Ah, fair play, that is pretty much the exact situation we find ourselves in now, so I’m happy to dismiss the Forde report and the evidence showing Joan Ryan’s collaboration with a foreign power.

“actors off stage” and “conspiracies in the corridors of power”

Aye, sound…

Struck by the disinterest in the Forde report among establishment journalists given its findings, so ran some searches and made a chart. pic.twitter.com/QsAQiyndqk

— Tom Mills (@ta_mills) July 26, 2022

The Curtis will be a fine choice; I’ve had a couple of single pivot steel full sussers; a prototype SWD 6 gun… struggling to find pics of my bike after being hacked and banned on Facebook, so here’s a similar one:

and a descendence vox:

Both had steel swingarms, which may not be the best for unsprung weight, but more than made up for that with sublime ride quality, providing levels of damping on frequencies that normally elude the abilities of suspension and tyres.

Couple that with supreme tracking (many attribute this to flex, but it’s worth remembering steel is 3x stiffer than alu, albeit with thinner tubes) and a very intuitive nature that makes you feel at one with the bike and I daresay you’ll be in for a treat

Could it be that the reason that some people are so venomous when Jeremy Corbyn is mentioned is that for many he represented hope…

Instead we witnessed the lengths the powers that be will go to to crush those that threaten real change to the system

Great man that Joe Biden, always liked him and the military industrial complex he represents 😄

It’s a bit of a shame… was hoping that everything we went through during lockdown would’ve pretty much put an end to traditional colds and flu

If only they could dedicate the same resources to developing suitable vaccines

Here’s a fun little thought experiment…

If you just targeted top level arms manufacturers and those in whose interests it is to perpetuate war for personal gain, how many people would have to be assassinated to prevent any further war?

Stuff like this is always handy for approval ratings (certainly far better than raising the fact that Biden was vice president when the US effectively created ISIS via the Timber Sycamore program, much like they’d previously spawned Al-Qaeda from the mujahideen with their long time allies the wahabi loving Saudi Arabia and ahem, noble UK)…

Ayman al-Zawahiri also had a role in helping George Bush get re-elected in 2004.https://t.co/xZ10NPIMaL

— Lefty Coaster (@LeftyCoaster) August 2, 2022

Let’s just hope the nasty man was sufficiently conscious to feel the wrath of one of the rare drone operations that hits their target without killing and maiming civilians…

How many Aiman Zawahiri there were and how many they killed?

Obama's also showed absolutely no proof to the world that they actually killed Osama Bin Laden. Their coverup was farcical. No photographs, burial at sea secretly, entire SEAL team killed later to remove evidence…. pic.twitter.com/jFYlUVP5MM

— Zaid Hamid (@ZaidZamanHamid) August 3, 2022

I heard the ancestors of Lidl’s founders were responsible for Baby Jesus’ ride to Bethlehem when he was still in his mummy’s tummy…

Can you explain how the facts reported are anti-semitic?

And for bonus points, do you think that Monster Girls provide any benefits to events and the promotion thereof?

Look at them:

My 1st thought was how you could further the benefits of a mullet with a 36er front wheel, but on balance we must be getting to the stage where wheel size evolution stagnates; it’d take some pretty fancy engineering if you wanted gnarpoon levels of suspension travel without noodle forks and chopper riding position

Nah, those anti-semetic conspiracy theories have been doing the rounds since Jesus booted the lenders out of that temple.

Huh, so Jeffrey Epstein used to whisk world leaders around in his jet back when Jesus was around?

Who knew!

Now, I’d prefer not to derail the thread, but these matters do all have a common thread; lets just hope that being a Monster Girl is an enjoyable and fulfilling role, as opposed to having to keep schtum about being exploited by some of the world’s most powerful figures for the purposes of political coercion.

Teehee, made you think!

My how time flies…

7 years since the moral horror of sockgate!

