I’m really struggling with this at the moment.  I know this sounds ridiculous I’ve done a full Iron man and a full length swimrun but I can’t really swim. I’d definitely be banned from the swimming pool with my crawl.

I’ve had a few lessons and I know what I should be doing I just can’t get my body to do it  The timing of my stroke is completely wrong.

I’ve done a total immersion workshop which was a waste of time.

I’m planning to do Outlaw and Buttermere Breca next year so I need to do something.  I’ll try my local masters in the new year and maybe join the local tri club.

We get venison from that’s come from deer that’s been killed to keep the numbers down in Macc forest.   There’s a team of rangers out every night shooting the wild boar in the FOD as they are completely out of control.  The goats on the Great Orme cause devastation to the surrounding properties. We live in a country where the largest predator is a fox, so these large mammals populations.  It’s not like she’s shooting a rhino or a tiger.  If they can bring money into the economy for something that needs doing anyhow good on them.

I don’t get the photos especially the one with the sheep  but it’s part of their hunting culture.

Bought one for MTB but it doesn’t get used much for that but’s great for the kids taking down water slides or bodyboarding get used much more than I thought it would.   The vids were a ball ache to process but I’ve not tried Quik on my S9 which I suspect maybe be much quicker than on my older phone.   The new go pro 7 black looks amazing but I couldn’t justify spending that much on what is essentially a toy for us.

This guy went full Falling Down can’t help thinking he’d have got a different sentence if he’d been Muslim.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/judge-dubs-manchester-airport-drop-15182429

This is really sad.  I spend a month a year in France and I never considered this as a danger and  im usually somewhere much further off the beaten track than Morzine, something to think about in the future.

There’s no way you’d get the restrictions in huntung in France that we have here it’s engrained in their culture.  You only have to go to a Decathlon in France to see it.

60s.Beach Boys Pet Sounds

70s Joy Division Unknown Pleasures

80s Talk Talk Spirit of Eden

90s Tricky Maxinquaye

00s Arcade Fire Funeral

10s LCD Soundsystem The long goodbye

Did it last year in a day with full bikepacking gear,  the Old Dam bit was OK a least you didn’t have to ride Rushup edge.   I actually slept in the woods nearby and set off from there.   The worse bit was definitely between langsett and the picking up the trans-pennine bridleway.  I tried some cheeky stuff on the left of the Woodhead to avoid the snow roads but it was tuff going so the Dunford bridge option sounds good,

Are you going to make moleskin ones ?

The daily mash beat me to it, but basically high phones are pretty much the same, the decision is IOS and Android.

I have the choice at work and I’ve just got a S9, (android these days mostly for back-country navigator) as my son dropped my S8 and smashed the screen and back in the nanosecond it was out of the case.   It was the least excited I have been at getting a high-end device, as the changes are so incremental these days.

I remember getting the first Galaxy Note a few days after my son was born and I’m not sure which I was more excited about.

I know it’s what the market wants but who the hell thinks that making a phone out entirely out of glass is sensible.  Let’s find the slippiest most fragile material and build a £1000 device that you are inevitably going to drop out of it.   If I had a choice I’d like a rugged phone with the insides of the high-end device.   I can’t get one so I have to stick the S9 in a rugged case which defeats the object of having a shiny glass body.

School uniform saves me a a fortune.  I’d much rather the black hole of school jumpers was eating 2.99 red v necks from sainsburys rather than a £20 branded tops.  One week one of my kids managed to lose 3.  They are probably in the same other  where the water bottles dissappear too.

I agree, I grew up in poverty and my parents could never afford to keep up with the Joness but at least the school uniform kept me fitting in to some degree.

Similarly we could afford to dress our kids in expensive clothes but they absolutely trash them especially the boys (all primary). We have one logo jumper each for photos etc and the rest is plain from M&S or Sainsburys.  My other half picks stuff up in the saLesuire  for next to nothing.  I reckon that the kids uniform cost a much less than their normal clothes.  Which are a also a huge cost per wear as they barely get used before there grown out of.

