Just been today and done 1.5 laps (guy pringled his front wheel round the first half lap!)

feels awesome for a beginner like me. Really fast swoopy bits, nice berms everywhere, really nice jumps which you don't have to launch but can pump or jump if you want to. Some fairly tricky bits for more advanced riders than me, rocky bits and bigger jumps etc. One complaint i would make, the path is very narrow in parts from switchbacks etc, and the sides are already degrading and getting soft, which means if you go slightly wide, your front wheel just dips into it and gets stuck, contributing to the previously mentioned pringled wheel, and 3 offs from me. However, this could just be me being shit, and I'll appreciate it being tight when I improve. Also you now have some serious climbs to contend with! It was fairly up and down, but nothing compared to what it is now! Both really flow well, and you maintain speed nicely so you can really enjoy the downs. Last section truly is ace, absolutey amazing.

Summary: before, FTD (for me) was worth the 1.5 hour drive just to get some practise and have a laugh in places whilst on a nice trail. It really is now a thoroughbred trail centre, would really recommend travelling from afar to visit, worth it for me. Takes about 2 hours to do the full loop at a guess.

Where is the empire strikes back? Its not on either of those maps as far as I can see!

@ molgrips : I've sent you an email about your amp, hope you get it as that address on your profile looks wierd!
If not and your looking at getting rid can you pop me a mail, address in profile, cheers!

http://bonvelo.net/index.php

found the above site which stocks genius bikes, site looks a bit dodgy, not entirely sure, company based in Indonesia. Significantly undercuts CRC on the ultra and pro though. What do you think? Worth the risk on credit card for a bit of safety? also customs charges to bear in mind. thoughts please.

If there are any spares left please!

j0llyjells@aol.com

Cheers!

I have a 1998 punto 1.2 8v which I have done the HG on as it went in october.

Fairly easy job, little bit fussy, and worth getting the head skimmed/at least checked by a local engineering company. Cost me £25 to get that done. Whilst you're there its worth changing the water pump (£20) and timing belt (£7) and thermostat (£25 inc gasket) unless any have been done recently. Obviously its a judgement call as to mileage, but belt is worth it for the price of the part at any mileage.

Pretty certain of HG with symptoms you describe, be warned, when you put everything back together check for leaks in the coolant system, they are a pig to bleed, and if you have a leak it wont be bled for long. Park facing uphill, and pressurise the system by blowing on the filler cap and wait for a constant stream of coolant to come out of the bleed holes (1 on left hand side of rad, 1 on tubes going to heater matrix, do them in that order!) before doing the bleed valves back up.

Enjoy and if you need any help (I'm sure you wont) then feel free to pm me.

Would appreciate an invite if anybody has one spare :D

ruckimeng at g00glemail d0t c0m

much appreciated

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8299079.stm

if you look into global ocean temperature cycles, you will find that global sea temps are on a warming/cooling cycle of around 50 years.

Temps were rising in the 70s and 80s to mid 90s, and now they have started cooling again.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely understand the possibility and mechanism of global warming, and find it the most convincing argument currently about climate change, rather than some sceptics who base their opinion on no reason.

But NOBODY fully understands the full system, it is far too complex. If you wish to claim so, then I will have to disagree with you.

cars have become too fat and heavy i agree, although a weight gain has been in inevitable.

I have an 1998 vehicle, no abs, no known crumple zones, no air bags, no noticeable safety structure cells, hence i would be poorly protected in an accident.

New vehicles have to accomodate these features, which add considerable weight, even before you look at customer 'wants' such as powersteering (1998 vehicle doesn't have), heated screens, electric windows, electric seats, faster cars(bigger engines/charging air intake) etc

Some add weight some add size, but both contribute to emissions.

Manufacturers have just made the cars bigger to accomodate all this, which is why it has become confusing. The new KA is effectively filling the space left by the old Fiesta – small town car etc. Thats why theres a bit of confusion in the public (and industry!) about what a cars name means nowadays. Models tend to move out of their original market position.

