Picos D’Europa, Norhen Spain generally. Good surfing too.

San Sebastian is fantastic as well, but not sure for kids?

Time – everything else is just stuff

My bmi went down by 1.4!

BMI is just an easy rule of thumb. It works well enough for everyone who isn’t a serious athlete. We get the occasional pro rugby players training at our gym and they are a breed apart from even the buffest gym bunnies.

I hit pretty much the same point in the scale for bmi, (actually about half way between, old and version) waist to height and body fat – and my own perception for that matter. And I do have a big build, wide across the shoulders and tall. The height waist one is worth doing to compare against bmi – but you really have to measure your waist rather than rely on jean size which seems to knock off a couple of inches, at least, for vanity :-)

… does anyone in this thread have any personal experience of getting a privately issued parking fine and getting away with not paying or conversley being forced to pay.

I was clamped once in the bad old days, and had to cough up £100 to get released, now that is just like being mugged.

Can’t avoid if can’t commute by bike. I use train and the increases in fares have outstripped inflation for years.

Guess we could all live closer to where we work, shop, drink, play. Maybe that is the only real answer as demand seemingly shunts up the price eternally

PS …. for comparison my lightly laden Renault Trafic gets close to 40mpg, mainly A roads

I had a two berth motorhome based on Fiat Ducato base for a few years, and lived in it with my gf for 7 months on an extended surf trip down the Alantic coast of Europe. Found it completely liveable, but we are pretty laid back

I got about 25mpg in mine, it was a 2004 2.0l engine. I think the dealer is overestimating somewhat. Check out the weight of the motorhome/vw conversion compared with the base vehicle and you’ll understand why fuel consumption suffers. Essentially you’re driving around a loaded van. The VW conversions will be better, as retain the van aerodynamics I guess. Ours was very rattlely as well, again a think a conversion may be tighter.

Also it’s worth googling damp problems and motorhomes…

The extra width never bothered but the height is a pain at some carparks.

Have you considered a caravan? I know they aren’t exactly cool, but having to keep packing the van up everytime we went to the beach, supermarket etc could be a pain.

The motorhomefacts forum is well worth joining to get some more informed views

I’ve always worked on the principle of going for the best location, usually getting the smaller, scruffier, cheaper houses for the area.

This gives you best shot at good commuter links, good schools, low crime rate (or lively cafe culture, good restaurants etc, whatever floats your boat). Also, cheaper houses in good neighbourhoods are easy to sell on and tend to benefit from market growth first.

But important to get something that you are comfortable living in, like a nicely fitting coat. And always somewhere secure for the bikes etc

Don’t overstretch finacially, the maximum that can be borrowed is not necessarily the same as the maximum that you want to afford. Although, tighter lending rules mean this may be less of an issue that it was before.

When I was coached, a few years ago now, the principle was to very much get you to play groundstrokes with good form before everything else. Set feet, low to high, full follow through. Get form right, then work on hitting and moving. Then scramble and volley, which Iguess is where the wall helps. Many, many thousands of balls hit …….

I like Roger, when he was at his peak he seemed to have ages to reach the ball set himself and make a beautiful shape when hitting the ball. Class

They a practice wall at my old club. The problem with practice walls is that you are effectively playing the ball twice as often as you would normally. This means you don’t have time to set for yout shots properly and learn bad habits.

Edit… It will be the same as today, or higher, or lower

I’d check whether it’s still under wattanty first. MS introduced an extended warranty, but that may have only been for the red ring of death issue on earlier xboxs

I did the yoga thing, being a bit of a yoga saddo. It definitely clears the nose and throat of phelgm, not really advisable to do in bogs at work though :-)

I had old one. Quick, but not hugely fun, engine only got going when really gunned. Previously I’d had the original Renault Clio Cup, the race first race homologation version, now that was a fun car, fast, light, agile bits fell off it on a regular basis.

I got about 30mpg out of both,

I have a soft spot for proper old scool (petrol) turbo charged engines, that little lag before the kick in the pants and buckets of scary torque steer.

