I think half the problem is that Ineos are a team dearly wishing to compete and win GC every time still…

But they have somehow ended up with a team where the best winning riders, are all specialists, and not in GC.

So Ganna and Tarling are TT Specialists who have lost Dan Bigham as he seemed to fall out with them

Pidcock is a great road rider, but is a far better XC/ cross rider and seems to dabble in road.

I think Pidcock has two choices, either leave off road and really concentrate on GC in the hope he might be able to compete in a few years time against the best, being one of the youngest

Or, go to a team where the classics are a big thing, and concentrate on those he’d do well at and keep his hand in MTB/ cross.

You can’t do both, that’s why MVDP won’t ever be a GC rider, and WVA has concentrated more and more on the road, and competed far less off road, as he now has a different engine

6.5-8 would be a normal reading first thing as your sugars rise to help wake you up,

The issue for me is that i didn’t get “dawn phenomenon” as had really good insulin sensitivity until recently, plus instead of sitting at 4-6 during the day, often i am sitting just those few points higher and seeing 6-8 often, despite reacting to this with further restrictions in diet.

Intense exercise can increase blood sugar – I guess smashing out some pressups might count as that ?

My understanding, which is just based on a lot of reading really, was that whilst it may raise during exercise, that in the hours after, you should return to a normal, often better level as the muscles then uptake blood glucose to recover and replenish stores, which is what i used to find, my issue at the moment is that often they’ll raise from exercise, but then don’t seem to be coming back down..

It’s not a huge concern as i am mostly in the 7-8 nmol/l range, but it has tipped my expected hba1c from non-diabetic levels on Libre app (managed to score a few free sensors given out a diabetes event) back into the 42-43 hba1c range which is pre-diabetic again?

Is there a best setting on iphone?

I was just doing it where it takes a 3 second long image

If anything i think i have seen less and less Captcha on websites and more “sending pin to email/phone* or similar as second line verification?

I’m talking about 15-17 year olds making themselves ill because they can’t bring themselves to use a public toilet or not eating and drinking because they don’t find exactly the foodstuffs they eat at home or they have to ask for them rather than have it laid out.

I started helping out with my daughters school DofE as she is Type 1 diabetic, it was really an eye opener for me, getting given a sheet for all the kids medications, mental health issues and behavioural issues.

So many at 13-14 years old could not do the basics, such as boil a kettle, some struggled to make a Pot Noodle, some were making themselves ill as they just didn’t eat, others were desperate for the loo, but refused to use the campsites etc, and after the very first practise weekend, they had a drop out rate of nearly a third as “it was too tough” etc, this was a lovely sunny weekend in Norfolk

But, on the flipside, it has been great watching those that didn’t have the skills, persevere at it and grow from it if they did carry on.

I enjoyed it so much, i now volunteer at a large school in the city that mostly neuro-diverse young people, watching them come out of their shell is even more satisfying.

I think a lot to struggle with just attention spans, with any sort of (good) physical hardship, even just communicating and making decisions in a group.

I think the COVID times, also really were different for different kids and different areas of the country. We are lucky to live in a rural area, surrounded by farm tracks, bridleways and some amazing beaches, our kids could get fresh air, see their friends easily outdoors etc. It must have been very different for those living in very urban areas or where it was difficult to access outdoor spaces easily i would imagine?

And whilst social media has a lot to answer for, during that very strict initial lockdown, it meant my daughter as an only child could speak to friends, via the internet, the school still did its best to teach etc, so it has its uses

Or you could just use one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305747185852?itmmeta=01J9PEZRV6FX5VFD843XFBE2N8&hash=item472ff3d0bc:g:uc0AAOSwDcRmkrpH&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4Mxmj%2BiGvOveHXEBClPb29iEtR8NlPUPhnufxnhjtJ7kyqHYcAhSyM1gLVaAqQw9CNR2efv9YHZ%2Ft7mnDnR6hhsowaF57dT7%2Be2M5ONg9c6T6Og8yEOcyx5zYKVpHbF17dJm1SJGzUyV4qeVO6OGz0z1TUtm%2F3IhpQApvlBl7mxQ3YjhHH7qKd%2FVDmapoLUW0vKYxISJmUiXTtllpmlRzKgatUV4Pry6PfHzUbR%2FxUpXoijCAgpRpiMwdV37NJ02aleuel0KfHxjdz%2FquaopmZ71yH3vLP5qRjPSGU8LFac%2B%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9iN_87NZA

£25..

In all seriousness, my mate i ride with took one of these baskets, then got a piece of guttering, heated it and opened it out to make a carrier and attached that to the Klickfix from the basket and just straps dry bag to it, done him great service for 6-7 years and never broken or come loose…

Not aimed at you, more aimed at those after who state that they are trying to cut out all carbs OP…. it is a good thing to cut out simple and refined carbs in the most, unless you’re an hour int running a marathon!

