Not sure if this counts, but a doctor once asked me ,whilst visiting on a totally unrelated issue,
” were you by any chance a difficult birth, forceps or cord around the neck? ”
Yes. I was almost 10lb , and my mother struggled apparently.

He said he could tell by the tendons in my neck or the angle my head sits, and he was 100% correct. So since just before birth.

The first bike I truly lusted after was the 90s Cannondales , I still love them but I ‘ve never seen one without the tubes being dented.

I think my absolute favourites though, for some reason , for the la st 10 years is a Rocky Mountain Slayer or a Sunn Charger Finest, tbe ones with the Hammerschmidt overdrive box thing . Absolutely beautiful.

I’ve had two. First was a Rock Lobster Ti hardtail whixh I absolutely loved and kept for about 12 years, the other was a Setavento(?) I bought off ebay, which just happened to be exactly the right size I needed.
The Rock Lobster was hard as nails, survived a head on crash with a tree which left me with a 7″ scar on my inside thigh. Not a scratch.
The Setavento was a road bike. I was riding down a reasonably well surfaced cycletrack when I hit a small stone. Resulted in every
weld attached to the seat tube cracking and failing. Pushed it home, stripped it and launched it in the skip.
Not all Ti frames are equal.

Ancestors Tale or Greatest Show on Earth, both by Richard Dawkins. Two books which I can’t, or rather don’t want to put down once I’ve started.

I make poor quality car parts for cars nobody wants, or can afford to buy. I pour my heart and soul into making precision jigs and fixtures, or solve long running engineering problems, only to watch chimps with hammers smash them to bits minutes later, or have out-of-their-depth engineers refuse to act on said engineering fixes because, well, they didnt think of them and dont trust the m or understand them.
Occasionally you get the odd glimmer of pride in doing something in 20 mins which usually involves a full 8 hour strip down and rebuild cycle, but shit is usually your thanks. Thing is, there is literally nothing else better in the area any more, and its a bad feeling being too old to emigrate . Trust me, I have tried twice.
The feeling is very much that my skills and experience are becomi g, if not already are, obsolete, as we dont really make stuff in the UK any more, on a scale we used to. Yes there is a call for them abroad in the developing industrial nations, but Im too old to go now.

Distillers – Coral Fang
Knife Party
Me First and the GimmeGimmes
Wildhearts
Hey!Hello!

Right, my thinking on this is IF you genuinely dont care if you ever see that £100 again, and he is a good mate, why not just gift it to him? As in make it clear no payment required, given in the name of friendship. It can only strengthen that friendship.
In any other case I would say no, because he has not asked for the item or the money for it.Respect his right to window shop without buying, it might be what he is doing. Kind of like that film quote about the dog barking at the car, the one where he wouldnt know what to do with it if he caught it. Of course I could well be chatting shit here, you know your mate so go with your gut.
If my missus bought me everything I lusted after just because I wanted it , we would be destitute in no time.
But good on you for being considerate enough to, well, consider it.

Also found a badgers skeleton when one of the allotmenteers opened up his compost heap one spring. Must have hidden in there to take advantage of the heat of the decomposing matter, or after worms, and died.
Also bumped a deer one dark dark night up around the Afan bike park trails. Well, i think it was a deer, whatever it was it was shifting undergrowth and tree branches 4 ‘ from the ground level.

@p7eaven
Funnily enough, I have been looking at Batavus bikes, especially the quip . It looks ike it would suit all my needs, as you describe, except for one thing, and thats gearing. I live around the Afan area, so you can get an idea of the kind of hills I have to deal with. As soon as you come inland from the coast, you hit big hills in either direction, unless youre following river valleys.
If the collective mind of Singletrack can give me an alternative with gearing that could take me up Bryn hill , Im very interested.

Mate you’d have to give a rough dimension of the job, not all lathes are suitable for every job. I am intrigued though…

I have run a rabbit over on a road bike too, very sketchy experience.

