Go where your heart takes you. ;)

One of my earliest inspriations to get riding was a guy who I met on Lefkas who was our holiday Rep – loved his bikes and always remember him saying he'd tried every type of riding then settled back to what he was riding then and enjoying at that moment – Suppose you'd call it All Mountain. Great guy and I learnt a lot from him.

It's all two wheels!! Enjoy!

I'm sure all the body armour (and the skinsuit on the other rider) would have put loads of people off riding :(

Mango – is your mortgage currently not portable?

Mainly just cycling (MTB or BMX) and have some steady sessions and hard – wouldn't say I really push it all the time.

I explained to my broker my course of action expecting him to give me the hard sell and to stick with the Fixed but he said I was right to do what I was doing and then said he was doing the same as it was going to save him money.

LIBOR – its the rate at which banks borrow the money they then lend to you…

So if they borrow it at 2% then lend it back to you at 6% they are taking the michael and making 4% for their greedy little fat cat butts

I've been in the process of remortgaging and going to a 5yr tracker but at the last moment I've decided to stay on my Variable rate (Currently at 2%) and take out some additional borrowing.

The reasons I did this were….

1. Borrowing was cheaper on my current deal even with an average rate on the additional borrowing.
2. Expectation was revealed last week that interest rates aren't really going to rise much over the next 24 months – why fix at 5.xx% or more??
3. Comments from various industry bods that the current range of deals are non-competitive (due to small amount of people lending, shortage of good products and limited knowledge of what is going to happen meaning more risk aversion)
4. Knackered market rates – look at the graph above – the interest rates when compared against the LIBOR are **** – I'm expecting there will be pressure to reduce the gap between interest rates offered and the LIBOR which means products including Fixed rate mortgages will come down in the future or stay at a similar level when rates start to go up
5. The mortgages I've gone for / am on are penalty free so I can monitor the market and swap should things get dicey – I've set a threshold on when to do this.
6. Staying on the rate I am now I am saving £200 per month which I am going to over pay my mortgage with as a minimum.

When I do Fix – hopefully in a years time – I will more than likely fix for five – seven years at the lowest rate I can find at the time.

Hope this helps.

I did my shoulder 5 months ago and is only now about right – I did ligament, nerve and muscle damage to it landing heavily and popping my upper arm out of my shoulder (but not full dislocation)

I'd see a Physio and get it looked at as soon as possible and a bit of self massage in the meantime. I'd try not to overdo it with it until you've had it checked out in case you make it worse (not speaking from experience at all… honest)

OK, ignore this – just found the repair section on Lumicycles website! Doh!

What do Goths do – other than dress in black and look really **** off??

Mobile phones in holsters – is any phone call that urgent you have get it that quick?? I can just see them in the office playing quick draw like they are some wild west outlaws!!!

People who are happy paying bank charges!!!

People with wheel size prejudice

We're looking at putting one in our house – will show the wife later when she gets in from work.

Implant scars

Post pictures up – I might be interested….

Jedi – FACT – You've opened the door…

Pete – YGM

chimpymcchimp – Member

Bushwacked …I went to School there…
De Aston? I didn't ride then either. Now in Suffolk…even fewer hills

Yep – spent three lovely years at De Aston in the mid 80s

I suppose the big factor in this which will hold down rates is the impact on the wider economy when loads of people can't afford their mortgage payments if interest rates go back up to their previous levels.

Tell me about it, he told me rate were going up dramtically but they've not done that at all!

I suppose it is a question of how much will fixed rates go up by if I wait. My broker told me 3 months ago the rate was being pulled by the company and I had to submit my app urgently but looking now they still have the same deal on the website!! What's going on there???

I think it is a case of swings and roundabout as any savings taken now with a SVR could be wipped out when rates rise.

Chucky – Good post – I'd try to make it different but similar – build the Soul quite lightweight so my wife (and I) enjoy riding it but make the BFE that slightly more burly – Big forks, tyres, twin and Bash, short stem etc etc.

Gary – these measurments are based on two different forks – 100 and 130mm – so think the geo is roughly the same but hoping I'm slightly wrong – although I do wonder what is stopping me running 140-160mm forks on my soul if the geo is the same as the bFe.

Alpin – Show some pics but won't be able to buy it until new year once a few bits are out of the way.