Don’t get Lambchop started on his meat only diet.

I love a steak as much as the next (meat eating) man, but why diet and nutrition always has to be made over-complicated i don’t know, people love a fad diet, and they will throw so much energy into keto, or atkins, or low fat/ carb….. they’ll happily have a diet shake costing £5 a go containing emulsifiers and loads of ingredients you can’t pronounce.

But suggest maybe filling plate half with veg to full you up or going for a good walk, and they look at you as if you’re suggesting something odd

Who says the body needs carbs?

Apart from it being the preferred source of energy for brain and nervous system?

It’s why even charities like Diabetes UK advise to not really go much under 150g of carbs a day for an active adult, just make sure they’re good quality carbs.

The trouble is you cannot state “CARBS = bad” in the same way you can’t say “fat = bad” which was the previous scare.

Your body needs carbs, and not all carbs can be considered bad, you cannot write off a whole food group.

Steel cut oats are very high in fibre, a great source of beta-glucans, a great source of phenols, they have been found to actively lower blood glucose levels….

But they are more than 2/3rds carbohydrate

Lentils and other legumes, all high in carbohydrate

a cup full of blueberries is 18g of carbs, a sweet potato may be 40g + of carbs, almonds are 20% carbs

I can go on, you will struggle to meet your dietary fibre intake without taking on carbs.

As above i am type 2 diabetic, never been medicated, placed it back into remission through diet and exercise within 2 months of diagnosis and been in remission now for 3 years.

Every Type 2 diabetic page is full of people spouting “low carb” this and “keto” that (in between moaning why doctors won’t place them on the new GLP-1 injections), the issue is not carbohydrates, the issue is over processed and refined carbs, the issue is eating something very carb dense, but that does not have good quality fibre, fats and protein to accompany it.

The stomach is like a sieve, poor quality carbs in is like pouring water into it, it will go straight through and cause a blood glucose “spike”, line that sieve with fats, protein and fibre, and the absorption of any carbs into the bloodstream will be greatly slowed and allow time for the insulin you produce to actually have time to work.

Insulin has a lag time before it can work, it is why even the healthiest person can eat a Krispy Kreme doughnut and get that sugar rush, then as the insulin can finally start working, you then get that crash (slightly oversimplified)

Can anyone produce 1800w?

1800 is a lot but not huge. I used to be a rugby prop forward, so can produce that for 2-3 seconds on turbo, but cannot sustain it.

World Tour sprinters will do that in closing, after having ridden 200km plus before hand.

Track sprinters will put out 2200w plus (Hoy used to have a peak power of 27w per kilo!!)

But the most powerful are the BMX guys at 2500w+ from the start

h and too add to my post, keep milk down to a minimum, as little as possible on any cereal and black coffee. There’s loads of people guzzling lattes and flat whites etc, All that lactose, it’s sugar.

Lactose is actually a low GI sugar and effects blood glucose levels a lot less than other sugars, it is also a pre-biotic.

There is a lot of mis-information about sugars and carbs, plus lots of interesting things such as if you could a potato (or things like pasta) and then allow them to cool, before reheating you actually lower the GI considerably as you form more resistant starch

I am one of those that developed Type 2 diabetes with long COVID also as above (and have a T1 daughter)

I think there definitely is a difference between  simple processed carbs like pure sugar and other heavily refined sugars and good quality low GI carbs.

Many T2 FB pages and insta videos are obsessed with “Low carb” or “keto”, but carbs are not the cause of these metabolic diseases, the bodies intolerance of them is a symptom. What is also very clear is that insulin-resistance which is what T2 diabetes is, is a movable line, and with weight loss and a clean diet, many can place it back into remission

There is more and more evidence that the main causes are carrying too much weight, a diet high in processed simple sugars, saturated fat and also ultra-processed foods in general.

The best things for everyone, diabetic or not, is a diet high in veg, legumes, nuts, lean meats and other sources of good quality proteins and fibre.

If your plate has a good amount of vegetables, protein, good fats and fibre, then it will tolerate better quality carbs (such as legumes, steel cut oats etc) as they will slow the absorption of the carbs.

The media seems to have stating “fats are bad”, “carbs are the enemy” etc. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are not the enemy in general, poor quality, over processed versions of them are what is bad, coupled with inactivity.

Even sugar is not the enemy, it just needs to eaten at a time when your body can utilise it quickly, there are not many unhealthy marathon runners and they will be taking on sugar in large quantities.

