Just bought a pair of white Gore ones to match my new Stolen Goat top. I’ve had various ordinary black ones and as above they’re for cycling in. Did a full End2End 45 miles with them as wrist pop-socks once as I couldn’t be bothered to take them off.

Knee warmers are good too (i’m 49 though…)

Bought a Defy and straight away swapped the Giant tires for GP 4000 2’s – can’t be objective about the originals but love my Conti’s…

I’ve ridden through the winter on our local crap roads in all weathers and worn several sets out over 2 years. I cut sidewall (on the only local “cycle lane” – probably from other road rubbish swept into it…

if you can get 25mm or maybe even 28mm in a Disc Defy you should be fine…

use ours as Blu Ray and watch Netflix on it – great!!!

don’t forget their own Outlet store on the website…

I got a Sirius Mk1 for £54 with a helmet mount – £45 without… Effectively a Joystick Mk6 with 360lumens – I paid £115 for my 300 lumen Mk5 “back in the day”…. Good enough for night road rides on its own…

http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-lights/outlet-store/sirius-mk1-helmet-mount-bundle

Got a good write up in Cycling Active a few months ago; full ultegra and a decent looking frame…

Put my money where my mouth is and bought a print; it could well be any of us…

watched Grimm?; great ensemble cast….

Marc – if you look for “misfits (ii)” on FB you’ll find the Saturday ride details – I’m away to Uni with my boy but normally there are 25+ riders and a slow/fast group – you might even be able to hitch a lift out of town!

Jimjam – seriously tempted – are you another 26″ recluse like me after looking @ the other tee’s!!!!

…I think they are also doing extra steam trains back to Douglas too rather than all coaches & wagons for the bikes if that helps!!!

…there’s also a couple of reasonable feed stations and lots of local interest/support.

This year sees a new chunk of singletrack to replace farmers fields about 2/3 way through and a “secret” new route into Port Erin for the finish…

Not entered this year’s yet and I’ve ended up running the finish by default a few times, but there’s still time….

Worth it if you can add a few days to do some of our excellent little Island’s tracks and plantations

Whilst some of us are here, on the IOM, stuck in work all week, I could hear the bikes racing yesterday as it was a still day(could hear the WSB lap bike yesterday just like it was outside my office window) ho hum. Brave, mad men and women. Rather them than me, etc. the Island will be dead again by Monday!!!

if you come to the TT bring your MTB – easiest way around at times….

After a solid year on the road bike i’ve started riding my Orange R8 again, with some rufty Pananracer Rampage SC’s on… here @ Cringle Plantation, the isle of Man’s current must ride place full of Enduro-ness. Unlike me.

i disagree with you but i defend your right to an opinion!!!

In – 120km – just got to get there….. managed to pre enter with about 10 mins to spare…

Can’t wear Sky stuff (personally) on the roads over here (The Isle of Man..) as you are too likely to run into Peter Kennaugh on a bike. Wearing his. Apparently he’s been out in his new World Champs top over here too.

d’oh – apologies – too busy looking at the bike. Oops…

ianc – you lucky, lucky barsteward. Proves what i normally say; Giant make cack looking mtbs, but great looking road bikes, whereas Spesh are vice versa….

Ribble are having a sidi sale till Tuesday if that helps and you are feeling brave?

Drac you are almost as witty as my son (it’s noted in his school report too) but is that a spare Wayans???? Did i beat him to them ;)????

i bought some 2nd hand chasseur de cols bibs off Fleabay. Did 103 miles from Harrogate to Sheffield 3 weeks ago starting in the pouring rain. Fine and dandy – i’m 5’6″ and 76ish kg and the medium is fine with just enough compression for support…

usually they’ll lash it to the barriers as you come on through the entry ramp (on the inside of course :)….)

