Yum yum

Glenlivet
Swans – White Light from the Mouth of Infinity

Food a distant memory

I am exhausted
I need to watch that a few more times to take it all in.

I have just watched. A great watch it was too. But this +1.

(How has Jonathan Meades passed me by?)

Me. It turns out there are some big roadies where I work(ed as of today, still taking part in gcc though) going by last year’s results. Mountain biking is far more effective at racking up the steps than the road 🙂

It’s getting tight at the top. Can you hold on SaxonRider?

Good work saxonrider, you said you were going to win…you certainly took stage 1 conclusively.

I will try your tactics.

The mountains are mine.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” Dr Seuss

Just read this elsewhere…I would do well to remember it.

Final call…you have until just after midday to get a team in.

The route[/url]

…bump for lunch time.

I don’t get it, what’s in it for the EU? Why are they (and the UK by all accounts) so desperate to sign up?

I took some a couple of tips from the book. I didn’t care much for the explanations but on a practical level they seemed to work. Happy I read it.

I wobbled and rattled around in 10 hours 46. Quite happy with that, I was aiming for 10 but thought 11-12 was probably more realistic.

I loved most of the course, some of the linger rougher sections were quite a mental challenge, I can’t believe the state of the national cycle route to Newcastleton! However, as mentioned above, whizzing along the fire roads looking at the snow capped hills was quite something.

Well done gee, well done tom. Thanks to all the Marshall’s, that must have been as tough as the ride, it was pretty chilly out there.

Well I submitted my team as ordered on Saturday AM – and I’ve got zero points (I know I should have some though).

This + 1 (but in Dirt world 0). I want my points. Sulking.

Can’t wait either…best do something productive in the meantime.

No idea why but I want Connor Fearon to make it this year, he is fun to watch.

Bike built, crazy beast it is too. Hopefully all will be well although could probably have done a bit more for fitness.

Whippers nappers have just been cobbled together.

Drivetrain I managed to use the spares box except for the single ring. That is a 38t superstar ring on an old polished lx crankset. It has a 10 speed 11-36 cassette. It’s probably a little low geared for big road rides but fine off road. I used a clutch mech which meant shifters were a bit of an issue. Microshift make dynasys compatible shifters although I struggled to find the bar end version which is what I originally wanted.

I wanted to do the same with an old 26″ frame for a general do it all bike and intention of riding it at the Dirty Reiver. Being a 26″ non disc frame and wanting 700c wheels it turned into a bit of a headache…and a little more expensive than intended. But it kept me busy. First proper ride on it tomorrow. First little ride was difficult to judge properly as I was hungover, it seemed to wander around the road but was great off road.

SJS cycles is your friend,

this for a 10 speed xt mech[/url]

It’s an easy fix as you say.

Good call on shellac scratch. I too am now looking forward to that. A couple of others first though starting with monster magnet’s annual Camden gig tomorrow.

This is like a reverse pissing contest. I’ll go and sit in the naughty corner, with an an old fashioned.

yep, Stevenage is the same unfortunately stato. Cycle paths everywhere, generally used for most things other than cycling.

….they might be soon 😉

Hmmm…not sure there is enough metal to get a hacksaw out Jim. My first thought was to try and extend one of the arms somehow. A canti style hanger also crossed my mind, I think this might be the first thing to try. Brake booster could work too.

I am in the process of resurrecting my old kona explosif. It seemed like a good idea on Saturday anyway, we shall see.

Barney, that sounds a grand idea and as I need some new forks I may as well give it a go. Any problems with bottom bracket height? Any headset recommendations?

For what it is worth I think the hightower looks ace but ill stick with my lt, i think its brilliant, although I’m a weirdo who seems to quite like a short bike. The smuggler and banshee prime felt like they were running away with me.

11. Beer probably not helping.

Anyone know if you can contribute to one of these and an old existing ISA in the same year? I understand you can only open a one a year so I have been waiting until now so as to open a help-to-buy one. But come next year, can I contribute to the help to buy and open a new normal ISA and contribute to that also (as long as I don’t go over the 15k limit – which is extremely unlikely).

no

Sofabear – should you do the Bike Kitchen course I can say it well worth it. I did it this time last year and have built a few wheels since (with the Musson book as back up) and all have not killed me and remained true, even after a week in Peebles, the ‘Ardrock and a week in the Alps (plus many Surrey trips). The Bike Kitchen provide much tea too 🙂

Once you start riding the frame instead of thinking about the price of it the £50 will be completely irrelevant. Or you could send it back and get the cheaper one…and keep it in a box…and see it discounted further…and send it back…and, well, never enjoy riding your new bike.

Stuff like this I am generally a bit numb too, I am not saying that proudly by the way, but last night has got to me. I was at an Eagles of Death Metal gig last week, perhaps it just makes it all so real, or perhaps it is something else. Either way…horrific

keep refreshing…unavailable means ‘registration is busy’. Just got in.

I am no freerider but I am a little surprised too

A big hit

Beer opened and bikes on telly, perfect way to finish the day.

(He says as red bull starts getting glitchy, brendog broke my feed)

There’s a lot of very useful free digital mapping available through the OS on the Open Government licence – can’t see that remaining if privatised. Which would be like going back to 5 years a go when data was very expensive (before when the Guardian pushed very hard for our data to be free).

I’d best set the alarm now before I forget.

Dope Body the week after next. Will have to look into Uncle Acid after twohats mentioned above.

I’d say superiority is as big a character floor as smoking to be honest. You are not better than a smoker, you are just a person who doesn’t smoke.