Senior Operating Department Practitioner within liver transplantation (and pancreas and kidney transplants). Also a member of the organ retrieval team.

Enjoy work? It’s certainly different, not your everyday operating theatre job. We have to travel a lot, often by air to donor hospitals, on a private plane. Sometimes we even get a private jet (depending on aircraft availability) which is very nice (and comfy). Occasionally we have to flown by helicopter (Army/Navy) if there are no planes around.
Can be extremely sad, especially when attending paediatric donors. Thankfully I haven’t attended that many.
I have learned to live life without worrying about tomorrow.

Pay? I work a lot of oncalls (1:3 at best, 1:2 at worst) on top of my basic hours. Can be at work for a very long time if called in. Money is ok but you certainly put the hours in.

We visited Whiteface Mountain in upstate NY. Ski lifts open to bikes during the summer.

Make sure you pay a visit to Roy’s Cycles on Sheepshead Avenue. I remember going in there when visiting my bro-in-law (who lived in Brooklyn at the time). Must have been early 90’s(!). All I can remember is walking in and staring at the ceiling at all the Yeti ARC’s hanging there…………!

Would love to go back.

Only 30 minutes slower than my mate who did it on his handcycle!

Berghain looks interesting, especially the reviews:

“people openly indulging in sexual acts”

Sounds like the KitKat Club. Seems to be a lot of that sort of club in Berlin.

YHA in Alston was ok.

Not sure if they do shoes Gary_M, I’ve always taken mine (and my pedals).

They do have a range of pedals though so you ‘probably’ won’t need them.

+1 for Bruce and the team at Pro Cycle Hire.

The first time I used them was 2yrs ago. I joined one of their shop rides, 100km out to Petra and back. Was great, despite puncturing after 15km the guys from the shop fixed it for me then towed me back to the group for the next 15km.

Can’t wait till next year, I’ve got some great routes banked. Top of the list is the ride out to Sa Calobra again (a must do ride!), then out to Soller via Orient and Bunnyola (spelling!), over the climb to Soller (coz you can’t ride though the tunnel!) and back via Puig Major (a great climb!). Puerto Pollensa is da bomb!

We managed 5 nights in a 4* star hotel, half board, flights and car hire for £210!

Add in cycle hire and you’re still under £300.

Can you tell I’ve been drinking?!

Anyhoo, roll on next year!

Are you hiring from Pro Cycle Hire? Pick the bike up at tea time the night before,, should be enough time to ride out to Formentor and back (great ride). Then the route that pid suggested. Think I’d do it the other way if I was there again (was out there in April), climb up from Caimari as it’s mostly in the trees, in fact I think it’s all in the trees, then past Lluc and descend all the way back to Pollensa.

Fookin’ excellent. Will be back there next April for yet more.

Mon to Fri 35hrs one week, 40 the next with a weekday on call of 1:3 at best (currently doing a 1:2).
Weekends as on call, 1:3 at best but currently a 1:2.

I worked 68hrs last week on my 35hr week due to on call work.

Feeling it this week. Thankfully it’s not those hours every week.

honk honk fnar fnar indeed!

No doors were forced during filming. They only used………….the front door, sadly the back door wasn’t needed this time……….we don’t have a knocker on the back door……………….. :|

Only thing they filmed was someone (a Postie? – can’t be certain as I inside having a cuppa) walking up to the door. They must only only have spent 20 mins tops.

Cracking soundtrack.

I switched from Sidi’s to a pair of Bont’s (Vapor’s). Big mistake, like crikey I tried moulding them several times but there’s just something that doesn’t feel right.
Don’t get me wrong, the Bont’s are nice, they’re just not for me. Sidi’s suit me better.

Anyone want to trade some Bont Vapor’s for some Sidi Ergo’s? (Size 45 – black preferred).

Head along the coast to Connecticut, visit Mystic Seaport (an old whaling port where everyone dresses in period costume), also where Mystic Pizza was filmed (Julia Roberts – I blame the wife!). When leaving there go to the casino on Indian territory (sorry, I can’t remember the name!). Apparantly the native Indians were given their land back, they built a casino and now they rake in the cash. There’s a huge ice sculpture there of a native Indian – very impressive. You think you’re driving out in the sticks (which you are) on a single lane road through dense forest, then all of a sudden you see the Casino towering over the trees (reminds me a little of Dusk 2 Dawn now – the movie not the endurance race).

