I started with a bike and a helmet about 27 years ago and I’m still here to tell the tale.

I was riding a Trek 930 with V Brakes and some Rockshox forks (can’t remember the model but they were silver).

I’m all for people getting a bike and a helmet and getting out there and riding.

Ok Cougar, I get where your coming from now 👍.

Yes it was my GP records they were after, it wasn’t the first time I mentioned to my line manager I struggle with my mental health sometimes. So they knew it was something I have to work hard to keep on top of.

I can see it from their point of view aswell, but I did think it went a bit south after I refused access to my medical records. But I was adamant that they stay between me and my GP, I didn’t make a big thing of refusing I just said I wasn’t comfortable sharing my private medical history. But I did give them a signed letter from my docs with the elbow diagnosis.

They offered me a later start to get me back to work which was great and really helped me, but that was taken away, they very kindly offered my counselling which I attended and again it really helped.. but they pulled the funding for that aswell with no warning or explanation. I found out from the counsellor. This all happened after I said I wasn’t giving access to my GP records.

Anyway.. I’m not sure how relevant all that is.

But as I mentioned before, I don’t really want to rock the boat, I’m happy to have a job offer after 7 months of applying for stuff.

In what way is my sense of loyalty misguided? That’s a genuine question by the way.

There is 70 metres of hose on the tanker, it gets pulled out and reeled in a minimum of 20 times a day I would say. You pulling the hose up to heating oil tanks, over walls, round corners, up hills, over fences and everywhere in between.

The absence in June was a culmination of feeling totally burnout after no time off since last October, joint pain and depression. I returned to work for 2 days then tested positive for Covid so that was more time off.

They requested access to my medical records which I refused as I feel they should be private and confidential. I did however get a letter from my doctor stating I had been in numerous times complaining about my elbow and wrist and that I had cortisone injections to try and get some relief.

👍

Thanks for the heads up mate. I need to give 1 months notice so if I’m going I need to do it next week really as I finish next Friday for the operation/holiday.

New job is office based though so even if recovery takes longer I should manage to at least start my new role in some capacity.

That’s what I thought, as always STW answers my question.

It’s already a sore subject with them as I did say it was the job that has caused the issues, I had no previous pain in the area until I started working for them. It’s domestic fuel deliveries, so lots of pulling the delivery hose. It’s a difficult situation as I really like my job and the people I work with, we are a small depot miles away from head office so nobody breathing down your neck every day. But I have to think long term as I can’t see myself doing this job in 5 years.

No union unfortunately, it’s every man for himself in reality. I didn’t have any issues with my elbow prior to working there but I don’t want to go down the route or RIDDOR as I am on good terms with them and would like to keep it like that.

Johndoh.. can you expand on your comment or did you not read the bit about me being appreciative of what they have offered. It’s not a case of paying it back, I don’t want to go down the route of taking what isn’t mine in the first place.. hence asking for clarification on my thoughts.

Bob Mortimer
Paul Whitehouse
Billy Connolly
Guy Martin
Tom Hanks
Chris Ramsey
John McGuinness

Think that’s it, Mortimer and Whitehouse for laughs and fishing, Billy Connolly for the stories and laughs,Guy Martin because we have shared interests, Tom Hanks just seems like a bloody nice bloke, Chris Ramsey same reason as Tom Hanks and John McGuinness for the stories and the riding tips.

There will be 7 of us, I’m trying to be optimistic about just walking into pubs… but I can’t help thinking it will end up being a day walking round Edinburgh in the cold.

Hmm.. thanks Scruff, I kind of thought this may be the case.

Yeah I’ll do it tonight, but just incase some of the other don’t have it, don’t fancy trailing round Edinburgh in the cold trying to find a pub where we can get in.

Some great actors already mentioned. I’m a fan of Joe Gilgun aswell. Really funny in Brassics and a great performance in the infiltrator.

Yeah I can relate to all the above, I have a box in the garage full of cut up inner tubes, some old well used gear cable and some old contaminated brake pads.. because.. well they may just get somebody home from a ride.

I have to sneak things in the recycling aswell, my 4 year old daughter loves doing art and crafts, got a whole set of plastic drawers full of cut up paper, bits of boxes, twigs and leaves. Every time we go near hobbycraft I get stung for something. Last week was beads and braided decorative rope to make bracelets and necklaces.

