If I really was moving I’d pick either:

Snowdonia
Brecon Beacons, or
The North York Moors

Revelations from eBay, though you may have to look at 140mm.

Reckon you could get them for ~£100, just be patient

Or possibly Recons which would probably be even cheaper

I stripped down a pair of pedals, removed and re-fitted crankset and BB before realizing the ‘once per pedal turn’ click and grind noise was actually the crank just clipping a cable tie used to keep a chainstay protector in place

As above, Reading getting closer

I think it’ll be us or Fulham for the prem

Will be something of a tough season if we go up

Mrs and I have talked of similar though it’s going to have to wait a year or two as kids are doing GCSEs this year the A levels or whatever.

Go for it, renting out your current house will give the option of returning if it doesn’t pan out

mechanicaldope – Member 
A sprightly 36 for me. A St Cyres boy.

Toff :wink:

Stanwell for me.

The fact that you’re asking the question means you know the answer

I’m 46 and I don’t have (nor will I) a DJ bike

Another vote for Penarth from me.

I also grew up there and would move back in a heartbeat if I could.

@ machanicaldope & P-Jay
How old are you guys? I’m 46 – just curious to know if you’re people I know!

New 4K TV being delivered on Tues.

Indeed, Cougar.

Down to them to provide a replacement of at least equal spec, probably they’ll have to give me a much better one.

The best ‘decade’ is the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, say about ’66 to ’76
I give you:
The best of the Beatles
the best of Bowie
Led Zeppelin
The Rolling Stones
Pink Floyd
Neil Young (After the Gold Rush, Harvest)
Hendrix
The Who
Bob Marley
ABBA (just about in that time frame)
and many, many more

Edit: didn’t notice gauss1777’s post, but above are some artists to justify it

Thanks Cougar – but email is set to ‘Everyone’?

Anything else I need to update?

I’m a bit further north in the Stokenchurch area.

Plenty of decent riding around North-End, Pishill and towards Nettlebed. As said above, just get an OS map and follow your nose.

Half the fun is just exploring. Trails are the driest I’ve seen for a long time right now and the bluebells are out too. It’s all good

Swinley is only about 20 mins drive from you and well worth a visit. Though many mock it for being a bit tame I always enjoy a spin around it.

Generally speaking new Anglo Saxon countries US, UK, Aus like to drill their population into the ground to make a buck for shareholders which means there’s opportunities for some but poor lives for others and that’s not really a community.

I so much agree with this.

If only the Labour party (or even the Lib Dems) could articulate this properly we’d have a chance of change.

I’m a dad and enjoyed the article. Do I win a STW subscription?

Honestly, I think the OP’s post is rather odd – or am I missing their point?

I’d love to have a regular, mixed ability, just enjoy the ride, bimble every week.
Would be great to get pushed by riders better than me or to encourage riders less experienced than me. What’s not to like?

Shock, horror; sometimes stuff goes wrong

My experience of CRC deliveries is first class.

I’ve no doubt CRC will be as unhappy as you and will resolve pronto.

I suggest you calm down and make a reasonable request for a discount from CRC. Give CRC a chance to sort it – if they don’t then that’s the time to rant

Eeuuwww.

Remind me of ice skating boots.

Why though? You can get a decent pair of proper brogue boots and some SPD spd shoes for more or less the same cost.

Of course it’s the point (different paces being different!) and of course you ignore safety information at your own peril. And, as I’ve said before, an individual’s safety is ultimately that individual’s responsibility

But people may turn up thinking ‘I’ve done the Blue at Swinley / Thetford, I’ll be fine on the blue here’

Regarding a novice rider on a hybrid versus a 140mm rig – it’s not so simple. On the face of it they’ll be better off (safer) on the 140. However the hybrid would almost certainly require a lot of care with line choice and concentration. Conversely a 140mm may give them a false sense of ‘security’ lead to over confidence, excessive speed (for capability) and getting into a situation they can’t recover from – result: crash, injury, etc.

A ‘bigger’ bike is not safer, per se. Sure I can ride faster on my Mojo than my fat bike. Ergo, more likely to have a serious crash, at speed, on the Mojo.

