Yep, you'll die. And it will be messy.

Seriously though. Bolts is bolts. As long as they aren't soft as cheese they'll do the job.

This thread has just brightened up my day :D

Hows my riding? Call 0800 **** off

Best thing that could have happened to you.

I was in a similarly stressful situation at work a few years ago. The only way to deal with it was to get away from it for a bit. In the end I took a weeks leave and after much drinking and feeling sorry for myself I decided to go back into work and quit. It was without doubt the best feeling in the world and has left me with a different attitude towards work(the good jobs are worth putting yourself out for, the sh*te jobs just aren't. Ever). Don't go rushing into things as your situation will undoubtedly be different to what mine was, but do try and spend some time over the next few weeks thinking about what is best for you and, if need be, take drastic action. In my experience there really are more important things than work and stress is more serious than many people think when it comes to long term health.

I stumbled across this thread after throwing a bit of a paddy earlier and it has helped me realise I'm getting over stressed about a few things in my own life right now. I don't doubt that smashing up a fairly expensive back wheel in a fit of rage did help me blow of some steam but by god is it going to cost me to put things right (and the neighbours will probably steer clear for a while!). If only I'd read your posts first I'd have realised I need to chill out a bit more and just deal with the difficult stuff in a more measured way. Stress creeps up on you and you need to look out for the warning signs.

Good luck with it all, things can truly only get better.

Caravan owners have been annoying the Cornish for years.

For that I salute them

Unfortunately they have to drive through Devon before they can start annoying the Cornish and for that reason I hate them.

Get one with gears. The ratios on a road bike are much higher than an MTB so you are unlikely to spin out on the easier bits quite so much. Besides, with gears you'll find it easier to do longer rides.

Although some people on here hate the place Halfords do some cheap road bikes. Nothing flash but they'll do the job for what you are wanting to pay.

Is it a finch of some sort? Last year I had a few birds drop down dead in the back garden. Turns out it was a parasite that was doing them in. If you have any bird feeders or bird baths in your garden it may be worth cleaning them out and making sure the seed in them keeps dry. Otherwise the parasite will have the perfect living conditions and the dead bird won't be the last one you see.

I wasn't aware 'real men' played drinking games. I thought they just got on with the business of drinking. That's always provided more than enough entertainment for me and my mates.

That said I don't think anyone who thinks their worth is determined by how much booze they can put away can ever say it makes them a better man than anyone else. A drunk perhaps…

God it sounds awful.

I assume people go 'hashing' as they are generally too annoying to be accepted in pubs? :wink:

Beer drinking is a serious business and should never be sullied by the playing of games or singing.

Old and tight? No, just sensible in my opinion.

I haven't bothered with going to the cinema for years. If a film looks like it is going to be any good I just wait until the DVD comes out and then wait another couple of months until it is reduced to half price. That way I can watch the film for less than the price of a cinema ticket in a comfy seat with a few beers and not have to worry about some chav in the row behind chewing with his mouth open whilst talking into a mobile phone.

I've got a pair of freedom disc 29er wheels on my bike. I like them, not too heavy and pretty durable. For what I paid I think the finish is OK and they accept nice wide tyres. I've found the bearings to be pretty long lived. Just kept the grease levels in the rear freehub topped up.

It isn't made out of anything particularly flash but what about the Karate Monkey? It has horizontal dropouts and comes with a fork. I've just bought one and the frame isn't the lump of scaffolding some people would make it out to be, and it is very versatile in terms of what you can do with it. It is also reasonably cheap. Admittedly it isn't going to be as pretty a bike as my Swift but I'm fairly chuffed with the quality of the frame.

I believe that bloke is in fact Claire Balding :lol:

But yes, should be interesting, especially as she is starting out in Lymouth. Lots of big hills.

Aluminium cans are worth about £500 – £600 a tonne at least(although you need a lot to make up a tonne).

Unless the people picking cans out of your bin are registered waste carriers they are breaking the law. They will also no doubt be p***ing off whoever has the collection contract for your local authority as lost cans means lost revenue, especially as they may be targetting a number of collection rounds.

If you are really bothered about it tell your local authority's recycling officer.

Sounds like some horrible vision of hell. I guess us normal people will know where to avoid…

I bought the above press from wiggle for £30 (£5 off voucher from wiggle) and amazed at how easy it is to use. A few minutes and your headset is in perfect first time. Very satisfying

+ 1

Best way to avoid possible damage to the frame and headset IMHO

I would probably think "that alpha male Big Dave has been marking his territory again…………the randy fecker".

:D :D

The Dahon Vitesse has a very similar frame to the Speed 7 which I own. I think it is quite comfy and offers a fairly decent riding position. The only thing that may count against a vitesse is the weight as the frame is fairly chunky and it doesn't fold as small as some folders.

I'm sure that any Brompton owners will have a different opinion. IMHO you get more kit for your money when buying a Dahon.

My neighbours cats seem to employ a range of techniques from burying their poo to leaving it on the surface. They seem to be in my garden at the same time of day, normally when I'm having my breakfast, so I can usually catch them at it. An unltrasonic gun and/ or a water pistol filled with a mixture of vinegar,washing up liquid and detergent are the best weapons.

Some of my neighbours, the cat owning ones, seem oblivious to the behaviour of their beloved pets. I'm sure they would take a different view if I took my morning dump on their flower beds after a night of shagging noisily on their driveway and killing small animals in their garden.

I was going to enter until I realised my bike is more fun with gears on!

