Harumph! I rode down there on Sunday, it’s a ruddy mess isn’t it?

Ignoring the fact that the LHS is now history, the top of the RHS looked as though they were using it to store in mounds what aggregate material they had yet to use, or the waste from their work on the LHS. I can’t see them burning time & resources filling in the sweet and short descent on the RHS though, unless they really do have nothing better to be getting on with.

My (hopeful) guess is that they’ll spread what material they have left over around the top RHS in a half-arsed attempt to block entry and leave the descent alone; at which point some kind soul on 2 wheels will probably come along with a shovel to save the day and rebuild the entry line.

flibbertigibbet

discombobulated

belm – accompanied by the act of stuffing the tongue down between the lower, front teeth and the bottom lip whilst taking care to keep the lips together.

meaning: ‘you, sir, are a liar’

not only can it be used as a noun, ie. you belmer, but it’s also a verb so can be conjugated, which in itself is another word of unutterable delight.

Hmm, Thursday’s out for me I’m afraid. And the weatherman says wind+rain = a winning combo!

This week looks grim-grim-grim weather wise up here but I like to try and get a night ride in every week if I can. Not sure what’s occurring this week, I think my riding partner’s away. So in a roundabout way, that’s a tentative maybe …what night(s) are you around?

Barcelona …just for that extra knuckle of difficulty you’ll probably benefit from some Catalan too.

+1 for Michel Thomas

Nice to see you both yesterday, I thought that you looked remarkably at home Bunnyhop.

Embarassed to say that in all the excitement I did a little dab climbing out of Brook Bottom …whereas you two didn’t! Obviously the loooong wheelbase must help somewhat 😕

He seems to have aged in the last 5 years (obviously he has but you know what I mean) but he has such passion and a long-standing depth of knowledge of just about anything that is living or has lived. I’d say his same-iness comes from familiarity of his voice, his style of delivery.

I understand what the OP is saying, but I can’t think of anyone else who could fill his shoes. Maybe that’s because the BBC know that everyone loves him and they’re guaranteed viewers so no other presenters get a look in, maybe there is no replacement. In the last few years it has felt like every series of his work will be his last and that makes me sad.

I’m going to treasure him and his passion for the natural world while I can.

Interesting thread. I’ve wanted a van for some time now but have struggled with what to get when considering that it will be used daily, what I need it for, reliability, MPG, driveability etc.

Current thinking is that of the VWs the T4 was/is probably the most reliable in 1.9TD form; no dual mass flywheel (DMF), simple and robust mechanics. They are capable of interplanetary mileages but are known to be rust-prone. The later T4s and all models onwards went down the DMF (or should that be DNF?) route and started to get more ‘advanced’ in their mechanics, likely driven by such foolish predicates as comfort, safety etc. From what I have read this has made them more expensive to maintain and more prone to breakdown. In general T4 1.9TDs return mid to high 30s MPG if driven with a light foot.

Otherwise Toyota Hiace van is widely seen as the most reliable thing in the world, ever. The van is pretty ugly, even in its latest guise, and the Jap import Granvia campers are saddled with a 3000cc diesel unit that has a drink problem, but if you want reliability they seem to be unbeatable.

Currently got my eye on a LWB T4 on ebay that has been converted professionally from panel van to camper. 5ish days to go and one £5k bid.

It’s not to everyone’s taste but has its good and bad points. Having lived there I can vouch for one or two decent chip shops, and the beaches aren’t bad for a stroll.

Tom,

Possibly an existing bug with the Simple and Advanced Search facilities.

Using Safari 4.1.2 and IE8.

I know that there’s an advert in For Sale section with the title FS 1999 VW T4 Camper. I go to the For Sale section and search for T4 using simple search; no results returned. Choose Advanced Search, uncheck Show Posts only, leaving Exact Words & Highlight Results checked, choose ‘Classifieds – For Sale’ and click Search; no results. Uncheck Exact Words, click Search; no results. Change search criterion to VW and repeat; no results. Change search criterion to Camper and repeat; now I see the results with the word Camper highlighted. Change to 1999; results returned with 1999 highlighted. Try T4 again; no results. Try t4 and vw; no results.

In short, search doesn’t quite work as it should.

But I do like the look of the fresh site, so props for that.

