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What did the cycling Santa bring?
Good or bad, what did the cyclists love one get you? Informed or ill-informed choices!
I will start....
Castelli Gabba SS
Rapha Cross LS jersey
Castelli socks
Castelli Diluvio Deluxe Gloves
Espresso machine
I have too admit, I love my wife....hmmm Santa sorry.
I have gone mad in the sales too 
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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Latest Comments
- mdavidford 15 min 54 sec ago
I don't think there's anything natural about it....
- Blackthorne 16 min 35 sec ago
Not that I have any knife in this fight, but this sounds like lawyers finding new ways to enrich themselves under the guise of pretending to give...
- Blackthorne 24 min 9 sec ago
Here's an idea for you: two things can be true at once. Shock. The family is a bunch of censorious whiners, and, Rapha was flatly wrong.
- brooksby 25 min 30 sec ago
Its ridiculous, though: I do not for one moment believe that people drive onto Park Street and then park their car outside (or even, near) Woodes...
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The good olde beam type torque wrenches are cheaper and *much* more robust, no less accurate (least, at common bike tool price points), easier to...
- Steve K 30 min 3 sec ago
The OIadance open ear buds mentioned in this review don't seem to be available over here anymore. I killed my pair on a long ride last Thursday -...
- FionaJJ 1 hour 10 min ago
It's always worth remembering that very rarely does the person who writes the article also write the headline. This applies to a lot of fairly high...
- FionaJJ 1 hour 31 min ago
I'm sure there was some analysis done of supposed motorists' and anti -20mph Facebook groups in Wales and it turned out that the Admin were...
- eburtthebike 2 hours 29 min ago
I read a report last week which said that in most police force areas, drivers had exceeded 100mph in 30mph zones, so the problem of illegal,...
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54 comments
Some nice prezzies there which has given me some sale google -ing prospects.
Ref the rules
I think, for the most part those of us who have ridden for along time do take them with a pinch of salt, however, I have had a few cafe stops throughout last year and crossed paths with some of the sky ride-rides and been asked is It right to mix my kit eg ss jersey and bibs..FFS I remember I was wearing a giordana jersey and castelli bibs, both black and white. Cheeky f### wit (on his bike to work specialized and his matching Polaris kit) I have no issues with anyone on a bike and positively encourage anyone, however when you quote the fing rules at me you cross a cycling line... I just asked him how long he had been riding... End of convo, but for some reason it really really got under my skin.
Plus over the year there were another couple of discussions!
And anyone that buys the book..... Come on. Just look at the web page for free.
Ps: if you didn't get a Gabba then get one in the sales.. I have seen them as low as 115 quid. Size up. Possibly the greatest piece of cycling clothing to come out of the last ten yrs along with the merino base layer.
Got Odlo bike-shorts and a new saddle. fizik Arione R3, sexy GranFondo Edition
Pleased with both so far.
Kask K50 road helmet
Team Sky long & short sleeved (supporters) jerseys...(in the sale < 1/2 price... and also more suited to my non racing snake physique)
CervoRosso R5 loft vest (cos I got a half price voucher- cheers Carlyle)
Mad Max Trilogy on BluRay (deffo bike related-cos that's what cycling is like around my way...)
A Dalek Mr Potato Head (eh...cos I collect Mr PH's...and not cycling related in anyway...but though I'd throw it into the mash...)
...and 2 months off my bike due to going away to Israel on a business trip...
Campagnolo Clothing!! - and lots of it! (before it completely disappears as the factory has stopped production I understand..)
Books, a torque wrench & a magazine subscription
So I did rather well.. Thank you Santa!
Presuming you got the torque wrench you wanted which one is it? I'm after one and having difficulties finding sensible reviews.
Cheers
I received...
Bicycle printed duvet cover
Book called SERIOUS Cycling with a very serious 90's font on the front which makes me laugh.
Some money to buy the rather specific things I want at the moment (saddle, mudguards for obscure sized wheels)
So I'm rather happy with that. No festive riding done though as I'm resting my elbow (it's just started to get better, but I have to keep arguing against going for a ride so it can actually fix
)
50 Bikes That Changed The World book - seems pretty good so far, and a Ted Baker hip flask with bicycles on it. Not bad when I'm accused of having every bike accessory under the sun.
Got a skull cap, some tights and wool-rich socks on the day, but I must confess to having cheated and brought my main present in to service a few weeks ago - a Gore Phantom 2 windstopper jacket. All put to use for the boxing day ride and again on Sunday.
And as for rules, I answer to no man! What's that dear... yes, just coming.
I think 'the rules' need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Even the guy that wrote them doesn't live and die by them. If you ever read his column in the Cyclist he often explains himself, saying he doesn't always buy from the LBS. They are just a codification of oneupmanship for cyclists and they make me laugh.