Then, head upstate to Lake George, visit the old fort where Last of The Mohicans was filmed. Take a paddle steamer cruise on the lake.

Then head over to the Finger Lakes as mentioned previously, to Lake Placid (thankfully no giant crocodiles when we were there). Visit White Falls Gorge (I think it’s called) then onto White Face Mountain. Nice walkway across the top of the mountain. Then hire a mountain bike and go the gondola and follow the trails back down (repeat as many times as you can). Might be best to pre-book a bike though. We were there on our honeymoon and the wife finally agreed to let me hire a bike. However by the time we got there an American family got the last of the bikes. We headed up the mountain on the gondola (behind the family), only to watch them pushing their bikes back down the mountain!!!
Be sure to visit the ski jump area, you can go to the top of one of the ski jumps (why the **** you’d want to jump off one of those I’ll never know!). You can watch them practising down smaller slopes jumping into a pool during the summer.

After Lake Placid it’s a lovely drive to Niagra Falls. Just make sure you do the Maid of the Mist boat ride into the falls.

Then, be prepared for a 10hr drive back to NYC. Unless you stop off en route.

Sweet

I longed for an AMP back in the day. So when a B4 and F3 forks came up for sale on ebay a few years back I took the plunge. The shock was shot, and the bushes were seized. However, after a quick email to AMP the shock was winging its way back to the US for a service, at cost of a few dollars 8O
They had a full set of spares (bushes, pivot, shocks etc) for their frames and forks.
I could have upgraded to a Risse shock but my funds were low after buying some period parts to rebuild it. I polished the frame with a tube of Brasso and load of elbow grease. The spec was 8spd XT shifters, mechs and SPD’s, XTR 8spd cassette. Middleburn RS1’s with Middleburn and Pace rings. Ringle Moby post, Zooka stem, Slamma-Jamma headset. Flite saddle. Answer Hyperlite bars with clear Onza Ules grips. Hope Ti-Glide hubs on Mavic 217 SUP Ceramics with snow-flake spoking, shod with red Ritchey Z-Max WCR 1.7’s.

Only rode it a few times, then sold it to but something else.

Wished I kept it :cry:

Pro Cycle Hire have a place in Alcudia (might be a workshop only though). But they will deliver your bike to your hotel:

Home

Max Hurzeler: (they also have organised rides of varying speeds)

http://www.bicycle-holidays.com/en/rental-bicycles/rental-conditions-and-infos/

Oh man, was just out there a few weeks back. We did the Soller – Puig Major via Orient and Bunyola, but from Pollensa. That was the day after out warm up ride from Pollensa to Lluc then on to Sa Calobra. You have to do Sa Calobra if you haven’t done it before. It was a round trip of 70 odd miles from Pollensa with almost 11,500 feet of climbing. Sweet.

If I go again (when I go again – next year!) I’ll be doing Sa Calobra after Puig Major (from Soller) then returning via Caimari (gorgeous descent – and climb) to Pollensa. Rather than turning left at the bottom of the descent in Caimari you could turn right and return via Orient and Bunyola. You’ll have the climb over Col (coz you ain’t cycling through the tunnel to Soller). But it’s a gentle climb with a killer descent into Soller (not killer dangerous!).

I’ve got a couple of routes up on Strava (my name is Neil Storey). If you wanted a couple of routes round there.

Well done stufive :D

I did it in 9hrs 59mins. First time for me so took it real easy as I didn’t know what to expect. We had a long stop at Calder Bridge, one of the guys I was doing it with had to retire with near hypothermia after Cold Fell. Really stoked that I managed to get over Hardknot with stopping, I am chuffed to bits :D
I will definitely try and get a place on next years, now I have a time I want to go back and better it.

All in all I loved it, despite being in a world of pain………at times.

I’m doing it, never done it before. Keep an eye out for a guy in M.Steels clothing (only one from the club doing it so should be the only one wearing Steels kit!).

I’ve bottled the 25 max and gone for a 29, with compact chainset. I still think I’ll be suffering.

Say hello if you pass me on the ups.

I had an annoying click on my carbon road bike. After removing/cleaning/greasing every possible bolt it turned out that it was coming from the freehub body. There was about 1mm of play. Removed the QR, nipped up the freehub and voila, no more annoying click.

