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I honestly don't know what most manufacturers put as their guidelines for rider weight so I don't know if they are too conservative. My only real point was that if you are buying a regular (not super lightweight race bike, or a brompton with a really long seat post etc.) bike, from a reputable company, you probably don't need to worry about it being strong enough.
Just concentrate on getting the right bike for you and the riding you want to do.

From experience don't get a mountain bike though, a road/touring/cx type bike will feel so much faster for the same effort. The more you enjoy your ride the more you will ride, the more you ride the easier/faster and more fun it is.

As someone who has commuted in London at your weight and above I would say don't worry too much about the bike being tough enough, nearly everything from a reputable brand will be able to cope.
I rode around on a second hand aluminium Langster for a 3 years before it was killed by a car reversing into it when it was parked, so aluminium, steel etc will be fine.

I would suggest having a look at CX bikes as well, with a set of road tyres you should be able to go fast enough to have fun, and the more fun you have the more you will ride.
It will also have drop bars (tops and hoods are perfectly comfortable and let you tuck in a bit to go downhill).
I've never ridden a road bike with disc brakes so I don't know if they are much better or will let you feel more confident, I have had no issues stopping on calipers or mini-Vs.
I don't know how strong stock wheels will be on most OTP bikes, but if a wheel is designed for skinny fuckers to smash around off road it should cope alright with the odd pothole for you or I. I've had a lot of joy with the basic wheels from v-sprint.

For a commuter bike you could do a lot worse than a Pompino, mine has been great, put up with a lot of abuse and a very lax maintenance schedule with no complaints.

If in doubt, go to evans, test ride all the bikes, then buy whichever puts the biggest grin on your face off the internet.

Tomo187 - paid
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I'd definitely look for a cyclocross bike if you can find one, probably second hand for that kind of money.

I rode a tricross for a while until it got stolen, whilst its not the most glamorous of bikes, you can raise the bar with a few spacers, get decent mudguards on there, 28 or even 32c tyres will feel really fast compared to whatever kind of mountain bikes he has ridden in the past.
Also mini v-brakes do give you the confidence that you can actually stop when you need to.

If your mate is comfortable, reasonably dry, and feels like he is making good progress he is more likely to keep the commute up, rather than sack it off as being too much like hard work.

FWIW i was a bit bigger that your mate when i started commuting in London.

I'm 6'4" with a 33/34" inseam and this is roughly how my xl pompino looks with a 100mm stem.

Not a great photo, and still a work in progress, but you get a rough idea of how much seatpost etc.

Damn tagzumped, well done to Ben and Oliver.

I really must learn how to upload pictures without going home and switching on my computer first.

Still, nice afternoon to explore Hackney and the Lea, even if some of the pave sections would put Paris - Roubaix to shame.

Have you seen what a mess they have made that pub. Worked on charlotte st for years one of my favorite pubs.so sad to see as it is now.

No i've not been past in a while, beer list on the website looks alright, if a little bit obvious.
I wonder if they ever fixed the massive holes in the floorboards? things like that really give a pub character.

Ahh, Fitzrovia is a lovely part of the world.
Very interesting to see the draft house, my first student job when i moved up to London was at the Northumberland Arms, as it was called back then.
Also the only job i've ever been sacked from.

Bollocks to it.
Still at least the new tag looks pretty interesting, even if i have no idea where it is.

Damn, wish i'd checked this thread before i left work last night.
The massive cock is on a little alley called Cock Hill, between Middlesex Street and New street. I don't know which came first though, the chicken or the street name.

I this the doorway is the back door/fire exit for the Marco Pierre White steakhouse.

Not sure about the new tag yet, but i fancy a quick spin so off to google i think.

I'm just down by bishopsgate now, if you want an extra lock to put on the frame.
Or are you confident of cutting it free tonight?

Camden Coffee House can be a little hit or miss in my opinion, especially when they get busy.
If you are out and about in Camden i would suggest heading up Kentish Town Road to Doppio, just by Pizza Express. I had a pretty decent flat white there the other day on my way home from the pool. Also the place is stacked to the rafters with coffee machines and all sorts of gubbins.