Well yes in hindsight I should have maybe asked, but on the other side of the coin perhaps it should have been mentioned in the description. Viewing before wasn’t an option as I’m in Scotland and it was down south.

I’ll see what the shop says today, I certainly think it’s not as described so will see how it goes I guess.

I have bought and sold loads of bikes on eBay etc and never had an issue.. maybe just been lucky and now my luck has ran out.

Thanks folks, my first thought was spokes but I wanted to get confirmation first that they could help. I have dealt with them in the past and always been happy with the work and service. I appreciate it’s a used bike and therefore may need parts changing or replaced etc but it should have been stated in the description. When I have sold bikes in the past they have been well described and well presented prior to boxing etc. Not wanting to slate anybody online incase they know the bike etc but it needs a good clean, I guess one persons “immaculately presented” is different from the other. Just little things like the paint flaking off the wheels (mavic crossmax), front brake hose router behind the fork brace and under the headset etc made me think.. I need to take a closer look at this.

I’ll visit spokes tomorrow and see Gordon, he is always good for a blether. And yeah there is nobody local who can do the servicing to they will have to go off to TF Tuned if PayPal don’t side with me for a refund.

Anyway.. back on topic.. Clark’s bakery cheese burger.. yum!

Always like Gonk as a non sweary insult

Dunder heed
Whalloper
Nipple
****
Tosser
**** bag
Sh1t kicker
Baw jawz

I also like “he/she has a face like an auld woman bursting for a pish”, or “he is a waste oh a gid pair oh bits”

Hoof!

Feel like crap

Came into work

Going home soon

Can’t argue with that Binners.

Yeah to deliver fuel you need and ADR just to carry it, then job training to operate the tanker, induction and loading training for the refinery and a PDP (petroleum drivers passport) in order to actually deliver the load and get anywhere near a refinery.

ADR is £500+, PDP I’m not sure about as it was always provided by the companies I worked for.

Experience is priceless in the fuel delivery business, 6 pots on a big tanker. All with potentially different products, all products flammable and do not put the wrong product in the forecourt tank.. major issues if that happens. Then there’s driving the vehicle, 36,000 Litres of fuel moves around a fair bit when on the move even with separate pots and baffles fitted.

Yeah once the red diesel stops being used for construction and farming there will be a big loss in revenue. Guess where that will be made up? At the pumps for the normal consumers.

The wages and condition for drivers have been shocking for years and this is the result. Although I do agree with Cookea as there is a massive dependency on vehicle usage in this country. People in my street take their cars to the shop at the bottom of the hill.. it’s less than 400m away.. 🤯.

Because the gonks are reading the papers and watching the news and believing what they are being told. It’s monkey see monkey do. There is no point trying to tell these people otherwise though as they just want a band wagon to jump on.

I’ll echo what Duncancallum said. I have over 15 years of driving HGV’s under my belt. When I did my training it cost me just shy of £2000 for both licenses. The first job I got through an agency was paying me £8.40 an hour. When I progressed to Class 1 after 4 months I got a job paying £8.50 p/h.

There were less restrictions on the amount of hours you could work then either, so I was hammering in 70+ hours a week and out for 5 night. I would start on a Sunday at 10am and not be home until 19:00 on a Friday night. It was fine for a couple of years but I soon got sick of it.

I then got a job with a company who operates tankers, this was 2009 and the wages were £9.05 p/h. It was a good job at the start but the transport manager (owners son) got greedy and took on more work and put pressure on the experienced guys to pick up the slack. The work load increased, along with the hours.. but no increase in pay! This continued and as I gained more experience I was under constant pressure to be somewhere early to tip an inexperienced guy first or load a trailer. I was putting in 60+ hours every week and racking up 2500km+ every week (my record was 3800km driving in a week). I discussed the issues on many occasions but was fobbed off, wage increases were like pulling teeth and only pennies in the pound. When I left it was a £12p/h for driving around with flammable, corrosive, toxic and other dangerous liquids being carried. Then you have the services or truck stops.. ah where to start. Fancy having a shower where someone else has taken a dump? How about using a toilet that has piss all round the seat, or parking up in a muddy bit of waste ground or a service station where the ground is stained in urine and the smell in almost unbearable.. and be charged up to £30 for the privilege! Oh and you will struggle to get a decent meal if you don’t want a KFC or Burger King 🤢. Then to wake up in the morning and find your diesel has been stolen or your curtain slashed. Then off to your delivery where you are treated like the scum of the earth, no toilet facilities in some places that keep you waiting for hours. When you tell them your needing tipped so you can get parked up as your running out of hours they delay you so you incur and infringement which if VOSA prosecute you for has to be paid by you, even though your company sent you in there anyway. Add that to the morons on the road and being away from your family, is it any wonder there is a driver shortage?