Hi

If you dont want to travel to far Camping du lac in arcizans is quiet.   There are few up the road to Estrang which look even quieter.

There loads of walking and ive seen mountain biking trails around argles but i road bike so i cant comment on the quality.

We often stay at Pradelongue in Luchon its not on the mountains but again its quiet.   There is a lot of mountain biking in the area.  You can get the lift up Superbanges and there traiks back of varying difficulty.   There also looks to be loads of Mountain  biking in the Val de Aran just over the border in Spain but there no lifts.   There looks like theres lots of camping in the vallley between Bossot ans Viella.

We’ve spent the past 6 years in yhe Pyranees doing the Alps this year feeling a jealous.

Nick

This thread is great,  We are going to the Massif Central next week for a week, then Borg d’Oisans for 9 days, then a week in Annecy.   I found the route guide on the Borg d’Oisans tourist information page which I’ll try match up with Jameso’s tips.   Anybody got any must do routes around Murol in the Massif Central ?

Wanted, every time it comes on IITV2 i have to watch it to the end.  The final shootout is outrageous.

Interesting, a mountain biker barging a child of a trail is treated with much less derision on this forum than a triathlete nearly hitting a horse in a race

Dont spent the entire night in the Royal Hotel in Hayfield drinking then set of up the flanks of Kinder at kicking out time in -5C temeratures.  Struggle to find the bivi spot put your bike down in the long grass with lights out, finally find the bivii spot recommend by the barmaid in the pub but then realise you cant remember where the bikes are.

Surely it doesn’t matter who earns what,  you both have the same amount to spend on yourself each month.  All out money goes in one big pot.   I earn a bit more than my wife but I would never consider that I should get that bit extra for myself.

I’m an aweful swimmer, mediocre cyclist and an OK runner.  All i can say is in the Lakesman last year i ran past a lot of people walking who smashed the bike leg.

Anyway how did he get on ?

It look like a nice cheap otion especially when bijepacki g and the frame bag blocks all the botyle mounts.  Ive been using katadyn softbotylw with a filter in rwcently whilst trail running.  Allows you to replenish your bottles from any water source and carries 600ml itself.  Packs away to nothing, not cheap for what it is.

Dont realy drink any more but i find that i blow through soft drinks or tonic water far too quickly.  An alcohol free beer you drinkit at the same pace as your mates that are drinking.

I addition to those mentioned i tried Bud prohibition larger camping last week and prefered it Becks Blue but i dont like normal becks.

I use a GT grade (the roadier end of the gravel bike spectrum) with 28mm road tyres as my a road bike, i’ve done full ironman on it and big rides(100mile 6000m climbs) in the Pyrenees on it no problem.

I actually have two one one lower spec set up a gravel bike with cross tyres and one with higher spec (ultrgra disc), light wheels, etc as a road bike as it seems to fit me perfectly its not the fastest but it comfortable for all day rides.

I have one.  My mate saw this tip on another forum.   To make it more secure i put a helix ruler inside, drilled hole lining up with the bottle bosses then fasted it to the frame the the bottle bolts worked a treat.

The bit at the end was a huge clue to the next movie.

Ive done this with both an one-one inbred and currently with a scandal.  As i was going on hols and i wanted the option of both road and off road riding.

The scandal has 28mm tyre on and is fine,  with the inbred i had to shop around to find a 32mm that would fit.  Even then there was about 1mm if clearance.

Sorry got the wrong death number but hey only 8000 reported bites requiring medical treatment a year mostly on children so thats ok then.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32912084

Ive said this before people in the UK are as stupidly blind over dogs as people in the US are with guns.

Man assulted whilst innocently cycling and its down to the way he cycles near the dog.