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/interbike-spawns-sockgate-scandal/

4 years since F1 grid girls became obsolete

and yet, it’s only now that the links between victoria’s secret and the network surrounding Jeffrey Epstein are coming to light…

During the 1990s, both Epstein’s and Wexner’s profiles grew on the world stage. In 1991, Wexner cofounded a philanthropic organization of Jewish billionaires known as the Mega Group, which uses some of its vast resources to shape Middle East policy. In 2003, Wexner’s foundation commissioned GOP messaging guru Frank Luntz to advise American Jewish leaders on how to rally support for Israel. “For a year—a SOLID YEAR—you should be invoking the name of Saddam Hussein and how Israel was always behind American efforts to rid the world of this ruthless dictator and liberate their people,” Luntz’s recommendation stated.

Epstein kept close in that circle of influence. U.N. ambassador Bill Richardson and Middle East envoy George Mitchell allegedly participated in Epstein’s sex ring, according to a lawsuit filed by Giuffre. (Richardson and Mitchell adamantly deny the allegations.) Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak was an Epstein confidant. Epstein invested $1 million in one of Barak’s business ventures; Barak reportedly visited the East 66th Street condo building. Dershowitz told me he once arrived at Epstein’s town house as Epstein and Barak were wrapping up lunch. On a chalkboard, Barak had drawn a map of how the West Bank should be divided. (Barak could not be reached for comment. In 2019 he denied any wrongdoing related to the condo visits.)

During his time as Wexner’s financial guru, Epstein’s holdings grew tremendously—sometimes by acquiring properties formerly owned by Wexner such as the town house on East 71st Street, one of the largest private homes in Manhattan. While it has been reported over the years that the home was transferred to him in a $1 transaction-—and Epstein may have led people to believe that—documents show he paid Wexner $20 million for it. In Columbus, Epstein owned a 10,000-square-foot house next to Wexner and, according to Merritt, paid a below-market price for one of The Limited’s private jets. (Epstein also reportedly oversaw construction of Wexner’s superyacht, Limitless.) Merritt recalled once asking Wexner why Epstein was so well compensated. “Les just said, ‘Because I got more money than I can ever spend,’ ” said Merritt. “Les gave him free rein over his checkbook.” In 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported Epstein earned $200 million from Wexner. Merritt puts the number at $400 million.

naffness of the x games for providing them

It’s probably out of the X Games hands; it’s more down to one of their major sponsors, Monster Energy

The man is a true battler!

** EXCLUSIVE **
Boris Johnson has said he does not want to resign and will stay on if the membership backs him
The PM told former treasurer @peteratcmc over lunch at Chequers on Friday he wishes he could "wipe away" his resignation.https://t.co/BqPPcjHzED

— Christopher Hope? (@christopherhope) July 25, 2022

With a bit of luck, many of those on the forum will encourage their kids to follow the athletes, helping swing the balance…

At the end of the day, investment is generally related to promotional value and advertising revenue, so it all boils down to a numbers game

As it stands, it’s clearly a strategy that works for Monster Energy

Though not as much of an issue with petrol, thanks to all the associated gubbins on modern diesels (EGR, DPF, VNT Turbos etc) though you can generally ride the torque, it’s probably better to keep revving a little longer, so as not to end up with everything choked up in carbon like that galactic rogue Han Solo

In fact, of late my car has been more economic, but that’s probably down to limp mode cutting boost and fuelling due to a coked up turbo, which makes for some particularly hairy moments when pulling out from junctions

So I take it this is about the monster girls:

https://www.monsterenergy.com/gb/en/monster-girls

Going by the amount of yoofs you see buried in their phones, it’s a fair bet that most of those watching the X games are gonna be on the ‘gram.