Edit: posted before seeing mark90’s post above. Are we essentially saying that the colour gradings are useless across different centres and that they just grade the trails at that centre?

Worth noting that they recommend 140mm+ bikes for blues

.

A 140mm may well be the sweet-spot for riding BPW. I’ve no idea, as I’ve never been. But any fool can buy a 140mm bike (and plenty do!). Doesn’t mean they have any idea how to ride it. The level of an individual’s riding skill is so much more important than the bike they’re riding.

And there’s just no consistency across trail centres for what a blue / red / black trail is. Swinley defines blue thus:

Suitable for intermediate cyclist/ mountain bikers with basic off road riding skills. Mountain bikes or hybrids.

So Swinley Blue is fine on a Hybrid (and indeed it is perfectly rideable on one) – but BPW is best on a 140mm machine? That’s chalk and cheese

Pretty depressing reading, this thread

Whilst I realise this thread is ‘self selecting’ so many of them just appear to be ‘on the make’

As you may have guessed, I’m pretty disillusioned with the lot of them.

Mine is David Lidington (Leader of the House). Seems a pretty standard tory; Cambridge educated, given a CBE by Cameron when he left.

Standard expenses scandal – claimed £1300 for dry cleaning, also for shower gel and toothpaste. Apparently quoted as saying ‘many people would see this as over generous’. Personally I’d see it more like p*ss taking theft. Claimed £116K in expenses one year (no idea if he’s aware this is 4.5x the average UK salary).

No doubt not the worst but he doesn’t represent me

Only good thing I can say about him is he kept UKIP out.

No idea who I’ll vote for in a few weeks. I can’t vote for a tory, especially not him ^^^. Obviously not UKIP. My natural (slightly left of centre ground) currently doesn’t exist; I can’t vote for Corbyn. Which leaves the Lib Dems and Green parties :?:

Like a good sandwich, less is more when it comes to pizza

Thin, crispy base with air blow holes.

Thin layer of tomato sauce, mozzarella in clumps.

Salami
Olives
Anchovies

Other allowables:
Chilli
Capers
Onions
Basil
Prosciutto or similar
Egg

Never:
Chicken
Pulled pork
Pineapple

What’s Instagram?

@ Nobeerinthefridge
Completely agree – we’re all responsible for ourselves on the trail, be it ‘natural’ or a trail centre. And of course, knowing the risks, our limits and so on.

My point, or implied question, was: does the fact that BPW charge for the use of their trails mean they have some ‘duty of care’ over their customers?
For example, ensuring an emergency line is manned (or what’s the point?) or taking reasonable steps to ensure nobody is left out on the trails once the park is closed?

Excuse my ignorance (I’ve never been to BPW) but don’t you pay for the use of the trail at BPW – i.e. you’ll have to pay even if you don’t bring a car

Surely this changes their responsibilities compared with somewhere like Swinley or CYB where the only payment is for parking

Actually, in all seriousness, this ^^^^^^

It’s a few more helpful and positive place than FB et al.

Most of the time she’s talking to / with me

I call her Louise

Edit: beaten to it

Arrange and go for a ride with other forumites.

Ergo, no longer strangers

Wow, your glass is definitely half empty.

Louise was a French girl, circa ’93. Oooh, la, la, but mad as a box of frogs

Quiver (of bikes)

That looks pretty much like what I killed earlier.

I’d say about 40mm long. It was very sluggish – presumably it had just woken up?

Me, myself and I

Sorry to hear of this, hope recovery goes well.

I believe Red 7 is one of the flat sections through the trees? Just shows you don’t need to be barreling downhill to get hurt

Keen to see the stats.

Just how many horses have been killed by ‘silent’ bicycles?

Thanks guys, shim it is. Was looking at the USE ones as it goes.

Sram NX 11 speed drivetrain.

Loverofminkys – pm sent. thank you very much

A guy at work will do me a 3D CAD drawing – hopefully I can then get it 3D printed in some ‘nylon like’ material

I might try this weekend at home if I can find some suitable scrap ally

I don’t like using a Camelbak either.

Unless it’s a long ride it’s a bottle for me with an under-seat pack for spare tube, multi-tool, CO2 inflator etc. Stuff in an old rag / hanky / cake to fill the bag and quieten things down