“Data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention indicates a mortality rate closer to 0.1 per cent in a standard flu season in the US over the past decade.”

From the independent so at least 10 times more deadly than normal flu from what I can see.

As a father of 2 little ones, I have to say this thread is very scary in someways.
In how little I relate to any of it !

All this about not being able to or maybe not wanting to stop him taking drugs, there always going to dabble as a teenager, wanting to rebel against parents etc etc .
Means nothing to me.

Its not that I was nt angry as a teenager. There were plenty of kids at school I hated, plenty of things I wished I was better at, ie the usual socialising, being cool and talking to girls.

But i’d have never of thought of any of it as my families fault, they were generally doing as good a job as they could. I had a warm house, some good toys and decent holidays in Wales as a Kid what more could I ask from them ?

And I never thought of going against them while I lived at home.

Once I’d gone to uni I did smoke a couple of times, but that was about it.

If my kids turn out to have all these feeling of rebelliousness or anger towards me it would come as a major shock and I’d be totally ill-equipped to handle it.

The sort of issues I’m expecting are them wanting to play too many computer games or sit in painting warhammer models instead of getting outside and doing real stuff.

“Why do people have to be so horrible….. ?”

I dunno if you want a real answer, but I’ve seen similar behaviour and believe it is caused by a mixture of paranoia, fear and disappointment with life.

Probably linked to an poor ability to effectively plan for the future leading to a belief that everything will turn out well, this then conflicts with real life ie life as a single mother which leads to a certain amount of cognitive dissonance as the person is unable to cope with the fact their life has turned out pretty rubbish.

To placate this cognitive dissonance they then start to develop a victim mentality which explains why their life is not going to plan.

To do this you obviously need to blame alot of people for various decisions they have made in the past.

The problem is this victim mentality starts to stick and it feeds into initial paranoia which means they start to attack many people for many things.

This then confirms the initial suspicions that they were right that everyone has it in for them.

Im not saying there is anything you can do or you need to be softly softly with her. But she’s probably not sitting at home laughing about how she’s ruined the weekend for you.

But she’s probably sitting there at home honestly convinced that you planned to reveal your new girlfriend to your Kids that and then suggest they all move in with you. And that they all jump at the chance leaving her all alone and she needed to take preventive action to stop this occurring.

Like I say I dont think there is anything you can do, just dont make the mistake of thinking she’s enjoying these actions. Shes probably sitting in her own private hell of her own imagination.

that or she really is horrible

I’ve got a 20″ folder it is good to ride.

Ridden 35 miles home on it a couple of time when the train has broken.

When I’ve ridden 16″ folders they have felt horrible in comparison
I guess you’d get used to that ?

BUT Im not sure I’d recommend a 20″ folder. The main purpose of a folder is to fold small. The 20″ is pretty big.

Since I’ve got it I’ve had jobs when I dont go to work on the train and it takes up a fair bit of room in the garage.

But having a folding bike is great even if you dont use it much.
love it for MOT’s / car servicing in particular.

“race road for my club and everyone in the ‘team’ was uber competitive”

Yeah but I dont think this is what the OP is trying to compare.
There has always been people who are near the top of their sport who are super competitive.

What the OP appears to be saying is for the average rider things have got more serious.

When I look back to the my Uncles ->
on my Mums side doing any sport past 30 was pretty weird.
My Dads side very was active but Dad and his brother always did out door activities ie
Fishing/Shooting/Golf/Diving/Motorcross.
They never went for out and out fitness type activities.
I guess they were serious too about their activies, especially Diving !, but they were very different.

I agree with thisisnotaspoon.

But I guess this would depend which area of the country you are in.
I think it would be especially true for cities and areas with growing populations.

Also I think its even more true for other sports than cycling.

I remember doing the local half-marathon in 2001 and being really pleased with myself.

Now adays many of my mates have done iron men in some exotic location.

I would say to some extent that im now more aware of people who do alot of exercise and my group of friends has self selected to some degree. But I dont think this is the whole picture.

But you can see that numbers involved for marathons/triathlons etc have increased. Also some cycling events like ride London 100 and so forth didnt even used to exist.

At least some people are pushing them further than they used to.
Im sure the spread of information ie Strava/you tube/facebook is allowing like minded people to meet, measure and push themselves further.

Again like thisisnotaspoon, if I look at my stats on strava Im doing more and more exercise but falling further behind my peers (never mind younger people).
I often see friends doing about 10,000 km of cycling a year on Strava.

Cheers Badly Wired Dog,

I wonder if I could dipped it in some solvent … the end might unscrew and I could just put a normal bolt on it.

