Lol, no parts of ANY industrial or commercial area looks pretty and I've seen and visited many as part of my job. But truthfully and honestly there are some stunning areas round the Stoke area and as has been said here and on many other threads about local riding, there are some brilliant hidden away gems and also some well known areas.

It's nearly part of them – and I HATE people thinking Stoke is also Newcastle! I'm a Newcastle boy and proud!
I would have offered show the local trails but have plans this weekend I'm afraid. Email me if your likely get out in the week ok.

Hey!!!!!!! I'm from Newcastle Under Lyme – one of the towns of Stoke! Yeah Stoke is a shithole but it does have other places and some great places to ride. Hanchurch is well know on here and I live close to a place called Apedale and there's some cracking riding round there. Nightlife in Newcastle is "loud" at times and so is Hanley and there's plenty of places to eat out too. Basically the same as most industrial/run down places I guess lol.

Del, the Americans are so up their own arses they virtually brainwash themselves! The way they force their culture on other countries and what they do and stand for does them no good whatsoever. They call themselves world champions when the in at NFL for christs sake. I'm glad we try not follow what the yanks do.

My morning commute is getting really scary and I'm going go a different way. This morning a big lorry came so so close, they just don't give a shit at all. I'd no chance of getting his number either as he was going so fast. I'm still waiting for the police get back to me regarding the driver who deliberately drove at me although I had a letter form them asking if I was available for court on any day. Hope that's a sign that action is being taken against the tosser.

Honest advice – that's a laugh. The vast majority of shops will always always tell you what they stock is the best – end of! That's because they will make sales and hence a living from it. Being helpful and not being a know-it-all and friendly is a nice place to start.

I have tried a 5 series and the 330 I have is an M Sport and they are totally different boxes. It's far far better :D
Far more sports cars are being fitted with auto boxes as they shift quicker than any driver can and they can put electronics in them to help with performance. One mans meat is another's poison I guess.

So all auto's are the same as ambulances – WTF! They are ALL different, just like all cars drive/handle differently. My BMW 330Ci is an auto and has the 3 stage gearbox – normal, sports and also sequential and it doesn't jerk in any of it's modes, is quick in all it's modes and is very quick in sports mode too. Total mile muncher and still a blast round country roads even with the auto box. Love it.

The 15mm axle is a one-piece affair and so that little nut on the end of the QR axle can move and so means a bit of messing about when fitting. I've used both and much prefer the 15mm axle or 20mm than over normal QR and even if the benefit of a stiffer front end is marginal I still think it's worth it.

This was my Merlin Oreas – 21.3lb and all without any bits that are suspect. Could have knocked a bit more off I wanted but it was a brilliant ride as it was so left it at that.

Great result and really well played – even if Johnny missed that penalty at the end.

From the top (Capello) to the players on the whole, what an utterly shameful performance and you thoroughly deserved to be boo'ed off by fans who pay thousands to see that shitte you produced. The tactics were crap, the spirit, heart, desire and will to win was totally absent and they were too scared to do anything or take any chances and that's why they failed beat a very third rate team.

I've seen an orange DWL model and it looked really really nice. I've got an old HL model and it's the standard sparkle silver. Have a look at some Ellsworth frame paint jobs as they look very very nice.

I bet KK used the mens toilet on the plane too! Jesus, it's a bloke in drag surely??????

Lots of scumbags keep their guns away from their own homes – it's all about being caught in possesion you see. They pick them up before commiting any crimes then return them back to their "safe" hiding places. They usually use kids they know. This stupid woman was doing exactly the same thing and she knew it so glad she got what she deserved.

Yes but us English fans can take revenge on them

RIAT at Fairford is way way the best for Military stuff. Huge display lines and great displays. Will be ging again this year to see the Raptor F-22's and hopefully this beauty – the Vulcan.

Amazing – racing at flat out speeds over 24hrs and giving everything you have. Just seen the last Peugeot blow up but credit to them, they really did give their all.

