Interesting to see everyone’s situation. We have a £160k mortgage, split into 3 products (2 ported from previous properties). About 2/3 of it is due for renewal next Feb, it is currently at 1.59%. Then the other 1/3 is due in Sept 2024 which is currently at 3.9%. Some quick calcs suggest we will see around £250-£300 increase overall which is about a 30% increase in our mortgage. It will certainly be a big hit to take on the disposable income. And I also just started paying into my pension, so double whammy.

Currently taxiing at Brize.

C130J Flypast today. 3 ship covering quite a few RAF bases in the UK

This is a somewhat depressing thread.

My employer pays 8% and I’m paying nothing. I need to start paying in soon. I’m 40. I do have a previous pension but that isn’t much. I decided when I moved here to England and started this job that I needed the disposable income to help me live as I was living on my own, but then that makes it more difficult to sacrifice part of my income. I then got a mortgage for the first time last year which is a term length that should see it payed off before 65. Now with increasing rates and the cost of living, paying into the pension and taking on a larger mortgage next year (renewal time) means that I’d be taking quite a huge hit if I started paying into the pension. Not ideal at all, but that’s the reality. I don’t lead a lavish lifestyle at all.

Can someone explain to a thick cut like me how pay rises should mean an increase in interest rates?

I was hoping that rates would have stabilized or at least fallen slightly by early next year when my mortgage is due for renewal.

Sorry to hear this. When I got my bike stolen about 6 years ago, it really changed things for me. Constantly paranoid, even now we’ve moved to a nicer, quieter area. You should never feel unsafe in your home, but I did for years, and still do at times.

I really hope you find a solution.

Yea, the total winning time of 7 1/2 odd minutes is a bit of a pi55 take.

Graythwaite was great, had a really enjoyable weekend there. Bit frustrated on the Saturday with some stage closures and long waits meant I didn’t session a few of the bits that would have made me some decent time. Still, the weather was great and the stages were good.

Ard Moors this weekend should be great as long as this weather holds out. Seems to be uncertainty about impending thunderstorms this weekend.

They’re all a bit longer with shorter seat tubes. I bought an mmmbop in the sale a couple of months ago with the ‘old’ geometry and I must admit there is nothing wrong with it. Reach is just right for me and even the big long 500mm seat tube on the XL I have, it fits me really well.

That colour looks great!

@Garry_Lager Yea, I’ve been racing since 2011, with a few gaps in there. Enduro racing has gone from £30/40 a race to almost £100 in some cases. I don’t buy the event thing, I’m not arsed about live music, loads of bike tents, and IPA’s, but that’s how it is. I understand the increase in costs as time passes.

Racing in the UK is dying, slowly, because of the issues mentioned above. I have 2 upcoming races, Graythwaite and Ard Moors. Almost £200 for 2 races. It’s very expensive.

Rain is back.

I hate everything about getting old. It has sucked the joy out of life.

I think this is a very interesting topic, maybe for another time. I’m 40, born and grew up in Belfast, surrounded by the fallout of conflict, and the aftermath of the worst of it. I can’t view the two parades as the same, but I can’t explain why. I wanted to be a fighter pilot from as early as I can remember, right up until I walked away from the process at 18. Watching the BBMF always makes my hair stand on end, but is it because we here in Britain parade ourselves in the wars with airshows and fairs so we become drawn into it all? Or is it because I have a real invested love of aviation/planes/etc? I voted remain, I’m always for peace, I don’t glorify war. I don’t think I’m conditioned or let myself be conditioned.

I don’t see an end to this war anytime soon.

Well my prediction was a bit off the mark….

To be honest, even at 3-0 I had thoughts of it not being enough. Thankfully a great first half display was enough. Much bigger test against Newcastle next.

Well, one part is my actual first name, and the other bit is because I’m a bit of a Ford fanboi and I owned a Fiesta ST around the time of signing up.

I’m not a saint.

Well my plug-in hybrid Octavia is probably still another year away at least, so over 18 months in total, so thinking of cancelling and just sticking with petrol again. I’ll likely have to take a cancelled order at this point, if I can find something. EV/plug-in will have to wait another 4/5 years I think.

2-0 to Chelsea tonight. This is going to be an uncomfortable collapse in the final games of the season.