I had similar on a Bike Skills day in the UK.

It was billed as a advanced skills days.

To be fair it was probably pretty simple for most people here but Im more of an XC rider.

You could go if you thought you were ‘advanced’ or if you had done the beginners course.

Anyway one of the guys had done the beginners course came, but he was also fairly old.

His level of skill was similar to the OP’s description,
ie often still sitting down going downhill.

The rider did not seem aware of the this. Even for some quite simple rolls in, I didn’t want to see him go down.

He was struggling with even starting far enough back to roll in comfortably.

Anyway I was starting to relax a bit more as he just seemed to be able to bumble through stuff.

But we got to a slightly steeper looser section and eventually he came off and I believe he broke his collar bone, it certainly looked that way. We walked him back to the car park to wait for the ambulance.

Maybe it was the company’s fault to some extent, but Im not really sure why he came. He didnt even live far away he just needed to practice bimbling about a bit on his own, or in a small group.

The guide had said it earlier. Apparently they get alot of people who come along on the course’s time and time again, even though what they need to do is just practice.

There seems to be a real lack of these type of frames for sale separately.

Like the other poster above says what you want is a On One Scandal. these used to be dirt cheap to buy new, but aren’t available any more.

If you can find me a decent priced carbon 29er frame I can sell you mine :)

I think this must be something to do with people ordering direct from china.

Maybe you/I should bite the built and just order direct from china, but I cant be bother working out what the price will be once tax is included I just want to know the final price when I click buy.

I had something like this way back in 2002. Its difficult to say what it was. I was diagnosed with sport hernia. It took 2.5 years to heal if I remember correctly.

Cause was very different from Malvern Riders though.

There was no event.

I always used to get groin strain when ever I played football as a kid, I just assumed it was standard mostly on my right side.

When I started to play more and more at uni, there became more and more frequent. Until one day it didn’t heal, I kept playing football for a bit but soon became chronic.

As above I had ~ 2 years maybe a bit more where I could only do very very light exercise. Even walking was nt great as I was always scared I’d pull it. Especially mud / ice. It became very painful at some stages ie sciatica / ball ache.

Im not sure why it healed. I did a lot of things physio/chiropractors/tendon injections none really seemed to help.

I was also doing a lot of stretches / core exercises. I think core exercises will help to some extent.

But it seemed to really get better after I had discovered some advice on how to stretch the muscle at the front of my leg. Ie anchor core and stretch or something like this ->
video on strech

I had done gymnastics as a kid and was quite flexible but I think I did the “bad” stretch where I’m moving my lower back.

I also learnt to do this SI joint correction. It took a very long time, but I can deffinetely feel something pop back into place when I do it correctly.
SI joint correction

However I think it might just have been the first stretch that really helped me.

I think my problem was I had little movement in my hips and I was moving my lower back / pelvis alot to compensate.

Its difficult to explain as I would have said I was reasonably flexible and probably less flexible now. But the flex was coming from the wrong areas of my body.

So I would look into trying to increase hip range movement my self, but you have to understand what is a hip movement and what is your pelvis moving.

Anyway since then I’ve had zero problems, I never get groin strains. Plus I used to have a bit of lower back pain previously. This has gone too.

“Saudi Arabia or Pakistan.

What is her link to those countries? Why does her brain washing not make her a risk there just as much as back here?”

She definitely should not be sent to either of these countries, as people say she doesn’t sound that repentant.

Both countries are fertile areas for islamism and potentially dangerous if there was revolution, she may help sow the seeds a little more.

Ultimately this would be more dangerous and worse for this country.

Even though I own a Gravel Bike and enjoy riding it, I agree with a lot of these statements.

“I ride my gravel bike throughout November to April. It’s too muddy for the MTB and it’s just better on winter lanes than the road bike.”

“On ‘UK gravel’ byways and tracks etc I reckon an XC or rigid 29er will be faster, if the ride is more than a couple of hours at least. A gravel bike can be rapid but you’ll be beat up soon enough if the ground isn’t really smooth.
My quickest rides along the Ridgeway end to end have been on a 29er, “

Done the Same ! and Agree totally

“the advantage in winter is being able to blast along the easiest trails and tracks that hold up better in the weather, and bypass the really boggy bits by using road sections relatively efficiently compared to a MTB.”

this is really hitting the nail on the head !!!!

I even have sympathy for this view point.

“A gravel bike is a compromise, so its poor at either type of riding. Its will disappoint you on the road and off road.”

