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I would like to dibs the Rotor crankset.

You have a message.

I'm not a diagnosed/registered asthmatic.

I've never been a hay fever sufferer either although that horrible brown tree pollen stuff can get to me when I'm riding.

However I do think I may have some kind of exercise induced issues because I suffer from irritations more when I'm on the bike. But then again I am a deep mouth breather also.

Perhaps I should put my big nose to more efficient use?

I came to this thread hoping to find out about anti-pollution masks and their efficacy but am non the wiser, so not really sure what to do?

Since this warm weather we've been having this last week I've really noticed the poor air quality in central London and it seems to be having a bad effect on me. I've had a sore throat for several days now but no onset of a cold, also I sometimes get this weak feeling in my lungs and I'm shit scared to inhale deeply so VO2 max isn't exactly helped either.
I was in Regents yesterday doing a little recovery ride and the amount of vehicles in there was astounding! they should do like the Mall on Sundays and stop cars from entering so that we can breath properly at least once a week.
Wasn't the congestion charge sold as an anti pollution measure? since the advent of those poxy Uber cabs it seems like there is more gridlock than ever.

Lastly, what is the general opinion of wearing scuba tanks for cycling?

Hello Tester, are these still available?

Hello,

What are the measurements of the top and head tubes?

Thanks,

do they do strict checks?

You are electronically timed it may be viewed as cheating.

Perhaps you could all meet up at the first feed station?

I was in pen 13 last year and was going good but then I lost a lot of time on the poxy Jeaux Plan but the broom wagon didn't sweep us up.

If you are already on the last mountain the broomy will (generally) let you go.

A mate who is out there now has just messaged me to say that he'd done 40 miles on the flat today and it was 35 degrees.

The organisation seems pretty efficient to me. I reckon they would take a dim view on trying to jump up a pen but jumping down maybe you could say you overslept?

But yes those timing chips know everything you do.

There is only an 8 minute difference in your start times. There are a thousand people per pen So if you were at the front of your pen and he at the back of his that would stretch it out a bit.

I'm guessing you want to ride together so just wait for him at a prearranged spot and you'll be fine.

The broom wagon will be your Nemesis but only if you blow-up or linger too long.

Pens 7-8 should be alright.

Or is it the case that you want to get into his pen?

People should be getting their bib and starting pen numbers by now. I have mine which gives me an 08:00am start which I'm hoping will allow me to get farther up the road before the merciless heat kicks in.

My start time last year was about 09:30am which meant more frying time out in the Alpine sun.

Re. Columbian guava boccadillo veleno the Lucho Dellitos boys are taking the piss; they are £4.50/pack in the Columbian food section of the continental stores on Lewisham High Street. Identical product without cycling gel price match rip off.

Really? the buggers!

Condor and Sigma sell them for £15.00 for a 10 pack!

Does anybody know of a Columbian Deli in town? central London?

You may have gotten off lightly.

Last year I presented the form to a young doctor GP? at the local surgery. She did the blood pressure, OK, fine but when she did my heart with the stethoscope she took ages and I could see her looking at me out of my peripheral vision.

She then told me that she couldn't sign it and referred me to Guy's for an ECG examination explaining that she could hear a 'noise' (my heartbeat?).

I think that was around April I finally had the tests in June and passed with flying colours. Went back to the surgery re-presented the form she looked at the data and finally signed me off.

To say it embuggered my preperation is an understatement. Basically I was to worried about going over 80% in case I popped it on a Surrey hill all alone.

But I guess she had to do what she thought was right.

By the way... when I went to collect my bib number etc. the French girl just took the form and didn't even glance at it. I think there were 16,000 riders last year so that's a lot of forms.

Soreen + peanut butter sandwiches

Sandwiches lol...

They go in your back pocket as bread and whatever but tend to emerge in my experience as a sorry mess. What's your secret?

Last year's Etape at every food stop I was praying that I would find something bread based but never did.

By the way chaps what are your favoured cycling foods etc.. for these type of events?

I'm not a great bike food eater I always have to remind myself and then force feed the gunk down.

However since Condor and now Sigma have started to stock them I'm very much into Lucho Dellitos guava based energy blocks. They don't give me Hulk-like power boosts it's more subtle than that. I kind of use them for short rides or as an intermediate top-up on long rides.

