mr_hippo

Why do cyclists shave their legs??? That GOT to be a fetish!!!

It's all to do with aerodynamics - like putting 'go faster' stripes on cars! Many reasons have been put forward - more photogenic, less chance of infection in the case of a crash, better liniment absorption, Band-Aids don't stick on hairy legs and countless other reasons. The real reason? I don't know!

300lbs and yet you ride like 50 miles a day. Simply amazing.... and in this heat... I would think you would be a twig.

I think that you have the conversion the wrong way round - 25kms = 15.5 miles!

Last week I cycled in Melbourne which has cycle lanes everywhere and a great cycle track along the bay. I wouldn't cycle in Thailand except up to the local 7/11. Far to dangerous. Why did I see so many there wearing those shiny suits - are they really that concerned about streamlining or just posing?

It was weird having to wear a helemt too but practical I guess. Mr Hippo - buy a excerise bike then you could do it in an air-con room.

Not for streamlining or posing - comfort & safety! The lycra shorts are padded - ever tried going on a long ride wearing jeans? Sitting on that reinforced crotch seam is like sitting on a knife edge! Colourful tops are an aid to safety - there was a UK safety campaign years ago - See & Be Seen. The tops are cut longer in the back so that they don't ride up when cycling and also have three back pockets - hold a lot of stuff and can't fall out!

Exercise bike? I do have a virtual reality trainer but it's not the same as roadwork.

Thanks for the links Mr Hippo. I'll have to give that a try. One of the problems (excuses?) I have is that I've only managed to find one decent loop here that I can do on 23mm tyres. It's often out on the same straight stretch of highway and that gets a bit dull after awhile. Sometimes I'm able to set goals like trying to catch one of the slower moving motorbikes or tuck in behind a samlor and draft for a bit to relieve the monotony. I always feel better for having gone out though. Hmmm ...endorphins.

Where, in Thailand, do you live? Next time, you change your tyres - may I suggest 700x25s? Just a bit more comfortable out here.

Under no circumstances should anyone hoping to keep a bike for more than a year purchase a bicycle that costs less than 12,000 baht. Even on a cheap bike like that one is going to have shimano clones and the cabling will be gone after a year. Under no circumstance should an adult be purchasing a bike from a supermarket.They do not know how to assemble or adjust anything on that bike. If I still can't true my rims or change a hub properly despite my basic mechanic skills, how can the grocery clerk know how to put a bike together. Look at those instructions. They are enough to make you want to fly to Taiwan or China where the bike was manufactured and go psycho on the manufacturer.

My hack bike is a Trek 3900 from ProBike - with discount, it cost 8500 Baht so where do you get this 12,000 Baht lower limit from? Shimano do a range of parts from the basic to the professional. Where do you think most frames are made now? Many manufacturers use frames are from Taiwan or China and this includes Trek, Raleigh, Dawes and others. I replace my cables every 12 months, also chains.

tahaan, yes, it is sometinmes difficult to motivate yourself and here is how I do it. I keep a check on my rides on bikejournal and cyclogs.

bikejournal has 5516 active cyclists, the leader has logged 9535.4 kms this year and the bottom has logged just 0.8 kms. I have been keeping more detailed records and from my fifth ride, I have been noting my position in the table. I started in 3455 and after logging in yesterday's ride, I have moved up to 2669 - moved up 786 places! OK, other riders logged in after me so now I'm at 2683 but with another 26kms today, I will move up to around 2630. I tend to slip behind at the weekend when others do some serious riding! Supposing you decided to ride just 10kms/day, that would put you in at about 5429 out of 5516; your next 10kms would see you at 5313 and your next at 5166 so in three 10km rides you have risen 350 places! Would that motivate you?

The cyclogs site runs things a bit different with monthly not yearly stats and has fewer riders (174). 60 riders logged their rides yesterday, when I logged in I was 54th but slipped to 62nd but it's the weekend so I expect that. When I log today's ride in I will have risen to about 56 but should make up a few more places during the week! By the end of the month, I hope to be in the low 40s.

Dakhar, I cycle for pleasure, yes it is also exercise and can be hard work at times! I never force myself to go out; if I feel like having a 'day-off', I have a 'day-off'! Now that it is getting hotter, I limit myself to 25kms/day. I use two 25km circuits. One takes me down Lat Phrao Road, it's mainly downhill to the Mall, Bangkapi so it's a nice easy 8.5 kms and then I turn left into Soi Happyland1. If I feel like a rest for a few minutes, I'll stop at the motorcycle taxi stand at Old Happyland market - nice comfortable chairs there! Then it's up Nawamin Road to Kasert-Nawamin and turn at Lat Plakhoa Road and a stop - sometimes - at a petrol station almost opposite Tesco, Wang Hin - a nice, easy 14kms and finally the last 3kms to home including the short climb known as Lat Phrao canal bridge. Can I do the route without stopping? I have done many times but I normally take it easy!