So, let’s take a quick look at some instagram following figures… here’s the top five medallists from the Women’s BMX Freestyle Olympics:

https://www.instagram.com/hannah_roberts_bmx/?hl=en 26.1K followers

https://www.instagram.com/perrisbenegas/?hl=en 67K followers

https://www.instagram.com/nikita.ducarroz/?hl=en 69.2K followers

https://www.instagram.com/chazworther/?hl=en 73.5K followers

https://www.instagram.com/_natalyadiehm/?hl=en 17.5K followers

Added together that tallies up to a combined total of 253.3K followers

By comparison, the monster girls have…

https://www.instagram.com/monsterenergygirls/?hl=en

363K

However, not all is lost; Skateboarder Sky Brown has 1.3m…

https://www.instagram.com/skybrown/?hl=en

Just don’t mention the record breaking X games athlete Leticia Bufoni, who despite her achievements, still parades around in a bikini at every opportunity, gaining 4.3m followers in the process…

https://www.instagram.com/leticiabufoni/?hl=en

Well, like the UK’s continued support for Saudi operations in Yemen;

? UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia visits Saudi air base where the UK is servicing Typhoon warplanes bombing Yemen.

The UK national media will not notice, preferring only to reaffirm the government's condemnation of Russian air attacks in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/SEICzEN6IX

— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) March 29, 2022

???? The UK national media have almost never described the 7-year long war in Yemen as a British war. This follows the government's claim that it is not a "party" to it.

How about some facts, though?https://t.co/8D15EnGVwP pic.twitter.com/qhgGyGtCjX

— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) May 12, 2022

despite evidence of Saudi’s not only supporting wahhabi extremism and indeed terrorist efforts:

“Why has your govt suppressed a report on the funding of terror groups?” @MichaelLCrick challenges Foreign Sec on relationship with Saudi. pic.twitter.com/iU4EqdauWL

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) June 6, 2017

But also ties between the very highest levels of Saudi Intelligence and the 9/11 hijackers:

Though a newly declassified and heavily redacted FBI memo from 2017 stated, “In the late 1990s and up to September 11, 2001, Omar al-Bayoumi was paid a monthly stipend as a cooptee of the Saudi General Intelligence Presidency (GIP) via then Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan….”

The memo continued, “Allegations of al-Bayoumi’s involvement with Saudi Intelligence were not confirmed at the time of the 9/11 Commission Report. The above information confirms these allegations.”

you remember Bandar Bin Sultan:

and the Al Yamamah deal that Prince Andrew got very antsy about when it looked like the Serious Fraud Office were going to investigate

not forgetting the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, who in the 80s regularly met Bin Laden as Saudi Intelligence’s (GIP) go between, before going on to work in the London Embassy with the long time head of Saudi Intelligence, Turki Bin Faisal (pictured with the aforementioned Prince Andrew)

Whether or not Jeffrey Epstein killed himself is open to question, however, it's clear Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated…

In wake of @maitlis @BBCTwo @BBCNewsnight interview, will @esmewren @SamMcAlister1 @jakemorristw @stewartmaclean @alicia_writes be investigating further? pic.twitter.com/RjCmFc3UtP

— Tom Young (@OldTomYoung) November 17, 2019

That was the perspective Khashoggi took to Afghanistan when bin Laden invited him to come cover the conflict. The CIA — with the financial assistance of Saudi intelligence — was backing the mujahedeen for strategic Cold War purposes: to counter and weaken the Soviets. But for Khashoggi, the time he spent with bin Laden and his fellow warriors was a personally moving experience.

He told Wright in those taped interviews about the “many, many times” he spent with bin Laden, traveling with him, staying in his camps, even sleeping with him in the same cave. What was moving about all this? Wright asked him.

“It was moving because we were in a cave,” Khashoggi replied. “It was dark at night, on candlelight. He had a sentiment of Muslims, a concept of jihad, and of being close to God. Knowing that you’re doing the right thing … fighting those bloody Soviet infidels. It was a beautiful thing to me, particularly at that age.”

Now… with (now Lord) Sedwill’s years in a variety of permanent (i.e. non-elected) roles across the upper echelons of Her Majesty’s Government concerned with high level intelligence (especially as regards Afghanistan) culminating in the triple whammy of National Security Advisor, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service (along with President of the Special Forces club), how did he not pick up on these things?

