smiles seem to get wider as friday progresses

getting home to see the dog who also seems to smile

lack of alarm at weekends

generally the simple things in life, I’m easily pleased!

As harry hill would say………ffffffiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggghhhhhhhttttt!

Wife left me to start a new life with new bloke in november taking the kids with her out of the blue so life is great, seriously! Sorry, I should have mentioned the kids came back (altho not so young at 15 and 17) and are staying put in their home with their dad, me! She took the car too, well it was hers, so now enjoying life on a bike for everything and getting alot fitter in the process, shall have to remember to thank her for that!

Double bed to self now which is heaven.

Was never too bad at cooking but alot better now.

More attention from the ones from Venus too now single……thats good btw!

Job not too interesting but I can go days without actually working when I’m there so mustn’t grumble as lots of friends here and banter. And its secure which means alot now im single parent.

not so good is the Lakeland Loop on April 10th which I havent started training for prepoerly yet, thats going to have to change.

Big changes the last 3 months but the sun is still shining.

Thanks for asking Phil, hope you’re ok too?

That you dont learn too much yourself when you read what others have learnt.

That sram chains on a complete bike dont have power links but sram boxed chains do

Montane featherlite was just like cling film on me, cling film just as wet on inside as outside, good on a dry summers evening. Also got a montane event which is a great jacket but may not store small enough for your purposes without sticking out of your pocket

you sound like my (ex)wife, dont be such a t@rt

The only thing I noticed last night whencleaning chain was a different pin to the rest of them (larger and black), will look for power link tonight.

if no power link on chain do many people bother to split chain and put one on?

maybe it wont be ‘yes’, thanks njee20.

Im pretty sure the answer will be ‘yes’ but will it still have a powerlink if bike purchased with a chain on, ie not a boxed chain?

angel juice

I’ve got a new bare wall at home, internal, that needs something on it, they would look the good in a 5 x 5 formation

looks like two tanks near to the bend in to the farm when you zoom in, be careful. The start of a museum maybe?

Thanks, chain off it is to clean

Last year rode from San Fran to LA on the Pacific Coast Highway. Was scenic and a great adventure but sounds like you’re going more off-road?

-11 the other morning on the Wirral, nice along the Wirral way (coastal) on way to the ferry cross the mersey, 17 miles and warm as toast. Icicles on riding glasses mind and no stopping. MW80 boots, normal socks, shorts, endura stealth jacket, merino riding jumper, skin layer, bibs.

-10 on commute in this morning, shimano MW80 and winter socks, toasty. Cant say the same for my thumbs though, painful snd three hours later are still tingling

Hels…..was going to ask ‘what do you use training tyres for’ but thought the responses would be similar to yours!

GP4000s got a split in them the other day and same day received an email offer for some schwalbe blizzards (?), too good an offer to refuse! Was just wondering what the difference was, hopefully wont be too noticeable.

thanks for the replies

had a reindeer burger in Norway two years ago, if I close my eyes I can still taste it, delicious!

peakmonster

I dont wear a helmet but taking in all the above I would buy a mid priced one that fitted well if I was going to. Problem started when I measured my head..XL! XL helmets aren’t pleasing on the eye, but yes, better looking than a head wound.

Thanks for all the input.

so it doesnt sound like much difference between cheap and expensive when it comes to impact?

I thought by the title this was going down the dogging route

guzzlers

cork strips

Polo, the green bottle one, never fails me!

‘Wife’ walked out on me 6 weeks ago and is trying to come back so I reckon she’ll spend about £1k on me (but I will not be bought!) and I’ll be spending sweet fa on her. Seems fair to me!!

22nd dec – 4th jan for me, no hols used, cant grumble!

was meant to be without a kitchen for 4 weeks, 10 weeks later I’m a dab hand ont he camping stove (two rings and a grill) and the slow cooker. Infact I’m seriously wondering why have a kitchen when the space could be used for a dart board, pool table and table tennis table.

saladdoger………still give the missus a badgering though, tis that time of year after all!

Id be too busy reading the display to look where to ride.

Now seems like an apt time to thank my binmen and postman (well, delivery drivers actually)……last december the recycle bin was emptied by the binmen as normal and along came a delivery driver, found nobody was in so put all the packages for delivery in the recycle bin for ‘safe keeping’ with no note through the door to say where packages were left!! No, they didnt get recycled but it was a mighty cheap christmas when we told the delivery firm that the bins get emptied on the same day as the packages were delivered! Not cheap items either for a 14 and 16 year old! Full refund given.

Without sounding cold-hearted he wont have a clue you’re not there for christmas, he’ll be too busy playing with empty boxes and discarded wrapping paper and not touching the boxes contents. He’ll realise you’re not there but wont realise its xmas.

got stopped by police on M6 when I was a student after putting too much oil in which resulted in a thick fog following me from jct 16 to 15. Well, it had a leak in it so had to fill it good and proper.

You’ll be fine, just keep off busy roads for a while!

An aunty used to swear by brushing her teeth with coal dust and I gotta admit she had a fab set of pearly white teeth (her own) when she passed away at 94 after cleaning them with the stuff all her life. I dont think she ate coal though.

can twist bulb end and it can go high or low, same with battery end, but always reverts back to low whether tightly screwed both ends, loosley tightened or a combination of the two. With that in mind I shall try the shim the battery out a bit. And look for loose connections!

I cant comment on genesis but I bought the carbon boardman road bike for 1p under £1k and use it daily to commute…..hasnt skipped a beat for the last 14months, money well spent (not bling but does the job perfectly for me)

Has she got a slighty smaller, just as motivated to earn alot of cash, blonde haired (optional) twin sister who DOESNT like riding (bikes)but likes buying her fella cars, cars which she likes to drive when her fella has had too much to drink?

Much appreciated info and pointers, thanks. I dont think anything beats the look and warmth of wood but this has obviously got to be weighed up against the practicalities. Wedding cakes wont be getting made on it but there will be home baking (not as much as Mrs PP above!) so I reckon a ‘baking board’ will suffice for that. Two teenage daughters who desperately want me to choose wood who have promised to wipe up spills instantly so that shouldnt be a problem either??

Kitchen fitter was saying I should have a look at Earthstone worktops….anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks again

Funny one on morning walk at 6.30, couple of cigarettes during working day, then back to funny ones. Is it the weekend yet?? Hold down a good job, am active, dont drink, reasonably fit, can hold conversations ………’best’ ones are after any exercise. If I caught the kids doing either I would go mad at them and ground them forever! Hate seeing people smoking, hate the smell of cigarettes (stale or fresh), am addicted and not proud of it. I just dont think I smoke enough to go through the ‘pain’ of giving up, plus I enjoy it. Quite often just funny ones at beginning and end of day. Makes me more ‘zoned’ and determined to get up that hill. Funny ones, never giving up.

5 10, bit of middle age spread, 40 chest…….the XL fits well after a wash with turned up sleeves!

YES, Tessa Shaw, thanks Ho hum. Ok, it was a gardening programme and not a house one as I thought