Forgot to mention the real downside of owning a power meter. You get to do a quick FTP test and you realise just how sh*t you really are. Best to stay in the dark imagining you could be great one day

:-)

If you’re not quite sure why you’re thinking of buying a power meter, don’t buy a power meter.

“And where is Campagnolo made these days?”

Seem to remember reading that they’ve ‘low costed’ their production of carbon bits out to somewhere like Romania??

Amusingly at least some of their carbon fibre pre-preg raw material is made in Derbyshire ;-)

I hate it when commentators (usually Ant Mc…) go on about “this will suit the MTBers” or “she’s using her MTB skills” etc.

BUT – have to say Evie did seem to ride some of the race today like a MTBer riding cross. You know. All the corners are ridden full gas with the back end stepping out, borderline out of control. Awesome to watch!

:)

Having read the piece about three times, I still don’t understand the fundamentals of the test itself. What did they actually do?? Was it actually representative of anything the wheels might see in real world use?

Loading your resin system to maximise Tg onset and filament winding your brake track? (and then testing this feature?) – It’s like making a tent out of steel and claiming yours is the ‘most stable in the wind’

Struggled to get much for the one I sold a while back. Think it was an XL. Can’t have got more than £60 for it.

Still got my Mk1 – love that bike!

Did mine just before the start of this ‘cross season. Remember an interval session near the start of the season where deep breathing hurt me so much I was actually crying. Raced first three races of the season on lots of painkillers.

Have fun x

Oathbreaker (Belgian hardcore)

Open City (singer Rachel Rubino is also a pretty cool cx racer and bike mechanic!)

1) Wearing World Champs jerseys or kit of teams that you’re not a member of.

2) Claiming the above is somehow acceptable

Matt – I’m really surprised by your experience on the Level 2. I’ve done that, and the MTB and CX discipline specifics. While they might mention session length, I’m gobsmacked that they failed you. I’d be taking that up with BC directly. I’ve also had no problem with their admin side of things either.

(This is coming from someone who isn’t a BC fanboy either – I’ve got my issues with them, just not re coaching)

thi is what generally happens

1. What do you eat
2. Why
3. A discussion on protein – they have no idea how much protein you need per day but they are sure you dont get enough- or some such other health angle they dont get – quite often from folk as svelte and healthy as binners.
4. I could never be a vegan because – list all the meat they like- though apparently only we go on about it/our diet.
5. Do you wear leather shoes etc
6. Why do you [ or someone else]- something pointless

This is scarily accurate. I also have a colleague who tells me lurid tales of when he worked in an abattoir. To be fair he’s always a massive tw@, not just about veganism :)

That looks exactly like ever CX wheel I’ve ever broken through impact damage on the rim. Have to say I’m surprised you didn’t hear it ‘go’. It’s an expensive sound :(

to 99% of the population a grown man in lycra on a bike looks like a ‘complete chopper’ so run whatever brakes you are happy with…

No, 99% of the population don’t know what the expression ‘chopper’ means really do they, and I suspect you’re one of them :wink:

I prefer necroticism

I bought some when they were super cheap at about £2. WEIRD size – too short and too baggy. Went straight in the bin. Prendas Ciclismo ones always win for me.

I still can’t get over the feeling that having discs on your road bike make you look like a complete chopper though….

I’ve really enjoyed TT-ing this year as threshold prep for CX. Then again, I find MTB-ing boring, so what do I know… :)

Stayed on the South East side of Pantokrator last summer. Took the road bike – some excellent riding, including the ascent of Pantokrator itself from both north and south side.

Popped into the bike shop mentioned above to buy a pump – seemed a decent little shop.

Not sure how much singletrack-type MTB action you’ll find though. As per poster above, probably rocky doubletrack really.

You can get over to Albania pretty easily on the hydrofoil – probably worth getting one of the organised trips that include Butrint.

MTB trail park….In Peguera

here

In terms of your constraints on time etc, I’d go for the road bike. Some lovely scenic roads, especially around Soller. Soller/Port de Soller are both lovely in general – great holiday destinations.

There’s a MTB guiding company in Soller from memory. Maybe if you take the road bike you could do a shorter session with them, or hire a MTB to mix things up.

If you can’t afford a road bike, put more slick tyres on the MTB. Either way, use your commute to train 2 days a week, 2 rides at the weekend and a turbo session squeezed in…

Everything in Iceland is scarily expensive…. :)

Criminal Minds – they seem rather well equipped for the task, as they seem to do it every episode!

Alpkit gravitas – on sale too…

Gravitas [Mens]

I presume Chris Hoy was slightly more than 8st when he was racing?

Fu Manchu – what a f**kin band….!

Saw them live in a very small venue years ago – SO loud n heavy :)

Any video with a Sandrail in wins as well!

Hmmmm. Think Slenderman still wins…

Sorry, do you mean ‘ucknall?

How about Grand Raid Cristalp (or whatever it’s called now) and the 3 Peaks?

Both fun in different ways…

Properly glued tubs are totally reliable. You’l only roll them if you haven’t glued them properly in the first place, or you’ve let them get wet over time or not looked after them between seasons. (Speaking as someone who’s rolled badly prepped tubs in the past!)

I normally bow to the wisdom of LS for all things CX ( :D), but proper top-end tubs always seem a little more ‘fragile’ than the run of the mill Challenge that I use (Do you still need to aquaseal the side walls etc?)

Grifo/Limus for me.

Trying some Clements this season as well, but seem to remember reading that they’re more cheaply constructed than even the Challenges…

Velotoze – best avoided if you’re at all skinny. The long one’s fitted me about as snugly as a pair of wellies!! :)

It’s sort of my standard response on this forum, but really suggest you buy a Joe Friel book and start with that…

If you’re interested enough to read up about this, get one of Joe Friel’s books.

Internet forums are the worst place for specific advice.

For example, the post above. The phrase is Lactate Threshold, the session the poster discusses isn’t really a good workout for lactate threshold (it’s nothing to do with cadence), and it’s not really relevant to your question.

(No offence meant fatgit)

I’d find your local CX league and see when their season starts (it’ll be early Sept).

Most leagues have U9/U12 races or something similar.

Actually, having looked at Yorks league, I remembered they have summer cross too. A few left..

https://yorkshirecyclocross.com

[/url]IMG_1890 by vdubber67[/url], on Flickr[/img]

PS – any Nirvana fans want to play ‘where’s this?’ :) (It’s fairly obvious!)

Bradford Uni – 91. Seem to remember it being a bit crap.

Pearl Jam at Bradford Queens Hall in 92 (for £2.50 entry fee!) was much better….

Hi – where are you based? Any chance of a couple more pics to rtedgeAThotmail.com please? I’ve been talking about getting a Bay again (cos a T3 and T4 just isn’t enough, lol!)

Ta

Rich

I’ve broken two Chinese carbon rear wheels in about 5 seasons of CX racing. Both times from hitting something too hard (root/curb) with about 17psi in the tub. I can report that the failure mode is usually a big bang, and the side wall near what would be the brake track goes soft. Both times I finished the race on them without them blowing up etc. They basically delaminate internally at the impact point. Safe as houses :)

Jarvis Cocker – pulled up outside the cafe in Edale the other week in some battered 80s Yank-mobile. Had a nice chat about his car – told him he needed bigger rims. Seemed a decent bloke, and I don’t even like Pulp.

Ten doesn’t really start with Once though. There’s that intro piece that mirrors the outro piece?