I meant metaphorically, of course 🙄
I’m trying to get you to see that there will be something in your life that you worship over everything else, though you might not see it as worship as such. It’s entirely down to you to be honest in your assessment of your life.

Anyway, it’s a lovely evening here in Wales, so I’m off out on the bike 😀

Mr Woppit – Take all the things/ people you’ve got in your life and start to make a pyramid. At the bottom you’ve got things that aren’t that important. Above those you got slightly fewer things that are a little bit important and above those fewer things again more important than the ones below. Keep going until you place just one item on top of your pyramid. That is what you worship.

For Christians, Jesus is at the top of the pyramid, Hindu’s have Vishnu, Buddhists have Buddha etc. We all worship something. We’re hard-wired for it.

@ crazy-legs

Thanks 🙂

We got one of these: http://www.dehumidifiers-online.co.uk/mitsubishi_dehumidifiers.html (VX model)

Brilliant all round, good capacity and quite good on energy efficiency too. A bit pricey, but very well made and faultless in the time we’ve had it. It’s also more energy efficient at drying washing than a tumble drier would be.

Infradig summed it up brilliantly on page 6:

Logic or reason will never convince a person to become a Christian. It takes a work of God to change a man’s heart. The most compelling argument for Christianity is the changed life of a Christian. I have seen the abundant kindness and transforming power of Jesus Christ in my own life. I don’t need more convincing than that.

Are those that don’t believe in God but who demand evidence of Him expecting to find something that they could comprehend? When I consider the scale of the universe, the majesty and glory of it and how small I appear on the face of it, together with the improbability of our existence on this planet, I conclude that there is a huge amount that I don’t understand and most likely never will.

But the universe is still there, and it has an origin. The presumption that the closer we get to the origin of the universe the closer we get to either understanding God or proving He is or isn’t there doesn’t seem particularly logical to me. I’m unlikely to be able to get my head around it anyway, never mind explain it to someone else. Not only that, it misses the point.

I look to what is written in the Bible to try and understand what it’s telling me. I’m not looking at it for scientific guidance, more spiritual guidance. Some I understand and much I don’t. Science has revealed many things that the Bible was ignorant of, yet I still see God in the things we understand as well as the things we don’t.

Ian

Some interesting responses. I liked this one from markd:

FWIW i just cannot see how a person of sound mind could possibly actually believe in this stuff. It’s actual fantasy and plain to see.

The excuse of ‘having faith’ is nonsense. Science tells me if i try to walk on water i will get wet. Having faith will not stop this but apparently it happened to some guy who reckoned he was the son of the Chairman of teh Fairies.

I don’t treat my faith as an “excuse” at all. To me it feels very tangible, if difficult to describe. It helps me through my day, and I see the same in other people who also have faith.

Utter utter nonsense. Believing in make believe does not solve the worlds problems, it clouds the minds and prevents reasoned and accurate discourse. It is responsible for the continued suffering of literally millions of people around the world and this is unexcusebale.

Without religion, I do not think this would solve the worlds problems either…

Lead a fair and responsible life…

Yes!

…and think for yourself.

I have, and my thinking has lead me to the belief that there is a God.

There is no god.

In your view, which is fine. Lead yourself a fair and responsible life without god, and I’ll lead mine with God.

fact. and you cannot prove otherwise. it is not the non believers job to prove a negative, the believers should be made to prove their positive.

You’re trying to prove a negative here. I can’t prove there is a God but it doesn’t automatically stand to reason that there isn’t.

Same applies to infinity, for example. Can’t prove it’s there, yet scientists and mathematicians the world over are divided on where it exists or not.

I have ethical values but mine do not come from Christianity.

I suspect that this applies to the vast majority of people, which is really great 🙂

I find this attitude that you need to be Christian to be moral and that morality comes from Christianity patronising at best and offensive at worst.

I didn’t say that you need to be Christian to have such moral values, it’s just some of the moral values I have adopted are those taught by Jesus.

Ian

Feel like I’ve come in just as everyone was leaving, but for Alpin, crazy-legs and others:

My belief in Jesus is one that I can’t prove, and like JulianA have some difficulty in articulating in a written form. I know that the presence of God cannot currently be proven in a way modern science would deem acceptable, but I’m not concerned with the how, or even perhaps the why. I accept the possibility of ridicule for what I believe, as Jesus did, though I would not seek to ridicule others for their (non)/belief. However, I feel an inbuilt compulsion for us to worship something and that has been the case for many thousands of years. For some it’ll be money, material goods, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, children. For others, Jesus, Allah, Buddha etc. For me it’s Jesus.

