Phew, I was worried they’d beat the 33% off the bikepacking / audax grade down jacket I picked up from Trekitt this week! Still available for those less short-of-arse than meself:

Bugger, my darling wife has just pointed out that Oustside have it at 35% off.
https://www.outside.co.uk/rab-mythic-alpine-light-down-jacket-m.html
Now can I be arsed with all the returns palaver…

Phew, I was worried they’d beat the 33% off the bikepacking / audax grade down jacket I picked up from Trekitt this week! Still available for those less short-of-arse than meself:
https://www.trekitt.co.uk/outdoor-jackets/insulated-jackets/rab-mens-mythic-alpine-light-jacket-marmalade__47418

We were with Denplan until the dentist running the practice retired. The young lass who took over the practice seemed hell bent on alienating all the existing patients by insisting on all manor of unnecessary treatments, even suggesting our 9 year old needed braces!

We switched to a https://www.dpas.co.uk/ surgery and our daughter gets free NHS treatment with the same dentist. They were shocked that the Denplan dentist suggested braces for jnr.

I missed this first time around, congrats on getting through it!

My so-called mother finally pickled herself and we buried her a couple of weeks ago. I’m so glad your kids are away from all the toxicity that comes from having someone in that state in their lives.

Wishing you and the kids all the best.

You could try your FBX file with a free trial of https://cadexchanger.com/ .

I’ve not used it before, caveat emptor n’ all that.

The preferred pejorative term is CAD Monkey if you please 😉 I can-no-doie with the tools at my disposal I’m afraid, have you asked the manufacture?

⬆️ wot he said!

+1 for being able to hide virtual rides & commutes. I’m sure most of my followers don’t want to see my everso dull ride to work, but it all adds to the weekly kilometerage stats 😉

It is truly baffling the number of people who’ll give kudos on a slow amble to work. For me, a minimum of 1 PR or an obviously challenging ride is required for a thumbs up…

Had one for years, ’tis great. Will replace it like-for-like when the time comes and it’s not economical to have the insulation topped up.

if I see a ‘no cards, cash only’ sign, I immediately think tax dodge.

Indeed! On the other hand, a self-employed plasterer mate boycotts those enlightened business that don’t take cash. I can’t imagine why he would do that 🤔😉

Give as much room to a cyclist as you would a car…

At the moment some thin AGU pad-less tights off of Planet X to go over bibs, when it gets a bit nippier some DHB thermal jobbies.

Up top a long sleeve ancient Icebreaker top, weight depending on how cold it is.

2 thickness of Endura gloves, depending on temps.

Cheap overshoes (they are really a disposable item, they wear so quickly) added to grotty really-should-have-been-binned-years-ago SPD shoes. Thickness of DHB Merino / Smartwool walking socks as temp dictates.

Merino is great, both socks and tops can last a whole week without stinking, the only daily wash being a pair of padded bibs.

Then the star of the whole ensemble, a Gore Windstopper softshell, I love that jacket; not prone to over-heating like a hard-shell and just water resistant enough to stave off light rain. I’ll probably wear it now everyday work-day until April. An old Pac-Lite jacket over the top in really big downpours.

Oh yeah, +1 on Buffs; one for the neck one for under the helmet, when colder I swap it out for a fleece hat.

I got over the shower thing the first time I used one at my last place of work. A dank, wet cubical festooned with a load of others musty towels that’d looked like they’ve never been home to be washed, no thanks. A shower at home just before leaving and some wet wipes & a can of deodorant if feeling particularly grotty.

Some way of drying kit is a must though, I’m lucky that I have an old drawing board behind me and a radiator to hang stuff on when it’s been a wet ride in.

.

In the private sector 10% increases are pretty much unheard of unless a change in role…

Our production staff had 10% across the board last year…

Our daughter has just moved from Cubs to Scouts, they lost a few cubs over lockdowns when they didn’t like the Zoom meetings as and haven’t returned. Lack of leaders has always been an issue, quite a few left during Covid as well.

Both me and my wife were scout / explores leaders for 10 years but the behaviour did it for both of us, I had much less tolerance of other’s badly behaved kids once we had one of our own!

My wife and I are running a family camp for the scout group this weekend, the ruse being parents need a DBS check. Once they’re cleared they become eligible to come and help run evenings, perhaps even becoming a leader 😉

A very macho mocha in the café on the Sunday club run when it’s too cold for a coke. Sometimes one in a nice café when out with the family, I got board of drinking cold drinks then waiting for the wife & daughter to finish their tea.

My route planner of choice https://cycle.travel has the ability, although I’ve not used that function.

