Very jealous.

Sprained wrist turned into a broken scaphoid!

Company Vivaro 1.9, abused by me till 120K when I got a new Peugeot Expert.

I loved it, fast comfortable, good brakes but could fade a bit on the A27 and the million roundabouts of Chichester. From a company view point its only weak point was puddles, high speed entry or a deep puddle would spray water into the air intake and hydraulic lock the engine!

Fit for me was fine with 60mm stem and 720mm bars, zero layback post and seat mid to forward position on post due to shonky knee’s. Just remember its not a XC bike so position is a bit more sit up and beg.

I run a Marin Quake in 15.5 and that is a bit small for me on all day XC stuff.

5’7, 30 inch ISL and had the 17.5 inch wolf ridge, fitted fine. Great bikes, just keep the rear dropouts tight along with the skewer.

RIP

Best spaceship EVER, FACT!

Best space chick (my formative years!)

Apart from the current Mrs Ming (obviously).

Speaking to someone in the hovercraft world, apparently they had only two months to build it and a very limited budget. The design/mould they used was also very old.

He was not happy as it painted his hobby/passion in a very poor light.

I’ve had a quick look at FIL’s BSO and told him to take it to the LBS (I’ve pre-warned them it maybe arriving) as I’ve got the feeling that I’d have a tantrum working on it.

A few years ago I also spent ages advising someone about mid level full suss MTB’s and Hardtails with the advice to start on a nicely spec’ed hardtail from the LBS (not to get a 29er as it was still earlyish days of them). So he went and got a 29er FS in a box from the internet.

After building it up for him and going riding with him I felt sorry for the bike. I explained umpteen times that with a triple ring up the front, big/big & small/small on the gears was very bad he just wouldn’t take it in.

Worst of all was gear changing uphill, no attempt at backing off EVER, crunch/graunch every change. I explained that you don’t change gear in a car with the foot hard on the accelerator so don’t do it on a bike. He didn’t listen. It arrived a few months later wanting a new mech, mech hanger and a new chain after he’d twisted a link through 90 degrees, you’ve guessed it, big ring on the front, big ring on the back! I replaced all the bits and got it running and I think it’s been corroding safely in a shed for the last 18months.

There was a story circulating the news sites a few years ago about RSPCA members who questioned where money was being spent and found themselves rapidly on the outside.

From the ferret rescuing I’ve been involved in, I’ve heard of the RSPCA telling people that they are a wild animal so don’t worry about them!!(Massively incorrect).

A work colleague wanted a rescue dog for the family so after doing the full RSPCA home inspection bit and jumping through loads of hoops was allowed to re-home a dog the was not good with children and not house trained (something he stipulated). The RSPCA then got stroppy when the dog was taken back and flatly refused to refund the “donation” he had paid towards the dogs neutering.

I found a bird of prey on the trail, clearly ill/injured and phoned the RSPCA to rescue it. “What’s your postcode?” was all the poor girl at the RSPCA could ask. After patiently explaining where I was and that I could provide a grid reference but no postcode was rudely informed that they wouldn’t come out without a postcode?!!

Hedge fund masquerading as a charity!

The RNLI haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory either.

Hmmm, a “good” estate agent; cavalier attitude to the customer, ridiculously inflated promises of vast sums of money for your property, zero attempt to sell it whilst charging a ridiculous sum for a piss poor website page and a single advert in the newspaper next to the meeting singles page and the ad that says “beware of the leopard”, trying to sell your property to a mate of his at a “good” price……

I could go on.

This is Chewie, at his peak he could hold 25mph for around a mile slightly downhill. He’s 5 now and we tailor the rides to suit with lots of climbing or single speeding. He loves singletrack and knowing the trails he’ll take short cuts and snake the lead just as the trail finishes!

The key things are building up slowly and make sure that the dog gets plenty of rest between outings.

Coming down the nutcracker on Dartmoor this June, front wheel clipped a rock and went off line. The next rock finished the off line rotation and turned the front wheel 90 degrees to direction of travel. The bike stopped, I didn’t and Imperial dangly bits got a battering from the handlebar end before it smacked into my pelvis bone and threw me forcefully OTB into the brambles.

Took a few days for me to stop feeling kicked in the balls.

Lots of trains with too many passengers, reliability is not that bad (people only remember the bad journey’s) but overcrowding is unfortunately. Until the line gets made up to 4 roads all the way to London it always will be.

