monkey_boy – Member
just a £15 fire angel from b&q

Ditto, just bought one. Claims to run off the one battery for life, which has to be a plus that the temptation to pull the **** battery out to stop it chirping when it runs low is hopefully prevented.

Saw some around the £35 mark, so considerable price differences, I don't know enough about them to comment whether there are different standards of technology though. Price seems to vary according to where/why you buy.

Example in my case, we've bought a new caravan, the old CO detector had flat batteries, a specific caravan supplies shop wanted the £35, B&Q wanted £15. Bit of a no brainer really!

This is a bit like the article in this months magazine where the guy goes into a bike shop and wants a bike people will look at at trail centres?

Practical MTB'ing vehicle – space, economy, comfort, looks like you're heading for a people carrier Hora!!

As per Crazy Legs on page 1 of this thread, a lot of it comes down to the shape of the shifters – I like Campag, Shimano shifters feel too big for my hnads, and the campag lever set up works well for me, but in all honesty I've ridden campag for maybe 10 years and shimano road stuff for maybe 1 hour, so I'm not really helping here!

I've nevr had a takeaway pizza that I've enjoyed eating. All stodgy bread, usually dripping in fat and chewy "meat" substitutes.

Certainly won't eat a Dominos, was ill the last time I had one – and no, hadn't been drinking!

Private regs are down to choice. What's more of a concern is when a standard reg number is altered to allow the owner to perpetrate crime.

Saw one on the M60 last year, new ford mondeo, reg number just looked odd, both came off & stopped at the same junction, had a black bolt head through the second letter that made it look like it had a M—XXX type registration. Simple thing to do if you want to avoid speeding fines maybe, but more sinister if the owner is into drug crime etc.

Discuss with your union/professional body where you stand on this, and whether the Trust has some obligation to make the problem right, or will it mean your tax code alters in the next financial year to compensate?

Mrs had a Citroen repair done by a Citroen bodyshop (not insurers). Repair rusted within 12 months (where new door skin met frame) and after they corrected this the door fell off when she opened it – fortunately without our toddler son being anywhere nearby, it was the rear passenger door which was routinely the door used to get him in his car seat.

big-chief-96 – Member
Is Chris King really worth spending the extra money on or is it better to go cheaper?

Surely it depends on the frame? Cheapo Halfords Apollo, no, but a decent quality frame would surely benefit from a quality headset?

For the record I've got a CK headset fitted to my Cove, part of the reason being I wanted a "fit & forget" headset, rather than bearings to replace, cups to pit etc. And as & when I need to get some new cranks, I'd probably consider the CK BB too.

As someone else has already stated, the trail hierarchy of redsocks>mountainbikers>greenlaners should always be in our mind, as the Ramblers would dearly love to see all none pedestrian traffic removed from unsurfaced RoW. So the Ramblers current target is greenlaning, which is likely to be quite straightforward under the "green" agenda, next will be mountain biking, giving the Ramblers complete "right to roam", and their final target will probably be those people whoi live in the areas that they wish to visit & keep "unspoilt".

http://www.pediatricsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=59646

"Influenza A (H1N1) disease burden high among Argentinean children".

Some of the issue lies in trying to get all as many cyclists as possible to stick to the laws of the road! Sorry if this sounds like I'm blaming those people riding BSO's but black clothes (tracksuits around my neck of the woods), no lights, jumping traffic lights, pavement riding etc mean that the rest of society won't respect cycling in general as we're all tarred with the same brush.

MrNutt – Premier Member
you need a nice modified 4×4!

Done that as well, maybe not so much a modified 4×4 but certainly greenlaning trips to Derbyshire & Wales when I owned a Nissan Terrano.

True, fair enough, just seems too simplistic a way of avoiding the camera considering that they use ANPR technology. I'd always assumed they used used a fixed entry/exit point and regardless of lane you entered on it was your time on the fixed distance that mattered.

How do the average speed camera system work then when they cover the slip roads – believe I saw this on the M1 roadworks in 2007 & 2008??

Gary_C – Member
I seem to remember reading a while back that if you went past an average speed scamera in,say,lane 1,then changed to,say lane 2,for the second camera then you could 'beat the system'.
Probably just an urban myth though.

Myth, surely, as with technology nowadays they'd be able to just work off an ANPR type system , so regardless of what lane you are in, if your number travels between the two fixed points too quickly, it'll pick that up – can't see changing lanes being of any help in avoiding the cameras.