1X9; its the new single speed :lol:

i would get the Swift based on cost and customer service

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I always felt when dealing with Sam that I knew exactly what I was buying and the frame was beautifully prepped. Well chuffed with my Swift.

I was actually going to buy a Karate Monkey but the frame on display at the bike show in London looked a bit rough around the edges. The singular stand on the other hand had nothing but immaculately turned out bikes and friendly people manning it. Says a lot about the company…

Winter is what mudguards and singlespeeds were invented for.

Whatever, I thought the page devoted to Bert the dog was a nice touch.

If the land owner was making threats of violence then report the moron to the police. Private land or not I'm sure they'll want to have a word with him.

I moved to the area about 5 years ago. Barnstaple itself is OK if nothing brilliant. The surrounding areas like Fremington and Bickington are nicer. I live in Bideford which is OK if a little backward and run down. However, the surrounding countryside is fantastic. Yes, it can be busy in the summer as others on here have noted but if you live here you can enjoy it all year round.

Not a huge number of bridleways near me so I tend to ride a mix of country lanes and old rights of way and there is of course Exmoor not too far away. Riding in this area always involves tackling lots of short nasty hills but you soon get used to that. There is always the Tarka Trail for days when you just want to ride on the flat and it is useful for getting out to the more rural areas without tackling main roads. I quite often use it to link up lots of little back lanes.

Exeter and Taunton are just over an hours drive away for work if you can beat the traffic. If you time it right it should only take about 40 minutes to get to the M5 along the link road. Once you get used to it the North Devon link road isn't too bad. Few nutters with surfboards strapped on the roofs of their cars to deal with in the summer though.

I love my dog but I can go to work knowing that there will always be somebody around during the day to look after him. To be honest, the hours you are talking about being at work would be pretty unfair on any dog you get. If you were to get a collie or labrador you wouldn't be able to leave them all day. They are both active breeds and need to be kept occupied. A labrador would tear your house apart during the day if left alone too long.

Perhaps if your girlfriends parents could help by looking after the dog during the day…

Dogs are great but can get very lonely.

Probably best if your wife tries as many different folders as possible. The Bromptons fold small but I prefer my Dahon. It is a bit heavier and doesn't fold as well but I think it rides better. Dahon have a much bigger range of bikes available as well. Ridgeback do a couple of folders too. I think they are basically rebadged Dahons but are sometimes a bit cheaper. The Mezzo looks like a pretty handy folder.

Check out this site. I think it is mainly aimed at men with beards and sandals but some of the info is useful:

http://www.foldsoc.co.uk/

Cordon can be funny with the right script and supporting cast (which he had in Gavin and Stacey). The rest of the time he just comes across as a cocky chump who has got lucky and is milking his moment of fame for all it is worth. Give it 12 months and he'll be forgotten. I suspect Patrick Stewart was probably annoyed at Corden thinking he is gods gift.

I don't have a bell either because having a bell on a mountain bike would be absolutely stoopid.

I've got a bell on every one of my bikes. Comes in very handy, especially in busy urban areas. Usually gets a smile from walkers on bridlepaths as well.

If you think they are about to go under you should check their status on http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk

You can access all of their most recently filed accounts and the site flags up companies that are in liquidation. You will be able to find out who the liquidators are from the filed documents as there are various forms which have to be submitted. You could also use a credit check service such as http://www.n2check.com This will let you know a bit more about the businesses financial standing and any other outstanding debts such as CCJs

Halo do some good rims. I've got a set of their Freedom Disc 29er wheels and they've lasted a year before getting to the point where they need retruing.

so we can all sit in front of BBC2 and listen to them whinge about how hard it is having to pt on foot in front of the other.

Sounds like it will be a great TV programme; a lot of fit birds wearing short shorts in the jungle. Marvellous!

A word of warning about the Exeter – Barnstaple leg of your train journey. The trains are usually only two carriages long and get busy at the weekends so there may not be much space even if you do take the wheels off your bike. Saying that the staff on that line are usually fairly helpful and are used to dealing with families on holiday with loads of luggage so a chat to them at Exeter station could go a long way to getting you a bit of help.

Used to live there and still have friends in the area. The town centre is lousy but Old Harlow is OK.

Sawbridgeworth is a good bet for a decent drink. The Gate is best if you like real ale. Bishop's Stortford (about 10 miles away) has loads of restaurants and decent pubs.

I quite liked Flash Forward but I'm kind of glad it finished when it did. If it had run onto a second series it would have ended up going on for years and become tedious. I tried sticking with Heroes but come the third series it all seemed a bit dull and repetitive. The problem with American series is if they are good enough to attract a large audience the advertising revenue encourages the networks to keep flogging what can rapidly become a dead horse and after a while it starts to stink…

I think you've got the dates slightly out of kilter towards the end. Nevertheless I'll make sure I get to Okehampton for a ride along.

Big Dave: because my names Dave and I'm not slim.

Surely beating bike thieves with iron bars is more satisfying…

Ro, I don't know you but…are you on strong medication or something?

I've got a B17 in the garage that came off my hardtail. They are great saddles but kid of impractical as water and mud can ruin them, even with copious amounts of profide on the underside. May eventually put it on my tourer which has full mud guards but I won't be using if off road again.

I found mine was comfy from day one.

@Big Dave. I had an Alfine on an On-one. I didn't get on with it though, seemed really heavy, the shifter was proper poo and the ratios felt a little off

I've read a few things along those lines. After giving it some thought I decided a more normal set up is just going to be cheaper and easier to live with. The shifter does look a bit crap and plasticky now you mention it.