See if you can meet up with some locals – boring? I don't think so.

Shame realy because I like my Kaff but I wanted something abit zippier

I would happily pay a premium for a Kaff with lighter tubing – 725?

Didn't we also have some oil (and spent all the money we got from it)?

But we're better off now than we were in the late 70s – give or take the odd credit crunch….

Are you talking about the work dodgers, or the wealthy employing accountants to tax dodge? Both I presume.

Well sort of though I'm not sure it's really a bad thing to try to pay as little tax as possible as long as it's legal – there are moral gray areas though. Socialism relies on the majority wanting to do what's best for society as a whole whereas capitalism assumes people are mostly selfish – so maybe we get the system we deserve?

Well tax has to come from somewhere so governments just have to raise it in the they think fairest. Labour have seemingly been trying to make the poorer better off, and the middle classes have been paying for it, trouble is I hear there are plenty of poor people about so something's gone wrong.

To have a socialist(ish) society everyone who can contribute has to contribute – too many here have an ingrained reluctance to contribute.

gonefishin – need examples and evidence please, can't imagine anyone doing as much damage as Gordon did.

Gordon really was a great chancellor don't you think?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/revealed-how-gordon-brown-has-cost-you-163100000-443730.html

We're also paying out more in benefits than we raise in income tax these days. Is this country really viable any more? I assume so but I can't see why – maybe the imigrants will save us?!

Bikes should be Vat free anyway as far as I'm concerned

Possibly but bike2work can result in 50% savings – some people are taking the pi55.

Healthcare spending – I'm a bit confused, the US spends the biggest %age of it's GDP on healthcare but don't have an NHS – so does this include private exenditure? Strangely the US has a lower average life expectancy than we have here.

I used to work in a store in the late 80s and was allowed 5 items for my lunch – can't think it did me any harm. I've rarely eaten fast food since though and not for years now – I suppose I think I'm above that sort of thing…though I was a fan of their vanilla milk shakes and would have one if in the mood and was by a store.

I think they're good for workers really as someone with little qualifications could end up having a career there if they're the right sort of person so that's a good thing – a McJob isn't such a bad thing.

One of my chickens earlier:

How long does the warranty last? Seems harsh!

From http://www.freeview.co.uk/_retuneinfo/

Some viewers who receive their Freeview service from a relay transmitter will no longer be able be able to receive ITV3 and ITV4. As a result of moving position on the Freeview platform, a small percentage of homes will find they lose these services after retuning.

There's a recent thread on this…I switched from M&S to ING.

Try reading the rest of my post – if you only have to pay a bit more to cover more expensive bikes and it's still cheaper than M&S then that's probably good right?!

I went from M&S to ING when the premium went up and think ING offer more for less cash. I rang up about bikes and was told as long as within the single item limit no problem – that might only be up to £1.5k though? Enough for me anyway but adding bikes of more value is OK but increases premium a bit.

I wonder how may who've read Dawkins's God book have also bothered to read responses? Well I have but I like to look at things from various angles – just listening to Dawkins is as bad as just listening to a rather too enthusiastic religious evangelist. Actually, I've also been to an Alpha course years ago as was curious as to how it worked and found it all very interesting. Saw many of all ages who seemed rather anti-religion at the beginning – well going by the questions they asked anyway – really taken with it all by the end. Some got quite emotional and I didn't fit in with that side of it and indeed didn't find my attitude much changed overall.

As for 'good works', well I've seen uncommonly bad people become uncommonly charitable as the result of conversion – maybe that doesn't mean anything but certainly convincing of their change if nothing else.

I just think it's a shame that more religious people don't listen to Mr Woppit as then they'd be sure to see the error of their ways – or are they just too stupid to understand?

I've been a couple of times,but not in the last few years, and enjoyed the week though the riding could be considered a little tame; would be interested to hear how you get on.

I've a tiny willy, alright, I'm not getting it out in front of another chap

If I found myself in that sort of a situation with an over-friendly bloke I'd think the smaller he is the better.

He went with my missus at the time. Now the ex. Kind of good to watch

So how does Dawkins's selfish gene thing fit in with that?!

What's the worst that could happen?!

When I married a few years ago my wife had pretty much nothing and I had a nice house other stuff. I earn 3.5 times what my wife does and all the bills come out of my account and my wife used to transfer most of her money into mine when we still had a mortgage as just wanted to pay that off but now that's done she keeps hers in a savings a/c and I put mine into that too so as to reduce income tax – so I still pay all the bills inc joint credit card. This is very much a 'what is mine is yours' situation though I'm in supposedly in charge of our assets and what we do with them.

I've been interested in martial arts for decades and have trained in quite a few including grappling and striking styles. Many would like to fight MMA simply to test their skills against others – it may look brutal at times but boxing is far more damaging long-term. Antonio Inoki seems to me to have done a lot to promote this sort of thing – he was a wrestler who took on top fighters in a variety of styles including Ali. I watched UFC 102 on tv the other day and the main fight, Couture vs. Nogueira, was incredible.

muddydwarf – yeah she has a sister – a twin in fact…. Indeed she's single….but I got the slim one.

If I get made redundant then I really should consider getting over there for an extended period.

I'm married to a Chinese girl and she'd like to live there but I'm unsure as I'd hate to live in one of their crowded cities – well the ones I've seen such as Shanghai. The crazy thing is I could probably get away without working as wife's family is rich and own businesses and she could work for them leaving my to travel and ride…maybe.

BBC report apology:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8258247.stm

Ooh a 04' SWorks Enduro that weighs more than mine! Mine's 31.3lbs with 2.25 wire cinders, deore/SOS wheels, XT drive train/brakes and 2005 Manitou Minute fork with Thomson stem/post & EA70 bars. Loses 2lbs just by putting average weight wheels and tyres on but the above combo is my freeride lite setup…. 😉

trail_rat should enter an ugly foot competition….

I broke a big toe nail but it stayed on whilst it grew back underneath so was fine really.

This is stealth…

Whilst the idea of a 'what handle bar for normal riding?' thread is highly amusing hearing about the Syntace (well the stem) is quite interesting….

My parents live by the water bottling factory in Church Stretton and get their water for free. Which is nice.

It does wind me up though if out and about I suppose it's OK as he choice is usually to buy something so may as well buy water rather than a soft drink.

He's a good bloke; anyone who doesn't think he's OK is jealous – just watch something else FFS!

but I think it's fundementally unfair for one person to own such a large piece of land.

As my Mum would say – life's unfair!

So what should be done about it? Nationalise it?

My 2005 Manitou Minute 3s are better than my 2005 Fox Talas forks – both going strong unlike the experience of many it seems….

As this is for educational purposes I think you need referenced information rather than a few random opinions….

Bookham, Surrey

Best: A short ride to the best riding around London
Worst: A bit of a pain to get the train to London