Hourly update…still no rain

Clearly it is not the weekend when no doubt it will tip it down, and I am working from home so no chance to enjoy any dry/sunny/warm weather, so, therefore, I can confirm that it is dry today here. I checked scientifically by sticking my head out of the window and as it didn’t get wet, I have come to the conclusion that it must be not raining or wet, so hence it must be dry.

Well it rained in Backworth on Monday (IIRC) and I got caught in the hail yesterday morning on my daily exercise, and the water butt in my garden has filled up nicely. So, yes, on balance, it’s been dry here too…bit nippy though. Maybe the next ice-age is coming…then again, maybe not. Give it 5 minutes and I predict that something, somewhere, in the weather patterns, will change.

First ever drop handlebar bike was a 5 speed Puch Pacemaker and it was fab. Followed by a team colours Peugeot 10 speed. I’ve also had a Spesh Stumpy HT. Nothing else comes close to really exotic stuff but I loved them all the same.

Dream Academy’s Life in a Northern Town was filmed in a few locations but a fair chunk in and around Newcastle.

Life In A Northern Town

@nobbingsford beat me to it with Whitley Bay and Dire Straits, so without resorting to a Google search the best I could come up with is the 80s or 90s McEwans Best Scotch advert with the line: “Florida’s horrider than Whitley Bay…”

Reply To: Songs that namecheck your home town

Bliss elbow and knee pads for me…the minimalist ones. Once they warm up you forget you are wearing them.

Fox tech tees and Endura baabaa for me – but the fox are amazing and look just as good off the bike

I have always found BLOC sunglasses to be fantastic. They also have a discount of 30% offer on at the moment on the website itself. Just treated myself to some new cycling glasses!

I use Spesh MTB Sport. Covers all the bases I need when not using flats. Airy in the summer, coverable in the winter, comfy, and they won’t break the bank. been using mine for 5 years now and they are still going strong. Use on my MTB commuter, road bike etc.

Special Boat Squadron by Barrie Pitt; Savage Continent by Keith Lowe; I Chose to Climb by Chris Bonnington; Feet & Wheels to Chimborazo by Mark Horrell. All excellent.

Also just re-read One Fine Day In The Middle of The Night by Christopher Brookmyre. Pricelessly funny even second time around

singletrackmind
Member
Dont asthmatics have stronger lung function due to pushing and pullimg past a restricted area
I wonder if this is a help when the lungs loose function and become saturated

Not any time I try to pedal uphill. gasping before I start

How did I forget Das Boot?? Fantastisch

Layer Cake; Casablanca; Godfather; Fail Safe

Villain 1971. Crap film and Richard Burton was terrible

^^+1 for the X-tools one. does most of what I needed for the bike.

I’ve got a 2011 Spesh Stumpjumper Elite FSR (in fantastic condition) that I’m not sure what to do with as I have just bought a new bike (bloody bad timing I know). I was going to hang on to it but tbh I’m not sure I need this extra bike taking up space. The only thing I think would not be transferable would be the rear shock as its the Spesh Brain variety.

My son had a Vitus Nucleus and for the money I could not fault it.

Apologies in advance…

I have no idea what this time will be known as when it is finally officially named, however, once it is, I’m pretty certain it will go viral

OK. So just to clarify I am not, and have not, questioned the message that Bojo has been putting out. However, in my humble opinion his oratory style is bumbling. Sunak’s is much clearer and definite. Nothing to do with the message being given but the manner. Something to do with gravitas. Using forum-speak YMMV (had to look that up) 😜

Bojo the Bumbling **** Wit.

Sunak with the clear answers.

Politics aside lets have him each day please.

Nothing to do with the announcements today but..

Would people think it a good idea if contactless limits were temporarily raised to avoid folks having to use pin machines, which have always struck me as hygienic at best of times?

I only ask as I work for a bank and if it’s something folks think makes sense I’ll raise it with the bosses.

I’ll be suggesting this at work tomorrow although I hope it is already under consideration. I work for a bank too

Work from home.
No pubs.
No mass gatherings.
Whole house isolation for 14 days.
No lockdown for the elderly.

Johnson just doesn’t have the gravitas for this job. The Chief Scientific Advisor is making a far, far better job of it, as is the Chief Medical Officer.

Thats because 1, they are knowledgeable people and 2, they dont tell untruths, half truths, and outright lies for a living. Not one govt politician has given a straight answer that I’ve heard. Now is not the time for avoidance and bull****

Colleague tried this recently and was rejected. This was based on acceptance criteria of employer. They will only allow this to go through if purchasing a complete bike.

