Newby bridge itself (and the a590) is usually fine- it’s the stretch from newby bridge to Bowness that will a bit swampy atm

Intersectionality does not assert that white men are an oppressor class. The definition of intersectionality is “the interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage”.

I’ve just tried to renew my Dogtag and they seem to be having a problem with the underwriters and are not renewing or doing new quotes. I went with snowcard instead.

Skosh up Micklegate (booking essential) for stand out special occasion dinner, The Whippet Inn for steaks, Spark York (shipping containers) for street food, Fossgate Social for breakfast, The Hop for beers, Minster Inn for beers and pizza, il paradiso for Italian.

Can try these guys on Derwent Water for watersports
https://plattyplus.co.uk/
Try the Katsu Bells burger at the Round opposite the Moot Hall.
Walk to find Millican Dalton caves near Grange
Climb on the Bowder Stone
Visit to Castlerigg Stone circle

The Dorney lake (eton super sprints?) are great. It’s been a while since I raced there, but any transition that has people removing baskets and d locks from their bikes whilst racking up is my kind of place! And the swim is lovely, good visibility in the water and not too deep so you can mostly see the bottom.

Can you get the slt to give an afternoon of paid work time for this? A good chance for them to show they value the well-being of the work force- pandemic notwithstanding this concern should be heading to the top of every employers priority list.

I thought by ‘male privilege’ it was suggesting that men had more access to adventure due to social constructs, not that men were actively preventing women from accessing it. E.g. burden of care more often falls upon women so they have less leisure time so access the outdoors in a lower proportion to men.

Can recommend the No7 Bistro if you’re after a nice restaurant whilst you’re there

We had this with our table tennis table, also from Barcelona coincidentally. Tracking went quiet after it arrived in customs warehouse, next update was from the delivery person on the phone at the end of the road! Best of luck

Yes, I’d have a look at what the friends are riding and use that as a guide for ht vs fs and how much suspension to go for. Remember she could always hire something big for an alps trip if she wants to, so i’d aim for something great to ride on local trails as a starting point.

How does salad promote vaginal health? Asking for a friend…

I suspect any swim starts before June will be time trial rather than mass?

And that’s a link to the whole edition! Scroll to P4 for the essay on male privilege

Kudos to purchasers of Invisble Women. I also found this when looking for some more research articles on the topic https://www.coeo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Pathways_31_4.pdf

Can I suggest a little light reading of Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez?

I was only allowed to play out on my bike as a kid. Mind you, we did grow up next to Broadmoor so maybe our parents thought speed might be our friend if there was an escape.

We had this as well- missing out to cash buyers even though our offer was higher and we had a mortgage in principle. I think they thought cash would complete quicker- when we got an offer accepted somewhere else the mortgage cash was ready in a week- the local authority searches took 31 working days!

Specialized do a saddle fitting thing where they use a pressure pad to measure width of sit bones and then recommend the right width saddle. I use a charge ladle on road and MTB, although I don’t think they’re made anymore.

What about Rookhow? https://rookhow.org.uk/accommodation Quiet, and perfectly placed for Grizedale, Coniston and Duddon Valley adventures

Some really thoughtful comments on this thread. Another angle that could be taken if you’re involved in education (have kids at school or are a governor/pta member maybe) is to ask questions of the PSHE provision. Are topics like consent/porn/revenge porn/sexting etc being covered? Can the materials used be shared with parents so those conversations can be continued at home?

EE for the lakes for sure. North Pennines and NYM as well

You’ll be wanting the Shredley MTB curvy. Unfortunately, I think the only stockist in the UK has closed. You can still order direct from the states but postage is obviously spendy; us Shredley enthusiasts hope that another UK shop stocks their excellent product soon!

I don’t eat much meat, but for my DofE volunteering 20 years ago I did a week on canal restoration. Put up in a village hall, 3 meaty meals a day for a week. Let’s say I got value for money out of the train toilet on the way home after a week of no ‘action’.

Sports massage therapists can still work to treat an injury, so worth getting in contact if you have a recommendation. Mine also does acupuncture- the only quick fix I have found to muscle spasm of low back pain. And keep moving (gently) every half an hr to keep some motion in the ocean.

Personal best on bike eating was on the Ironman Bolton bike course. 4 ham rolls,4 packs power bar ride shots, 4 nutrigrain. I was 70kg, so putting in 70grams of carb per hour + plenty of liquids. Scope out the route so you know the rolling bits to munch on, but it’s basically 1 thing every half hr. Lots of people were jealous of the ham rolls; I can’t bear all sweet stuff on a long day out. I had stuff in pockets and a nose bag for shovelling. Then just eat as close as you can to every half hr when you’re out and you soon get used to it.

Weirdly, the last service I had (Skoda Octavia estate) was cheaper at the main dealer than Kwikfit. Random. And my local independent is a bit more than main dealer, but worth it as it’s 5 mins on foot which makes everything very easy logistics wise. And they have someone just to answer the phone.

And the car park on Walna Scar rd is now pay and display and reasonably limited on spaces, rather than the previous free for all. Second for the xc (ish) in the Lyth Valley- there’s a route around Whitbarrow Scar in the Vertebrate lakes guide book. The Duddon Valley is excellent riding but is probably a full day.

James Appleton is another good one to browse if landscapes are your thing.

And definitely fit an ass saver- a constant wet plume fired up your crack is adding serious wetness straight into the zone you are trying to keep dry.

Can I throw Patagonia into the mix (although use a ME synthetic day to day as it’s a bit too wet up here for everyday down use). Some jackets with recycled material, and ethically sourced down.

DfE look like they will not revisit the current proscription on overnight school trips until March 2021. I’m not sure how DofE is exempt from this, but certainly some schools and some providers are offering it- is it independent schools only, who are less bound by DfE advice, or are LA schools also offering?

Done- road haulage should make better use of the canal network to reduce congestion and emissions.

Absolutely second having a wash and changing into dry clothes (merino long sleeve and long johns) before bed. Even if you don’t feel you have been working hard, the clammy sweat really chills you off, and a wet cloth/tarn dip works wonders.

I got an Osprey pack (20l tempest) and loved it, so now have a 40l and the 55+10. They are unusual in doing a women’s specific range which fits me really well- and I’d say fit is more important than features, especially if there’s an iffy back involved. Is there somewhere that stocks both so you could try back to back? Or order both and load them up at home to compare with realistic weight in? My tempest is now 10years old, has been used for winter MTB, skiing, hiking, travelling and is dirty but unbowed! Think I will get a couple more years out of it yet which is not bad going in terms of wear and tear given how light it is.

The Round for fancy burgers, or FellPack?

Some top tips here from the excellent Cal Major

Cambridge response seems quite impressive- both to protect students and staff, and the community

https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/cambridge-university-to-provide-weekly-coronavirus-testing-for-students-resident-in-colleges?ucam-ref=news-most-popular

Duddon Valley. There’s camping in the valley. Wallabarrow descent, Simpson’s ground to Seathwaite descent and Walna Scar rd. pub is shut atm though.

We had 4 days in Livigno with quality riding- and it’s a special tax zone which makes petrol and shopping cheap. The local dish is buckwheat noodles and cheese which is delicious. One side of the hill is flow trails, the other more technical with some other bike park action. We added 2 days in Pila and 2 paddle boarding in Lake Como to make an excellent week+