I got bitten on the arm last year running down the canal minding my own business by a massive dog.  Its only a puppy was the owners excuse.  Say that to the coroner when it kills a kid.  My son is terrified of dogs after a “playful’ one bigger than him jumped on him and knocked him down when he was younger.  My 6 year old sons face is scarred from when a dog ran out from the bushes on a shared trail in front of him and he flew over the handle bars, 18 months later he still hasnt got his confidence back.  Good job the trail dog thread got closed before i got chance to post on it.

Couldn’t find the numbers for more recent years but 21 people including 14 children were killed by dogs in 2014,  so that people could have a pet.  The freedom to have a pet is worth 14 kids lives and countless injuries a year, its just wrong.

If somebody started importing a exotic animal and they caused as much death and injury as dogs they’d be banned withing weeks as the injuries and deaths started to rack up.  Maybe not,  the HSE would leave it and say its the baby lying its cot that got its throat ripped out fault for sleeping the wrong way near a dog.

If i had my way I’d ban them all and put down the entire uk population except working dogs.  I don’t see the cost in lives and injuries is balanced by benefit to society of pet dogs.  I know I’m a minority, as dogs are so engrained in society that society is prepared to accept the death of children to have a pet.   You lot will all wring your hands the idiots in the states and their gun laws,  whilst defending your right to own an animal that can kill.

Thanks, Alex and KOTP for bringing some sense to this discussion.  Macc Forest is major leisure hub for walkers, runners, horseriders as well as Mountain bikers.  Apart from one section that’s about 1km long and the downhill course, there are no official dedicated mountain bike routes 95% of folks cycle on the shared paths and bridleways.  There is no way that UU is going to close those paths and anyone that lives or uses the area would understand that.   But i suppose they could be more proactive in taking out the unofficial trails or closing the downhill track, if it is seen that MTB’s are ignoring the closures.

The Forest has been decimated and as someone who spends a significant proportion of my leisure time in the forest it’s not great, but it’s not as if it the rest of the Peak District has nowhere else to mountain bike or run in is it, whilst they sort it out.

Knowing the state the unofficial trails get in in winter, a few months with people not trashing them should leave them in a better state come summer.

Hi, I wanted to run up Shutlingsloe this morning but decided not to chance it, is the main path closed at the Standing Stone or is it blocked further round?

My first time on any type of bike today since August having sickened myself with ironman training.   50 easy road miles enjoyed it much more than i thought i would.  Might even get a mountain bike out  next.

I discovered them late after James Murphy produced Reflektor for Arcade Fire.  They’re probably my favourite band at for the past few years.

Got tickets for the Manchester Apollo, saw them at the Warehouse project great band absolutely appalling venue.

All my Friends is my favorite song of this century.

I’m a bit weird, I like to take my time I’ve not really listened to American Deams though I love the singles from it.

The windchill at the tops of Peak District is below -20C,  I wouldn’t go out in that alone or on a group, as things could go downhill pretty quickly if you got a mechanical or had an accident. The mountain rescue wouldn’t be too pleased if they had to save you.  Down in Macc its absolutely grim, at the Cat and Fiddle it’s currently appalling.

I first saw Alien 3 on a pirate video on a 18 inch portable TV,  it was filmed using a camcorder, you can imagine how hard it was to follow.  They only filmed the middle of the screen and ever since, the star has been known as to me and my mates as “gorney wea”.

I was stuck in bed shaking for 3 days with barley able to walk to the loo, 4 of the family had temperatures 39-40it was definitely flu and not a bit of a cold.  Plus I’ve never coughed up neat blood from a cold.

We had an inset day on Monday and stayed in Losehill Hall, Castleton on Sunday,  £35 for five-person room.  Same room on a Saturday is £170.   I consider the Sunday to be a bargain rather than the Saturday night price a rip-off.   It’s a fantastic place a great location, first time I’ve stayed in a Youth Hostel for about 20 years and we loved it.  We’ll do it again even at full price.

Coincidentally my eldest is away for her first big school trip to London and they stay in the YHA at Lee Valley which looks great.