They should be taken with a pinch of salt. I personally found them hilarious when I first read them.
HOWEVER. There are far too many tossers out there who either actually believe them to be rules or are so intent on spoiling other people's days that they start spouting their shite at complete strangers.
I have noticed that the worst offenders are mamil-class* idiots clad in rapha, Assos or worse still brand new club kit and I'm afraid to say that my tarry brush is now pretty well used due to the number of examples appearing in the last two or three years.
SO... Back to the original topic... Anybody get a copy of the rules for Christmas?
*at 42 I probably qualify on at least age grounds.
I certainly wanted one. The little bound book is quite entertaining.
Cycling paraphernalia from Xmas:
Castelli Nanoflex gloves
Castelli post-ride hoody (I was sceptical, but actually it is the best hoody I own)
Rapha Coffee Mugs
Cycling Mugs (Cav and Keirin)
Mountain Higher book
Domestique by Wegelius
Lezyne saddle bag
Rapha belt
Random bike shirt
Face full of Christmas road crud from Festive 500
I literally cleaned up, especially the last one.....
My brother also gave me a torque wrench for my birthday which capped everything off.
Elder son now has a race bike and will be competing with me and younger son next season. Still need to change the pedals as the stock ones are a bit crappy and he may need a new chainring as I think the gear ratio is a bit high at 44:16.
Got some great merino wool socks, yes very meagre by some standards but my feet will appreciate them on my way to work each day so thanks my better half.
I was lucky Santa brought me an 80mm ITM Triango stem, red ITM bartape, SRAM Force front mech and a Selle Italia SLR Tri saddle all bits for the box of bits that will be an Argon 18 E80.
My 17-yr old daughter got me a Coq Sportif TdF Green Jersey. It's nicely made and we did go to Nice together to see the team TT this year. She's a student and skint, and really chuffed with herself. BUT, what about Rule #16!?
Your daughter must have sacrificed a week's indulgence (booze, clothes, hairdo, whatever) so you could have that jersey so you'd better enjoy it!
Anyway, those rules are for fools.
Rule #16 = Bollox.... No different to wearing a Ferrari-Champions league-Olympics top. The most important thing is your daughter put thought into it so you should absolutely wear it. My wife bought me the Giro leaders jersey for me when she was in the Paul Smith shop in 2012. She knows nothing about rule # Bollox, I wear it because she bought it for me
Tongue in cheek or not, I hate that Velominati rules Bollox. I have 1 cycling rule: enjoy it.
Wear the top with a fathers pride
Damn right.
Whilst generally a good laugh, the velominati rules contain a few elitist and exclusive sections that are verging on insult to the vast majority of cyclists if taken literally.
Too many however have adopted certain rules as gospel and end up acting like twats around those they deem to not conform with their take on reality. Many of these fucktards probably had Rapha pyjamas on their Christmas list.
I've been riding bikes for over 25 years and I'll wear what I like (irony intended).
Oh too right! It's such a siiiiigh! We had 100mph gusts over here over xmas and the very mention of staying indoors rather than going out seems to invoke this "RULE 5 RULE 5 RULE 5" havoc from folks that wouldn't know the dangers of a gust of wind in icy weather if it smacked them in the behind!
Screw the rules!
I think we need to apply #1, #3, #11 to this situation please......come on, seriously, it a bit of fun. Lighten the f*#k up people!
This.
I got a copy, it will happily sit on my shelf once I've read it.
Some really, really bad weather...
Can't complain. Having got a new MARIN a couple of months ago, for which the wife keeps reminding me was a combined (December) birthday and Christmas present I also got;
New pair of black Shimano pedals for the MARIN
Lezyne mini-pump
Shutt VR Black Sportive Jersey
Pearl Izumi Pro Softshell Gloves
Bluffers Guide to Cycling by Rob Ainsley
Going to have buy the workstand and overshoes myself then
I asked Santa for some ways to lose a few grams from my overall weight so he sent me the norovirus.
Have to say that it's remarkably effective but I probably wouldn't recommend it.
Dont know whether its the norovirus or something similar but i've been the same. Unable to get on my bike since before Christmas
Yes, it's been nearly a week since and I'm still not hungry. Still, makes the new year diet easier.
As compensation the birthday fairy said she'd bring some wintery clobber from the sales to replace my tatty old tights and over shoes
Ouch. I can vouch for campylobacter as being similarly effective - 10 lbs in 10 hours (though not this week, thankfully).
I got less stuff than I was expecting, but very happy with The Secret Race, The "Rules" book (yes, I know it's tongue in cheek) and Domestique.
New aero helmet for the TT's, Cavs new book & a shedload of vouchers for my LBS, with which I'll be buying a saddle for the TT bike.
Extra Xmas bonus was meeting Cav yesterday, as he was back for a race which we all did here (IoM). Winning.
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