I have three, all get ridden.

In January I only did about 50 miles on the HT – just a couple of Sunday mornings riding with mates. We tend to ride more on road when it is axle deep mud, and night rides have just not happened mid week.

The Ribble did about 200 miles commuting and a couple of wet road rides.

The Roubaix did about 100 miles road riding on drier days.

This time last year there was a Blur as well, but that hardly ever got ridden and was reluctantly sold – I couldn’t afford the divorce that owning 4 bikes would have caused.

24 hours isn’t that long for bruising to show up, tbh.

I was lucky and had no real pain/bruising etc – thought it was great!

After a couple of days I/we tested things to make sure everything still worked OK – knocked the scab off.

It refused to heal up properly for another 3 weeks after that.

I’d certainly give it two weeks before riding – the complications from misjudging it can be very unpleasant, especially if anything gets infected.

Going back to the original post – I don’t find her sexy. Now Sarah Jane, yes please. Especially the epiode of Higgledy House when she had a “Twister” duvet on the bed!

And while I understand the idea of showing disabled (is that the right term?) people in a positive light, given the number of racial minorities and disabled characters popping up on CBeebies (Balamory/Postman Pat/Fireman Sam etc) when MrsSwadey saw the new presenter she laughed and thought they were taking it too far.

MrsSwadey doesn’t have full use of her left arm and leg, btw, so sees this issue from a different perspective to most of the rest of us. She thinks CBeebies may be taking it too far.

Running 23mm Michelin Krylion Carbons for over a year now – roughly 3000 miles, 2 (glass) punctures. The rear tyre does have 47 nicks and cuts in it mind, so I’m waiting for ProBikeKit to get them back in stock cheap. (I de-glassed the tyres when I changed wheels last week, and was sad enough to count the holes after I’d finished)

This is on a road bike, over the potholed and glass strewen streets of Ilkeston/Nottingham, and some Peak District winter riding.

If the bike had clearance, I’d put 25mm tyres on, otherwise they have been excellent.

OK – an example from this morning’s commute

Had my closest near miss for ages – van pulled out in front of me, his mate followed without looking and stopped inches from my back wheel.

I was shocked. I was angry. I shouted a word that has no place in a public space at 7.10am so loudly I shocked myself (apologies, residents of Ilkeston town centre). I was full of adrenalin for the rest of the commute.

Did I fear for my life the rest of the commute? No

Am I fearing riding home tonight? No

There is a big difference between civil negligence in causing an accident, and a criminal act. The CPS will have all the avilable facts, if there wasn’t enough evidence to run the case with a likelihood of success, I’d rather they didn’t spend my taxes on the off chance.

Automatically penalising the driver would just be a nightmare – some cyclists are complete lunatics, and giving them the opportunity to get away with it would only make them worse and encourage others to do the same.

We had a Reebok one for quite a few years – it was a high spec £900 model that I won in a competition.

It survived my (then) 14 stone weight bouncing around on it in our spare room for a few years, before migrating to the garage, where dust and damp finally did for it – less of an issue if you have a tidy integral garage, I guess.

I’d use it 1-2 times a week if I didn’t fancy running in the cold/rain etc.

MrsSwadey used it more than me – apart from feeling safer running in the garage rather than on the dark mean streets, she is slightly disabled and felt less conscious of her limp running in private.

That said, since the Reebok died, her DLA gets her a discount rate at the local leisure centre and she goes there now.

My first reaction was gay pron too, I’m sure it’s just “art”…

I don’t get this commuting angst – I’ve ridden into the centre of Nottingham for 3 years now, had a few near misses but have never got stressed about it – I make errors as a rider and as a car driver, so do others. I might swear under my breath, but the one time I did “have a word” it was a waste of my time and breath.

I make sure I’m well lit and visible, I ride assertively but never aggressively, I assume that everyone else is an idiot who doesn’t expect a cyclist to travel at 15-20 mph, but I never feel any more in danger on the bike than I do in the car when commuting.

Do some people set themselves up with a victim mentality and it turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

And before you all start, two friends of mine have been killed while cycling, I fully understand the risks, believe me.

If it’s for commuting, you need full mudguards and maybe a rack for panniers.

I’d see what Ribble can do for you on their audax frame and spend the change on something for your mountain bike. I love mine.

For something a bit lighter, I’d certainly look at the Kinesis training bike (Racelight T?)

My Icebreaker top is still lovely and fine, maybe you just got a dud?

I ride a road bike to work, and I ride another one when I don’t feel like spending longer cleaning an MTB than I do riding it.

A mate who swore blind he would never go to the Dark Side caved in over the weekend apparently. He had argued that blatting down busy roads risking life and limb in traffic and watching nothing but another blokes lycra clad bum could not be fun. We have demonstrated that bumbling along quiet country lanes looking for a cafe to stop at is, in fact, the correct way for a group of overweight, middle aged blokes to ride road bikes.

Oh, and a couple of our lot entered the “girly” sport of cyclo cross this year. Which presumably puts me several shades the wrong side of “girly”, as I couldn’t do it!

We’ve had a couple of holidays in Dumfries and Galloway where I got to ride some of the Stanes and MrsSwadey and the kids did lots of farm parks, zoos, Forest Parks, beaches etc

Depends if you plan on ONLY riding from 9-6 every day for the week!

Thinking about it – Club La Santa in Lnzarote might be an option if your Mrs is sporty, depending on what riding you’d like to do – lots of options to keep her amused.

