spode@thinkbikes

Yes, quite so. And if that's all I can come up with then you're doing well. Overall, I like it

Nice job! I would have preferred a fixed width design though. On widescreen, I get lots of blank white space.

Go cold turkey for a day and see what happens I used to be scared of silence when I was a kid, but that's because I'd start hallucinating and I could hear voices shouting at me. I don't have that problem now - they just talk quietly.

Ignore the fact you're on the back wheel, and that's exactly how you'd back wheel something with zero run up. I call them granny taps, as you're just clipping the very top of the object, rather than proper bumping. You're on the back wheel though and it looks like you're pretty much manualing into it. Still a good move to practice, the more ways you can find up an object the better!

I can't find a picture of Fat Pants where he's not smiling or pointing, but he's a spitting image of Mr Bean.

You beast!

Beasty!

Those are exactly the words I was looking for when I heard about this. Part of me is shocked and upset at BEAU's death, and the other part of me feels strongly reminded of my own mortality. I find it amazing that with everything we do on bikes, we haven't had any fatalities through riding itself. My thoughts are with BEAU's family at this troubled time. We'll miss you buddy.

Yeah. I can't twist my body to the left anywhere near as easily as I can to the right (my spinning direction) and I imagine the same is as of what you suggest above. But I think that sort of stiffness comes from riding - there are plenty of other athletes that aren't so flexibility impaired

Well, I'm not that convinced dominant foot is pre-determined in the way your dominant hand is. When you watch a baby walking, do they have a dominant foot? Not yet - I think you develop it through chance, and looking at this poll indicates as such too - there is quite an even split between left and right footers - unlike left-handers which are fairly rare in comparison. Dominant foot is about comfort, not impaired ability.

Danny & Tom are pretty busy at the moment - be patient and I imagine they will get back to you.

I've just read into this a little more, because it's an interesting topic and there is a hell[/b[ of a lot of research out there. There is a difference between left/right handed brains - through nurture/nature you can decide for yourself - most suggest it happens in the womb. So you could say they are "wired differently". To suggest the same process is how we choose left/right feet is not correct. Being left-handed is far more complex than being left-footed. However, the most important point, which was the one I was trying to make (and found evidence to state so) - was that there was no strong link between left-handedness and left-sidedness. So finding right-footed left-handers is quite common. A more important question is - just because the foot is at the front, does that really make it the dominant foot? The rear leg is doing all the hopping, the front leg is giving forward movement. That doesn't sound like a dominance to me, but rather them both working equally Different portions of your brain activate when using left or right hand. Yet, I imagine riding left or right foot forward - the same areas are in use. It would be interesting area to investigate further.

Ubuntu 8.04 comes with Firefox 3 Beta 5, and I have to admit, as much as I like it, it's constantly hanging on me. I don't know if that's a beta thing, of the fact I'm running 64-Bit - I'm tempted to move back to 32-bit.

I'm happy all the same.

Woohoo! Why did mine need photoshopping?

I've never seen a link between left/right handed and feet position. Unlike left/right handed, were supposedly your brain is wired differently, which foot you have forward really comes down to which way feels more comfortable - almost by chance, and you just happen to learn that way. We are creatures of habit, and we repeat actions. Like try folding your arms the opposite way - feels weird, right I predict a pretty close 50/50 split on this poll. But certainly one worth having.

Weird, Bessel and I were having this exact conversation today. He's got a try all on the front, and just cut all the knobbles off. Those hookworms really are heavy...

I still feel his pain.

Man hugs all round! (except you, Fat Pants...)

Woo!

There's no point getting stressed over something you can't control. Learn to accept it. Do some breathing exercises if it helps - close your eyes and take deep breaths into the count of 7 and out to the out of 11. Do that for a few minutes. Helps me

According to every photo thread of the DJ ride, I wasn't there

Looks awesome. Wish I'd gone!

Totally. If we (thinkbikes) can help at all, we will. I think I've been hanging around Bessell too much Max was pushing me on a front wheel gap yesterday and I leaned as far as I could into it and felt my shoulder go a little bit. Took some pain killers and carried riding. Bloody hell does it hurt today - can't lift my arm properly

Aside from a "minor" collision with Fat Pants, I had an awesome day. Pulled out some beast lines, got some good advice from some of the better riders, put some names to faces and forgot the names of some old ones. Never punctured this bike, yet somehow managed to puncture it twice today - so shows how hard I was pushing myself. My skin is seasoned to the sun, so I'm not burnt at all, just nice a brown Thanks to everyone for organising the ride. I didn't know DJ, but with rides like today, his spirit is living on in all of us.