Drooper

Rank Badjin, if you're interested in a Flying Scot for very reasonable money, send me a PM as my late father- in -law's bike is for sale and we're looking for a good home as opposed to financial gain on it. Drew

I keep two pairs of dress shoes at work (and some breeks, a jacket, belt, toiletries etc...etc...). I'm fortunate to have my own office so have plenty of room to keep plenty of stand-by bike kit here, too. I've got a wind-proof, and warmer, waterproof hi-viz jacket, and various other bits and pieces. So....do you have cleats, and, if so, are you waddling about like a demented penguin?

Goodness me, and this is the man who was humming and hawing about even buying a road bike just a few short months ago I'm making do with my MTB when the elements really close in. I might get a set of Crud Roadracers for the road bike and stick the Gatorskins on it, but the MTB will do me turn in the worst conditions, and I will also be able to commute off the main roads (in part), and this will be beneficial from a safety POV. I can certainly see the point in getting a winter bike, and would consider this if I had access to the poppy. You'll get loads of good deals just now as the 2012 bikes are coming on stream, so 2011 and even 2010 bikes will be available with significant discounts.

Great day for a wee hurl. After slicing my finger on Monday, I hadn't been out for a ride in over a week. FFS, it must be an age thing, but even after a short break like that, I felt it a wee bit of a struggle at times, though I was trying to push myself having not been out for a while. Weather looking decent for the daily commute this coming week, so looking forward to getting back into it

Too far!

Fantastic stuff, mate! Congratulations on your new arrival, and the very best wishes to you all for the future

I had the same thoughts about a winter trainer but I've no chance either. One option would be to sell the MTB but that would be a tough decision to make, and I wouldn't get anything like it's value (to me). Christ, I spent 350 quid on upgrading the forks and cranks alone, and I'd be very lucky to get that for the entire bike now. There's no way I can realistically justifiy buying another bike otherwise, even if the missus wouldn't castrate me for suggesting it. TBH, I reckon I'll content mysef with what I have. Downgrading to a poorer road bike might just be frustrating anyway, so I might be better alternating with the MTB and that avoids any comparison (other than the obvious). I was happy enough to trundle along on the MTB before I had the road bike, and it will only be reserved for the shittier weather, so I'm sure I can live with it. Also, if I can haul myself up the 1 mile long 10% gradient climb to my house each day on the MTB, this will keep my fitness up for the new season. See....you can talk yourself into anything

Aye, the shittier weather is a challenge, but aside from blizzards, gale force winds, and ice, I'm willing to persevere (hand injuries permitting ). I've got a fair old stock of waterproof and warmer kit, hi-viz jackets, and lights for commuting, but I'm torn between sticking with the road bike throughout the autumn/winter, and brushing the cobwebs off my trusty old MTB when the weather starts to deteriorate (as much to protect the road bike from the worst of the elements as anything else). This will be tough, though, as the MTB is so much bulkier, and I'm now used to negotiating the hills on my commute and weekend rides on my svelte Cube. The MTB is pretty much bomb-proof, though, and has hydraulic disc brakes which make a huge difference in poor weather. I reckon I'll alternate between both, depending on the weather on a day-to-day basis. Go Team P&B!

After the last two days of attrocious weather, it has now settled down through here and I should have been enjoying slinging a leg over the bike to commute to work this morning.... Instead, I have an enforced lay-off due to having sliced a finger open on a can lid on Monday night. It hurt (and bled) like buggery, and I had to get it patched up at the minor injury unit yesterday morning. As a result, my right hand is pretty much out of commission for the next few days at least, so no riding for me I'm gutted, and that just goes to show what a pull this riding malarky has.

I'd be up for it, but can't be arsed with the whole competitive bit, TBH. If it was a social thing, and was inclusive in terms of all ages, experience, and ability, then I can see it being enjoyable. Folk will always group up with others of similar ability, and I've no issue with that, but it is also important not to freeze people out. If the 'team' could be organised in such a way as to ensure that there were folk in each general category of experience, fitness, ability etc. then it would be well worth doing. There is no harm in aiming to improve your riding, and this should be encouraged. Having a goal is a positive training aid, in my experience, but it would be a shame to put folk off on the basis that they might not feel up to the grade. I reckon the best thing to do is identify a sportive next spring/summer as a notional target, and keep in touch with how we are progressing with our preparations. We could then arrange an ice-breaking training ride in advance, and this would assist in gauging how we might slot into relevant categories to ensure that no-one is isolated on the day etc. Any thoughts on this suggestion?

That sounds likie a good strategy. I'm thinking about the sportive next year, and a friend of my missus stays in Edinburgh so I'll either crash there for the night and jump the Helensburgh train the next day, or leave the bike, return home, and pick it up later.

Absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Who cares how long it took? You entered, and you finished. That is ALL that really matters. Well done

Big well done to you all. It's a great achievement regardless of your time.

Well done! That's great going in pretty poor conditions.

Shitty riding weather out there today so I hope all the PFS folks make it okay. It'll be a case of heads down and grinding out the miles. All credit to them for braving these conditions.