The old golf was a small town car sporty hatchback type thing, now its a fully blown family car!

This forum has a bit of a hostile climate to it!

I am only a placement student here, so don't worry, I don't quite have the power to kill us all yet.

I was asking for interesting and reasoned debate about it, and so far I've only recieved 1 or 2 substantial reasoned thoughts.

1) fit people use less CO2 normally
2) the actual co2 per km of a person (original post was a guess/rubbish memory)
any others sorry if i haven't mentioned a good thought

Ive also thought of
3) what if you use a bus – 30 people at rest with good mpg per person, vs a human during hard exercise.

I did mention in my original post if those who mentioned it would like to reread, that there is the production offset of CO2 and natural resource collection.

Nobody here uflly understands climate change, we are actually in a period of global cooling at the moment, even though CO2 levels are increasing, and of all the global warming and cooling cycles in the history of the planet, ice cores have shown the global temperatures rose before CO2 levels rose, which is an interesting point suggesting CO2 is an effect rather than cause.

However, we have neved seen such an addition of CO2 to the climate before, levels of production are much greater than at any time in history.

Petrol engines are around 30% efficient, theres a lot of wastage in a human body though!

To confuse matters, cycling sometimes gives me wind!

I had considered the other pollutants that are caused by burning fossil fuels, but we create shit. Probably not quite as bad though.

I had realised about the human in the car, thats why I included the bit about 600g per day of rest, so 25g per hour ish, maybe 50 if you consider being asleep dramatically reduces that portion of CO2. So total for driving for an hour at 60kph would be 6000g/km plus 3000 g/km for human, so say ball park 10,000 grams CO2.

For a human to cover 60km, would take 2 hours on bike (again just fag paper estimation/calcs here) 2 hours of hard exercise producing 80 g/min would be about the same. I just dont know if it is 80g/min.

I've realised the solution though, if i cycle faster to work i'll have less time to come up with daft ideas,

Shit, that would raise my heartbeat/breathing and would produce even more CO2.

Plan C then

I realise right now that its still in favour of human power, but it could swing in the future, thats me point.

I agree, in most circumstances, but this road in particular is full of dips, blind hills, blind corners etc and a lot of drivers go along at a speed such that they could not brake in time if something was staionary or slow moving (as I am up hills!) even with 3 flashing red lights on my arse.

In urban areas riding defensively is king, saved me from plenty of close calls, but rural areas requires a different tact, often due to inexperience or naive drivers.

What about cyclists on pavements?
I appreciate that in city areas with lots of pedestrians its a ridiculous notion, but how about on a fairly rural road, 50mph speed limit, cars doing that upwards, and theres a pavement, would you use it?

I did so tonight, and a woman reversed out of her drive at speed across the pavement without looking, and then looked indignant as I shouted oi. She then tried to blag that it was my fault for being on the pavement (if i were a pedestrian she still would have knocked me over, she moved out that quickly).

She swore at me and then wound her window back up quickly, trying to hide so I went back up to her to discuss the point, and she would not acknowledge that her driving was inappropriate, yet I acknowlegded that my cycling is not ideal, its a damn sight safer than me cycling on the road.

Drivers tend not to acknoledge their mistakes, there are very few accidents caused by something other than a driver or cyclist error. People don't learn from this, which is why i think its important to confront them and reason (not get angry, except if they do first!! :-)), otherwise standards will not improve, as they continue oblivious to their mistakes.

Having said that, I will still cycle on that pavement, I don't fancy becoming a feature in the hedgerow!

Leamington is great! I live in Whitnash, and I am a member of Godiva Trail Riders, a fantastic club, really relaxed, social or banter orientated.

I can show you around some local rides if you like, only moved here myself 4 months ago, but know a couple of areas. No beautiful downhill singletrack or challenging rides, but quite a few good routes, espesh wed night rides with GTR!