I would think that a bad place to be would be a gambling student planning to work in London and then getting a job that involves crossing a major river…….

Used the valve out of one in a lemonade bottle to make a ram pump pressure holder.

When I was a (motorbike) trail rider used to cut (motorbike) ones into 1" loops and use them as gaiters to hold wterproof trousers onto MX boots. Also used them in loops as grab handles for dragging bikes out of bogs etc.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8297418.stm

you might need more than 15 grand

Also build in the cost of software or decide how you will load routes etc and if you like using the software.

I use a garmin Extrex Legend and Memory Map (I'd seem them used before and I got them secondhand).

Pros – cheap about £120 all in, nearly good enough to ride by. (Route, direction arrow, pretty accurate and if you build the 'route' to the route can be very good), also tracks, avg speed etc doesn't do altitude but you get thta bia MM.

Cons – no rolling OS map, batteries can shake lose (etrex fault – blutack etc fix), loses fix under trees.

If money were no object I'd get one that displayed as rolling OS50,000 as I've used them for 35 years …

wow, 2000 a year wow, wow

Context: to get a decent pension (say 14776.32) a private sector worker will have to have accumulated £400,000 in their money pot. (Male, 60, pension with RPI increases)

http://www.annuity-bureau.co.uk/AF_CMS/Resources/Annuity%20bureau/rates_rpi.html

I think the public sector really do need to stop talkng salary and start comparing overall lifetime package.

oh by the way my gf is a nurse 41 (forty one) days annual leave, nearly as much as an MP… or a teacher ….

Can you not suggest to the council that if they ae using 'surface' as a criteria for closing bridleways they could also use it as a criteria for upgrading footpaths.

You could also point out that there have been massive increases in the numbers leisure cycling over the past 20 years or so, which is pretty much positive all round – health, local economy, helping address the obesity trend, reducing impact on NHS drone Z blah (better wording reqd).
During this period, ramblers who already had 100% access to 'tracks(footpath, BOAT, Restricted BOAT, RUPP, Bridleway – and whatever other acronym, and classification the **** have come up with)' have actually got even more – they got the right to roam and are likely to get coastal access. The amount for cycling/horeriding has remained static at about 21% of total tracks, it seems appropriate that to meet the public need that the council should be looking at expanding the bridleway network by upgrading footpaths.

As a more cynical point you may wish to point out to the anti cycling cvnts that when a RUPP/BOAT was overused by vehicles it was selectively restricted by a TRO (sometimes with a date range specified) specific to vehicle users, they could do the same with horses on bridleways that are overused or unsuitable….

mandmdirect

certain very good deals and lots of tat as well,

capitalism

we have arseholism – which is where you can keep taking out without putting ANYTHING in.

The only working case of socialism I've ever seen that was anything like justifiable was implemented at sailing club.
Option A – high membership fee, Option B – lower membership fee plus work 1 day for club,…. F – pretty minimal fee, several days work for club.

Morocco – biking and surfing (rapture surf camps – RECOMMENDED)
Exodus – Atlas trip (good routes but distinctly pricey)

Days – hot, nights not so, rather pleasant distinct lack of xmas decorations and church crap.

gf cooking full pork roast (*tesco bargain incident)
rose, may go to Dry Blackthorn later
autumnwatch, cmon Sunderland

See

http://listentotaxman.com/index.php

can work it all out

would you call it Dali ?

Handy if you have lambs (farmers are putting them in with sheep, who they quite like, so when mr fox comes the llama expresses it's displeasure in a traditional manner)

Also handy if you were an ex punk, as they also show displeasure by gobbing on you ….

;+)

op, hope you don't mind the blag
Hi Knottie
looks awesome, any chance of a route, as I dream about future expeditions.

Gus – email <forumname>@<notcold>mail<dot>com

thanks

Did you actually buy the magazine ?, after all they're our forests.

Yeah, I was hooked then gave up (I got better and needed stronger wind – inland that wasn't that often) – still it dove tailed well with biking ……

I think most people didn't make it past the tiring and painful uphauling stage.

Might be handy to point this out to all the wind turbine fans ……. ;+)

do surfing now – just need 1 bit of kit, but still toy with the idea of another Neilson or Sunsail to Greece etc

could try soaking in plus gas or another releasing oil

make a reservoir of plasticine/plastic bag/zipppy clips etc etc and soak overnight.

I was told (rightly or wrongly) that when soaking you should tap with a hammer every so often to encourage penetration …..

Hi, yep, no probs, I'll be there, are you going for a pre-shufti

Probably unrelated but FYI.

The Extrex range had a problem with batteries not quite staying in place, this resulted in mysterious offs. Fixed with blutack/tape etc to hold the batteries properly………………….

I'd take care with first purchase, generally speaking, – if you buy quality kit it will last but be of no use if you don't use it – if you buy crap it won't work so well.

Shop around – there are a LOT of tents sales – I got a Eurohike Kent for £30 (Millets and Blacks as examples).

I'd strongly recommmend a decent front porch style – wet gear, shoes etc there, dry gear ONLY in inner and stuff left 'outside' in not left in open or covered in dew etc.

Ground mats help – heat and comfort – have you airbeds, or couple of blankets folded into a bed shape would do, a thermarest is great but £50ish.
If you have quilts you don't mind using they would do instead of sleeping bags (take extra blankets).

Use a household torch(so reusable) – get led lights £3 at TKMaxx etc etc.

