Just blown my nose AND had a crap, so the ideas are falling out at the moment. How about brownpaperbag dot whatever… You sell embarrassing things to people that don’t want to get them from a shop.

A one stop shop where you could pick up buttplugs, pile cream, Adelle CDs, bar ends etc. It’ll be orsm.

And I’ll own half… Yeah, I’ve seen that Facebook film, innit.

Pro IIs are probably loudest, but the whir of Christ Kings seems to penetrate further and worry walkers more…

I like my lure fishing for pike, river barbelling and a spot of fly fishing every now and again. Don’t have the time to devote to it that I used to…

My hovercraft is perfectly legal on roads, pavements, footpaths, and I can drive it drunk through red lights and with complete reckless abandon without fear of reproach. However, it’s right-hand erm… hover, and I only have a basic TomTom with UK and Northern Ireland mapping, so you won’t catch me using it south of Dover. Fact.

That is utterly gorgeous!

Ouch… Just done an 8-lap loop – plus a few flat miles to warm up.

Kept it big ring all the way, powered up the climb and sprinted over the top. Really got my lungs pumping and I can see why they’re beneficial.

Considering I was only riding for 40 mins, I feel like I’ve done some good.

I can understand the boredom aspect creeping in, but for a once a week workout that I can monitor for progress, I think it’ll be good…

They’re just human like the rest of us…

🙄 Can’t even visit a bike forum without getting plagued by print reps!!!

😉

Okey dokes, how hard should I be hitting this? And should I be using the descent/flat to get heart rate back down or pressing on?

Looks like I should get an HRM too, any recommendations?

Thanks… 🙂

I’m a graphic designer with 20 years experience. I’m too busy though.

I’ve ordered the book Mudshark recommended and The Cyclists Training Bible which comes highly recommended.

I’m starting tonight with laps of the 1.2 mile loop, nailing it hard on the climb and spinning back down/round.

I reckon 20 laps should be enough to induce vomiting if I hit it hard enough.

I’ve GT85’d the road bike so it’ll be easier to rinse.

A wise man once said to me, “beneath all pony tails, there’s an arsehole.”

Wise words.

Looking at the pictures, TJ is obviously Frank Gallagher – opinionated, vociferous, possibly *slightly* educated, but a complete and utter wanksock. Can I claim a prize?

And this fellow matches exactly the mental image I have of Padded Brain Fred…

By eck, the things I’d like to do to her when she’s all hot ‘n’ sweaty…

Thanks MLC!

Thanks Mudshark, that looks worth a look. I ride a variety of different loops on and off road, but I’m getting frustrated at a lack of progress.

I don’t think night riding through winter helps – spring always used to be a time when you’d really see performance come on leaps and bounds which was great for motivation. Now I feel like I’m starting the spring stuck beneath a glass ceiling.

So I was hoping some really structured training might make me focus more and be able to record progress.

Maybe I’ll just get some of those Co-Op HCBs… And a Ragley Blue Pig 😉

Cheers for the advice so far…

So would I be best swapping my Thursday night road loop for doing some fast laps of the 1.2 mile loop for example?

I’d like to lose some weight, but it’s been fairly stable for a few years – 13.75st at 6’1″.

I gain weight – presumably muscle mass when I up the miles…

iDave, I seem to be pretty fast on the flat – my cadence seems to be higher than most that I ride with which seems to allow me to maintain speed on flat road sections better than most. But I seem to slow down quicker as soon as the gradient increases.

I want to improve overall stamina for bigger rides too…

I thought both loops would be good for a sprinted climb at max HR, then active rest/fast spin back round for 5 mins to the foot of the climb and repeat.

I’m trying to think of a way of using the roadbike on the road to simulate the type of interval training you’d done on a turbo…

I’ve just listened to Gold Against the Soul on CD. The mixing of From Dispair To Where into La Tristesse Durera is sublime. You completely miss that when you listen to the same album on an iPod. Or maybe I’m ripping them wrong…

???

