theotherjonv –

Your admission that having a sportive bike won't 'cut the mustard' in the TT makes a bit of a mockery of that goal

Not sure I totally agree with that comment, it is just I know that I'll end up pushing myself to my limits again and the fact that my good times were 15 years ago won't matter when the red mist descends. Your comment about it not mattering unless my lungs are bleeding is a good one and well put, I totally agree but it doesn't make any difference once I get the competitive urge.

I used to have a steel road bike, two in fact. My last one was a custom Fuquay and was brilliant, fast, relatively comfortable and just about excellent. It was however, a full on TT machine with Hed Deep (front and rear) wheels etc but it has long been sold as have the wheels and all the gear (but I never did have a pointy hat or any of the other gear).

Thanks guys….. as I work from home alex, it isn't going to be too much of a problem! 🙂

I'm moving up from 15 minutes riding to half an hour sessions this weekend so I don't think I'll be going too far! (The beginning of rehab on a mullered back.)

Titanic… can't believe it hasn't had a mention yet, in fact any di Caprio films, oh yes and the ones where the Yanks claim to have won WW2 single handed, why can't they get their facts right? What was the other one…. something about deep fried green tomatoes, period dramas and I could go on……

Good luck with this…. both of you.

The Dolan looks nice but it is a lugged frame. Anyone know of any bonding issues? I'll have a peep at Giants too.

thanks anyway GJP!

Pretty large… I ride a 21" mtb.

I'll have a look at Terry Dolan sounds good.

The Secteur Elite comes in at £999 for the cycle to work gang (unfortunately that doesn't include me!) so we are in the same ballpark price wise.

I need to have a look at one and possibly a ride too but right now i am still recovering from my back injury and am off the bike (any bike) for a while which is why I can spend time researching rather than just rushing out to get a new machine!

The Roubaix is half as much again which is going a bit too far for me I'm afraid. Looks nice though. I'd have to dig very deep to afford one.

The main worry I have with carbon frames is longevity and I know Spesh and Trek have excellent warranties i.e. lifetime for original owner iirc but you pay a premium for the kit in the first place.

The post is a 27.2 with layback and the wheels……erm need to check but not just yet. I'll keep your details Alex and when/if the time comes I'll drop you a line. 🙂

Thetford …. I'd tend to avoid the Black Route, it is pants. The Red route is better. We (Timber) have been getting better results out of the FC recently and they paid for 2km of trail to be (professionally) laid recently. Together with the sections we have worked on (Tightrope and 39 Steps) the red is slowly becoming a reasonable trail to ride though still far from perfect.

Don't forget to ride the Brandon Country Park trails as they are a lot of fun. Unless you like being stung by neck high nettles I'd avoid Santon Downham if I were you.

Have a peep on our website http://www.timbermtb.org go to the forum and see if there are any rides being planned.

Yes.. a Surly 1×1 with RC31s… both getting on by STW standards. TBH as it is uber large it looks like a gate and really is not that inspiring to look at but it is sooo nice to ride.

It is my winterbike/ night ride bike/ occasional summer race bike though for some reason this year it has only peeped out of the shed once or twice.

….and if we are counting road bikes a Giant Bowery (I think that is what it is called.

beanum…. you’re a star! Fxed and I can go clicky, clicky on hyperlinks all day now! 🙂

Nothing in there looks out of the ordinary….

I’ll have a look……

oops… double post

I totally agree….. when I was at uni, computer time was only for the maths faculty!!! He’ll be living at home and commuting so carrying a 24″ iMac on the bus/train might be a tad difficult!

My son… extravagant….. well yes. Trouble is, when I start to go on about it he just points to my bikes. Maybe if I just had one uber shonky singlespeed I could have some moral authority but it is a bit difficult with 5 bikes sitting in the shed.

The other bit you may have missed was…..”indlugent grandparents” and I mean indulgent!!!

I totally agree….. when I was at uni, computer time was only for the maths faculty!!! He’ll be living at home and commuting so carrying a 24″ iMac on the bus/train might be a tad difficult!

My son… extravagant….. well yes. Trouble is, when I start to go on about it he just points to my bikes. Maybe if I just had one uber shonky singlespeed I could have some moral authority but it is a bit difficult with 5 bikes sitting in the shed.

The other bit you may have missed was…..”indlugent grandparents” and I mean indulgent!!!

mickyfinn…. yes you are spot on about the degree, just can’t remember what the full course title is!

tomzo, to an extent I agree with you and it does seem logical but……..

Flaperon… they have stipulated a laptop

Not sure what the animation software is… I just know they don’t use Maya and that is what he knows/uses at the moment.

It seems then that what he’ll need is VM Fusion or similar, even Bootcamp, a copy of XP Pro and he’s away!

Thanks!

