Work… sitting out 3 months notice. Down to T-6 days and nothing to do. Why can I just go and ride my mountain bike, rather than reading the forum on work’s time?

Bid Writing Hell

Or

Procrastination Driven Panic

But be aware they are f’ing heavy – nearly 60kg for the double. We also found the release red tabs had a tendency to disconnect at the ends, which was a proper pita to reconnect.

BUT… Great van, especially the lwb version. Masses of space for bikes, kids, camping etc.

BUT… get the locks looked at. Ours was nicked using a tumbler key off the drive without us even noticing (we were in)

Laptops are an ergonomic nightmare. Both Mrs Sheeps and I have (homemade) laptop stands (really just a pile of books) to bring the screen up to just below eye level, and a separate keyboard and mouse.

We both have second screens… 24″ and 27″ respectively. Not sure I could go back to 1 screen, especially with my proprensity to have at least 7 documents open at once!

Steeplejack…. I’m sh*t scared of heights!

Roughly is fine – I’m sure all the other riders zooming passed me at speeds I dream of won’t notice the slight difference in touch ups where I’ve ‘used’ the bike!! 🙂

Now just the small matter of finding a source of Pantone 2193!

Jameso… thank you.

@jameso – I have a Pinnacle Arkose 4 from back in 2015/16 in the light blue (see Ampthill’s post about 10 above this). It’s got various little chips in the paintwork, and I was looking at giving it some cosmetic tlc (to go along with the other tlc which it needs after over 10k miles!).

Is there a colour chart and/or a colour reference for that blue? or failing that, do Evans do a touch-up paint for their Pinnacle colours?

Ta

I’ve got a pair of the Vaude’s – replacing a 25+ year old set of Karrimor panniers (from when they were good and not owned by Mike Ashley!)

The Vaude’s have done 4 years of daily commuting, look and work like new. Especially like the single pull handle to release. Never needed to get spares, so can’t comment on availability.

Looks like either Admiral, Aviva or John Lewis are the best with bikes identified over £500 up to £2500 each (which is fine with me!)

Thanks

ffej… my M&S quote was silly (4 figures!). Just using Moneysupermarket, their M&S quote was over 40% less. Robbing wotsits.

Understandable for the organisers…. a lot of money at risk.

Shame, as come rain or shine, Mountain Mayhem has always been a highlight of my riding year

There is a little bit of me that thinks the institutions of the country are overreacting a bit though.

I had a lovely 15mm campag butter spanner…. very little use for it these days, but lovely in the hand.

It was in our van when it was nicked. Whilst the insurers will pay for the van, they will not for a 25 year old spanner. Its loss is what upsets me (and they’re upwards of £50 on ebay) more than the van.

Get the locks changed while you’re at it … my Custom was stolen off our drive by using a ‘tumbler’ type key available on Amazon FFS

The whole 2 clear samples 1 month apart was more hassle, as they had to be delivered to the clinic 5 miles away within 20 minutes of production!

Apparently you could ‘produce’ on site, but that felt a little TOO weird, knocking one off with the nurses on their tea break next door!

7 years ago here… all fine. No shaving, little pain, back on the bike within 10 days (gently) and no more kids (which is sort of the point!)

Dodgy ford locks…. our Transit (64 plate) went walkies even without a window being broken. Tumbler key in the door lock, and 20 seconds at the OBD and it’s gone!

(The things you learn AFTER the event!)

I’m with Sharkbait…. we had 1 standard audible only (ie no camera/movement etc) with our twins, but it was pretty much redundant as we were mostly up anyway!

Twins are great, although ending up with 3 boys in 2 years, bloody tiring. Now at 11, 9 & 9 they’re a constant ball of energy, but comfortingly the twins still have a special random bond.

PS… Brant… heartbreaking. Sorry for your loss.

I’m utterly disinterested in Football, and the Prime header is an irritation… however my 11 year old is obsessed by football and as we dont pay for TV sport, is beyond excited that there’s a way to watch it! Getting him to bed this week is proving hard!

Letters are a bit faded, and there’s a small chip in the rim, but still my go to mug for tea…. tend to have my coffee in small more concentrated quantities.