Hence why gravel rides HAVE to have ROAD + OFF ROAD sections

“Scandal 29er, stuck carbon rigid forks, flat bar with bar ends and 1.75″ VeeRubber Rail tyres”
Did this too (except with 1.9″ tyres) was a great bike to ride like this. dunno why I went and brought a gravel bike really ???

Even owning a Gravel Bike I’d still say a 29er rigid is the ultimate do it all bike. Drop bar bikes are just a bit less good off road, but Im originally a MTBer if I was more on the road side I’d probably say gravel .

Hi have you seen a particular cheap carbon 14″ 27.5 frames ?

Im looking for a 14″ carbon frame to replace my wifes bike.

wireless seat post appeals to me more than wireless drivechain.

For a start if you run out of battery the seatpost will still work.

no the spacing on a 8 speed cassette is very wide in comparision to modern standards.

In fact im not sure any of it will work together,

IS there any way to mount these with a standard shimano shifter ?

I hace 40mm elwood terrene tires on my gravel bike.

Im not really sure about on road, but off road 30psi or lower is loads faster (according to strava results) and is much less bumpy.

I still feel like I want higher pressure it just “feels” faster.

I guess I do about 66% off road 33% on road.

“All of which is irrelevant to my point which was that internal migration is an identical ‘problem’ to international migration even though the papers haven’t picked up on it and people acknowledge it as such.”

yes agreed Im amazed there isnt more of this in local newspapers

I think the OP’s desire to stay a bit quick though his forties is a perfectly reasonable idea.

I dont understand why so many people are giving him a hard time.

I know the feeling I seem to be slowing down too, but then you look at XC race results and you see riders in their 50’s still going strong.

I think for this particular example though you seem to have been out 3 days in a row and its wet and its winter. So no doubt you will be slower.

I am alot alot slower in winter and im sure 90% of riders are too.

A least be thankful your chosen sport isn’t football or something similar once you get past about 35 you just keep getting worse and worse very quickly and there is really nothing you can do.

“houses are being filled with people from London. (Mainly retired folk.)”

Actually in fairness I see people saying this in local newspapers near me (wokingham area) generally the people arent FROM london but have lived in london for a few years and are either moving out because

1. They cant afford London

2. Selling flat in London to buy house outside

Sometimes the people “from” london are even from berkshire/home counties but have lived in London for a few years.

It always amazes me that when the news is full of immigration stories.

There are no articles on internal migration or its effects.

Certainly from my school a number of the more able students have moved down south.

And the only pupil I know who has started a company (https://fitnessgenes.com/) has started it in London.

There is also the issue when it comes to taxation, that often the north/midlands/east/west spend the money on raising and educating people where as the SE/london appear to be the area which generates the most income tax. Doh !

All in All the arguments are very similar to international migration, ie brain drain, benefit to host host country etc etc

If you have to split England/Wales into 2 (ie North South) a Sheffield University study based on social/economic factors

https://thetab.com/uk/sheffield/2017/01/11/finally-someone-sheffield-uni-told-us-north-19761

assumed the OP would know local riding I certainly dont.

Googlemaps sat morning 9am

enfield to peaslake = 1h 15mins <-> 1h 40mins : Riding Good, lots of it

enfield to aston hill = 50 mins <-> 1h 5mins : 4~5 very short DH trails very good, XC very poor

enfield to Bracknell (look out)  = 55 mins <-> 1h 15mins : Riding Reasonable lots of it

enfield to hadliegh = 50 mins <-> 1h 10mins : I dont know

enfield to thetford = 1h 25mins to 2hours : Riding poor, lots of it

enfield to north chilterns ( ie ashridge) : 40mins : Based on my experience of south chilterns Riding good but non-technical and difficult to find route without local knowledge.

Based on the above I’d probably check out Bracknell and chilterns if you dont know it.

Also remembered

enfield to wooburn = 45mins <->  1h 5mins : no idea about riding.

Based on timings it would make sense to check this out

Thetford has a fair amount of XC trails but very tame, so good for distance but not improving technical ability.

The downhills runs are good at Aston hill.

Although quite difficult if you a bit of XC mincer like me.

So if your looking for technical they could be good. Best to go when its dry mind.

Personally I would nt recommend the chilterns for technical XC unless you know exactly where you are going.

To be honest the best bet for technical in the SE is to get up early and drive round to the surrey hills like everyone else.

Could also do Bracknell but alot think its boring on here. But it does have a decent length marked XC route with some XC bits, much much better than thetford.

where are you based north london ish ?

lol ! your parked perfectly, he’s the one over the white line.