Wonder who was overseeing the foreign office’s operations in Afghanistan (and Pakistan, whose ISI were a key proxy during Operation Cyclone) when all this happened?

RT @foreignoffice: Mark Sedwill CMG has been appointed UK Special Representative for #Afghanistan and #Pakistan. http://ow.ly/4zG2T

— DFID (@DFID_UK) April 13, 2011

Huh, isn’t that the president of the Special Forces club?

UN weapons inspector eh?

Oh my…

Might be worth looking into a Nationwide flexplus account; which includes full european breakdown cover… not sure if cover would be immediate, but may help in terms of the vehicle already being in Europe

It’s all very well for us in blighty to tut at those pesky foreigners getting in the way of our soldiers bullets again; I mean, if it wasn’t for their inability to keep a stable country and acquiesce their resources for Western consumption, HMG wouldn’t need to keep investing taxpayers money in training killers and sending them thousands of miles overseas with arms and munitions to supress any protest.

Hard to imagine how the Taliban could be so ungrateful; after all, neither they nor Al Qaeda would exist if we (and our staunch allies in the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel) hadn’t flooded Afghanistan with AK47s (in an attempt to point the finger at Russia) and stinger missiles in a vast covert war which is still barely mentioned, probably in no small part due to it’s role in the rise of Osama Bin Laden.

Of course, things get a bit weird when it comes to covert wars and the intelligence services; between diplomatic immunity and the law allowing undercover operatives to indulge in illegal activity, they basically have a free reign to continue our long history of empire building and intervention on foreign soil.

Still, at least we won’t have anyone busting the door down and shooting our families…

Not that I’m suggesting anyone should do any thinking when they could be enjoying cake n whatnot…

In 2015 someone took the audio from the BBC’s coverage of a parade in North Korea and dubbed it over footage of a royal birthday parade outside Buckingham Palace.
pic.twitter.com/xHKy6a91GZ

— Alan Ferrier (@alanferrier) June 3, 2022

I’ve got a Zerode Taniwha with the older P12 (aluminium housing, about 1/2 lb heavier) gearbox and really rate the bike as a whole; the weight distribution makes for brilliant dynamics, one moment allowing you to plough through whatsoever is in your path with the confidence of an angry rhino, the next allowing you to pop playfully into the air like a highly relaxed startled grasshopper; on top of that, there is sublime suspension performance that ensures the only oscillation you feel is your heart pumping joy around your body.

The gearbox itself is a mixed bag; would prefer a trigger shifter (though the ability to grab most of the gears in one go without turning a crank is a goodsend); was previously struggling to shift to higher gears on trail, but since reversing the gripshift cables things have been far more ergonomically friendly and intuitive, with the bonus of emulating a motorbike throttle; also had more than my share of woes with the chain tensioner after offsetting it to accomodate a spider mounted narrow wide ring on the front, but generally speaking, the gearbox just gets on with the job with a very healthy range of gears that puts all these new fangled fancy cassettes to shame.

Only major problem is every bugger wants to chat to you about it; between that, all the attention from the opposite sex and having to chisel off the thick film of caked on drool from over eager onlookers, you tend to get less time on the bike overall

Can’t comment on the comparison between 9spd and 12spd, but all told, the gearbox experience has been a good one

The DMBinS post mentioned Back on Track putting the new trails in, is that Rowan Sorrell’s firm?

Yes indeed; was originally supposed to go ahead in the spring of 2021, before the contract collapsed due to issues between the Scottish Government and the overarching contractor who had apparently become somewhat greedy (Balfour Beatty if I remember correctly?)

The loss of the contract had a major impact on Back on Track; not only had the company invested vast amounts of time and effort into surveying and designing the trails and negotiating the details, but had scheduled in the work and bought additional plant in preparation, the fallout left staff without work (or updates) for months on end.

