I do have the urge to try TTing again… My goal is to get 2nd Cat next season, and then will probably be a good time to make the switch – save me getting my head kicked in twice a week by E/1/2s! 😀

Angry ? Why would I be angry ?

I don’t know, why don’t you tell the audience…

Jeremy Kyle

Yes I think unpleasant and vindictive is probably a good description.

Bitter and disdainful of anyone that seems to have achieved anything in life would probably be a good description of you Ernest. I suspect you’re one of those perpetual under-achievers that lives his life feeling persecuted by people like landlords. 🙄

Coniston Old Man

Probably about 50% of it was in a bunch, and the final 25 miles was pretty much solo as I’d passed all the earlier waves of riders.

My solo ride times tend to be around evens, that’s what I aim for. Below 40 miles I’m generally there or there abouts, over 40 miles I’d be happy with 18/19 and I certainly wouldn’t expect to go lower than that up to the century.

The Ride London course was very flat compared to what I normally ride (Pennines, Trough of Bowland) so I’m quite sure I’d have stayed over 20mph riding it solo.

Ernie, you’ve never been one of the more intelligent members of this forum, but I think if you read the whole thread, even you would be able to understand that the outcome has been very much swayed by suggestions from other people.

The main reason I posted was, despite being a landlord for many years, I’ve never rented property myself, so I wanted the opinions of people who rented, people who owned dogs, other landlords. Similar sort of thing to most of the threads on here, they canvass opinions and tap into the incredible shared knowledge of the forum’s membership.

Posts like yours serve no purpose other than to try and cause trouble on an otherwise useful and lighthearted thread. So why not run along, there’s a good silly little man.

Only people I know of who can hold above 20mph for a decent period of time (>2hrs) are typically 1st Cats and Elite.

I certainly wouldn’t say that’s typical. As I said earlier, I’m a 3rd cat and did the Ride London 100 in 4:36, 22mph average speed.

One of my strengths is consistent speed over a long period – big changes in pace/gradient are difficult for me. Unfortunately, my strengths make me a good TTer but not a particularly good racer. I can’t sprint, so my only chance of points in crits is to break the bunch up and try and ride people off my wheel.

Those brutal attacks or bunch sprints that win most races aren’t for me!

I have empathy in spades picton – I just choose to ignore it when necessary. And when someone has told down-right lies and taken advantage of my kindly, empathetic nature, I tend to withhold the empathy a little.
Plus, from a purely personal point of view, I’m not the sort of person that lets someone get one over on me!

It’s unfurnished, but carpeted throughout. She’s butt ugly. If Little Shibby so much as twitched in her direction, I’d cut it off.

After sleeping on it, I’m going to insist on payment for deep clean up front, and say she has 28 days to rehouse the 2 extra dogs, and if she doesn’t, I’ll reserve the right to take further action on the basis of breach of contract.

I think that sounds suitably menacing yet fair and gives me ample backing-up room if i choose to let ‘sleeping dogs lie’. When I say let sleeping dogs lie, I’m not referring to allowing the lying bitch to sleep… Just to be clear.

Are we all happy with that?

Ron Jeremy (me too!)

do you have much carpet down stairs.

I tend to have a quick strim every couple of weeks whilst shaving my legs, but I’m not quite sure why that’s relevant…

Of this I am almost certain.

Ray Mears.

I’ve no idea what she feeds them on…

The rent increase is further proof of a lack of reasonableness

I’d perhaps take your points more seriously if you hadn’t started calling silly names! But you’re talking crap, Nobdixon. She’s already in breach of the tenancy agreement by having pets, and she’s reneged on our verbal agreement to allow one small dog and admitted lying!

The threat to increase the rent is only if she fails to do what she has promised to do in a timely fashion, but covers me on the off chance that she’s lying to me again.

My fastest race average this year was just over 26mph in an hour plus crit, that bloody hurt. The same race at almost 25mph is a far ‘easier’ affair.

This sounds familiar… My crit speeds tend to be in the 25-26mph average speed, but the pace will often go well over 30 for several laps. I’d feel far better after an hour of sustained 26mph than a yoyo-ing attacky race that dropped down into the teens and blasted up to the 30s every other lap!