Be careful with Bernie Ecclestone at the Orange Apple, he struggles threading a chain through one of those new-fangled rear doo-railers.

I doubt he’d have a clue about valuations either. There’s a guy in Clitheroe called ATR Cycles that would be a better bet.

I can recommend Sam for servicing and repairs though…

Mexico is a shithole. Fact. If you like doing the Tijuana two-step with your lunch running down your inside leg, go for it.

The people are all bone idle. So is the jungle – it can’t even be arsed growing higher than 6 ft, so it’s not even a proper jungle. Just an overgrown charmless scrub full of snakes and biting spiders.

The only living thing that can be bothered actually doing anything in Mexico are the mosquitos, so if you like coming home with ankles that look like something out of a Beryl Cook painting, Mexico is the place for you.

And don’t get me started on the yanks – loudmouth morons who like nothing more than sitting in the pool pouring lager in one end and pissing it out of the other without even standing up. Vile.

Apart from that, it’s great.

My Blur is called Hilda after my grandmother who left me a small some of money with instructions to treat myself. It was my first “proper” mountain bike and I’ll never part with it… Her… Whatever.

I’m 80 kilos, but a relatively smooth rider and have had no probs with Crests on a Soul.

I suspect they’ll be fine…

My RoadRat has Dura-Ace mechs, FSA carbon cranks, carbon bars, stem and post, Hope Mini Monos…

I figure that if you’re going to use it as an everyday workhorse, it makes sense to use good stuff…

robhornby89 – Member

I’ve just moved to lancaster, looking for a place to ride, can any of you tell me the best way to get there/place to park and get started?

Easiest way is to go through Burton in Kendal (from Pine Lakes side) and about half a mile out of the village, turn right signposted Clawthorpe. I think there’s a caravan site or something next to the turn off. About half a mile up that road there are a few trails heading off to the left – plenty of laybys and verges to park on.

It’s a nice compact place to explore – the bit in the vid is down the north side, loads of little trails through the gorse bushes.

Have fun!

Ribble are the Vauxhall Astra of the bike world.

+1, awesome plush fork – just a touch heavy. I swapped mine for some Pace to save weight but they were nowhere near as good.

Thanks Handsomedog, they’re on Sport Sunday website now – they hadn’t posted them up when I checked yesterday.

Well done, some of yours are crackers!

Do you have any idea who was snapping at one of the jumps on the descent from the south loop? I’d love to see some of those pics…

I’d say it’s a fun bit of cross country but certainly not demanding enough to warrant a big bike. Been up there with a 6″ Elsworth and felt completely over-biked.

Been there 3 or 4 years now (I take it you mean the singletrack that runs from the crag to the edge of the quarry). Some belting jumps down at the bottom – worth a few runs through.

Cracking little spot for a ride and underused by bikers. You can link 3 decent climbs and descents, all criss-crossing the summit for a decent morning’s riding.

You might as well just tell her you’re a complete fool – no point lying, they can always tell… 😉

organic355 – Member

The dot over the letter ‘i’ is called a tittle.

And the cross on a ‘t’ is called a jot.

If you argue with a moderator, you get banned. Fact. 😉

Drac – Moderator

The Trombone was invented before the Paperclip. Fact!

Shibboleth’s sense of humour is too sophisticated for Drac… Fact.

The French call paperclips “les trombones”.

Therefore, we named a brass instrument after French paperclips. Fact.

Only a fool would slate a bike that is advertised in his own magazine. I bet a lot of bike reviews don’t even make it to print so as not to upset advertisers.

Having worked in similar magazines in the motor industry, there’s an attitude of “if you can’t think of anything nice to say, best to say nothing at all”.

Not pointing the finger at Singletrack, but there’s an obvious air of preference towards certain brands/distributors in MBR.

You could always play on a fruit machine if you want to skip a meal…

Had to retire at the end of the first lap due to concussion! Gutted. Some of that single track was pretty slippy.

Cracking day though, thoroughly enjoyed it… Apart from the stack, obviously.