I use it to create routes, which I follow on my wahoo bolt. This year I’ve ridden in france, UK and Belgium (living in Belgium). It has been great to plan routes that avoid busy roads in an area I don’t know, but equally I can copy the public routes of other users.

It’s best for road rides and tours. For MTB, it’s variable, the tiny rabbit runs in my local woods are visible but further into Flanders they disappear.

Squirrelling is on the money. Jap spec cars tend to be lower spec than European spec.

If you’re looking at an e-corsa, also look at the Peugeot 208e. Same platform, but different ride and interior. I had a petrol 208 last year and was very impressed by styling. The build quality seemed better than fiat but worse than Renault.

Later in the year, there will be vw id3 and fiat 500.

I moved to Belgium a year ago. I’m now buying a flat, have a steady job and about to get a car. All this was possible because I got my residency (not permanent) paperwork done. To get that, I needed to prove my identity, that I have somewhere to live and a job. It was slow but easy.

After brexit, I imagine it will still be slow, but difficult, to do the same.

@leffeboy, I joined you on a ride on zonianwoud not long after I moved. Once the lockdown is over, I’ll come back and join again.

My dept has had three new starters in the past two weeks. Quick check of the corporate site shows there are vacancies in other depts. Automotive and in Brussels. If you can move abroad…

My left hand is a bit messed up. I really don’t like fenders, it’s something to do with the profile of the neck. I’m a big fan of Warwick and ibanez.

I started with a budget Yamaha that came with a small amp. It was good enough. Moved onto a 3/4 size ibanez because it was cheap, but I missed the range. After that a fretless 6 string Tanglewood (daft!, Too much to think about for me to play well).

Right now I have a four string Warwick streamer and a five string Warwick corvette. Slim necks, great tone and solid build. The rockbass streamer is good value and it is really versatile. I’ll play Warwicks for life, really happy with them.

I’ve also got an electro-acoustic ibanez. The electrics are awful but it plays nicely unplugged.

In an ideal world, try a few :)

Done :)

I work for a big car company on the continent. Right now, everybody is WFH and they are making sure office equipment is available. We’re using MS office tools for communicating. The really sweet thing is that everybody is looking out for each other. I’ve been off sick often recently with other issues, and the management response has been really positive. No redundancies announced, no pay cut announced, nothing yet. Fingers crossed it stays this way.

Longshot: if anybody needs help from Ixelles/Bruxelles in Belgium, get in touch.

Kinesis crosslight
Kinesis fend off guards
Aluminium pannier rack
Conti GT tyres with tubes/ schwalbe one tubeless
Kinesis crosslight wheels
Cable discs
Alpkit top tube bag
Small waterproof saddle bag to store muktitool, spare tube, patches, chocolate and 20€
Ortlieb panniers (rear)

I’ve used a lot of the kit above for multiday bike trips.

The best things I’ve got are the top tube bag (store wallet, keys, phone), ortlieb panniers (surprisingly stable off-road), discs (saved life at least twice) and the mudguards.

If you’re going to carry food, make sure your lunchbox is properly sealed. If your clothes are covered in yesterday’s fish curry, nobody will thank you!

I imagine a few autobiographies written by leading politicians attempting to cash in.

I’d happily get a new clio. Their new b-segment platform is well designed and specified. Until the release of the new Clio, I’ve thought their interiors were awful.

I wouldn’t get a Citroen. And I’m on the fence about Peugeot, although the new electric cars are getting good reviews.

If I won the lottery, I’d get an alpine a110 as my daily car.

In an old job, my colleagues decided to hold an intervention for our boss. It was mediated by a 3rd party and supported by the SVP for the area. My boss was aggressive and defensive during the sessions but publicly declared it a success. Everybody from that team either quit or requested a transfer with 12 months. He has since been given a sideways move, as the SVP thinks he has good potential. Overall, my old boss won. He is the last one remaining there.

I quit my previous role because of the boss. She was on the same trend to becoming awful. However, she had the backing of the plant manager who couldn’t afford for another managerial hire to quit. I was fortunate to secure interviews quickly and got out. I handed in my notice and left within a week.

My experience tells that management will change behaviour only if their manager demands it.

Leffeboy – ygm

Marge – TMC, yep. Started today. I’m quite impressed with the place, but that isn’t hard when you compare it to the place I left. My commute is an hour minimum, not ideal, but I’ll get some podcasts listened to and books read. Long term goal is to move closer to work.

If you’re at TMC in future and fancy a coffee, send me an email (in profile).

thanks Leffeboy!

Colour blue, why is it?

Leffeboy thanks so much! I’ll be in touch. It’s be great to join you and the club on a ride. I’m living off Louise on Rue d’Abbaye. I’m not a racer and my bike isn’t either, chatty is great.

Good call about the schelde dovebiker. I’ll be trying that.

Anything else folks?

Does a hard brexit affect your choicees, i.e. can you commute from France if so?

Only asking as I’m considering a move to Belgium next month.

I’ve got a pair of northwave flash boots in size 46, reflective! A touch too big for me. They haven’t been worn much, I prefer using my summer shoes and overshoes as they’re smaller. If you’re keen, send me a mail.

I’m at a bit of a loss for words, considering I met my targets and covered the laboratory as a few staff have left recently. It is tempting to make a fuss, but I’d rather move on to a business aren’t so sneaky!

