wow

great vid, well impressed

“It will take more than a nutter in a wingsuit to defy the laws of physics. ” – well having seen this and the vids of the bloke (Switzerland maybe) who has wheels all over his body and who rolls down alpine passes if they could combine the two and get it dead right (*sorry about the dead) they might be able to fly and land – but to be fair I’d wouldn’t in the queue of people up for it

brief a friend to call you after you think you’ll have formed an opinion as if your cat/goldfish/wildebeest/tbd/heating has broken/tbd is very ill you’ll have to go immediately

can you do a short walk (hourish) followed by lunch (*I can’t see you chatting/communicating much on a windy/crap etc hoods up type day so maybe build in an early lunch ability) – and you can make that as long as you want

Is just being yourself the right thing to do? – yes, it’ll be fine.

boblo – there’s a massive difference

a fund limits liability (*except in the public sector where the shortcomings of the fund are made up direct out of tax – ie unlimited liability), in the real world people only get the money in the fund (*or not if you were with Equitable Life – which is worth searching on)

http://www.sppa.gov.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=189&Itemid=758

The NHS Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) does not have a real pension fund but, as a statutory scheme, benefits are fully guaranteed by the Government. Contributions from both members and employers are paid to the Exchequer which meets the cost of scheme benefits.

Nhs scheme is ‘unfunded’

Is the scheme funded or unfunded?

Unfunded. It is paid for out of general taxation, not an underlying investment fund.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11446832

A band who did some real gems

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHnB_P5XWig

mate did something I though worked, down on knee, handed over a small elegant box, which was empty with a ‘you choose’ message inside, that worked well.

see W + E of A34, between N of Newbury and around Ridgeway, can do some nice loops there (Chieveley, Ridgeway, East Ilsey, Beedon etc)

See Reading, Caversham, head W on Nside of Thames, Pangbourne, Goring then loop N/Eish and then SEish round on tracks that lead back to Caversham finishing thu lane on golf course (*sorry at work, limited facilities) – lots there

See Wallingford, E on Grims, bridleway then be cheeky, I then go S and loop down to and do Thames path back up but more stiles than ideal

elfin

“If you have been involved in a road accident, then under the Road Traffic Act, the ambulance service can make a charge, not a lot of people know that….. *might be Scotland only, not clear from http://www.national-ambulance.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=60

I do actually coz I was charged after getting knocked off a motorbike by a car driver.

you could always get a trail bike and and do quite country roads and find some easier going green lanes to get off road a bit, I did some bimbling on a serow (small 225cc trail bike, very effective off road though) and really enjoyed it, even in my area (berks and around) there are roads with grass up the middle and you can get a bus down the Ridgeway off road.

Before you go spending mad, I’d do some local research on rights of way/local clubs/facilities, I gave up trail riding (and TRF) quite a while ago as so many local lanes got closed down/reclassified that there just aren’t enough local places to ride to make it worthwhile. I ended up doing holidays abroad (Greece, Crete, Spain etc as they are less restrictive). Try the TRF website and maybe attend a local meet. http://www.trf.org.uk/, see also the TBM magazine which is in some shops for ads etc. http://www.trailbikemag.com/

Offroad motorbiking (IMHO) can be more physically demanding than mtb (esp in deep mud and dragging) but to be fair some of the best fun I ever had was trail riding.

There are a few places that you can hire an MX at a track, well worth it and it will give you a feel for it. (Yamaha and Honda used to run sessions) http://www.yamaha-offroad-experience.co.uk/ as above

Re bike, if you only want offroad/trail riding enduro bike probably better, if you want do some road as well then trail may be better.

The xr honda range is bombproof and common as muck (but does the job), if you do buy an enduro (as opposed to trail) bike then check things like front/rear brake lights, horn, numberplate light, speedo etc for full legality as some plod and mot inspectors can be over zealous.

I’m a bit out of date but as a trailie DR350 (probably hard to get a good one now) used to suit larger lads, who did real offroad, the lighter the better is a reasonable rule and fit wrapround handguards (bike spares are expensive..)

