My Fiesta is more controllable in 3rd gear @ 30 mph than using 4th at that speed.

Makes it easier to keep smooth if you need to drop 5 mph or so if someone’s turning or you need to slow to let someone thorough etc. Saves constantly going 3-4 th.

I teach it that way and have never had any problems. In fact, it’s better for example if the student is leaving a 40 mph and going down to a 30 mph, after they have slowed gearing down to 3rd confirms to the examiner that they have seen the speed limit change and have not just slowed for no reason

All good advice so far, mine would be try to learn and don’t be a ****

Classic story here from a few years ago :-

Speed awareness course, arrogant so and so turns up in a brand new Cayenne and obviously didn’t want to be there. Constantly on the phone texting, e mailing and being told to put phone down. He replied with a ” I’ve a business to run and cant be here ” type attitude.

After a few run ins with the instructors and being warned about his attitude, the afternoon session was in car out on the road working on looking ahead, planning etc.

After the session, everyone back in the classroom, matey is again on the phone e mailing texting so the instructor asked him what he had gained from the afternoon session. His reply of ” don’t buy a ****ing Nissan Note ” ( instructors car ) didn’t go down well and he was sacked off the course and given the points.

True story from one of my colleagues who used to deliver the courses.

Quick update, I spoke to a guy at the council, explained my feelings as above and he seemed pretty relaxed about ” trimming ” the lines back to 10 metres.

He asked me to put it in writing so I have done.

Onza, another question please, my neighbour works nights and parks where the yellows are going to go. Will they give us a date that they are going to paint them or just turn up ? His van is there all day so will prevent them from painting the lines, which would be terrible 😉

I’ve got a lithium 3 the bright yellow one.

Good spec for the price and the geometry is spot on. Sometimes forget I’m not on the MTB and take it off road by accident……

100 miler

Way of the Roses

Stealth Camper

The Car is my work so the commute is about 5 seconds but will increase to 10 seconds when the council put the Double Yellows in the side street.

Seriously though, commute to first student can be 1 minute or 15 depending on who’s first.

I’ve cut my hours back majorly since first starting so, with travelling between students etc, probably about 40 hours a week. I used to do 60 + per week but it’s a life to live, not to work.

Mines brilliant.

I work alone so do whatever I want. Last year it was Casino, decent curry then onto some other places 😉

No one to look after, nooner to worry about and I go home when I want. Suppose I’m just a loner in that respect.

Yeah, the Lambo was travelling south and crashed completely on that carraigeway as I was going North and there was nothing crashed or stopped on that side apart from the Highways vehicles.

Like Jimplops said, all the rubbish was thrown over on impact. Proves the Armco works 😀

Yep, it’s Rivi

Highways were replacing the barrier when I came back about 8.45 pm

It was totally damaged its just with the damage being on the offside, this is the best pic I could get

Sure I saw the intercooler being swept up onto the grass verge by the Highways team.

Did it run down the middle of the armco?

I’m not too sure as the Armco splits and goes either side of the pillar of the footbridge I was stood on so I’m was trying to work out if he had hit it were it was back to back and then split the Armco.

According to DVLA, the Lambo was registered August 2014 and I don’t think it’s an hire car as it had a private plate.

I need some advice too…

…I’ve recently joined the gym at my local leisure centre. So how does a 47 yr old bloke avoid looking like a letch when they’re sat on the pec-deck machine and there’s a stunning young lady thrusting themselves towards you a few feet away! I don’t know where to put my eyes during that minute you wait between sets!

Well if your anything like Me, I just go into a daydream and find myself zoned out into the lady’s body parts. The embarrassing bit is when another lady has to nudge you out if the way when you are in a circuit class as you have not heard the Personal Trainer telling you to move on…….

I go to the 9.30 am class which is full of lady’s having just done the School run. The owner of the Gym calls it the ” cougar class ” 😀

Yeah but I’ve a G3 and everyone thinks it’s hand built because it’s an Orange so that’s worth more than the stickers 😉

Seriously though, I bought mine when I was new to MTBing and I thought I was getting a top spec bike as I didn’t know much about specs etc. For me it’s fine now as it’s got new wheels, headset, bottom bracket, pedals, grips, brakes, discs etc so basically rebuilt after falling apart after trashing it.

