I think some of you are being a little short sighted on this which is strange because MTB is normally a very forward looking technologically advanced sport.

In my opinion what geetee1972 is proposing is very much in keeping which the original ethos of the bike. Which is to improve and extend a persons capability to traverse the landscape.

Also I think people are getting confused with the mention of MX bikes they’re not the same as a bike. Not only are there legal barriers to taking them cross country there are also practical barrier ie can one man lift a MX bike over a stile can it fit between the tree etc…

geetee1972 is proposing an electric assited bike you can take pretty much anywhere just like a mtb (if you dont mind riding on footpaths that is).

Also I think people are getting the wrong idea they are thinking of turning on a switch and not pedalling in the case of the current cheap e bikes but once your got a power source on the bike your’ll be able to do some very clever things with modern electronics.

Power assist would just be that the bike could be set up to help you maintain a certain speed or help with the initial acceleration and then you take over to maintain the current speed. Or it could be even clever and kick in just when you need it ie making sure you have just enough power to make it out of that bomb hole. All this would either be invisible to the rider or controlled by their pedal strokes.

Some kind of sensor that monitors traction could also be developed and the motor may help to smooth out pedal stroke on loose ground making climbing easier.

Suddenly what was a slightly uphill boring singletrack through the forest would become an exciting technical challenge with a bit more speed.

I think wether this is possible and will come to be is very much dependant on the development and research into battery technology. Im sure powerful and very light motors can be developed as long as people are keen to throw money at them which currently seems to be the case with MTB suspension tech. Its just whether light weight energy dense rechargeable batteries can be developed and as mentioned earlier there is the possibility of recharging the batteries on the downhill.

There will still be a challenge and the best rider will be able to push new advances and will still be the best rider. In the same way not everyone is a downhill god now we can all buy 170mm DH bikes the courses have got harder and the best riders are still much quicker than the average joe.

Surrey Hills + North Downs is probably best riding in S.E so plenty there.

Also can go clapham junction to martins heron then cycle round swinley forest.

I recently got given some free train tickets when I renewed my first great western season ticket.

Also I noticed the train time from Reading to Taunton is only 1:30 mins.

Would it be possible to do a decent ride in the quatocks starting from Taunton ?

Is most of the good riding in the south or the north or all over ?

Take him out for a drive in your car drive dangerously and recklessly until he thinks he's going to die.

Depending on how he reacts you will we able to accurately determine whether he really want to end it all or its just a cry for attention.

I thought second hand CD shops were literally against the law but no one cares.

obviously what the law literally is and practically are, is different.

You're swapping the book, you're not copying it

is it? as long as you're not making a copy of it before you swap it / sell it, I don't think it is.

The laws have probably changed/ Im just wrong but I didnt think copying the material was a problem/crime. Although record companies may have changed the laws by now.

I though by buying a CD you were purchasing the physical media and the right to read/play the media.

You have the right to sell/exchange the physical media but you have no right or means sell the listening/viewing rights.

I think a couple of years ago the record companies also tried to make copying the media a crime as well. This would mean you would nt have been able to make a backup copy of the CD or more importantly put it on your ipod this would mean you'd have to buy both CD and digital media if you wanted to listen to a song on both a CD player and and iPod but I thought this failed.

Its the same with computer software you buy the software and a license to use it on so many computers (normally 1) for personal or whatever use. Ie you can only install it on 1 computer at a time that you own.

I kinda assumed books are similar but their probably not.

So as far as Im aware you have the rights to copy media but you have no means to sell the right or even give away to use that media, as it is personal to the purchaser.

Obviously you can also buy the right to play media in a public place ie pub sky license.

surely book swap is illegal anyhow as you've only paid for the book content for your own reading ?

In the same way as swapping second hand CD's is technically illegal ?

also how to do you swap the books ? do you arrange to meet up somewhere ?

I cant seem to do a book search via postcode so how do I know if the swapper is nearby ?

I've just signed up for read it swap, but I've kno realised I've just given away all my rubbish books I didnt want to oxfam.

Does anyone have looks of spare rubbish books I can swap for some good ones ? Or am I misunderstanding something ?

I managed to get a nail about the same size in my fold up commuter too.

Luckily I wasnt going as fast as you so I didnt damage the mudguards, my wheel just kinda stopped spinning.

I kinda agree I've gone off reading novels.

I'll do it occasionally, but if I want some fiction I'll watch TV. The advantage watching stories/comedies on TV is I can rest while I do it or more likely fall asleep which I often do when I start to watch TV.

The problem with reading novels is it still requires putting some effort and normally a lot of time in to read the book, if I'm going to do that I'd normally rather read about something real rather than fiction.

To the people who said of Of "Mice and Men" and men was the worst book they read at school then they must have been very lucky with the teachers choice of book at school.

I really enjoyed reading it at school because it was the only book I read at school that was nt either Shakespeare or some feminist dribble about how their life had been ****** up by men !

yeah just test it with your phone I forgot about that.

The nokia ones are particularly easy through nokia suite.

well on windows any how.

If your living in a remote spot I would have thought getting a landline broadband is the way to go ? As the 3G signal is likely to be weak or non-existent.

DX light with 7 ish batteries ?

benefits claimant ?

or do I misunderstand the concept of self employed ?