Not got a problem doing a decent hill walk in place of a mountain bike ride.

Only problems I have is with the stupid "git orf my land" townies who buy a patch of countryside and know **** all about access & rights of way and the Ramblers Association as an organisation who are not content with 95% of RoW being exclusively footpaths, and want the other 5%, and who think they represent "all" leisure countryside users.

No point in conflict between users when we're all out for a nice time.

odannyboy – Member
these are shocking. i also thought there may have been more anecdotes and odd situation, not just stuff up bums?…

OK, as a student nurse 20 years ago I was working on a male GU surgery ward. One of the old charectars on the ward had developed a chest infection post-op and was productive of really foul sputum. He was slightly deaf, & partially sighted.

End of a late shift one evening & I was sat with this guy, he started coughing so I passed him a sputum cup, and said "Use this".

"thanks Jon" he said, before knocking back the contents in one – to say it looked like chip shop mushy peas wouldn't be far off the mark.

I've never come as close to puking on duty as I did that evening!

peteimpreza – Premier Member
Topeak Joe Blow.

Solid and reliable.

+1

Liked it. Funny in that sick healthcare way.

Young female with shampoo bottle top stuck PV.

Guy apparently in acute urinary retention whose urethra appeared stuck together until a foleys catheter was inserted.

Traumatic amputation of thumb by a rope swing

Leeches used to relieve venous congestion in a latient post plastic surgery

A maggot infested leg ulcer (not deliberately infested)

Some local councils will sort these out for free. Mine does. Ring environmental services and ask.

http://www.atlantic-boulevard.co.uk/

These guys of any use to you?

Yes, minimum age for canoing is 8 – we took our water confident 7 year old to the Ardeche and despite him being a month short of 8, the local canoing centres just gave a blanket "non".

Which for France, the country which appears to have no rules, seemed slightly draconian!

I'm putting my faith in the NHS at the moment. Due a second lot of neurosurgery, followed by chemo & radiotherapy.

I was diagnosed with a brain tumour last June. I fitted on the 2nd June, was diagnosed on the same day, transferred on the same day to the local neuro unit, fully investigated, and operated on on 9th June. Home after 48 hours.

The fact the tumour has recurred is not a problem with the surgeons original operation, just the infiltrating nature of a glioma tumour.

Only slip up was when a GP diagnosed me with sinusitis when I presented with a 4 week history of tiredness, couple of waking headaches and just generally feeling like shite. But then I was expecting to be told "viral, go home", so I am as much to blame for not re-attending when symptoms didn't improve after a couple of weeks of nasal spray.

Northwind – Member
Yup, APR just isn't relevant on a short term loan.

It is when the people most attracted to these types of loans are those with the least ability to pay them off short term. Fro the link above: "If you have a one-period loan, you may extend your loan a maximum of five times by logging into your personal account and selecting the "Request An Extension" link or by calling our Customer Service team".

Legalised loan sharking springs to mind as a description.

Zedsdead – Member
I've been a member of British Cycling for a good while as I needed a race licence. I didn't realise that I had the legal stuff with it.

Well worth the annual fees I say.

And for those who have no intentions or abilities to race, then British Cycling "Everyday Membership" is a good deal, membership benfits without the race licence.

While I feel for the bloke, we're not in full possession of the facts, in fact it seems we may have only heard half of the story, so I'm not sure that charitable donations would be the way forward.

I bought a merino top from an online place that does just generla thermal underwear, not syscling specific, in fact they seem to push it more for motorcyclists

http://www.thermalshop.co.uk/

Having bought & used many man made fibre base layers in the past, I wouldn't go back to them. The merino is warmer, wicks better, doesn't smell. Everything that I'd been told about the stuff by others (and I'd gone "yeah, right….") is true.

They've usually got offers on, ring and see what they can do before you threaten to leave. Big push is to upgrade to Sky + HD at the moment.

I've got my old Sky+ box if you want to go about it the long way round?

Knee jerk reaction from the govt. Has the trial in Manchester Airport finished, and if so has it been proven to be effective in anyway?

News is reporting that most people will undergo standard screening and only certain individuals will go through the full body scanner. Might as well not bother seeing as the "intelligence" agencies were apparently aware of the Xmas day bomber yet he still flew without any apparent problems.

Will get the human rights organisations up in arms that some/all travellers will be screened.

1/2 tonne ex mil lightweight that I owned when I was 19, 2 1/4 petrol, never went over 50 but fuel consumption was awful, 12-13mpg, unsustainable on a student nurses wages.