Are the visors interchangeable, speaking as someone who destroyed his shoulder after misreading terrain in flat light when wearing innapropriately dark sunnies.

I always use googles with an orange lens that works in all conditions. Also help keeps face warm and prevents comedy tan lines. Wouldn’t cold air blow up behind the visor in a topgun style helmet?

Snow, work, beer
Long walk home

… and, btw, I think vans are ace, best way to lug your gear around, with kipping in the back as an option.

… I obviously meant £300 for a cam belt fitted, and if a van has a dual mass flywheel you will be lucky to get clutch and flywheel fitted for a grand.

But the general point is you need to do the research before you buy and be concious that people offload when there are big costs in the offing.

Whatever you buy make sure it either has good service history.or/and you understand the full costs of running. Don’t know about caddy, but lots of diesels require expensive work – £1000 plus for clutch and dmf, 3300 for a cam belt. And people tend to flog on when this stuff is due.

Did you file on-line, if so then you will have got an assessment of tax due before filling.

If this was subsequently changed by HMRC then it should be straight forward for them to explain why. If you filed paper there is potential for incorrect data entry at their end, which may be harder to indentify, maybe its possible to get a full statement to check against your filing.

Given it is the sameish amount each year it sounds like a tax coding issue, or non-allowable deductions. Anyway, get on the phone and make them explain – then if not happy get some professional advice

If you enjoy just go for it, find a skatepark that you can get to early in the morning before the unfeasibly talented 11 year olds turn up

But watch the wear and tear, I had to give up in my early twenties as I was destroying my knees. Having to take sickies because I couldn’t walk on a monday morning is a sign that I was pushing it. I had a brief rebirth in late thirties, but decided I got enough from mountain biking and surfing in the end.

YORKSHIRE! YORKSHIRE! ahem sorry

I had sciatia caused by a herniated disc about 4 years ago. I was agony and left me unable to do any exercise or even able to sit down for more than a few minutes. Work with NHS physio, lots of core exercise and reintroducing exercise really produced massive improvements.

I have occassional relapses, I can put my back out doing anything from climbing to just a bit of light jogging, but now I know what to do I can sort myself out quickly.

I also go to a Yoga class twice a week which has really helped to loosen me up, not just my back but also shoulders, ankles, legs – too be honest I was a wreck of accumulated injuries

I am able to ride, run, surf without problems. Need to be careful when I climb, but have given up tennis as the rotation continued to cause issues.

I am a bit stiff even at the best of times, but nothing more than the feeling after a good day of riding. But it is improving still and doesn’t really bother me.

It is a frustratingly long process, but get professional help and stick with it.

Good luck

On a morning like this, a fast blast on ya bike.

On a coast to coast last year we got a bit carried away on the last night – eight hour drinking session ‘ til early hours. Next morning was beaut and sunny, big breakfast, lot’s of liquid and out on the bike. On the first hill it was 50:50 whether I made or collapsed by the side of the track in a hell of sweat and puke – just about cleared it, but from that point on was fine!

+1 for Britt Inn at Elterwater, really friendly, good food too, and good local riding. I’ve stayed there and at the youth hostel which is a couple hundred yards up the road and a lot cheaper!

I have a LWB renault trafic. Its at the limit for a supermarket car parking space, but a swb would be fine. I’m pretty sure a SWB would be shorter than the bigger 4x4s.

I get 35mpg plus, but that is mixed usage – longer trips with me bikes and boards and I can get over 40. I do take it easy with the right foot though.

You will need to fit something in the back for smaller loads, I have a couple of storage boxes, or it will rattke about – I’m thinking supermarket shopping.

The ride/drive is fine, a bit noisy, mainly the cheapo bulkhead rattling when empty in mine – but to be honest much more relaxing to drive than some of the hot hatches I used to drive with rock hard suspension and all.

