ve been home working and don’t really leave the house for much (step count is really low) there are days I hardly leave the house except to walk the dog, but he’s only small and getting on so doesn’t walk very far.

Reducing food intake kind of helps at first, but then i always feel ran down, exhausted and prone to picking up a cold.

Currently over 2 stone heavier than my racing weight. My power numbers have never been the greatest, and the extra weight is making it even harder than it should be.

I know riding more will help, but don’t have the greatest amount of spare time to do so. Usually turbo trainer 3 times during week and get out on bike on Saturday morning and the occasional Sunday

Cheers

I’ve a few Boardman bikes, hardtail and a couple of road bikes. Can’t go wrong with them. Very good value for money, which when on a budget is more important than the brand name. Plus they probably come out of the same far east factory as many other makes of bike that you may consider.

I’ll probably get flamed for this, but I don’t really get the hatred that many on here have towards Halfords. Ok I would never trust them to build or repair my bike. They don’t always have the greatest selection of top end bikes, parts and accessories. But they are not bad priced especially if you have British Cycling membership as you get 10% off. Usually do price match and are convenient in most parts of the country with good opening hours.

Some nice bikes and good prices.

But one thing i can never understand with urban bike manufacturers, is why they don’t come fitted with mudguards standard?

What about working in NHS on maintaining medical equipment. Electronics background is very transferable. And lots of training given, or it was in the NHS trust I use to work.

Have a look on NHS jobs for medical engineering/ clinical engineering/ ebme jobs (different hospitals call the roles differently)

For about 5years I suffered with horrible migraines, never had one in 35 years, then I would get them regularly. Thought it was caffeine intake at first, so went decaff, it helped a little, but still got them. But still got them, looked at diet, Don’t drink the greatest amount, tried several things, then nearly 2 years ago I changed jobs and the migraines stopped. I think mine was due to stress. I can eat and drink what I want now and haven’t been bothered by them since.

Has your stress got any worse?

Instead of struggling to get out stuck bottom brackets, i just use my 1/2″ impact driver. Never failed to remove one yet

Shimano R451, they are 57mm drop so should fit and they come in black

Unfortunately not touched bike or the turbo trainer. Leading up to Christmas i was feeling great, doing some good training and looking forward to doing some racing this year. Then felt terrible after too much eating and drinking at Christmas and now after a few weeks of not riding I seem to have lost all motivation.

Really need to get out soon otherwise I feel like I’ll just give up cycling altogether.

30 years roughly. And just realised in that time I’ve only had 6 mtbs.

Are these them?
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/roof-bars-roof-boxes/roof-bars-fittings/exodus-lock-set-340007.html

Do the locks have a number on the barrel? If so a locksmith might be able to get a replacement key for you.

Got to say that is the first time I have ever heard of Knolly bikes (I had to google them).

But looking at that patent, it looks like many other rear suspension designs.

From the title I was expecting this joke:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/fun_stuff/2002/12/06/tractor.shtml

According Mr Cox 10% of survey was completed by cyclists. But if the other 90% have hate towards cyclists and cyclelanes, that will be what gets presented from the survey. Probably need a counter survey set up by a cycling group

Great effort by the OP.

A quick estimate of purchase cost, repair cost and mileage over the years:
3 1/2 year old Mtb around 50p/mile
3 year old Winter road bike around 13p/mile
13 year old road bike probably less than 0.1p/mile
1 1/2 year old road bike (dry weather use only) around £2/mile
However the most expensive per mile has to be my 2nd hand £40 BMX, which will be around £10/mile

But the smiles per miles that my bikes give me means whatever the cost, my bikes are certainly worth it.

Find this happens on a lot, especially with films. It is very annoying. Think you can alter the sound settings, which helps a little (well it did on the last TV we had)

Probably the tour, just as its the tour and the most prestigious. But i like the Vuelta, for the exciting racing. Especially when there are riders who are desperate for a new contract and need to perform. But it has become too much of a climbers race.

And as much as I enjoy watching the grand tours, and the its in the mountains where the race is usually won or lost, it’s a bit like watching a slow bike race at times. I’d rather a grand tour didn’t go into the high mountains at all.

I much prefer watching racing on the flat in crosswinds, or up and down short punchy climbs and think that is way more exciting than seeing riders riding uphill slowly for 20mins to an hour on each mountain, where the overall contenders usually wait until last climb of day before attacking.

Some of the smaller 3 to 7 day stage races (tour of Norway, 4 days of Dunkirk, tour of Britain, tour of Yorkshire etc) are much more exciting to watch as there is a lot more attacking riding. Where each of the stages are more like one day classic races.

