What exactly is award-winning about the toilets?

And, now I think about this, which is not something I've thought about before, wha awards even exist for toilets…?

EDIT: and Karin, oh yes, I am an appreciator of Mr Pratchett's work. It makes me chuckle, much to the annoyance of otters on trains.

Aaaaagh, paranoia is pushing down on me with it's weighty foot!

What if I get a group lost? What if my route's really rubbish? What if the GPS decides it's all too much and packs in thus leaving me to rely on <gulp> memory? What if I'm too slow? What if I talk bollocks incessantly and irritate the heck out of everyone?

The pressures of responsibility!!

I'm a slacker at heart and enjoy such pursuits as stopping to smell the roses, taking photos of interesting trees and 'racing' in the 'Fun' category. Having just picked up my dried frog pill prescription you'd think it would be ok but the burden is still all too much so I'm going to have to resort to sneaky tactics:

Look everyone, it's really not worth driving hundreds of miles to ride in Swinley, which has no hills, just on the off chance that you might meet someone who can see past your beard and your singlespeed. Get your HRM and racer out and go training instead. Honestly, it'll be much more fun. :wink:

(You were right, MB!)

Well, hopefully the reality of Sunday will prove to be a jolly time for all now that this tirade has lowered everyone's expectations. See y'all there! (If I can muster the courage…)

Mmmmmm, IGHs…

ti29er – you're in luck! The first Gorrick race isn't until the Sunday after (racing on Valentine's Day, how romantic!) so come along!

jedi – would be great if you came along!!

Took a couple of people around Swinley yesterday and the conditions were much improved since Sunday with plenty of drainage having taken place. (Ah, sand: so shite for your brake pads, but so wonderfully free-draining…)

It was a mixed ride yesterday, once again. Happily no major injuries this time and I got the route dialled (thanks, C_G, you're a great guide!) One of the people I was riding with was a girl, and she's single, but all ideas about inviting her along this Sunday evaporated after she proved to be all talk and no trousers: "I've done 87 100km elite Enduro XC races on snow-covered European mountains but my glycogen is low today so, no, I can't make it up this hill. Or down that one. And my gears are grinding. Also, I've got flat pedals on when I really should have fitted SPDs. I'm getting some cable-rub. It's no good, I can't go on as I'm not sure about the high-speed compression damping setting on my fork." :roll:

Suffice to say, I'm very much looking forward to this Sunday where we can all have a good time and just enjoy ourselves.

Woo hoo! Roll on the weekend!

(Please note: pleasure can be greatly enhanced for both partners if you bring along some spare brake pads :wink: )

No sure about knowledge working its way through to Airbus designs TBH, aracer. Subsonic and supersonic flight are two very different soups…

But back to the OP and the title question: I reckon they'll all agree it was simply an awful tradegy and let everyone off cos Concordes were simply ace.

Or might that be simplifying it a little too much…?

Oh I don't think it needs any improving, it's very, very useful as-is, but I think you should get the drop on everyone and add Nigel Tufnel's hub to it ASAP!

Good luck with gaining gainful employment gainfully :-)

So salt water is not a healing stimulant or anti-bacterial agent then? What about that old-skool recommendation to gargle with salt water to aid a sore throat?

Damn you, you may well have a plan there… :wink:

(Oh, and it's not that I didn't like it; I just didn't use it, which doesn't bode well for this new hub!)

Eagerly awaiting an update of your mightily brilliant IGH spreadsheet :D

I'll fight yer for the first one!!

Before discovering that an old, appropriately sized, seatpost was perfect for the job I used to use an adjustable spanner:

Open the jaws so they're wide enough to sit on part of the crown race that won't be in contact with the bearings and then smack the flat face of the spanner with a hammer, alternating blows on either side of the steerer.

Segway Inc strongly recommend the use of a
safety helmet at all times when using the Segway PT.

All Lakeland Segway participants and staff now
wear helmets on all tours.

Segway helmet debate AHOY!!

Even without a piggyback battery I'm still sure that my original post answers your question…

Erm, the battery, I guess…

Before I saw the character concerned it had been remarked to me that I looked rather a lot like him. I dismissed the comments but then when I caught a bit of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" one Xmas it was a truly shocking experience to see myself on the screen:

I was on the Tube one day and a bloke had two kids with him who kept looking at me and sniggering. He eventually confessed that they thought I looked like Mr. Tumnus. I laughed it off with a "I get that a lot!" He then sheepishly asked if I actually was him!!

Well, I'll just be trying to put off the fast people really! Don't want them smokin' me on the climbs and making me look bad in front of the many hot biking laydeez who'll be there.

For that reason, you're still invited, MarkyBoy… :lol:

This is a tricky one as it seems you want to plant the deterrent plants in planters on top of the wall… right?

Most of the shrubs already mentioned, though excellent anti-vandal plants, will probably not survive and defintely not thrive unless the container size is pretty considerable.

The immediate solution, if not able to use broken glass/razor wire/booby traps (as mush as the little sh!ts deserve it) is, as also mentioned, non-drying, anti-climb paint or tar – it will certainly put them off until…

… the dog (wild) roses and brambles (blackberries… mmmm…) you've planted in the ground below come of age and ensure no scallies get in. These wild plants are easy to grow, have wonderful fruit and flowers (though not in that order…), encourage wildlife and are of merciless evil.

'Twas a bit bit squidgy undertyre in places in Swinley today, but still great fun, especially under the guidership of the inestimable C_G.

A word of warning. Well two actually.