Having faith in something is difficult to describe. It is a gift that finds you perhaps when you are not looking for it. Jesus is my friend and saviour because of the things he taught us 2000 years ago that seem (to me) to still be relevant today: The ethical values we should have for ourselves, others and the world around us. For love, compassion and community. For giving me hope in times of despair, for sharing in my times of joy and for giving me the courage to type these words.

Ian

Sadly it’ll be for sale later this year

Ooo.. When, what size and for how much..?

Warpcow – what size is your frame? Looks ace in the shot with the studded tyres 🙂

Thanks all – lots of suggestions. I think old Singer’s seem to have the most votes. I’ll do some more googling…

What’s “acf”?

Advertised a seat post once, link in ad to pics on Flickr. Chap emails me asking for better pics. Fine, took some better pics and emailed them to him. He complains that they weren’t good enough. Took more even better pics of the damn thing. Emailed those to him. No response. Now that’s annoying.

A quick reply to say thanks for going to the trouble but he’ll leave it would have been fine. No response was downright rude in my book.

Gospel Pass near Hay on Wye isn’t on there either 😕 A good climb in my book.

That one, Number 94 and 97 make a good leg burning loop.

Yey! thanks for the heads up 🙂

I also really like the Jag XF. It's apparently the best car around for towing a caravan

Dude, seriously 😯

If you do do that I might will have have to come round to your house and shoot you!

😉

I use one of these: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Thorn-Thorn-104-mm-PCD-4-Arm-Reversible-Single-Chainring-3-32-Inch–Black-11054.htm
with my 9sp chain. The taller teeth make a tiny bit of noise against the chain when in the 34t sprocket, but it works fine and the chain sits on the chainring no problems.

Thanks for the chain guide suggestions.

I'm using 34 up front and 11-34 cassette – seems OK.

What are people using to keep the chain on the front ring, in the absence of a front mech?

At the moment I don't have anything, and I loose the chain on rocky descents…

–

Pen-y-fan is do-able, but as Snaps says, early start required to avoid the red socks brigade.

From the top of the Gap Road, take the contour path west missing the summit of Cribyn. Quite a technical piece of trail – I enjoyed the challenge. The trail eventually steepens to a carry to the summit of Pen-y-fan. From there, take the obvious path toward Corn Du, but skirt around the south of the summit and then double back around the west side, past the obelisk, to take a neat little track that takes a long ridge north back toward Brecon. I don't have a map to hand, but it's fairly obvious. Avoid descending too soon towards the lake – you need to stay on the top of the ridge (singletrack) until some grassy switch take you down into the valley proper.

Drop me an email if you like – I live in Brecon

Oooh.. me and rock climbing go way back..[snip]..the mates I did manage to go out with being obsessed with leading and refusing to do any top roping

That wasn't with me was it?…

Did a bit of climbing myself lately, just indoors – was good to get back into it after 7 years of not doing any at all. Seems to make a bit of difference to the core body strength, and I see now how much upper/ core body strength I had lost. Swimming keeps me in reasonable shape too when I can be disciplined enough to go…

I found the master tap in the kitchen and considered the possibility of there being a tap on the gas bottle, but as it was 8pm when I arrived and I needed to eat, I had to weigh up the possibility of not managing to get the lights to work, and the consequence of cooking in the dark. So, I just got the fire going and cooked my dinner.

I must admit I was getting a bit lonely before blackhound turned up on Saturday evening.

You're right – something of a donation to EVT is probably appropriate. Couldn't get the lights to work though – gas bottle was empty I think. However, I was impressed by the carton of fresh orange juice and the pint of milk still in date on the side…

Monks Trod – highlight of the weekend for me too. Wind on my back, sun out – beautiful.

How many people were in Claerddu on Sunday night then?

Was just two of us on Saturday, though I did keep the fire in 'til late as blackhound was under the impression the Nick & Co. were coming back up after the pub.

alfachippy – nice looking bivvy set up there. Where did you camp on Saturday?

Going to have to back off abit if on my own though!