Cup holders. The fact they don’t actually hold anything other than a can of pop in place. Go round a corner and the cups fall over and leave the contents all over the floor. Its a van FFS, where workmen will want a cup of tea/coffee, so just make some that actually holds a cup!!

I’m a bad sleeper and I’ve had nights where I’ve been awake for hours not able to sleep and the next day my garmin claimed I was asleep for the whole night. It happens a lot. So don’t think they are very accurate.

So now i no longer bother wearing my garmin when i go to bed

Thats not Northern England. The North doesn’t start until Scotch corner. Anything south of that is the Midlands

Is the bit its rubbing bent? It is normally at 90 degrees to the side plate. From that picture it looks like it may be bent more like 45 degrees. As the picture shows the chain looks to be rubbing more on the side nearest the camera.

Did you get a stick or something jammed in the mech and then it start rubbing after that?

I’ve used one of these and not too bad for money

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-bags-baskets/halfords-advanced-waterproof-handlebar-bag-184718.html?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=iwiitlwxl&istBid=t&_$ja=tsid:94971|cid:868641114|agid:42483201743|tid:aud-297219197969:pla-369703715930|crid:203186066853|nw:g|rnd:1690303297626262460|dvc:m|adp:|mt:|loc:1006669&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkrH9i5q07AIVt4BQBh0kcAhTEAQYAyABEgIYrPD_BwE

Tri bars.
Unless on a full time trial bike

if you like engineering, I would recommend This Old Tony, interesting and funny.

No. I too wouldn’t buy from cash convertors online or offline.
Don’t know if the goods are genuine or stolen.

Currently have:
29er HT
Touring bike
Good road bike
Old Road bike (now on turbo trainer)
Winter road bike
Cross bike
BMX

If I had money, would like to get:
Fat bike
Full sus enduro mtb, but i don’t really have skills to justify spending that much.

Always liked the look of Gary Fisher bikes, but never had one.

Wonder how much he is involved in the bike industry now?

Don’t see why it wouldn’t. I ran a mtb triple chainset on a cross bike. But I used a mtb front mech.

I’ve used a couple of the Zefal ones on road bikes/touring bikes. Never had a problem, work great, good quality and so much better than using a mini pump.

Only thing to watch out for, depending on model there maybe a lip of the handle which can vibrate/rattle against the frame and become annoying. I simply wound some tape around the handle a few times, so that the tape touched the frame instead of the lip of handle.

Had it happen a few times where I’ve walked through a field with cows where they are some distance from footpath so thought it was a safe distance to get across the field, then the cows have started to run at me.

Most of the time they aren’t bothered, but one starts to move the rest follow, then before you know it they start to run.

Being chased by a herd of cows is not fun and probably one of the scariest things that has happened to me. Now I worry too much, so I will often go miles out of the way to avoid them. Mates take the piss out of me for it. But they have never had it happen to them.

Instead of messing with the rollers, could you possibly increase your gear size? Bigger chainring, or smaller cassette? That’s what I did. Bought a cheap TA 56 tooth chainring.

Know you said you didn’t want to spend much money. But it may be better off than trying to mess around with modifying rollers, which could put more strain on them and risk breaking them.

Considering the UK didn’t fully adopt the full metric system, we still use many imperial units take the roads for instance, everything is still in miles. Do you think if we went back to imperial system everything would be changed, or we would end up with an even more mismatched system?

I always wanted to try Venison, but cannot afford it. I just find it too Deer!

Sorry, I’ll get my coat

Joe Simpson’s touching void has been mentioned and that made him famous, but his other books are really worth a read if you enjoy climbing books

A few I would recommend:

For cycling, any of the Josie Dew books

Call of the wild. My escape to alaska by Guy Grieve.

Jupiter travels by Ted Simon

Around the world on a Motorcycle 1928 to 1936, by Zoltan Sulkowsky.

In my experience, don’t assume it will get sorted out at next pay. Unless it is flagged up it may continue on that tax code until the end of the tax year or you inform hmrc.

It happened to me. Nearly 8months of paying emergency tax, partly my fault as I didn’t actually check my payslips. Checked my bank, thought I was getting paid correctly and it wasn’t until I got a nice tax rebate at end of tax year that I realised the mistake.

I know this doesn’t help the OP.
But from this thread out of interest I enquired how much I’d get for my 2018 Peugeot partner, we buy any car would give me over £3500 more than I owe on it, which was a nice surprise.

Many years ago, think when 11speed came out, a mate of mine who worked in the bike industry told me that one of the manufacturers had already been looking into the maximum amount of gears on a cassette that would be possible, without major changes to the rear axle/free hub length, they worked out 14 speed cassettes would be possible. I didn’t think it would be possible at the time. But its not far off from happening now.

Well hopefully you can get on the reserve list and get an entry.
Good luck if you do get in