The other half of my brain says hunt them down and make their life hell! :twisted:

think about the time and effort it will take to complain. Is that worth 2 quid?

Bought a bike rack for the car from them a few weeks ago. Ordering was easy, I called to change the delivery method without any problem. The product arrived in a couple days. I would give them another go.

I’ve got it on series link. The Mrs hates it.

Has anyone got any tips on surviving a weekend with all her family? If it wasn’t for the fact they’re related to my OH they’re not the kind of people I would spend time with and the kids are all boring. I’m fairly sure they feel the same way about me.

Got a trip away with all the family soon. I’m the only one not looking forward to it.

thanks for the info. We watched from the Grandstad for most of the day then watched the last race (newcomers) at the bottom of Bray Hill.

It was a great day out for not much money (£90 each return ferry with a cabin). The older bikes are fantastic to watch and the riders still push them hard.

We going back next year.

Did it once. It was ok but lots of people on badly maintained BSOs who have no awareness of what’s going on around them and keep crashing into each other. Combine that with crazy chav kids and nutters chasing KOM and it’s not as good as it should be.

Colin McRae Rally is available. It’s not as good as the old ps games but it’s good for ipad. I got bored of it after a couple of long train journeys but I keep going back to it when I’ve got 5 mins to kill.

I’ve had Norco Sight SE 3 since 2013. It’s 26 inch wheels. It’s been brilliant and I have no plans to change it. I’ve enjoyed it at trail centres and “real” trails in the lakes, dales, Lancashire and N Wales. It encourages you to push harder.

I’m an average rider and I think it makes me look good and certainly made me faster.

If you like football go and see a game. Tickets for Spanish football seem to be less than for the PL and they go mad for it.

+1 for paella by the beach and the market.

Get the city sightseeing bus. It stops around the city centre, arts and science park and the beach.

Is the food any good?

The boating centre on Coniston is good. Hire a canoe or two and go exploring. If you hire canoes for long enough you’ll be able to go down the lake to the island and have a picnic there.

We went a couple of weeks ago with 2 kids (7&9). Spent the morning on bikes along the lake path then after a picnic lunch went out on the lake for a couple of hours canoeing.

The kids loved it and they’re not very outdoorsy.

I use a North Face messenger bag for my work bag. I’ve had it for a few years and it’s been tough and reliable. It’s also waterproof(ish) with a couple of internal dividers and a couple of smaller pockets for little things.

The owners clubs are a good place to start. Most of the members are the old guys who treat their cars well. There is a smallish group of members who use their cars for track days.

The groups meet fairly regularly and they often sell cars within the groups.

If I was looking for another MX5 and I wanted to buy from a private seller, I’d start with the owners club members.

Topeak Joe Blow has worked well for me. Good price and has worked well on both road and mtb tyres.

I think like most of these stories. A handful of cyclists need to remember they’re not racing and take more care on the roads, a handful of drivers need to consider cyclists when they drive on rural roads and the police need to work harder to understand the needs of all road users.

a few days to go and the weather ain’t looking too good!

Wet & Windy

You’re doing the right thing. My old road bike which I’ve kept for winter use was sora, my new road bike is 105 and the difference is massive.

Enjoy 105.

S-Max? Mrs Gastro had one for a month and loved it. Loads of room but not a massive car and it didn’t feel like a “people carrier”.

+1 for My Fitness Pal. It helped me shift weight this year.

I was a student in Birmingham (2001-2005). I lived in the city centre near the Mailbox and off Hagley Road in Edgbaston.

Like Hatter said, be careful where you look. The city centre was good and around the Mailbox felt safe and was nice, but a few streets away and it was rough.

I lived in Edgbaston, on the reservoir side of Hagley Road. It was a rough, my friend lived about a 5 min drive away and it was really nice.

It’s a good city which most people overlook in favour of the more trendy Manchester.

@boltonjon. Where is that on the IoM?

OP, we are going through something similar at the moment. She knows she is dying and was scared and uneasy about being in hospital. She has since been moved back to the care home where she has been living for a couple of years. The staff and doctors have been great and have been as good with the family as they are with her.

It’s a tough time and my thoughts are with you and your family.

I agree that it seems unreasonable to ask you to attend a disciplinary meeting on a day that is not a normal work day.

I’m sure you’re already doing so, but make sure you save copies of all correspondence about the meeting and the proposed times and venue. Make sure they are making the requests by email or with a letter (with a “wet ink” signature) on company letter-headed paper.

I’ve not done it yet, but it’s on my list of rides to complete this year. I live in Lancaster and I regularly ride some of the sections around Arnside and Lancaster. I plan to get an early train to Barrow and ride back. Most of the time that will put the wind on my back.

I’m planning to do it in a day.

I’m looking forward to it.

I don’t think anyone ever looks at ours.

Training done! The weekend has started.

The trainer can’t work the system.

I was in New York in May. The feeling, even among the left leaning, was that she’s not a squeaky clean as they would have everyone believe. A couple of different people mentioned her way of handling Bill’s affair(s) and other antics wasn’t the nicest.

New York is a little bit bias as the home town of Trump. The view from many seemed to be she’s far from perfect but at least she’s not Trump.

Thanks for the hints and tips. I think the weekend was a success. We messed about on our bikes for a bit at the holiday park. We practised starting off and stopping in a straight line, then moved on the riding around in circles and changing direction. After an hour or so she was riding up and down quite happily, bouncing over the speed bumps and even stood up a few times.

Yesterday we took the bikes to Coniston and has a ride along the lake through the camp site etc. She was happy and enjoyed the ride, especially the bits when we went off the path following some “single track”.

She asked if we can go on bike again when we see them in a few months.

Sad to hear, thoughts are with the family and friends. I’m out on my road bike after work. I’ll make sure I pick my favourite roads and stop for an ice cream / beer. It’s important to remember to enjoy the special times and never take a ride for granted.

imodium is powerful stuff. I had a similar problem a couple of weeks ago. Due to being out and about when it first exploded I was forced to take imodium. It stopped it fairly quickly but then it wouldn’t start again for a few days.

I’m just back to normal and it’s been nearly 2 weeks.

There will be 6 bikes so it might be a bit much to have them all in the lodge. As we’ll be out with kids and another couple that don’t ride much it might be better to hire bikes for the little bits of riding.

Provided you get the same warranty support from your LBS then I don’t see the problem. If you have a problem with the product and they don’t help and just refer you to CRC, then yes, you’ve been ripped off. If you don’t like the service then speak to them and explain your point of view. If you’re still not satisfied then take your business elsewhere.

I fully believe in supporting LBS, but as with any retailer they have to earn your custom. I understand the challenges LBS face from the likes of CRC. But there alot of bike shops with staff who are unhelpful and who don’t appear interested unless you are spending vast sums of money. I have experienced terrible service from a LBS. We don’t shop there anymore and I know other riders who have had similar service. If they go out of business I won’t feel too bad. Luckily we have other options close to where we live / ride and where possible I will always buy from LBS if I feel like a valued customer. There are some great examples of LBS being a key part of the bike community.

nowt special, I can do that. :D

I had an i30 as a hire car today. 500 miles on the clock and the AC was piss poor. Not a nice drive and felt cheap. Just saying.

I spent the morning stuck in traffic on the A590 in a hire car with the weakest aircon.

Now in the office with the windows and doors open. On count down until I can leave and go out on my bike.

+1 for latex gloves. Always have a pair with my spare tube on the road bike and have a few pairs in my pack when out on the mountain bike.

I need a saddle bag for my new road bike, but agree that they look rubbish. The lezyne doesn’t look too bad.