That's a 2009 Red Bull on the top isn't it?

Now, now. It's alright for Ferrari to copy someone but not the other way round. Wonder what rule changes they'll insist on when they're not as fast as everyone else in race 1….

The MP425 just looks fast.

I am pretty damn excited about the upcoming season!

Bets on Newey making them all look silly with the new Red Bollock?

I have a HL flux and a TNT 5 Spot. 5 Spot goes off drops and plays around on long rocky descents, the Flux goes to races. The Flux is amazing, I really love that bike. It has almost rendered the 5 Spot redundant.

I'm flying out to amsterdam to spend hogmany with my wee brother.

Oh wait, I booked with British Airways…

I dig Accelerator, it rocks. Royal Trux were cool. The wife hates them, which makes it all the more fun!

I still think Sonic Youth make good records by the way – I loved Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped is brilliant, as is Murray Street and I have to say I'm really into The Eternal at the moment. They still rock out live. Saw Thurston Moore last year when he released (or was it the year before??) Trees Outside The Academy. It was the loudest semi-acoustic gig I've ever been to…

My wife has done 2 courses with DD and loved both. she also made some good friends on the day which she goes riding with. Bonus was I got to spend the day rattling round Swinely forest, which was fun!

Mercedes GP
1. Heidfeld – hahahahahaha
2. Rosberg – jury's out.

Red Bull Racing
3. Vettel – 3rd overall
4. Webber – 6th

McLaren Mercedes
5. Hamilton – 1/2nd
6. Button – 5th

Ferrari
7. Massa – 4th
8. Alonso – 1/2nd

Williams Cosworth
9. Barrichello – BANZAIIII!!!!
10. Hulkenburg

Renault
11. Kubica
12. Glock

Force India Mercedes
14. Fisichella
15. Sutil

Toro Rosso Ferrari
16. Buemi
17. Alguersuari

USF1 Cosworth
18. Villeneuve – ain't he too fat?
19. Sato

Campos Meta Cosworth
20. Senna
21. De La Rosa

Manor F1 Cosworth
22. Davidson – hurrah!
23. Kovalainen

Lotus Cosworth
24. Trulli
25. Kobayashi

Qadbak Ferrari (Formally BMW Sauber)
26. Nakajima
27. Klien

This whole list is nonsense by the way as Glock is leading Manor F1…

Button is making a huge mistake going to McLaren – Hamilton will beat him.

4 Seasons +1

They give a hell of a lot of grip on wet roads and are pretty puncture resistant. I even used them for the White Rose Classic this year to cope with some of the varied conditions. not the fastest tyre in the world but they do what they do well.

Another vote for Freeride Spain, was a while ago since I went out there but we had an excellent time and I would dearly love to go again.

Damn recession… :x

Maybe Britney will turn up seen as he's driving for Bronda next year?

I have a TNT 5 Spot which is an awesome bike, it just handles brilliantly. I've got a HL Flux too but there are so many variables between the two bikes I can't really draw andy direct comparison between the two types of linkage. I used to have a DHX Air 5.0 on the spot and I was never really that happy with it, swapped to a RP23 and it's frickin' awesome now. I can't recommend the 5 spot enough.

forgive my ignorance, but if you've got a shock that's been PUSH tuned is it still the same bits'n'pieces required ot service the air can or do they do anything to it that will require the shock going back to them? I just got a second hand frame with a PUSH tuned shock which could do with some TLC.

I once ignored a sign like that at the top of a bit of trail through some nice natural woodland. Because of the nature of the forest the FC weren't using and big heavy machinery to shift the timber, so instead of meeting a harvester or forwarder head on I instead ran into this:

Horse wasn't in the slightest bit bothered. I crapped myself.

I'm not saying the stanes are a bad idea – far from it. And I do appreciate the effort that's gone in to making them a success. The fact that the FC are willing to invest time and money into making the 7 stanes a success is a credit to them, my father was a long term FC employee and I know how easy it would have been for them to turn around and say sod it, too much hassle.

I am mystified about one thing – what happened to the elevator – more precisely which bit is called the elevator. I think I know which bit you're talking about – the short climb from the end of that bit of fireroad where the old green route off road bit (and I mean old) used to come out? The one with the couple of sections of shore to cross boggy bits. Other than the shore collapsing what else could have made it unrideable?