Interesting thread. Some random thoughts.  It doesn’t bother me what people ride it good to see folk out so long as they don’t look down at me on my second hand prophet.  Even if they do it says more about their warped sense of self worth than their understanding of my ability or my wealth.  My bike perfectly matches my ability and the amount I’m prepared to spend on mountain biking.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>If your minted and you take up mountain biking your not going to buy boardman in the same way you probably won’t drive a Kia or buy your clothes from Primark.  </span>

Some people buy expensive stuff because their self esteem is wrapped up in how they perceive people see them and how they look at other people. This is particularly true with cars on a basic level they are just transport but obviously to many people the car they drive represent much more.

An example from road biking.  I’m sat here reading Cyclist Magazine, they have reviews for 3 bikes they are 8.5k, 9.3k and 2.8k.  This is the magazine that described a 4k bike as entry level.  This sets the bar that peolpe that have the money and the need to present a certain image think they need to spend to do 30miles on a Sunday morning.  When in reality for 95% of folk something from Pauls cycles, riding a few more times a week and losing a few pounds would make a bigger difference to their cycling than 9k bike.

I don’t ride much now but run, I’m not that fast but use pretty expensive trainers but I can’t say I’ve ever looked at someone’s feet and I doubt anyone looked at me and thought atgni.  Maybe that’s because you can’t spend thousands on trainers.

I’ve recently started triathlon but I’ve refused to get drawn into to gear wars.  Especially as I’m not troubling the folk at the front.  Yes my ironman time could be 30 minutes faster on TT bike but I’d not be a 30 minute faster triathlete I’d be the same bloke on a faster bike.  It then becomes a question of ego can you deal with people being faster than you because they’ve spent loads of money on gear and your time doesn’t look as good but in reality you’ve put in a better performance.    If you can’t deal with it and need a fast bike theres always plenty on the time trial and triathlon Facebook page.

Actually, its is ridiculous.  6 million quid to fund 18 athletes in a niche sport that most can’t compete in is a massive waste of money.   There’s no way the the skelton bob is inspring kids to pick up tea trays everywhere. Theres no way we should be funding Winter sports when as a country there’s nowhere to do them.   Britain should stop pedalling the myth that olympic sucess leads to an increase in participation.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/feb/24/uk-sport-olympics-participation-numbers-fall

Meanwhile my kids have missed football nearly every Saturday since November for the lack of all weather facilities in Macc.  Thats hundreds of kids that could be exercising every weekend that have missed out.

The olympic funding process is Britain successfully competing in an international pissing up the wall contest funded by the lottery (i.e the poorest) to support people often doing their hobbies (wind surfing, clay-pigeon shooting).   Look how well that model of medals above everything else worked out at British Cycling

If you want to encourage mass participation in sport and improve facilities and grass route coaching instead of funding a tiny minority of the elite to get paid to do their hobby rather than get a real job like the rest of us.    We’ll make the difference when you get the fat kid of the X-box or the awkward teenage girl to take up a sport and stick at it.

I’d try Brian Blessed Reflection IPA

I find Startfitness prices often change dependant on their current discount code. Still have good prices though.

Had my Magnifica for 6 years never skipped a beat and it gets heavy usage. If it broke today i’d be ordering another tomorrow.

I don’t play the Joshua Tree any
more since I wore my cassette copy out in about 1989.

Those other two are brilliant and if they weren’t made by U2 would be even more acclaimed. It probably the only time they’ve sounded original in their existance.

When they came back after Pop and Passenger’s their albums sounded like the albums that Brian Eno had been making with James.

It’s one thing copying Joy Division for 10 years but copying James is scrapping the barrel.

U2 have made three of my favourite albums of all time Acting Baby and Zoopropa I still play regulatly. But haven’t they haven’t been relevant for a long time.

It was nice to see they
acknowledged the huge debt they owed to Joy Division during With or Without You