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Try looking here:

Try looking here:

https://www.marwi-eu.com/

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For what this is worth:

For what this is worth:

My wife of 30-odd years is an anorexic and has been since before we met.  She has looked ‘right’ since we met and generally eats properly, but she’s still an anorexic.   She eats, but will quite happily not eat.  Eating is therefore a conscious thing that she needs to do, rather than a routine thing, and she’ll have a snack instead of a proper meal.  Words are important – ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ ‘No, but I really don’t like the colour’….

You need to understand your relationship with weighing scales – she will not be without them, but some specialists say to avoid them – it depends upon what you are using them for – to drive an anxiety,  confirm stability, or verify control. In her case, it’s the latter, so take the scales away and it’s a car crash

Over the years, she has learned at what point she’s too thin and what the indicators of that are. Ergo, using the scales she knows if she should gain more, or should lose a little.  It makes no sense to me because my weight seems to vary daily for no apparent reason.

Of course, 35 or so years on, we’re looking at the menopause and all of the issues that that brings with it. Main thing is I now have to be quick to get a meal going before she’s had a snack.  She’s got a very busy day today and will be back late.  I know she won’t eat any supper, and so she recieved a strict instruction to have a decent lunch.  She probably won’t…

If I were you, I would harness your OCD to focus on something thing other than weight – someone has already suggested power to weight.  Initially, I’d forget about weight and look at power and what you need to do in terms of diet and training to get that up.   And avoid supplements, whether they are good, bad or a waste of tim.  The last thing you need is to be reliant on anything other than yourself and good food.  Eat well, eat clean and try to be as rational as you can.  Set yourself some ‘good’ objectives that are positive (i.e. more power, faster, stronger) and avoid the negative (lose weight, eat less, can’t eat that). 

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Thanks for your considered

Thanks for your considered response – much appreciated.  I’m waiting for a call back from the bike shop, so we’ll see.  My other wheels and the rebuilt back wheel were all done by the same LBS.  The rebuilt front and the original wheels with overlong spokes were done by a different outfit of generlly excellent reputation.  We shall see – I have ride London on Sunday – so it’s quick repair or Frankenbike time

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I can’t say I’m much

I can’t say I’m much surprised – pedalling forward, the front mech keeps the chain in place.  Pedalling backwards, there’s nothing to stop the chain dropping off the big ring if it’s minded to,  and the rear mech will be pulling the chain over to the inside.  Maybe the chain is now too long if you didn’t take some links out, although not sure that that would help

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I got left-hooked on CS7 –

I got left-hooked on CS7 – the driver managed to run over my front wheel.  I got their details (Portuguese passport…) and the Reg no.  I tried to contact them and managed to speak to someone else (the car owner)  – who told me that the driver (her friend) didn’t have a licence.  I said I needed to go to the police in that case.  They asked me not to and that they would pay for the damage.  It’s £500 I told them and I was told that they couldn’t afford that – would £5 a week do?  Have a guess…

I found the details on MIB and wrote to the insurer, making my claim, and I notified the police via the web site, but that just disappeared into the ether.   Insurance company denied all responsibility.  However, they did insure the car, which meant that they were liable under a small clause in the road traffic act, which  they keep very quiet about.  I reminded them of that and showed them the video, and told them the driver had offered £5/week.  They paid up and off I went.

No doubt the two ladies are not best friends any more.   Even worse, a while later I got a call from the insurer asking if I knew anything about a passenger in the car who suffered whiplash.  The latter had no doubt been called by a no win/no fee ambulance chaser about ‘their recent accident’.  I showed them the video again which clearly shows a low speed collision in which I was the only thing to come to a sudden halt, and a large, lady emerging from the back seat, entirely unemcumbered by injury.  They asked if they could use the video – be my guest…..