I’ve recently started Ashtanga yoga classes in Manchester with a guy called Granville …if you want to properly stretch just about everything you’ve got, including tight hamstrings, I’d recommend it

Sad to hear of Jahwomble’s demise, he was clearly much liked.

May I add my sincere condolences to his loved and loving ones.

RIP

Some people just don’t give a **** about anyone or anything I suppose, and there’s not much that we can do about that.

You’d best report the incident to the local authority; who knows, maybe they have a sympathetic ear and would consider reclassification to block vehicular access?

Have to agree with surf_mat re maxxis car tyres – I got a set (forget what model but they were the proper rating) as new fronts on my 115bhp focus diesel and they were awful; lack of grip in wet & very squirmy when pushed. i put them on the back (where they were fine) and replaced the fronts with vredestein sportracs which are in a different league for not much more in cost.

Watching a very large praying mantis liquidise and devour a very large cricket in the hills above Cadaques, NE Spain. It was like Alien in 3D but scaled down somewhat.

Sorry to hear of your battery/spoke interface monkeychild.

Personally I’ve had absolutely no issues with the battery pack’s grip whilst riding very rocky Peaks trails at reasonable speed with the pouch under the TT. The velcro feels like it won’t grab as it’s not very coarse, but in fact it’s been a paragon of tenacity so far.

Just saying, but make sure that you have the label on the velcro strap to the outside, ie. on show.

A good light at a fair price IMO.

Glitter Gary +1.

Presence is a much overlooked album.

Actually, alot of Hendrix choons start well …Voodoo Chile (slight return), Crosstown Traffic – short I know but I grin involuntarily when I hear it, Purple Haze etc.

Jimi Hendrix, Little Wing = pretty nice.

Colostrum, pffft. More like Weight Gainer 4000.

You really don’t want to develop a habit – 300g will last you for 5 days @ 60g/day. So to get the “benefits” that were “shown” in Dr Buckley’s study of 60g/day for 8 weeks whilst on an intensive treadmill (yawn) program it’ll cost you £280!!!

As Eric Cartman said, “Follow your dreams. You can meet your goals. I am living proof. Beefcake! BEEFCAKE!!!”

yes, used mine half a dozen times in the peaks as my only light and all is a-ok. on high for descent, low for flat and road, low or high for climbing. i’ve had just less than two hours of mixed use without the switch turning to blue so the charge seems to last too.

the switch light stays on when switched off but not when disconnected from battery (obviously). the connector seems fine, gives a nice *pop* when you uncouple it so i reckon it’s watertight and will last, as long as you don’t thrutch on the wires. other connections seem ok too.

recommended.

Stayhigh – Check out a band called Calexico

and then link over to Giantsand and then to Howe Gelb and then to Rainer Ptacek. All worth a listen.

You want an album recommendation for music made as part of the ‘unplugged’ series, or an acoustic album?

Most of the unplugged stuff was pretty gash IMO, but 10,000 Maniacs attempt was pretty good. If you want some nice acoustic music the choice is endless and there’s a good deal of electro-acoustic that’s superb too. Lots of modern stuff too – Bill Callahan’s 2009 album ‘Sometime I wish we were an eagle’ is very good, lots of Sufjan Stevens’ back catalogue is quite something, Damien Jurado, Smog (Bill Callahan again), Bon Iver, Micah P Hinson, Will Oldham aka Bonnie Prince Billy, Elliot Smith, Johnny Cash’s American recordings etc. etc.

Yes, the new bridge section has been sat at the roadside for a while now; it looks like they’ll just drop it into place, nip up the bolts and away you go.

Unfortunately I think I am riding in Wales on Saturday so will have to adapt my route, avoiding the A556 south past Mere as it will be totally banjaxed!

How I’ve deliberated over this topic but with more of an emphasis on waterproof-ness!

There’s little if nothing out there that will provide a flat, stiff-ish, grippy sole and a GORE-TEX or eVENT membrane in a low-rise boot. I’ve searched and searched, the nearest I’ve seen are Mephisto Muto – French, semi-casual and expensive leather faux-walking boot, Clarks Rockrider GTX (similar to Muto but cheaper), Nike Blazer mid GTX (can’t find anywhere selling ’em) and some others the name of which escapes me in one of the outdoors shops on Deansgate, Manchester. I use AM40s and while they are great in dry and damp conditions, in the wet they only serve as foot-sponges. 5 10s are even soggier and take longer to dry by all accounts.