Overall it’s definitely one of the best parts of my life, so so so many fabulous memories, a fantastic way to get out and about, sadly now no longer in favour….good luck

Thanks guys

diy skills are now + 1, easier than I thought, bike must be 6 or 7 years old and the bearings pretty much came out as documented, didn’t have to hammer hard enough to make me nervous, bit of cleaning arm etc etc and now replaced and thorougly copaslipped.

goes well with Hagen Dazz vanilla, Bramble whisky not to my taste, but to be fair I don’t like whisky so it was only an experiment ……

gf is coeliac

See Tesco/Sainsburys/others free from ranges
Genius bread currently best bread *IMGFHO
(*There is a coeliac society – worth joining for info)

Indian – lots of curries are ok
Thai – ditto
Chicken Kebab – no pitta bread ………………..
The tapas place chain menus are gf (*gluten free) marked, as are some pub chains (Wetherspoons/Marstons I think)

cheers neil, I’ll be using that next time I cycle past a no bikes sign on front (sorry trust) land, should help my Basingstoke linear one way no end ……

what sort of range does it have (and does it need to be outside mounted )

ta

cheeky day out (well with gf on footpaths) *Sunday

through the forest, dapple everywhere, so mellow as to be like a toking session, down, via the victorian (??) cast iron 5 bar gate with the oldest ‘horse’ pull I’ve ever seen to the disused church (where I was delighted to see a solitary poppy cross at the foot of the 1st WW memorial), then down across open horse and sheep filled fields to the river, over the old sluice gates (original ornament still attached), the millenium salmon runner, past the mill over the canal and into the tree tunnel. Then back onto the canal, where convenietly a ‘cafe’ was doing alfresco bacon butties and brekkies, eating in the sunshine, canal again, looping back over the footbridge to via the fishing trail (*all fishermen smiling and saying hallo as usual) over the railway on the footpath, horn goes on a fast train – we’ve just crossed and are standing by the corrugated gate next to the line, through the local village and back along the canal, up a foopath onto back roads and home, a glorious morning, and then I mowed the lawn – ho hum …….

given that 6 months is actually quite a short time I’d try living with it, that should avoid any financial complications and ‘few days’ doesn’t sound like you’ve really given it a go, if it’s anything like the uk you’ll be looking after 4.5 months anyway…..

(*Don’t know Canada laws but you’ve signed a presumably legally binding agreement and you don’t need a bad reference for your next place…)

Maybe you could try suggesting a financial payment to allow mutually agreed termination – ie like loose deposit etc …..

I prefer preloved, less spam and I’ve done ok with small items on it.

yep, and has worked very well.

Mon-Fri has advantages, and is IMHO it’s the best (for the landlord).
other model, if you get a proper seperate annex is to do weekends/etc with a continetal brekkie – ie put a fridge, milk, cereal, microwave, kettle in there so you don’t have to be there. (I use these off ebay and it works well imho, note points above re rules/regs)
also had full time but that is a bit more ‘involving’

make sure that you BOTH understand the deal:
– the lodger needs to know and be prepared to respect your rules/lifestyle etc
– you need to make rules suitable to the fact that it’s no longer ‘your house’ and you are getting money for providing a service etc and somebody else is living there

contact your property insurer/understand issues(*you will possibly not be covered if lodger nicks stuff, or you can probably get a specialist policy)

When people view always tell them that someone has been round already and is first in queue (as if you don’t like them you can say sorry – but the first bloke took it, some people find this easier to say)

are there any local business with visiting workers etc, esp ones who aren’t on company expenses etc ? language schools etc etc ????

get a deposit, copy of passport dets/licence dets etc (ie photo identity), phone and emails – google etc on phone and emails prior to acceptance

rent – review local competition and set appropriately, do maths, if you rent at £20 quid a month less than the competition and rent 1 month quicker – who wins

my mates like Southpoints when they hire, 8ft 2 to be exact, also seen Bics get good reviews