Moral of this story – don’t lend your car to someone without a licence and let them drive around South London in rush hour…

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I have no idea how you

I have no idea how you managed to do this, it doesn’t need to be particularly tight.  Undo the bolts that hold the stem onto the steerer. Hold the front wheel down, pull the bars up and turn them anti-clockwise.  ease of the pressure turn them back and repeat.  Hopefully the bolt shoud loosen.  Once you’ve got a new bolt, make sure you’ve read up on how it all works before you put it back together.  For the avoidance of doubt, it is the stem bolts that do the work, not the bolt in the cap.

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I’m in the ‘waste of time and

I’m in the ‘waste of time and effort on a road bike’ school of thought.  I persevered for a couple of years then threw a pair of ‘perfecty good’ top-dollar tubeless tyres in the bin, gave all my tubless kit (that tells you everything you need to know) to a friend (not for much longer) and put Michelin Pro4s back on.  Not looked back since.

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I have a tool rol l- a topeak

I have a tool rol l- a topeak one  – it works well and is more weatherproof than wee bags with a zip.  I think you’ll struggle to fit the minipump into any sort of discreet under-the-saddle-bag though.  For what it’s worth, I use a Fumpa mini-pump, which is a stupid-expensive way of pumping up a tyre at the roadside but one that has the upside of turning an irritating experience into one that is a bit of a giggle. Plus,  it travels well.

As far as tubes are concerned – roll them up tight and wrap them even tighter in clingfilm.   The clingfilm also gives you something to use if you have to fiddle with a filthy chain

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I have a problem with gloves

I have a problem with gloves – it comes from being an ice climber and a cyclist – I have more pairs than I care to count. 

If it’s raining, I tend to wear neoprene gloves – and settle for warm and wet. If it’s really cold and raining, sleeting or worse, then the ice climbing gloves come out with liners, which are properly waterproof and warm, but expensive.  If it’s just cold then, frankly, Decathlon 900 gloves are really warm and reasonably water resistant and a bargain at about £20.  A cycling friend from South Africa who is into audaxes but suffers very badly from the cold now wears Black Diamond Punishers (an ice climbing ‘standard’) with fingerless mitts inside and is delighted with the results.

Freezer gloves are OK if its cold and you’re on a tight budget, but they do get sweaty if you’re working hard.  Some people wear them for ice climbing, one or twice and then give up, but the myth endures.  They are however great for washing your bike with scalding hot water – insulation works for hot and cold.

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I also have a werewife of a

I also have a werewife of a similar disposition and sunny holidays were canned – one in March which was cut so fine we had to be careful to make sure that it was a cancellation rather than a no-show.  Summer also canned – flights cancelled in the end, with brought everythng else tumbling down  So, we waited a bit, bought a Channel tunnel ticket, pumped the dog full of rabies vaccine and headed to France in car with a bicycle on the roof.  Two weeks of wall-to-wall sunshine – werewife and weredaughter sated and cycling rat fed.  Dog not to keen on the heat – seeks out quarry-tiled floors.  Worst case we reckoned barbecuing every day for two weeks, with a closure of the tunnel an outside possibility, and quarantine a manageable consequence.  The oether Euro-tourusts have arrived this week generally.  Last week was very quiet in comparison

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I hate things like this.  It

I hate things like this.  It brings out the worst in me – fortunately only in theory not practice.  I can’t help thinking that idiots who behave like that do so because they’re confident that they’re not going to get a violent response, and mostly they’re right.  All you need is for them to fall and hit their head and it’s game over for you – a nasty role-reversal in which you have nowhere to go.  No ‘SMIDSY’, no ‘he wobbled out in front of me’, no ‘the sun was in my eyes’, or ‘he wasn’t wearing Hi-viz or a helmet’.  You pushed him and he died.  Criminal record for ever. Wife, family, job, all stuffed.

All you can do is shrug it off, and acknowledge the good when you see it.  But, dear god, it’s hard.  I followed a van down a country lane yesterday.  He was slow and careful.  He passed several on-coming cyclists carefully.  He and I followed several others for a while.  When he stopped, I stopped too and thanked him for driving carefully.  All one can do.