My century time at Ride London was 4hrs 36mins, but like I said, it was a very sustained pace. Get into the hills and it’s very difficult to hold threshold pace in the real world.

Bloody hell – that’s pretty good going and you’re only a third cat?

Big plodding engines like mine are great if you’re a domestique in a stage racing outfit, but nigh on useless if you race 1hr circuit crits!

I would check that any adendum to the original tenancy agreement is both legal and enforceable.

I will… When I spoke to her this morning she said that she was sorry for lying and realised she might have to move. I think she’ll be quite receptive of a compromise agreement given that she knows she’s already in breech of the tenancy agreement. I still think she’s pissing down my back by saying that she’s going to get rid of the 2 dogs, so putting a time limit on that and increasing the rent accordingly if she doesn’t is pretty fair and covers me financially, as 3 dogs WILL cause additional wear and tear.

Flicker’s Wife.

I did the 100 mile Ride London at 22mph. Just sub threshold pace with over-threshold efforts on the climbs. With fuel and a flattish course, I could probably have done another 50 at the same pace…
I’m Cat3 peleton fodder that does a reasonable time-trial, climbs as well as can be expected for a 6’1″ 12.5stoner and descends like I’ve no dependents.

Not sure about the 28 days bit for re housing the dogs.

To be honest, I think I have every right to come down hard on her for lying and taking the piss… And it’ll call her bluff if she thinks she can still lie to me.

Spartacus.

Right, the plan.

Get quote for deep clean by contract cleaning company recommended by letting agent and to be agreed by tenant.
Tenant pays the full cost up front, no quibbles, over and above deposit, for house to be cleaned when she vacates.
Tenant has 28 days to rehouse the 2 extra dogs. If she doesn’t, the rent will be increased by £40pcm.
I will be inspecting the property monthly and reserve the right to withdraw bla-de-blah-de-blah…

Does this sound reasonable given that she claims to have tried to rehouse 2 of the dogs (probably bull shih tzu) and the fact that she’s lied through her teeth?

Al Murray.

I aim for “evens” (20mph ave/speed) on anything under 40 miles, and that would generally include 500-1000m of climbing.

I have a couple of 20 mile fast loops that I ride as over/under (threshold) efforts, and I’d be disappointed if they took longer than an hour – similar profile to what you rode but a few traffic lights etc.

Were you riding at threshold (blowing out of yer arse but able to sustain for an hour or so) or was it a pootle?

On a less windy day, ride the first 5 miles steady, high cadence but low effort, and then try and do a flying 20 at 18-20mph.

You did register the deposit with a Deposit Portection Scheme and take a comprehensive inventory signed by the tenant at the start of tenancy didn’t you…..?

Of course. All taken care of.

Charlton Heston

I had to pay a significantly larger deposit and have to have the place professionally cleaned when I move out because I have a pet. I have no problem with it and thought that it was fairly standard practise!

How “significantly larger” are we talking Chvck?

That sounds reasonable. Having allowed one dog already you’re on a bit of a sticky wicket though…

Back on a slightly serious note, it was an informal verbal agreement – the tenancy agreement is clearly worded, no pets and not to be used for keeping any animals, reptiles, fish or birds.

The Screamer

Can’t believe it took this long to get to Smelly Cat, though.

And slipped in so beautifully! Chapeau! And I genuinely LOL’d at being called a bellcheese! 😀

Ursula Buffay

Ed, quite a few threads on which Rachel (allthegear) posts descend into mild ribbing of her fondness for signing off with her signature.

In this case, I thought it might lighten the mood if I signed off with characters’ names from Friends, and other posters have joined in.

It is a fairly dull, serious thread, and I was looking for genuine advice on what to do – there’s a huge cross-section of people and opinions on here which are very helpful.

And I thought it rather nice that we could all join in with a bit of an “in joke”, sorry if you got the wrong end of the stick and thought me flippant. 🙂

Emily

To the OP please give her a chance she may well have been desperate. Just ask for a larger deposit and profrssional cleaning at the end of the let.

