@wbo I think you’re asking me,

Why should they be any worse than at home.?

I was more referring to the fact that we could be home in the rain, instead of enjoying glorious sunshine here.

I haven’t read the whole thread but me, Mr Kip, me and Kipteen (no longer just Kip Jr) are in Greece and I feel the pain of those I have read.

It’s hot and we’re knackered and Kipteen refuses to eat as much as she needs which always leads to resting unhappy face.

I think we’re also working with Kipteen’s unrealistic expectations of what this trip would be like (staying in a villa with a pool within 5 minutes walk of all the quiet golden beaches, and blue seas, and boat trips to caves, and historical monuments in the big city, without it being so hot you fry in an instant or have me tell her to put more suncream on – cue eyeroll!)

However, it is mostly good and we’ve just had to manage our own expectations of not mountain biking or walking in the Alps because, regardless of whatever we tried, she’s just not really into that.

Could be worse, could be at home in the rain!

Some proper classics being mentioned here. Any potentially perilous situation in this house is soundtracked by Mr Kip or me crying ‘Teddy bear, nooooooo’ in slow mo with additional circling arms. Cliffhanger, great popcorn film.

I only saw Edge of Tomorrow recently and loved it, but I am sucker for a Tom Cruise and/or timey wimey film.

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler Murder Mystery films are good craic too.

Mr Kip had an early 90’s Joe Murray Lava Dome but sold it for £100 quite a few years back. He instantly regretted it!

@matt_outandabout, lovely colour frame but surely that head tube deserves some invisframe?

It looks a lot like many bridges over rivers on Dartmoor, I can’t link any of them to hermit crabs and at a loss.

Giz a clue @poopscoop

I can get by in French as long as no-one cares about my grammar. It’s generally well received but I do mangel it somewhat.

I did two terms of Italian at night class in 2019/20 – needless to say I didn’t use that in the end!

We spent a week in Germany last summer and I can honestly say I remembervery little except Ausfarht, which I thought was a massive place until I realised the signs on the autobahn meant Exit!

I had an over 1000 day streak on Duolingo for Welsh but dropped it after realising I had no confidence to use it and felt I wasn’t progressing. My Taid was Welsh as a first language and could speak English, Urdu, Ghurkali and a smattering of various European languages. I still wish he’d taught me Welsh.

I’ve just taken it back up and am on 56 days, but still find it really hard and would have no real confidence speaking it even though my accent is pretty good.

Oh, and I’m level 2 in BSL from 25 years ago. I can remember some, and it’s a language I love, but need way more practice.

I love languages and my Superhero power would be to understand and speak every language in the world fluently.

We were in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberstdorf over the summer (admittedly walking and exploring) and there were lots of mountain bikers there.

Both were superb places and we had a ball.

We stayed at the Mount10 hostel in G-P, no self catering there though. Mountain huts around Oberstdorf when we were that side.  I will say that most bikes we saw were e-bikes, possibly due to the steepness of the mountains.

Neither are that far from Munich airport on the autobahns and it really is beautiful and worth checking out.

How long is this numpty banned for @stwhannah? Like, forever?

Got shouted at the other week by a cyclist on the pavement who informed me ‘they’d spent 54 million on cycle paths’ and I ‘shouldn’t be on the road.’ I was sat at a set of lights waiting for them to change because the cycle path doesn’t go where I needed to go without a massive detour.

I foolishly got involved in a back and forth which ended with him asking me if I paid road tax and me telling him it didn’t exist, but I did pay Council Tax which went towards the upkeep of the local infrastructure!

He rode off in a self-righteous huff crying ’54 million!’

Well, I’m trying to engage a bit more because I really do want this to be a success, but I’ve just seen the post in this Forum that resulted in the ban (as it rightly should).

I was curious about the take up of pronouns because it’s just become an issue where I work and that post kind of highlighted it. I suppose that was my concern – that someone could just choose pronouns but not actually be what they said they were. I know there needs to be a level of trust but, as the thread on the main forum has shown, feelings are very mixed about trans and self-identification issues and sometimes people do this to point out a flaw in the system.

I really hope that was why they have stuck their head up to say they have lied about their pronouns but sadly, I suspect we all know the people to worry about aren’t those pointing out the flaws, but those that take advantage of them for unpleasant purposes.

Hopefully that’s the only one!

@Rona, are you me? Years of cycling plus Welsh heritage equals short, stocky legs and glutes and a small waist. Jeans always bag at the waist and I hate skinny jeans as they always hitch up on my calves and to top it all off, I have a short body so high waisted jeans means I get cut off in the middle or they hang down like Hammer pants!

I got a pair of cheap G Star jeans from TK Maxx years ago which sat low and didn’t bag, plus had a bit of stretch. They were brilliant and I wore them til they fell apart.

I then sourced some second-hand G Star Midge jeans. They fit OK  but don’t have the stretch I’d really like on the thighs.

My most recent acquisition are a pair of Alpkit Kraft Women’s in an 8. They are a touch big on the waist but sit low and have some stretch in them.

I’m going to take a look at Lucy and Yak as well as the Levi’s 311 as my search for the perfect jeans goes on!