If I were in the shape I was back in the days I rode, I would love to be a part of this.... but those days are far gone.

I, too, wish I was back in my prime but I have to work with what the years and the genes have given me!

I'm 59 years young, weigh over 300lbs with the weight going to the waist! I lost three months due to shingles and my first ride this year was on the 2nd of March. I only rode 9 days in March and covered 248.3kms, so far this month I covered 375.74kms and ridden 13 days (I took a three day rest over Songkran!) Considering the heat, the weight and the traffic, I'm happy with my progress. Now, why do you say that "those days are far gone"? I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "when I played with bikes" - bikes are not toys and the road or the trail is not for playing on!

This is true of all the cheap bikes in LOS.

You get what you pay for.

Not only here but worldwide!

I prefer Low/Mid level Shimano groupsets. Alivio is just fine as far as I am concerned, although on my other bikes I have everything ranging from Altus to XT. I have gotten the most use out of my Alivio and lower equipped bikes.

Both of my Trek bikes are Shimano equipped but my road bike has Campagnolo. I decided on Campagnolo for two reasons. The first is that with drop bars, the cables are hidden: the second is, as a young lad, we had a choice of Sachs Huret, Benelux or Campagnolo. On a paperboys wages, Campag was out of the question but I promised myself one day that I would have a Campag equipped bike! (For American readers - Camag=Campy!)

Adding to Pampal's post - it is only when you get into the higher levels of racing or very serious touring that you 'need' the top of the range groupsets. I would be quite happy to do an extended tour on an Alivio equipped bike.

I can't really comment on full suspension bikes as most of my experience is on the road plus some rough stuff on a tourer. I would agree with madjbs that on the road a hard tail with city tyres would be far better than full suspension with knobblies.

I wouldn't suggest the racing silk tires though...not for everyday use, they puncture very easily.

A high pressure(important...rigidity again) tubeless tire with a decent tread will have you flying.

Have you seen the price of silk tubs recently? You are right about the pressure, I always have mine to the manufacturer's max - sometimes just a touch more!

I rode a bike because I had too, that is all I had for transportation not because I wanted the Yellow Jersey or something.

I ride a bike for pleasure but I have also commuted on one and I did have a car at the time, it was quicker by bike! I have never won a yellow jersey either but I have held a world record for almost 20 years! If more people commuted by bike in Bangkok then we cut cut traffic and pollution down.

Judging by your post, you seem to have had your fair share of incidents.

I bought a bike 3 years ago from Tesco for 1090 baht. No problems. Great value.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of snobbery in the cycling world! A cheap, basic single-speed roadster could give you many years service for pottering around the village. Just look at all the bikes around and you will see some horrendous examples of machines held together by rust and duct tape but they still keep rolling along.

P.s. Mr Hippo, how are you Issan tour plans going?

Due to lack of commercial sponsorship, I'm modifying my plans - more news later!

Have you seen bikejournal? Keep a record of your stats. I had a bad start to the year due to shingles but I'm moving up the rankings slowly and so is Thailand, I am the only active rider at the moment and there is a good possibility of moving up a place by the end of the month and if more Thailand based cyclists join in, we could move ahead a lot more!

I doubt there will be any significant protests in Thailand. Thais don't care about far more serious home problems and very few of them even aware that Tibet used to be a separate country, and Dalai Lama is not their brand of Buddhism.

Tibet was a separate country until the early days of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). In modern times, it has never been an internationally recognised sovereign state.

You will be surprised at the number of well known and respected marques that now use Chinese made frames - lower end Trek, Raleigh, Dawes to name but three.

Not long ago, they were all made in Taiwan. Should have stuck with them.

Why? You can get a bad frame made anywhere!

My giant's frame is made in Taiwan.

Just got it back 2 months waiting for the parts

221euro bastards.

The Giant company is Taiwanese!

Mr. Hippo

I am talking margin to cost ratios as "mark up." Believe it or not, I too have been in to bikes, I have owned Trek, Giant, K2, & Cannondale. In my younger days I rode all over the mountains of Taiwan, and rode about 20 miles a day.

