Ned I’ll be in touch.

Had a bit of a couple of weeks my Mother in law and my amazing Aunt have both passed, so myself and the family have been dashing around feeding Ryanair and Easyjet…

I wrote a little blog thing for the MSTrust if you are interested.

Ned, click on the icons for details of the individual days, we start on July 2nd, we are doing the ride supported, my wife meeting us at the end of each day with our campervan. I know its cheating! While the ride is mostly on the road we will be using sus trans and voie vert where possible. I hope to have 2 bikes available a road, perhaps cx bike and a late eighties Marin Bear valley, so yes fairly smooth bridleways will (unfortunately) be our limit.

Cy, good luck this weekend! I’m very lucky to live in France, I’ve been here for 12years and am fully in ‘the system’ and so there is no issue with prescriptions. I take Gilenya, a simple pill a day, its a big improvement over anything else I’ve had, gives me much greater stability. Unfortunatly it doesn’t do a great deal for the progessive side, but I haven’t had any significant episodes since starting taking it. I would be very honoured if you were able to join us.

Massive, massive thanks to those who have donated,very humbling indeed.

The route is a work in progress, but it is here[/url] the South of England is the part of the route that I have the least prior knowledge of, any thoughts would indeed be welcome, I’d like to include some of the South downs way, but don’t know which parts are feasable.

Just want to get started now

Very good and far to close to home.

Though over the last few years I am much better. Since being diagnosed with MS I have found dealing with my depression much easier.

I think that there are two factors in the improvement, first my attention span and memory is shot to bits which has the positive effect that my brain is no longer capable of sustaining the deep dark cyclical depressive trains of thought in the long, long dark of the night, so I sleep better.

Secondly I have a reason for my depression, its just another one of my many symptoms, so I no longer feel guilty about suffering from it. I don’t feel guilty about struggling to walk, so why should I feel guilty about my depression? Guilt is one of the major building blocks of depression. Take away the ‘why am I so crap that I can’t pull myself together’ and the depression itself is weaker and so easier to fight.

Thanks guys, especially Harris for the donation, and hope to meet up with some of you on the road

ssssimon, hope it isn’t, but diagnosis can help, there is lots of help out there most of my symptoms are better with drugs and lifestyle changes than they would be without

racefaceec90 depression sucks, and is a common symptom of MS and an old friend of mine. My MS has progressed to a stage where I am rarely down now, I don’t have the attention span

molgrips road scares me, imagine getting to a junction having to stop, fall over unable to balance on your feet and unable to stand up for 5 minutes…

Paragliding is bril, and I have flown again, but its a bit tricky, I find take off mostly OK but landing is nearer crashing, legs no use at all can’t even jump off a kerb and not fall over, but I am enjoying it even if it leaves me very travel sick.

ride up the hill this afternoon was lovely

thanks guys, lovely sunny afternoon here, just off up the hill behind the house, just to fall off. Bring it on

Wow, its been a year since I wrote this.

My health sucks, diagnosis has been refined to secondary progressive MS (don’t google if you want a cheery read!) my balance is terrible, I can walk, but only for half an hour or so, pain is mostly tolerable, bodily functions aren’t, and memory isn’t.

… but … I CAN RIDE A BIKE, well kinda ride a bike. I can ride uphill. Once I get going fast enough I can’t see (vibration wrecks my ability to see) and it means I can get fit again and it means that I get my life back.

I can ride my bike to my physical limits, its the only thing I can do to my physical limit, MS limits everything else. When I get to the top of a hill that I’ve worked at I have to find a place to fall off, because I can’t get off the bike and stand up.

On the bike my balance is just fine, off the bike, well lets just say I’m known in the family as Mr Wobbly.

It feels awesome to be back on the bike, feels like part of who I am is back.

It is quite strange to get to the top of a hill, feeling great, breathing hard, in perfect balance, OK perhaps not quite able to clearly feel the pain in my legs, and collapse in a heap on the floor unable to balance on my feet or tell my legs what to do.