The other ones I consume on longer sorties are Zipvit protein recovery bars (choc) these work better for me than the actual energy bars.

And for pre-race or the starting line I eat Veloforte's these are really dense and natural and don't make me feel sick.

I wish I could get an endless supply of Fanny's farm scones and rock cakes, those used to perk me up no end on the old London to Brighton runs.

I know Sportstours have 'feed stations' on the route for their customers.

Otherwise the event does have lots of feed stops along the way.

Best to carry plenty of what YOU like to eat anyway bonking in the Alps is a real possibility for the unwary.

Oh and 750ml bidons are a must I'd say.

labelled as a Competition with Art Decor paint. Can't seem to find any other Competitions with Crystal tubing

I don't think the 'Competition' bit means that much. I have an art deco Master that says 'competition' and another one that doesn't have that paint job or tag but it is exactly the same model.

My guess is it is a 'Crystal' with perhaps a factory specified custom paint job. Also the external rear brake cable guides convinces me.

It is still in your possession

Thread is 7 years old.

Best go to his website.

What is that? a Crystal? it looks somewhat like a Tecnos but without the Gilco tube profile.

My choice would be Veloflex Masters, gumwall, 25mm, superb ride.

Rubinos are an odd range of tyres, some can be not too bad but others are like tractor tyres slow and heavy.

Whatever became of this project?

decal and colnago sign and title will be done by airbrush painting.

I am going to have my Tecnos fixed and re-painted soon. I was looking all over the place for a set of Colnago Tecnos decals but no luck. It then occurred to me that the 'decals' seem to be sprayed on in silver paint.

So, where could one obtain the masks from? I saw that H.Loyd had a seat tube Colnago spray mask but it wasn't for the Tecnos model.

I would now do some thinking on the topic of 'confirmation bias'.

Here come the PC scolds.

My mind is quiet open on this subject and I sure as hell don't want anybody to get crushed to death by left turning lorries just to 'prove myself right'.

It is a question that has been asked many times now.

To the lady who shouted 'Oh come on, you can squeeze through there!' while I waited for a bus to complete turning a corner with its left side close to the kerb: don't mansplain.

Ladies first...

No joke geezer.

There was a spate of ladies coming to grief from left turning HGVs a few years back including an ex-colleague of mine.

It did get me thinking how do women perceive traffic danger compared to us blokes.

I think the insecurity of people's jobs and (un)affordability of rent in London exacerbate levels of stress related to whether you're going to get to your job on time.

Yep, thats probably it.

Although I do wonder why people exhibit the same behaviour whilst driving 4x4s out in deep Surrey while I'm trying to enjoy a Sunday ride.

TfL expect that with Crossrail opening, the footway space in Oxford Street will routinely be insufficient for the number of people walking there throughout the day.

It's bad enough as it stands, seems like they'll have to pedestrianize the entire thoroughfare in that case.

it should be easy to reduce people's need to travel by spreading
things they need closer to where they live

The thing is though it appears as if a lot of local (London) retail space is being re-developed into yet more...'luxury' apartments.

A case in point I was cycling down Camberwell road recently and noticed that the old Wickes builders yard on the corner of Wyndham road was being turned into yet more apartments. I was concerned by the actual density of this development.

Property development in London is of wild west proportions and the councils, government, mayor etc are all in deep with it.

My home town is now a polyglot shit-heap alas.

I think I saw a culling notice in the park recently, dunno if that has anything to do with it?

Every undertaking, lane swerving, non indicating, no shoulder checking, space squeezing, red light jumping, queue jumping, pavement cycling, bullying prick was back on my journey home this evening.

Absolute fucking nightmare. Barely got above 10mph as I was having to compensate for the staggering morons that surrounded me.

I have to agree with this.

Its the varying levels of road sense and situational awareness that bothers me rather than their average wattages not to mention just plain old lack of good manners.

What is this urgent panic folks have these days just to move forwards whether by foot, bike or vehicle?

Sometimes I look at what people are trying to achieve on the roads compared to the amount of impulsive danger/menace/risk etc that they display and oftentimes it's not even a couple of seconds they are saving.

Madness! just try and relax out there.