nice Thameside local (non tech) loop, Reading.
Station, N over LHS bridge to Caversham, W along Thames, continue W, Nish Goring, retrace or E through woods. (OS 175)

If you're not very fit/quick and can get to Burghfield Common at about 5.30ish prob Weds I do a local loop (some cheeky bits)

Swinley (aka lookout) will be on your doorstep (on M3 side edge of Brac), jumps etc there, well hidden but well worth a wander around.

If the tax payer funded free MX areas, in a large number of locations, where people could go free (and easily avoid parking charges ;-]) do you think the MX problem would reduce ?

I'd get the local OS Maps (50,000 should do)

lots of bits between Swindon/Marlborough/Avebury
S Kingsclere, then Basingstoke
N towards ridgeway has a lot as well
Reading/Chilters.

See http://www3.hants.gov.uk/cycling/cycling-maps-leaflets.htm which is vaguely local

Canal is a pleasant bimble (train can be used as well), architecture near Bradford On Avon is pretty impressive.

when I was a lad in the evening it was haggis supper, white pudden supper, red pudden supper, brekkie was lorne sausage and white pudden slice, I also think who invented the oval plate, thirded, with chips then curry then rice should be knighted mind you we had exotic dessets like rhubarb stalks and a brown paper bag with sugar in it.

As above – (mc post)

Have a look at SPICE (It's a professional activities/weekends away/weeks etc club) – it is a bit pricey but you get to try lots of weird and wonderful things – and can always do them privately if you like them.

Your local library may have a clubs etc folder where there might be something you fancy trying.

locals quiz
(but fairly easy)
translate these truly ovehead 'Americanised' town names
Dumb Fries
Mow Fat

very overlooked area, pareents live in Girvan, so I driven through it lots of times.

Glentrool area, awesome, scenery, trails, Galloway Forest area

Kirkcudbright is an 'arts town', http://www.kirkcudbright.co.uk/

Gairliestone – see bit about Mulberry harbours, Harbour Inn was good, (mellow pub, beach, harbour)

http://www.whithorn.info/community/garlieston.htm

Solway firth coast is a nice drive.

http://forums.forestresearch.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/ScotlandDumfriesandGallowayNoForestGallowayForestParkGlentroolVisitorCentre!OpenDocument&Click=

I copaslip the post and cover the frame split with insulating tape, which goes under clamp ok.

plockton, bunkhouse a station

glen trool loch ken

I have a similar mid back problem. Was very stiff, only comfy in foetal type curl up, spasms that caused me to stop walking/talking, middle of back was like a rock, docs opinion was muscle spasm I'm on Naproxen (2 a day), (I was given a choice of strong – can't drive, normal – can drive – I'm self employed so driving) I'm certainly getting bettter -0 not sure if tablets or time but nearly normal after about 7 days, 3 of which were bad (ie 10 min walk to work up to 20 on a bad day)

mm – Berkshire, Reading, Caversham, bridlepath W along the Thames – a jolly nice ride and ramble, up hill, river views etc.

A bunch of cts had organised a bike race with about 100 numbered competitors and it was near the start – EVERYBODY pushed into the fence by shouting, competing riders – us, ramblers with children, fantastic PR exercise.

We come to a junction (all public,metalled road), marshalled, and we turn up hill, lots of shouting, 'you can't go up there' – why not it's a public road, 'there'll be a race down there in a few minutes, you'll get in the way' – lots of shouting as we headed up.

There is truly something really unpleasant about the arrogance of rather too many cyclists. If you want to race do what everybody else has to do and pay to hire somewhere private.

as above really, when younger I lived all over rural Scotland (dad was a lighthouse keeper). As a child I loved it, as a teenager I found it could be hard going.

If you miss town centres, takeaways, shopping choice and city facilities etc it might be a bad move, ie the nearest decent shopping centre is Inverness.

I'd take into account things like fuel price rises, cost of living (houses wil be cheaper but not goods) if you have kids bear them in mind – facilities, proximity of friends etc and how what you want to do and like to do/lifestyle fits in with the area and it's facilities. I'd suggest you'd need to be pretty happy in a small pool and prepared to work hard at integrating and building up a social life.

http://www.p2d.co.uk/acatalog/Deuter_Backpack_Clearance.html

I went for speedlite 30, pretty good

make sure you get it sorn via DVLA (or you'll be fined by default as I understand it)

re car – make sure it moves a 1/4 wheel turn between sits, so it isn't always sitting on same part of tyre. (I'd agree with molgrips in thta actually driving it would be a lot better – fully heat engine each week – you tax it your dad can probably drive it on 3rd party only via his ins – check this though)

trickle charger every so often might help if it has an alarm etc.
Run air con and heater and fully operate brakes quite a few times, if it has these.

my practical gene is shouting, when it comes to bearings less is more…

I can't see any distinction between bankers and mps (and senior civil service/public sector workers)

– it's not their money
– they get paid irrespective of the success/ability (and a damn fine pension) (*and when the country is up the sh*tter who do you think the police etc will make sure is ok ?)
– I have less control over them than I do my bank (* I can change banks easily, I can ONLY vote out my local mp and even then that's dependent on it not being a safe seat)

still if you keep voting you'll keep getting politicians, and obviously the more of them there are the better the job they'll do ………

wear a collar and take a plastic bag …………………………

Burghfield Common

MIP – hopefully, around Fri eve/Sat am so far

*can only do email at home

depends
-riding takes priority over walking
-if both parties in same mode, descender, as it's easier to set off downhill

but to be fair you'd think that between them they could adjust speed to meet at an appropriate place … (yes I know it'd doesn't work like that)

yep, several times

as a small child I saw my parents poking the fire, interesting when we got mains electricity and electric fire ….
also, slightly older, Xmas, Scalectrix, plug wired, too impatient, didn't screw plug top on…., pushed it in with my hand flat on top of it and did a double backward roll across the room, as all the lights went out …

I now always touch stuff with back of hand till I'm sure..

gonefishin

"The simple fact is that the government is decided by the voters of England "

"More people voted for the Conservatives in England than for Labour – but the Conservatives won 92 seats less than Labour within England (285 to 193). The Conservatives received 60,000 more votes than Labour in England."

