For those showing concern at my redundancy, I was going to resign so I see this as a bonus. 34 years with same company and a final salary pension to look forward to – Great Divide in 2011 is first target:-)

spokescycles – is that you Luke?
Farmer Giles – congratulations! settled down at last…. Missed HoNC this year but I am going back to the Alps in June for more roadie action.

2001ish start for me. I remeber finding the first copy of STW in the bike shop at Coed-y-Brenin, then tried this magical interwebbery thing. i think it must have been shortly after the change from go-far, as the addy was still go-far.

So what *has* happened to his Prawnyness? Surely Salsaboy or MMW know? I know he spawned with Mudface, and then got hitched afterwards. Always asked the questions that everybody else was too polite to ask, but in the most offensive way possible. Nice guy when i finally met him too, depsite his fondness for eyesockets (don't ask).

the prawn has flip flopped in monumental style

from divorced, permanently wrecked, un-fit, obnoxious, AIDS ridden hate monger

to

married with kid, clean living, tri-athlete, obnoxious hate monger

Ok so some things haven't changed.

I miss Lanesra more

I miss Lanesra as well. I am getting a better "sight" for my gun though.

This has brought back a lot of memories dont come on here as often these days,and dont post much agree a lot of the humour from the early days has gone,i always found this place a helpful font of knowledge …most of the time 😆

farmer giles – I don't know you, but you used to be on here loads, so conspicuous by your absence.

Congratulations on the upcoming event.

bunnyhop – you have made a tired old git smile – thank you
i do intend to have a one day tirade (sp?) on here and see how many threads i can add pointless, random, innane (sp?) and cheeky comments on.

blackhound – take titanium to the road alps and watch out for chubby cyclists wearing red lycra tops that are 3 sizes too small.

"full on bat sh1t loco" to baked beans 😉

BillOddie – Member
What a trip down memory lane.

I am one of the above "missing persons" but I'm not saying who…

Some of us know tho…. 😉

I remember the GOFAR days. I was on under a different name back then. Took out a subscription in blind faith in the hope that the mag would be okay!
I even vaguely remember Chipps being involved in something to do with Moonfruit prior to STW and some names from the MTB-UK list on Topica.

Blackhound- aye, it's me. Hopefully see you at SSUK.

Hullo Luke, do you know anything of Jez?

Hadn't been near the site for a while then met some familiar faces at SSEC and logged on. I remember I used to post absolutely loads while I was a student (2002/2003ish?) then even more when I was paid to sit at a computer all day and pretend to be busy. Now I'm self-employed I can rarely justify the time… although I've been too tempted over the last couple of days.

That said, if it wasn't for GoFar, the mag and the STW forum I would probably have ridden a lot less, would only own one bike and, more importantly, wouldn't be working with bicycles!

: P

P.S. Met 42 a few times before all *that* happened, on London Critical Masses. He seemed OK if a little odd. I remember the photos that then appeared!

married with kid, clean living, tri-athlete, obnoxious hate monger

Tri-athlete? TRI-F***ING-ATHLETE???. As in swimming, running and ROAD riding? You are surely tugging my todger??? Do us a favour – go round his place and smack him repeatedly about the head with an old pair of bombers until he comes to his senses…

I've seen Jez once in the last 3 years- he's still giving people bike bits (though now I donate stuff to him. Like he said, what goes around comes around), still singlespeeding and last time I saw him still working in the same place.

Hope he's doing OK.

As with all [bar one] the people I've met through this portal, Jez is a really decent person.
STW was good for me.

Ah Luke – yes, see you at SSUK. And Salsaboy? Even if only to take pics….

I will only say maybe to that Blackhound.
Sounds like a good idea though.

Jez sounds like a good bloke.

Still here, originally not Bartat, a name Mark made up when things first went awry, can't remember when I first came on but pre-2003.

salsaboy – Member

As with all [bar one] the people I've met through this portal

[stomps feet] Now you have me thinking, & you have to say who now as its just not fair [/stomps feet]

I remember getting to far into a phone conversation with Jez once, I ended up feeling really guilty as he had phoned me on my mobile, & TBH he couldn't really afford to, I always done my best to make it up to him though, the most genuine guy I have never met.

I really can't remember the guys name martin. I recall both sofaking and i felt the same about him. It was on a group ride in Thetford or FoD.
You are right about Jez, the perfect host who went the extra mile the couldn't afford to. A top bloke.

Cheers Andy, it was a bit tongue in cheek, but I was a tad worried it may of been me 😉

**** it, if FOD is the place we settle on, then I'll be there, you & Matt are two of the nicest people I have ever met, MTB or not.

I remember the first meet at the sandy cross roads, the roller coaster & you swearing about those Red phoenix Tioga tyres, happy days 🙂

If anyone has any spare bike bits, Jez is the man to donate them to- he gets folk with no money up and riding.

Thinking deeper Martin, it was More Ears Than Gears we met the knobber on.
I recall he had no time for slower riders and made that very obvious.
Group rides are all about the group, not what one person wants from the ride.
I could do FoD again myself, some happy if fuzzy memories from there. Let's do it.
Nudge psling, pepper, k, riggsy, the hood, postierich etc.
And what ever happen the scot that forgot his shoes!

Ryan? Maybe he got a driving licence & got out more? 😉

Oh & Luke, if you can give me Jez's email I'll sort out a bit more than vouchers this time.
Cheers.

Since I'm a late definately post 2003 and missing the early riotus assembly days by a few years. A few questions:

Who's been through the most incarnations on here, why? Lies damn lies and statistics welcomed.

Who's had the most spectular exit, what was it?

That's the man Martin, Argee wasn't it. Another top geezer.

Peppers been nudged!

Ain't spoken to Argee for years. There again I think K and I worked out that it had been nearly 5 years since we last rode together!!

Psling was mentioning another FOD weekend when we were chatting the other day. Can we see if we can book some morris dancers?

Cheers Rich, lets make this happen, but open to all….

We can teach them to ride with the group, right? 🙂

You mean they have to wait for us at the tops of all the climbs?

😉

And looking through the photos of the original ride, I'm sure Kims still around somewhere, I've got him on my facebook list.

Yes, but you might beat me up there, **** it, lets just say it will be a world record attempt for the STW's slowest ride 😉

I attempted that last Saturday at the SSEC ride.

We still had a great time 😉

It's all about the company, the ride comes second 🙂

What about ben kinetics met him in his shop before coming on here, decent guy. Still puzzles me who you ride a mountain recumbent bike!

If PePPeR's in, I'm in.

Who's had the most spectular exit, what was it?

I seem to remember a ginger bloke was embroiled in peculier sexual behaviour (was he sending women naked photos of himself?) but I think that was mainly on bikemagic – and I'm sure that's pretty normal over there. Was it 42? Apologies for confusing him with a ponce if not 🙂

Great Divide in 2011 is first target:-)

Nice one kev: that sounds awesome, trip of a lifetime type experience.

Been thinking of doing the GDR next year myself, only I'll be taking 3 months to do it 😉

More Ears than Gears, still got a bike with that sticker on somewhere !

I'm still here occasionally.

Most of my mountain biking mates have gone off to do other things* and ride a lot less, so I'm riding my road bike a lot more these days.

I still follow STW a bit but have less to say than I might have done previously.

*new riding mates are welcome.

Is the guy on the right writting out a ticket?

No, a note to himself, "Remember to take shoes next time you go away for a weekends riding".