I love bikes

Thanks for the comments guys, glad you enjoyed the post. Bobby is quite simply heroic, thanks mrlebowski for the link, a very humbling watch.

I’m relly looking forward to getting out with the paraglider, riding at the moment feels like its about what I can no longer do, I want my life to be about what I can do.

Thanks guys, does feel a bit odd knowing that my riding days are done, but as I got my paragliding license 18 years ago in NZI’ve always known it would be my ‘retirement’ sport!!

then perhaps diaphragm? if it gets perforated it wont lift enough fuel, normally worst at full power

try cleaning, or replacing air filter, and check if choke is getting stuck on… too much fuel not enough air?

I am totally with you swadey, my little one, in MY opinion eats neither enough, nor what she should. After a chat with the GP, I have some small help with getting her to eat more, but loads of help in coping with the difficulty.
Go and see your GP and have a chat, it’s what they do, professionally, much better the advice from a sadboy’s forum.

Have a similar problem with my 12 year old daughter, I went to chat to the GP about it, and I have to agree with his analysis that its more my problem than hers. I want her to eat a fully balanced diet, he says she just need to eat.

Go and see your GP, have a chat, that’s what they do, much better than a sadboy’s forum advice.

Got married nearly 10 years ago, well it’ll be 10 years in May….

Went the whole hog, full on circus, 300+ guests, total cost £500, plus a marquee courtesy of the in laws.

Official ceremony, registry office, with parents and best man/bridesmaids only, gave the rings back to each other as we left to be whisked away in separate cars to the…

Unofficial ceremony, in the Gwydir forest, we both grew up in Betws and chose a place special to us both overlooking Moel Siabod and Llyn Bodgynydd, its on the Marin trail, but before there was a Marin trail. We made eveyone walk in and made the vows we had written, had some poetry, and lots of smiles, this is where I remember really getting married, and made the vows I have not and will continue to ensure I never break. Then headed back to our ramshackle house with huge garden for…

Party in the marquee, 2 days several bands, many DJ’s. We asked everyone not to give presents, but to bring food/booze/music/fun for the party, and asked friends to organise who brought what. The first day of the party was brill, family and friends made for a very funny mix of folk, the second day was friends and select family only and riotous.

Oh and everyone except mrs smd and I were in fancy dress.

For us getting married was about publicly committing ourselves to each other and celebrating our young family (at the time girls were not quite 1 and 3) with our family and friends, and having as much fun as possible.

Great memories, and I love her even more now than I did then.

About 12 1/2 years ago, (not counting, but carry on reading, you’ll get why I know…) I was sitting in my lounge with my baby daughter on my lap, just really enjoying some time with her. I realised that I wanted to put her down, or pass her to my lovely wife … so I could go outside for a fag.

I gave up less than a month later, I took some time to psych myself up, then giving up really was easy, never even got close to the cravings being worse than my resolve.

You can do it, but don’t underestimate the beast.

God’s own veg.

What interests do you share? Doesn’t matter what the interest is, but say it was fishing, ask for a rod of his choice. Try to give him the subject, then he can choose, it’ll make whatever it is all the more special in the end.

I believe in love.
I liked her, I fancied her she was my friend.
Then I realised that she loved me, not some caricature of me, but loved me for who I really am.
In that moment the penny finally dropped, and I loved her too. That love has not burned away, it still grows.
To be truly loved for who you are is not a trap, it is a liberation, and has helped me to be much more relaxed about me.

She was my best friend at school, never kissed her except in games of spin the bottle, didn’t see her for 10 years, then she wanted to kiss me, even though she knew who I am. 15 years later just thinking about her makes me smile.

Well my kids, 9 and 11, both girls are in tears….
…but only because they can't stop laughing!
but hey kids can be cruel….

