Warton I think the pale blue, orange or lime green ones make more of a statement. Probably pale blue for me.

Nice car flip, I am about to get my missus one, but she'll only have black.

I have a white GTI, got it about 3 years ago and have copped a lot of slagging for it but I like it. Resale should still be very good on mine but that depends on the type of car etc.

Great thread.

What was the OP again?

A mate of mine drives a 206, I was behind him last week and his brake light was broken. He reassured me that the problem only occurs after heavy rain, and corrects itself after a couple of days of dry weather. 😆

What size of engine molgrips?

TT design is getting pretty dated now.

Nick,

You could try the fit calculator on Competitive Cyclist. It gives you a decent indication of a "standard" fit for your body shape. You can compare the outcome with the bikes you already have.

You are very likely to be an XL with your height, once you get into actual measurements you will probably convince yourself that the L is too short.

I am a fan of the waterproof tape but TJ reckons it will macerate the skin. I would only keep the tape on for the day but I can see how the skin might start to rot a bit after a long time under a waterproof bandage.

I have been reading about problems with loading routes onto the 705. The 3 main functions I want are

Training Aid – HRM and distance info
"Where I've been" – routes to transfer out of the device
Navigation – Loading shared or planned routes in unfamiliar areas.

I know there are cheaper ways to achieve each of these but the Garmin should do all 3 once I get the hang of it.

I was looking at a bundle with the Garmin maps thrown in, I will steer clear if the quality isn't great.

I'll mainly be using the maps for planning/sharing rides in the Dales, Lakes, and Scotland, so areas which are popular, but I don't know very well.

Any tips for the French Alps, Chamonix/Morzine area?

Nice bike rockitman.

If you are looking for flat wide bars the Reverse Fli Bars (sp?) are about £50, they also come in white which might suit your colour scheme. 😆

I wouldn't use fabric plasters or multiple socks. If you do tape your feet, use waterproof tape and stick a bit of vaseline between the tape and your sock, there will be virtually no friction.

I spent a morning walking round outdoor shops trying on boots. Several of them felt "ok" but then I stuck on a pair of Mammut (Raichle I think) and I knew they were perfect. It just depends on the shape of your feet.

There is a bye-law.

It isn't strictly enforced. The sheer scale of the place means that the trails are pretty empty even "in season". I used lifts at the 5 main ski areas with no hassle. The popular hiking trails aren't particularly suitable for biking anyway. French people have a "laissez faire" attitude to enjoying the mountains, as long as you show some consideration and manners nobody will give you much hassle.

That picture is brilliant. 😆

Its nothing to do with "being cool".

They're not cheap frames and the 09 Metas had a massive failure rate compared to the competition. Like I said I really enjoyed mine but the second hand value is abysmal. I had the Meta frame 2 years and sold it for 20% of the new price – that is a big kick in the balls when you are funding a replacement.

Commencals are lovely bikes, the contact system is a thing of beauty. Unfortunately they break and have a reputation for breaking. They are worth next to nowt second hand, I wouldn't buy another.

You really need to plan it out and think what is going in there.

Mine is 10×6 and fits 3 bikes and a lawnmower with easy access to everything. One side wall with 4 shelves, long back wall with two shelves, one side wall with hangers for tyres and other bits and pieces. I don't really use it for working on the bikes, too cold and dark in winter and too stuffy in Summer.

It depends how much space you have available, I might have gone slightly larger but it would have been disproportionate to the size of the garden.

Stinger all the way.

I'll be out around then, I'll show you some trails and/or mark up a map for you, email is in my profile.

Great first car. Reliable, safe, and not too quick. My first car was an Ibiza 1.4 and I still managed to get through the front tyres in about 7500 miles. 😆

When are you out there? What kind of riding are you looking for?

Molgrips its all relative. I got them Summer 2008, they came second outright in a fairly comprehensive test in Evo in 2007, against the Pirelli P Zero, Michelin PS2, Goodyear Eagle F1 etc. They have lasted twice as long as the OEM tyres they replaced and given much better performance, so I feel like they were good value for money.

They're not really a budget tyre but Vredestein Ultrac Sessantas have served me extremely well. At £100 a corner they are great value for money, plenty of grip in the dry, brilliant in the wet, nice and predictable.

I have the Triathlete's Training Bible, it is an incredible resource if you want to "self-coach" yourself with a very race-focussed approach. I find the phasing of the training a bit restrictive and demotivating, particularly as I'm training for fun rather than the best possible race results.

