I think the correct response is:

Happy 100th Birthday Kirk Douglas

Hot Rats used to be ubiquitous in any hall of residence, same as Dark Side.

Popped my Zappa cherry with Apostrophe in 1974. Still my favourite but listening to Hot Rats is like putting on an old pair of gloves…..and that isn’t a bad thing!

Trashed several in very short order. Rubbish seals. Replaced with a Hope and never looked back.

Apparently the first batch on on their way from Italy…..hmmmm I think I was in the second so more waiting in store.

Gives me more time to stock up on shiny bits then!

If they are coming from central Italy, cut them some slack, they have had a rough few weeks over there.

Fair comment…..

Oh…. 😥

Not another Singular Saga I hope.

I’ll let you know. I have a grey one due to land any day. I decided to treat myself as I received a small inheritance and felt it was probably the only time I’d ever splash this much cash on a frame.

Binners….sterling has indeed recovered sharply. Whether it will be a temporary burst of euphoria is another thing.

I have a feeling it may have been in the 1990s. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I seem to recall there being a gap between the KW and PH take over.

My mate has a new Arkose and he is running the Nano. There is plenty of room.

I think you’ll find they are cheaper at Planet X btw.

Chatted to one of my team mates last night while out on a ride. It was definitely pre 2000.

Mason Definition? I think that is more or less on budget.

Ah….just spotted the >60cm thing. Kinesis T5 Disc?

I can remember one of my team mates had just bought a pair of gen 1 Vistalites. They were hot off the press so to speak and we were all slightly dismissive of his having so much light….who would ever need that much?????

Have just gone the lights route and they are mentioned in a review of ”Older Lights” in 1999!

I have a feeling it may have been in the 1990s. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I seem to recall there being a gap between the KW and PH take over.

I guess that was about the right time. We missed 3rd in the men’s team event by 30 seconds.

I really enjoyed the first iterations of that race. Decent length loops and the forest hadn’t been trashed with over use. Ken (Ward) wasn’t the most approachable of people but he did put on a good event.

The dawn lap was always the one people wanted to ride especially as it used to warm up shortly afterwards.

Interesting note, there were only 300 riders in the whole event….but I seem to recall it feeling pretty crowded at the time.

Not sure what colour yet. I like the blue, but something else might be nice. Argos in Bristol did a respray for me once (SC Superlight) and I was terribly disappointed. Need to do some research.

Thanks for the steer on the decals.

My favourite bike of all time

I know what you mean. I have a Highball sitting in the shed that never gets used. The Swift is the ‘go to’ (mountain) bike. Mine started off rigid and single speed some 10,000 odd miles ago. It has since grown some gears but that’s it.

Looks like a respray job then. But only when the winter is over!

Fortunately, my arthritis is limited to a big toe. It hurts a lot when I walk but is fortunately fine when I ride.

My sister OTOH has rheumatoid arthritis and has been on all sorts of meds to try and alleviate it. She can’t run or ride a bike any more.

Reminds me of that sketch in League of Gentlemen where ‘Pops’ had webcams in the flat e rented out to the young couple. Can’t find the clip…..

Definition?

I have a Kinesis T5Disc to take on winter road duties. Mudguards are hanging on the wall somewhere, waiting to be fitted. I just had to have discs after yet another winter of pulling on the brakes, listening to them squeal and then realise that I’m not slowing down appreciably.

The Kinesis is being replaced for off road duties by a Mason Bokeh….when it arrives.

Cambridge is nice enough for a bimble. Lots of students though, and tourists ;o). Reasonable places to eat and drink, plenty to do. Very ‘small town’ city if you get my drift.

The Fitzwilliam is a nice place to visit too.

I’ve got a pair of cranks knocking about in the shed somewhere. Haven’t seen them for years. Wonder if they are still there.

That Ritchey……cracker!

