For what it’s worth I’ve not had much issue with walkers. This weekend I surprised a couple even though I was saying ‘excuse me, hi there… etc’ from as far back as I thought they’d hear. Perfectly nice about it, but if I’d been walking I wouldn’t have appreciated being startled.

Will be doing the WHW in a few months, for which I intend to combine bell and spoken pleasantries. Oh and brush up on my Scottish Outdoor Access Code / Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 ;)

Update: bought Vast from iTunes, all in one part. It’s not in HD though! I don’t mind, at £1.89 it’s a total bargain.

Now downloading Virtuous and Kranked 7, also both £1.89 :D

Cheers – I’m looking on my iPhone but there’s no link to buy (says ‘by episode only’). I’ll try with iTunes on the laptop when I get home.

Thanks though!

I saw Vast at the GFT after Lifecycles… tbh I preferred Vast!

Hmm I’d like to get Vast – it’s split in two on iTunes though. DickBarton, you said you can get in in HD in a one-er? Hows that then?

B

Hmm yes weather forecast has made me think again. One for a sunny day perhaps. Cheers for the link, coastkid!

Uh I just tied mine onto roof bars… reckoned the road spray salt/crap would get washed off by the snow. Wiped them down afterwards. There’s no way I’m strapping my nice clean fabric bag onto the roof!

I’m hoping to go out to BC this summer with my gf… any recommendations for holiday companies that have a reasonable number of female guests too, and/or reasonable expertise in non-biking activities?

My gf does ride and is pretty good, but struggles for confidence sometimes. Consequently somewhere we can get tuition blended with guiding would be great, riding in a group where not everyone is super fast!

Cheers, B

To add detail to my above declared hatred of sky BB, I was told I’d get up to 8Meg but routinely got only 0.2Meg (that was Sky via BT ADSL max).

Switched to TalkTalk LLU and now get 15-18Meg. Granted, the first router I got was shonky but they sent me a new, better one after a prompt and knowledgeable technical discussion. Zero issues since.

Speeds do depend completely on your own exchange, but my experience with sky’s customer services would be had by anyone.

Had an unbelievably bad experience with them. Customer service/tech support was beyond useless.

Before choosing a provider, use samknows.co.uk to work out what’s available, and go for an LLB service. Sky might be fine if they’re unbundled, but if not you could get extremely poor speeds.

I use my SC with the fork set between 100 and 130mm depending on rock bigness. I love it and would only consider a heckler if I was going to the Alps a lot – it’s certainly a match for the Lake District. It does have a low BB, but corners brilliantly because of it.

It is built VERY solidly, so make your decision based on geometry/handling rather than frame strength!

Thanks, never heard of trails there!

Any intel on Glentress/Innerleithen?

B

I vote Leatherman. 25 year warranty. I like that.

I’d recommend a bridge camera right now. Say a Canon G11/10 off ebay… £200 maybe?

Logic is that if you want to learn, buy something that will let you learn. Once you know how much you enjoy it, sell the bridge and commit to an SLR.

If you buy an SLR you’ll then need extra lenses, filters, tripods, batteries… and note that many of these will be specific to the brand you choose, so you’ll be stuck with a Nikon/Canon forever.

The key to taking good photos is understanding composition, light and the mechanics of shutter speed/aperture/ISO/etc. You can learn that from a bridge just fine!

I was at Glenshee on Saturday when I got smacked in the face by a returning Poma. I now have 8 stitches above my eyebrow, a chipped tooth, a nasty cut/swelling on my lip and don’t remember hitting the ground when I fell.

I wish I had a helmet on!

I’ve used Mazuma twice now and have actually been very impressed. Fast, easy, no issues at all. Price/valuation was comparable to ebay, but of course I didn’t have that hassle!

Hoping the thaw will improve the roads! It’s 7degC in Glasgow now and snow/ice/slush has all but gone from the city centre. I’m hoping it’ll be a good 5deg colder up in the hills though.

Yes, for sure.

But it’s the sort of paint job you’d notice (if you’re a bike geek, as most of us on here are) and maybe even comment on.

Thanks – I’ll have a google…

Cheers Van Halen – I have popped the lever out recently in a crash, but the lever was stiff before then so I’m not sure. Bleeding is gonna be a total pain in the ass given the rate I go through pads at.

I actually have some Hope Pro2s on 717s on another bike, and like them, but really can’t justify the extra money as I don’t feel any performance advantage. I spent half as much on XTs/717s and like them equally much… a bit more stealthy too!

TBH I was hoping to spend under £150 but might stretch to those superstars if they’re worth it. Fast engagement is always nice.

B

Yeh wot he said.

Eh? It's a 3 minute jog between central and Queen st.

The train will be rammed, but you'll be fine.

Try BAE Systems Regional Aircraft in Prestwick – they are looking for engineering interns, but I'm not sure where to find an advert. If in doubt, call and ask for Dr Mike West.

Hi ditch_jockey. Thanks for the considered response. I'll be honest, I do hold my breath a bit whenever I air my atheist views :) Lets see how long we can keep the debate reasonable… if we discount the nazi-pope images anyway (like I say, I'm not a militant atheist).

I'm sure you do also have altruistic tendencies. I hope that we all do. This strengthens the argument, though, that one does not need religion to be a good person. I am wandering from my point though that one does not need religion to be happy, so I'll stop there.

Can you expand on the 'subtleties of Christian theology'? I have not read anything by Alistair McGrath, but trusty Wikipedia has given me an outline of his arguments, and I'm far from convinced. I shall read on, though.

RD's point is that there is no need for a 'so what?' question. Just because life exists does not mean there is a 'purpose' for it.

<pedant> According to the Great Infallible Wikipedia, "The term Zealot, in Hebrew kanai … means one who is zealous on behalf of God". So technically RD isn't a zealot ;) </pedant>

But seriously, I don't agree with Talkemada's point. I'm not sure how you can equate Dawkins' followers with 'believers in fairy stories'; those of us who agree with RD do so on the basis of his reasoned arguments, not some blind faith.

Also, I'd like to see some evidence that religious people are happier than atheists, as you imply. I'm happy. I don't feel I need to do good or end up burning in hell. I do good because I want to – somewhat more altruistic than a fear of the nasty things that will happen to me if I don't.

I can see how RD does annoy people – his militant atheism doesn't naturally sit well with me – but how many of his critics have actually read his books? The God Delusion is a masterclass in logic and reason and he explains his position well. I suggest you read it, after which we can have a rather better informed debate.

I used 'dogtag' insurance a few years back to cover me whilst MTB racing in Poland… not cheap, but they were the only firm I found that would cover MTBing, never mind racing!

B

Near Glasgow actually but cheers for the offer :)

That Cyclus press looks good actually; its the hassle of going in to a shop I'm trying to avoid. I reckon tools like that will last forever and I will have mates queueing up to borrow it even if I don't use it often myself.

Cheers all. Think I'll need to splash out on some proper Formula pads, and fiddle with the bleed nipple as suggested.

Good brakes when they work but this is just a bit silly… grr.