The BBC weather forecast for Sunday when a lot of folks on here are taking part in the Pedal for Scotland events is heavy rain and 20mph wind. On that basis, I'd put money on it being dry with a very light breeze, and a nice wee cooling shower if anything

No worries, mate. You are spot-on in looking for a do-it-all bike given what you're likely to be using it for. Enjoy it, and keep in touch with the P&B riding community

If you're going to carry the kiddie and perhaps use a tow-along later, then a hybrid makes a lot of sense and the bike you're looking at would fit the bill well.

I'm no expert, far from it, but I'm happy to pitch in with my thoughts. Boardman bikes seem to represent a lot of bike for a reasonable amount of cash. From reading other forums etc., though, there seems to be some questions surrounding Halfords after sales and expertise. I can't comment, so it might be unfair to point this out. Perhaps your Cycle to Work scheme limits you to certain retailers. If you have a decent budget, you might want to look at bikes with hydraulic disc brakes. They tend to involve less maintenance and are generally more powerful than their mechanical counterparts. You could eaily pick up a very good bike with hydraulic disc brakes for around the £500 - £700 mark. The other big question to ask yourself is whether you definitely want a hybrid. If you had time to trawl through this thread, you'd come across numerous posts where people are opting to swap to a dedicated road bike with drop bars. Having used both, I would take the road bike every time for commuting and weekend thrashes unless you are going to take your bike properly off-road regularly. Drop bars offer numerous hand positions and this helps (among other things) to combat fatigue on longer rides - bar ends on a flar bar do help, right enough. Road bikes simply shift quicker, too, and tend to be lighter (though not in all cases). A hybrid might appear to be a more casual option, but you'll soon find that you are getting more and more into riding, and a road bike might be the way forward. That said, a hybrid might be a decent compromise option until you know how often you are likely to be using the bike, and on what surfaces etc. All said, Boardman bikes seem to get very good write-ups, but I've read more reviews of their road bikes. Halfords don't always get great press, but maybe that is a bit unfair. Depending on how much you ultimately opt to spend, give a bit of thought to how long you are likely to be keeping the bike as your main ride. If at all possible, take a road bike for a test ride, too, and see how you get on with it. I suspect you'd never look back (well, unless you are turning right ) ETA: a word of caution on ride to work schemes. While you are paying up your bike, it technically belongs to your employer, and remains the latter's property until you make a final payment (now set around 25% of the bike's value if you want to pay up after the 'hire' period). Many emplyers will look to get round their employees having to make this final payment by effectively extending the hire period until the value of the bike is classed as a negligible amount, and they can pretty much give it away for nothing. This can extend to 3 or even 5 years. During this period, you are not supposed to sell the bike, so if you want to upgrade or swap to another type of bike (say, a road bike) you could be scuppered. This is why I'd give as much thought as possible as to the type of bike you want as you could be in the position of having to live with it for several years.

Superb stuff! Loved it! I was shouting at the TV highlights Have to say, though, Froome looked to have been cycling within himself doing his domestique duties for Wiggans, so I'm glad he is being let off the leash. Will it be too late, though?

They do an Aqua version - for wet conditions surprisingly enough . I'm not sure if this is a wee bit gimmicky, but I might check it out. Alternatively, I might stick my Conti Gatorskins on the bike when the really shite weather kicks in. Tyre choice is a bit of a dilemma as the seasons change, and they can be bloody expensive, too. I missed the highlights last night as I was out at a gig. I'm trying not to check the progress so I can catch up later on so don't spill please

I think there are different flavours of Ultremo, TBH. I'm pretty sure two of which are R1 and ZX.

God knows what's happening with the tubes. Conti tubes should be plenty strong enough to withstand decent pressure. I use Specialized inners and find them pretty reliable, but, unless you buy cheap shite, a tube is a tube in my experience. I use Schwalbe Ultremo ZX HD tyres, and find it hard to fault them. R1s are a bit cheaper, and possibly not as durable, but they are good tyres by all accounts. If the tubes were blown to bits, it does sound as though they've been defective/shite, or the tyre wasn't seated correctly, but as you've had the same problem twice, that seems unlikely.

Are the punctures actually occurring while the bike is in O/N storage? Seems a bit odd, that. Maybe the valves on the tubes are faulty. If you bought both at the same time, they could have been from a bad batch (though my reading of your post suggests they might have been used before). Can you find the cause of the puncture? The R1s are a good tyre and should have no problem taking 125 psi. Maybe you've pinched the tube when fitting the tyre to the rim? This is easy to do with minimalist road tyres.

That would be the time with no stops. I think it is more than possible to ride 50 miles without taking a break, but I also think that the idea in taking part in a ride like this is to enjoy yourself. I contemplated not stopping a second time when riding the Glasgow 100, but at 70 miles, I thought it best to have a wee break (and use the loo!). I'm glad I did, as the next 10 miles was tough going up a long drag and against a headwind, but from 80 miles on I felt good and reckon the stop had helped in this regard. Just ride the thing and enjoy yourself would be my advice. You can always try to better your time in the future if you feel thus inclined.