Before voting, you might want to consider how limited off roading already is (*and how much the ramblers get in comparison to everybody else)

Figures for England.
Footpaths – (146,600 km) over which the right of way is on foot only;

Bridleways – (32,400 km) for pedestrians, horse riders and bicyclists (who must give way to people on foot or on horseback); and

Restricted byways – (6,000 km). carriageways over which the right of way is for all types of traffic except mechanically propelled vehicles. Currently most of these are former Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPPs) re-designated en-masse, by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, on 2 May 2006.

Byways open to all traffic (BOATs) – (3,700 km) carriageways over which the right of way is on foot, on horseback and for all vehicular traffic (including mechanically propelled vehicles, but which are used mainly for the purposes for which footpaths and bridleways are used (i.e. by walkers and horse riders). Use the following link for more on the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on rights of way.

click on ‘Map Key’ bottom lhs, main blue window on streetmap, and then cycle on it

For surfing and accom contact Rapture surf Morocco, they run a bunkhouse type place (*well did a few years ago), and I would recommend them very highly – great people/fab food. (I also did the Exodus holiday and Rapture blew them away for food and vfm)

possibly not related, but when I unbolt a new jockey wheel they’re all loctited (or other subtance threadlocker), maybe you could try that. It’s never happened to me though.

blimey, that means it’s a queen that’s wrapped round my windscreen wipers, should I tell the palace ?

get a proper wasp spray/dust
spray/dust, run away
return at least 24hrs later with a bin liner and short handled shovel
dispose
find hole they got in, fix

my gfs is plated, I’m sorry to say it’s not good, she can’t raise the plated arm much above her shoulder level, some neck pain and she can’t lift her bike over stiles, I’d also say that even 6 years on it’s still a confidence limiter (*but she is 58 so I think some of that comes with age as well, and she only started biking at 54), hope you’re more lucky.

mine is unplated (about 35 years ago) and was fine after a few months…..

gf likes Altura 3/4 baggies and Ron Hill Aspirations (*running) tops – but she bikes and runs so tops get ‘reused’

another perspective might be – should people be allowed to throw out something that is working perfectly – ie also take into account the power of marketing and keeping up with the jones. Ever seen the amount of working stuff that ends up at a tip, and have you ever tried getting spares for a 20 year old washing machine (I have, as I come from a make do and mend background – they’re hard to find and bloody expensive – but if you enforced standardised componentry [which would facilitate the concept of repairing]then lots of people would be short of a job …………………..)

(sorry for advert but wanted to check title)

this was a laugh out loud for both me and a mate, some of same authors others at about same date – the ones set in South Africa were also good

“Why is that so hard? ” (* 2% length I think is the answer 2300 out of 118000 miles)

I think part of the issue is that to downgrade is very easy and requires only reclassification, however to upgrade (footpath to bridleway, bridleway to BOAT etc) has some fundamental cost issues – in that a footpath can have stiles etc, a bridleway must have horse gates etc (no stiles in other words) and a BOAT has to have proper ‘road’ type gates etc (no stiles, horse gates etc and I suspect(??) that there may be width definitions etc. There is a potential massive cost associated.

As a complete aside re Coastal access I could understand land owners whingeing when it appears that the path (which I was guessing would be 3 to 6ft wide) actually has to have overspill areas etc and appears to have to be a lot wider (*yes I am not entirely clear on my facts so apologies for any misinformation given in this sentence).

cg – I think you’re right about PR offensive – BUT it has to be across ALL types of users, and I’d have to say that I think that especially in the ramblers camp that opinions are so entrenched that there is no real point in talking to someone who won’t listen.