Might be worth checking your freehub just in case.

Never mind a shout davidtaylforth, if I’m still going by the time I get to Hardknott I’ll definitely be needing a push. Any chance you can carry a pie with you just in case, I’ll be rather peckish by then. Not cheese and onion, something with meat of some description.

Or a pizza……….

The place will be crawling with roadies this Sunday, it’s the Fred Whitton. You might see me there, bringing up the rear. If you see someone in M.Steel Cycles kit struggling, give me a push please……..! (I’ll be the only one as I’m the only one in the club to get a place).

Thank you :wink:

Seen a Moots crack JCL?

That’s my Moots with the split headtube in the Hall of Shame. And yes, the headset was fitted correctly by an experienced mechanic of many years standing. Moots had no idea why it would fail like that. Sadly it was out of warranty.

+2 for Pro Cycle Hire in Puerto Pollensa. Bruce is a great guy, really helpful. He’s sorted me out with a bike at short notice. Roll on the 21st April.

One for the haterz?

Rapha. Love mine.

Over Honister pass from the west. That’s my viewing spot sorted then!

I’ve got a load-liner for a bug-eye WRX estate (not sure if it fits post bug-eye models – it doesn’t fit pre bug-eye) if anyone wants it??…!!!

It’s free, you just have to collect it. Damn thing cost me £100 when I had mine. Loved it, sadly couldn’t afford it to run it every day for work.

Please email me if you want it (address in profile), I’m just north of Newcastle (Morpeth) if you want to collect it.

Cheers.

Get a Rotor 3D compact chainset, they do standard rings in a compact BCD. Then you don’t have to buy a new chainset if you change your mind.

£50??!!

Bollocks to that. I’m only down for one event this year, the Fred Whitton. Once I’ve finished that (fingers crossed!!) it’ll be Audaxs for me.

I’ve been hooked with the place since I was 13 (29 years ago :oops: ).

Hired my first bike there 2yrs ago (a 40th treat). Did self guided and shop rides. I love the place. I’d be there again this year but the wife decided on Florida. Perhaps that’s why I’m there on a lads cycling trip next month.

Come on!!

Puerto Pollensa

Puerto Pollensa

Puerto Pollensa

Oh, and get a pass off the wife, hire a road bike from Pro Cycle Hire in PP and have a ride out on one of their shop rides or ride to the light house at Cap Formentor, have an expresso whilst there then a ride back. Nice.

Get a pair of the new Bont Riot’s. I wished I knew about them before buying my Bont Vapor’s.

Under a £100 (ok, £99.99). They’re available this month I think.

10spd. But that’s not your question is it? :oops:

What’s your query fella? I’ve got an 11spd cassette upstairs waiting to go on the summer bike. If you want me to fettle then I can do after the club ride tomorrow.

Let me know :wink:

email on the way lasty :wink:

Sounds like the easiest thing for me lasty, knowing me I’ll end up doing something that involves having to fork out a wad of cash.

So, do all tom-tom 300’s come with North American mapping?

Thanks chaps. You’ll have to excuse my ignorance as far as technology is concerned, I’m a total dweeb when it comes to stuff like this.

I have an iphone 4s (God knows why :oops: ) but I thought that if I was to use it as a GPS it would cost me a barsteward fortune. I take it I’m wrong? 8O

Talk me through what I need to do to use it as a GPS then without incurring having to sell the house to pay the phone bill.

Cheers

Neil

If you decide to sell it aP please let me know before bunging it on the ‘bay.

:wink:

I was over there last August. Went out on a couple of big rides with the guys from Pro Cycle Hire shop in Puerto Pollensa. I was worried about cycing in the heat in August, especially with my white northern skin, but it was fine. It was a couple of 100km rides. Just had to remember to drink lots and regularly.

I’m sure you be ok in May.

I’m off there at the end of April for a weeks worth of cycling, sans family.

Can’t wait :wink:

:oops:

No one? 8O

Excellent ChunkyMTB!!! :D

Can you fill me in on it when you return? I’m really REALLY wanting to do it next year (2014). My brother in law lives in NYC so was going to suggest we visit next May. Imagine the look on my wife’s face when I try to put my bike in the taxi to the airport!!

Would really love to hear all about it mate.