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This is not your usual kids bike - ie. kept in a garage and ridden 11 times in its life. This sad looking, scruffy chap has earned it's keep about 93 times over. Ridden 5 miles to school and back everyday, raced on (ridden to a couple of podium spots) weekend 50 milers, 3 london to Brightons, tours in the uk, holland and france.

So what you're getting, if you're positive, is a bike with an awesome pedigree and history, one that's been loved to within an inch of its life. Seen another way you're getting a bike that's a bit tired and needs some love, and a new saddle and bar tape. However, it has a nearly new chain and cassette and a fresh rear tyre.

My son got it for his eighth birthday and rode it till his twelfth - it was a little small by then.

I hope we can find a new owner who'll use it as intensely and learn to love riding bikes while doing so.

They seem to go for silly money on eBay. I'd reckon it's got to be worth £220.

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This is my wife's trusty commuting steed. It's not been used for well over a year as she uses her road bike these days, and bails if it's raining.

It's pretty well specced, with a tiagra group set. Newish Mavic touring rims on tiagra hubs and schwalbe marathon tyres with plenty of life left in them. Carbon forks and rear triangle - for that essential commuter weight saving.

However, it's been in storage for ages and could do with a service and a clean. It's got some cosmetic scratches and chips to the paint, so it'll never look shiny shiny. I rode it round the block and it goes well: gears change fine, brakes slow you down (xt v brakes btw), however, I'd wager it could do with a new chain and cassette in the not so distant.

It's got sks mudguards fitted and you can fit a rack if you like.

It's done a great many london miles and the odd tour round the uk. It's been used in all weathers and not pampered. So fair warning - it's a long way from mint. But it is an originally expensive bike - bought from Evans for about £800 if memory serves.

I'd guess it ought to be worth £200. But feel free to laugh if that's too much.

Top tube is 50.5cm. My wife is 5'4". It'd suit a couple of inches either side of that.

Falzarego is great - barely worth saying but the Giau has to be done.

I did 6 days there and rode on a standard double with 27 on the back. Very, very foolish bit of machismo. Compact is absolutely essential. I'd go back any time. Traffic was not bad in June when we went. Although the big, famous things like the Stelvio were busy. There are lots of small roads to explore with almost no traffic. We did one climb - not even given a name other than the road number - and despite qualifying for H.C. status there wasn't a single car all the way up.

We're both faster than Laurens ten Dam, Tom. I'm expecting phone calls from team managers any minute...

No maps. But it's very easy to get the OS maps free and they're excellent - happy to explain how that's done!

Hello,

Edge 800 with charger, one mount with plenty of the original bands of varying lengths, all the instructions etc. Everything apart from the Garmin is still in its original wrapping. I've used it a fair bit, but it's never been dropped or abused and it works flawlessly, picks up satellites quickly.

Collection or delivery only at the moment. I'm in Blackheath.
They tend to go for £150 to £160 on eBay. So how about £135?

Thanks so much for organising Howie. Really great to finally ride a proper grand tour. Looking forward to next year. Maybe it could include the horrors of Col de la Point, now if we can find a section of pavé nearby...

Chapeau dude!

Can't wait! You've done a bon job on the paraphernalia Hms.

I requested a skid in Bromley this evening from a chap in a forum cap, on a pink bike. I was a bit sheepish as I was in full roadie mode...

^ between you and smallfurry I'm suffering overwhelming road envy. Great stuff.

Excellent report Smallfurry! Sounds like great fun. Strong average speed with the distance and altitude too. Hatdoff

^ Doesn't look that average to me - looks great.

The Bigfoot Level 1 rides are fun, but hard work. It's a good club though and the people are nice. I'm sort of toying with joining, but I'm already a member of another club and I'm not sure I can face seeing someone else behind their backs!

You don't have to look too hard to find a heap of climbing in Kent. Steal routes from my Strava if you like - or come out riding with us when you're back in London.

After the bumpy ride on Thursday, I was looking forward to a fast and flat ride with the Bigfoot crew. It was the former, but very much not the later, as they decided to deviate from the usual Staplehurst route and head to the Ashdown forest. There were a handful of very, very good climbers in the group and by the time we were approaching the long drag up to the top of the Ashdown I could feel that the elastic I was using to cling onto their wheels was getting decidedly baggy. It finally went ping about half a mile from the top and I watched the fast group pull away and said hello to the broom wagon group.

Fortunately there was an ice cream van in the car park at the top of the climb and I was revivified by a bottle of luke-warm coke. This seemed to go straight to my legs and I managed to stay with the group most of the way back. With the exception of Ide hill where three of the guys went off the front and killed it - all getting top tens on Strava, with over 3500 people having ridden the segment. (apologies for this getting very Bike-Radar)

Another stunningly beautiful sunny day, after a grey and wet week. I'm back on track with my tan lines, having inadvertently fudged them on Thursday with a careless shorts hem misplacement fail.

No bird of prey activity today, but there was a dead snake on the side of the road near East Peckham. I think it may have been a grass snake, but I didn't get a good enough look to be sure.

In other East Peckham news, I went into the green grocer to get a banana and the guy gave me two for free as they were on the cusp of going spotty. An act of generosity that he may have regretted as everyone else piled into his shop and completely cleaned him out. Next time I'm passing through I'll have to buy some Kumquats or other expensive-ass fruit in order to make amends.

Rest day tomorrow I reckon.

http://www.strava.com/activities/147594873

^Lovely - I really like some of the roads around there. The road from Lewes to Newhaven is particularly beautiful...

Yes, it could have been, but it had that warm, orange brown colour across its back that Kestrel's have and a grey head and grey primaries - aren't sparrowhawks more of a blue-grey colour all over their rump and wings?

But you're right. Raptor thread>>>>>>>>>>

Also, strong riding on the 100mile TT Ed!

Awesome work Bainbridge - that's on my to do list. I might be able to do it August. I'll steal your route if that's okay? I've climbed Ventoux once about 15 years ago and remember it being one of the most memorable days in (out of) the saddle. Chapeau!

I'd been wondering how easy it would be to get 10,000ft. plus of climbing out of Kent/Surrey without repeating any climbs. Turns out that it is pretty doable, and indeed with more time and a higher boredom threshold I think one could get 15,000. It can get a bit frustrating how terrible the roads are on a few of the climbs. rutted and very slippery and there were quite a few occasions where it was hard to keep the front wheel down and avoid wheelspinning at the same time - notably on York's and White Lane.

The best moment was being seen off by a kestrel at the bottom of the ascent of Toy's. It flew out of the hedge about 2 feet from my head and jack-knifed left to right around me for about 50 metres up the road, passing incredibly close to me each time. Stunning, and surprisingly intimidating.

I would recommend a lower gear than 39-25 for anyone interested in trying this at home - having to grind round the 25% hairpin on chalkpit while remaining seated was memorably teeth-gritsome.

http://www.strava.com/activities/146927345

On the other hand Ryder hesjedal has taken up the mantle of gritting your teeth and turning yourself inside out. Great to watch.

^ this in spades. Cuddles is an excellent dude and it's sad to see him dropping away.

6pt on Upper Thames Street at lunch time. I was in a massive yellow van being driven by a guy who isn't a cyclist fan. Not much scope for a shouted "Hello!"

Awesome day! Go Ryder.

Yup, that's the plan - meeting by the church on the heath at the top of the village. Might be worth letting Tom know via Facebook first, just in case there are any changes. The rides tend to leave on the dot, so don't be late!