Used to do a lot of night runs, and once had two badgers escorting me, running alongside me for about 200m up a mountain. Felt like a wizard.

Loads of badgers in my area, big mature beech and oak woodland, you can see their excavations everywhere. They are often out and about in the nights, especially this time of year.
Me and the dog startled one once , and it ran towards me, saw me, turned tail and charged off in the other direction . The dog thought it was attacking me, chased towards me, but badger wasnt stopping. Ran straight through the dog like Jonah Lomu, putting him a couple of feet up in the air.

Yeah, the fact its 26″ is part of what I like about it. I always like the smaller wheel compared to ,say, 700c . I dont know if its just a mental thing, but I prefer riding 26″ .
is a shortage of 26″ tyres a thing, what with the variety of wheel sizes in use now?. Havent really noticed any new bikes rocking the 26″ wheel recently.
I also plan on running a dynamo hub and lighting system at some point. Am I right in thinking the reduced wheel circumference of 26″ vs 700c gives more revs per unit distance, therefore a higher rpm and a higher voltage generated.?
Does this matter as much with the newer LED lighting? I m wondering if the electronics involved with the LEDs negate the benefits of the extra voltage generated, ie, it isnt really a benefit to produce more voltage because the electronics take care of it?

Had cable operated hydraulics and plain cable discs on my CX bike,and in my humble opinion, I had XT vee brakes back in the day which seemed much better stoppers. Obviously full hydraulics kick all their arses, but I didnt notice any real benefit to the non-hydro disc brakes.

10 or even 9 speed is not a problem to me, as I assume with a heavily laden steel-framed biked, you would be running a triple chainset, thus no need for 11 speed cassette range? We used to cope OK with the 8 and 9 speed systems back in the day. Maybe the thicker chain of a 9 spd system is more suited to the tourer than an 11 spd chain? Havent really used the new 10 and 11 spd systems, all my bikes have been of the older types.

So, is the wheel size the only reason not to bother with the Ridgeback? Any other problems people know of?

Oh yeah, should have really!
Am very enamoured with the 900 tourer with the 40 kg rated racks, however it seems that is not available until August, so Im guessing nobody has ridden one yet.
Not knowing much about Btwin bikes, I was just hoping someone would have any real life experience of previous models?
Also have been looking at a Ridgeback Expedition , but again, no stock . I am 5’11 and rugby player physique, long arms and legs, so I am guessing an L or XL.

https://www.ridgeback.co.uk/ridgeback-expedition-varrb2152

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/riverside-rt-900-touring-bike/_/R-p-332461

Or, thinking about it, a Rose Activa.
Yeah, I’d be happy with any one of those really.

It changes all the time, but currrently I would love a steel -frame d bike, always loved the feel of them in the past.
Never ever been a racing snake so it would be far more specced towards comfort than speed. Never been fashionable a day in my life so brands,etc. would mean nothing to me.
Currently lusting over a Thorn Rohloff model or something like a Ridgeback Expedition or Genesis CDF.
Like I said, I have never knowingly been fashionable for a single day in my life.

Dreadnoughts – Foreign Skies
Robyn and Royksopp – girl and the robot
All the Ramones remastered albums.

Was using my mates ancient Elora ratchet in work last night, using it to get at a bolt head in a very tight spot. It was one of those ones without the switch which alters ratchet direction, simply push the square drive through the handle and flip it over.
Only about 70mm long , but ideal for tight spots and extra leverage can easily be obtained by slipping a bit of pipe over the handle.
If you are going to be using it for tight spots I would be looking at something like that.

And if you want to make plum trees, you are in luck, because the best time to do those is late summer, july/ August time in my experience. Apples and pears are best done in late winter, just before the buds break.

@chevychase

I got into it because I wanted to grow lots of different varieties of apple in a small space, so started grafting my own trees and grow them as an inclined cordon.
The basic process is quite simple, all youd need are a rootstock, a scion ( twig or bud of the variety you want to grow), razor sharp knife and some grafting tape.
If you want more info or pointers you can DM me here. I usually get around a 70% strike rate when I graft trees,i find it very interesting and its a great way to carry forward memories, such as taking a piece of a favourite tree when you move house, growing a piece of a tree which belonged to dead parents, etc.