Firstly, I'm still not sure of an exact route and the precise locations of all the best bits, but I've been round on my own a few times and while I may have failed to find all the famous trails, I didn't fail to enjoy myself, which is what this is all about!

Secondly, should we have too many people for just one group I have been 'nominated' to lead the "fast" group, which makes me a wee bit 'clenchingly' fearful. Whilst not adverse to a bit of speed in the right places and at the right times (heh heh heh) I want to 'assure' all likely punters that even the "fast" group won't be screaming along at race-pace. There will be regular sandwich and toilet stops (perhaps not at the same time though…) and much slacking and banter.

Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun!

p.s. please don't be put off from coming by anything you may have heard about unconciousness and air ambulances at Swinley today… :o

I've dealt with many garden centre plug plants over the years, in several garden centre jobs, but have no experience of the mail-order ones.

The garden centre plugs are definitely over-piced but usually of very good quality and reliability. I suspect the mail-order plugs will be much smaller (so trickier to handle without damaging them) and the % loss will be higher.

Two ways of looking at that: at a tenner for 160 plants, it's still a bargain even if half of them flunk but on the other hand, unless you grow them on before putting them in their final container, you may end up with gaps in your hanging baskets, pots, etc, so they might require a little more work.

Even if you do go for the mail-order plugs, get down to your LGC just to browse the plugs – it's always an awe-inspiring sight to see such a variety of thousands of tiny plants on display.

I got arrested the last time I tried to "keep the kids' hands warm"…

Love it!

Rohloff + HS33 + rear Shimano disc brake FTW!! (Exact same brake/gear setup as my Thorn, but your firmtech mounts are soooooo cool).

The paintjob/colour scheme is fantastic: it brings to mind 'Orky' which is one for the geeks on here (which includes me…)

Sounds like a fine plan. More cycle-specific routes can only be a good thing.

I quite like the idea of these little patches of woodland becoming mini-trailhavens.I know it was mentioned that it won't be all dropoffs and singletrack but if the FC are as bike-friendly as reported about this, perhaps these little pockets of woodland could be granted some sort of 'open-access' for bikes…?

Before we judge whether or not this project will result in bridleways widened to approx 2.4m etc. could we perhaps hear from a someone who is familiar with the route in its current guise? Willej, how are things on the ground?

Is it lovely flowing trails as it stands or just fairly average muddy bridleways full of dogsh!t and hoofholes?

If the latter then bring on the developments.

Update on latest unfortunate victim of Swinley's gnarliness: he's fine! Bit broken and battered, but nowt too serious.

The big and yellow helicopter was koo-oo-ool though!!! :D

What Coatesy said.

Those lump that protrude from the plane of the middle ring are shifting ramps that help the chain up from the smallest ring and need to be facing said smallest ring.

If you do decide to get a new chainset, the lastest Shimano Deore ones are astonishingly good value-for-money and a proper bargain when you shop around.

Low-maintenance pets for when your kids keep pestering you reaches a new low…

What you need is one of these: http://hennessyhammock.com/index.html.

I've got one and it's absolutely ace. A hammock would be perfect for a setting like Glentress.

Mrs. will be with me

No probs: the ladyboys can do something for everyone.

Your mum dad.

Despite them being waaaaaay past their use-by dates I've used Shimano Indexed System components years and years after buying them.

Played for, and got. Thanks CountZero, you've fed a hungry troll. :wink:

p.s. This was the clue…

I've watched 'This Is Spinal Tap' many, many, many times

Here in Vancouver, home of the 2010 Olympics, it hasn't snowed in a month.

Winter Olympics EPIC FAIL :wink: (Hope you get some white stuff before the games begin!)

I've awoken (in London) to an icing sugar dusting – therefore I expect miles of stationary traffic, multiple pileups and queues for panic buying of petrol as I cycle to work. :roll:

Go fixed and brakeless.

No cable rub and all the cool kids will worship you.

Oh fug, it gets even worse, eth3r…

… I've just spotted (ok, I'm slow) that it's all the same guy, right…? Or two guys?

I'm so sick of these weight-weenie threads.

Look, it's quite simple: you'll save more weight if you simply do a poo before heading out.

Ok???

gels that you rub on yourself

Ohhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaah….

Are they melting???

Get to A&E, pronto.

Well so-o-o-o-reee to disagree on this one, but I've watched 'This Is Spinal Tap' many, many, many times and I just don't get it.

It's a poorly made program about a truly incompetent band. I can't believe they're playing major music festivals when their management is as bad as shown in that documentary. I mean, how could they eff up such basic things as finding a massive great stage and building a simple Stonehenge mockup???

Utter pish, IMHO.

Edit: and for that matter I thought 'All You Need Is Cash' was baloney too.

AAAAAAGH!!!! That pic of eth3r's is doing my head in!!!!

Wear a working, reliable and cheap Casio/Timex/etc on one wrist and your Omega Behemoth on the other wrist. When you get mugged you can hand over the pointless-cos-it-doesn't-work-and-would-need-lots-of-money-spaffing-on-it-to-maybe-get-it-to-do-the-job-of-the-cheap-watch watch and they might run off, leaving you with your phone/wallet/balls, content with the shiny gold watch they've just acquired.

Until they get the watch home. Suckers.

I'm not sure about this, but it sounds god in principle.

And God did spaketh, "Yeay, the piddly little amount of Finish Line Wet Lube deposited on man's Eartly trails doeseth not even register on My Son(of God)ar screen."

And He saw that it was good.

This thread reads a little like a dogging meet-up thread might read…

I said might read, ok!