I've been doing gym sessions, mainly as rehab for an injury. Gym work isn't for everyone but it can make a big difference on the bike in terms of strength, balance, and your anaerobic threshold. It also reduces your chances of injury. If you are training to finish a 24 then a bit of cross training will help you stave off fatigue for that bit longer.

Just another pathetic measure that is going to cost tax-payers and law-abiding citizens millions of quid and be completely ignored by anybody who doesn't care about breaking the rules.

Juan, if you managed to snap a decent condition Handjob I would say your Meta's days are numbered. 😆

A couple of guys I ride with have them, they're very good bikes for the money. You will have to work a bit harder cross country/uphill than you would on the Trek but the Pitch will be a lot more fun on the descents and is probably the more versatile bike out of the two.

This thread is going to cost me money. 😆

If it went pop it may well have snapped and not torn. I have a mate who is playing rugby with no MCL, its not as vital as the ACL but you should get a proper diagnosis and see a physio if it keeps you out more than a couple of weeks.

As Nicko said, rest alone isn't the best option, it will improve quicker if you do some rehab and build up muscle around the knee. Cycling alone can't sort out the imbalances that injuries cause.

On the plus side, physios actively encourage cycling for knee rehab so you should be able to get out for gentle spins on the road bike when the swelling goes down, spin a nice high cadence and build up gradually.

Second Specialized for a taller gent, plenty of room in my Large SX Trail and I'm 6'3".

The Ragley looks like a lovely bike.

The worst thing you can do is get one of those cheap toolkits, loads of crap tools for £25. Thats what I did. Half of them are either irrelevant or broken. Now I have a cheap B&Q toolbox and I just buy mid-range tools when I need them.

Even on that link coffeeking posted, the cyclist had right of way but he could see the lorry well in advance of the near-collision. There is no excuse for bad driving but it is going to happen so you just have to try and be philosophical about it, especially when it comes to sacrificing a bit of speed to maintain safe distances.

Anybody running them with 140mm forks?

I'm sure a proper square meal is much more beneficial than a protein shake alone but sometimes you don't have access to good food quick enough. Having a protein shake within 30 minutes of finishing training really seems to reduce soreness, it also stops me getting the munchies and necking anything I can lay my hands on, so it improves my diet overall.

It kind of depends what you are trying to achieve, but why would you feel bad about eating risotto?!

If you are looking to lose weight and want to calorie-control your diet then you are always going to struggle with tiredness/hunger/poor recovery. If you stay disciplined the weight will come off, but it can be very draining mentally. Its also frustrating being tired for training.

If you are training for fitness/strength/endurance you need to get over the hang-up about eating. If you train hard, have a recovery shake and a decent meal like risotto, you have had a good day and you should be pleased with it. Your metabolism will get a boost, you will recover quicker, you will gain more strength, endurance etc. Most importantly, you will feel like training hard again, sooner. You won't drop weight as quickly but you will get significantly fitter and learn to eat in proportion with the fuel you are using up.

A pint of milk with High5 Protein Recovery really helps. If I train late in the day I tend to just graze on apples, bananas, nuts and raisins, yoghurt, etc.

Training after a day at work, you need to make sure you have a decent snack about 3 or 4pm and drink plenty of fluids.

"Trying to be good" in terms of calorie intake is nearly always counter-productive. If you just eat toast you are just delaying recovery until the next day, and reducing the benefits of the training. Quit worrying about calorie intake, but restrict yourself to really good quality fresh food, and eat as much as you want.

Ditch the spuds for a while if they are putting doubt in your mind.

No falls, no balls, as the saying goes.

Clubber, if the height of the BB relative to the axles is irrelevant why is there so much fixation with BB heights in general?

On a 36er recumbent you can't make any real weight adjustment because it is all acting through your arse and not through the pedals/BB. It does stand to reason that wheel size could be optimised like any other measurement on the bike.

I am saying that a high COG makes things difficult. If you have long legs and a saddle set for pedalling efficiency you are stuck with a high COG.

The bigger wheels on a 29er roll better and "catch" less on imperfections on the trail. I suppose I am thinking of the force required through the pedals to push the bike over/through an obstacle. It will require a lot less force if the BB is lower in comparison to the axles.

6'3" here, short back and very long limbs.

"29ers fit tall people better" – I think in certain circumstances it makes sense. Taller riders have a higher centre of gravity, especially with the seatpost up. On a 29er the larger wheel raises the axles to compensate for the heightened COG. COG vs axle height is proportionate with a smaller rider on a 26er.