I would be asking what the company could do for you ( i know its NHS, but adapt). If you are already in work, I have never stressed over an interview. You have no real idea who or what theyre after, the job might already be a done deal and the bosses niece has it, and they are just interviewing to make it look less suspicious. This has happened to me in the past, as when I challenged them on my rebuttal, it was evident they hadnt even read my qualifications or experience, just interviewing to follow procedure.
Also, look at who is interviewing you, is it strictly some HR rep, or is your direct future boss present? You re going to be spending a lot of time dealing with them, so you are interviewing them for the role as your boss also.You might not have any confidence in them post- interview.
I would be asking for what promotion routes are available, any perks, holiday entitlement WHEN YOU WANT, etc. You have no control over whether they like you or not, so just be honest and open. If you do well, they will be seeing t he real you soon enough, and if it goes bad, oh well, there are always other roles.
Having said all this, this is advise given having made mistakes in the past. If I had my chance again I would treat the interviews as more of me interviewing them, than me sitting there thinking of the right thing to say to appease them. The best job I ever had was as a eesult of having an awkward argument with the interviewer. You never know what theyre looking for.

@scuttler,
After reading through this, that is exactly my plan. No point in her having them in December when its probably pissing down and dark by 4pm.

Its looking like I will up the budget, as I had already bought her a birthday pressie, but you only get one old gal, and she is knocking on now, so why not. She would do it for me.

Thanks for all the help. Any one got any real life experience of the Olympus DPS binos? Shop in my locale stocks them, so might be worth a punt if theyre any good…

@esselgruntfuttock
Thanks for that link mate, i will have a good look later.

Very impressed with the helpful responses, thanks all.

Very gratefull for all advice and recommendations so far.

I have nothing against buying used, in fact i intend on cruising ebay later, hence why the features I should be looking for is important rather than price guide, if you catch my drift.

So what sort of features should I be looking for? Could a small telescope be used as a spotting scope? Are the optics set up to see something at ranges of a mile or less, or are they only for distant objects? I have a small scope which was quite cheap, a present , but it was good enough that I can see the Jovian moons on a good night.
Know nothing of this subject, happy to take all advice. Is the general consensus that my budget is too small?

Ok, thanks for the replies so far , 4-500 is well out of my league unfortunately. Also, I maybe should add she’s only about 4’10” so a pair of german U boat commander binos wouldnt work for her. Something pocket sized , visual clarity being more important than magnification as she lives right on the bank of the river, but loads of birds come into her garden.
also looking to set up a spotting scope or similar in her upstairs window ,the added elevation takes her line of sight up over the tree tops directly on to the marsh then.

Well im very much open to being persuaded, she would use them so it wouldnt be wasted. Im defo not thinking Swarovski or whatever, but maybe £50 or therabouts, maybe £75 at a push.

Theres no getting away from the fact that life eats life, no matter where on the planet you look. Plants absorb the nutrients released by dead and decaying animal and vegetable matter. To try and avoid causing death is pointless, as it is inevitable somewhere along the line.
I gave up eating mammal meat as I couldnt see myself looking into a farmed cow ,sheep or pigs eyes, seeing the suffering and t he fear whilst being transported to an unnatural, planned death. My basic rule is I will not eat anything I would not kill myself, so I am sticking with poultry and fish. For the most part, the fish I eat are living t he life they were designed to, unaltered by selective breeding by man, right up until the point of capture. They were riding their luck in the sea right up until then, and there arent many vegetarian fish in the sea. I am OK with that.
Poultry though is different, not nearly as easy to justify to myself, so I eat mostly fish and eat chicken when fish is unobtainable.
Would I eat wild game though? That is living freely and naturally right up until it feels the impact of the projectile? If I could be convinced that no suffering was involved then yes, it would be a waste not to. Tried to emigrate to remote areas of Canada a few times in my life and was totally ready to shoot my own food if needed.
So, in a nutshell, im not OK with the suffering of farm animals , but tge eating of other dead , free born and free living animals is OK with me.