I’m daftly doing 3000 press-ups in October for Cancer Research! So may add staying sober to it just to help with recovery and see how much better i feel at the end of it all.

I always try and look past things like decor and bathroom suite, and look at what will really cost money and time, such as the state of the electrics, plumbing etc, and then those things that we know will bug us further down the line, mobile reception, schools (if you have kids)

I did the Dragon Devil, all 180 miles and 4800m of climbing the year before COVID, its a big day out and thankfully bar the Devils Elbow, none of the climbs are really steep, they just go on. Well organised and really good, but after a day like that, got back to friend having left lights on and having to wait for AA!

I was browsing r/carnivore last night after reading that Grauniad article about the carnivore diet and it’s full of posts from people saying “I was t2 diabetic, vastly overweight, poor mental health etc, then I switched to the carnivore diet and I feel so much better!”

You’d be amazed, people will try any yo-yo diet, take any drug etc to avoid just following a sensible diet and exercise.

The root cause of Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease, it is the cells lack of sensitivity to the insulin produced (a slight simplification), the bodies intolerance of carbs is a symptom of the disease, not the cause, but all you ever hear is the “Low carb diet” “Keto or carnivore”, unsurprisingly if you do not eat carbs, you do not get raised blood glucose figures, but you are treating the symptoms not the cause, tackling and increasing insulin sensitivity is the way forward. If people as much effort into just going for a decent walk they did trying every diet going on the internet, they’d be much better off.

I think these new GLP-1 drugs don’t help, Ozempic, Mounjaro etc, they do really have there place yes, but every second post you see on a Type 2 facebook page, is moaning and rudeness to Doctors and nurses because they won’t be prescribed them, as they are seemingly seen as “miracle” weight loss drugs, but mention exercise, simple changes to diet, or even just trying to state to people how the disease actually works and you just get 101 excuses as to why they cannot.. but will happily take any pill or injection given to them.

Tax the crap out of unhealthy food

The issue is what do you call unhealthy food to be able to tax it.

I am Type 2 diabetic, it runs in my family and i developed it after COVID (others in my family developed it after cancer), seemingly T2 has become the punch line to many a comedians jokes that start with piles of sweets etc. I cycled 500km in a day the month before that bout of COVID, and through understanding the disease, have never been medicated and placed myself back in remission within 2 months.

My daughter is Type 1 diabetic so will be on insulin for life, but i keep her alive stuffing sweets down her throat in the middle of the night often, so are sweets unhealthy to her?

But any marathon runner or ultra-cyclist, probably has a diet extremely high in simple- processed carbs, so what is right for one, is not right for all, it is understanding what you are consuming, why you are consuming, when you consume it etc.

But i realise these are extreme examples, but how do you tax a Mars bar for a person who never leaves the sofa, but don’t tax a Science in Sport energy bar for the marathon runner?

Our food bill has gone up considerably since we started to try and eat as “cleanly” as we could, and we didn’t eat badly before, i even try and grow as much veg as possible, so i do realise that often ultra-processed food is often the cheapest.

For my mind, so much of it comes down to education and to government policy.

You only have to look at the average Dutch person, compared to the average Brit, there is a government that in the 70’s looked at the fact that the car was becoming king and took a drastic step to address it with infa-structure for active cycling, walking etc.

And education, i am on a number of Type 2 diabetic FB pages, and it is very clear that a large percentage of people don’t know what a carbohydrate is, they cannot actually read the food label on the pack and know what it means, they have no idea the difference between saturated fats and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and for a large proportion, they swing from one diet (keto etc) to another and spend the whole time moaning that their GP won’t prescribe them the latest GLP-1 drug to make them lose weight, but suggest exercise or reading up on the disease, and they always have an excuse as to why they cannot.

Many people simply cannot cook, they don’t congregate around the table as a family any more for a home cooked meal, as is the norm in many countries, they actually no idea what is actually healthy and what is not. There is a family my daughter is friends with, who have a “Pot Noodle night” every week as their mother works a long day that day (9.-3.30!)

Why do we teach biology in schools, but not health?

In the same way why do we teach maths, but not to control finances, calculates taxes, mortgage rates etc

It is harsh, but there needs to be a wholescale complete change of thinking about how we tackle education, infastructure of our cities and roads, our relationship with food etc, and i am not sure how we do this when the UK is pretty bankrupt, there needs to be money spent now, to save money in the long term, but governments can only see the next 4 years.

For me, a focal point near the middle. My sink has a cupboard underneath, so first tile was laid to line up with the middle of the two doors underneath, just looks more attractive to the eye

Thanks again all.. now i am really stuck between the two!

Ace thanks..