Still feel the geometry is fine for me.

I picked up 2 x 5 litres of Asda screen wash for £5. I use it neat since having the tank freeze a couple of winters back meaning I couldn’t work till it thawed.

That’s on the Fiesta. Same silly set up, in front of the near side front wheel right behind the bumper. My Mates Transits simular and his froze a few years ago as well.

Bring back the simple tanks on the inner wing that only held a litre or so of fluid, at least those didn’t freeze or if they did, it melting with the heat of the engine.

Last Sunday I said I was going to try harder to get out on MNPR but the MTB is in bits and I’ve got a business meeting at 6 pm in Derbyshire so will have to try for next week.

Prayers and thoughts to all Jenns Family, Friends and all at STW towers.

Let’s all try and make a special effort to get out riding this weekend.

Thanks, I will have a chat with them and see how I get on.

My Mates got a VW Toureg and when his headlight stopped working, replaced the Xenon bulb with a brand new one which cost about £70.

Headlight still didn’t work. Swap bulbs from other side, bulbs fine so headlight problem.

Turns out they run through a small ECU which is buried in the dash. Cost about £700 to replace 😯 that’s progress from a bulb that you twist out and replace in a minute apparently………

Regarding the steering, you have an airbag go off whilst your arm is over the centre of the wheel and you won’t be able to even think about your steering again.

I used to wonder why my mum was playing the really old tunes from the sixties when I was growing up in the eighties.

I now play the really old tunes from the eighties that still sound to me like they were out yesterday.

As pointed out by my godaughter who is now exactly half my age……

Still feel fine now at 38 and am fitter than I ever have been and now have the money to do the things I couldn’t afford when I was younger so it’s not all bad 😀 Especially when one of my Godaughters mate told me I look ” well cute ” for an older guy 😯

I bought a vw t5 transporter that had done 160k in the same time. Your’s is not high mileage by any stretch of the imagination.

160,000 in 30 months 😯

Seriously, I’m interested to know what the Van had been used for to cover that mileage in that time ?

Cheers

Probably better mechanical condition than many cars the same age with a third the mileage – it’s hard to clock up that many miles on short runs around town unless it’s been a minicab!

Or a Driving School car.

Went straight over on one of my local trails, bang on course.

Big innitt ?

Swann 4 channel from Maplin here.

Basically got it when some scrote lived next door and her teenage son smashed my window. Thankfully they have moved now but it’s still good to keep an eye on who’s at the front door and the cars and van parked in the street.

My neighbours know I’ve got the CCTV and, after a few incidents where cars were stolen, the Police and local PCSO have been in and viewed the playback and have been impressed with the quality, especially the night vision.

I’ve just qualified provisionally in August but I’ve not done any teaching yet.

I’m freelancing to a local provider who I did the course with so I’m having a cut of the daily rate taken initially to pay for the course. My provider are paying £50 per day ( but I’m getting less to pay for the course ) increasing to £60 after teaching for a few months. Traveling expenses are provided as well and you even get paid for cycling to the location if you don’t drive 😀

It’s a change for me. I’ve another job where I can earn the £60 in 3 hours so doing 6 hours to earn the same feels strange but I’m looking forward to getting stuck into Bikeability as the course was great fun.

Also an excuse to buy a new bike, new clothing etc and put them through my books 😉

Any more info, E Mails in profile.

Before I click buy are they fine in all weather ?

I’ve used my Luminator in all weather from – 4 night rides and I’ve had it on the bars during 20 degree day rides when I’m going to be out till dark.

Even used it when snowing and it’s only let me down once when it was my fault as I hadn’t charged it fully.

Any problems and smudge is only a e mail away.

Craig, just looking on Streetview, where’s that car park you want us to use ? Is it the one behind the coffee shop ?

Cheers

I’m in.

