Thanks guys will give another go.

DanW, you sir are a dick.

thanks stworlders. weve hired a car :!:

not cycling or walking :?

Not following you chief. You can arrange belt over your hips but inevitably rides up to your waist? Only thing to have made a difference is to wear it slightly looser but this kind of defeats the purpose ie designed to be worn hugging body for max protection.

Am 5’9″ and got medium. Totally restricts head/helmet movement on any kind of descent. To the point that cant actually use it. Tried with back protector removed and no great improvement. Def go for small.

Guitarhero – do you have to sort specific insurance or ensure you meet fire regs etc. Any complaints from neighbours?

Thanks

thanks folks

Cheers hustler/muppet. How do you work it out?

try the vets too. Our neighbour thought our cat was theirs. Kidnapped her realised it wansnt hers so took it to the vets, instead of just letting her back out to find her own way home.

Been to Kerala, but not mtb. Went up to the mountainy bit, tree and rubber plantations, where I think a lot of the mtb happens. Absolutely beautiful and so are the people. Worth it just to experience India, although you might risk looking a bit imperialist on an expensive mtb, thrashing throught the locals tea plantations.

whats worse is brits using american pronunciation of english words. I heard a pure (uk) fud on radio 4 say route (as in pout) instead of route (as in soot). If fekn radio 4 are at it we are all doomed.

Brilliant photos Ben. I share your pain, we have drool stains on the ceiling. Vet recommends mouth op, which is what we are trying to avoid.

And to you trek. No nerve damage I hope.

Hey trekEx8 what did you do to your back? i broke mine over christmas, 5 transverse process fractures. fell off going slow, on easy bit of trail rolled and hit a tree/rock combo. Rolling helps but not if your luck’s out. As the wise have noted injuries just happen no matter what.

What was back op OP? Am currently in non biking mode (7 weeks so far) after back injury and interested to know when might be ok to get back on bike.

Cheers chickenman. Pine will hopefully be ok if varnished. Like the look of red pine and the 5mm gaps. Oak a good shout that hadnt considered.

Cheers folks. Flat bars might be better.

Cheers folks. Will have a look at flat bars. Advantage of secteur is you can change angle of the stem to make more upright which might make bullhorns more of an option.

Jeans and a sports jacket is the work of the Devil. Only worn by style clueless architects (and perhaps the Dutch).

By solid wood do you mean actual 3 inch floorboards? We were thinking about getting red pine floorboards put down. Do floorboards work if laid directly onto chipboard, or does the floor have to be suspended in some way? I’m ok with the whole warping moving thing as that’s where the character comes from.

Apologies if this point has already been made but wasnt there an article a couple of years ago in some medical journal that worked out that because obese people die younger they are actually saving the NHS money. Given burden on the NHS is the justification people use to hate the fatties, will we have to find another excuse?

Many thanks for responses, very useful advice. Crash was nothing really, a slow motion off on a fairly gentle slope that I’d ridden dozens of times before. I braked and bike started sliding sideways, I came off and rolled and half way through my back snapped. Sort of crash Ive had loads of and roll back to my feet. Doctor said it was muscle/tendon contraction that caused the fractures rather than any impact. Ive had untreated back issues for a while which I think have in part caught up with me. Interestingly the physio at the hospital said I wouldn’t need any treatment which seems odd. Maybe BigEars point about NHS only patching you up.
Thanks again.

Cheers PJ. Cedric looking good, is that from his website?

Five days ago I fell off my bike. Was going slow down a slope I’ve ridden dozens of times before, bike began to slide and front wheel washed out. I came off rolled and hit a branch by side of the trail. Broke my back – transverse process fracture in five lumbar vertebrae. I was unlucky and very lucky, the injury is stable with no nerve damage. Mtb can be dangerous but in my circumstance trail conditions, ability and luck all played a part.

Does anyone know how CG is now?

Cheers folks, will be my Christmas holidays challenge.

If it wasnt for english people repeatedly telling me that I hate them, I’m sure I’d quite like the english.

Yes for me, but can we change it back if it doesnt work?

Been to docs before – this is my third flare up. Checked prostate, fine, gave me physio, which seems generally good but hasn’t prevented a recurrence. There does appear to be a link between cycling and pelvic pain. Ive taken a few whacks on the pubic bone as I clumsily land jumps onto saddle. But also evidence that generally sitting on a saddle for a length of time is not what your perineum was designed to do – nerve damage etc. Curious really if anyone else has had similar and what outcome was.

They still throw spears at aeroplanes in Fife.

Thanks again, map great countzero, as you say seems absolutely loads to do.

Thanks for lots of great suggestions. Coming down from Glasgow, hence bit of cluelessness re distances etc. Are Bath/Oxford really that far?

Had one in shed last month. Same size. Poked it with a long stick and ran. Came back and they’d started to build a new one. Poked with long stick and ran. Came back and they were still loitering. Couple of days later theyd gone.

Thanks very much for responses. I think there are some home truths in there around intensity I ride at and also my perception of how long and frequently I do actually ride for – in reality closer to 2 hours twice a week. It is all up and then back down again riding I do, and will be at the 10 mile mark. On the attitude thing, as an example, I recently rode a local friends race and did well on the down but died on the slight up hill middle section. People were chatting to each other casually (friends race and back of the pack) as they passed me as I was gasping like an idiot. Will look at the diet, hydration, heart monitor side of things. I do hydrate but probally closer to a litre rather than three. Interval training sounds too serious. The bell end of crap may well be my natural path.

by way of update. they (warranty company) didn’t get me on the wear and tear instead I was 3k over the mileage when I should have had a service by. regardless of fault having nothing to do with the service, I was in breach of contract. I have no argument – manual says service every 12.5k or 2 yrs and then in small print at bottom of page ‘or whichever is the sooner’. I missed that bit. is there an argument re fault nothing to do with service or am I pretty much on a hiding to nothing?

Peugeot 308 SW. Diesel estate. 55000 miles. Thanks for responses.

2009. Ive had it less than a year. One year warranty.

Thanks dudes, might take bike instead. I’m in ft bill anyway for work.

yip did that – borderline between small and medium for thigh measurement, but went for medium cause of weight. Now I have them they feel a bit loose and concerned that will work their way to my ankle after a couple of hours riding. Fit fine on calfs.

Cheers Conan, how much did you get your Pro2’s for?

Apologies Mike tried to edit post before sending, must have ran out of time. Didnt realise photo had to link to a web site.Cheers for the recommends.

isnt stonehaven where they invented the deep fried mars bar? And dont forget the Hook and Eye. And is the vennel still in business?