Commuting in town, I have cameras.  That got beyond a joke.

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My policy is this – “If you

My policy is this – “If you ride in the gutter, people will treat you as though that is where you belong”.  I ride usually on the righthand side or the centre of the cars’ left wheel track, which is a bit left of primary.  Tends to be better tarmac than primary and a lot better than the gutter.  I have lights on day or night.

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One more thing – wet and cold

One more thing – wet and cold feet.  The answer is:

Neoprene overshoes, which let the water in, with;

A pair of shoes big enough for two thick pairs of socks, which let the water in, with;

Sealskin or Endura waterproof socks, which let the water in at the top, with;

A couple of wraps of masking tape around the top to stop the water running in from the top (I’m not man enough for gaffa tape), and;

A pair of DeFeet Woolie Boolies to keep my tootsies warm.  

:o)   How many winters to work that out – the one just gone was the wettest of wet, and provided ample opportunity for experimentation.

 

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My latest, and most inspired,

My latest, and most inspired, answer to this is Sainsbury’s rich fruit cake with marzipan and icing.  £2.50 for a big block.  Cut up into 14 two bite pieces, each wrapped in greaseproof paper.  Fuelled me for 220 miles on Sunday, with a ham and salami baguette, a pot of couscous, a couple of gels and some bits of flapjack.  Unlike most energy bars, it’s easy to eat, moist and tasty. During the course of the day, I ate about 3/4 of the cake.  The plan is eat every 45 minutes at least, drink with food and in between as well.  Currnet favourite gel is Clif Mocha.  The lemon one is vile though. 

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A lot of this has to do with

A lot of this has to do with how hot you run and how hard you’re working.  For me, knees come out at 8 degress, with a bit of latitude to around 10′ if it’s overcast or drizzling, in which case i’ll wear a fetching below-the knee number but not full length.

I generally run hot.  I’ll be down to my thinest, single layer clothing when others are wearing bib longs, jackets, hats and overshoes.

The one thing that I would not do without is an ultralightweight gilet.  I wear it when I start off, and usually remove it after 10-15 minutes when I’ve warmed up.  Similarly, I have arm warmers in various weights.  

When it gets colder, I add a baselayer, still with arm warmers and a gilet.  4 degrees, or below, I usually wear a Castelli or Bioracer fleecy long sleeve jersey, not windproof.  The gilet features again.  

I have a Gabba jersey – can’t wear it – it’s windproof and it’s too hot.  The waterproofing is crap compared to Stolen Goat/Bioracer.  Stolen Goat Orkaan waterproof jerseys and arm warmers are the absolute dog’s danglies.  A bit of wind resistance, but not too much so I don’t overheat.  When they’re new, they are pretty much waterproof, and after a lot of use they’re still good for about an hour of rain.  If it’s showery, I wear one of those.  I sometimes wearthose with armwarmers and a baselayer in winter insteaad of a long sleeve jersey.  On their own for showery spring/autumn days.

Waterproof jackets – only if it’s actually properly raining, and then it’s one of the Gore shakedry jackets.  Small enough to go in a jersey pocket.  Only if it’s raining though – I overheat otherwise. Stupid expensive, but at least it’s wearable, which my others are not, being far too sweaty.

If it’s 2 degrees or below, I sometimes wear a Castelli Mortirolo jacket, which has a windproof front, or a very thin, pocketable jacket with one of the fleece jerseys.  Quite often that will go over the gilet, so that I can just take the long sleeve windproof off.

At that temperature, I have some Assos bib longs with double fleece on the front – still not windproof – too hot otherwise.

Essentially, I’m all about flexibility, which really hinges aorund a gilet.  Rapha at the moment, but the last one was a Sportful Hotpack.  It has to be 18 degrees and without a cloud in the sky for me to leave home without it, or the Decthalon £3.50 armwarmers

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