Cooking – I got a double burner and gas of ebay £35, however what about taking a couple of portable BBQs – £5 (watch campsite rules, as fires are often banned AND take a couple of bricks to stop them burning the grass). You can do bacon and suasage (quickly ,……).

There are NF camp sites – sorry New Forest but it's quite hard to tell the difference.

I use this site – http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=117

hi CG

I'm a date dependent hands up.

Might have to brush up knowledge a bit though …

My dad (and a few other mates) used to get stags out of old ladies gardens in winter by poking them with a ladder, that looked pretty dangerous to me.

never had anything work loose

decent torque wrench/manual

loctite torqseal etc – thread locking products.

cut, sprung washer *depends on fitting and may not be suitable

Tip – get an old nut and bolt (you don't need and of no use), and big spanner and keep tightening it till you get that sickening feel when it suddenly goes from v hard to turn to free rotation, remember that feeling before applying brute force and ignorance.

I put my glasses halfway down my nose so I can look over or through, depending on circumstances.

I'd do some proper maths

Package vs Package
Tangible bits
– salary (*300 = 500 @ 40% tax, beware NI etc) http://www.e-gismos.com/ukpay.asp
– pension (and really understand this), IMHO no pension is better than a small pension unless they change means testing. Private Pension Pot £100,000 = say 5kish pension(*will vary). If they put in 1% then you'll be working for a while ….. Final Salary pension = golddust
– holiday
– sick
– travel etc costs
Intangibles (and these have to be YOUR values)
– security
– career
– work/life balance
– travel time
– potetial futures

Diarrhoea doesn't mix well with trouser clips

I'd twist check everything

bike upside down and spin wheels like buggery – see what wheel does, and do distances between things remain static entire revolution or does it move, retry applying brake.
try twisting wheel in forks (hold forks with knees and see if wheel can be moved 'on' the qr)
try twisting forks (pull one leg, push other)
try rocking forks bacward and forward(if you put your hand over the join you might feel movement – same as you would on a headset thta was loose etc)
is the caliper centred (same amount of pad on each side), can it be mounted further out ?
are spokes tight – ring when hit lightly with a spanner end etc, do they all make the same sound when you pluck them with your fingers

and are you sure it's what you think making the noise

+1
plus make them take an articulated vehicle test, including reversing and making reasonable progress.

Re horses, I have yet to be nearly trampled by a bicycle (including even singlepeeds) that was startled by a passing crisp bag and was completely and utterly out of control.

at uni had a lecturer called Cecil Pitt, he preffered the longer version …

I've always found the sign 'Family Butcher' as an interesting concept

marketing and advertising depts are probably pretty keen…

sorry, forgot to add do a lessons check as most were experienced surfers.

Also been to France (Biarritz) with Surf South West. Alos a very good bunch. Ditto lessons.

http://www.surfsouthwest.com/surfing-holidays.asp.

For tuition Surf South West might be better (language) and setup.

I did Morocco @ xmas with Rapture Surf Camps
Tuly recommended.
I spent two weeks in Morocco, one with a well know BIG company (£900ish), one with Rapture (£350 ish), Rapture was better organised and MUCH better food.

*Accom was basic (but fine) shared a dorm with 7 others, honesty fridge, video/music lounge, outings, good surfing, amazingly good and varied food. Only thing you might want to check is camp language – when I was there it was English as most people who were there spoke it, the next week it became German as that was the common one.

http://www.rapturecamps.com/morocco/surfcamp

I thought that they 'volunteered' to be relocated, due to harsh conditions and short nunbers of people fit enough to gather food.

Big up to religion, really long sermons during prime food gathering time, cracking plan. (*My dad actually saw a church revolt – lates 50s North tip Scotland, cracking Sunday, after 3 hours this young bloke got up and apologised and said this is the first fishing day for 4 days and my family haven't eaten for 3 – I'm getting them food – half the church left)

They didn't do well on relocation either, having no immunity to common mainland diseases wasn't that helpful.

Mind you the marriage test might help – stand on a slab – toes over the edge, with a vertical drop to the sea and touch your toes……

Put on a trenchcoat.
Get to CENTRE of party, gather crowd round.
Drop trenchcoat to reveal nothing but a pair of shreddies (*clean advised)
wait for the gasps to die down.
What have you come as ?
I'm a premature ejaculation – I've come in my pants …….

Dunk in nearby stream.
Coolboox/bag ?

they possibly stretched so were slightly larger – are you getting fatter ;+), also always buy shoes in evening as blood settles at bottom of body (*assumes you spend most of day upright).
thinner socks,
or shoehorn
or tennis ball
or make a strecher out of something and go gentle

There is a route I did quite a few years ago, it's on my old OS maps, but appears to now be discontinued on new maps.

*Quite iffy, had to go through a tussock bog at end (ie carrying, but that might be my navigation) and down a ledge I clipped out and walked as it was a-narrow, b-high.

Anyway if you're interested I can probably talk you through it, best done one way (in fact only sensible one way)

I've always fancied Great Glen route, I guess as I like water as well as hills. – Distance: 80 miles, suspect it's not the most interesting MTB ride, anyway in my 'hope to do before crinkliedom box'
http://cycling.visitscotland.com/find_route/highlands/great_glen_route_overview.

I used to enforce camp (lack of money) when younger, I still camp and bivvy but I find having enough money to decide to B&B or bunkhouse an exceptionally pleasant option, ie build in some options.

I'd check the specific train, I **think** that some companies prohibit it at rush hour.

I ended up buying a bike bag, which meannt no problem.

may not be to your taste but you can sometimes get a cheap travelodege room.

(I managed £29 in New Forest)