Nakeds are great. I have two: 😀

Smoking is a foul and stupid thing to do.

I haven’t smoked regularly for about 25 years, however I do love a smoke when I’m drinking and am one of those lucky buggers who can smoke when I feel like it and then not touch one for months.

Reckon I smoke about 80 a year, but those 80 are probably spread between 8 nights out. When I’m hammered I love a cigarette (preferably a roll-up) but I virtually never touch them sober, find the idea totally repulsive.

Best thing is to never try smoking in the first place.

Me: English, Scots, Manx, smidgeon of French.

Missus: English, Welsh.

Not a bad mix 😀

I have some great new roads to share an’ all 😀

Early July? Nowt much in my calendar then, at the mo.

23rd unlikely for me as it’s our (21st) wedding anniversary on the 22nd so I’m likely to be a bit fuzzy-headed the next morning! 😯

My Boardman:

Quite.

When you don’t have a centre stand (majority of bikes these days) you need to keep the bike upright when filling it, i.e. sit on it. My bike only does about 100 miles before the fuel light comes on, so I need to get every last litre in.

project – Member
Oh ansd whats this stupid idea power rangers have of not getting off the bike to fill the tank, dribling petrol which is inflamable over a hot engine while sitting on it,

You don’t ride a motorbike I take it??

neninja talks sense.

I can highly recommend the police Ride to Arrive courses, assuming your local force runs them. Cheap and very useful advanced training that could save your life.

Absolutely

momo – enjoy your Gixxer. Late 90’s / early noughties sports bike rock – they’re from a time when IL4s still had mid-range.

Here’s my Tuono – mid-range a-plenty 😀 I love it!

duckman – Member
Priests were made to become celebate because they were being a little too “fruitful” in the early middle ages.

No, the decision to forbid priests to marry was made by the RC church for purely financial reasons. It’s cheaper to support a priest than a priest, missus, and kids.

Obviously some doctrinal spin was put on it to justify it.

Also (from atheism.about.com):

“Another factor in the push for clerical celibacy was the problematic relationship the Catholic Church had with real estate and inherited land. Priests and bishops were not just religious leaders, they also had political power based on the land they controlled. When they died, the land might go to church or the man’s heirs — and naturally the church wanted to keep the land in order to retain political power.

Tthe best way to keep the land was to ensure that no rivals could claim it; keeping the clergy celibate and unmarried was the easiest way to accomplish this. Making celibacy a religious obligation was also the best way to ensure that the clergy obeyed. Catholic apologists deny that such worldly concerns were part of the decision to impose celibacy on priests, but it can’t be a coincidence that the final push towards celibacy occurred when conflict over land were increasing.”

If you can cope with dealing with Halfords the Boardman is a cracking bike.

Unfeasibly bad…….

A few quid to have them delivered in a few days rather than a month or so? Seems reasonable enough.

I’ve spent a lot of cash over the years on Oakleys (never paid full RRP), and I’ll continue to buy them as they are the best sunglasses out there by far IMO.

However I’m tempted by these Fakelys to wear off road where I wouldn’t worry about them getting covered in mud and sh!te, unlike a £100+ pair of genuine Oakleys.

It’s meant to p*ss down on Sunday too, ideal bike servicing weather*

*assuming you have a garage….

Karinofnine – Member
The old gods are much more attractive, encompassing as they do fallability, capricity, jealousy, anger, joy, love and the fact that shit happens.

You talk a lot of sense – I like 😀

The fullsome breasts are a bonus, and proof of a bountiful God. Of some sort.

Dylan, been asking around, seems your best bet is to go on the waiting list(s) and hope you get a place from someone who hasn’t taken up their place (e.g. I believe people opposite us got a place at VP but are moving out of Bristol so won’t be taking it).

Windmill Hill is nice, much better option than St Annes or Redfield. As clubber says, BS3 rules!!

Agree with deluded’s comments – Church Rd area isn’t that nice IMO. I’d go for the St Anns property I think.

convert – Member
Must be me – I always switch down to the drops on my cx bike if not already there for the techy bits (well cx capable techy bits) as I feel more confident there – lower C of G?