If he’s arguing, go through your insurers and they will then chase him and his insurers

After a trip round the Guinness factory, do the tour of the Jamiesons distillery as a chaser – and volunteer at the start of the tour to get extra tasters – if they still do that.

The “U2” wall – if just to see the one next door saying “This is not the U2 Wall”

The Post Office – having seen it in so many films about the Easter Rising, weird to see it for real.

Long time since we went though….

I know it’s their dad so a tough call, but is there not a crime for failing to report him, potentially?

And tell her not to be proud about claiming benefits – she and your father have paid into the system all their lives, they should use it if they need it!

(From seeing far too many people elderly people struggle as “they have never claimed anything in their lives and won’t start now” – usually followed by a Daily Wail style rant about immigrants and work-shy scroungers)

Pension credit will top her up to the “minimum” if her income and savings are below the qualifying level – as I understand it.

If she gets that, then council tax and housing benefit – if she rents – wiould kick in.

Join the Euro – oh, yes, that’s really helping Spain and Ireland who cannot take any financial/economic action to save their economies as it doesn’t fit with the needs of Germany and France, which dictates the EuroBank policies.

Only good thing Broon has done is keep us out of the darned thing!

No more cruel than horse racing

And a great night out!

(If there wasn’t greyhound racing, what would happen to all those greyhounds?)

I love my Soul, it’s great to ride, even if I’m not good enough to match it’s abilities. And I don’t really care WHY it’s such a good ride.

Interesting to see Cy and Brant talking honestly about their/each otherss products and the industry position. None of the high horse and bitchiness that “regular” forum members usually bring to such debates…

Had this conversation with MrsSwadey last night – things may get dodgy work wise later in the year (having one of those “safe” public sector easy jobs!)

In the past I’ve done dull call centre drone stuff and worked in a sorting office rather than claim the dole, and I’d try low paid stuff while looking for a job again. If it didn’t work out, we’d swap roles as she can walk into a better paying job that is recession proof, and I’d look after the kids.

I’d feel no stigma in claiming JSA if I needed to – that is why I’ve paid into the system for 20 years.

As a former employer, if I’m faced with two guys qualifed for the same job at interview, one of whom has sat around waiting for the job to drop into his lap, and the other who’d stacked shelves or swept streets in the meantime, guess which one I’m likely to be more impressed with?

I roll into work at 7.30 ish – log on, check for anything urgent, if all OK I get changed, eat breakfast at my desk, knuckle down around 8.00.

I’m frequently on my own in the office until 8.45, though we open at 8.30.

I work till 4-5pm (the joys of flexitime), and leave before most of my colleagues.

My boss is quite happy with this, as he doesn’t need to rock up till 9-9.30 and then work till 6pm, which suits him fine. He knows that anything urgent will get done if required, even though it appears to the outside world I’m taking the mickey.

Works for us!

Same here – windchill looks nasty too!

William and Harry coming to visit granny?

When I was young and single, I’d work every scrap of overtime I could, as I could fit in sports and socialising and occassional dalliances with young ladies around it.

It meant I was able to stretch to buy my first house when I was 21, and had decent cars, when my mates were just graduating and had nothing. (OK, so I lost all my own equity in the mid-90s house crash but, hey….)

Now, I’m older, and my evenings and weekends are full of things like being a husband, father, handyman, gardener, and occassional bike rider. We don’t need the money, so even if it was available, I certainly wouldn’t do it regularly.

Cannondale Prophet is in this months MBR – scored a “10” I think.

FWIW – might be worth a flick through at the news stands – which is all I did, btw. Honest.

I was different – got the older 1.9Tdi Octavia…..

Said "tree" looks like a mobile phone mast to me.

Your route home looks nice though

Everyone I’ve met has been great.

Some famous comments before and after meeting for rides though:

[online] I’ve not ridden much in the last few months…[when we meet]…since I completed the Etape

[online] I don’t get out to ride much round here….[when we meet]…as I’m always in the Peaks/at trail centres

STW – the place to meet great likeminded people who will rip your legs off!

LOL!

The light lane has just brought our office to a standstill.

I like the speed vest idea – maybe needs to consider the positioning of the numbers for those on road bikes, but in principle, I like it.

Mine got cut off c.1991 after I woke up and found that the lady in my life at the time had plaited it while I was asleep….

Thanks guys

They replaced my 10 year old M Frames for £16 last year, in 6 days from posting out to receiving back.

Helps justify the price tag!

Oh to be young, dumb and mullet haired again…….

Air Guitar Classics or whatever it was called should have them all

We have a few knocking about in the car, but they are so old now I can’t remember all of them

CFH’s playlist looks ominously like my CD collection – not much after 1995!

"Remind me" even – d’oh

I went a couple of years dry about the age of 20, so, *cough* about 20 years ago – my mates and I were going out regularly wasting money making ourselves feel rough and I got to the point that I couldn’t see the point of it.

Now I’ll go out maybe once a week for no more than a couple of pints, might have a bottle of wine with friends maybe every other month. Starting to lose interest in beer now. Thinking of getting more into spirits due to the subliminal mind manipulation that is the STW forum…

bruneep – yeah – my parents chucked my Lego just after their grandson was born – WTF!?!?

Still have my Action Men, and a Sinclair ZX Spectrum, apparently

We won’t be the saviours of the country until we can get some concerted action in the media to put the opposing point of view in a rational manner – Critical Mass not being the best way of overturning the prejudice, in my mind.