Those days are over, I got over the urge... but I was around bikes enough to see huge mark ups on parts that are essentially the same in quality if not the same from a DX to XT. Any how, enjoy your bikes.

Yet in an earlier post, you said "It is just my un-educated opinion..." - so which is it?

IMO, suspension on a road bike (or a mountain bike that is to be used on the road) is a complete waste of money, your own energy and it's also extra weight; every cyclist's enemy. A substantial amount of pedalling effort is sapped by suspension; it's only really necessary on downhill mountain biking or very bumpy terrain. The only time that I can think that I would use it on the road is if I were riding the Paris-Roubaix and I don't plan on doing that. My road racing days are long-gone.

I have ridden parts of the L'Enfer du Nord on normal bike, full suspension and front suspension but much prefer no suspension. I don't feel safe on full suspension!

I started a post about a week ago asking about Mountain Bikes for sale in Pattaya. The only reply I got was one recommending the 3000 baht bike from Tesco. Glad I waited and had a chance to read this thread.

Any recommendations to shops in Pattaya where I can find good quality bikes at fair prices ???

I think in your previous post, you were looking for second hand. If you do a search of this forum, you will find a list of good bike shops in Pattaya.

Probably some Chinese made piece of shit. I'd dump it somewhere for someone else to find or give it to someone you don't like.

You will be surprised at the number of well known and respected marques that now use Chinese made frames - lower end Trek, Raleigh, Dawes to name but three.

For a quick idea of prices:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-2008-Shimano-XTR-9...1QQcmdZViewItem

It is just my un-educated opinion, but I think bike parts or maybe even bikes have some of the highest mark up in the realm of sports equipment.

It's not a case of a high mark-up but different quality. Your e-bay link shows the top of the range XTR groupset at US$1350, you can get the Alivio groupset for US$240 or almost 6 Alivio groupsets for one XTR! It's just like comparing cars - is the Toyota Camry worth almost double the Toyota Corolla? Only you can decide!

ProBike's cheapest Trek mountain bike is the 3900 at 10,500 Baht and the most expensive is the Elite 9.9 at 245,000 Baht and that is without pedals! Road bikes range from the 1.2 at 24,500 Baht up to the Madone 6.9 at 310,000 Baht - again no pedals! Is there any difference between the top and bottom of both the mountain bike and road bike ranges? Yes, there is - not only in terms of quality but responsiveness and ride quality.

I have three bikes here in Bangkok, a Trek 3900, a Trek 7200 and a custom framed road bike. If I were to let you ride the 3900 and then the 7200, you would immediately spot the difference between the two; don't worry, it won't happen, I would let you borrow my car but not one of my bikes! So it is all a case of 'horses for courses' - would I get the 310.000 Madone if I was just using it to get to the top of the soi? Of course not! Would I even consider a Madone? No, it's a great bike but not suitable for my purposes.

Relying on the old formula of 'n=x+1', I am already thing of my next bike!

I knew it was a crap bike. I just wanted it for cycling round Chiang Mai downtown, not to do the tour de France. I just thought it would last 6 months before I had to ditch it not 6 days!

I have no interest in getting a "good" bike. Its not an interest or a hobby for me. Just one that works so that I can move around town a bit faster than walking but a bit more healthily than driving

Well, if you knew it was a crap bike and you still bought it - then it's your fault for buying it!

And you are surprised? 2290Baht is about £37 or US$72 and for this you expect dual suspension and 6 gears? I don't know your nationality, height or weight but did you think you could get a good bike for that price? Two tyres for any of my bikes cost more than you paid for a whole bike!

How did you choose the size of the bike - just by looking at it? During the week before the handlebar came loose, did you check the bike over to make sure everything was tight? I bought a Trek from ProBike (My second from there) about 2 weeks ago and already, I have checked & adjusted it three times.

The chap in Tesco who assembled your bike was possibly stacking shelves the day before and in the car park the day after. Tesco do sell a lot of bikes but generally Thais are lighter than farang and tend to ride more gently. Also remember that bikes are not toys.

If you need help about choosing a bike, I or any of the other cyclists on this forum will be pleased to help. My choice for a good starter is the Trek 3900 (ProBike 8500Baht). For general riding around town, you do not need full suspension and even front suspension is debatable!

I've never been one for cycling in a park but if you can get to Ram Intra, try one of my circuits or both!

