Velominatus: ChrisO
Order: Guest Contributor
Location: Abu Dhabi
Social: 
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An Aussie, transplanted to Britain and living in Abu Dhabi. One wife, two cats, three kids and four bikes. I'm a TV person - originally in journalism but now management, consultancy and project management. I aim to ride 10,000km a year and mostly I do. I love club and group riding and would like to do more racing.
@ChrisO's activity:
@ChrisO's posts:
@ChrisO's posts:
@DerHoggz Tyres are articles of belief… for every person who swears by one type, there will be another who thinks they offer as much comfort, traction or protection as a child’s balloon. I assume we’re talking clinchers… I will get Conti GP4000 if I … »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Ron I found some of their recipes a bit tricky to get the right consistency – the rice and banana pancakes were a disaster, and their granola is also dubious. However I do like the book particularly for what JACD214 describes – the descriptions and the … »
@ChrisO's posts:
@sthilzy Weeping baby Merckx… Frank’s seatpost looks very low in that photo. »
@ChrisO's posts:
@G’rilla @T-Bone I agree, it is an awesome photo. It’s the girl’s hair and her expression that make it for me – she is trying to resist being sucked into The V-ortex of Merckx’s slipstream. You can see that the smaller child behind was also being pulled… »
@TBONE On what distance/time rides would you consume all that ? Seems quite a lot. @Ron Certainly on long solo rides it is hard to maintain concentration – the mind wanders and I have had a couple of times when I’ve suddenly found myself about to ride in… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@ped Wow, you’ve got orbs on your feet. I’ve just got some Gaerne shoes – they are lovely. I don’t know if they light up like that though, but it isn’t such an issue in Dubai. If I get hit it will be someone in a Range Rover Sport doing 160km/h on the… »
@Chris She could have run him over and then backed up to make sure and she’d get off with a ban and suspended sentence. But make a joke about blowing something up and you’re sent to Devil’s Island. »
@ChrisO's posts:
Since it would be impossible to get a result with my previous selection I can’t really do any worse… can I ? VSP PICKS (2nd Rest Day Swaps): 1. Evans 2. Nibbles 3. Santambrogio 4. Scarponi 5. Uran »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Erik Andersen You have spectacularly mis-interpreted the article. The point is that many people who don this gear seem to adopt an attitude that it offers them protection, when the greatest risks they face are from poor riding based on a mistaken sens… »
I could almost understand that Shrug thing if it came down a little further at the front. But as it sits above the breasts it means that in cold and rain I suspect they will need to be reaching for the nipple lube. »
@ChrisO's posts:
I’ve pulled the trigger on a set of Enve 3.4 today, including a Powertap. Unfortunately the LBS default setting is for fishing tackle so I have to wait until they get a Campag freehub in, but even holding them felt lovely. And I’m also looking forward t… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Mikael Liddy Weeping baby Merckx… there’s been enough posted in the last hour to justofy a UN mandate for armed intervention in Australia, known as Operation HTFU. Starting with the vegans… »
@The Grande Fondue You are fucking kidding me. There are people riding around like that – seriously ? I’m equally gobsmacked by the idea that people have a helmet which they think is going to protect them in a crash, but they need additional countermea… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@mouse I don’t think it’s just that Mouse. There is some scepticism about just how bad it really was and that some people are using it as the excuse for Wiggin’s poor showing. Yes he would have won the TT, but before that stage everyone was saying he s… »
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@HeinrichHausslersHairstyle WTF ? »
@ChrisO's posts:
@ChrisO's posts:
So totally spot on I want to find the author and shake their hand – hell I’d give them a reach-around if they asked nicely. We have a group here which calls itself Cycle Safe and basically makes people totally afraid of cycling. In their heads it is some… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@wiscot I don’t agree with that analysis. Just because a rider gets a few metres ahead on a stage doesn’t mean he would have won a tour. To do that you have to be highly focused and consistent for three weeks and also be able to work tactics and lead a … »
@ChrisO's posts:
I was looking to post this and wham, up came this random, but apposite, article… So, I know a doper. Over coffee after our ride today we were talking about whether people riding gran fondos or local races dope and I said that one reason to ride Master… »
@ChrisO's posts:
Nobody tell me that flat stages aren’t interesting. I love seeing a break out for hours and then it comes down to the last few hundred metres. Hard, hard work all round. »
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@tessar Right, because Euskaltel have just got that whole marginal gains things sorted haven’t they. »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Tobin I find these thoughts go through my mind AFTER the descent – often that night when I go to bed, in a semi-sleep state I get these sort of images in my head. I’m a middling descender – not fearless or good enough to be with the fastest (being tal… »
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@sthilzy Oh and to add to that, for the punter and pro I suspect there are some very interesting data advantages to be had by integrating electronic groups with power meters and computers but that’s some way off. »
@sthilzy I don’t think it is overly cynical to say that a large part of the answer is that the pro teams are supported by equipment manufacturers, and the bike industry in general. They want to sell bikes “as used by [insert rider]” . And part of the st… »
It works the other way too. Over the next few months in Dubai it will take much motivation to go out and lose 5% of body weight to the heat. Some people need an event or a target to get themselves through these periods. I’ve always found the group ride … »