Yep, one of mine split, out of warranty time, phoned Hope, posted hub back to them, returned to me 4 days later…. and I live in France, they must have got it back in the post the same day they received it. The guy I talked to said that yes they did used to machine them from 'bar' but now they are machined from a forged billet. Oh yes I also asked for the body to be changed to a 36 hole instead of the 32 which was on there, no problem and all FOC.

taka, mine's got 203's on the back, total overkill, but its what I had in the bitsbin, and never bothered to change it.

Broke my DH bike so had to make do with my 456… was at least as much fun. Yesterday rode it for 8 hours in the Gorges du Tarn, including over 5000' of height gain, very good bike…

Off for a spin in the Tarn gorge on Saturday, lived in France for five years now, and love every minute of it, but I didn't leave Britain 'cos I thought it was shite it isn't and life isn't all wonderful here. Same old stresses and strains and its never easy to balance work and life anywhere.

We've met a lot of ex-pats since we got here, and to generalise, they generally fall into 2 categories. Those who left Britain because they thought it had to be a better life than they suffered in the UK and those who came here for the love of life and have little bad to say about Britain. One lot seem very happy here, the others still moan about everything.

I would say go for it, I love the adventure, the many new friends I have met, and did I mention how good the riding is?

What ever floats your boat mate

You telling me that a night under the stars in beautiful places, with the woman of your dreams doesn't float yours…???! 😕

Cold not really the problem, we live in the south of France, want something for those romantic under the stars sort of nights, but will turn a thunderstorm if it HAS to, dew more often, and damp grass from below.

Get a pro model strimmer, the handles and harness mount are prorerly insulated from the vibes, DIY machines are not always.

The Portes du Soleil, like all other alpine resorts are businesses, and play for everyone's €€€€€'s. They do try to cater for kids and families as well as DH nutters, though it is actually harder to cater for the family end, given the steepness of the slopes. If you can ride a bike, you'll have a good time.

Summer

Mark, you are a legend.

Not because you fight this without weakness, not because you fight this blindly.

You are a legend because you fight this with humanity, with love, and at times self perceived frailty, but yet you fight this head on knowing your own weaknesses. That takes true courage. You are a truly strong man, stay with it, keep believing, and lean on Meg when you need to, 'cos I'm sure she will only love you more for doing so.

I take it Horas' surname is Atkinson

thanks guys, but unfortunately ebuyer dont deliver to France, which is an arse 'cos I live here…

Only 12 behind after my vote!

I agree with goan here

Current bid £2800
Fees
First £999.99 = £105.50
Then 5% of balance 5%x£1800.01 = £90
Total fees = £195.50 or 7%
Charity gets 93% not 100% and I think that sucks

63% Fail

I live in France, does this mean I wont be let back in?

How does knowing this sort of rubbish set you out as being a suitable British citizen?

LOL…

I've got one of those Nokia 3510's… amazing phone 4 or 5 years old… been through the washing machine, and I jumped into a swimming pool with it in my pocket. Still going strong

I was riding in the Massif Centrale, waiting for a cable car, spotted a liftie I know had one, said how good they are and told him about washing and swimming, he said 'pah, I dropped mine off a chairlift in December, found it in April, dried it out, charged it and it worked first time!!!!'

240v killed my mate Chris 🙁

He'd fixed his girlfriend's washing machine, plugged it in to check, all good, realised he'd left screwdriver in the machine reached in to get it. 🙁

Broken my left one 10 times!

Agree with TJ, when I was a kid the treatment was a sling for 4? weeks then fig 8. More recently sling only, I'm sure that mine healed better, and was painless quicker with the fig 8.

Do as much other exercise as possible, just walking as much as possible will keep your fitness up, and you get less pissed off with being injured. A week after I broke it last time I did an 18 mile walk, used a bumbag to carry essentials, was not a day without pain, but I felt sooo much better for it.

Good luck, and hope you get more sleep tonight 'cos sleeping for the first night is not easy….

1st image of real name

username, boring Oasis stuff, but eigth image