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Eddy Merckx....34 stage wins....111 days in yellow..only rider to win Yellow Green and polka Dot jersey in same year (69) Bernard Hinualt....28 stage wins ......79 days in Yellow. Fausto Coppi Gino Bartali Jaques Anquetil All of these riders are well ahead of Armstrong, he cannot be compared to riders like Merckx, Coppi and Bartali. Bartali was the best rider in the world in 1938 and won the tour, didn't compete in 39 but would likely have won the next 5 or 6 Tours had it not been for WW2. Don't forget that Mercx also won 5 Giro D'Italia, 1 Vuelta a Espagne and three world titles. Hinault 5 tours, 3 Giro and 1 Vuelta 28 Armstrong by comparison......7 tour wins, 1 world championship.........end of. Armstrong isn't half the rider any of these guys ever were

I don't know that the town would lose that much these days. Granted everything is based round the West End Carpark, but it's not as if the THB is used every day, there are not the hundreds of people cramming into the middle of town as there used to be either. The hotel, bars and restaurants won't lose out either. I get a bit fed up year on year listening to the whinging element of locals who bemoan "the damned bikes back again"; they forget that that week in May was for many many years the town's biggest event and did and still bring a huge investment of money to Fort William. Ultimately the trial itself need to decide what IT MUST DO to survive, if that means moving out to Aonach Mor then so be it. The future of the SSDT IS THE ONLY PRIORITY

Mr Tom was a very special rider indeed but like many of that era a victim of having to make a living from cycling rather than being paid a wage their livelihood came from prize money, these pro's would race for 250 days a year+ rather than the 60 days a year many of the current pro's race. If anyone wants to know more about Tommy Simpson then read William Fotheringhams book "Put me back on my Bike" When you look at cycling today the doping culture appears worse than it's ever been but only because cycling is doing something about it. Look at the protests of the footballers who have fought similar rules that cycling has followed for years. Armstrong's return is the worst thng that could happen, he's managed to shut the UCI up again and we won't see many major doping offences this year because that would tarnish the sheen on the great comeback.

Think we need a selective issue of a directors cut.......

Could have been MUCH worse if he'd gone down the old spoonerism's route and come up with Cocky Beek or something like that.... Just watched the dvd, brilliant stuff, would have loved to see some footage from the boot cam when the local constabulary caught up with you!!!

Gob smacked......wtf was the point of that nonsense. That was soooo brilliant I hit the stop button after 1 min 27 sec. It's probably something to do with Raga's ego, most riders would video to a good rockin sound track.....he has a pianist playing some piece of stuff that you could hear if you shoved a microphone in a wasps nest...rubbish.

One tip for colour popping Jamie.......patience, take your time with it

STRONGLY suggest to strip your back caliper out it's most likely to be crapped up pistons, get a new piston/seals kit from Lampkins refit and all should be well.

Guess what I got in the post today....Thanks Copey and Clive......

....or try the sticky thread on Beta Carbs at the top of the Beta Forum.....

it's nice but I prefer the whitey that was on another thread last week

Toni Bou is human after all....... First Lap Results Only 1. Takahisa Fujinami - 25 2. Adam Raga - 27 3. Dougie Lampkin - 32 4. Albert Cabestany - 36 5. Toni Bou - 38 6. James Dabill - 43 7. Jeroni Fajardo - 44 (5 cleans) 8. Marc Freixa - 44 (4 cleans) 9. Daniele Maurino - 52 10. Loris Gubian - 56 11. Michael Brown - 59

Best bit of road racing I can ever remember watching absolutley stunning.

Nice report Woody, really missed being there this year despite my woes last year. As Big John has said already there are many riders and bikes for that matter don't see the light of day until the first weekend in may and then spend their time bitching about not getting a ride in the P65 in Kinlochleven. Can't comment on the TS boys to be honest. It's a cracking trial at a superb venue, can't understand why more folk don't have a go at it.

Okay

Think I've just been scarred for life....that's not a picture we want to see mate

Fraceman is quibbling here, all that tanned flesh is getting to him. He obviously thinks they're from some exotic island, Vancouver Island, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are not exotic islands. The pasty white one is obviously the Canuck, spending most of their time in ice rinks they never see the sun. Canucks in their make up are very similar to us Scots, our natural colour is a bluey-white, something to do with the climate. You can see a similar picture most years in a city like Glasgow however there too are a group of sub species. You have the bright "orange all-over" group who spend most of their dole money (welfare checks for our foreign cousins ) on the local tanning studio. Secondly you have the real cheap skates with the "Stripey Orange" look, the ones who spend most of their dole on buckfast plus the odd bottle of fake tan. Unfortunately, pi$$ed on the Buckie they can't reach everywhere so end up stripey. Copey, just to be sure we need to see front view........the pasty Canuck might have forgotten to roll over..

That's gorgeous

Can't be our John...the guy in the papers look much younger than him...

Different perspective mate...lovey dovey ballads...pah! Hey Gringo, you like my seester, very clean...... very cheap..... :rotfl: how you doing Steve?? That the two Army Helo pilots who get lost and end up following the motorway at about 50 feet????

erm......no funnily enough Could be persuaded by this one maybe the sentiment is in the title. or... or even.... this... Love songs...aye right don't ya just love em Mind now there are the odd really complimentary songs if the women have a bit of knowledge.. clicky.. However some women are only ready for this...... Mind if you're really hard up I guess there always the last option ... like the ad in the phone box..apparently

Tell you later...can't see youtube in work mate, don't what song it is.

Unless you're the next Doug, I wouldn't worry about your weight. Perhaps the key to when a tyre is knackered or not is how it feels to you when you are riding it. Part of the game is learning how to find traction and if you are still getting reasonable grip when you practice the rubber might have some life left in it. Once you start to feel it go in practice it probably needs a swap, turning a tyre won't take you back to "brand new" grip levels. Fat Blokes response...... (Disclaimer...I am over 15 stone.....just ..... ) 7 in front 5 in the back, though with a tubed tyre always had a little more. Michelin front and rear always, don't like anything else but then again I get out so infrequently at the minute I'm not likely to wear it out. Whatever else you buy don't touch Pirelli, they are garbage, you'd be better riding on the rim.