I’ve rode completely solo since Pooks last Pootle so apologies in advance if I get scared with other people around me 😉

Actually, I’d better give the MTB a clean up and once over, I’ve not touched it since I bought my Hybrid which I use at work……

Cheers Guys.

Will the chain length be the same ?

Thanks

I used to ride the 14 miles into work. The reaction I’d get when I said I’d done that was like I’d announced I’d run 5 back-to-back marathons, then done a few thousand press-ups for good measure.

This x 1000

When I tell people I cycled 30 miles at the weekend or cycled from Bolton to Blackpool, I might as well have 2 heads they just don’t get it.

Apart from the Bikeabilty lot who you have to justify driving in to……..” Had to drive in, I’m at my other job at 11 and I didn’t have time to cycle” 😀

Looks like it’s a PO Box in the massive Royal Mail depot at leyland.

Just ring them Tommorow and see what they say.

At the moment, I’m trying to bulk up a bit and gain a bit of muscle, especially in my arms and chest. Been going to the gym for 4 months about 4 times a week, 45 mins class a time.

About 6 weeks in, I got Migranes. Went to GP and he could not find anything wrong. Decided to cut back on the cycling as I was still doing 2-3 nights a week and a longer ride at weekend. That cured the Migranes, I as simply doing too much.

Point I’m making is yes, listen to your body. Don’t take the mick, but anything in moderation is good. For the Gym, I did a food diary and I said to the lad there ” don’t look at Friday night as that’s curry night and Saturdays chippy night ” He replied ” and ? You’ve got to treat yourself sometimes ”

Where did you get that from Simmy?.

Halfords. It’s a Pure Highway 240 head unit, think it was about £90 but they don’t seem to have them listed online anymore. Along with that was a fascia adaptor and a wiring loom for £10 each then you will need a DAB aerial which are about £15.

The DAB aerial is a magnetic one which I put on the roof at the rear and ran the cable to the front.

Get DAB in the Car, I’ve got it in both the Van and Car and couldn’t be without it now.

Cost about £130 to convert the Van all in with a standard DIN socket

There was an annoying little ***** near me driving round in his Corsa speeding, handbrake turns etc.

I rang the Police after seeing him handbrake turn in the local 24 hour petrol station 😯

Few days later I was passing his house and saw a copper driving his car off. I heard on the grapevine that about 5 other people had call the police about him and he had been issued a section 55 or something.

Of course, you could always note days and times you see him, manner of driving and then ring up under different names or get a mate or two to call the police………not that I’d ever thought of that before……… 😉

Big virtual hugs.

I’ve 3 dogs and my oldest is slowing down a bit. Dreading the time coming.

Thoughts with you OP

I accept that Primary isn’t the answer to everything – the standards of driving are way too low for it to work 100% of the time e.g in Simmy’s example he clearly had to be even more primary than he was.

With respect mate, I couldn’t get anymore Primary. I wasn’t just in the middle of my lane, I was more towards the White line so this plantpot surprised me.

Simmy’s right – it works most of the time, but not always. For me, most of the time is better than none of the time…

Agree 100 % and I’m a Bikeabilty instructor 😀

😀

Thought they had yellow arrows on the junctions pointing the correct way ?

Love the fact a Tour of Britain car goes wrong, not just the team cars. Like has been said, they couldn’t go all the way back round as the road was blocked off.

I agree with junkyard, riding primary works most of the time but it doesn’t stop the morons from attempting something stupid.

Last night I was on a road on an estate which is a bit of a rat run. Coming upto a blind left hand bend and there is a van parked on my left, half on the grass verge, half on the road. No probs I thought take primary to give enough clearance and to stop the car behind passing on a bend.

I was doing about 15-20 mph and this plantpot in a Peugeot behind overtook me on the blind bend. It would have took him about 5 secs longer just to wait whilst I got round the bend and got back to secondary.

I’ve seen threads on here about tredz though…avoid or ok?

Personally, if Evans have them in stock I would print the Tredz price off and get Evans to price match. Lots easier than waiting for Tredz to tell you they haven’t got them after waiting a week……