As do I, mainly to get the most leverage on the brake levers, hence most braking power.

I have a Galaxy 2.0TDCi. Great family car, great bike carrier (three bikes in the back with nothing removed plus kit with all seats down). Disagree they’re not good to drive, they’re no sports car obviously, but it’s the best distance car I’ve ever had.

Relatively cheap to run (insurance, tax) and just got back from a business trip to Warrington (from Brizzle) where it averaged 51mpg.

Love mine and will keep it for years. Niece has an S-Max, nice car but with lowered roofline the rear two seats are really children only, and the size of the rear hatch is surprisingly limiting when trying to load bikes, furniture etc.

Nice pics.

CX bikes rock 😀

Just inherited slightly more than that myself.

Taking kids to Florida next year.
Bought the wife a new car.
Cleared some credit card debt
Having a three storey extension with integral triple garage built on house. We have a small mortgage anyway so as we plan on staying here until we are carried out in a bag it makes sense to spend on the house and get all the space we’ll ever need.

Amazingly (for me) I havn’t gone mad on bike stuff. Spent a few £100 on shiny trinkets for my motorbike, but that’s it.

Having said that BS3 is the best Bristol area

Yes – definately 😀

clubber – Member
but having now lived in Bedminster and then Totterdown,

Erm, I believe you mean Lower Knowle? 😉

I love South Bristol (grew up in Clifton). It’s really come up in the last 10 years or so, lots of good places to eat and drink, easy walking distance into town, and easy riding to local trails, or the Chew Valley etc for roadying. Generally friendly and laid-back too.

clubber – Member
Watch out for dodgy neighbours like aka_gilo though

Oi…..

Great place to live. Surrounded by great countryside and the mtbing and road riding is superb. Lovely city, got it’s rough areas like anywhere and bike theft can be a problem (seems mainly down to riders being followed home after a ride), but overall I highly recommend it.

Jealous! I love Sparkhayes – one of my favourite campsites, nice and laid back.

Some mats for my wife’s new car (Hyundai i10).

MPL clutch slave cylinder for my Aprilia Tuono.

Just filled up the missus’ car at Morrisons in ‘artcliffe, Brizzle. A fair few pumps free, drove up, filled up, paid, drove off. No drama 🙂

Turnout looking poor but I’m still game for a blast

What time to meet at services aka_Gilo?

Up to you mate. Earlier better for me, but I’m only 20 minutes away, so your call.

chrisdw – Member
Buy a cross bike

+1

Looking like a local (Brizzle) CX ride with Clubber tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully may get out on the motorbike Sunday morning.

5’11”, 32″ inside leg, ride a large CX Team. Fit is spot on.

Just checked with the missus and looks like I should be ok for this. 🙂

My suggestion is to meet at Aust services again, then Usk – Aber -Brecon – Llandovery (brekkie, brunch, lunch stop at the West End cafe) – Builth Wells – Talgarth – Aber (tea stop) – Aust services. That’s about a 160 mile loop from the services.

Plenty of fuel stops en route, I only get 100 miles to a tank tops, 80-odd if I cane it.

Wos reckon chaps??

The C of E really is pretty harmless.

My older daughter is in her first year at the local C of E secondary school, younger one will go there in 18 months.

Excellent school, just got an “Outstanding” OFSTED report, 10 mins walk away – what’s not to like?

The school is church funded (and regular church attendance for at least 4 years prior is a prerequisite of entry) and, in year 7 at least, there is quite a religious angle underpinning a fair bit of what they do. However, I don’t think it’s intrusive or worrying, and it’s a fair price to pay for my kids getting a very good education for free.

Frankly, if a kid is overly swayed by religious teaching at school I’d say it’s more a reflection of the parenting they’ve received (not aimed at the OP). My kids are level headed and form their own opinions on things – their take on religion (bearing in mind they’ve gone to church for years) is much the same as mine and my wife’s – rather bemusing, interesting from a historical perspective, and just something that’s out there, nothing to get too bothered about.

I have an ’09 Galaxy 2.0TDCi Zetec. Amazing car, so, so practical and great to drive (in a waft along, low revs, sweeping lines kind of way). Highly recommended by me.