I did post earlier but it’s already descended into “I saw a cyclist jump a red light”, Road Tax, Licencing, tests etc……all cyclists are evil and get in my way when driving and should be shot types now 🙄

this one’s my favourite though

and because so many criminals use cyclists to move around and escape undetected, the time has come to bring cycling into line with other vehicle use on the roads, and require complusory tests, licence plates and insurance.

so we’re moving stuff for organised crime now 🙄
where do I get a slice of the action, I’m missing out 😉

Fair enough Clong many aren’t rich off of it though.
One of the commoners local to me works full time as does his wife but turns out a dozen Angus and half a dozen ponies as a hobby, he’s certainly not rich

I doubt a 1000 signs is accurate.

Bigtinn, buckets of history more like, old families and old ways. It’s ours, ours! and the rest of you keep off! Some with money yes but many without, commoning’s not a rich man’s game.

I’m glad there are commoners etc. still despite many of their attitudes to us (although it’s a hobby\part time for many as it doesn’t pay), it’s part of the forests history and it’s fantastic that many of the old ways and traditions are kept going. But! that doesn’t have to happen at the exclusion of everybody else.

Lies about scaring wildlife is frankly nonsense, the ponies barely bat an eyelid at cars or bikes. Deer bolt at the sight of their own shadows and the ground nesting birds thing is also nonsense, dogs are for more likely to be a problem for them as has been covered in studies before. Traffic problems, delays etc is also rubbish. The Beaulieu auto jumbles, New Forest show (Held at the same location as the weekend event) and others are far far more likely to cause delay to people including locals and emergency services.

That’s great wwaswas, I’ve been thinking about doing something similar myself and also to Julian Lewis the MP. But I’d included everybody on her website tbh. I had a few friends come down for it who stayed in B&B’s and Hotels and ate and drank in pubs in the forest. Driving thousands of visitors from the forest will affect them all.

A local Councillor is on our side David Harrison search on Facebook for “councillor David Harrison” he posted last week in support.

I’ll get on and write a few email myself tonight too.

they make there money on the people that don’t pay it off and the fees from shops I think, most don’t pass it on directly it’s just absorbed some places do hence 1-2% fees when paying by credit card in some places

HTH

Bike club morphing into Drink club 🙁

No Probs with a mid ride pint or two (although I’d prefer it at the end) but when it regularly turns in the the same short route to the same few pubs for 5-6+ pint stop I’m Out! 🙁

Looks like the twitter page has been pulled

The route last year came straight past my house as do several other sportives, we’re not near the start admittedly but there was a steady trickle of riders for a few hours, no bother at all.

NIMBY’s with nothing better to do than try to ruin others enjoyment for no real reason, they’re just making stuff up to invent a reason to stop it. It’s just sad!

Rusty where’d you see the poster, the pub in Sway?
We’ve been in there plenty of times over the years on night rides, clearly off road and never had any bother

To many to list with some of the weirdo’s in my office

But topping this list will be one woman who can eat crisps as if she has a megaphone in front of her mouth and project the noise across the entire office. Oh and she walks about scuffing her feet on the floor in such a slothenly manner I want to shout throttle her

WCA of the BBB is the man you want to speak to

I use one of these for my keyboard and mouse matt

they’re great, nice and thin, don’t move and are plenty big enough and add a bit of character to my otherwise dull workspace, except Bob my pot plant

really sorry to hear about that

Does anybody in Bristol have a bike now? 🙁
the number of time I’ve heard of bike thefts in Bristol specificity is astounding!

Bikes will be replaced, but I really hope you can secure the house so you and the family feel safe again.

oh and I’d only use a bearfoot shoe off road personally, I’d still use trainers all be it lightweight and fairly flat shoe on the road.

+1 Vivobearfoot I’ve not run in Vibrams but I was given some Injinji socks a few years back and find the way they spread your toes a bit odd, Vibrams will be a far bigger spread than the Injinji’s so I wouldn’t personally.

One of mates who’s a pretty quick ultra runner swears by five fingers though. They just feel/look odd to me, but each to their own.

Also why 4x 20ft’s why not 2x 40ft’s?