RRS's are the main vehicle of choice for the footballers WAG's – have a look in ANY Premiership car park! I knew one guy who had one and he hated it and bought a Porsche Cayenne S, which I know loads of people detest for it's looks but comparing the RRS and the Cayenne S which he had he said it was a no-contest fight. He said the Cayenne S drove like a sports car and could easily be driven fast round bends whereas the RRS just couldn't match it. How it would go off-road though is another matter I guess.
I know someone who has an Audi Q7 S-Line and he loves it – except for the tyres he keeps going through lol.

RaceFace do have to be tightened up very tight but what I had done was remove the outer locking cap and then take out the one that actually tightens the crank onto the spindle. Then clean all the grease out of the spindle and screw and then apply a little stud lock. Put the crank arm on and then screw the cap on until it's nice and tight but still spins freely – making sure there's no play in the arms whatsoever!!! That's very very important. Then when the stud locks nice and dry, re-fit the self extracting locking cap back on and spin the cranks and they will be nice and smooth and all locked up solidly. Ride the bike and then re-check each ride to ensure it's all still tight and not working loose.
There must be a slight tolerance problem as my current 2010 cranks had to be treated like this when I fitted my new Enduro Zero Ceramic BB and it was very tight – not what I wanted after fitting a £140 BB!!! But I had this problem on the very first set of Deus XC cranks I had yet my next set went together perfectly. Try it and see how you go on – it's a bit of a fix but it should work. As for RF BB's they are utter shitte!

:wink:

Target Shooting – 10M Air Pistol

Used to play Badminton and 5-a side each week but family commitments mean I'm unable to do them all and as I was taking too long recovering from injuries playing football I thought it best finish that first. Shit at golf, hate running, hate going the gym so just riding for me now.

Yip same shoes – top top shoe indeed. I have the Eagle Carbon SRS and paid £90 about a year ago. Couldn't believe how much they are now :D

The Pacific – on iPlayer

Sometimes the cheap quotes and prices are for those that don't offer insurance for replacing the item. Basically they take a chance and hope it gets to you ok. Yes the price covers the box size but covering the contents is different. I remember posting a ti hardtail and the price including insurance for replacing the whole bike was incredible.

Total and utter respect to them, incredible speeds and incredible skills. I can thoroughly understand why some riders won't race there and the whole background to some of it. Thats because on normal race circuits like Mugello, Assen etc etc there are safe(ish) run-off areas where if a rider falls off, hopefully they won't injure themselves and as the whole championship runs over the whole season we want to see as many of these great riders week in week out instead of them being out through injury. It's a business after all and if you haven't the top riders competing, the fans won't come to watch.

I love the Greek Isles and have been to Crete and would recommend it but like others have said – avoid Malia! It's like a very hot Blackpool, very commercialized and full of drunks pmsl. Crete is steeped in history and you must visit Knossos and the museum in the capital. The people aren't as friendly as some of the other Isles and they do seem to suck up to the Germans more – as in they spend more so it seems. Greek food is brilliant too. As for the loos, yes you have to put the used paper in a bin but they are/should be flip top and it's easy keep them away from the shower lol.

A friend of mine is selling a Turner Flux but might not be slack enough for what ypu want.

Sent you an email Pob ok

Great shame for Vali but I'm sure he'll take the rest of the season off to recover properly as his chances of winning the world title are all but gone unless Jorge or Dani has a bad accident too. I think Casey's head is somewhere else – in Honda's camp I guess as he looks like a shadow of the guy who was winning 2 seasons ago. Was so looking forward to going Silverstone seeing Rossi – never mind

I'm running those shoes Killer and I'll measure them up tomorrow at work and let you know the sizes you need plus a good shop where you'll get them from easy enough. I'm sure they are all the same size except for the 2 on the very front plate that are bigger but I'll let you know later ok. They'll be easy get hold of but check CRC and see if they do any replacements.

