What's the most pain you've ever felt...
One for the ladies I think. I guess childbirth is a biggie. However bikini waxing may come a close second.
( girlinthehole, Wed 2 Apr 2008, 13:47, 27 replies, latest was 17 years ago)

Well
Being made to listen to an *entire* song by Westlife.

Oh the humanity.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Wed 2 Apr 2008, 17:22, Reply)

Epilating
my armpits.


owowowowowowowow.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 10:54, Reply)

Ooyah!
I was stabbed once.




That hurt a bit.
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 11:24, Reply)

^Captain P
Ok, you win...
I got run over by a van once though (after it knocked me off my bike), that was rather unpleasant.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 11:33, Reply)

Ouch
I'm sorry but on balance I still think I win.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 12:04, Reply)

@PJM
Yeah, you probably do. You poor poor thing. Were the therapy bills horrendous?
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 12:05, Reply)

Therapy?
I don't want to talk about it... The pain...

Unless you were epilating your armpits while riding your bike and were hit by a van that happened to be playing "Westlife" on the stereo?

I can't imagine much worse than that.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 12:12, Reply)

No...
but it was a white van, driving by someone doing outsourced work for Camden Council. As soon as I came round and started swearing loudly (and he could therefore see that I wasn't dead) he started having a go at me! Quel git.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 12:20, Reply)

Come the revolution
I'll have him shot for you.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 12:41, Reply)

yay!
Thanks muchly sir!
In other news, this weekend I'm going to rape my bank account to get a new bike. Getting excited already...
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 12:46, Reply)

New bike?
Ooooo... Excitey!

What sort of bike? How much?
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 12:56, Reply)

Well, that's the problem.
Really, I just need a bike to cycle to and from the train station on (4 miles a day, not far at all, and in London, so over good tarmac). However, I'm also doing the London to Brighton ride in June, so it should be good and lightweight. Also, I tend to take my bike back home a lot and go haring around the farm tracks (very badly-maintained dirt tracks), over fields and through the woods and quarry, so it needs to be able to do that as well!

Basically, a commuter bike with decent enough tires for going through mud...
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 13:00, Reply)

A hybrid....
Hmmm... There are quite a few bikes which can happily put up with the commute to the station and be thrown around the trails.

f you're doing the London to Brighton (British Heart Foundation? I have been meaning to have a crack at that) then comfort is paramount - I don't necessarily mean having a well padded saddle, but making sure the frame geometry won't make your joints ache after a few miles of hills.

Might be an idea to buy a second set of tyres too so that you've got a pair for on road and a pair that won't slide sideways the minute you show them a muddy field.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 13:07, Reply)

yeah
I was thinking a hybrid (in an ideal world, I'd just have two bikes, but I have (a) not enough space, and (b) not enough money!). London to Brighton is indeed BHF. I've been trying to do it for the last 3 years, but this is the first time I've registered in time, the places get snapped up ridiculously quickly.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 13:14, Reply)

Bikes
There are loads of brands to try... Giant do a wide range of bikes that aren't hugely expensive for a premium brand. Then there's Specialized, Marin, or if you absolutely HAVE to buy from Halfords, Carerra do a reasonable hybrid these days.

I'd opt for a second set of tyres too. If the salesman selling the bike takes a shine to you, he might bundle a set at a discount.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 13:19, Reply)

...
I might try and get some deal at Evans (I need a new helmet anyway, and some good lights, and new locks, as I sold my last bike on with most of the accessories included, to a mate).
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 13:21, Reply)

Bikes
I rather like this:

www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=70230

(excuse non-techy linky thingy)
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 13:28, Reply)

hmmm...
looks pretty and shiny, with two wheels and a frame. I'm going to the big Evans at Waterloo on Saturday, I'll take a look at it and let you know how I get on!
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 13:35, Reply)

The groin pain/cramp I get
that I'm not sure is cramp, cancer, and STD or AIDS.

Or all of the above
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 14:35, Reply)

^ snigger chortle
BobFossil said "helmet"
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 15:16, Reply)

Tourette's - well spotted!
I'm a bike geek.

I find myself regularly discussing terms like these in polite conversation with other mountainbikers with nary a snigger:

Nipple tension
Flange spacing
Gussets

and my personal favorite:

Bottom-out resistence
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 15:18, Reply)

@PJM/BobFossil/Anyone else with 2 wheels...
B3ta Bike Club?

I have just bought a fantastic Specialized Rockhopper! None of my mates are in to riding (and I'm decidedly amateur)... Might be cool to bez about the place trading poo stories!
( Devil_In_Tights the *real* DiT!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 17:05, Reply)

^
YES! A thousand times.
However, you'd have to put up with me swearing profusely under my breath at all other traffic (especially, but not confined to: vans, taxis, scooters, motorbikes, buses, lorries, expensive cars and chavmobiles. This leaves the odd moderately-priced car, and other cyclists). I'm also not the fastest cyclist in the world, and I suspect that PJM might be a bit of a speed-freak... am I right?
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 17:29, Reply)

^ Devil & Bob
Woo, I used to have a Spesh Rockhopper, great bike.

I'm an offroad cyclist and am not in my element on the road. However, I've long wanted to have a crack at the London to Brighton run, even though my bike is wholly impractical for riding on the roads.

There are quite a few bikers on here... Citadel, Mr Wicksy, Humpty to name but three. Mustn't forget Chickenlady, who's just bought herself a bike too.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 3 Apr 2008, 17:57, Reply)

Bike Team - GO!
Woo Hoo! Now we must discuss the most important thing - do we get badges in this club?

I was thinking about going off-road - I'm sure there are some places in London worth exploring. Like Bob, I don't want a premature end to my life at the hands of a Bus!
( Devil_In_Tights the *real* DiT!, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 11:16, Reply)

@PJM
And the B3ta Bike Brigade in general...

This is what I think I'm going to buy come next Saturday: www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=87375

The step-through frame is important for me: the amount of times I've had to hoik my pencil skirt up to my thighs just to get on a bike is huge...I'd like a dignified (dis)mount!

And it's lightweight, thank God. I can pick it up wtih one hand. My last one seemed to be made out of solid lead girders, it was phenomenally heavy. Which is why I sold it to my best friend for a pittance!
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 16:28, Reply)

Bike
Excellent work BobFossil, I have a Spesh too and rate them very highly.

We need a B3ta bike club - I'm sure someone could come up with an appropriate club emblem involving kittens and or magenta cocks too.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Wed 9 Apr 2008, 14:53, Reply)