The most recent Halloween reboot with Jamie Lee Curtis . That scene where Michael Myers is standing in the exercise yard and the dogs start acting up. I burst out laughing at how ridiculous and daft it seemed.
Also rubbish, I thought, was Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp, and the VVitch film. Both masssive disappointments,I was bored stupid with both of them.

Just go mate, no fine would prevent me from saying my final goodbyes to my mother. Sorry to hear about your situation. Many have broken the no -travel guidelines for much less serious reasons.

My saab is known as the Triple S, short for Swedish Space Shuttle, mainly cos its got a space age fold out cup holder.

Also witnessed a Zafira , very much on fire , Im talking 9′ flames, behind Amazon in Swansea whilst biking one day. Driver was very shaken, said all the doors locked at once and flames just leapt from the dashboard. He had to smash the windows with the headrest to get himself and his young daughter out in time.

Just remebered a renault Grand Scenic I had, this was still under warranty. I was filling up in tbe petrol station when the windshield and back window blew out simultaneously. I honestly thought we were being shot at. My two toddlers in the back were showered with broken bits of glass. This was in Llansamlet Tescos so its only 75% possible that the Swansea apaches were responsible. Rang Renault to ri p them a new one, only to be asked was I sure it was a Grand Scenic, as they had heard of this happening to Meganes but we were the first Grand Scenic. Got it replaced under warranty, but dented my faith in French cars for ever.

I have a Terra Nova Quasar which must be over 20 year old easy, an amazing bit of kit, still like new, lend it out to my kids for camping, overnight fishing, etc, still cuts the mustard.
Also, used a Pheonix Phreak? About 25 years ago, the only tent left standing when everyone else on our Duke of Edinburgh expedition was chasing their Vangos up some windy Highland valley.

Had a canal and the river Neath in my back garden as a kid, had an amazing time growing up in and around the water there. Made rafts, had little row boats, awesome times.
If it was hot we would, and still do, head up to the deeper pools by Clyne to chill in the river there. Plenty of places around there to mess about in the water.

Mate, i use the 20″ axe one handed with no problems at all, but I swing big hammers in work all day. The head is stamped 2 , i assume its 2lb, doubt its 2kg.
The handle on the hultafors is pure quality, but if the handle on the fiskars axe is the same composite as on their garden tools, its plenty strong enough. I have a long version fiskars spade, use it for the heavy stuff like digging stumps. Not sure if an axe handle would cope with a wayward blow, dont know if composite is as resistant to splintering as a wood handle. All the composite handled hammers i had have failed at the handle.

Mine is the Hultafors Aby. If I lost it in the woods today I would buy another one tomorrow. Just checked the length, its 20″ but sits well in the pole ties of a backpack.
Oops, no its not the Aby, those come in at £120 or so. Whichever axe that Aby replaced is the one I had. Whatever, its a great tool and I enjoy using it.

this is very similar to what I have, looks identical.
https://www.bing.com/aclk?ld=e8E9qDIYU_5kiQdPBsSDwzBTVUCUxlcMlDYhpmaabNFIGGLv_XFPmr_DW0HbPOP4JCGP68KDEPkVc3z-17F9LS7XDzImZWaJ8vLOIAEIjQ1OA_bryZAAhyQyxA_o-XRZum4PstjLnVBRi-roIeUpf2qcztyYG6pSpKFYdB3tv-Yye5L6_t&u=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&rlid=2fc56d1198861675bce10d7488fbce89

I have quite a few axes,for collecting firewood and the like, but my favourite is my Hultafors . Not expensive for the quality, about £35 when I bought it, maybe 20″ long , medium sized head.
Keeps a wicked, shaving sharp edge when used on wood, makes cutting firesticks and splitting kindling easy. Got mine on amazon years and years ago.