Hate it! Try working in an office with 2 red scum season ticket holders and having a brother who is nuts about Bolton (sad git).

I hope they all go bust, serves 'em right.

Don't have a problem with it.

Have it fitted to a USE SX Suspension Seat Post with a Crud Race Guard to keep the worst of the mud off the base.

Don't forget the bayeux tapestry. Depending on the port you end up at, it can be your first stop off the ferry.

LD Lines can be quite good value. I did the Portsmouth to Le Havre overnight crossing last year.

I always travel down after work on the Thursday or Friday and sail overnight. If you go overnight, get a cabin or you either get truckers snoring in your ear or kids running around all night.

I can certainly recommend the area around Honfleur.

THIS may also help a little.

I'd much rather be looking for off road MTB routes than working!!!

Mackem – Member
you most definitely can "just head up into the hills".

Not legally!!

It can't be that bad, surely? People post up photos on here every week that look great. Or should I stick to trail centres?

Legally and I emphasise legally, depending on the area that you choose, there might look like there are loads of places to ride off road, but that just isn't the case.

You CAN ride on BRIDLEWAYS (and I admit there are loads of them), BYWAYS OPEN TO ALL TRAFFIC, FOREST TRACKS AND PATHS, GREEN LANES and WHITE ROADS.

You CANNOT ride on FOOTPATHS, CANAL TOW-PATHS (some you can), DISUSED RAILWAY LINES (again, some you can).

You need to think where you want to go to (north, south etc) and then get some maps (or something like Anquet).

Don't know if this LINKY will help.

eckinspain – Member

I'm thinking about trying to organise a biking trip to the UK

WHY???????

Unless we get a miracle and have a good summer it will be cold, wet and muddy.

If you are riding on the roads, they are badly kept, too busy and the cars will treat you like you don't exist.

If you are riding off road, unfortunately, the majority of rights of way in the United Kingdom are footpaths and you can't ride on those (legally). There are some great forest trails and a few specific riding centres, but to do general off roading usually takes quite a bit of local knowledge as you can't just head off into the hills.

If you really want to ride in the UK, you could try something like the C2C (Coast to Coast) LINKY[/url]. There are off road sections within the ride and you will hopefully get to experience some stunning countryside with not as much traffic.

You might also want to have a look at SUSTRANS[/url]. They have lots of cycle routes, although mainly on road, but they would allow you to cycle between some of the better off road areas on less congested routes.

I'm 6'4" with a 36/37" inside leg.

Here's a photo of my 21" 29er. You can see how much seat pillar it out of the frame. It's a 400m NC-17 Seat Pillar by the way.

I'm running the EQ27 Sleeved rim from CRC and not had any problems yet. Build them myself with black DT Competition spokes.

I've also got a pair of 36 hole Rigida Taurus rims that I will be building when I get round to finishing of the GF road wheels.

I plan to put some cyclocross tyres on the EQ27's as they're 32 hole and have them more as a summer/trail wheels and something a bit tougher on the Rigida's. Both rims are disc specific.

thisisnotaspoon – Member

We do love each other, just sometimes she makes it so bloomin difficult (and usualy manages to blame whatever the problem is on me)!

You might think you love her (but I'm not sure you can after only 4 months) but she certainly doesn't sound like she loves you.

Time to cut and run. Either be honest and tell her it's not working out or make her pissed off so she dumps you. Forget to call, turn up late for everything or even not show up at all and ring her with some excuse. She'll soon get fed up.

I hope it's a free phone number or it will be costing you a fortune.

+1 for GIMP.

Great software and it's free.

According to Roger Munson's book, the most important bit is the spokes. Get the best spokes possible.

Within reason, any hub and rim will do but spokes need to be the best you can get quality wise

He uses DT competition and Revolution

lovewookie – Member

Yes, Newcastle grad here. Keele (Geology and Computer Science) too. Did my masters in 93/94 but was a bit ahead of the game and all the jobs they said would be out there didn't materialise till about 97. By that time I was working as a software engineer.

