Nothing from Rapha as yet. They’ve probably got around nine thousand emails in their inbox though, so I’ll give them an hour or two to respond 😀

Go and explore somewhere new, rather than just riding the same loop you do in the dry?

Go out for a bit longer than 2hrs (that sounds like just enough time to get soaked through without getting to the “well, I’m wet now, I might as well carry on” stage)?

Consider yourself lucky you’re not the wicked witch of the west, who would have melted?

IF you can make it go fast, it’ll look ace. 😀

Like this?:

mtbr linky

My Maxxis Beavers did it for a while. The seemed to stay up OK and, when I took them off there was still loads of ‘decent looking’ sealant sloshing about in them…so I stopped worrying 🙂

If you queued for the jetwash maybe. Otherwise does it really take you more than 50 minutes to clean a bike with your own kit?

Aye, it really was taking that amount of time!
You could probably have got the bike back to “it’ll do” levels of cleanliness in less time (provided you weren’t getting distracted, or having to do other things like get food/drinks/clothing ready), but few soloists that are ‘in it to win it’* would want a bike that wasn’t properly race ready each time.

Except where he’s getting his change is nowhere near the solo camping field – which is right next the the solo tent, hence nobody would even comment about a change being done there.

It would have been, i imagine, if he’d been able to get there! Even if it wasn’t, provided he only used one area as a replacement for the solo marquee it would be difficult to argue he’s gaining any unfair advantage.

*Or are just fussy buggers.

…and why should he have the advantage of a “pit area” where he chooses, when everybody else is using the official one?

He probably didn’t “choose” there, it will have been somewhat dictated by where his car got stuck! 😉

Most soloists set up somewhere trackside in the solo camping field each year, rather than lug stuff to the big marquee. In fact in recent years that big tent’s been nearly empty.

99.999% sure he wasn’t.

(For one thing it was taking more than half a lap’s worth of time to clean a bike, so he’d get to the solo tent before the spare bike did!)

not sure if this has been mentioned here, but has made some of the people on the MM FB page a little upset,
2nd placed solo appears to be swapping bikes mid lap

Well, he’s swapping bikes at his pit area. Which is where they’d be kept! He’s still having to do a whole lap in between changing bikes, so whereabouts on the course it is doesn’t really make much difference – ESPECIALLY given how difficult it was to get set up anywhere near the course due to the conditions!

I fail to see any difference between changing bikes there and at the solo tent.

Ruby red slippers?

I lost mine, tried clicking my heels together three times while chanting “There’s no place like home” but nothing happened 😕

Did they ever get that huge truck with the big screen on it out?

Last I saw there were two tractors in front and one behind, failing to make anything happen!

<arrogant little sod>

[/url]
Ragley TD:1 Photos (c) Ragley – not for use without permission.[/url] by brantrichards[/url], on Flickr

</arrogant little sod>

Whatever the reason for using it, it works.

Angela’s had to have the phone physically wrestled out of her hand to stop her changing our gas supplier “in case you get one when you swop”

😐

(Actually, it is quite cute and vaguely amusing)

My tip for preparing for Simon’s Fell: nothing can prepare you for Simon’s Fell

Damn right!

Though, as odd as it sounds, that’s what makes it so much fun the first time round 🙂

My (well, On-One’s) Lurcher custom build

[/url]
lurcher-1[/url] by twinklydave[/url], on Flickr

Supposing I finish 30th, can I rightfully claim to be 30th/100, which sounds quite good, or should I claim 30th/60, which isn’t so good ?

Top third sound better than top half and I’d probably have beaten the big girl’s blouses anyway if they’re afraid of a bit of mud

1) Yes, you can say you finished 30th/100. Entrants are entrants.

2) “afraid of a bit of mud” You’ve, err, never ‘raced’ at Catton in the wet, have you! 😉

He would probably turn the bike upside down.

He is under strict instructions to simply destroy the bike and start again from scratch, so as to avoid the problem.

Dave you also sound like a right ponce

SIR, that, quite flagrantly, is in no way the case. It offends my very soul to hear such fallacy.

[flounces]

If I turn my bike upside down I scratch/brake the computer/lights. So I don’t. I have my mechanic fix it for me.

Snow makes Gisburn Fun!

…cos you can’t see all the rocks until you hit them 🙂

P.S. That’s not a recent photo, there was no snow up that way earlier in the week

You feel sick after just 7 biscuits?

Amateur!

Some serious work needed to get you up to standard!

Is it the easter weekend they’re thinking of striking? If so I’ll be joining the panic driven* mob in order to get enough fuel to get me & caravan up to Newcastleton for the UK12/24.

I may even be a ‘tard with a jerry can 🙂

*Pun very much intended

Dusty, buff singletrack = scary speeds 🙂

It was fast, wasn’t it!