Just out of curiosity @stwhannah do you have stats on how many users had completed pronouns in their profiles before the announcement, and then how many either added or changed their pronouns?

Engagement here is still quite low and I wonder why. In fairness I haven’t engaged much, but I haven’t on the other forum either recently.

Paddington ‘hard stare’

Genius!

Well, that’s two of us who’ve said that, so you can end the thread here I think!

If you wrap it the wrong way it will loosen as you put pressure on the tape, and/or you’ll end up catching the edge of the tape and lifting it, or some such thing, I seem to recall.

*waits for that to be shot down…

I’m finding this thread really interesting as my chain always gets gunked up even after using Viking Juice. However, I always find it a nightmare because of whatever is already on the chain when I buy it.

What in God’s name does Shimano put on the chain and how the hell do people get it off? Or do you not have to if you’re hot waxing?

Pretty sure it was about 1995/6/7 when Mr Kip was at Uni in Edinburgh and I was his bidey in! I seem to recall a very slow dial up in our tiny one bed flat.

Mr Kip still has the same mobile number we had back then, although now I think about it, I’m sure we had a mobile because we didn’t have a landline…

We got there in the end. International transfer from our bank account worked fine once the hut owner sent the correct BIC!

Mostly it’s not an issue @rivett it was just this one that caused a problem because it’s private not municipal.

I’ve got a Santander Zero credit card for spends as it doesn’t charge conversion fees as long as I don’t take cash out.

@tjagain apology accepted, thank you.

@FunkyDunc, it’s not so much that men make it difficult to post, it’s that the big hitters (which is who I meant by cool kids, but couldn’t find the words at the time) tend to be men, dominate the chat, and I end up rolling my eyes and stop responding.

A number of excellent points have been raised here as to why a women’s forum is a good idea.

Mansplaining happens a lot, usually it’s meant well, but there’s a lot to be said for having a space to discuss shared experiences without explaining all the contexts. Avoiding the undermining comments and digs meant as jokes @drprofessor “The Ayotollah will be pleased” really?

Being able to call someone out on their comments without the slight level of anxiety that accompanies it because you’re just waiting to get flamed. I have no issue with constructive arguments, I love discussion and having my opinions challenged, but years of being gaslit creates an oppressive feeling whether men like it or not.

I suspect I’ll flit between each forum, and will be very interested to see the topics that come up. I don’t tend to sign in much nowadays, but I might start doing so more.

I think @tjagain did a fine job of clarifying my exact point!

I used to comment/post regularly in the main forum but stopped because, well tbh, if you weren’t one of the cool kids it felt like you didn’t count.

Just as a matter of interest, how are you going to police the ‘you can’t have two profiles’ issue?

I regret on a regular basis losing my maiden/family name. I chose to take Mr Kip’s surname and am now lumped in with the mentalness that is his family, as opposed to the awesomeness that is mine! I wish I’d kept it, genuinely, at least in some part. Plus Kip Jr has no links to it, so I regret not adding it to her name in some way. Not double barrelled, but in there.

Step-nephew has just taken my brother’s (and my maiden) name so they are all the same. That was a massive moment of family coming together and I am envious they all have that surname.

You could always to what Dawn Porter did and merge her name with Chris O’Dowd’s to become O’Porter.

Personally I’d get the Reeve part back in as a middle name, get rid of Dobson and add Dwyer to you and the kids name (doesn’t have to be double barrelled) at any point at least one name matches any one person with parental responsibility!

Simple innit!!

Jesus Christ, this is a whole other level of First World problem here!

That’s interesting about the responsiveness. I always used a HRM strap when running or riding but when I first got this I did a comparison of the Fenix v s Strava on my phone. They were within a beat of each other pretty much throughout.

If I really want accurate readings I’ll pair the strap with the Fenix andxaee how it goes, but I’m happy with what I’m gettin gat the moment.

As for the size, the S is waaaay smaller than the X and I really am surprised at how quickly I got used to it and rarely notice it now.

I did get a screen protector though as I wear it on my right wrist and have been close to knocking it on things as I’m also right handed!

In case anyone cares, I went for a new Fenix 6S Pro Solar as the price was reduced enough to make it worth the extra for the guarantee (I hope that makes sense).

I love it! I got used to the size and weight really quickly and wear it day and night (to get my HRV stats at the moment). So glad I went for the mapping too as it makes for easy viewing when following a route.

All in all very happy with it.

Hmmm, but will the price of the 255S drop considerably? Oh for a crystal ball!

Anyone here know the retailer markup on Garmin watches?

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I really appreciate it. There’s so much both watches can do I’m really torn and suspect it will come down to which I can get at a price I can afford (it’ll have to be second hand regardless).

If I find the mapping on the 255S annoying then I’ll probably sell and upgrade to the F6S Pro or maybe even an F7S if prices have dropped enough.

My pal has just bought an F6S Pro so will get a chance to try one on later in the week which I think will really help.

Oh, and the 255S is 41mm, enough smaller to make a difference, but the 945 and 955 don’t come in an S spec.