Thanks Munro biker – so one to take a hardtail maybe over gravel bike, and try and adapt route to take in some of those trails as well, or add a few days where we go and explore the trails also.

I got mine from here:

Wahoo Kickr Overhaul Kit 2018 Onwards

During the first lockdown, living in a small rural Norfolk village, there was a request to help various elderly neighbours get shopping and bits, I was given a neighbour in next road, Roland, to help.

He was a fascinating guy, been a military policeman in Suez crisis and served all over, so we had some good chats.

His wife was taken in to hospital just before COVID struck, and he couldn’t see her, and she passed away, and there was a long delay before she could be buried.

About 2 weeks after she was finally buried, i went round expecting the usual list of bread, milk, and the various sweet treats he liked. When he asked for a particular bottle of whisky. I managed to find it and took it round to him.

He asked if i’d have a drink with him, and i asked if all was ok? He replied “I’m celebrating knowing she is finally dead, she’s made my life living hell for 58 years!”

I wasn’t quite sure how to reply to that….especially as he was such a quiet spoken gentle man.

When we were students, we were gits! my house mate said that actually he was really interested in what they had to say, but stated we were off to a lecture and were they about in next few days, quite surprised i think that people were engaged with them, they said they would come back next day.

They duly called round next day, in which time my house mate Pete had painted a load of old bed sheets with satanic symbols and hung them up, and got a ouija board on table and fashioned a cloak.

They didn’t stay long!!!

Count me in, i’m an exercise and diet controlled Type 2 diabetic, so tend to exercise 6 days a week with monday rest day, but this will give me incentive to do something easier then and get a good pattern going.

Thanks all of the replies, may take a punt on the Decathlon one for the money..

I paid £112 via a ticket resales site to see the Stone Roses 5-6 years ago at Wembley, knowing that they would soon split up again and it would be last chance, never seen so many drunken middle aged men in one place, but it was a great day. I wouldn’t normally spend anything like that though, but it was also a mates birthday.

Bands i would of loved to have seen at the height of their powers but didn’t….

Portishead

Massive Attack

Gil Scott Heron

James Brown (sadly saw him way past prime, as warm up for Red Hot Chilli Peppers, where he had assistants to lower him to his knees and pick him up again!)

Did no-one watch Last of Us?!

I remember tickling my daughter and as i did so she let rip with an amighty fart…

She just turned to me at 4 years old and went “dad.. you know my tickle circuit is connected to my trumping circuit..”

I was never one for films when really young, but lucky to go to a uni where i was studying sports science, but all my housemates for 3 years were doing drama, film and TV, i think for me it is that run of De Niro and Pacino films in the 70’s and 80’s, from Raging Bull, Panic in Needle Park, Godfather, Mean Streets etc.

You just felt like you were watching actors at the top of their game, and the films were real and gritty unlike most these days.

Remember so clearly watching both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction for the first time with them to, the days when you then rushed out and bought the film poster, the soundtrack and waited for what seemed like ages after it had been in cinema to get the VHS

I quite like the Vuelta, it is the last-chance saloon of tours.

It is almost a shame that Roglic is going, i know he is not on top form, but it would be nice to have a grand tour without a “big 4” favourite there.

Like to see Kuss do well again to.

Great thanks all…

have a look at Wolf Way and its variants

I think from memory (not foam) it was my mate @andy

I am 49 and have used it since i was 18 and a rugby prop forward, still weight training, but do a lot of short HIIT stuff on turbo trainer too, but also am Type 2 diabetic and there is some research to show that it helps with stabilising blood glucose levels a little, so have kept up with it.

Abi mentioned above did all the videos for the Wahoo SYSTM platform, i find it great, large number of turbo trainer work  outs, lots of body weight strength work and the yoga videos, i  have found it has really worked especially the core work.

Nah. Olympic pools are 2,500,000 L, assume 12 degree increase from baseline, and the specific heat of water as 4,200 J/kg/degree, requires 1.3E11 Joules, and there are 3.6E6 Joules per kWh, so 35,000 KWh at 25p for electric and 6p for gas would be about £8750 and £2100. Still have to KEEP it warm though! And you might want it warmer.

I worked years ago for electricity board, the police would often contact us looking for patterns of electricity usage, as you could tell that the property either had a swimming pool or was a cannabis farm.

We do hedgerow brandy, blackberries and whatever sloes/ bullaces are left over from gin/ vodka, plus a few peppercorns in there and some almonds, gives it a bit of spice and the almonds weirdly make it taste like it has been in wood barrel.

Also make sloe gin, with some fennel seeds to give it a slight aniseed kick, the sloes when they come out then go in scrumpy cider for a fortnight

Then bullaces go into vodka

Thanks all, gives me some more options for day trips too