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/2005_british_general_election.htm

yep LHS +1
A – UK – same rules EVERYWHERE – 1 set of tossers, sorry MPs (think of the salary, building, expense, consultancy fees, hanger on posts and final salary pension scheme savings)
B – independence – various sets of tossers (funded SOLELY by OWN country) Suggest doing some history research into the Union – history has a tendency to repeat itself
http://scottishhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/darien_scottish_colonial_disaster_in_1700

I'm going out (from Burghfield Common), planning on Tue (but this relies on car passing MOT) at about 5.30pm – but can change nights, however I've had a torn calf and then groin strain so am less than fit.

Do I think it's rigged somehow ?

"More people voted for the Conservatives in England than for Labour – but the Conservatives won 92 seats less than Labour within England (285 to 193). The Conservatives received 60,000 more votes than Labour in England."

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/2005_british_general_election.htm

For every million who voted Labour they secured 37 MPs, for every million who voted Conservative they achieved 22 MPs and for every million who voted Liberal Democrat they secured 10 MPs.

http://www.makemyvotecount.org.uk/opus19056.html

probably not much help, but at least it's factual

my mum, 82, in pain, very limited mobility (getting up out of chair slowly, crabbing whilst walking etc etc), VERY UNHAPPY, hip replaced, no pain, much more mobile, considerably happier.

I use a G clamp – to hold the cleat in place whilst drilling (as the first time I drilled one out the inner plate spun round and tore the shoe lining – ho hum)

I've installed firefox.

Do a google as I'm sure that was a reported problem (ie not accessing internet).

gf 4ft 10, Spec Myka 13" was about only thing that I could find, she loves it, esp low curve tube.

sorry, if you're near Reading you can have a demo

I use Extrex and Memory Map
I find it good for planning routes (I pick a route, plot, check distance and climbs etc and rework as reqd – as I did via OS but much quicker)

Get gradients etc etc.

Can download routes, see also gpsbabel.

IMHO it's not quite good enough to follow in the real world, (as the gps gives no context), so I always plot a turn slightly before it is so it indicates before so you're locking for the turn, (I'd love a rolling OS) and in multi track areas it's not always obvious etc. but it gives os coords so add map and sorted.

Can upload trail and see actual route, speed etc etc.

I'd do some pricing – as the whole uk maps are pretty expensive, so it might be worth pricing your needs on the different systems.

are you huge ?

me and gfs bikes, orange 5 16" and Spec Myka 13" (yes we are shortarses), take out rear seat cushions, sheet over, myka both wheels out, across seat, O5 front out, diagonally across, wheels in – offski

spd shorts mate, it's the future

clunk click every trip ………………………..

suggest you try the original – well weird but it definitely worked for me )*mind you I suspect it may be lacking technical sophistication/stunts etc etc for todays audiences), one of the things I remember from childhood (saw it first time round) – went to Portmeirion because of it – and been back about 10 times, fab place, wander round the gardens, take in the weird architecture (Italianate village, Welsh estuary) or nip down coast to Barmouth and do possibly best family cycle in UK (wood bridge, huge estuary, mountains – all from a railway track)

gf is a coeliac (and this mail is re coeliac only)

http://www.coeliac.org.uk/

not being funny but I'd make sure she is a good cook asap – this will let her eat well, be sure of food content and allow her to control her diet, it can be pretty limiting for eating out. Genius bread is the best (IMgfO) but it's pretty expensive, all supermakes do 'free from' ranges.

I just make sure I always carry a few powerbars she can eat etc to deal with emergencies etc.

gf on wine, I'm on vodka/ginger beer and irritatingly no lime ..

what a mellow eve

I reckon that an office desk would have dropped straight in, chop legs to reqd length, also if the grass is lower than the decking you'll need a strimmer to do the bits the mower can't get to ;+)

I got some clean cardboard (back of an A4 pad) and made a U to cover disc, the clamped a large adjustable spanner over U and used it to lever disc. You have to overbend to get the required bend if you see what I mean, go slow and steady till you get a feel for how much force and pull it takes to make a change to the rotor.

Try (very very hard) not to touch any 'brake' part (pad faces, disc) with hands or anyhing else oily,greasy etc etc.

+1 samuri

Junkyard, in the test I read your statement didn't hold up. They tested various motorcyclists (from just qualified to highly experiencd) – hazard perception, control etc. Their very clear observation was that the more alchohol you had the more your ability mattered and the highly experienced riders were able to function at a higher level whilst legally very drunk than the beginners were whilst sober.

As quite a significant number of people don't need the assistance of alchohol to drive like a c*** and given that most people seem to think that being able to drive is a basic human right I can see a problem here, however, sadly as the 'drink' is easy to establish it's not them that will get punished. See Burls72 point above.

In fact I'm sure that quite a few drivers would be happy to put their coffee down and pick up their phone etc to report drink driving or speeding………

if you go barcary castle W then ssW, then S, then E (well sort of) you will find an out of place pile of boulders on a slope – that's where the the ice age stopped and left debris .
Issue was the heat from the M4 ;+)