How does it latch onto cadence? I don’t use a foot pod (I accept I may have missed that in the reviews). I’ll also probably use a chest strap still as I find them more accurate for the most part.

It’s mapping that’s my biggest concern for sure.

I use an edge 810 with OS mapping for riding and that is faultless for turn by turn so don’t want to feel I’m constantly comparing the two.

The FR94x range are out regardless as they are too big and will overhang my tiny wrists. I did know that but forgot that was the other reason I’d discounted them.

If you can’t pick it up with one hand (or two for the smaller handed/more generously sized pie) without all the bits burning your hand and falling through your fingers, it’s not a pie.

I also agree that the savoury exceptions are fish, shepherd’s and cottage.

Name and shame the eatery, and/or post a humourous passive aggressive Trip Advisor review.

Next time put on your big boy pants and tell them it’s not a pie, regardless of how delicious it was.

Just did a Google search as per instructions earlier…..😳

Even on social rides you rarely get to have a good chat with people, so the after-ride pub visit is an almost obligatory requirement as far I’m concerned. It makes the difference between having riding-buddies who you sort of know and good mates

I remember quite clearly going to the pub for the first time after a Friday night ride and not knowing who the people were because I’d only ever seen them in the dark via bike lights and helmet torches!

And totally agree that in the UK, pubs = warm dry places after a cold wet night ride, which is more common than most of us would like!

Really nicely written piece by Hannah, and the linked article made for interesting reading too.
I don’t really drink as I don’t like the flavour of beer, lager, wine etc so I’m happy ordering soft drinks. However all of the Friday night shop rides I used to go on ended at the pub. Locals would have a few, drivers would usually have one.
Events like Twentyfour12 would be sponsored by local breweries and drinking after the race (or by pit support) was a part of it, however I’m not convinced the same culture exists here like the States.
I couldn’t see beer shortcuts existing in any events I’ve done (I’m gobsmacked it’s even a thing to be honest) but the post ride drink, yep, for sure.
I’m glad low alcohol beers are becoming more commonplace and I feel there is less pressure to “have a proper drink” but I’m older and give less ****s what people think now!

OP: First up, check this out: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/check-if-you-can-get-your-money-back-after-a-scam/
Next, report it to the Police because you might the first to report them, or the last in a long line, you don’t know.
Finally, tell Facebook using Report a Scam:
To report a scam by a seller on Marketplace:
1. From your Feed, in the left menu, click Marketplace.
2. In the left menu, click Buying.
3. Click the listing of the seller you want to report as a scam.
4. Click the name of the seller.
5. Click , then click Report seller.
6. Click Scam, then follow the on-screen instructions to submit your report.

HTH.

Read this with interest after realising the steady decline of my strength has reached the point where I really need to do something about it. Still aching two days after 1 HIIT session that I’d have sailed through pre-COVID. Winter training starts here!

Heating on in the morning now with the occasional evening and I finally caved had to swap my shorts for joggers from about midday onwards when WFH.
I’ve been in long trousers in the evenings for about a week though.

Awwww, congratulations to you both. From experience, an episiotomy doesn’t affect cycling but by god, give it time! The swelling will go down but for a while it will feel like the world has dropped out of her bits (which in a way it has). If she’s on diclofenac make sure she takes them with food as they are rotten on the stomach.

Kip Jr is now 12 and I still find myself surprised I am responsible for another human being, I don’t think that ever goes away.

Oh, and the Singletrack mag spine quote when Kip Jr was born was something like “It’s time to soft-pedal for a bit now.” Probably the most apt quote ever and one that got all of us through at times. Go easy on yourselves, you’re learning a whole new job.

+1 for Captivate. In fact my next big job is to create a whole stack of training videos for our, soon to be upgraded, enquiry management system.
I didn’t pay for it though!

I love the editing tools within it, plus you can create all sorts of training resources.

My big brother and I used to have a Saturday job at a hire boat company back in the late 80s because our dad was a mechanic for them. He’d been on the industry for years so some of my best memories are of moving boats around the North West, and most of them were falling apart. I remember my brother and I raking through a boatyard looking for anything that would pass as deckboards!
Boats have come on immensely since then and big bro is a joiner who now renovates one a year (or so) in his spare time and sells them on for a fortune.
I love the canals so I’d say work out your costs properly then do it. If it works out then great, if not, sell it on knowing you gave it a good go.

Thanks again for advice, info and humour.

We have contacted trading standards who would only do something if we have ear tag details, which, as none of us are local, is proving a little difficult. We have one localish person who’s keeping an eye on the property and reported the sheep being back on the land in the first place. Not sure how good she is with a zoom lens as I’m pretty sure she’s not going to be great at catching sheep!

Not sure if the potential sheep owner (PSO) is just trying his luck to keep them on the land for free, or if he’s keen on a bonfire. Hoping it’s the former!

About to see if anyone had any luck contacting the PSO (Jeez, we’ve got acronyms now!), but doubt it as I’d like to think they’d’ve told me.

Also @benpinnick, thanks, I found exactly that document online the other day which is what has made us think this could be done fairly easily.