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I can do it at last!!!!!!

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woohoo! 🙂

Little things…. little minds etc!

David… where is the hash key? Burgered if I can find out the right combination.

His iMac is maybe a year old, 24″ monitor – he has been doing video production and 3d animation – and has indulgent grandparents!

Simon – yes I spotted the education discount thingy. I wonder if he can get it through his college before they break up. Worth having a go I suppose… then I can have the iPod! LOL! 🙂

Thanks guys….. I had a long chat with the course tutors when he/we went round for the “open day” and they will be using XP Pro. I can’t remember why Linux was off the menu but he did explain it 😳 If there won’t be any issues then there’s really no reason why not to get the Macbook then is there?

Presumably he’ll be able to pinch the keyboard from his iMac and either hook up to use the iMac screen or he can use an old 19″ TFT I have got hanging around somewhere.

I had a bike nicked once. I had locked it to a tree…..about 6 to 8 inch diameter and they cut the tree down to get the bike! It was a pretty pants bike, certainly not worth the effort of cutting down a tree bit the insurers failed to pay out there too. They simply would not believe the tree had been cut down to get at a £250 bike (this was about 1980 so £250 was a decent wedge for a student.)

As everyone has said, I think you are stuffed. Policy wording is usually pretty specific and if you fall outside the strict terms laid out within, then you have no chance.

I can remember talking to one of the very attractive young ladies at one of the red bull stands half way round the Mountain Mayhem course (the last one at Sandwell) when it was boiling hot and everyone was stopping for drinks. Anyway, she was amazed that we were “drinking that muck”, apart from the caffeine rush “all it does is dehydrate you massively… it is the biggest con on earth that they have got sports people to use it”

It tastes like windscreen wash anyway…. yuk.

All this talk about chucking eggs/bricks.

Did someone say Jehovah?????

I have a eurohike pop up tent thingy which cost about £30. It has stood up to Bristol this w/e and the 2007 24/12 which was just about as wet as it gets. Perfectly waterproof, nice and toasty (in fact I had to open the flap this w/e at Bristol cos I was too hot). Anyway, cr@p if you are on a bike but for trolling up at an event in a car or for an ad hoc night or two camping, I couldn’t ask for better.

299 to john@flowracing.co.uk please

I think someone said Paul had a compact with the devil. Let’s hope his soul was interesting enough for old Nick and keep the dry weather tyres on. Having said that, put the mud tyres on and it will be fine for the rest of us! 😆

Kingtut… did you ride D2D last year? Now that was an inexcusable bit of trail trashing if you ask me. It has nearly “recovered” but the trails will never be what they once were. I’m sure Ashton will not suffer anywhere near the same fate.

I’ll be there but undecided on which bike. It’ll be a last minute decision when I load up the car.

Is the Bristol mud slimy, slippy, horrible goo or is it heavy, claggy stuff that blocks up your wheels, drive train etc?

Lenny – far tamer than the video nasties. Couldn’t see why it was an X then and still can’t now.

I can also remember some sex/horror double bill about Nazi Zombies with the second film about Russian soldiers rounding up Nazi (women) solidiers in a cave, raping them killing them. My mate had persuaded me to go along as he reckoned it was the best film combo that had ever come to town (we were 16 at the time). The Confessions films, Emmanuelle etc, all very tame but I freaked when out of my box watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 😯

Not so sure it was dross…..just less accessible than other “easier” stuff. Strangely enough I love the humour on Ruben and the Jets but no way is that going to be on many people’s “must listen to” list…. unless you like doo wop.

Overnite Sensation for me…a little gem of an album but there again Chunga’s Revenge is pretty good. I like Joe’s Garage etc but they really are a little commercial for FZ. Hot Rats never did it for me but Live at Filmore East did! It really is tough with FZ as his output was so varied. You’ll either like it or loathe it.

Not much help am I?

The Married Women’s Property Act was passed in 1882 so quite a long time really… though in the very long term admittedly just a little while.

I bought the 705 recently from cyclesurgery and iirc it came with the GB Topo maps for about £280. Is it any good? I’m still working through all the functions etc trying to get it to do stuff I never knew I wanted it to do! 😕

I haven’t used it to plan any epic trails etc yet cos there are no epic routes in Suffolk!

I am happy with it.

It doesn’t take much to kill a wabbit, just do what david_r said. Don’t freak if they keep moving about, if you have broken their neck it is lights out time. Forget the large, brown mournful eyes looking at you accusingly, the last twitch of its ears, the final breath etc etc. If it badly injured it is either going to go off to die in lots of pain or be finished off by the local fox or whatever. You are doing it a favour.

A badger though….probably a baseball bat but you can do it…. I’m not going anywhere near a half dead, pissed off badger!

Old faithful….SDG Bel Air