I've heard Willingham woods is good for Freeride etc and some loops – Just out of Market Rasen on the road to Louth – Yep Jedi it is in Lincs – I went to School there but never rode the woods as I left the area before I got into serious biking

Also found this…

http://www.bicyclemania.co.uk/challengeindex.htm

While if it was done the way everyone is saying then it was a bit harsh…

I personally look at it slightly differently – I think she was telling him to be more up front about it and proud to be gay / bi – if you look at it she said it in a way of "if you are gay / bi then why are you trying to hide it and please the public by changing a song to keep them on side"

By changing the song – he is saying I'm not gay, but if he had not changed the song then no one would have noticed and if he had sung a song where it was written as the singer singing about love for a girl again I don't think it would have been an issue – but changing the song to make him out to be straight is the problem and I think Danni was trying to say – be true to yourself!

If this is the case, then I think she is right to say it as we live in an open society and why should he have to hide it or feel he needs to pretend to be something he isn't.

I heard of something similar recently – guy fell, landed on end of bars and they stuck in his leg about 3 inches – had to go to hospital to get it sorted.

Another one – fell off on tarmac and was missing a nipple when he got up!!! Still can't get my head round that one… :?

Changed the channel and will monitor it.

Does anyone know if I can use another Netgear DG834 to extend the wireless range to the other "wing" of the house.

I have a BT socket in that part so wondering if I can plug it into the line and get internet access there or not plug it in and just use it as a wifi repeater / extender?

Yep – had two Netgear DG834's and both in two seperate houses were rubbish (or I should say didn't meet my expectations).

Reboot it everynight (and has a sleep for about 7 hours – on a timeswitch) as this seemed to make it more reliable, updated it but real improvement.

Same as Geoffj – bought Netgear as their none wifi stuff is spot on but not been that impressed with this.

B

1hr50 – only did 25km but lots of climbing and lots of grinning!

Look at Golf courses… now they can range form cheap municipal to extortionate private clubs… if you wanted to ride the best then I'm sure you'd happily pay (more bang for your buck as the yanks would say). BTW – you'd still have bridleways for free

Personally, if I had Rotorua on my doorstep and I had to buy a permit I would – no questions asked, but if I had llandegla on my doorstep I'd have to seriously question buying a day pass. Its a question of quality – I'm not sure we've quite reached critical mass here yet.

LOL @ DickBarton

If the FC can't make as much money as needed then it needs to either make more money – perhaps charge for trail use or sell off the forest to large PLCs who may not even think of doing anything MTB related…

To be honest – from reading the posts here there seem to be a lot of people who expect something for nothing. Who is going to put the hardwork in to build and maintain the trails?? Ummpa lumpas??? I'm not sure what Mr Wonka pays them but he does pay them!

I already pay to ride at certain places and don't mind. If the facilities are good, riding is awesome and varied, help on hand, food etc etc etc I would pay no problem.

I used to pay to go to the gym (recently cancelled my membership as I've not been for a year) I pay to go swimming so don't see if being any different.

2unfit2ride – out of interest rather than anything else, how come its not for you anymore?

Yes Jedi! It's on!!!

Got to pick up a hubguard from Stodgy on the way so should be round by 10.30 if traffic not too bad. We'll chat about where we're going when we get there.

Weather is looking spot on (except for a lack of sun), car is packed, all I got to do is sleep and put the bike in tomorrow.

TBH – anyone on here who rides MTBs should try it and how much they cost makes them very affordable (around £300-£400 for something decent)…

Do it! Then join us old 'uns down Corby skatepark (www.adrenalinealley.co.uk) on a Tuesday to learn how to have fun.

;)

DarrenH – no they're not!

I think that opinion is just because when we were kids, BMX was new and there was no older generation riding so everyone thinks its for kids because they never remember seeing old guys riding (and there are plenty out there)

At the end of the day its two wheels and just an fun / dangerous as DH / FR…

I'd recommend anyone who is into MTB try it.

Don't stay together for the sake of the kids. My mum split with my dad when I was 18months (didn't know him while I was growing up), remarried three times before I was 18 and it hasn't affected me much (others may disagree).

My wifes folks on the otherhand have stayed together and the bitterness and unhappiness that is obvious is really sad to see. It makes me think I'm so glad that my folks were happy and apart than together and not.

It'll be tough initially but in time it'll be better.

B

Here's mine….

Don't just roll round the streets on it, get some action…

Its much more fun.