Petesgaff – Is you email in profile correct? if so, YGM.

My girlfriend has one as a company car. I like it. Its been reliable, is quick enough, can take 3 bikes and 3 people (just).

Only downsides are that its a bit wallowy, the handbrake is rubbish and it feels like it could do with wider tyres / stiffer suspension.

Lots of lakes with rafts and zip wires etc. Make sure you go on a hot and sunny day…

Coffeeking – I bet that gets windy at times? I ride along the side of the ship canal, and that can have a bit of a headwind!

It was great when I was 10. Mind you, that was 20 yrs ago so might of changed since then.

I did my first every bike commute last Friday, and can't believe that I didnt do it sooner! 12 miles each way through south manchester and over to warrington, avoiding the busy roads, enjoying early morning and evening sunshine, plus a few vaguely interesting bits to boot 🙂

Did it again Mon & Tues but was working away today, and I really missed getting out on the bike in the morning….

The mighty Deerstalker has been good over the last 3 years, also by the same organisation.

Go elsewhere. Overpriced rubbish.

+1 for the Genesis. Got this a fortnight ago. Lovely bike.

(Smug Warning – the whole bike only cost £170 more than your frame budget off 'the bay 🙂

This morning I completed my first ever cycle commute. 12 miles on a singlespeed that I bought a week ago, which until 6.30am this morning I hadnt even ridden past the end of my street.

First impressions were faff-free goodness. Only took 20 mins longer than in the car aswell.

I thought the tour was the week after? (Im also trying to sort some accommodation out for that week too)

5'11" on a 17.5" here. I would of thought you'd be ok.

+1 wideopen

I work as a private sector consultant who gets pimped out to the highest bidder, which recently include one of the UK's longest standing and, err, currently most despised banks, and also currently to a large Govt dept.

Whilst most of the people I deal with in the Govt dept have good intentions, working alongside them is really difficult, mainly because they just dont work at the same pace im used to (and is expected of me) in the private and commercial sectors, and secondly, because when you need to speak to them, you find that they are always on leave, off sick, having a flexyday, training (??) or, (my favourite) simply "unaccountable"! Trying to get them to site meetings before 10am is a non starter, as is trying to contact them after lunch on a Friday….

For people that have such high expectations of consultants, they certainly don't make any effort to get close to those levels of professionalism, expertise, motivation and speed.

Best of luck!

Email me if you end up needing a planning consultant. We got there in the end, thanks mainly due to a change in the planning regs relating to development in greenbelt. That really pissed the planners off, especially when we invited the head of the planning dept to dinner in the parents new conservatory that they had been trying to make them demolish! 😆

Where abouts is it (approx)?

Hope the land doesn't fall under East Dorset District Council? My parents went through 3 years of applications, appeals, legal wranglings etc before finally getting to keep their conservatory after one of the planners launched a vendetta against them!

If it is EDDC, be careful – the planning dept have far too much time on their hands, and specialise in being awkward t*ats 🙄

Kaesae,

Just for the record, that is me in SFB's pic on the third post. That bike has been ridden through rivers of shite every week for four years and the original bearings are doing just fine 😀

Nice one Iain, congratulations to you both!

John (SMM)

Hora – Up until I took that big hearse of a Saab – I was often doing 700-800 business miles a week in my golf – and getting back 13p/mile!

How much do you think that was costing me!?! I badgered our directors until they started paying me an extra £150 month whilst doing that kind of distances.

Binners I was heading for Coniston this morning but turned back at Lancaster services when the torrential rain stole my enthusiasm, but the hastily arranged blast round Rivington was good, even though the uber-slippy-slidey Belmont descent kept me on my toes 😛

Gutted! I love Skiddaw. Sorry to have missed it.

Cheers Nick,

Good to meet some more STW'ers, though my legs are now reminding me that im not used to 28 milers. Glad I managed to make it to the very end 😆

PS San Marino / Belmont was better than ever today!

I'd be more worried about having my bike stolen.

What plumber said. Next time I go I'll make sure my riding companions bring a proper bike, never mind proper tyres.

Good work rick.

Ask for either proof of obtaining planning permission, or confirmation from the local auhority that PP was not required, for any extensions, conservatory's, garages, additional dormers etc etc. Especially important if the house is in green belt.

There are glaring innacuracies and contradictions between the interpretation of the planning laws by different planning dept's across the uk, so don't just rely on the seller saying "it's been here for ages and nobodys complained….." response.

Northwest Mountainbike centre in cheadle were selling off 2.3 and 2.5 specialized chunders for £10 each. Decent tyres, quite heavy, thick sidewalls. Bargain.

I had a diesel A class for two weeks as a courtesy car.

Without doubt, the worst car I have ever driven (and I once drove a Nissan Note)

Good videos. I had almost started to forget about the mud…..

Grr, missed it!

Cheers guys,

I had a great time today and even surprised myself by finishing in the top half!

Big thanks to Ed-O – Your jovial encouragement was just what was needed to keep me going (and the push around the corner was greatly appreciated), and gave me the enthusiasm to throw myself down the mud bank each lap!

John c (mud-spec camoflaged summer season)

Bogtrotters ride every wed, usually rivington, brinscall, longridge, gisburn etc (all involve a drive) or south manchester massive usually have a thurs night ride, google them for details or email in profile.

18" Alpine 160 in Manchester if you want to check the 18" is definately too small.

Optimax used to auction off their spare surgery appointments on ebay, starting at £600 regardless of what you are having done. All you need to do is have your £50 consultation appt in advance, then pick up an ebay appointment (they even refunded the £50 consultation fee when my girlfriend had her eyes done, she saved about £2200).

Shes says it's the best thing she's ever done, after meeting me of course. 😆

Never had any problems over the Mersey here in Sale. (touch wood!)

Try a Mk V golf GTI. Worlds apart from any earlier models in terms of power delivery, grip and handling. Sadly had to hand mine back at the end of its 4 year lease 2 weeks ago after 115,000 smiley miles.

I was supposed to be travelling up to ride GT and Inners this weekend. Will it be a complete waste of time??

Where else could we go? Don't mind mapreading. Staying in Innerleithen BTW.

Your picture mashed my laptop 🙁

Anyway, it looked great.

Thanks GavGas, great ride today.

I was amazed how much new stuff I rode today in areas i thought I new reasonably well already!?!

John