I imagine this is the key

necessarily what you would call gym bunnies, some of them are quite unfit, either quite large or just not interested in cardio exercise and they do not get the same problem

I imagine they just arent working as hard as you and also might have less muscle mass so wont be able to generate the same amount of heat as you.

if riding in a largish group of varying pace / ability, make sure you're near the front at the start of the climb. Then you can drift back during the climb, appearing to be sociable and exchanging words with everyone as you drop back until you then sit at the back 'encouraging' the stragglers. That way you'll be marked as a fast rider by the guys at the back, a good guy by the ones at the front, and actually you'll have been the slowest overall (started first, finished last)

:) I like this very funny and true !

i took the 2 bmx ones

LOL!

you stick to the riding let her take the pictures :-)

The second half is well signposted or obvious. During the first half there are a couple of points you could easily go wrong.

Sometimes there are also 2 SDW one more for walker and one for houseriders/cyclists.

The animals making noises instantly become werewolves and anything that flies is almost certainly a vampire.

So true !

is this near Walbury Hill. I did a ride at easter going from reading over over ridgeway to avebury and the next day back various routes including over walbury hill. The hard art was the boat will up to walbury hill. After 2 days riding it was very tiring either my pedals would get stuck in the ruts or I could nt stay up on the bumps. I know you could say I need to improve my skills but the whole point is this was marked as a boat and the land was quite flat and dry however so i assumed it would be an easily traversable route but as I say it was really really hard going.

Im not saying the 4×4 should not be there but if something is marked as a boat surely the route needs to up to supporting a 4×4. You would imagine hard rock base is needs not chalk and mud.

I think the differce between 4×4 and mtb is the mtb dont want to destroy the route. I think most MTB would prefer the route if it were sustainable and most southern mtber prefer riding in the summer when the mud, clay and chalk bake hard. Obviously we can cause damage riding in the mud in the winter but we dont want to do this.

However 4×4 arent interested in this. If the route had baked hard there would be no challenge it would be like driving on a road. Have to note the 4×4 are out after the rain last week. Surely for them the challenge is the difficult condition which also unfortunately lead to them destroying the road.

Personally I think the lack of photos is one of the main problems. To get people interested you've got to show the item. Not having pictures suggests the item is in poor condition and you dont want to show it.

I suppose they had a choice of being 10hours behind or 14 hours ahead and choose the later ?

Its in the trent valley isnt it, Id imagine it would get pretty muddy down there.

According to this the land beneath is

geology

KEUPER MARL

Not sure what that means

Im not saying he's right by the way. Your asking where he has the number from, and Im certain this is where he has got the figure of £71 from.

Yes but he does not realise this as he has not counted the total number of boxes.

All he knows is there are 9 broken and 3 missing 12 in total.

He hasnt twigged that there are 59 + 3=62 boxes he is assuming there are only 59 boxes.

57-(9-3= 45

45 divided by 57 = .7895

£336 x .7895 = 265.27

£336 – £265.27 = £70.73

=£71

surely this is the couriers roblem not yours.

You should advice him to contact them.

With the 3 emty boxes maybe you should advice him to calculate the total

I have 426 u turns 130's
noticed the gold finish is coming off on the right stantion ?
tips / help required

Me too, its also the right stanchion. The coating seems to much thicker on the left leg. Even right at the top where there is no overlap with the lowers.

Colonel Decker is the bad guy not Hannibal, Hannibal is John Smith.

First climb up the gravel hill. When your at the top head left continuing up slightly(not right on the short cut). Then head into a twisty turny bit by the sub station

The trail twists and turns for a bit over a few jumps then you come to a little clearing and it points follow the dog right monkey left.

The there is a little "link" section which twists done the hill. You then get to another gravel track (kit bag hill).

Monkey trail is pointed up left over the railway line. Real Monkey trail starts over the railway line.

The monkey trails is sooo different from follow the dog.

She wasn't right for you so you got off lightly

Assuming the OPs original description is correct, this is possibly the understatement of the year !

I mean what sort of man would be right for a woman who when drunk comes back to their flat with another man. I can only really think of possibly some kind of sadist or alternatively some kind of nutter who felt it was a challenge and would beat the **** out of the other man.

I think a better answer would be, we dont really know as Im guessing none of us were 4yr girls using a cycle path with the above equipment. You'd probably be better off asking her.

Is this the cycle path from the Dr.Johnsons to Netherstowe ?

Come on hes only 16 if I owned a bike like that at 16 I'd be pretty pleased with it.

Obviously needs a new saddle, but a bit of extra weight will just make him fitter at that age.

Theres a junction like this on my road. People speed then realise they have to stop to turn right as there is traffic coming. The road is very narrow so its difficult to get down the inside.

Better than a broken arm/leg?

Just a minute I've reread your post and its actually a joke ?

I think ?

Well kids do need to injure them selves at some point, but the chance of anyone breaking arm/leg is surely so small to be unimportant.

A decent set of trainers will make sure they dont slip and as most all they'll do is scratch elbows/knees.

What suffer a couple of minor stings I wont even remember I've got in 15 mins. Or have my forearms ripped to shreds so I look like some kinda manic self harmer ?