With 2x 40’s you’d be able to loose the middle corner posts that you’d be stuck with otherwise. you can get 45ft’s too but the main casting are set to 40ft with and overhang, make sure you get a 9ft6 box too for decent height

A doubt 4 blown air reefers would cost any more but they’d save you time and money insulating them and they’d be done far better than a can of foam and some plasterboard.

they’d also be much easier to cut up, as other than the frame they’re aluminium and not heavy Corten steel

oh you could look out for a “Blown Air Reefer box” which will pre insulated with flat aluminium sides. most blown air boxes are coming out of circulation in favour of integrals. you might even be able to find a clip on unit for AC in the summer to, just make sure it’s not stuck to the normal -18 though Brrrrr 8)

I’m not a structural engineer but I do work in the container industry.

Containers are incredibly strong at the right points e.g. the corners.
The corner castings and posts are the only load bearing parts by design. They’re designed to take the load of 10 other loaded containers (up to 30-40 tonnes each) plus the associated load from the surges when at sea which can more than double the load.

So the BBC studio design above is as per design really e.g simple stacks. I’d be surprised if that GAD one above doesn’t have additional steel to enable the canterleaver and cross stacking in the middle of containers.

If you build assuming your containers are like this then you’ll be fine, cut away

I’ve seen containers torn and blown out like balloons from chemical reactions inside, the sides are not strong at all.

food and drink that your used to will help you make it to the end, don’t just think you’ll get there on water alone.

Go to the Expo and get your name printed on the front of your shirt. If your struggling near the end it really helps having people cheer your name

if your adding a bivy bag then you might as well go for a heavier bag

you’ll get more warmth from the same extra weight of sleeping bag than you will a bivy bag

Alpkit hunka = 388g (£30 but they out of stock)

+1 Lamina a great bit of kit for the price
small light and amazingly warm ime
and I’ve got a few decent Rab down bags too
It’s my first choice for multi day stuff, good for 3 season, add a liner and thermals if it’s anything like todays temps

I get it a bit too, mainly when I’m running though, downhill in winter.
riding I always ware glasses, running I don’t.

When I had a eye test a while ago I mentioned it and she put some stuff in my eye to test the “quality of my tears” which was low. Apparently they can evaporate too quickly which is why the then over compensates. She said the pores on the top eye lid produce oils and the pores can get blocked which doesn’t help. To help she said use a flannel as hot as you can on your top eye lids and then pinch them a few times every now and again to help keep them clear and working.

not sure if it helped much I only tried it a few times

Could have been some optometrist April fools or something but that what I was told anyway.

HTH

I had family which lived just outside Jo’burg, huge gates razor wire round the garden, bars over the doors and windows. My uncle had been mugged a knife point, they knew people how have been killed and plenty car jacked and mugged. The kids never went anywhere on foot always in the car to from school or any other activity’s

They moved back here a few years back when a business deal went wrong and wiped them out, no benefits\help over there and they were finding in impossible to get work. They’ve always made it very clear they hate it here and would love to go back, which I really struggle to understand considering above.

tbh we wish they’d go back too 😈
they’re on their feet now but are very bitter about everything so we we rarely speak any more.

Cape Town though as other have said is a completely different game, it’d be on my list to visit again or even move to possibly. Jo’berg no chance imho

[edit] after they moved back they were paranoid about everything for ages, kids barely allowed out of the house (18 and 15 ish at the time) mental! [/edit]

It’s amazing to see how far down the list of Infectious diseases HIV\AIDs is when compared to things like whooping cough, Diarrhea, TB, Tetanus etc

4.5

ss 29er rigid
29er hardtail
fixie
cx\commuter
unicyle

They all get used except the Unicyle which was a silly Lidl purchase for a laugh.
I’ll like to add a £1k ish road bike too (maybe bike scheme if my employers do it again)
I’d probably add a short\medium travel FS too if I had the cash

or http://www.police.uk

sportident certainly have most of the market
http://www.emit-uk.com/ is another though

ignore the doom merchants get out but do keep your wits about you you’ll be fine, don’t hold me to that 😉

not many tuktuks in Mumbai more old Oxford’s etc If you get a taxi make them use the meter (double/triple it at the end, it’ll still be cheap) or agree a price you’re happy with first, for a tenner you can have a man for the day who will take you all over and wait for you. we never had Thailand type problem of them wanting to take you for jewellery or suits.

