Anyone doing this:

http://www.manxe2e.org/

Went to Stages 10 (Grand Colombier) and 11 (La Troussiare). Fantastic, hadn't been to mountain stages before, only flat. Superb atmosphere, amazing to see a Brit in Yellow and Cav in the rainbow stripes, halcyon days!

U2, Spanish eyes

Inspiral Carpets, She comes in the fall

Simple Minds, New gold dream

The Stone Roses, Elizabeth my dear

Doves, There goes the fear

The Smiths, How soon is now?

Monaco, What do you want from me?

Eric Clapton, Wonderful Tonight

The Style Council, Walls come tumbling down

Queen, Another one bites the dust

U2, The hands that built America

Chesney Hawkes, I am the one and only

Paul Weller, Broken Stones

Meat Loaf - Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are

Paul has a track pump! Wiggle

The great benefit of a track pump is within 1-2 minutes you can correctly inflate your tyres with minimal effort. Buy one with a pressure gauge. No need to spend a fortune just find a decent bike shop and buy something robust looking. I guess Evans would be a good place to start. It's almost impossible to get these sort of pressures with a hand pump.

Colin, everything you say is correct. Currently I ride on Continental Super Sport inflated to 8 bar (plus an extra push to allow for the air that comes out when you remove the thing that attaches to the valve). 8 bar = 116ppsi, my cycle shop says it should be 7 bar (just over 100ppsi). Quality tyres, correctly inflated, with a puncture strip are almost indestructable. I haven't had a p******e for over 7 years - so this morning I'll have several!! Ive laso had Schwalbe Marathon, excellent tyre, and Gatorskin, another good one.

Always buy the best quality tyre you can afford. I think the most I've sent has been about £60 for a pair.

I ride with a club. On a Sunday we'd do between 70-100 miles at an average of around 14-15mph. It's a social thing, just a nice ride. The club does have a race section, hill climb etc but I never compete - I just like to ride.

I don't train. My speed depends on what I'm doing. I commute 150-200 miles a week:

Commute average around 18/19mph with long sections at 23/24mph (can't do this sort of speed all day!)

Club stuff - 14/15 mph

Touring - 12/13mph

Must agree with Paul here regarding a track pump, much less effort to get up to 100psi+, money well spent. Also, spend as much as you can on tyres, I'm running Schwalbe Ultremo ZX on the roadie, although I did have a puncture last week, own fault for riding in the dark! I've also got Schwalbe on the MTB, running tubeless, not cheap but you get what you pay for. As regards club rides, more of a social rider myself, depends on the mood at the time, although living on the IoM there are some serious riders out and about at times! Why not try a Sportive, 100km is a great target to work towards?

A few nights ago I dreamt I was being pursued by Darth Vader, seriously spooked me

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ers/6234726.stm

Sad when a former Rover passes away. My dad always blamed him for unsettling the team prior to the 1960 Cup Final, how ironic then that Dougan had his best success at Wolves!

First visit to Wembley. Went on the coach with Ewood WMC with my dad. Great day out, crap view, superb goal. Remember watching a pre-match game, schoolboys or something, and the sound delay from the other end of the ground was amazing - seemed to take about 5 seconds.

Ended up sitting right in the middle of the Spurs fans in the 'away' end, long story. Never encountered a more bitter set of fans in my life.

Made the front page of both The Star and Today (now gone) the day after!!!!

Remember this game fondley, was during the only season i had a season ticket in the Riverside!

Was only young at the time, but the memory of Shearer smashing that second goal in will live with me forever, if i remember rightly was this game a 5pm KO or something similar due to Sky?

I think it was a funny kick off time. Me and a mate got in the Fox early and I'd had a few too many by the time we got the ground and I struggled getting my voucher out of my season ticket book and though I might not get in! That second goal will live with me forever as Shearer bore down on goal and smashed the second - sheer heaven!!!