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I just bought a Cube Peloton as my first road bike. I'd not ridden since I had an accident when I was 13 (1995) but very slowly getting into it. I can't manage more than about two hours as the saddle bruises my bum to the point where it's too painful to sit and pedal (thank god for no chaffing on top!). I'm finding it uses my muscles very differently to running so I haven't quite got the legs to keep up with my lungs either. I'm now looking at my options for cycling to work. The safest and shortest route uses two puncture inducing old railway lines so I'm looking at getting a hard tail mountain bike. Ideally something with tyres that aren't too extreme and too much front suspension travel. Not sure whether to wait for the bike to work scheme in January or chance it on something from eBay now. On the subject of hybrid bikes, when I begun thinking about a bike most regular cyclists (road and MTB) told me not to bother. They claimed they were generally overpriced for the quality of the frame and equipment on it.

THANKYOU gents - the weekend started well with Northamptonshire thrashing of Gloucester last night (taken there by my son) horsing around this morning, blatting this afternoon and it's our daughters 18th tonight as well - big weekend :-)

I'll be honest here; I make it a goal of mine (since the start of this year, where someone got away reversing into me scot-free!) to chase anyone down for this kind of thing. I hassled BMW for 7 weeks, but eventually they replaced my Aircon unit for free, with a RRP inc labour of £750. I had no proof it was them except that it was working before, wasnt working after, and so on. Step 1. Pictures. Make sure you have these to hand to email over when needed. Step 2. Call the call centre. Be a pain. After a bit when they're sending you round in circles, ask for a manager. Step 3. When the manager undoubtedly fails to call you back, call again. Take down EVERY name. Create yourself a little hierarchy of each of them, and note who you spoke to when. This is key. Step 4. Keep pestering on the phone, stating criminal damage, that you'll contact the watchdog, consumer relations, and every other kind if this is not solved to a satisfactory level; YOUR satisfactory level. You have pictures to prove, and that it was a locked garage with the only entrant being the engineer. Also throw in the 'Are you calling a customer's wife a liar?' Step 5. Google the names of the CEO/Customer Service Exec, get some mobile numbers/email addresses. DO NOT USE THEM. Thats your ace up the sleeve. Step 6. Get as high as you can with escalations. Once it cant go further, explain that your next step is to contact these people, and that if they check their global corporate address book, they'll see youre on the money. Also state you'll be giving every name under the sun that you've dealt with, all of which reside under his/her management. Twitter is also a good little tool for pushing it over the line. Step 7. Enjoy the backpedaling The trick to all of this...be the nice guy. Kick up a fuss, but dont forget...many are just nice folk who CANNOT help. The aim is to find a way past all the redtape-tied folk, to the one that can do something.