Contrary to popular belief, I do have the ability to empathise – I just choose not to. The biggest problem is the bare-faced lies and trying to take advantage of my good nature by getting me to agree to one tiny tea-cup dog and then over-running the place with the bloody things!

I’m afraid I can’t just let this go. I think I’m going to get a quote for a full deep clean and make her pay for that up front, plus additional deposit to cover replacing carpets if necessary.

The Chick and The Duck

Bet no-one ever told her life was going to be this way – she’s broke, her job’s a joke, her love life’s DOA.

We have a winner! 😀

Signing off as Gunter, Joey then Marcel suggests you are trolling. I hope this is the case.

You wouldn’t understand…

I hope you’re 100% certain about that.. she could be lying about that too, or did you conduct a thorough inspection..?

You’re absolutely right – I took her word on this, and recent events obviously call this into question. Don’t fancy strip searching her though… 🙁

Fun Bobby

She has no tattoos… If she’d had cats, I would have been more than happy to help ‘rehouse’ them.

She’s a mature student doing a post grad, sounds like she’s split up with someone and sold their house – hence the rent up front.

So yes, 3 unattended dogs is a huge concern. The property is a mid-terrace, garden fronted and yard to the rear. I wouldn’t keep dogs there. (When I say that, I don’t mean it’s really bad, I mean it’s not suitable for keeping dogs!!)

Janice

Do you really think the sort of woman who owns a Chihuahua will be happy to live in filth?

She’s more emotionally-damaged-mid-to-late-forties-emotionally-unstable-crazy-dog-woman than Paris Hilton.

Marcel

Edukator, it’s not a matter of whether or not she cleans, it’s more the fact that no matter how fastidious she is, the carpets will smell of dog long after she and her menagerie have left.

Try letting a property that smells like Battersey Dogs Home, especially to people who don’t keep dogs because they tend to live in rented properties that don’t allow them!

Gunther

This is my main concern Martin, plus, if she stops her standing order a month early (you’d be amazed how many try this) and ask me to take the final month’s rent out of the deposit, I’m screwed.

If it makes any difference, she’s butt ugly.

Joey

On what grounds?

Returning the property to the state in which it was left.

Phoebe

I’m a dog lover too, but I know the impact they have on properties in which they’re kept, so the definitely has to be some sort of financial recompense to cover additional cleaning.

Maybe I get a quote from contract cleaners for a full deep clean and insist that she pays that up front. Then it’s just further damages or unpaid rent that would come out of the deposit.

Chandler

The agent said it would be reasonable to impose a £150 additional charge (1 off) for a dog, so I’ve said that’s fine… Multiply it by 3. So she pays an additional £450 up front to cover additional cleaning etc.

Ross

Feel the love, maaaaaaan… x

You’re missing the ethos of a winter bike… Cheap as chips and cobbled together out of leftover parts. If you’re never going to fit discs or Di2, why bother with all the braze-ons?

Build it basic, ride it, wash it sparingly and stop worrying. I’m actually looking forward to getting “Doris the Dolan” out of the bike room and lubing her up!

Toys R Us did a “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” offer last Christmas. So “Uncle ****” (ie. me) bought 1 each for my 2 nephews and kept one for myself. I also bought 500 rounds of ammo.

My mum still keeps finding orange darts all over the house! Best Christmas presents for little (and big) boys ever!

Thanks McMoonter! I knew you’d have some knowledge on the subject…

My first effort is going to be a woodworking workshop of sorts, possibly built in a space between some existing trees, so it could use 3-4 existing trunks as uprights and simply form a room slung between. So I’d be interested to hear if anyone has any advice on roping a structure to existing mature trees.

This project is to be a precursor/learning exercise before embarking on a far more ambitious summer house in the future. Possibly something along the lines of the Welsh Hobbit House…

I think the guaranteed places were if you won the first ballot but had to cancel your ride for some reason.

My pocket always contains an Ontario RAT… (when I’m working in the garden/wood, obviously).

Non-serrated version for me, holds an edge forever and feels beautifully made.