A quick question to you Brighton heads and this may seem totally off topic but do any of you guys do the accounts for a kiwi guy called Greg Bourne?

that is random dude :) not me!

Very random I know, my friend reckons his accountant rides a fixie in Brighton (a Pista Concept from his vague description ) just wondered if he was on this forum?

Accountants riding fixed? Whatever next...


Might nip down the ghetodrome tommorow evening if it isn't raining if anyone fancies it?

unfortunately got plans tomorrow mate. next time for sure.

yeah we'll have to arrange a meet up for all us brighton type before the weather turns

def mate. next week sometime.

Yeah we should catch up at some point as I've never made it out to the ghettodrome, that joint sounds very Brighton 'Faded Glory', just like the West Pier, the 96' Worlds BMX Track, the Mash Tunn...

okay so which pub is most bike friendly?

The Mash Tunn was this summer, I spent what few sunny Friday evenings we had this year outside there with bike, pint and friends.

er the brunswick in hove let me store my bike in garden last time i was there.

Mash tun and Fitzherberts are good cause you can sit out with them. other than that, any with lamp posts and railings.

As a note of caution chaps, I was having a few beers in the earth and stars with my bike locked outside the other night. When I came out an old bloke who looked like Santa was cycling away from my bike, I thought he'd just been locked to the same lamp post but when I got closer it seems he'd unbolted my back wheel and took out it of the dropouts. I must have disturbed him when leaving the pub. This guy was late 50s and looked like a normal cyclist, it could have only been him or else the thief would have took my wheel after going to the effort of unbolting it. (my d-lock was locked around front wheel and frame)

cheers dude. i get a bit lax sometimes, locking front wheel and frame. might have to start carrying two locks now.

strike the stars of the bike/pub list then. shame, that organic lager is pretty damn good.

I just think it was a bit dark n quiet on that street and old Santa had a lot of front! I was in the Brunswick last week and was shocked how nice it is now its been renovated especially in the garden. Sidewinder is always classic pub too.

yep both smoker's havens now. sidey is my preferred late night messy drinking venue. that 1am westons cider is always a good idea.

Bit off topic but my kona needs pretty much a complete new drive train, how much do you think Baker Street will charge me to get it all fitted cause by the time I've bought the tools or arranged to borrow them hardly seems worth it?

And anyone fancy that pint next week?

Hey. I'm an accountant who rides fixed [Not your average accountant though]

nah only messing my old mucker we'll let you off,

Unless you ride a white horror I hear that's punishable by death on some parts of this forum!

Aww shucks. And I was just about to go and by one now. Then take it to a frame builder to have a cable hanger added so I could make it into one of those neat-o geared bikes :]

is it a paddy wagon or a geared kona? price will depend on spec but they are recommended.

pint + freezing track session next week would be good. any day but thurs for me. rich??

it's for my cindercone, basically the bottom bracket, middle chain ring, chain and front mech are all on their way out. it's lx/deore mix at the mo, would like replace the whole groupset with XT stuff. More concerned about how much they'll charge to change it all, have heard some horror stories about ultra expensive services from some brighton LBS

It's prob easier to replace the whole bike... or scrap it completely and get a custom fixed!

Monday might not be ideal for me if we wanna incorporate a ride, other than that i pretty flexible

they've always charged me next to nothing in service. but best just to ask. they're not always the quickest at turning things around but work is top notch.

see is rich is about on monday and we'll go for that.

Just went down the ghettodrome after wheezing up coldean lane. Quite a good laugh dodging the toddlers of bikes.

Is the club down their uber-serious?

it is a serious league but they are very welcoming and inclusive. you can just pitch up and ride or sit on the grass. bit of a pain off season as you found out today. too many people and games to dodge!

Find early mornings the best time to use the track as most of the ball games don't start until 10am at least.

As Elvis said, Preston Park does indeed have a 'serious' track league but they do make decent effort to encourage beginners. At the beginning of the season (March/April) they have a few intro to track sessions which are a good way to get some experience with the track. Sadly there are no organised training sessions for the track, but you can get to Herne Hill quite easily on sats if you're serious.

During the racing season, they guarantee you 6 (I think) races every wedsneday night and often you're racing just in your category so you can actually have some competitive races. They do have national champions (youth, masters etc) racing down there on some nights, so the standard can be quite high (even for such an exposed track with an uphill back straight and no real banking). However, everyone on the whole is really friendly and theres a really nice tea lady as well, for when you've had enough.

'bout the only downside to the whole thing, is that up to now they haven't been part of British Cycling's "Go Race" initiative which is all about bringing more beginners into the sport - so you can't race on a Bronze licence, you have to the more expensive silver licence. But you I think you can buy just a day licence if you just want to turn up and ride.

Look out for posters announcing the new track season in the beginning of next year, if you're interested.

Nice article here:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/tra/EventReports2007/20070502_Preston_Park.asp

I think they said they might try and do some in 2008, it would be nice. this year the sessions I did with them covered pretty much everything you need to know though.

A certain mr yates even came down this year, you might have been there that night pip?

anyway kelvin, i'll give you a race early one sunday morning. need to get used to cold weather riding again :(

i believe the national youth champion that races there is now a world champion... i've raced him, he's bloody quick. needless to say i lost...

I was really slow today have had the best part of a fortnight off riding with clinical lazy-arse-itis, so you'll easily beat me.

Out on the lash, so tommorow is not good for me but next sunday might be cool for a mini race meet.

yep, he is insanely quick. didn't get anywhere in the track standing this year, too busy winning for england elsewhere.

kelvin, not around next weekend but a weeknight or the weekend after dude.

Are andy, object17, richc and pip up for it at some point if we could grab a beer too... representing brighton so to speak

Afraid I've been living in London for 20ish months.
Still I suppose I'm representing Brighton whenever I'm seen (In my head at least).

Are any of you guys around on the 11th. We've got a social ride coming down from London so it seems sensible to see if we can arrange a hook up for lunch/beer etc.

it's my stag do night before but should be back, what state I'll be in I'm not too sure....

Hey Brighton Peeps,

Some of us will be riding down to say hello on Sunday the 11th - Meet yous on the foreshore?
FGSS Brighton Ride

We are leaving around 9 Sunday Morning, maybe we could all meet up for a drink?

I've been up that Albion Hill (fucking speedbumps don't help) on a 67" after riding down from London. I think I only made it cos I was desperate to get to my mate's place for some weed :)

yeah albion is much worse than southover. you obvivously got the grunt.

I got done over going up coldean lane, I'm completely out of shape.

So what time the convoy due in town?