There are unscrupulous people all over no different from scams all over holiday destinations all over the world to get the tourist $/£, some worse than others. just be aware

The Gateway to India in front of the Taj hotel, from their you can get a boat over to elephant island and back to see some temples monkeys etc
With the sea on your left hand side walk down the road there and round the right hand corner at the end for a great European style delhi/bakery if you want some non Indian food. On the corner there keep you eye out for some of the most lavish wedding celebrations you’ll have ever seen that go on for days.

You can visit Gahndi’s house.
There’s the washing district thing, the zoo
Churchgate street station a massive victorian style building which is the busiest train station in the world apparently, we arrived by train in the early hours and it was mental then, an experience for sure.

chowpatty beach in the evening for people watching a massage and some amazing takeaway foods

For dinner Sashin Tenduka’s sport bar/restaurant
We happened to go the night he made his 100th test century and got free cake and Champagne. I also got interviewed live in Indian TV as we were the only westerners in there. I know nothing about cricket and probably looked like a right twit 🙂 we went ‘cos it had good reviews

watch out for pick pockets especially kids running round you “playing”, also be very wary about giving to child beggars too, a lot will just run back to the man and give him the cash 🙁

be ready for the smell and plenty of undesirable sights, but do enjoy it as an experiance

Jelly babies use bovine or pig gelatine if AFAIK

I think the “Natural Jelly Snake” etc range are ok for veggies
I know ‘cos one of my running mates is a strict vegetarian so I always try to get veggie sweets for when we’re training\racing.
available in asda and I’m sure other supermarkets too
http://www.naturalconfectionery.co.uk

HTH

[edit]not sure what they weight each though[\edit]

One of my old neighbours built a Pizza oven. They used it quite often not just summer either, as long as it wasn’t raining. Pizza night were always brilliant.

They certainly did bread and Pizza not sure if they cooked anything else in it though

[edit] he always had a good source of free good wood too through work, which made it free to run [/edit]

Same one £25 delivered from Rose, Brilliant!!
how are they so! much cheaper?

ok cheers I’ll have a look at those
tbh it’s in the big ring all of the time round here anyway so shifting’s not top priority

I wrote a program 15 odd years ago which would calculate wind loading on structures at different heights from different directions based on the surrounding terrain using some British standard. I was working for a firm which built and designed mast and towers at the time.

unfortunately I don’t have it now and am certainly not qualified in that respect.

sorry and good luck

chipsngravy I think you’ve described a perfect world which we’d all love to be a part of.

unfortunately many authorities, groups and land owners seem to think that MTBers are out to destroy everything and sod everyone, which couldn’t be further from the truth. There are some areas where these types of collaborations really work and thrive and benefit everyone, but the are some areas where I don’t think it’ll ever happen e.g. my local area the New Forest the authorities and land owners are absolute bigots

I love the Purbecks, it’s really not that far from me, I really should ride there more.

Yeah I felt the need to give chase and catch three local youths from the village a give them a bollocking the other week for throwing stones at the village hall.

made me feel bloody old

Yoofs today 🙄

Fair enough, I’m a bit anti it myself but it does look nice and have less of the drawbacks of wood.

I wouldn’t ever pick decking again though. The other bad thing about decks is they make perfect homes for rodents too 😕

I’m with you on the Crocs and Plastic furniture, slippery slope

Ours used to get bloody slippery too at out old house, was too shaded
a day every year to properly clean it and treat it, was a pain in the arse tbh but it was a nice spot to sit\socialise

It’s not wood but Millboard composite stuff looks great, one of my mates had some put down last year. Expensive and is largely plastic so not very eco but it’ll last forever, looks great, and shouldn’t suffer with the slipperiness associated with wood decking

My wife had one it was Slooooooooowwwwwwww! she hated it
apparently the S is better, we’re both on Desire X’s now, she loved it.

older model but my wheels are deore hubs with Alex rims. not bloaters but not light! my Hope P2’s with 355s are lighter