De Marchi Race Shorts

Advantages: Fun, safe, easy to sail, cheap. Builds confidence. Beats TV and Playstation for real thrills!
Disadvantages: Some parental commitment required. Too small for you to have a go!

...The International Optimist, or’ Oppy’ as it is known, is an 8 foot, single-handed pram type dinghy designed in 1947 specifically for children under the age of 16. Since it’s introduction it has been phenomenally successful. There are an estimated 250,000 worldwide and over 60 countries are members of the International Class Association. The Oppy provides the ideal learning platform for both boys and girls and is one of the few areas of sport where they can compete on equal terms. I was lucky enough to have my first Oppy when I was 6 years old. My Dad actually built one in our garage from a set of plans. He also built 2 more from kits that I raced quite successfully for many years. Since then we have both been involved in teaching school and youth groups to sail and the Oppy is the best tool we have for this... Read review

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Advantages: Value, Carbon Fork and Seat post
Disadvantages: Sora shifters

...The Trek 1000 is an excellent value for money Entry level Road bike. The increasing demand for road bikes is a result of Triathlons huge and continuing success in the UK. There are few bikes in the Market which geniunley consider that ther are those of us out there who don't have a couple of grand to chuck away on a carbon bike, Enter Trek. The 1000 is serious value for money. The frame uses the same geometery as was used for 7 timeTour de france winner Lance armstrong and if it's good enough for him ... However the material is clearly not carbon but Aluminium however the from Fork is carbon and 2006 version also has a carbon seatpost, i beleve they have phased this out in the 2007 edition. The Gear setup is pretty low end. Sora Shifters, Tiagra Rear mech, and shimano standard everything else. However you do get what you pay... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to fit
Disadvantages: Tricky to adjust ,at least if it's your first time

...Well, s*** in a bag and punch it, Chris has written a short(ish) one! If ever there was an item that I’ve bought purely on price, it’s my Shimano 105 ‘rear mechanism’ for the pushbike I’m currently cobbling together. The name ‘Shimano’ is now very nearly ubiquitous*, especially on new bikes bought from Halfords, the PC World of the biking fraternity! That of course is not necessarily good publicity, but since I’m only putting together a ‘hybrid’ bike, in more senses than one, I’m not into ‘Roll-Royce solutions’. A hybrid bike would I suppose have been called a ‘tourer’ the last time I was into buying a new one, it having fairly slender less knobbly tyres compared to a mountain bike, with similar gears but larger diameter wheels, (almost as large as a racing bike) and straight handlebars. When I say ‘rear mechanism’, if you... Read review

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