Drooper

Aye, it was pretty blowy on my commute this morning, and it fair saps your energy. The other issue is sudden cross-winds encountered when you are passing gaps between buildings. Quite disconcerting at times.

Drooper's biking bargain tip of the day.... If you use a CO2 inflator with threaded catridges, you can pick up 10 for a tenner (usually £2.99 each) by visiting: http://www.cyclesurgery.com/pws/UniqueProductKey.ice?ProductID=CBIR002200&utm_source=deal-hub&utm_medium=email&utm_term=massive-warehouse-clearance-birzmann-10-sub-only&utm_campaign=CSU349 and entering the discount code ZACOO10 at the checkout.

I use this: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/mini-wedgie-saddlepack-ec027072?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle&utm_content=mkwid__pcrid_19178765816_kword__match__plid_ Cracking wee pack with water resistant zipper, and wipe-clean surface. You can't go wrong for 12 quid.

I've all but chucked the idea of organised sportives now. They are a bit too pricey (some cost as much as a night in a bloody hotel, which would be a better way to spend the dosh after a long bike ride!), and I'm not too keen on being limited by a prescribed route. I'm also struggling to imagine many routes that could top the Skye Mor, so might call it quits at that and create my own from now on. Self-sufficiency is the name of the game, and stopping at cafes for a bun and a coffee beats replenishing energy drinks in a lay-by in any event. Arran could be an ideal option.

Not sure why someone gave this a red dot, so cancelled it out

Cap duly doffed!

Disdainful b*****d!

FAO of all established and new members of P&B. It has come to our attention that some posters misuse the smiley to indicate the post immediately above, or an already quoted post. This is what the quote function is for. The smiley serves to indicate a degree of disdain/contempt/world-weariness/cynicism/moderate ridicule/scepticism. As such, the smiley is an invaluable tool that enables posters to express such sentiments, and, let's face it, on P&B, this is inevitably a facility that is in great demand. The use of the smiley to indicate that the poster is referring to the post above is an unacceptable bastardisation of its true and noble purpose. Please do not use it for this purpose. Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation in this matter

Stick slick or semi-slicks on your MTB and see how you get on. Splashing out on a new bike is a big commitment, and you don't want to rush out and buy a hybrid then realise you should have bought a drop-bar road bike Best to experiment first and try to borrow a bike for a weekend or have a shot on a mate's to see how it feels. In saying that, a hybrid seems to be a good compromise option for a lot of folk, and you obviously enjoyed using one. Most bike shops let you have a test run, though I'm not sure how many would do this with second hand bikes (assuming they stock them).

Good luck with it. You'll get carried by the occasion if this is your first big ride, so don't worry too much about the mileage involved. I fancy cycling round Arran. I've always like the island since taking family holidays there, and reckon it would be a great route.

3 pts from 6 gets you off the blocks I suppose.

Anyone planning to get along to the National Road Race Champs on Sunday? Looks to be a strong line up with Cavendish, Stannard and Armistead featuring, among others. The womens race starts at 9.30am, while the men kick off at 1.30pm. All route info etc. available here: http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/events/NRRC/Pages/home.aspx I'm hoping to get along at some point. Will probably site myself arounnd the Charing Cross area.

A wee update on this. Apparently the person hurt was a 17 year old girl who was knocked off her bike, sustaining head and face injuries. Terrible to hear, but hopefully she'll pull through it okay.

I was on my way home from work this afternoon (by bike) and took one of several different route options that eventually led me to the usual home straight. As I approached the junction onto the main drag, I could see traffic sitting in a long queue and folk out of their vehicles, hanging about chatting. No traffic was coming from the direction I was travelling in either, so I pulled out the junction and proceeded to cycle past the traffic in the deserted oncoming lane. I have to be honest and confess to a slightly smug feeling given that I had opted to take the bike today, leaving the car at home. I then seen the police car....then the ambulance....and then the mountain bike lying by the side of the road. I've no idea what happened, but the bike was lying beside the mouth of another junction. The cops let me continue past, but it was a sobering and sombre feeling. I hope the rider is okay. A few folk standing close by looked a bit shaken, so that isn't a good sign. As a brief postscript, I continued up the road and many of the vehicles coming the opposite way were making 3-point turns to come back the way they had come from. As I continued along the now traffic-free left lane, a white van swung a sharp right directly across my lane in front of me as he set about his own 3-pointer. Fucking clown, and all the more out of order given what I'd witnessed all of 200 yards down the road.c Aye, its great to be out, but please take it easy folks, and stay safe.

