Advantages: Price, Components, Performance
Disadvantages: Lack of "street-cred"

...When I was little, I got a TCR racing set for Christmas. In those heady days, TCR stood for "Total Control Racing". Something like a Scalectrix, but without the slots, so the cars could change lanes. In July of this year, I bought a new bike, a road-racing bike from the Chinese manufacturer "Giant". It too is called TCR, but this time round I've no idea what it stands for. What I do know is that, for the money, it's a fine piece of machinery and over the next virtual page or two, I'll tell you exactly why. Spurred back on to my bike, after more than 10 years of neglect, by a declining level of fitness and an expanding waist-line, I started riding again at the beginning of this year. For the first 6 months I rode my mountain bike on the roads of Essex in an attempt to get fit. My fitness did improve, but every weekend I would... Read review

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Advantages: Nice ride, reasonable pricetag
Disadvantages: suspensions a touch soft

...The £250 price tag means you can't expect an incredible bike, but giant do very well with the money, providing a good set of equipment for a first bike. The Suntour M7600 forks give about 3 inchs of travel they are slightly soft but rarely bottom out. The gears are a fifteen gear set, with shimano altus rear mech and rapid fire ez shifters, which are cool. The brakes are v-brakes which take a little getting used to, but will definitly stop you! The frame comes in anything from 14" to 21.5" which means you can choose the right size for you. The overall ride is pretty smooth, the control is good, the braking is excellent without being too fine. It's the kind of bike that lets you belt up and down hills, but can also be used safely on the road. In conclusion a great bike for a starter, with a reasonable equipment range and a nice... Read review

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Advantages: that would be everything
Disadvantages: no

...chance. It was also Bales' first game with Superleague rules and he had to learn the angles and stuff. We have only lost one other game at the Odyssey this season that was a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham when the team did not look like they could ever score, even if they played all night. We are now 15 points ahead and although everyone has matches in hand, they cannot catch us. We look in a very healthy position to win the league and seem unbeatable, at home anyway. Directions to the Odyssey (extracted from the Belfast Giants website with minor changes - I could give my own version but it wouldn't be as good.) • By Road From the North (e.g. from Belfast International Airport or the ferry terminal in Larne.) Travel along the M2 towards Belfast and then follow the motorway signs for the M3. Carry on over the bridge and veer... Read review

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Advantages: Visually stunning
Disadvantages: Might be put off due to comparisons with a classic book

...the black haze of rain and sees a light in the distance one light becomes two side by side. He drops his jaw and his radio set in one movement as lightning silhouettes a gargantuan figure in the water. The next moment his boat lurches into the figure breaking up like driftwood and Marv is tossed into the inky sea…. ~~Heart surgery is a complex procedure~~ I’m not a big fan of book adaptations into movies especially when they mess around with a book which was as significant to me as the Iron Giant was, that said I can’t recall a great deal about the book itself, just the opening scenes. The filmmakers inevitably mess around with the plot, squeeze in a bit of non-existent love interest and give it and action ending. They also commit the almost unforgivable sin of uprooting it all and sticking it in heartland America... Read review

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Advantages: VFM, Light, good components, nice seating position
Disadvantages: Not a mountain bike

...I already owned an ageing Raleigh racing bike, and I always felt that I would enjoy cycling more if I was not battling against the bike so much. So this year, I bought myself a San Rafael City Bike, by Marin. I am suprised to see that Marin were not already in the ciao headings. I don't know a great deal about bikes, but I know enough to know I like this bike! It has front suspension, and a mountain bike look, but with nice road tyres. It is lovely and light, and has excellent push/pull gear changers - bit like my old grifter! I like the upright seating position. I am using the bike to go to work, and leisure cycling at the weekends. I wont be doing much off roading, but I know I could go off-road if necessary. Not mountain climbing, but honestly - how many people with mountain bikes actually use them for that purpose... Read review

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Advantages: great game, thats all i need to say
Disadvantages: poor graphics, simple play

...This is a review about the classic game Road Rash, which is still around today, but this is the one that started it all, Road Rash for Megadrive. I have this game as a Sega Megadrive Rom, which I got off a disc. But I use to own this game for the Megadrive when we had the console. The game is a simple game of motor bike racing, which if you win you will get money, and if you come 16th, then really you get put down by the other racers. This is the type of game that you can play for ages. This game is 2 players; you race against each other with a split screen. You are racing each other with the other computer racers as well. Do you think you are man enough to have a face off with the almighty computer racers, I think you are, because it is quite simple. The good thing about this game is that it makes it seam so realistic. Like when you... Read review

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Advantages: good game | on other consoles
Disadvantages: poor graphics | old game

...This is a review about the classic game Road Rash, which is still around today, but this is the one that started it all, Road Rash for PC. I use to have this game as on the Sega Megadrive. The game is a simple game of motor bike racing, which if you win you will get money, and if you come 16th, then really you get put down by the other racers. This is the type of game that you can play for ages. This game is 2 players; you race against each other with a split screen. You are racing each other with the other computer racers as well. Do you think you are man enough to have a face off with the almighty computer racers, I think you are, because it is quite simple. The good thing about this game is that it makes it seam so realistic. Like when you ride and smack into a car, you will fly off your bike, and have to run back to it, so... Read review

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Advantages: Great Friendly Serrvice, Good Aftersales Service
Disadvantages: Expensive For 2nd Hand Bikes

...I bought a 2nd hand Peugeot Speedfight 2 Silver Sport from here about 2 months ago. Jonahthan (the tall guy with long hair) is always very helpful and does his best to find the most suitable bike for you and your wallet. Paid £1000 for 50cc 2stroke the bike which was the same price that i could have got a 100cc 4 stroke honda for, at webbs, which is just a few doors away but it sold just before i went to buy it. Anyway, they have a selection of bikes from 50cc to 1000cc and from £1000 to £10000+ The one stop shop will sort out your Gloves, Helmet, Jacket, Bike, Insurance & anything else you need to get on the road. If you are looking for a first or second bike or need a small bike (50 - 125cc) for town running then this really is the ultimate shop to go to. The shop is more like a showroom and less like a garage... Read review

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Advantages: helpful staff
Disadvantages: not a huge selection

...I bought a 2nd hand Peugeot Speedfight 2 Silver Sport from here about 2 months ago. Jonahthan (the tall guy with long hair) is always very helpful and does his best to find the most suitable bike for you and your wallet. Paid £1000 for 50cc 2stroke the bike which was the same price that i could have got a 100cc 4 stroke honda for, at webbs, which is just a few doors away but it sold just before i went to buy it. Anyway, they have a selection of bikes from 50cc to 1000cc and from £1000 to £10000+ The one stop shop will sort out your Gloves, Helmet, Jacket, Bike, Insurance & anything else you need to get on the road. If you are looking for a first or second bike or need a small bike (50 - 125cc) for town running then this really is the ultimate shop to go to. The shop is more like a showroom and less like a garage... Read review

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Advantages: Great fun
Disadvantages: Sometimes a little repetetive

...After several previous instalments on other machines, the N64 version really is just about as nice as you could possibly have hoped for, and for £15 (ukn64.com) it's well worth getting hold of. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of 'rashing', you have to take your motorbike through a course along a public road, avoiding the traffic and fighting the other rashers in a scramble to the finishing line. So, what you have is essentially a motorbike racing game, where you're able to fight your oponents, using a large range of weapons, while avoiding traffic and the police, possibly knocking down a few pedestrians as you go. Fighting- using your fists or one of the large range of weaponary (clubs, baseball bats, bike chains, lead piping, a pool cue, mace, even an inflatable banana) you have to hit other bikers with the aim... Read review

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