I was delighted by the lack of ‘egos’…having stepped away from XC racing for a few years everyone seemed a lot more cheerful than I remembered.
In fact I managed to have a laugh while racing (which is my “why I didn’t win” excuse). Great fun!

Yes

Loved it

He’s both – lots of knowledge of seemingly random topics combined with a devil-may-care attitude. fabulous character 🙂

Might have to dig out the books again once the series has finished

This afternoon: 110 miles, will carry 2 bottles on the bike, spare tube strapped to seatpost, 2nd spare tube, multitool & tyre lever in a little case in jersey pocket, minipump also jammed in jersey pocket long with a gel or two and some shot bloks.
Might stick my mobile in the jersey too…and possibly a few coins if I’m going further so I can get more drink (though, saying that, I rode 160 miles last week and still had a little bit left in one of the bottles, so that’s more of a mental thing)

Did this a couple of years a go to one….but the replacements are still going strong (apart from the worn-wafer-thin rims that, I sense, are going to go pop at some inopportune moment!

My advice would be to NOT have two people drive over to Bridlington, leave one car there, drive all the way over to Morecambe, ride the whole thing, eat chips on the prom, jump in the car left at Brid, drive all the way back to Morecambe before going your seperate ways

…as this makes for a looooong day 😀

PS Dave, better buck your ideas up now that Phil has got a “Works” ride. There are only so many places in the van.

Wait…

…there’s a van? 😯

Shoes don’t match the rest of the outfit either 😳

Bit amateur all round really.

Loads of shortcuts being taken on that bend too I notice. I will install spikes and razor wire next time.

Lots of line choices just made for lots of close racing 🙂

‘Pro elbows’ for the win 😉

Rigid 29er with mud tyres (probably). Easy enough to drag up the non-rideable bits, bit more grip on the bermy/swoopy sections than a ‘cross, but slower on the smoother, faster stuff compared to a ‘cross bike…but that’ll be a good excuse when I don’t get on the podium 😀

Read that yesterday.

Tried to care.

Felt like I probably should care.

Failed to care.

Pretty happy with how it turned out. 😀

So will we have our normal chat on the road while avoiding all the confused people?

Yup, occasionally shouting “CAR!” while stareing into the eyes of a terrified pensioner who only came out for a quiet drive in the countryside but is now in daner of being drowned under a sea of overly enthusiastic lycra…

The man with the cannon has cancelled so we will have to find an alternative way to start the race

Go to the back of the pack…and start a rumour 😀

If it’s anything like the 3 Peaks, 99% of the entrants will stand around the “Elite” one trying to look good, cause havoc during the first 600m dash, then shout at each other while getting in everyone elses way.

I’ll be right next to the “Elite” sign, obviously, with my pointiest elbows and well rehearsed list of excuses 😀

Another Zafira owner here who’s happy with it!

Well, I say ‘happy’ I mean “has no cause for complaint at all”. It’s a wilfully bland car, but manages to do everything I’ve needed of it.

It’s been rammed to the gills with 3 blokes, 3 bikes and enough kit for a weekend camping in France and remained comfortable enough for no-one to complain.
Despite having the puniest engine it’s happily dragged a little caravan round without any bother and, on it’s last trip while fully loaded (not with the caravan) it averaged 55mpg over a 370 mile route through the Highlands.

Changing the seating arrangement is a 30 second job…if you’re not really paying attention.
Parts tend to be cheap as they’re common as muck.
It’s an easy car to forget about until you notice you’ve had it a year and haven’t had to do anything to it, except occasionally put some petrol in…

AND the bacon butties are nice.

uber win!

Encouraged a load of staff and loads of students to ride into work (at a Uni), by giving them free cycle training 🙂

I’m also proud of the fact that I get to sneak out of the office early a couple of times a week to play out on bikes (or that’s what it feels like, anyway!)

That’s a chuffing awesome line up!

One has to wonder though, how many of them have nooooooooo idea what they’ve let themselves in for! 😈

Looking forward to the catering already

Hit the North!

(OK, in reality it’d be the Transalp. Followed by any of the Strathpuffers where there’s been loads of snow and ice then the 3 Peaks cyclocross)

oooh, my name’s mentioned

yay me

I’ve been bedding in pads on the turbo trainer by pedaling with the rear brake dragging – occasionally splashing a bit of water on the disc to make sure it’s getting nice and hot.

It’s not as good as ‘proper’ bedding in, outside, down a big hill, but is preferable to getting blown away by the wind when I don’t need to!

“I find” bedded in pads last longer than ones taken straight from the packet. Your experience may be of no interest to me 😛

LOL
Brilliant pic 🙂

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Tod Cross 2nd Jan 2012[/url] by Steve J Makin[/url], on Flickr