If he’d have just park properly to begin with you would nt be so close !!!

“Out of interest .. how fast are you guys going to need the 10/11T rear with even say a 32T on there ? If i’m on the road i can do 24mph or so with a 12T cog with a 32T front ring…. I’m not sure where on a ride i really need more than 24mph and the ability to pedal”

I know I have too low a cadence and I need to up my cadence.

But this calculator show to hit 24mph on a 32T by 12T with a 26″ wheel and a 2.2 inch tyre.

You would have to have a cadence of 115 rpm.

http://www.bikecalc.com/speed_at_cadence

In reality how long can you cycle like that ?

Wikipedia suggest a pro cyclist will have an average cadence of 90rpm on a flat section although I can believe it might have increase recently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(cycling)

In the SE the problem with winter isnt the cold or dark or ice, its the combination of rain, mud, chalk, flint.

If it could some how magically stay dry over winter it would be fine.

Maybe not the place to ask this.

But what exactly does this mean ?

” It helps me disconnect and ignore the shite in my life.”

“self medicate”

I just dont understand what it means. Im 40 now. I obviously used to drink a fair bit back in Uni peer pressure mainly I guess, took me along time to get into alcohol. I have the occasional drink now very difficult to find the time with kids to be honest.

Like any normal human being I’ve felt down in the past, I’ve never had any inclination to drink when down. Any even if I did Idont understand how it “numbs” things the bad stuff/thoughts etc are still there.

” Why would 650B be better than 29 when in this situation of ‘all day ride’, speed, and flat straight road/ gravel trails, a 29er would be to advantage?”

Totally agree, this runs completely against the grain of recent bike development / findings.

Its a bit like when they started producing 24″ wheels with massive tyres for Downhill.

If 650b was a good solution for Gravel bikes , then most XC racer would use 27.5″ hardtails, instead if they use a hardtail its always 29er.

If another wheel size is needed for Gravel it would be bigger not smaller ie 33″ or sommit.

This would reduce rolling resistance offroad while still allowing narrowish tyres on road.

I’ve ordered quite a few bikes from planetX and have never had a problem but I am quite surprised by this ->

“I sent request to ask to upgrade tyres and said I’ll pay difference. They got back to me saying no problem and no extra charge”

In fact when ever I’ve tried to change spec its been massively expensive. Last time it was cheaper to buy the bike with one set of tyres and separately buy the other tyres from planet X. Than try and “upgrade” them

planetX often have road bikes with Disc for that price. Order the cycle scheme vouchers and then just wait.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBVINMITDRIVLTD/viner-mitus-disc-sram-rival-22-hrd-vision-30-road-bike-limited-edition

Ok that has rival but personally I prefer it to 105. The shifters are easier to use.

I had cables discs on my CX bikes , but I got Hydraulics on Gravel.

As people say Hydraulics are a bit better.

But the big thing on Drop Bar bikes is you cant upgrade from Cable to Hydraulic without changing the shifters.

If your changing the shifters you might as well change the mechs, if you doing this you might as well change the chainset if your doing this you need to change the chain, cassette etc.

Ie if you want to upgrade from Cable to Hydraulics on a Drop bar bike realistically the most cost effective way is to buy a whole new groupset (which if your owned the bike a couple of years probably makes sense).

But I would just make sure you get Hydraulic to begin with as its obvious thats the way things are going.

The answer is simple ask to see go round and see get a quote from your decorator/builder.

I use shimano wide fit the only issue is they are quite wide round the ankle too.

Which means you have to strap them up quite tight.

I’d probably recommend them more if your feet are a bit “fat” rather than just wide.

Another vote for -> There Will be Blood

muscle twitching ?

I get it my arm now, started after a bad tooth infection.

I’ve had a Full Suss since 2002 a Trek Fuel 80, I replaced the frame with a Be-One then I replaced the frame with a Boardman when that broke.

With the old tech plus poor serving from me my 29er has felt a better ride and I’ve been riding my 29er much much more for the last 4-5 years probably.

My shock started leaking air recently and like you I managed to get a cheap 26″ Canyon Nerve (but the 140mm AM version).

The quality of the travel is unreal in comparison to my previous Full Suspension frames. Similar to you its a bit of a revelation.

Im sure I’d love a brand new 27.5″ full suss even more. I’d really love a 29er short travel carbon full suss too !

I don’t know what else there is too say other than Full suspension bikes are expensive very expensive ! Even though alot of us might consider ourselves enthusiasts on this website, you have to have quite alot of spare cash now adays to ride the latest tech.