Still loved it though!

Mines an older frame, but in fairness I've had a couple of years off mountain biking, so while it is a (?) 2003 frame, and was only built in 2004, it's only had about 3 years use in that time. Note the canti-bosses on the seat stays.
Build is mostly XT drivetrain, Manitou Black forks (100/120mm travel), Easton bars & stem, Synchros post, Flite saddle. Formula B4 brakes, 180/140mm discs. I'm a bigger rider but still find the 19" bike maybe a touch too big, however I'm just a trail rider, so it does the job well. Regarding fork travel, the older frames are meant to run 100mm max, which I did used to run, but seeing as it is well out of warranty I've started running 120mm, and it rides better with the longer travel – mostly because the fork is working better on the longer setting, running at the same air pressure as i had in it when it was on 100mm.

I encountered a problem like this in the Dales once, from established land owners – Arncliffe Cote*, the farm at the bottom of the valley. This was one of those "odd" RoW because on the 1:25000 OS map it was dotted line – bridleway – dotted line. Land owner really shitty, and did the same as OP "Get off my land, you can't ride here, that isn't a Row", in sight of the road. I offered to turn around and go back the way I'd come, and eventually he relented and let me carry on to the road.

Fortunately I met up with a YDNP ranger en route, and checked with him what status the route had. He confirmed that the bridleway in the middle meant YDNP would consider the RoW either side to have the same status, and that the land owner was notorious for such actions. The Ranger encouraged me to write to YDNP & the LA as such behaviour from the landowners wouldn't go in their favour if the authorities did consider revising the RoW status.

Makes sense to make a noise about what happened.

*Not got a clue what status this RoW has now, and it wasn't great considering Mastiles lane is so close anyway. I was new to riding and was following a route from a guidebook, which went down this track and then back up Mastiles lane! I joined a local club and stopped following guidebook routes soon after!

Sealskinz are OK, but even riding mostly just in the NW of England by the end of a ride on a cold day my toes will have suffered – and they are a bit bulkier than normal socks, so if your current shoes fit you well wearing Sealskinz underneath will squeeze yuor toes more and this worsens the feeling of cold.

Obviously some of it depends on you as an individualo, some people just feel the cold more regardless of what they wear.

Hazel Blears. Not once, not twice, but over & over for being such a silly grinning, vacant, smug bitch who still thought she was right when she'd been caught.

petesgaff – Member
"Doctor. You're going to man up and prescribe me some medication, because I need a bath and my arse hurts…"

Outstanding. I wish I could think of words like than when needed.

Even the Aldi Tevion 32" is good VFM compared to some "deals" at the moment – includes a 3 year warranty, which Currys et al don't – immediately bumps up the cost a lot.

jelly tits – Member
The problem I have is that the fat gene has been passed on from my fathers side so I'm up against it from the start. I've started cutting back already. I only drink diet coke now and baked crisps instead of the fried junk.

Stop the carbonated drinks for a starter, http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7450/1237 , and as for the "baked crisps instead of the fried junk" then just stop eating the baked crisps, they are shite quality processed carbs anyway. If you have to eat something in between a meal, why not fruit or veg?

Out of interest, what fat gene has your family been identified with?

I'm not taking the piss here, I have a recurrent weight problem, so I do know how hard it can be to lose weight and keep it off, in some ways the weight loss is just the start. I've never tried to hide behind any excuses, except maybe in primary school, after that point it has just been an acceptance that I eat too much/eat unhealthily, and don't exercise enough at times.

Shame it wasn't the same nigth when we had a partial eclipse of the moon, that would have been interesting!

Eat less, exercise more – or if you already feel like you are starving yourself, eat better quality foods and increase the intensity of your exercise. I found indoor cycling classes (aka "spinning" classes) superb for this, as I just hammered myself for an hour, three times a week, with a real ride at the weekend, and with sensible eating then steady gradual weight loss was the result.

I guess thats the other thing, how much weight do you want to loose and over what length of time? I've never found an £easy£ way of losing weight/maintaining weight when lost, other than dietary control & exercise.

I've been using Altura 3/4's since the summer and they seem to be pretty tough. Don't wash well – often see last rides dirt even after a run through the Hotpoint – and the supplied belt is shite, but they work well for me.

I think C+ reviewed them earlier in 2009. They liked them if memory serves me correctly.

Be aware customer service (which had improved in recent years) appears to be going off again, with poor delivery dates etc, and no replies to e-mails etc.