badgerx16

"The Blues travel to Home Park for the first round tie on Tuesday, July 14". What year ?

Purely a personal thing, I use toe straps, but I wear a pair of PUMA trainers that are as near as you can get to cycling shoes without cleats - close fitting and low, firm, flat sole, and with the straps pulled tight. 'Serious' bikers ( as my wife terms them ) will say that they use cleats to ensure they get 100% of their effort put into the 'stroke', but I still can still outclimb riders with cleats. Ultimately it's your choice.

Specialized Secteur Elite Apex, as featured here : http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?13525-What-do-you-drive-Pics&p=1311492#post1311492 I'm aching in the places I expected to, mainly in the quads ( front of the thigh ), but it's self-inflicted so I can't complain. Hill climbs are why I bought the bike, once you get east of the A6 'flat' is no longer in the lexicon - I did a circuit of the Trough of Bowland last year, this year I plan to go over both ways in one journey.

Surely that wouldn't be a surprise ?

Probably in 'advanced'.

Triples are best suited when going up hills, they tend to have an easier bottom gear than compacts, though there is slightly more overlap of gears between the three drive cog options - on a 9 speed cassette you in theory get 3*9 gears, but in practice it's more like 17 or 18 different ratios. If you aren't doing a lot of hills, you probably wouldn't use the smallest drive option, though a beginner might find it easier to start with. The Specs are easier to ride, imo, as their geometry provides a slightly more upright riding position. ( I went for a Spec as I have some slight 'issues' with my lower back ). Best thing to do is to go to an LBS ( Local Bike Shop ) and ask for a test ride. Any half decent one will oblige. They will also ensure you get the correct size frame.

When the system powers up you will see a message saying press F2 ( or poss F10 ) to enter setup - do this immediately this is displayed ( or else the OS will load ). Assuming there isn't a different password securing the BIOS you should be able to get into it a settings tab for SECURITY, where you can enable / disable the power on password.

What make of router is it ?

seal

Have done relatively flat speed training rides ( between 13 and 18 miles at a time ) for the last 2 weeks, so having had the bike serviced, I decided to get back in the hills today : http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/113675795 42 miles, over 1000 feet of elevation gained, 2 tops over 600 ft, over 12 miles riding uphill, max uphill incline 20%. Think I might be regretting it tomorrow :-(

Once we finally get closure, ( July 31st is my pick ), a copy of this thread should be lodged in the National Archives at Kew. As you say, a document of great historical importance; an example of the finest investigative journalism ( or at least how spending just 5 minutes on t'Interweb can expose sham sheikhs and bent russian bankers ); great comedy ( ranging from the satire of RallyBoy to the delusion of Corp Whore ); a three year degree course in Business (mis)Management; evidence as to why politics and sport should never mix; and overall it shows how the Wibbly Wobbly Web can act as communications medium that unites the 4 corners of the world, ( or at least Glasgow, Denmark, Australia, and Dubai ! ).

Not really the case, the basic components are the same for a road bike as for a hybrid - there are plenty of acceptable bikes in the £500 to £700 range that are fine if you don't fall into the 'serious biker' bracket ( as my wife calls it ), especially if you look for last year's models in sales. Once you get above that range the bikes are lighter, ( mainly due to the use of carbon fibre and composites in the frame and fittings ), and will have more expensive groupsets ( the gears and drive train ), but unless / until you are a good enough rider to do them justice you probably don't need the increase in 'agility' at speed, or the ability to descend at 40 mph. As Sandwich says above, the main difference is in the basic configuration, road bikes are simply far more efficient on tarmac. Also, as recommended elsewhere on the forum, do not scrimp on the padded shorts, you are going to be on the bike for anything up to 5 hours a day.

GB Road Race Team @ the Olympics : 4 stage winners at this year's TdF, and the national Road Race Champion. ( Not forgetting that one of those TdF riders is the current World champion, and by the start of the Games another will almost certainly be the TdF winner ).

Don't forget that even if they do survive into the season proper, they'll potentially have 5 years of fiscal purgatory enforced by the FL. { "Agree to a range of other restrictions on playing budgets, future borrowing and loan repayments for the next 5 seasons." } How much will these additional demands influence any new buyers tempted out by the restriction on the amount of secured liability carried forward ?

Ditto. ( And I think it's where the French Foreign Legion do a lot of their desert training ).

I knew you wouldn't let me down. You are, of course, aware of the cost to the NHS of your particular trade ? ( Assuming, that is, that you do actually peddle cancer sticks ).

At work it is reckoned that we are in for a further round of cuts in the next 3 years, which end up with our net budget having been cut by nearly 40% in 5 years. How far can 'efficiency savings' be pushed ? ( Come on Dune, you know you've got a smart-alec trolling response to this ).

An alternative to having to work out how to spell properly.

Yes. But he'll get his chances in the next few years. Who said this in June ? "We're bringing an even stronger team to the Tour this year and the route would seem to favour me". Oh yes, Cadel Evans.

What's the temperature in Portsmouth ? Looks like it might be a bit chilly - about minus 10. WTFILN

I think it's the only part of the coalition agreement that Nick C says he is unreservedly committed to - no Lords Reform Bill, no coaliton agreement, no Government, ( the Tories won't be able to run as a minority administration ).

They probably won't, but then again it's like the AV vote - a set of unsuitable proposals, put forward by the Tories as a grudging ( at best ) concession to the LDs, that deliberately fails to present any option that might actually prove popular with the wider public. ( But then again, maybe I'm getting cynical in my middle age ).

Well done Tommy Voeckler on his win, and also to the indestructable Jens Voight. First 'big' day passed wthout too much apparent worry for SKY, but bigger climbs tomorrow. Where will Evans make his bid ?

Your last line contradicts much of the previous diatribe. The Lords has the Bishops, ( what exactly have they done to justify their position ? What happened to the separation of Church and State ? ). It also has the remaining hereditary peers - former hoorays who dropped lucky by being descended from land grabbing Norman invaders. Finally, there are all the former members of the Commons, promoted for their loyalty and service - rewarded for time served following the party whip. Back this lot up with businessmen who bought favours from whichever Government they 'donated' their money to, and you end up with the current upper chamber.