I was in the same boat. It's not so bad – the unrideable sections were so very unrideable it was easy to judge when to get off. Full ride report and more pics if you need some more inspiration here:
http://ianbarrington.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/rock-and-roll/

Did Snowdon Ranger descent last month – opted for a very early start via Llanberis Path. Was the only man on the summit at 8am. Awesome day.
Pic of part of Snowdon Ranger:

It's not all like that though. Very enjoyable and majority is very rideable. Hope the weather is good for you.

everyone elses must have turned into a soggy mess within half an hour of the start

I ate mine* and committed the answers to memory…

And everyone knows pencils are lighter than pens 🙄

*not really 😉

What a superb weekend that was:

121km ridden
21 photos taken
11 hours of riding
7 checkpoints visited
2 days in the saddle
1 gear…

Had a great time, overnighted in Claerddu Bothy with blackhound to dry kit out from Saturday's "showers". Today was superb – the highlight was going over Monks Trod this morning.

More photos here[/url]

Hope Monday goes well for the rest of you all. Look forward to hearing more reports and seeing some other photos.

Thanks for Stu & Dee @ Forest Freeride for getting us all together and motivated to do it in the first place 😉

That illustrates my point perfectly – you try and do something in a hurry and look what happens… 🙄

It is only 3 days isn't it?

That also occurred to me last night when packing. I'm only out for two days, one night! With the exception of needing to stock up for food and fuel, and taking a spare pair of shorts, I could go for a week with the above set up.

Ian – that's a beautifully neat set up. Very impressed. very nice bike as well…[snip]…My wife thinks i've gone all OCD about it…

Thanks. OCD? Remember the 5 P's – proper preparation prevents pi$$ poor performance.

Slightly worried that IanB seems to have one of those flip over calenders on his bars. Or is it a book to read whilst pushing It is only 3 days isn't it? I'm just taking OS 147 135 and a good memory.

I have 5x A5 laminated maps, double-sided. I must admit, they look bigger on the bike than I thought they would be. There are sections I'll be able to do without the map, namely the Doethie section, Twyi Forest, Claerwen and up to Nant Rhys, but I still need to take them just in case. I originally printed the maps in Tracklogs, landscape at 1:60000 scale, but I might redo them A6 to stop them from flapping about on the map board..

OK, I'm ready now 🙂

The bike and gear weighs 30.2lbs all up. Bike weighs about 20.5-21lbs on it's own. Rucksack has a few bits of food, waterproof, camera, water.

No Alpkit stuff though, sorry.

Only if you use them to get unlost 😆

They're handy for logging the ride, and I'll be using one in conjunction with paper maps attached to a map board.

—

All these pictures of bikes are doing my head in – I'm stuck at work, the sun is shining and I'm itching to get home to sort all my stuff out!

So where does the big orange Alpkit dry bag go? On you or the bike?

Indeed, I believe the GDR was the inspiration for the WRT. Scale is somewhat smaller, but you've got to start somewhere 😉

After a month of planning everything seems in such a rush. Tonight, two new tyres fitted (tubeless), wash and reproof my waterproof. 20t sprocket turned up nice and promptly, but still need to fit it. The highlight of the evening was Beth finishing my frame bag:

Tomorrow: pack, clean bike, fit sprocket, adjust chain, sort out maps, buy midge repellant, chocolate coated coffee beans, fill hip flask… can't decide between the 10yr Ardbeg or the 21 yr Glengoyne…

There's a really alarming number of singlespeeds doing this event, do you know it's in Wales?

I know, but I can't resist. And I live here too. It must the all the fresh air…

Ordered a 20t sprocket today though from On-One to "play it safe" 😯

@alfachippy – many thanks for the offer, but I need to head back on the Sunday as I have a birthday party to go to on Monday…

The Aleppo is a bit of further for me from Brecon, but I wouldn't want to miss out on a good meal and a bit of chit-chat, so count me in 😀

(Large) jacket potato topped with tuna and ham, please.

There's a reasonable array of places to eat in Llanidloes, only 20mins away which is a bit closer than Newtown.

I've also ridden the Bwlch y Ddau Faen, Nant Paradwys route nostoc suggests, looks OK on GE but tricky to follow in places. I think it depends how much the grass has grown/ been grazed as to how easy it is on the ground.

Riding the drovers road section twice is the lesser of two evils IMO, as pistonbroke suggested on page 5. Long time since I was last up there anyway, so looking forward to it.