@ Northwind

Cheers for the tips…

must avoid alcohol fuelled internet papyal purchase!

Stowford press now and some rather good gluten free lager with mu curry and chips later!

There are some good deals going on this years Remedy 29ers.

I’ve the alloy rim ones, they are light, fast, strong. The hub bearings are shockingly bad, wearing out after a few months. They went back under warranty and the importer was very slow so the LBS mechanic cornered them at a trade show and spoke loudly at them. I got a new wheel and the other got new bearings.

I’d rather get Crank Brothers.

I’ve the carbon 2x10xt version from a few years ago. It’s bloody fast. I rinsed my times on most segments around Cannock last year compared to my 26 FS (rm element so no slouch). I love it and if push came to shove would be the bike I keep.

At that speed they could run over my daughters stereo and not hear it……

Spooky’s right, here I’m almost at the top technical grade with zero chance of going higher bar management and unfortunately he’s right when he says that as a depot manager your just a mouthpiece, dog to kick when something goes wrong for the senior management in a blame free culture.

It’s a bit grim when I realise that I’ve 20 years to go before I max out my final salary pension which is about the only reason I’m staying.

I’d like to do something else but whilst I’m very good, probably the best in the South East Production District, it’s dead tech now and even our new “state of the art” gear is still a good 5-15 years behind what the real world uses and currently we are being de-skilled into card changing monkey’s as they are cheaper.

So I’m a bit stuck really. 😥

I’ve considered a supervisor/manager role a few times here at Treblinsk Rubbish Tractor Production Facility No.1 and every time I see the rubbish that my managers have to put up with.

It ranges from playing the happy clappy isn’t this a world class organisation propaganda before unveiling a rehash of the procedures/new latest idea or another useless bit of software that makes the job harder not easier but must be used on pain of death! to dealing with the pathetic bitching from some members of staff regarding doing work and also managing people that have had any shred of innovation, task ownership or professionalism eroded out of them by years of overbearing micromanagement.

Apologies I’m having a grumpy day.

Green is fastest…..FACT!

He’s not the messiah!

He’s been a very naughty boy.

Bloody brilliant! Nutter.

Mrs Ming walked into the living room whilst I was watching a documentary about the Falklands War and commented “I don’t know why your watching that, we lost!”. I had to check if I had fallen into a mirror mirror universe!

Oh and then there was the comment about ships sailing the wrong way across/along the channel. That really required some working out on my part. Apparently ships should only travel across to France and back.

I wonder what would happen if someone with flu contracted Ebola and it mutated…….

Broke mine a few years ago, missed on first x rays, told it was a sprain so after 2 weeks of MTFU went back, x rayed again, this time the spotted the break. Too late, after 4 months they decided after I had a bit of a rant to screw and graft it, further 3 months off bike and some private treatments from Brian Simpson. Now got almost full range of motion but if I jar it boy do I know about it.

Ohh they’re out there, pray VERY hard they never find you.

Almax series IV and blank shot gun cartridge alarm, just don’t set it off yourself by mistake……

Scum

I’ve a similar situation just down the road from me, parents frequently stop ON the the zebra crossing and allow their kids to decamp! Zig Zags obviously don’t apply at school time. I have to be careful as I ranted one day and my branded van was reported for having an aggressive driver.

The funniest day occurred when they dug up the road and the little darlings had to walk about 200m extra to the school, one posh mum was almost incoherent with rage at the poor road workers!

Wow

Pfft Ferrets make cats seem cheap!

I think our vets have all been to Hawaii off our ferret vet bills this year!

Beautiful creatures and nice photo’s.

I hired one to renew two soak-aways and dig a garden drain. After 5 minutes I named it “Tippy” as it had a bad wobble whilst trying to unload the bucket into a wheel barrow.

I had to use a shovel to lever the clay out of the bucket.

It destroyed the lawn.

I can ride a motor bike reasonably briskly on track days, I’ve got a few MTB KOM’s as well as fly virtual jet fighters, starships capable of destroying planets and am not too bad at Grand Turismo BUT I am shit at driving mini diggers.

Andre Norton, bit old school/dated but some lovely stories and concepts.

Sargasso of Space, Plague Ship, Post Marked the Stars and The Zero Stone are my favourites.

+Superfly.

Codybrennan, beat me to it!

Your hit, your dead!

Pass me the Hades Grenades

I nearly got rid of the thing after I got asked to leave via the front window twice on a ride due to pedal strikes!