…. But make sure you understand the servicing/maintenance costs and understand than the van may have had seen a bit of life before you got it. It may be that the previous owner is getting shut because expensive work on the way – engine belt, dual mass flywheel etc

and be careful when reversing

… as a general rule the concensus is to go for someone who does high volumes and specialises in a particular surgey. This can lead to a mismatch between best possible care and local convenience.

So in your case a specialist hand unit would seem ideal as per tinytim.

Private doesn’t necessarily mean better treatment by any measure. The ancillary benefits/convenience etc are better but I’d be looking for the surgeon with most experience of wrist reconstruction and I have a sneaking suspicion you would find that in the NHS. You also need to make sure you have proper after care and rehabilitation.

Hope it goes well

… as a general rule we should go for someone who does high volumes and specialises in a particular surgey. This can lead to a mismatch between best possible care and convenience. So in your case a specialist hand unit would seem ideal as per tinytim.

Private doesn’t necessarily mean better treatment by any measure. The ancillary benefits/convenience etc are better but I’d be looking for the surgeon with most experience of wrist reconstruction and I have a sneaking suspicionn you would find that in the NHS. You also need to make sure you have proper after care and rehabilitation.

Hope it goes well

Why the decision to go private?

You have the choice of any provider in the NHS as well as private providers ( to some degree, its a while since I worked in the field). You should have been offered the free choice at the point of referral.

Same problem of making an informed choice though…

Just out of interest, do you think you will get better quality care in the private sector or quicker treatment, or both?

… the only 21 year old bloke who doesn’t swear – and in the face of zombie apocalypse – and that was only one of obvious oddities. The point of the illusion-setup is that it is on us. That is what magicians do.

Yokaiser – cheers, just what I was after

Shandcycles – a beautiful thing indeed, but a bit rich for my needs – at the moment…

Shandcycles – a beautiful thing indeed, but a bit rich for my needs – at the moment…

As I said it’s a vague sense of guilt about not supporting british industry – albeit design rather manufacture. Despite the fact one of friends, who is an economist, repeatedly tells me it makes no difference to UK economic benefit whether you buy british or not.

Maybe, due to the range of variation in design for mountain bikes lends itself better to this, with smaller design houses?

I see Ragley do a winter training road frame and On One do road frames.

Criteria are robust, comfortable but not compromise efficiency – I’m fairly big by cyclist standards and can generate some stomp on the hills – and there are some proper hills where I live. Weight is not massively important, especially in the frame or bolt on components, but I’d want a reasonable wheelset (efficiency…)

I realise that the frames and components are unlikely to be UK made for road bikes any more than for mountain bikes (or that Trek or Spesh are made in USA). But there are plenty UK designed and branded bikes – Cotic, Orange, Whyte etc – or do we not think about these as British manufacturers? I just know very little about road bikes manus beyond the obvious big ones.

Whatever the inappropriate :talk of reef breaks on the east coast I would stick to the known beaches for surfing unless you really know what you are doing. The north sea is unforgiving

If you have a car, then loads of top biking and hiking within 30 min dtivr. Also plenty of surfing up and down the east coast, there is a surf school at Sandsend now I think. Although weather not brilliant the water is still warm.

In Whitby go to Humble Pie, its a 1950s style pie and mash cafe. Pie, mash, peas gravy and cup of tea for £4.99, served on tin plate. All pies cooked fresh in shop,, lots of choice. No I don’t own shares in it, but I do love pies and this is nirvana!

On our TMB last year we had two days of 30 degree heat, one day of torrential freezing rain the two days of sunny and cool. That’s mountains for ya. Definitely one of the best rides you can do.

… and yes, Phil is indeed a dude

Think about

How much would I pay for a repair or per hour if I was the punter

Adjust for likely turnover of work, factoring in travel time and deduct overheads, including professional tools, van costed our properly.

How much do I need to earn – is equal or less than the above then it’s a runner

Be honest on all points

Kona Explosif, in lovely purple, stock apart from Pace RC 30 forks still own it, still commute on it, although it’s a bit faded now. New back wheel and numerous sets of tyres, otherwise all original.