Starting from Central, Ram Intra, ride for just over 3 kms to Ram Intra 39 and turn left and cycle for about 600m, turning right onto Sukhaphiban 5. Now you have a virtually empty road for about 10km - in a morning, most of the traffic is heading towards Ram Intra and you are heading away from it! It looks as if it is slight incline but it looks that way going the opposite way! Turn left onto Sai Mai Road and keep going to the end; you know when you are at the end when you go over a canal bridge and then bear left onto Phahon Yothin 54/1. JUst after 1500 metres along Soi 54/1, there is a right turn marked 'Phahon Yothin', ignore this as it adds 1.5 kms to your journey. Now turn left at the end onto Phahon Yothin and we have just over 3kms on Phahon Yothin to the Laksi Monument and turn left onto Ram Intra and you are only 500 metres from the finish. Total distance is about 27kms of which 20km is on 'quiet' roads.

A shorter trip of about 14kms, starting at the junction of Lat Plakhoa and Kasert-Nawamin. After 4 kms you will see the flyover at Pradit Manuthan Road and bear left. Two kms later you will bear left onto Ram Intra. Be careful on Ram Intra, it is a busy bus route - avoid the left lane if you can or you will be stopping and starting. If you look to your right after about 1 km you will see the Police Flying Division and the DC3 Dakota as gate guardian. Two further kms down the road, bear left at the flyover and turn onto Lat Plakhao Road and it's a straight run to your start point.

Nearly 100 posts about an ice cream that the OP thinks is too expensive! If you don't like the price - don't buy! Is it about time to close this?

There was also Jimmy Edwards who was the policeman, Gareth Hunt who was the truck driver, John LeMersurier, the guy who played Captain Mainwaring whose name escapes me at the moment.

Actually there are two versions of "The Plank".

IMHO the earlier version was best, but the remake (with pretty well identical plot) has a lot of famous names

Both are hilarious

I agree with that, the later version loses something! I did manage to get in the UK, a few years ago, a double DVD set with The Plank, It's Your Move, Rhubarb, Rhubarb and Mr H Is Late. I've just got them out to watch them again!

When I was waiting reading a mag, the seat became vacated and since there was another guy in the room before I came, I continued to mind my own business, looking at the mag. So she then says "farang/mate/pal/buddy (its your turn)". Then she uses the word unnecessarily in a few other ways, like "farang/mate/pal/buddy, how much off the top today?".

Nothing wrong with that!

An apology would be in order.

Yes, you should apologise for being a silly sod! The ball is now in your court - you can go crying to Mummy or get a backbone and a pair of balls and stop whinging.

Too expensive ?? Quite simple, DON'T buy it. Boycott, why?

Price gouging is the simple answer. It should be no more than twice or three times as much as you can buy it in France or the US. my original idea was to make the consumer aware. You buy an imported car and you only pay twice as much as it's worth. A Mini Cooper S here is three times the UK price.

Do you think posters on this forum are stupid? We know imported goods are more expensive than home made products. Do you want importers to charge you the same as it is in the States? Should posters have a whip-round to buy you some Haagen Dazs? Stop thinking about prices back home if you live here. Please write to Haagan Dazs and ask them to drop their prices but don't be surprised if you get a two word answer with the second word 'off'.

Surely if you watched your step you'd keep banging into people?

It does not literally mean 'Look at you feet'.

Another poster who is comparing prices here with prices back home! I don't think that Häagen-Dazs is made here so it has to be imported - do you think it is shipped here free? What about tax and other duties? It is not sold from stalls at the top of the soi, is it? So you have the cost of location to be considered. Too expensive for you? Then don't whinge about it, don't buy it! It's that simple.

I remember when we first met, there you were straight from Nashbar in your shiny red paint and bright yellow lettering. Now 16 years later from our first meeting in Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia and over 100.000 miles, it's time that you retired. What memories we've had from those early morning circuits to the Hanging Village, that fantastic trip to Mount Soudah. Then it was back to England and those trips, I think we done everything from hills to long flat rides and finally out to Bangkok with me.

You were rebuilt about 11 years ago by our great friend and mentor, Alan B, who died about 18 months ago. Could I put new wider rims on you as your 700x25 are not really suitable for Thai roads? Could I fit a new chainset on you? 53/39 is getting a bit too high for me to push these days. I could do both of these and much more for you but I prefer to leave you as you are as a tribute to Alan, I hope you understand.

How's the new bike? Just a Trek 7200, 700x35s with a 48/36/24 triple - we just had our first ride today and it felt nice. I'm not saying that you and I will never feel the thrill of the open road again. Don't worry, I'm not going to strip you down and use your bits, neither will you be relegated to the back of the bike shed with all the junk - you have pride of place in the shed and also on my heart.

