Great that your budget has gone up, if possible spend the extra on a bike with an air fork because you can adjust it to suit your weight simply by adding or subtracting air

Paid my neighbour’s bin cleaners for her.
Visited my bored disabled grandson to cheer him up.
Picking my other grandson up from school so he can have an hour on the park.
I’m shiny today, for such a miserable git

This too will pass

Plenty of decent stuff round Lathkill Dale that my wife is happy to ride. My fave route goes by road to descend Deep Dale (short techy bit at bottom that OH walks) then up to Brushfield (more walky/techy bits on descent) then Monsal Head, Great Longstone, Hassop, Pilsley, Edensor, the golf club descent (bit of walking)to Bakewell then Intake Lane/road back through Over Haddon, about 40k, all easy to navigate with an OS map, something for all and lovely on a nice spring day

Most of the above. Don’t remember noticing until I retired though, and it’s getting critical now she’s retired too. The thing is, she lives in a happy go lucky couldn’t give a f×#k fluffy bubble and I get all stressed, so on balance I have a dreadful suspicion that it’s me that’s at fault. A few weeks ago in the supermarket a shop assistant and a customer were cooing over a sweet old couple shuffling round together, head to head. When I walked past them though they were being absolutely vile to each other. Don’t wanna end up like that!

Doh! Yep, sorry, new phone has override autocorrect. Co – op. Definitely Co-op

It’s a few years since this happened to me, when it did I found the co-founder were the only ones who would do bike cover on house insurance for anything less than a silly insult

It sounds very much like wot I sez. Recommend you look up the thread, it was last posted on about 4 days ago (sorry, don’t know how to put a link to it up),and given your shock is under warranty, get the shop to sort it.

I usually record it off Euros port and watch it at my leisure. Usually need to start it half an hour early and get it to overrun by at least an hour though

Bump. Anyone?

Sounds early to need to replace bushings. Are you sure it’s not the monarch shock knocking? Mate of mine felt a knocking and we thought it was something loose or worn, turned out it was the shock. There’s been a thread on here recently on this issue

Dunno, was gonna get my lbs to send it off for a service to Mojo when I take the road bike to France in a fortnight so it’s all sorted for when I return, hence I could do with knowing how many to have fitted

I learned to hate my carbon bronson

Cheers folks, some helpful suggestions. Beaune looks about right for travelling down, will have to get the map out for the return

Relaxing for an hour on the sofa before cooking a Dahl for dinner after 4 heavy hours off road round my mate’s techy rocky singletrack. Can’t beat that post – ride satisfaction!

Why is it that if you put a dent in your frame it’s always when it’s new? Think of it as the start of a long and happy relationship

What Jekkyl sez,second hand will get you better value, especially if you can get something with an air fork which you can tune to your weight. Forks on bikes less than about a grand new tend to be very basic and the limiting factor on entry level bikes. However buying secondhand can be a bit of a minefield if you don’t know what to look for/knowledge of potential pitfalls. Do you know anyone into the sport who could help with a secondhand purchase?

Mabie and Dalbeattie

Hmm, I’ve been running a NN 2.35 in pacestar on the rear through the winter paired with a HD front after finding my previous fave high rollers sketchy as hell on Snowdon Ranger in the wet last October. The HD has been great despite the haters on here but the NN is a bit prone to getting sideways in the wet, hasn’t worn well and now has developed little leaky holes all round where sealant seeps out, not on the sidewalls but between the nobs. I’ll be getting a minion soon for the rear

I’m in the clean it if it’s mucky camp but as stated how would any of us know what is best cos we all do one or t ‘ other? Maybe a longterm test article for the mag where they run two similar bikes in the same conditions to minimise variables to see which consumables last longest?

My fave is to make a ciabatta type bread with sun dried toms and olives. Use the oil they come in in the bread mix. Doesn’t last long.

My fave is to make a cab attached type bread with sun dried toms and olives. Use the oil they come in in the bread mix. Doesn’t last long.

Birchover has a nice site with good facilities, pub in village, good walking and biking nearby. Barn Farm, that’s it

I use a metal gutter which is basically a central support beam from a double bed turned upside down to hold the tyres, then luggage strap it to the side of the van, v stable, no rubbing. Tried other more elaborate methods in the past which fan’s the cab test. This is quick simple and stable

I regularly ride the Peaks midweek and would happily show you round, always looking for excuses to ride. As said, start a thread nearer the time and you’ll be offered plenty free guiding!

Bike shops seem to charge at least £60 per hour labour but pay mechanics less than a tenner? Can it really cost them the equivalent of £50 per hour for workshop space/rent?

The issue I’ve heard of with inflatables is stability in windy conditions. Any comments?

Watching this with interest, we are looking at one of those too

It’ll make your chain more likely to come off

Drac, I stand patronised.
OP, for what it’s worth here’s my tuppenn’orth. It strikes me your wife started withdrawing soon after you were trying for another baby. Could it be that she may have picked up on your less than total commitment to another child, initially tried to get over it but really she wanted a baby more than you and has been feeling this ever since? She feels you want different things, you just want boats and stuff etc could just be how this rift has polarised in her mind. Whatever the cause of your disconnection I hope you can sort it out and get back on track, you seem to care for her a lot

Well ok, that’s my GP’s definition of clinical depression which I thought fairly accurate. Maybe you know better

I’ve been a sufferer all my adult life really though for most of it I was in denial. I finally broke down and acknowledged my depression and anxiety 15 years ago, luckily at a time when psychodynamic psychotherapy was available on the NHS, which allowed me to address some underlying childhood issues, made me realise I’d been carrying fear and anger for all my life. Since I had 7 years of therapy I’ve been much better, currently my position neatly summed up by bigblackshed. My breakdown let me know who my true friends were and their support has allowed me to be open and honest, and this has been a key factor for me in keeping my head above water

Granted ,Drac, depressives are often very good at disguising their condition especially before they’ve acknowledged it themselves and the associated symptoms vary from person to person. I was just clarifying what depression is for the OP, we can’t decide based on what a third party tells us. She may be depressed but from the OP it seems that her dissatisfaction centres on hubby rather than life in general.
OP best of luck in getting this sorted.

Definition of depression is a low mood lasting a period of at least 2 weeks with other associated symptoms, including insomnia,loss of appetite, sex drive, etc. This doesn’t sound like O’S situation to me, more like a
relationship problem. Not wanting to pursue 3rd child could be a symptom of this rather than the cause. Like others have said, some honesty /frank discussion needed then take it from there.

Feel for you guys working through good weather, did that for years but now I’m retired I love being able to take advantage of good weather. Got a spontaneous plan to ride Grizedale natural trails tomorrow and camp over. I’ll be thinking of you, it’ll make me appreciate it even more

I’ve used an inner tube patch inside the tyre many a time, haven’t died yet (though I know I will). Have heard you can use a bit of elastic band in place of a tyre worm but never tried it

Got a fiskar which I find very efficient for trail pixie duties even though my ham fisted son managed to wedge/bend the blade when it was brand new

Not always but it can be fairly difficult to predict when it’ll be quiet. Since I retired I’ve ridden it at all times and am often surprised at how many people there are midweek, mostly bloody retirees. Mondays are usually ok but not always if it’s nice weather or summer. Just speed up and mow them down

Mate of mine was complaining of a free hub sticking, on investigation it was actually a seized axle/wheel bearing. This could rip your mech off

I use carbon bars and can feel it in my wallet