I seem to remember larch disease was a major problem last time (2019?) so I wonder if that’s one of the factors?

I did it in 2019 and that was the year of the great bike wash fiasco (other opinions about that exist) covid kicked in after that, and the will to revive it seems to have gone. Wasn’t my favourite event but others loved it. Definitely a shame if its gone forever.

Does anyone else think this thread has stopped progressing in any meaningful way?

Ages ago, there’s definitely one poster who seems to have lost his way badly. But you don’t have to read his posts, I stopped a few pages back. Only come back to it for Poly’s insightful contributions.

75% of Labour voters think it was wrong, only 10% think it was right.

To suspended him yes, what a massive own goal 😉. But wonder how many actually agree with his tweet 🤷‍♂️

So you are riding home late with a mate .. you and your mate have a load of good lights on the bike and are lit up like an XMAS tree when a pedestrian jumps out into your path (literally).

You are of course devastated that the pedestrian dies due to a freak set of circumstances …

Well that wouldn’t be a freak set of circumstances. They “jumped” out in front of you and a collision happened.
@stevextc, thank god your not a judge, reading the judges summing up and the arguments your coming up with are non comparable. Not sure what your point is anyway, it went before a jury the woman was found guilty in accordance with the law. And a judge has passed sentence, I know this is a discussion forum but the points your raising are nonsensical.

“she does not pose a risk or danger to the public”, 

The evidence would show otherwise!!!

She should’ve got in her car before killing the cyclist.. would’ve got away with it then

She honestly wouldn’t, someone dies and it is very throughly investigated. Motorists are prosecuted as a result of collisions with pedestrians and cyclists all the time. When they aren’t or are acquitted its because of the evidence that can be brought before the court.

And you’re way off the mark. I was a victim of FIFO from Real Riders before I got an eBike because I couldn’t keep up on the climbs; they’d wait at the top until I arrived and then head off without giving me a chance to catch my breath. 

Sorry this caught my eye, you weren’t a victim you were just riding in a totally inappropriate group for your ability. The reality was you were spoiling everybody else’s ride. I mostly ride by myself these days. Mixed ability groups unless their a completely social event are just frustrating and unpleasant for both the slow and fast. Especially in winter waiting around in the cold just sucks. I’ve got loads of friends if I want to hang about and chat we meet in the pub. Bike rides are for riding.

Tribans have always been well sorted good riding bikes. The key as the OP knows is swapping out the OEM wheels for something without their own gravitational fields.

Where are these eBike evangelists? I honestly don’t think I’ve ever met one on the trails.

You honestly haven’t read the last 14 pages ?

The only bit that suprises me is that they were so upfront about it…

Me to, I can’t believe anyone would take the job after being informed of those job requirements. It’s not exactly illegal to be not paid for overtime (it should be ). But is illegal to not be paid the minimum wage for the accumulated hours worked, something the OP mentioned. I would write to the CEO amongst others. This whole policy might be the result of one rouge manager and not known to head office.

https://www.gov.uk/overtime-your-rights

But you seem to want to constantly repeat your strong dislike for ebikes, but don’t want to hear from anyone ‘evangelising’ (your word) about them

Works both ways, the e-bike evangelists constantly go on about their love for them. They don’t back down or accept alternative arguments either, anybody can stop arguingat any time. And not liking e-mtb’s and having doubts about whether they are a “good” thing isn’t the same as hating them and the people who ride them.

Clocked up 23 miles on my Trek Rail on Monday sessioning the runs at FOD. Around 4000ft of climbing I think in about 5 hours, god knows how many runs. 

Glad you had a good day out sounds fun. I’m assuming FOD trails are maintained, but that’s still considerably more erosion than would happen with a normal bike.
The trails in my local woods aren’t maintained apart from the kids who build them. Non of them ride e-mtb’s just the usual mix of bikes kids ride. They hang out there digging chatting having a few runs. On the other hand it’s the older more affluent e-mtb riders who trash them, an e-mtb turns every ride into an uplift day. Instead of loosing the will to live after pedalling up a couple of times it’s run after run.

but equally going for a ride before work is hardcore – sort of getting up at 4-5am 

Sometimes I’m up at that time, but never get up at that time 😱

I normally ride on my own, but when I do ride with others it’s very much about the shared experience. The people I ride with are pretty similar in ability so there’s not much waiting around, we just get on with the ride and all suffer/have fun the same. If someone turned up with a e-mtb it would completely change the dynamics, the bond we have would be broken. If mixed groups work that’s fine but they won’t for everyone. It sounds to me that the bond holding the OP’s group together has broken and so what 🤷‍♂️. You are only a loosely connected group meeting a couple of times a year. Just find other people to ride with, or just enjoy more solo rides and please yourself what and how you ride.

Bigger the better for me, if portion sizes were reduced you can guarantee prices wouldn’t reduce as well. I’ll eat what I want and leftovers the nxt day including any rice.
My local chippy does kebab meat with chips and salad in a tray. It weights over 2 lbs. That gets cut in half tray an all for two meals.

If not sorted I use this garage, Maki is a top guy.

https://g.co/kgs/Q9zgcM

The problem I have is, people see a bike being ridden too fast or dangerously in the wrong place and then associate it with normal cyclists or law abiding e-bike riders.

Thus 100% the vast majority of the public don’t understand the concept of illegally modified e-bike’s, they just see a bicycle.

 i’ve had it done a couple of times and folk have left numbers, 

I’ve had many minor and not so minor marks left on my car (2 currently waiting to be fixed) and have never had any notes left, neither has anybody I know when it’s happened to them.