Who in their right mind would read the above and say “yeah, that’s the job for me”. My experiences are not the exception, they are the norm in an industry plagued by greed, managers who have never driven a lorry and an infrastructure decades behind other countries when it comes to facilities to name a few.

Would I like out the industry? Absolutely.. but nobody seems to want to employ an HGV driver for anything other than driving an HGV, I have nearly 16 years in the transport industry where I have picked up a host of transferable skills but I can’t even get a job interview if it’s not driving related. On the plus side I now work doing domestic fuel deliveries, I drive a 6 wheeler, I’m home every night, start at 06:15 and I’m usually done for 16:00, but it’s a hard physical job pulling the hose out 20+ times a day, my knees, elbows and shoulders are wrecked. Will I manage this job for another 30 years until retirement? No! But at the moment it’s all I can get.

Anyway.. rant over. Sorry, needed to get that off my chest..

Ps.. THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF FUEL. I’m in the fuel industry and believe me there is plenty fuel. The garages will be re stocked by early next week.

Have a nice weekend.

It was an awful ride on reflection, but I didn’t know any better. The Y22 had a carbon frame, Rockshox Judy SL’s in cream and red and full XT, I fitted the first set of V Brakes in my town. I think I cracked 2 or 3 of them.

Had a Trek Y22 that I thought and still think looks superb. Giant ATX 1 DH aswell, Pace from that era were lovely too.

I have a rink within a 5 minute drive so I’m lucky, however I have shockingly bad knees.. can’t win them all I suppose.

I purchased a Rail 7 last year and rode it loads initially then realised I had nobody to go out with. And when I did go out with other people I spent more time waiting at the tops of climbs.

It was a cracking bit of kit though and so capable, it just flew up hill and rode stuff it had no business riding. I put a fair bit of effort in when riding it though and didn’t feel I was getting less of a work out.

I’m now looking at a Ribble CGR AL e or Cairn E-Adventurer 1.0. Just trying to work out if I will actually ride the thing as I seem to have completely lost motivation to ride bikes now I’m running and playing ice hockey again.

If you can afford it then get one, you won’t be disappointed.

Lots of good info folks, I appreciate it, the Kona is very nice and I do like a Kona.. had a few over the years. But sadly none available in my size. I’m just a wee lad at 5ft 6.

Spoke to Ribble today and they confirmed that it’s April delivery for their gravel bikes. Looked at all the usual suspects but the LR still looks the best value IMO.

Yeah I think I’ll ping them a message tomorrow and ask the question. Just want to get something sorted a bit sooner than October for the Planet X or April for the Ribble..

Soon be the 7 month winter setting in here in Scotland.

Just had a look on the Ribble website, quoting April for delivery.. 😱

Had a look around at second hand stuff, not much catching my eye locally, and anything worth considering is down south and they won’t post.

Those Ribbles are gorgeous.. maybe I should up my budget..

I looked at them last night but they don’t have my size (Small).

I’d imagine 85% of the riding would be on road, the rest would be gravel and tow paths etc. Living in Dundee I’m not far from the Angus Glens and there are plenty little fire roads to be ridden there.

Thanks for the reply mate.

https://www.emtbforums.com/community/threads/2020-trek-rail-7-medium-£3750.23411/

Edit to follow

I have a rather nice Trek Rail 7 (medium frame) ebike for sale.

I can post up a link if you interested

What Simon said. When I was looking for my first bike I wanted it to be something I wanted to ride and take care of. So I bought my mates TL1000.

It was a big hulking V Twin, steep learning curve but I never dropped it. Now riding an Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory.

Buy the bike you want, I was going to suggest an SV650 aswell, cracking little bikes. What about a Street Triple?

Livingston is about 1.5 hours away from me but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks mate.

Have you read my CV saccades? I have experience in all those areas?? 😆

Pm worked. Thanks mate.