I've been riding round Mabie for best part of 20 years, before the 7 stanes and even before Rik's Bike Shed… It used to be full of brilliant natural singletrack which we found or made ourselves, I think Rik helped to really bring it all together in the mid 90's. All those trails were natural, bugger all drainage and no hard packed surface. I can still find some of the old trails when I go home, though we lost a lot of them a few years ago when there was some heavy wind blow. I just feel that much of the 7 stanes trailbuilding has sanitized a lot of the old trails – I understand the FC's position though and know they have HSE concerns but perhaps they should just maybe leave it as it is? Surely part of the challenge is coping with the varied conditions and alterations that occur to natural trails, it's a shame to lose that. I used to get muddy riding round there and not just from the fire road trek home.

Or if it's in Mabie and people are riding it do the FC have an obligation?

I've broke 2 in the past 2 years – that vent at the front seems particularly weak. I have now reverted back to my old E2 which I actually think it has better ventilation, though it is noticeably heavier.

I made good use of my hip flask then just winged it. Seemed to go pretty well, I basically thanked everyone and said how beautiful I thought my new wife was.

I have nothing to add that has not already been said. Hope all goes well.

Ti29er – were you the guy who'd set up numerous flash guns in various places around that slippy descent at the start of the lap? I went through on my Clockwork, got a bit of a surprise when all the flashes went off then heard someone shout 'great photo' or something. I was half sideways at the time so was more concentrated on getting down upright!

I’ve got it.

They’re both riding in the wrong direction.

Just remember not to turn your head or lean.

Black polarized monster dogs did the job just fine round Liverpool Street this lunchtime. I daren’t go to the park, think I’d collapse.

From the heat of course…

Got Fox Van’s on my Turner, 32’s, very pleased with them so far.

found

I just went to the Pace website to have a wee look see if they had anything about it up on there and got a big warning page flashed up. Have they been hacked or is google being dim?

I read somewhere, and maybe our resident Frenchman can confim/deny this that when the French underground staff went on strike they all turned up for work, opened the ticket gates and let everyone have free travel for the duration of the strike, hurting the business but not the commuters.

Make more sense than our lots efforts, even if it’s made up!

They used to do that in Holland when I lived there. They got lots of public support and got the attentions of the bosses by hitting them where it hurt the most – in the wallet.

Strikes on the tube today – all I can say is I haven’t even had a RPI pay increase in the past 2 years, I’ve seen my hours increase and actually had my pay cut twice. I have no sympathy for the strikers. Things are tough for everyone.

i’m still jealous of yours, by the sounds of things, as i live in a one bedroom flat with no outside space so i now have 3 bikes in the living room

That’s what the wife is getting upset about. She doesn’t want them in the living room.

Mine live in a shed in outer London.

What size of shed? I have a fair few bikes what with mine and the wifes.

What was the original version of A Fistful of Dollars?

Spesh fatboys are cool tyres – i used to run them for commuting around London. They were brilliant.

I can’t drive. Yet I’ve been all over Europe to watch motorsport.

Not sure if you can repair it, don’t know much about plastic bikes but have to say – very jealous of where you are and what you’ve been doing!

What about Magura? I have a set of Durin’s and I’m blown away by how good they are.

I rang the council and got my electoral roll number and polling station location.

Now.

Local Religious Loony Party or Monster Raving Racist Alliance…

Seems that at least half of my office have yet to recieve their polling cards and there is no end of confusion as to whether or not you have to had registered beforehand, most of us thought we didn’t have to as we were already on the electoral roll.

Dalbeattie is a favourite and I love riding there (my brother raves about Kirroughtree though I’ve never been).

Mabie is always going to be special as I grew up pretty much on the doorstep and have fond memories of riding there. It’s a great forest with some cracking singletrack. Everytime I go home to see the folks I take my bike and go riding there.

Shimano – easier to walk on shimano cleats than look. Though they ain’t half gone up in price…

I’m doing the rough ride too and was going to rely on my trusty Nobby Nics.

Might make sure the front one’s on the right way round this time though…

Your cats are pampered

That’s not pampering, that’s the remnants of an attempt at pampering. Feckers still sleep wherever the hell they please, never in the actual **** cat bed. And don’t get me started about the scratching post. :evil:

Good ain’t it. The only floor I know of capable of causing a puncture.

60-62cm frames with 55.5-56.5cm top tubes?! – are they on crack?

I think you must have to be incredibly flexible to ride one of those, or have very long legs and a short torso…