I also feel you’re avoiding the harsh reality (in England/Wales) that vehicles pre crow/2006ish etc had about 5% of access to the ‘all path’ total and this is now down to about 2%, biking horses are about 22%ish% and the ramblers get it ALL 100%+ (yes + – all paths, some open access, and the oncoming coastal path plus nature reserves etc etc). You’re suggesting that the villagers have a right to get what they want yet you seem to be happy for another set of users wants to be completely ignored. I think sharing and give and take is appropriate, I appreciate lots of people don’t like vehicles but a society whereby minority interests that others don’t like are crushed doesn’t seem that appealling to me. I’m afraid I don’t see much sharing or give from the ramblers (but they were happy to take the 3% of vehicle access away when they got the chance) and I repeat my concern that in comparision to other offroad users (including mtb) they are incredibly well funded and represented.

I’m still using me Univega 509 (*road tyres pub bike), my Giant Terrago is a stable bike for a mates wife and my Mount Vision (round) is another mates wifes bike.

as an alternative cg, why not get your elderly ramblers to try listening and to try to accept the difference between facts and what they’ve read/heard.

I have talked to quite a few elderly people, the fact that they were illegally blocking my motorbike whilst I was obeying the law was lost on them e.g “you come up here blasting pass” – well actually I was doing about 5mph and just in case you hadn’t noticed I’m actually stopped listening to you – that really has happened on quite a few occasions.

The ramblers concept of sharing seems to be them getting everything they want – at the expense of others, and frankly that rather frightens me, as in comparison to all other offroaders they have much MUCH more political and financial clout.

I’m happy to share, I’d like mtb access increased to 50/60% of total paths (so a huge rise from 22ish%) and vehicles back up to 5% (where they were in about 2005/before crow crap).

ok cg – challenge, we’ll get a wet bit of track, I’ll follow 6 (motor) bikers, you follow 6 horses, I reckon I’ll win ?

IMHO the ruts etc left by vehicles at least tend to have a middle or side lanes, or if not too deep can be used as they tend to be compacted, horses seem to churn everything into an impassable morass.

cg – ‘ But I am trying to see the bigger picture of an increasing elderly population who want to remain active and enjoy their local trails. They are being frightened’ ????

see http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/places/rightsofway/prow/default.aspx

I think you need new glasses, lets face it, they should only be frightened on 2% of tracks, is it beyond them to stick to the tiny, microscopic 98% (+ plus open access etc) of tracks where they will be left in peace ? or isn’t 98% enough for them (in the bigger picture of course)

‘and let the Ramblers Association fight for the rights of their mountain biking wing. Seems like a no lose approach for the likes of us. Thoughts? ‘

Cracking idea mate, we can go for the 2.5% of all paths in England and Wales that vehicles legally use (*that we already have access to anyway). After all we (mtbers get a whole 22% ish), the ramblers only get 100%+ (yes 100%+ – all tracks, plus open access, plus oncoming coastal path etc).

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/places/rightsofway/prow/default.aspx

I carry Satmap, relevant OS:50000 and compass (and I used the compass until about a year ago when the Satmap took over).

In unknown areas I tend to read a little bit ahead (map or satmap) and work by feature – stream, end of forest, low point, crossing/footpath etc etc etc – ie turn R after 3 paths and a stream sort of carry on, so you are sort of mentally following the route, and do a map check every so often to confirm it’s not gone hideously wrong, you usually have a followable path, so you have something that you can ‘assume’ you can follow.

As for distance don’t know of naismiths for MTB but I know my normal flat speed so can approximate at uphill and downhill – but I can’t see it being that close)

I suspect I wouldn’t do a new to me ‘wilderness route’ if I thought the weather would close in, and I also try to plot routes in sort of circle/oval round a middle car park so your bailout is pretty easy (obviously this depends on available tracks)

why not call her Maggie, that way when you want her to come home you can shout Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, in, in, in…

can get satmap inc uk:50 for about 325ish (*if you’re lucky and shop around)

Also MM on computer I upload routes via Satsync (*free download from satmap site), works fine.

Only issue I had with satmap is as map SD card is ‘secure’ it corrupted when I tried to back it up, but they sent a free replacement under warranty.