Kit – Member

Thank god I'm not the only one that feels this way. Already got an MSc in Environmental Biogeochemistry but have been thinking about doing a PhD. The only trouble is the lack of money, my age and the prospect of starting at the bottom of the working ladder 'again'!!!

My GF has been doing her degree part time and just got a 'First' (smart arse). I've been feeling very jealous of the satisfaction and enjoyment she had been getting from studying. It made me realise just how much I miss it.

Maybe that's what I do; pack it all in, get any old job that will give me a bit of cash and do a PhD. Now that might just be a plan!!!!!

As a Geo-Environmental Engineer, we generally don't use half the stuff that the course covers. With regards to the core modules, the site investigation one might be useful and understanding the environmental chemical analysis would be good, but all our samples are just sent to a lab for analysis, we just get the results. As a company, we wouldn't touch landfill design, EIA and hydrogeology partly because they are far too specialist subjects and also because our bosses don't think they would make any money out of them.

I spend the majority of my time writing reports to get sites through local planning regs with the minimum of fuss, the occasional couple of days out doing an SI or validating remediation/development work.

My biggest disapointment with the whole job is that I'm not working for the environment I'm working for the building contractor.

Many of the proposed big brownfield developments have been put on hold because the housing market is so depressed. A developer is only interested in spending big money remediating a site if they can make big money selling the houses.

If your sister wants to work protecting and working for the environment, don't become a Geo-Environmental Engineer.

I'm looking for something different at the moment, but the market is dead. I'm looking to move in with my GF, but can't afford to move without a job closer to where she lives. I also much prefer being the gamekeeper rather than the poacher; as however altruistic and moralistic it sounds, I really would like to work towards the benefit of the environment and not just to line the pockets of some house builder.

You're being made redundant, what can they do? I'd just tell them that you are going. They'd have to be pretty unreasonable to say no. And if they do, you go off sick for the remaining redundancy period.

Last time I was made redundant, I spent my months notice surfing the www looking for a job.

Thinking of buying a new camera myself and came across Simply Electronics[/url]. I couldn't beleive how cheap they are so did a bit of research. There is quite a bit on some of the AV forums. Some people are very happy with their service some are not. It always seems to be about items not being in stock and peoples ability to get a quick refund (or not as the case may be).

Given the potential savings, I'll be giving them a try after xmas.

Started watching Bad Santa the other night on 5. Turned it off after about 20 mins thought it was crap.

If it's got to be about xmas, then the original Miracle on 34th Street or A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim.

If it's any film at xmas, then it's just my favourite film which is Blade Runner or the original Star Wars.

I got the IStuff Autoscan FM Transmitter for my GF a couple of years ago and it has been great.

Here's a review CLICKY.

We've never had a problem with it. Taken it to France a couple of times and no problem there either. It scans for free space in the available band width and gives you the option of a few frequencies. If you go into an area where you start to get interference from a proper station, just re-scan and away you go.

I can only think of two times when we've had a real problem, but that usually disappears after a couple of miles.

You might want to ignore this post as I've just done a quick search and although IStuff still exists I can't find the transmitter available anywhere.

Have you thought about this one CLICKY?

Review of them here CLICKY[/url]

Getting really sick of TG messing about!

What was all that crap about the airship? Total waste of my licence fee. If I want to watch sh1t, I'll watch the X-Factor.

I can just about cope with all the hyper-car stuff if it's about the car, but the first 20 mins of each prog so far and the has been complete and utter bo11ox.

And Lancia's were rubbish, are rubbish and have always been rubbish.

I kept my original forks as the frame was originally built for 27" wheels with mudguards and Bob Jacksons told me that the geometry and handling would change if I went for something different.

I bought it in 1980 for £125 just before the Harry Quinn shop in Liverpool closed. It was in the days when you trained on the bike in winter and then stripped it down and put the sprints on for summer.

It is a 26" frame hand built in Reynold 531DB tubing. At 6'4" with very long legs I was never going to be a quick rider, but I did love it. Am I just feeling nostalgic or did the summers really seem better then?

oldgit – Member

mavisto I agree. My Gios is going off to be restored, but it'll be rebuilt with modern kit.

