I’m not a whippet and have a tendency to break frames (well I haven’t for the last few years) so strength is important to me. The Alan is supposed to be built for “the heavier or stronger rider” and while I think I fall into the latter category, the former is more appropriate (15stone).

I’ve got one on my Giant Bowery so I guess it is an across the range policy, probably inspired by lawyers to protect them from other lawyers.

I am a bit to the left of Ghandi.

I already have a Swift which I ride rigid, the Gryphon would probably be too similar. Glad to hear about the extra added fun content on old trails, itis what I want!

More grist to the mill of buying one.

🙂

if you considered the cross bike as a rigid, super lightweight MTB with very easily punctured tyres,

I ride rigid most of the time anyway and there’s nothing scary around here. I must say, the tyre thing does concern me a bit. Even with 700 x 35 I’d have thought I’d have to pump them up pretty hard cos I have just under 15 stone to carry round and it might compromise grip on the bends. I suppose you can always put those puncture strips in.

Does anyone from Endura come on here? Perhaps they should be prompted to if anyone knows them. It would be useful if we could get feedback like we used to from the chap at CRC a few years back.

I have had years of trouble free service from everything I have ever had from Endura.

I have just been on the ‘phone to the guy in the shop. He agrees that the figures look a little strange. I’m erring strongly towards the 62cm now.

Thank you chaps.:)

Well spotted Coleman. I went “next door” to the more expensive version http://www.cube.eu/road/x-race/x-race-pro/ and the measurements are quite different.

Looking more like a 62cm now really!

leggyblonde I am a shade under 6ft 4ins. Shorter leg/longer body configuration… but not that short!

My road bikes have TTs that are 59 and 60cm c2c. The bike I have been lusting after has a TT of 59 cm in a 64cm frame and 585 in a 62cm. It was suggested that I go for the 64cm as the head tune is much taller for only a tiny difference in TT length.

http://www.cube.eu/road/x-race/x-race-comp/

Any thoughts?

Not sure. Thetford if I can be ar$ed but all my mates are racing so I’ll probably grab the winter (road) bike and et some miles in with a nice cafe or bike shop stop thrown in half way round. At least if I go to the shop someone will talk to me! 😉

Meanwhile I have my Superlight to strip and put away for the winter and an EBB to take out and grease on the Swift oh and the in laws are coming round on Saturday so I’ll be doing family stuff then.

I graduated in ’83. Spent too long indulging in bacchanalian pleasures to get a decent degree. I’d go again if I could and this time I’d probably do some work too. I really fancy Computer Forensics or Computer Security but at my age I’d be on the scrap heap before I got through the course.

Where was it? I think it is called St Mary’s University now, somewhere in Twickenham. I got a Uni of London degree but it changed to Uni of Surrey a couple of years after they got rid of me!

I owed about £2,400 when I finished… which was actually quite a bit then.

Ralphs for me all year round (yes, even for D2D this year). The course is riding pretty well and unless we have a biblical style deluge it should be great fun.

Won’t be racing but may bimble over to have a peep.

It is an Acer Travelmate 290

It does not appear in Device Manager on the XP machine except as an unknown device with the warning icon on top.

Answer no 1. It works ok on my win 7 laptop. I’ll have another go on the old one now.

Oooh I have started to get a USB Power Surge warning. Never seen one of those before…. recommends disconnection!

Woody, yes the mouse works in the same port.

I think the old laptop is on SP2 btw

it is the Pelham Large Print Keyboard

Another Thetford/Superstar sintered combo here. I checked them last night after having had them fitted for a couple of months. Hardly any signs of wear at all. They feel nice to brake with and thus far, have done everything well. 9/10

Still can’t get into saying “we recorded it” or “V+ed it.

+1

I get so much grief from my son about this.

I am digitising my music collection at the moment and I refer to that as “taping” too, much to his exasperation.

Ruth…. yes, she needs a good hair wash!

Pah! Piffle! 😈

Kodak stuff for me.

I’m a shade under 6ft 4ins.

Would consider a CX bike as an option too…. big tyres and all that!

A 60cm frame wil be a bit short in the top tube. I’ll have to measure it all up.

The point is br, they tend to use the same runs, this means if there is more than one (and there probably is) then they will all get a dose. You will never get rid of them all. Things die all the time, rats are no different, if you poison it, it will crawl off somewhere to die just as it would if it were sick. Odds are that it won’t be anywhere where it will distress you.

I mentioned the gun and the proviso that you be a good shot. Poison is the best bet for most people. Get a proper dispenser and you’ll see the poison disappear. Keep filling it up until it stops going. Go to somewhere that sells stuff for farms or horses, they’ll have the best kit and it won’t be as expensive as a garden centre.

Overgrown mouse traps are ok until they get damp, then they just curl up and die. Remember, if you use a spring trap and don’t kill ratty straight off, you’ll have to dispose of one angry rodent.

A board, some peanut butter and a good shot with an air gun. (spread peanut butter on board so rat can’t run off with it – he has to sit still while he eats it)

Rat bait and “dispenser”

Either are effective, the rat usually ends up dead.

They don’t go away if you try anything “humane” btw.

£500 is max for this, preferably lower.

Ribble come in at a bit over £500 and there aren’t any “deals” as such. They are on my radar thought.

I have calmed down now 🙂

Cheats grrrr………..

Cheating….. I have always regarded people who are blatant trophy hunters in the fun class as cheats. If you are new to the race thing and find you are really fast that’s one thing but the number of people who are very quick indeed and enter fun cos they can win without trying too hard is beyond belief. Sad gits.:(

The front wheel trying to tuck under in really tight singletrack…. otherwise mine is perfect.

OOH! 🙂

I am really ambivalent about the idea of doing the culture novels. I have got it all worked out in my mind, how they look, talk etc (e.g. Horza in Consider Phlebas) and I’d hate it all to be messed up by someone else’s interpretation which will have to be influenced by whatever is feasible from a special effects pov. The films would probably be too short as well. How can you do justice to the depth of idea/background in a series of maybe two hour films?

Having said that, it would be awesome to see inside the GSVs (I think that’s what they were). The scale of culture ships is huge and a sort of mega version of that would be phenomenal.

Yeah, they’d probably bollox it all up.

Amazing, no one has mentioned the vegetation between the paving on letmetalktomark’s picture yet.

I have never owned any Manitous and always tended to look on them as a not particularly good make with a pretty average reputation. Are things different now? CRC seem to have them for £288 so far cheaper than the Reba option.

Persuade me Sam and I might have to buy one of those shirts we talked about.

Buy a Swift, you’ll not regret it.

Go on, go on, go on, you know you want to.

I’m a shade under 6ft 4ins and have an XL. I have a rigid Swift n 1×9 format. In the shed I also have a very nice SC Superlight. The Swift is the bike of choice every time unless I know it is going to be very gnarly or a very long ride (4 to 5 hours plus).

I run mine with 115mm Rebas otherwise similar build except I have got DT240 hubs to make up a nice and light wheelset.

Rats – on two counts. I was hoping to get one (or something similar) after I off loaded a bike I haven’t broken up yet and XL would be the size I’d be after.

Thanks anyway Buzzard I’ll keep my eyes open.