No one in it, so left an apology and my phone number.

Hence I don’t do this, sorry but that’s how it is, not paying for mine and everyone else’s. Simpler to just sort these things out yourself. It all evens itself out in the end.

I normally cycle further North in the Costa Blanca so no personal experience. But this has a few nice looking routes.

https://escapadacycling.com/en/cycling-routes/malaga-andalucia-spain

I’m terrified by the whole concept being newly single at 61

No rush, I was widowed at 60, took me 2 years to even think about it. You’ll know when your ready.

What’s the etiquette to maintain rule 1 here? Just be open and honest and say your taking things slowly, not looking to rush things or annoy anyone and leave it to them if it feels right? 

I’ve just got back into dating this last year. I’d agree with most of that, especially rule 1 and being open and honest. Not quite about leaving it to them if it feels right. If things are feeling right for you communicate this. Holding back to long can end up with you missing the boat. Life’s to short (at my age anyway 😂) to waste time being coy.

A favourite of mine.

Ooh good game. I’ll play. 

It is a good game. 1898 for me and that throws up this remarkable gentleman !!

“Louis-Victor Baillot, the last surviving veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, died in 1898 at the age of 104”

But the present Tory party are IMHO the enemy of aspiration. They’re a closed shop. A club where the price of admission is private education > Oxbridge > Westminster thinktank.

Certainly agree with most of that, the present government has got to be the worst I can remember, and thats over 60 yrs of remembering
But normal people’s aspirations don’t require oxbridge and private educations, they want a better car or a nicer house and two foreign holidays a year. If they think voting tory gets them that then they will.

If you’re not in the top 1% of the wealthiest in this country and you vote tory then you’re a moron

Very blinkered view IMHO, calling someone a moron has got to be the worst way ever to persuade someone to your point of view. Many people are aspirational and see the tories as the party to help with that. Other’s have a preference for small (er) government so will lean towards the tories. Both these groups might at any given time be “better” of with a labour government but their probably doing OK so just get on with what they have.
Tories are also certainly as far as the English are concerned the party of Anglo-British nationalism, many have a genuine love for their Britishness and it’s institutions. Tories will always tap into that.

My 9 year old has autism / is autistic depending on how you want to describe it.

Just read this thread, I’ve two adult children with Asperger’s diagnosisis. Like the poster above instantly saw similarities in behaviour.

Obviously recommend what you have
Elite in small is showing in stock.

SNIPER T Elite

On investigation it’s our land, to maintain, but not to do with as we like.

This is a good point, fencing it of or blocking it might not be legal. I’d go for a polite sign, or perhaps nothing. I agree the situation could be irritating but is it actually having a detrimental affect on your life. Starting a campaign to prevent people parking on this area might actually cause you more stress than just shrugging your shoulders and letting people get on with it.
P.s
A pic of the area in question would be helpful 👍

Maybe age is an issue, so why is she still working in a role she isn’t suited for? Only she isn’t anymore. Which seems reasonable.

Sums it up really, not sure there’s much more to be said about it. But obviously some will 🤷‍♂️

hat reaching as far down the animal’s throat as possible was supposed to be the way to choke it 

This is true, this article covers large dogs, a wolf is a large dog right 😬

Combative Anatomy: How to fight a dog

I wouldn’t claim it’s the greatest album of the seventies, that’ll probably go to Rumours or something by pink floyd purely based on general appeal. But I’ll nominate….

Maggot Brain by Funkadelic, if only for Eddie Hazel’s guitar work on the title track, truly astonishing 😲😲

I’ve got a transition vanquish, I know it’s discontinued but there’s plenty out there. I run mine with a 2 degree slackset and 130mm pikes. Got a sub 1400gm wheelset for xc including racing, and a burlier wheel set for messing about. Best H/T I’ve ever had by miles.

I’ve never got beyond spd-sl’s, just pick one to suit your budget and its job done.

Facebook group that might be of interest.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/6529019570503292/?ref=share

Loads of good stuff already listed. But just had a quick look at my records and one jumped out.

Tracy Chapman.

Tomorrow it would be something else 🤷‍♂️

It’s as if many people go purely for the experience of having personal servants to boss around, inflating their own sense of self-importance. 

Something I’ve noticed ☹

I once waited over an hour for food in Wetherspoons

Ironically, if you do eat in wetherspoons try the pizza, as far as I know it’s the only thing the make fresh. Slightly hit or miss but I’ve had a couple there which were pretty good.

If you can manage 30-40 miles I wouldn’t even consider an e gravel bike. That’s a good ride for me and I’d say most people. You’d be riding a heavily less responsive bike that beats you up the same perhaps for even longer. Easier pedalling is the only plus. If that’s a plus anyway 🤷‍♂️

As for VR taking a short break, it should be a long break – but I’m not a mod.

A permanent break really. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but not a platform to express them. As others have said the absolute rubbish he and a couple of others were spouting have negative consequences. There are vulnerable people who see such nonsense as validation of their own ill thought out opinions. People have died who didn’t have to because of this anti vaccination BS.

Nick Craig has lapped me more than a few times on a mtb or any other type of bike he’s been riding. And is a proper gent to, no shouting swearing just a smile and a kind word. I came to the conclusion however hard I train I’ll never be as fast as he is because 30 years ago he was twice as quick as me. Fast forward he still is. Yes the right training helps but it’s what your born with that matters most.

I’m awaiting Halfords to come in, save the day and ruin a perfectly respectable reputation…maybe…

If it saves jobs then it’ll get my vote.