Im very sorry for you loss, im afraid I cannot add anything more to the excellent advice from others. Please post if there is anything you feel we can do – even if its just to listen/read and respond. Stay strong.

I have flat pedals but only because I only have one bike and ride to work (dont want to change shoes). Wearing whats comfortable is more important than looking a certain way. Welcome back from the dark side!;-)

I live in Lancaster, I wouldn’t say it has major attractions (like blackpool, york etc) but has a few places to visit. The castle tour is good if you like history, or maritime museum on the quay. Williamson park is good on a warm day. +1 for Morecambe in the sun- beach, cafes, views over the bay to the lakes can be stunning. Depends what you are into (no offroad bike routes nearby, lots of cyclepaths though).

Rubbish, Hope your mood is still upbeat and hasn’t changed – you are doing really well! it sounds like you are accepting that certain things are final (re: your wife not changing her mind). This might be the case, but maybe not – all you can do is keep communicating with your wife and both of you keep your daughters interests at heart.
Keep drinking water/tea, eat regularly and stay positive.

Bit twisted but I am hoping for conditions like Mayhem.. this year the team I was in got 14th in the mud, 2011 we were 80th as it was quite dry. this proves we can push bikes as slow as we can ride them and get better places if others drop out/sleep/drink beer!.

Hold on to that hope, dont allow the negative side to take over.
You sound like you have made a lot of positive steps already, from reading this thread from the start I am impressed by how quickly you have made some difficult decisions already. If it helps to sort things out in your head, keep venting/discussing on here.

+1 for the bike ride idea, you must be mentally exhausted from dealing with this, give yourself a break by dodging rocks and picking lines :-)

keep it up Rubbish.

No one expects you to be calm or fine just yet – I guess most people in your situation would act similar. The important thing is to form a plan of how you are going to improve things. Like Don says, we dont know you well enough – you need to speak to someone directly, samaritans? Priest? neighbour?. you may feel that there is no-one to talk to but you have 3 pages of STWers that want to help so people do care.

Work on The Plan. good luck.

Thats a rough thing to happen, all the advice above is sound – you at least have been given an indication of where to start putting things right.

I went to her Mothers house after work and pleaded and pleaded with her told her about the doctors, not interested.

That might not be the case – your wife may say she is not interested (in you seeking help) just to emphasise how serious she is at the moment. Maybe she is worried that without a strong display you might only pay lip service to addressing your drinking. Like others have said, look at ways you can cut down on drink and work, don’t give up on trying to win them back. don’t forget to keep talking to people, even if its just on STW. Good luck fella.

Grandad Charlie had a go at surfing when he was 75, when his eyesight got too bad he surrendered his driving licence and cycled everywhere – even restored a bike to get around on. I didn’t visit him in his final weeks in hospital (because I was quite young) but in a way I’m glad as I remember him in his prime. Heres to all our Grandads.

Maybe get an external battery back up? I have a Duracell one that charges from USB then connects to my phone (PPS2 model £15 if you shop around). apparently it can give 3 hours extension to talk time, dont know what it would provide for GPS tracking. If you plugged this in before starting your ride it could top up your phone as its in use.

I got the organic pads front and back for Mountain Mayhem this year (expecting to go through at least one set of pads due to the conditions..) I’m not even halfway through the pads. delivery was good too considering I only gave then 4 days to arrive before the race. For the price they are good value I think.

My wife had it, I had never heard of it before. With medication it mostly went after a week but she can still bring it on if she looks to the extreme left or right. hope you get better quickly!

Edric – I know what you mean, my titanium wedding ring was about 1/20th my wifes wedding ring (..but it did save my finger being crushed when I dropped two boxes of granite tiles on it!)

Glad you are mostly ok after such a big crash. I have a Specialized Align helmet and have allways wondered how it would cope in a real test. Got to say im happier reading about it than finding out first-hand!

Stumpyjon – just read this thread from start for the first time, glad to hear you have come out the other side of this in a better position. I have had the same thing happen to me and I now look at work/employers with my eyes a bit more open!. It might be tempting to plot revenge on your previous employers but it wouldn’t be as satisfying as you might think… being in a better job after trail building and a holiday is all the revenge you need. If they keep treating staff like that they wont be around long anyway. Good result!

Q1. Have you heard of/visited Lee/Cragg Quarry Mountain Bike Trails?
Heard of but not visited yet.

Q2. Would extensions to and better linkages between the existing trails in Lee/Cragg Quarry and the bridleway network make you more likely to visit this area?
Yes – the more options available the better, having the choice of long or short routes would move Lee Quarry up my list of places to ride next.

Q3. Would the provision of 10 way marked mountain bike routes starting from Lee Quarry mean you would consider extending the length of visit to the area?
Yes – having different options on the day would allow me to wait until the last minute to decide what type of ride I wanted to do that day.

Q4. Would linked activities eg art installations which act as “usable art” such as a shelter, on the mountain bike network encourage you to visit more often?
Yes – as demonstrated at some trail centres already (i.e. the sculpture trail at Grizedale). sometimes ‘unexpected’ sights such as art/ shelters can add a bit of a wake up if the route is turning into a struggle.

Q5. Do you think a “Trail Head” facility in Rossendale would make Lee/Cragg Quarry and bridleway network a more attractive facility? What other facilities would you like to see – toilets/showers/bike shop/café/please state any other
Yes – I would only really look for toilets,parking (free preferable, or paid parking if proceeds go directly back into the trail and faculties). showers and bike wash would be a bonus