Wasn't there a later series called Quatermass and the Pit where the creatures look like giant grasshoppers?

A six part series in the winter of 58/59 starring Andre Morrell. We were allowed to stay up and watch it - it was on Friday nights at about 8:30, I remember watching most of it from behind the settee.

Two more drama series from those far off times - anyone remember 'The Riddle of the Red Wolf' and 'The Silver Sword'?

The original question asked if there was anything wrong with the statement ‘ would you like a coffee?’ and I would argue that it is ambiguous and therefore need clarification.

Are you a teacher? When you teach countable and uncountable nouns, you point out that some can be both countable and uncountable and give examples. Tell students that coffee is not countable and then ask them why I can go to Starbucks and order 'Two coffees'. You may find out that some students work it out for themselves and say something like "You mean 'Two cups of coffee". It's not rocket surgery!

So when I show my students these two pictures they can answer "It's a coffee."?

No, one is a jug and the other is a cup, it's all to do with context.

I'll test you tomorrow.

Will you?

pratt

'pratt' - 0/10. You need a capital letter to start a sentence - even if there is only one word and end with a full stop 'Pratt.' or are you using 'pratt' as your signature?

Silly responses, but I'll reply anyway. I know your responses are so I will try to help you!

In a restaurant(You've missed a comma.) the waiter normally doesn't fill your glass until he has your permission. 'Would you like some water, Sir?' sounds more like a polite request to confirm it's OK, than your belief that the waiter would say "Would you like any water, Sir?'. Now, where did I say that? - Nowhere! In fact, if a waiter asked me 'would I like any water?' I would expect the next words to be 'and any fries?'. It appears we frequent different types of establishment. You said "'some'[sic] used in questions with uncountable nouns when you expect the answer 'yes'." That sounds as if 'No' is not an acceptable answer! I think you mean 'a different type of establishment!

The use of a comma before a conjunction depends on a number of things - American English or British English, when you were taught and where. I have spoken to a number of my British friends and none would use a comma where you have put it. Do I think that you are wrong in using it? It is up to you!

Now, I suggest, that if you wish to 'correct' my grammar then you should ensure that yours is impeccable - it isn't! Go away and learn about capital letters, commas and how to use 'some' and 'any' properly, I'll test you tomorrow.

So the waiter is expecting a 'Yes' answer, is he? That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it?

Not really if there's an empty glass. And as most restaurants have empty glasses until the waiter fills them, I would say the context is correct. And your explanation?

The waiter is expecting a 'yes' or a 'no' answer.

Let's get back to the question, should we? Is it correct to say "Would you like a coffee?" Yes, it is! If I am offering you a coffee, what is it that I am offering you? A coffee tree? A coffee plantation? A cup of coffee? or maybe a coffee bean? It is permissible to omit words/phrases when the meaning is clear - I missed a word out in my blue, bolded statement concerning articles, did it make sense? Was the meaning any less clear? Other posters have pointed out that we omit 'glass/cup/beaker/schooner of' 'a container of' is a classifier used to make uncountable nouns countable, but you knew that anyway, didn't you?... just forgot to say without harming the meaning.

An uncountable noun is just that - uncountable! You are, indeed, counting the container, just because the container is implied does not make the uncountable countable! As in "I'll have two (cups of) coffee(s)" instead of 'two cups of coffee' but if you omit the container then you must plualise the noun.

The grammatical term for the omission of words is an 'ellipses', not to be confused with the three dots which is a printer's mark. Another example would be "I have cycled in the Swiss Alps but he hasn't." you forgot the comma between the clauses No comma has been omitted - where do you think it should go? I do not have to write "I have cycled in the Swiss Alps but he hasn't cycled in the Swiss Alps." again See previous comment Would I, a Brit, say 'Would you like a tea?' Possibly not because tea can mean either the drink, a light afternoon meal or the main meal of the day in certain parts of the UK. tea isn't countable so can't take an article, but you knew that anyway, didn't you?]

Can the word 'tea' take an article? Yes, it can. 'Oolong is a tea from China'; 'The tea from Sri Lanka is...'; "The tea we are serving this afternoon will be homemade scones, clotted cream and raspberry jam."

Your last sentence that starts 'tea[sic] isn't countable...' should really start 'Tea isn't countable...' You ought to know, if you are a teacher, that sentences begin with a capital letter!