He didn’t look in any trouble there so I go with the piss take conspiracy theory! 🙂

We had one until recently. Had it from new on a 51 plate. It wasn’t faultless but it really cost us very little money to run. We kept it regularly serviced and the only time it let us down was for a broken fan belt and a dead battery. Sold it on here a while ago. It had to go as my wife has knee trouble and needs an automatic. Sad to see it go.

My accountant said I could claim for a bike, or part thereof, if I could prove I used it for work. The trouble is all my clients visit me and….I work about 15 foot away from the house.

4 Season Disc here. It took about 1,000 miles of hard off road stuff (sort of ‘MTB lite’) before they needed any tlc. They went through a full winter in mud and cr@p…….yesterday I popped the bearings out to see how much rubbish had found its way in. Nothing. Squeaky clean and shiny, just like the day I got them. Recommend!!!!

I’d love to see on the fly tyre pressure adjustment. On the road it auto inflates to your pre set ideal level, then off road back to your pre set, softer pressures. I have no idea how it could possibly work but it would be pretty cool.

@hora….. +1

Have a look at the Hunt Wheels

I have a pair of the 4 Seasons road wheels (disc) and put over 1000 off road miles into them before they needed any tlc. I’m 14 stone – ish and ride them (the wheels) quite hard.

I used WTB Nanos and they went up first time using a track pump….easy peasy. Look at the extras you get with the wheels too. Brilliant VFM IMO.

I thought 9 days sounded a bit conservative. AFAIK 3 of us will be B&B hopping but I’d expect to take my own luggage. In my head I thought 100 miles a day would be doable. It really comes down to how strong the other guys will be.,,and how good/bad the weather is!

Interesting….we usually blast by it as part of our Bury/Castle Acre/Thetford Forest/Kings Forest/Bury loop. We always wonder what it is going to be like…

Some of the trails leading up from Rushbrook to the A11 have got a bit trashed….mainly by fallen trees, consequently the nettle count is very high in summer.

Meanwhile, it sounds like it could be worth an explore. I’m inclined to wait until we have had a bit more rain though, it was very dusty and ‘fly away’ – riding it would probably have quite an impact on it.

I wonder if the cyclists in China get ads for young brides from Halifax etc?

PMSL

Kayaks….that is omething I have always wanted to do too. Makes note to look into it before I get too much older!

Ouch!

Contacts….no. Not sure how they’d work with a varifocal for long sight and astigmatism. I was always under the impression (from an optician) that this combo made it a no way Jose sort of deal.

@Rio +1

I hate that video….it makes me want to get out and sail right now!

I had no idea inflatable boards were even a thing! As you say….brilliant, if they work!

I’d probably kick off at the local reservoir then move back to the coast. I spent most of my time off Felixtowe. Apart from a vicious shore break it was brilliant. A S/W would work well but you prayed for a southerly when it was (and presumably still is 😛 ) cross shore and you could just hook in, sit down and fly!

I found one of my old harnesses the other day…..manky as hell now. The salt water and the years had taken their toll! It hit the bin.

Thanks @bikebuoy (and everyone else). Just had a peep at the RoHo site. Sort of got the juices flowing again. I think I’ll wander down to the local reservoir and have a chat with some of the guys down there. If I work towards having a try next spring (far too busy atm) I should have been able to sell a kidney and a lung by then! :o)

2nd hand certainly seems to be the way to go.

On the down side….my puny cycling arms are going to suffer like hell!

Can you really uphaul short boards then?

As a general purpose sail, for a 14 to 14.5 stone person, would I look to go bigger than 6.5m? A 6.5 used to be the go to sail for me, and would be good up until a mid force 5. If they exhaust better now, I guess a 7 or 7.5 wouldn’t be out of order, though that was strictly long board territory when I last sailed.

I’m hooked again at the moment …. till I get fed up waiting for the wind !

😆

No…that has been shelved in favour of the Definition. I’ll keep the 5T Disc as it is and that will cover the ‘gravel’ bases.

I hear you may be pulling the trigger on a new bike too……