Bog Std Giant Defy Composite 1 50/34 and 12-28 get me up all the Isle of Man’s hills (inc Postie’s Hill in Glen Maye that should be in a Simon Warren 100 best book) and over 103 miles of Stage 2 from Harrogate to Sheffield – which were not as bad as i was expecting…. did spin out @ 49.8 mph but hey it’s all about the climbing and i can do all that on those ratios…

got one – by mistake but it does the job on my road bike. no slipping and in roughly the right space until heads up displays are properly sorted by google :)

get the rights of way map? – or look for local groups if you Facebook… try loaghtan loaded (https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoaghtanLoaded/) or the infamous laxey circus who are doing aloop down the west coast on Saturday (https://www.facebook.com/groups/223492764379728/) if you are in Douglas i’m on 07624 421067 – (sadly on the roadbike mostly @ the mo but might be persuaded out one evening if that helps?)

Suggest that you pop in Bikestyle or Eurocycles in Douglas and they can show you plenty of stuff – as ever a handy local to follow beats any amount of chinese whisper 2nd hand stuff…

The new Dunlop film is previewing *over here* too. Hope it doesn’t have any Guy Martin style “personal” anecdotes to throw you off, like Closer to the Edge did…

Castle Rushen in the Isle of Man – one of the best preserved in Britain as a local let the Roundheads in during the Civil War. Later hanged by the Brits …

<img alt=”” src=”http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/c8/f4/23/castle-rushen-castletown.jpg”/&gt;
This photo of Isle of Man is courtesy of TripAdvisor

And Peel Castle – another adopted viking site…. Come to the TT and see thjem too!

<img alt=”” src=”http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/42/23/96/lookin-down-at-fenella.jpg”/&gt;
This photo of Peel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

At least it’s not in Bikestyle’s window making me jealous anymore….

Boonie hat? De Rigeur for sun, or rain….

http://www.military1st.co.uk/12325057-mil-tec-gi-boonie-hat-a-tacs-au.html

My s/o hates my extensive hat collection but especially loathes my boonies :)

galibier bibs on ebay (from them) – bought a cap last month cheaper than their own website…

Isle of Man Lighthouse Challenge http://www.sasevents.im/event/microgaming-lighthouses-challenge-2014/ has lots of hills and it’s hard to get lost as you do a 100.3 mile circuit…

went over Honnister 1st time on a bike Sunday lunchtime – bloomin heck it’s hard. Appalling weather at the top; wind & rain – needed a coffee to defrost my hands before going down to Buttermere with wet carbon brake levers :( Best wishes to all of you this weekend!

bought this Giant (small)end of Jan; and other than a change to a Spesh saddle & GP4000s’s it’s done over 800 miles without a hitch. Lovely ride and feels fast compared to previous less fitted/capable bikes…

Being carbon it cleans with a wipe too. :)

…you betcha!

surely it’s about as tight as you feel when you suddenly realise you agree with something Hora said????

Not wishing to steal Brant’s thunder but i’ve had a 2013 Defy Composite 1 for about 2 months and i’ve really enjoyed it after 24 yrs as an MTB’er. I put a Spesh saddle on, and some Conti 4000s’s but other than that i’ve just ridden it. I’m on the Isle of Man and it does well on some of our cacky roads with poor surfaces and lots of muck. Fast, comfortable (2*Carpal tunnel ops) and it cleans with wipes too – no hoses and scouring pads here…

Good prices @ Pauls’s Cycles (never realised they did road bikes as only ever seen them in the comics..) depending on your sizes.

i know on ex-banker just passed his HGV and another who’s just started driving buses so go for it…

@ Basil – watching “How I met your mother” ???

i’ve my nickname on my mtb, but my full name on my road bike as i’m worried that otherwise i’ll be mistaken for Cav or Peter Kennaugh *i live on the Isle of Man*

cheaper than the ones i bought 4 weeks ago by 1/3 (damn) – seem to work well once you get used to big cleats and proper set up. on the plus side less knee pain than the 540’s on my Orange R8..