However, hopefully lessons have been learned and the newly rebranded On Track can put their experience and expertise to good use

Does anyone know how things are going with the campaign to improve access in Wales?

This is the last update I could find: https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/trails-wales-access-reform-recommendations-disappointing

After a long two-year process and several delays due to the pandemic, the recommendations for how to proceed with access reform in Wales have finally been published. The results are disappointing, but there’s still more to do, explains Cycling UK’s campaigns officer, Sophie Gordon

Natural Resources Wales has just published its report outlining options for improving access in Wales, which the Welsh Government committed to do in 2019 following Cycling UK and OpenMTB’s long-running Trails for Wales campaign.

At the time, Hannah Blythyn (then deputy minister for housing & local government) stated: “I will progress significant changes to access rights and facilitate an assumption of non-motorised multi-use on access land and the public rights of way network. This will provide users such as cyclists and horse riders with many more opportunities to access the outdoors near to where they live.”

Unfortunately, this bold vision risks being watered down. Instead of making clear recommendations on the best way to progress with access reform, the report from Natural Resources Wales merely outlines the options and kicks the decision back to government.

Looks like they could do with a bit of help from the community to nudge things along…

Pretty sure that’s a sedated salmon

These are the 1st 2 that came to mind…

Deltron 3030 is an excellent shout; only thing is it’s anything but forgotten as it’s up there with my all time favs!

Didn’t Scott Ritter mix in the same circles as one of the most powerful unelected figures of HM
Government in recent memory, Sir Mark Sedwill (Baron Sedwill)?

Hard to say who is the most trustworthy…

So where does NATO expansion fit into meeting the net zero targets planned by COP26?

After all, there are instrinsic ties between the arms, aerospace and fossil fuel industries…
so much so that the US military (i.e. just one of NATO’s member states) is the world’s #1 individual polluter: https://earth.org/us-military-pollution/

The only good thing to come out of any of this so far is the arms industry is apparently now becoming a charity case…

https://buymeafighterjet.com/

the not so good thing is that despite vast sums of taxpayers money already going towards the arms trade, people seem to be more than happy to splash the cash for killing machines that perpetuate conflict

Still, good for the shareholders I suppose…

Rumour has it that in addition to the Reaper, there’s a wealth of sweet enduro trails (mainly blacks, with a couple of reds) with killer views nearby

It’s hardly just a UK problem. Watch the documentary about Gillain Maxwell and see how Epstein got away with much the same in Palm Beach, Florida for years with absolute impunity for much the same reasons. He was part of ‘The Establishment’ so blind eyes were turned across the board, and when he was eventually collared things mysteriously just ‘went away’

It’s hard to conceive that Savile was in such a position of influence as to act as an
intermediary between Royals…

Surprised further questions have yet to be asked about his dealings with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson

Beginning to look like Andrew's best defence is to lay the blame on Jimmy Savile… https://t.co/mLRGEzCBuM pic.twitter.com/knIlWgIFgd

— Tom Young (@OldTomYoung) January 26, 2022

Define ‘them’

Hang in there buddy, when I 1st clicked this thread, I figured it was gonna be someone with a weedburner and some crazy flame activity, but boy was I mistaken.

All handy to know and wish you the best with your recovery

Certainly a tricky one… if any group was sufficiently subversive to pose a legtitimate threat to government, it would swiftly be infiltrated and led astray

I’ve provided way more facts than you… i.e. the source documents, which show clear involvement

I could further the debate with Mark Sedwill’s background as a UN Weapon’s inspector:

I don’t pretend this subject matter is pretty, but that doesn’t stop it being true, however much you try to derail.

Nope, I think it’s better to let the facts speak for themselves

Not sure why you say supposed involvement; it’s plain to see:

(scroll down to page 7 for the source document)

Source document

That said, it’s a good question; either scenario doesn’t sit well…

(EDIT: I see you’ve edited and asked all sorts of questions, which is a good thing; we should all be asking questions of how this was allowed to happen)

Get back to me on the civil servant question and I might think about it 😉