Finances mean that I need to stay until the end of my house rental contract, but it is difficult to see my long-term future there. The plus side is that a probation contract has a week’s notice, so i can leave fairly quickly. If anybody is looking for a materials engineer at short notice, MIP.

Drp, did you get a vendetta or a vendetta X2?

I’m weighing up the merits of a custom(ISH) build with sliding dropouts and the machined headtube

oP, if you moved from engineering, what would you like to do?

Absolutely report it. You know the name of the company, the time, the date and the location. They can work out who it was.

Best yet, push the police to do the work. I was knocked off my bike last year by a Tuffnells Courier driver and supplied the info above. He didn’t have a driving licence and didn’t stop at the scene. The driver was identified, prosecuted and jailed.

I spent most of 2018 riding on the roads training for the c2c in the summer. Roadies do some seem to be a sour, unhelpful sort. … unless you’re in the same club as them.

I’ll always stop and help. Too many people helped me out as a newb in the peaks when lost/ battered/ on a duff bike.

Battery was replaced last year. The starter is beginning to whistle, can’t say whether it’ll last a month or 5 years. I’d rather get it out and replaced before it breaks. Steering is fine. I’ll have a look the clutch, although it feels good at the moment.

OP, i looked at golf estates before getting the volvo. For the same budget, the golfs tended to have higher mileage, lower internal spec and appeared to have been driven through a warzone! Volvo V50s are old man cars, which also means that they’ve had an easy life

I’ve got an 58 plate V50 2.0D SE. I bought it for near enough £6000 2 years ago with 53000 miles on the clock. It is from the Ford era.

In the past 2 years, I’ve needed the following done…

– remove the sunroof drain filters, as it flooded twice. £450

– Aircon recharge x2. £40

– New rear calipers £250ish

– New exhaust £700

… as well as the yearly servicing. Sometime between now and next May, it’ll need a new starter motor (£300ish), new air con condenser (£366) and 10 year service.

I’m getting the work done because it is a really nice car to drive and pretty spacious. If I didn’t like it so much, it would be long gone!

celebrity first dates on C4. Cringeworthy.

The best bit was when the bloke walked into the bar and saw Melinda Messenger. Face lit up. He couldn’t ask for a better blind date!

My first date with gf was because I had a spare ticket to see primus. She said it was interesting. I thought it was the best gig of my life. somehow<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”> she has stuck with me and I took her to see A Perfect Circle a year later, because I had a spare ticket. She must really like me.</span>

I don’t like going on my own, but I wouldnt have missed those gigs for any reason. Having somebody with me enhanced it.

I’m starting a new job next Monday. I spoke about jewellery, bikinis and high heel shoes.

The interviews where I covered those topics were the ones where i was offered the job. Keep it exciting. Odds are that they’re having an average day at work.

looks ace! I’m moving to Hull/ Lincoln area on the weekend. Are there any members of Hull Speedway club on stw?

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Yep, especially when I’m bored at work.

Given that I’m currently ‘working’ my notice, it’s been an expensive couple of weeks.

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+1 that. I bought a phil jones big head instead of a vox headphone amp. Only 7 working days to go…

merlin do a few nice commuter builds. There is a cx commuter for £850ish with a good build

+1 for the crosslight. I’ve got a pro6 and it has been used for commuting in London, touring, sportives and ragging it around woodlands. It is pretty light for what it is.

It could be improved with bolt-through axles and better tolerances on the disc brake mounts.

Bish bash bosch

helped a mate out with this recently. On paper, the Merlin road/ commuter bikes look great., if you fancy drops  It’s in your budget too. I’ve got BB7 SL brakes on mine which are very capable and haven’t needed any attention in 100hrs + riding

https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-x20-tiagra-cyclocross-bike-2018-108754.html

My mate chose a heavily reduced Ridley that was too big. You can lead a bear to the woods…

701arvn – brilliant! I checked google maps and there is a path alongside. Witham is looking promising.

Noted about the road riding. I suppose i’ll be selling my liteville and getting something less bouncy in a month or so!

701arvn – which cycle route is it? Does it follow the a46?

I’m looking at Witham St Hughs at the moment. Seen an ace 2-bed

reading this thread, it’s enough to put me off!

The best wedding i went to was in a forest on Argyll. The stag party was a yurt in the Brecon beacons. Both cheap and slightly difficult to get to. The locations helped cut down the numbers; great aunt Betty’s neighbour’s dog walker didn’t come!

If i ever get married, it’ll be in the Sakhalin peninsula.

a mate just got back from 3 months with Raleigh in Nepal. Before that, Borneo working on local water infrastructure projects. He seems to love it

sounds like you could do with an Ibis Tranny

I travelled a lot between Helsinki and the UK, usually with a bike. I would put my bike in an ice hockey kit bag and declare it as “sports equipment”. It travelled as my checked luggage. However, I had a Cotic BFE at the time which was tough as nails.

If i remember right, there are hard “suitcases” available for the 26″ Ibis Tranny which look less like a bike box and will allow you to sneak it on as regular luggage. The other benefit is that airlines often treat bikes as last priority; i.e. if they’re struggling for space the bikes are removed first and flown to you on a different flight.

Alternatively, the Finnish bike company Pole claim that their full sus bikes are travel friendly, as the frame can fold on itself by removing a bolt. Their bikes are a bit marmite and expensive.