We dont need no thought control

I would… but it got nicked. Be aware that the standard locks are very poor, and an 11 quid tumbler type key will get you in easily, silently in the middle of the night.

Still gutted 3 months later
64 plate (BN64ZSU if anyone gets offered it!)

Thanks ahsat… I’ll have a look.

Sheffield’s a bit in the wrong direction unfortunately.

Trying to create ‘ambience’, to try an distract from the fact you’re in a chain hotel in some soulless town.

(Bitter from too many nights away this year in generic hotels which are ALL the same whether you’re in Dundee or Dorking)

Try this…. the flour helps bind it together. I rarely have mixed fruit or seeds, but fling in anything I find in the cupboard. Also improved with darker sugar and treacle not golden syrup.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/nutrition/recipes/snack/article/izn20150612-Fruit-and-mixed-seed-flapjack-0

I’m a perennial lurker and an infrequent poster but…. I love this place.

Thank you for all the replies, plenty of food for thought, and a second hand rack into the bargain.

Thanks all…. I think the Skoda Superb has a 100kg nose weight, but as mentioned the cantilever will reduce that. With growing boys, it won’t be long before its 4 adult bikes!

Going back to a van in unlikely…. for environmental reasons we’re going to be a 1 vehicle family, and my work needs a car.

Tomhoward
No busier than normally really this morning on the train from horsforth at 8, but 7 (yes 7) ticket enforcement officers at Hornbeam park just now as I’m heading back to Leeds. Not selling tickets mind you, just ‘checking’ you have one.

I have never seen any Northern staff there in 2 years of commuting until today!

Christopher Walken…. I’m doomed (watch or no watch)

Or Keith Richards and Mike Jagger.. again, not a chance for me.

Yup… whitestone has it right. They can get your details as an official party (so says the electoral commission).

Like the idea of sending it back wrapped around a brick!

For the record, I’m not on the publicly accessible bit of the electoral register.

Bit of a thread revive…

In a pre-facelift (64 plate) version, the answer is no. Looks like it should, but there’s about 10mm difference in the position of the locking bars front and back related to the end of the recessed slot.

(I know it’s taken a while, but finally purchased a lwb one with 8 + 1 seats, and was now looking at options for stealth camping – a full conversion has *currently* been vetoed by MrsSheeps)

Apparently 9.7kg as sold without pedals (old-ish Arkose 4)… it’s now got some lighter wheels, massively offset by a framebag carrying my spares and commuting kit… so probably 11+

Not that I’ve ever weighed it, and probably never will. It’s fun, comfy and copes well with the mix of road, canal and tracks on my commute.

Up there last week… it’s still free, and a free for all with cars plonked anywhere.

It was ‘full’ by 9am on a sunny Saturday mind you

Randomly, when we had small kids (and thus child seats), I was told that the MOT didnt test the belts where the seats were installed!! This was because they weren’t allowed to remove the child seat in case they refitted it incorrectly.

Strangely enough, I took the seats out, and had them retest the belts!

We had a hand-me-down T4 for 2 years, after graduating from a dreadful MPV.

With 3 growing boys, it was ace. Throw bikes in, camping stuff in, and just go. When it died, we looked at a T5 – high price and low spec. Plumped for a Transit Custom instead.

I used to keep the twins quiet feeding them grapes round Morrisons… Always from a pre-packed/ priced box, always put the empty box on the till. It was a lottery whether I got charged!

I was up there yesterday… Not ridden it before, so don’t have any frame of reference. The off camber waterbars simply need to be paid attention to! Whether it’s betterer or not, I don’t know, but a cracking descent nonetheless.

The hike-a-bike (as Classic ride in the current issue 119) up from the Thirlmere side is less fun – in fact horrible!

Colleague rang up after Liverpool’s Champions League win a few years back (you know the one, 3-0 down at half time) and told the boss he wasn’t coming in as he was still pissed.

Honesty is always best… The boss  just laughed at him! Got away with it too!

Nope. .. Back on the bike within 10 days, and no problems since (over 7 years now)