Most approach shoes and mid-height trail boots have a cleated sole with a pronounced instep which kills the grip of flat pedals and limits one’s foot placement on the pedal.

There’s a gap in the market here I reckon.

Gorgeous late summer sun, rode Marple to Hayfield and back, with cheesy chips and a pint at halftime – how lovely!

Really top ride and a top crowd, thanks for the guiding NBT and thanks Jane for my lovely smartie-toppped-cup-cake at the end.

And yes, Nicolais…pffft, three a penny.

Regarding geetee1972’s tree saddle groin interface incident on the rocky descent to Laneside farm – I only saw the aftermath but was impressed at the felled tree and the twisted saddle rails. One bonus though, I came down there again today and Mrs Naranjada cleaned it sans dab, first time ever; she put it down to the line being clearer now that tree had been ‘pruned back’. So, thanks Greg.

Iain.

i had a mint pearl green 89 rallye for a couple of years with some tasty engine upgrades …it was quick for a pre 90s car but the cable change gearbox was ruddy awful. first to second was a terrible change; you get off the line like a scalded cat and not only do you have a loooooooong throw into second, you’re probably gonna catch fourth with your semi-useless right gearchange arm! the combo of a whacking great cone air filter and an upgraded jabba ‘charger made the most incredible sound on gear change though …skreeeeeeeeeechwhoosh – very addictive, i rode with the sun roof open most of the time to hear it more clearly.

the mk2 8v or 16v gti is a much better everyday car.

nice cars but have some minor issues

synchromesh going into 2nd fails
rear calipers are cak – replace/upgrade with mk3s IIRC
in very cold weather if the handbrake cable has had water ingress where it splits to go to either caliper, it will freeze and you can’t get the handbrake off without a hair dryer; or wait until spring

pretty well made overall but not particularly quick

comminute

i suffered a comminuted fracture of the left distal tibia 10 years ago; it was very painful but not as embarassing as cat-cack-on-your-keks

I’ve never weighed mine, I’ve always thought the weight thing to be a slippery and often (within reason) pointless slope. To me 3 or 5 lbs here and there is good to lose as long as you can keep everything else that you like & want. Having said that I did build my AM up with a chance of keeping it light & nimble up front & in the turns, while keeping it tough & strong. So, lovely plush 2010 DT Swiss XMM 150 fork and DT Swiss M1600 wheels. The head angle doesn’t feel steep at all when riding, the ride tracks really well ’cause it’s stiff in every direction, it climbs pretty well (the DT Swiss launch control helps) and I too get some pedal strike, though I’d say that’s normal in the ruts of the Peaks.

Of course it is alot of bike & I can’t do it justice, but I do love it and for me it’s a dream-bike.

I had the same issue with a Ford Focus and bought parts from http://www.buypartsby.co.uk/ — I saved~60% on dealer's quote for OE LUK parts!

Really made me chuckle Morris, thank you!

Morris – Member. They look like an orthodontic shoe.

Morris, put them on your feet, not in your mouth! 😛

Hey, that sounds great …the last one (from Sett Valley car park) was a really enjoyable day out, count me in.

I'm sure the route's sorted Jules, but is Roman Lakes a good place to start …what with the loos, the car park, the cafe and easy access to some nice riding?

King Creosote, James Yorkston, Camera Obscura.

IGMC

Explosions In The Sky for more of the same, but Texan (I think).

Jap hypersports is just not the way to go. I've ridden for 30+ years from the age of 9 (gave it up last year though) and I would've pleaded with him to get an 800GS or Transalp or ER6 or something that you can master, dominate and enjoy, laughing to yourself as you ride around the outside of the noob on his R1 who's too frightened to open it up, too uncomfortable to be enjoying it, gums bleeding as their teeth are clenched so tight in panic!

But, I hope that he's a naturally talented rider and enjoys it. I'd recommend he goes on a police run course, they are pretty good. I had a MAC course from a retired copper after buying a new Honda about 13 years ago and it was fun. Main points I re-learned were looking well ahead, personal ride commentary and road positioning.

I wish him luck and miles of smiles.