And if they do happen to take tents, many more these days have a 2 night stay policy at weekends or 3 over bank holidays. No good for the cycletourer.

I too have just declared winter, I’ve put a quilt in it’s cover for the first time since May!

Always worth looking past Screwfix and Toolstation for tools, ITS do some fantastic deals, particularly on bare units once you’ve got a few batteries. https://its.co.uk/

Bloke sticking to the principle of one wheel per person, tandeming across Georgia with his girlfriend whom he met whilst unicycling around the world.

A wholesome-verging-on-twee series about a lovable couple renovating a narrow boat into a floating café anyone?

We tried the Lakes last year (sans bikes) in a camping pod above Keswick, the week of the flooding. Got 1 & 1/2 walks in then just hopping from anywhere dry inside! I’d always wanted to go to the Pencil Museum…

Wife has booked Sicily this year.

I’ll pick up on the commuting point. I did a similar distance for a year a while back, and it was tough.

I used to do 24km each way and I feel just the same as I do doing 10km now. I seem to give it more beans on the shorter ride in! Bonking on the way home though is less ‘orrible with only 3-4km to go as opposed to 12-14km. I don’t miss having to eat half the contents of the kitchen when getting home every now and then!

In fact, could you PLEASE buy it so they are out of stock and prevent me from owning yet another one man tent!

Lolz!

A general note worth bearing in mind, TN offer 30% off new full-priced tents purchased from them:

Tent Trade In

I’ve only used it for an overnight bikepacking trip so far, but my Terra Nova Laser Compact One is light enough at just over a kilo and packs down stupidly small. I’ve always been put off by the stupid cover the laser models needed to go over the pole ridge but this year they’ve done away with that and factory sealed the seams.

I got mine nicely discounted from Uttings:
https://www.uttings.co.uk/p131168-terra-nova-laser-compact-1-tent-updated-2022-model-43lcpt1/

Family of 3 here (daughter is 10 and rides to school), we got rid of a second car at the weekend. last year it did 400 miles, the year before 250!

I ride to the office 4 days a week year round, Friday at home. t’wife has gotten use to riding into work 3 days a week (how long that lasts into the autumn we’ll see…) other days WFH. I can’t recall the last time we ‘needed’ both cars at once.

We’d been saying we should get rid of it for the last 4 years or so but wasn’t until a chap in my office said his nephew was looking that we finally got rid. A hassle free sale done in less than 15 minutes, £750 for a 19 year old Polo with busted window winding mechanism!

Two Germans, an Irishman and a Scotsman sitting round a ‘campfire’…

Has the makings of a terrible joke 😂

I’m far from a flag waving, cap doffing arch royalist but I’d admit to feeling more a sense of mourning at the Queen’s passing than that of my grandmother recently at the same age.

I think I need some therapy, that’s not quite right, is it?

It’ll be interesting how Scotland’s view of the monarchy develops. The Queen did great work in keeping Scots on board, but I wonder if having the past Prince of Wales as King will speed up the annexation of Scotland and the breakup of our nation…

It’s quite humbling hearing of all the nations that are lowering flags at half-mast et cetera.

For all that’s gone on over the last 6 years, and before, we’re still, under our late Queen at least, a nation that the rest of the world takes notice off.

I’m not sure we deserve such reverence.

Listening to the BBC radio output and they noted that the new PM was the first in over 70 years that has spoken in that role to both our Queen and our King. She’ll dine out on that for the rest of her life no doubt.

Why do we need a head of state? We have a hugely bloated parliament as it is.

Well if you lot up there insist on being represented in two parliaments… 😉

Those hoping for the end of the monarchy when she does pass, what would the head of state look like? As recent events have plainly shown, the pool of talent for the premiership is woefully shallow. Just imagine President Johnson…

It also rattles like a m*****f***** in the back of the car.

Shirley nothing the judicious use of some old tea towels would solve?

My old Explorer Scout Unit had a 3 burner jobbie with a griddle pan sourced from Canada. Excellent bit of kit. I’d be worried about using my petrol MSR stove around kids, but the Coleman is much less like a space shuttle at launch!

That was a bit tongue in cheek! I’ve used an ali Tortec rack and it did show signs of wear where the clips attach after a year or so.

How spendy do you want to go???
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s79p1772/TUBUS-Airy-Titanium
Be a shame to spray it black though!

so the real story here is incompetent organisers. But what really pisses me off is that nowhere in that article did the BBC point out that the Spanish officers were merely carrying out their duty under the law as it is since we voted for Brexit.

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