Veloflex Masters for lovely ride feel/low rolling resistance/light weight 🙂

Michelin Lithion 2’s for training/”just riding”/decent tyre for much cheapness

To be fair to him regarding bikes being an annual cost, for a lot of semi-pros the offer they get is to buy that year’s race bike(s) at a reduced rate, rather than get anything for free – the idea often being that you can sell them on at the end of the season for close to what you paid.

Admittedly this means that his bikes are, in fact, astronomically expensive ( as opposed to just “silly expensive”), but it would mean an annual outlay if he wants to stay with the team.

Ride along the prom from there can be quite nice.

Back in the day it was a shit hole (and an excellent night out/fight/vomit/shag on the beach location) but I think it’s sorted itself out quite a bit in the many, many years since I used to do that sort of thing…

Lots of disturbingly fast people on this thread!

Did my first ’10’ last week (on all ‘bog standard’ road kit) and averaged just under 26 (23mins 20secs). Had to slow for one car on a roundabout, but frankly I’m at a loss as to how anyone can average over 30mph 😮

(To join in with the willy waving I did scrape out 133miles at 17.2mph with 11,450ft climbing last week 🙂 EDIT: On the winter bike 😀 )

Got one of these a couple of months ago. Pretty impressed with it so far. Close enough cut, doesn’t weigh much, more breathable than I expected (though obviously thrashing up a hill at full pelt will still cause sweatiness) and can be stuffed in a jersey pocket easily enough

I nod, rather than wave. It’s almost imperceptible though, so it’s likely you’d never know if I was shunning you or not. I expect other riders to do the same back, it gives rides a certain mystery. 🙂

How many miles/what sort of riding did it endure first?

My RS80s are now on their 2nd freehub, but the first did have to put up with hill climbs/crits/massive long rides/winter/me 🙂

geetee1972 – Member

The first can of sealant inflated the tyre but didn’t seal the hole. I’m not sure if this is user error or just how it’s supposed to work, i.e. it takes time for the sealant to solidify but either way, anxiety meant I spunked the second can in as well just for good measure.

If it’s the vittoria pitstop stuff I think you’re meant to sit around and wait for 10 mins to let it cure/set/work/all ooze out. (Not that the helpful pictorial story thing on the side of the can is of much use!)

It was me, I was repeating what someone told me, years ago. I’ve been corrected.

Aah, good. As you were. 🙂

Where’s all this nonsense about not being able to patch latex tubes come from?!

The latex tubes on my cross bike and on the winter road bike have ‘normal’ patches on them after punctures and are absolutely fine.

Lots of awesome albums mentioned so far (and I’m delighted to find loads of them on t’ipod) but most complete album?

Surely NIN’s The Downward Spiral has to be it!

A lovely, down to earth, big dreaming nice guy. Worthy of a lot of respect.

RIP Neil.

These supposed ‘backmarkers’ are actually flying round 😮

I hope one day someone organises a more ‘gentlemanly’ ( 😉 ) version of the event, with compulsory B&B stops and checkpoints in every good chippy along the route 🙂

2nd placed rider Andrew Hutcheson should be dropping down the Devil’s Staircase just about now – bet that’ll feel nice 🙂

Dunno if this’ll work

https://twitter.com/Jaqsobo/status/471604338595753984
I think all those people behind him are cooking the food he’s demanded 🙂

Epic.

In the true sense of the word.

WRT Phil – it’s probably like last year when he had to be back for work

It’s exactly like that 😉 😯

(I can’t imagine him being very productive mind…)

I knew Phil Simcock before he was famous 😀

He is smashing it at the moment (as those who know him knew he would), but everyone out there doing it is utterly bonkers and as hard as nails.

Seriously. Awesomeness all over the live tracking website.

(Go Phil. Woo!)

It’s all powered by random nmber generators and magic 8 balls.

My renewal preium DROPPED by about 40% the year after my one and only claim (closed with me not being at fault, admittedly, but you’d think that someone making a claim would be a riskier proposition than someone who’s never claimed?!)

Yes
No*
🙂

*They’re as comfy as you’ll get from a non-suspended bike I reckon

😯 Jeebus, I didn’t even know they took things like that out!

They’re not bloody doing that with me… 😯

Dave that Scandal looks **** ace

Frame currently languishing in the garage with a knackered headtube 🙁

One day I’ll get handy with some Araldite (or whatever it is you use to bond carbon…zipties or whatever) and resurrect it…

From a rather limited run (of two, IIRC)

[/url]
cabal1[/url] by twinklydave[/url], on Flickr

Prototype carbon ScandAl, from 2007 I think…

There’s not much else to do with the footage, other than put it on YouTube – the Police certainly won’t care/use it for anything 😕

Ordered two things from them so far (both in stock items), both turned up the next day. Can’t fault them so far.

Nice handbag Dave.

You gotta have somewhere to put the trophies! 😀

And two years ago 🙂

Marvellous stuff. Deserves a viking burial somewhen…

A year ago right now

Oh well.

F-k ’em. HtN took no prisoners and shone twice as bright as anything else they have control over. It’s their loss at least as much as it is ours, they’re just too stupid to realise it.

Had a passenger of a stationary car – in a traffic jam – throw their door open into the bike lane while I was riding along it. Hit it so hard the door wouldn’t move at all, let alone close so the car went home on the back of a tow truck (I was fine, if a tad shocked, and rode home without a scratch!)

Also scuffed up the side of a car while crashing last summer, thankfully my insurance sorted it all out without any fuss as the owners were great – called an ambulance and even looked after my bike while I was in hospital.

I got the worst cup of coffee in the world, served in a pint glass. 😉

Mind you, that wasn’t actually in the sale.

Saw quite a few people out on today’s reliability trial in US & Dutch Rapha jerseys…

Earned.

Respect. 🙂

Glitter/silica.

Stop trying to butch it up. It’s glitter. 🙂

It wasn’t too bad, but there was still plenty mud to go about. And I agree it is gritty stuff. I am still trying to get it out of all my kit

That’ll never happen. Expect to find bits of glitter in your shorts for the rest of their useful life 😮

The course was almost bone dry compared to previous years.

The course is also different now, compared to several years back there’s much more ‘armoured’ trail and much less ‘off piste’ through the woods.

Brake pad wear ain’t what it used to be, but thanks for getting your calipers out ;-D

My take-home pay is the same as it was in 2010, but the cost of everything I need isn’t the same as it was in 2010. So no, I don’t feel better off.

I don’t feel as badly off as many people out there, but I’m not exactly feeling ‘flush’ right now!

Interest rate rises will be ‘fun’ to cope with too. Still, someone’s got to be making money on all the money they’ve got, haven’t they…

You cut the course, you’re a dick. Simples.

In this instance you’re a loser dick. Ha.

Congrats to everyone who raced, fought hard, got knackered, raced on anyway. That’s what it’s all about. 🙂

Well that was fun. As it always is 🙂

Same time next year everyone?

Nearly 8 years of occasional rambling![/url]

I didn’t realise there was that much of it. Nor do I know how many people look at it. Probably just my mum, to check I’m still alive and wasting money on bikes 🙂

Done.
Finished off with one of those “get your head down and just get on with it” style rides. Sprinting at 12mph into the wind, freewheeling at 25mph with a tailwind, all the while getting pelted by supersonic rain.
With any luck my shoes will be dry by May :-/

Ragley TD1, if you can still get them…which I don’t think you can :-/

Shame, it would have been bob on