We were away for the weekend in Kenmore, Perthshire. Its a lovely part of the country, and I reckon must have some 1st class routes on quiet roads. In saying that, sometimes the quiet, rural roads can be the most dangerous as motorists aren't expecting much in the way of other traffic to be about, and don't always factor in the possibility of meeting cyclists. For all that, I think I'll need to stick the bike on the roof carrier sometime and take a trip up to that neck of the woods again. Talking of dangerousness, did anyone else hear a news story last week about a cyclist who died after hitting a parked van? I think it might even have been in Perthsire or thereabouts. Pretty grim stuff. In other - more upbeat - news, the weather is great for getting out, so I've brought the bike into work this morning, hoping to do likewise on at least another couple of days. Even a 10 mile commute helps blow the cobwebs away, and it feels good to get the legs going again.

I did in Skye (see above). Thank f'ck I wasn't eating raw jelly too!

Looks superb. I recently acquired a proper Man Shed, but I think I might have Narrow Boat Envy now

MATRON! Boat looks great, though. Do you live there on your tod? I'm not sure I could be doing with sharing it with anyone, but looks like a cracking pad to have all to yourself.

I find gels and energy bars a bit hit an miss. When I was up in Skye last year, it was blisteringly hot (hitting 90 degrees in the early afternoon), and the gels I had with me had heated up to the extent that they were pretty much unpalatable. The same applies to the energy drinks, and I was left gasping for cold, fresh water. In other conditions, gels are fine if you can pick them up relatively cheaply. I imagine tablet would be a bit sickening after a while (a bit like Kendal Mint Cake when out walking in the hills). Mixing up a bit on long rides suits me best, but another hot 100 mile ride and the gels and energy drinks might be getting replaced with bananas and water.

It is effective, though.

White spirit leaves a residue that can attract nasties, so I would steer clear. I never got the hang of the dry lube, to be honest. Apparently it is fine if you keep a close eye out for it washing off in our often less than clement climate. The best bet would be to trawl the likes of the Bikeradar forums for advice. ETA - I'm reading on various forums that white spirit is fine for a chain. I was sure there was an issue with the residue, but possibly got the wrong end of the stick on that one. It would certainly be cheaper than dedicated degreaser, so perhaps worth considering after all.

I've got a Bikehut (Halfords) chain cleaner, and use it with citrus degreaser. It is very effective and makes a hell of a difference if used often enough. I used a dry lube once but forgot to reapply it after getting caught in the rain. It washed off too easily, for me, and needs a bit too much attention. My chain was a crusty mess and I had to take if off to deep clean it and ensure all the links were fully eased off. Not a fault with the lube (my own neglect), but I would think twice about using it again. The key to good chain maintenance, it seems to me, is to ensure that each and every link is properly lubed, and the excess wiped off.

Having fixed my troublesome front mech on Tuesday night, I took the bike to work again this morning (its always a struggle squeezing it into the passenger seat, but I enjoy the company ). Anyway, one thing that was very noticeable (aside from the fact that the bike has hugely benefitted from a bit of TLC) is that my arse was very tender. This is something I never experience when using the bike routinely, and just served to indicate how long I've been off it. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting back out, and the lingering anxiety of getting back in amongst the rush-hour traffic has ebbed away as I suspected it would - the confidence thing is psychological and a long lay-off really doesn't help.

110 psi should be okay, though I'd be inclined to inflate Gatorskins to around 100, as they are a bomb-proof tyre and would be pretty unforgiving at a pressure much beyond that. You've possibly pinched your inners (MATRON!), when fitting the tyres, and inflating the tyres to 110psi has done for them. Remember to run a finger round the inside of the tyre when replacing the inners to check for any puncture culprit (though losing both at the same time seems too much of a coincidence). You might simply have poor inner-tubes, or have hit a bad batch. I'd always suggest paying a bit extra for good quality inners as they'll save no end of grief in the long run.

Were the main group about to lap you?