Perhaps in the face of/reality of a naturally occurring organism (apologies if its called something else) being as impactful to human life as it is, maybe the world (richest/scariest) countries will stop wasting money on nuclear weapons and spend it on health & social care instead. Maybe, just, maybe, improving the lives of everyone.

Unfortunately, sighs, I shall not hold my breath. Be nice though if HM Gov took a lead on this (they won’t)…bet all the advancements in weapons tech etc couldn’t half be put to better use. Anyway, thats my two-penneth worth.

I drive a 2008 Vauxhall Vectra 3.0 v6 cdti estate and my wife has a Kia Piccanto. Am I going to hell? I used to have a 2006 Kia Sorento 2.5 litre diesel-fume-belching-monster. Both cars I had/have because rather than jetting off abroad with Fazzini clan we tow a caravan. If I could afford an EV that would also tow the van I would get one. I consider myself to be fortunate to be able to afford what I can and have great adventures/holidays with the wife and kids. Would I like to do more for the sake of my children? Yes. But car-wise, only, its too expensive. Unless EVs become affordable for ‘all’ uses I’m not sure what more I can do. Not on my wages anyhoo.

What do you call a man with a rabbit up his bum?
Warren

£19 Gussetts on my HT commuter – never been serviced in 5 years and still going strong although the grip is not a big issue and getting pins out now if needed would be impossible.

DMR V12s on my full sus for 9 years and also never been ‘serviced’ (they get the odd squirt of GT85 and the odd bit of chain lube occasionally but never taken anything apart) and also still going strong. Again pins could do with replacing but I think I’ll just get another set if I feel I need to.

Personally I’d have plain/stealth black on both. The bike looks ace as it is. No need to fully bumblebee it 🤣 oh and I’m not techno clever enough to do a photoshop job

Comfiest backpack I’ve owned is a Gregory Z40. Ticks most of the boxes for you. I also have a Lightwave Fastpack 50, as well as a Berghaus something 65ltr. But the Gregory is far and away the better pack.

VAR is amazing…just a shame no-one thought they might need to review the rules or how those rules are implemented by the poor sods in the middle of the green bit before getting all tech-jiggy. That’s progress for you I suppose.

OGS – classic Fergie-channelling – it was never a foul…hahahaha – retrospective action possible for Maguire given that VAR said no red card and ref gave nothing???

Best bike I’ve ever owned was a Puch Pacemaker 5 speed.

Long. Low. Slack.

Thanks for describing my gut.

I ride my road bike wearing baggy shorts, MTB helmet and non-roadie upper attire…and purposefully say hi to every roadie I pass.

Oh, and my 3×9 drive train is just awesome on my commuter

Cheers STWers… Mrs Fazzini is not going to be happy with me soon… 🤣

@16stonepig @HoratioHufnagel

What’s the sizing on them like? Im 5’10 and with prev 2 bikes I’ve been right on the crossover point of the manufacturers recommended size so ended up going up in size.

Thanks

Mrs Fazzini when she ‘discovers’ that I really am buying another bike…🤣

No, because your post is already banned under previous nominations for banning off topic posts.

Old Nige and Katie are people like me or you, as much as that’s a struggle for many to grasp.

I’d like to ban aliens 👽 because, and I could be wrong about the origin of their specific species, but I’m fairly sure that those two are both not of this planet 🤣

Oh, I’d also ban those food items masquerading as pies that hsve fruit as a top. No. If I wanted to have something sweet/piquant with my fully pastry-enclosed pie, I shall add chutney, pickle, piccalilli etc.to my plate.

Or simply ban parking in town, have ultra low speed limits and sail before steam type rules of the road and let nature take its course.

We have 20mph speed restrictions in my village, however, few drivers actively observe this. I have been overtaken before by various ‘grades’ of motorist for daring to observe the law of the land. The speed limit is official with all correct and relevant signage. Its 20mph for a reason.

Well this news just cheered me right up.

Unfortunately the world around us is an impatient world these days. And the lack of tolerance in all walks of life is very sad. Maybe its just the era we live in, coupled with the vast number of people trying to inhabit the same space be it roads, pavements, shops etc. I experience many courteous drivers on my commute by bike, actively giving me space, unfortunately countered by the back-eyes who are just oblivious, to those who are downright dangerous to all road users. Shame.