I can recommend Bob Jacksons in Leeds. I had a new rear brake hanger fitted and the rear drop-outs spaced to accept modern hubs. Also had a front gear hanger fitted and ergo adjuster added near the headtube.

It wasn't cheap, but I now have my first good road bike in better condition than it was when I bought it.

The only problem is I don't like to ride it. I'm happy to sit and look at it. Oh and yes I am a sad git!!!!

He looks like he's had the thing built for touring. There seems to be rack mounts of some sorts and I'm not at all keen on the way he's chopped the drops off.

He's got some really nice kit on it, but that doesn't mean it's worth what he paid for it.

Sorry for all the repeated comments, I was adding to my original post while others where replying.

Get one of these CLICKY and you can play your ipod in the car, no problem. Bought the GF one for xmas a couple of years ago and she can't live without it now.

Taken it to France for the last 2 years and it's been great you don't have to put up with all the crap music on French radio while you are driving and with a little pair of travel speakers we have music in the tent too.

I really can't see a down side to them if you like listening to music!

If you want a free bit of software to combine and split pdf pages, try "pdf edit" from PDF995

PDF995[/url]

Toys of the 2 and 4 wheel variety! V8 Autotune Gemini, Suzuki DL1000GT and a couple of bikes. My 'good' bike still lives in the house, I'm not having that corrode to bits on me.

Whatever you do, don't get it made single brick. I did and it is always damp inside. Going to try a dehumidifier in it this year to see if it will keep my toys dry.

I love my Mountain Warehouse stuff. Fleeces, T Shirts and other shirts too. Never had a problem with the quality and the fleeces don't seem to 'pill' like other more expensive ones I've had.

Also like Decathlon. Got some nice cycling gear very cheap when I was in France in July.

Got a homemade one off Ebay as the guy was selling them for less than I could actually get the bits for. Only used it once, but it worked very well. Made sure the threaded rod was central in the head tube and the washers covered the headset cups evenly. Gentle turns with a spanner and the headset pulled in easily. Certainly better than the wood and hammer route.

Still had to pay the LBS for facing the head tube, but that was only a fiver.

Just buy Roger Mussons e-book. If you want to build your own wheels it's the best £9 you will ever spend.

CLICKY

clubber – I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one!

The way I read it, the seller is trying to mislead potential buyers, by quoting a £250 price tag for 'similar lights' and not mentioning that he is presumably buying them 'retail' for £50. Not ripping people off would have involved saying that you can buy it for £50 from Hong Kong, but you will have to wait 6 weeks for it to arrive.

And as for selling them to his friends, my friends would get told where I buy them from, not charged £50 for the privilege.

Oh, the adapter plug costs £1.24 by the way.

clubber – I'm happy you rejected my kind offer, because I really would have felt that I was ripping you off if you had.

IMO selling on ebay has become a very dubious activity. Gullible people think, because it is on ebay they are getting a bargain, when they are not. And whatever business you or I may be in, I do not believe in taking advantage of gullible people.

andywarner – Member

No problem.

Everyone keeps saying you get what you pay for with these lights and for £50 they are great value. Ok, so they get a bit warm and the battery pack isn't waterproof, but £50 really is great value.

Personally I wouldn't have risked buying one for £100 and I certainly wouldn't buy one for £150. If my only option was to buy one for £150 or get something else, Troutie would be sat there with my cash in his pocket. Depending on how much night riding I do, he might get it anyway.

clubber – Member

Do you want to buy my light from me? Unused but fully tested, complete with 3 pin adaptor. How does £100 sound?

Am I trying to rip you off?

andywarner – Member

where do people normally order them from?

I'm not sure if you are taking the piss or really don't know, but if not then the lights are available here, but at the moment you have to wait for them.

DezB

– Yes I did see those. I suspect you might have to pay import duty on those too. I don't think that quantity of lights would sneak through the customs radar.