X595 HNH
Red bmw being driven trough kings cross by some utter weapon on the phone.
I know that coming down greys Inn road and swinging onto Euston Road is a bit of a mess, but how can you not notice swinging across 3 lanes of traffic?

And then always charming to be given the finger as you go back to ask what the fuck?
Only been back on the bike for a week and so many bellends already.

Basically if the handling is good (I read it has a unconventional lever with a 'knee joint' for example),
if it's nice to work with in general or if it does feel like a toy somehow,
and I'd like to see some pictures shot with it's 1.8/50mm.

I consider swapping my Canon AE-1 with the (really nice) 1.4/50mm for the Nikon EM,
I'd like to have something a bit smaller, and I always hated the tinny sound the AE-1 makes
(assuming the EM has a rather 'Nikon' like sound despite it's plastic parts).

Thanks for any feedback on this!
Can't find the thing in local shops here to give it a try unfortunately..

Hi, haven't posted on this tread before, should probably take more pictures and get involved.

I have a few photos that were taken with my mum's 30 year old Nikon EM with the 50mm 1.8. I haven't used any other 35mm SLR so i can't really compare, but i do like the EM, feels good in my hands.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61621437@N08/sets/72157629608077759/

B&W is Ilford HP5, colour is maybe fuji superia.

Very nice looking Nexus 4 phone sleeve arrived this afternoon. Colour a little lighter than my wallet currently is, but should wear in to match up.

Still no phone to put in it yet though, despite ordering that first.
31trum, Officially faster than google.

Cheers

Yep. Ordered something like 48 hours ago. Told 4-5 weeks wait. Amazing.

I'm going to get a decent case on my next day off. Cheers.

Damn, that's pretty quick from Google. I ordered my nexus 4 on wednesday morning and it said 4 - 6 weeks, but now it seems I could get a phone this side of Christmas.
Looks like I had better confirm my new case with murtle and pay up.

Hi mate, you made a lovely wallet for me a few months ago, and as i have a new phone on the way i think i need a matching case for that.
I think you called the leather you used distressed brown, or something like that.
Do you have any more at the moment?
How much are you asking for a nice simple case for a Nexus 4? Do you need the phone itself to measure up?

Cheers

Damn, i really should have got this tag from riding past it every day for two years.
I'm glad I didn't though, I would never have come up with a new photo as nice as oat44's.

Taggy photos have definitely been stepped up a notch.

You do have some lovely brickwork there Ludd.

Though not sure how you go past it twice a day (assuming on your commute back and forth) - isn't that a one-way street?

Old tag i know, but i really like this picture. The grey sky and the house looming ominously in the the background contrast really nicely with the honey coloured bricks.

No idea about the new tag though. Can be hard with camera-phones and no accompanying clue.

I would have though that the large building in your tag should make it possible to triangulate, and with the sunshine this morning there really is no excuse.
C'mon people, get tagging!

Thanks crop, very happy to have picked up my first tag for a long while.

Specifically timed tags can be interesting. I had to wait to be able to get an open shot of tower bridge, still at least it opens on a reasonably regular basis, unlike the heatherwick bridge in Paddington that Oat44 tagged. Trying to arrange a Friday lunchtime when I know the tag and aren't busy was a pain. The only time I got there I was tagzumped anyway.

Cheers, I don't think this one will hang around either.
One o'clock would be ideal I reckon.

No broomsticks for me just a bike I'm afraid. Very impressed with our new tagger though. Hopefully we will be seeing Halloween tags every year now.

Old tag was the lovely little art deco styled Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley.

The new tag also rises up, but from something altogether colder and wetter than any flames I've ever seen.


Got my own copy after reading a few posts on your old blog, some cracking stories so far.
Maybe not one to lend to my mum after i'm finished.

One thing i've seen though, Sid's Snake, page 59 has printed out smaller than all the rest. Still readable, but noticeably a different size.

Massive thanks as always to LongAndWinding for putting this all together, and keeping things running smoothly. Hopefully we will see you riding with us next year.

Some pictures from today, no actual tags as my phone really isn't up to that kind of high tech nonsense any more.

LongAndWinding laying down the rules.

Team Hello Kitty