I get to make nice shiny bike bits so it's like being a kid in a sweet shop. Jobs are done on my bike for free and I get to see lots of new stuff. My local trails are very good and also very quiet – not bad at all :wink:

I do feel we might loose some top players but I'm so hoping we don't. As for Rafa he was one stubborn man but he becamse victim of some bad decisions made at Anfield – the sale to the Yanks one of them and the biggest. He had his hands tied but worst of all was his bad buys and very poor treatment of Robbie Keane. He came with a good pedigree from Spain and did very well there and make instant impact for us. But his plan to be top-dog and for stability and long-term manangement never quite got there and so he's had his time and I wish him well as the players DID believe in him and performed for him but this season saw some poor performances from the top guys and that filtered into the rest of the squad and the rest is history. One things for sure Liverpool will be back and will always be a top contender but it's a transition season coming up and just hope the next new manager (Roy Hodgson maybe) can pull the squad together and give the fans something to cheer about.

I did precision target shooting – that's paper-punching as in "targets" but IMHO the most dangerous of all guns has always been the shotgun. The damage they can do close-quarters is immense compared to anything that fires a single bullet but as the snob fraternity and the Royals use them I doubt there will be any ban on them even after this very sad happening. I've never owned a shotgun and never would either.

I held guns legally many years ago, including SLR's semi-auto pistols etc and had to stop the hobby because of some stupid idiots. Since those days we've had tighter gun control and this sort of tragedy still goes on and show it shows those controls failed. Guns will find there way into this country, just as drugs do and it'll never get stopped. All it will do is punish responsible gun-owners as it did then and the dreamers will believe they've stopped it from happening and then one black day in the future it WILL happen again! Paxman's a cock of the highest order anyway.

I'm not saying this as I own a Turner but yes, they look a bit "ordinary" but they really do ride very very well and don't shout "I'm flash" at you and they just get on with the job in hand. They are ideal for our weather, laugh at mud and the geomoetry inspires you being just relaxed enough for confidence riding down steep stuff whilst never feeling twitchy through twisty tight steep singeltrack. The 5.5 is very close but suffers from bearing issues that mean you have to be on top of maintenance all the time or else the ride really does suffer. The 575 is another top top bike and one I'd happily recommend to anyone as is the Ibis

I'm in Newcastle Under Lyme – the Midlands :D

I'd only seen the Mojo in the magazines then we became dealers and after looking at them frames in the flesh they are much better than you'd think. The raw carbon looks so good but also the coloured ones are very very nice and superbly finished. Changed my mind completely. How the finish will last long term and also the bearings will be another issue but any bike has yearly running costs anyway.

Mike it's not mine but my bosses bike at BETD. I've borrowed it for a few days and been giving it a good going over and must say I thoroughly enjoyed it even though some parts fitted wouldn't be on it if I built it up but that's just a personal thing and no reflection on the Ibis itself. My boredom's been rectified by the purchase of another 5 Spot so I'm still smilling even though the Ibis has gone :D

Here's the small sized SL I've been riding and I must admit it's a mighty fine bike. One thing that really pleased me was how quiet it was as I was expecting a noisy ride with it being made of carbon. Very stiff, excellent climbing and the steering was very snappy and sharp. I think the very low weight certainly helped and made it very quick off the mark. One thing I will say and is something I'm finding after owning a few "boutique" brands is just how similar they all are and it's only after months of ownership you find just how good they are and what bad points they have. I've had 2 Turner 5 Spots (HL models), Yeti 575 (08) Intense 5.5 and SC Blur plus S Works Enduro/FSR's and they are all good bikes with not one being perfect but some better than others on certain areas. I'd recommend any of the above bikes to own as they will delight anyone but I honestly and genuinely believe that the HL Turner is the best overall and suits our conditions and trails so much better than the rest. One mans meat though blah blah blah