I’d agree it’s life changing -it does make me feel so much better – and it’s weirdly liberating to move away from sugar and carbs as you just eat less food.

That sounds an odd thing to say but I eat nice tasty food but no where near the volume I used to – and I’m not losing weight significantly as it’s energy dense fatty foods.

Makes packing food for bike packing trips easier as I have less stuff to carry :D

You realise how much of your diet is just carb bulk – much of which is processed these days, so good to avoid on many levels

I have been doing it for a few months as it is also said to boost neurological recovery and that’s something I could really do with.

I have lost weight (9.5kg since Jan – which is basically the weight I gained since I was diagnosed with cord compression the previous August and stopped from cycling until I’d recovered from surgery). I now seem to have reached a plateau.

I don’t do high protein – as that actually prevents you from reaching ketosis, I do high fat which takes a bit of getting used to

I have done a few 100 mile+ weekends on my bike but it’s hard to evaluate my energy levels as I do suffer from myelopathy which effects my power in my legs and arms. However I have not had any noticeable bonks or felt like I suddenly need to gorge on sugar to keep going.

Lawman on here (I think – he’s also on Bearbones) is a keto guru – so I’d ask him if you are looking for further information. I found the book – the real meal revolution very helpful

I have been a mum since I was 17, the eldest is now 28 and I still have 2 at home. I look forward to and dread in equal measure having an empty house. Love them all dearly and don’t see the older two enough now they’ve moved down to London to work, but peace and quiet is also nice.

I think I’ve only had a handful of completely child free weeks over the last 28 years – although I do get weekends when they are at their dad’s.

I am trying to treasure these last few years of full time parenting (as much as you can with 2 teenage boys anyway!) As I know how fast it will go.

Hopefully by the time they fledge I will have a grandchild I can take on adventures instead – and just do all the fun stuff!

Time with your kids is so precious – you really don’t appreciate that enough at the time

My address doesn’t exist in Google – which is a mixed blessing. Some systems won’t allow me to sign up – Uber being one of them.

I do exist in the postcode checker but the council sold our road off and just left the even numbers down a path. This causes a lot of confusion. My bank’s system of addresses struggled for some reason so I had all envelopes from them written by hand for a few years before I could opt for paperless statements.

The council still managed to give our non existent road a 20mph speed limit!

“Cougar – Moderator
I’m carb free now so mash is off my menu (unless it’s mashed broccoli)
However whilst I made myself kale and garlic mussels tonight

I ddin’t read any further, delete your account”

I know I need putting down quite literally atm – but I’ve lost 9.5kg since Jan, so as much as I would have loved the pie and mash, I’m on a mission to be as fit as I can be atm :p

I’m carb free now so mash is off my menu (unless it’s mashed broccoli)

However whilst I made myself kale and garlic mussels tonight my 24 year old made the most amazing pie and mash for the 3 boys.

Desiree potatoes cooked until soft but not falling apart, unfeasible amount of butter melted and used to soften slightly a load of spring onions.
When he drained the spuds he did what we’ve done for years in this house – chuck the butter on the spuds with a splash of cream and pepper, then blitz it all very quickly and for not too long with the electric hand whisk

Whisk not blender – this can be over done so you have to be careful. But I found it by far the best way to make a lot of mash quickly and keep it hot, mashing it by hand seems to take too long when you are making a mountain of the stuff.

Mine fluctuates depending on how much –
1)Time I’ve been working away from home – the babysitter is great and stays over but he’s not a cleaner.
2) Money the kids want to earn – I am trying to get them to want to earn rather than insisting they do jobs atm. If they don’t do jobs they don’t get funds
3)how many of the kids are at home – 2 here permanently, 1 is visiting for a week before he jets of to the states for 3 months. But nothing compares to my daughter coming home – she always arrives with loads of bags and a partner
4)How much I care – sometimes I feel physically rubbish and can happily ignore the chaos, but then I feel better and blitz the place

Joy’s of single motherhood – I really should just get a cleaner. However it will always be a small house with a lot of stuff in it

I like the flyby of events like The Welsh Ride Thing – mass gathering which then scatters in all directions at vastly differing speeds. With all the daft user pics it looks like wacky races

They were definitely on boys . . . Maybe not modelled on actual stw forumites though

I had a spate of see through boxer short ads on her . . .I’m really not sure why, I put it down to dodgy stuff stw inhabitants must look at because they really didn’t do it for me – they’d look especially silly with comfortable shoes

Your future will be peppered with random louises

Its great isn’t it . . . I can only take credit for the timing!

argh stupid link

Here are a few pics from our Marshalling spot – sorry for those I missed or chopped in half!

I had a pure jongo – I didn’t like it at all, convenient to stream to but the sound was sort of muffled and I cold change it at all.

Just bought a cheap Philips Bluetooth adapter for hifi (£24 I think)

I’d not got rid of my original onkyo amp and decent speakers – so now I can get shot of the jongo for streaming and just use my hifi.

I’m sure there are better more expensive ways of doing this – but it’s fine until I really decide I want to change everything

From a female view point I think a man in lycra looks the least like a sex offender . . . In fact the only sex offender I can think of whose may have worn lycra is probably saville – but this isn’t an image I have seen or would want in my head – I just know he was a cyclist.

I think more of shouty abusive men as sex offenders – not those who are happy to feel a little more exposed than normal if it means they can be comfortable riding.

Some people look great in it, some don’t – but why worry when you are wearing it for practical reasons

Just gone from 7 rooms 11 bikes to 7 rooms 9 bikes, hoping to go up to 8 rooms soon . . . The bike count may go up too

I’m sure she would have a good idea of why she thought it was the other man, as for dates a pregnancy can be 37 – 42 weeks long so deliver dates are not an exact science.

In the days before ultrasound scans to estimate dates I’m sure a
it was a lot more ‘vague’

If your wife delivered a baby 3 weeks earlier than anticipated i doubt a dad’s first reaction would be ‘hang on a minute I didn’t go near her in that month’ he’d just accept it was natural variation surely?

Ton, these are two stories I know of where people have located there other family members using dna databases.

I see people’s comments about opening cans of worms but I think we all know we live in a world where these things happen and you are right to be intrigued about your heritage as much as the next man.

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The truckers might not take no for an answer

It’s the route we do with the annual teddy bearbones bikepacking ride. We’ve had tiny people riding it in its entirety. The George pub is good – but don’t eat a flapjack whilst resting on the wall waiting to regroup.
The landlords reaction has put me off using the place tbh

Apparently drips are in fashion – the jewelers next to my office has this in the window

Everytime I walk past it I wonder if I’m the only person who thinks its reminiscent of something else . . .

Obviously pearls are now out of fashion

sticky neck anyone?[/url]

Where abouts are you? Experience Community are doing trips in a wide variety of locations but their taster sessions tend to be in Yorkshire and Derbyshire at the moment.
Happy to keep you posted about other opportunities she may enjoy. I work supporting clients for a law firm – we try to get them linked up with organisations and engaging in various sports and activities.

Wow – I haven’t been in for a while and come back to find such STW at its best.

As has been offered several time before – if you need help with PIP appeals, more than happy to help.

I’m hoping you have it covered by now.

Once you have all the family sorted and on bikes you may want to consider a taster session with Experience Community CIC.

Such a brilliant organisation with a wealth of knowledge – but most importantly just great group rides that are a lot of fun. I recently joined them on a Peak District weekend trip

Photos

Not sure if Mrs Gnusmas was into mountain biking before – but now she knows how lovely we all are she might fancy it at some point :)

Underwear?!

Luckily she’s not single and doesn’t have a thing for aging mountain bikers so I think she’s quite safe around here ;)

Thank you – I find it hard to comprehend why someone would steal this. My only thought is that they just thought it was a recumbent cycle, not that it would make it OK

Sorry going to give this a bump for the morning folk- it’s a link to a Facebook post.

If anyone has any info please do get in touch – Handcycles are not easy to come by and will take a lot of time and money to replace.

Should have got a bearbones one weeksy, Stu is taking orders atm (and using some pretty dubious advertising too so I won’t share the link here)

Stu is taking orders for jerseys over on Bearbones Bikepacking :)

sbob – Member
There’s a name for men that trim their body hair.
It’s women

Equality an all that ;)

Personally I get rid of my body hair, but I’m not a fan of prickly men.

Triming hair changes the softness of it – but I can understand why some do it. Still think soft body hair wins over stubble and definitely prefer hair to the waxed or shaved look.

But in our striving for equality – anything goes!

As already mentioned http://www.thelatebay.com

My brother is an administrator for that site – so slight family biased (must be in our genes to lurk on forums!)

No long black ones here . . . Probably wouldn’t be wise to excite my blood pressure right now either ;)

Luckily it was early in the evening so little alcohol had been consumed

I’m glad much coffee and cake is being consumed – I shall try and enjoy it vicariously

I’m OK really – just coffee deprived.

10 in 6 weeks must be some kind or record. . .

I feel a lot better than I did, but due to have a lumbar puncture and therefore will be laying flat for 6 hours. A coffee before that would be heavenly

I just had an odd moment at a gala dinner (early on and not alcohol related) where I became unresponsive. All very bizarre luckily I was in a room full of medics. I was out for a few mins so they are just checking my brain for leaks.

I gave myself a ridiculous target that I didn’t hit.

However – I did this as I gained a lot of weight at the end of last year when I was incapacitated due to spinal surgery and brain artery issues. So my aim was to lose weight and get back to some sort of riding.

I have lost a fair amount and have indeed got back on two wheels. I’ve done 3 weekends where I’ve done over 100 miles – so I am chuffed with that.

I have even bought a spot tracker to appease my children who were not keen on the idea of me returning to long solo rides.

So all good in the main – unfortunately last night I ‘became unresponsive during dinner’ and am currently enjoying the delights of southport hospital. Being checked over for brain issues

A bit scary and feels like it’s made feel a whole load of uncertainty again but I am still determined to keep on chipping away at the weight and getting back out there :)

Great pictures Mcmoonter – they look to be the same era as the hotel room I’ve just walked into. Thought best western were relatively up to date . . . Apparently the date in this one is in the mid sixties :)

It was great back in the olden days when the sun always shone and people weren’t glued to their phones all the time . . .

I’m the small blonde one sitting on my aunts lap.

I am lucky in that there are many photos of me as my dad was a keen photographer. But no modelling for test cards although I seemed to get typecast as Mary every Christmas due to my long brown hair

There are also loads of pics of me and my brother when we were very small on old motorbikes as my mum is a keen motorcyclist.

8 year old me with my favourite book Roger Phillips wild flowers – I still have it :)