Saliba still sidelined which is a big miss.

The race for the top 4 will be very interesting, especially that 4th place.

A predictable result from us against West Ham. This is going to be very painful to watch over the next couple of weeks. City will utterly destroy us at thiers, I’m going an easy 3/4-0. We’ll finish second, just. I’d rather be second and chasing than in first and throw it down the sh11ter.

I got a ticket on impulse, was surprised there were tickets still available late on Sunday. Daft prices as usual, but thought I’d give it a go as I’ve not done it before. Cost of living biting people I’d say, maybe people are more picky about what they enter.

Lucky you, ours was only 5pp/m for EV/PHEV, now it’s gone to 8pp/m. I’m regretting ordering one, as the savings in BIK probably wont cover the costs of charging now. Remember that going on an ‘EV tariff’ might be cheap overnight, but your peak rate will be much higher than most.

Very sad. Spent a lot of time on dpreview when I got into photography 15 odd years ago. Decent forum too, if a little US based. They were trying hard with video reviews and reviewing smartphones, but yea, the ‘camera’ is dying off and has been replaced with smartphones now.

Well, we’ve had Murphy almost 2 years, since he was 8 weeks old. I wasn’t for getting a dog, but was over ruled. I struggled with him for about a year, but now after almost 2 he’s a great dog. Typical spaniel, no much recall, bags of energy, gets too muddy and rolls in the occasional turd, but he’s a great wee dog and very sweet and affectionate. Can definitely be a dick, and it has required quite a lifestyle adjustment.

He doesn’t often sit still long enough for a photo….

Murphy posing for a quick shot by colinsphotos26[/url], on Flickr

Yip, pretty much after every ride I get a big drop in mood. I often feel okay (but not great) on the ride itself. But I know why I feel like I do and it’s not from doing too much physically.

My girlfriend and her best friend got tickets for the Jury Final on Friday. Paid a pretty penny for them though! It’s not my cup of tea, but she loves it.

It seems that the trophy will go to Manchester this year. IMO. Watched the UTD game yesterday. They look a much better team that this time last year. The dutchman is working wonders there.

We were good against Villa, but I still think we will finish 3rd or 4th.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64695042

Is there much to worry about here?

This thread has been a depressing read.

I was starting from absolute rock bottom

That is where I am at right now, probably below 200w. I was 213w at some point last year. Glad to hear it is possible. Although I’m not aiming for a specific number, I just want to be fitter and enjoy riding again.

The last street in our development is being build/sold at the moment. They’re slowly selling them but have recently knocked £25k off the 3 townhouse’s left. A show house version of ours has just sold for £35k more than we paid for ours and having been in that particular show house, I’m not sure what extra they are getting that warrants £35k! So glad we got our move done when we did last Sept, it seemed that just after that it began to slow quickly.

I’ve worked in sales for over 20 years. Unrealistic targets are mostly a way to do you out of a bonus. Be grateful you get one, I didn’t get a bonus for the first 13 years. And even now in my current job it’s probably only ever every other year, and never have I achieved the full bonus potential. I work for a long standing German company and they still expect 7/8% growth globally every year.

What industry are you in?

Utd in the title race for sure now. I reckon Spurs will tank us tomrrow.

Yea I’m done in Congleton. I’ve been out with the local MTB club and road cycling club a couple of times. I know I need to make it more regular and maybe that will help build a friendship or two.

Thanks for the replies. I haven’t made any efforts to talk to anyone. My experiences with that over the last 15-20 years has not been very positive. And I genuinely think the NHS has enough on its plate. If I can scrape by without throwing myself under a bus then it’s one less burden for them.

I don’t have any friends here in England. I have a couple of close ties from home, but even those friendships are less than what they used to be. It’s so hard to make new friends in your 30s/40s. I have my girlfriend, but I keep it from here as much as possible. She already has her parents to deal with.

I’m trying to hang on to the hope of Spring and thinking of longer brighter days. These winter days are hard going.

Well I thought I would update this for anyone interested in how it’s going. Which is pretty poor. Been in the new house now almost 4 months. Do like it here, but I have major imposter syndrome. Don’t feel like I deserve it.

After the arthritis diagnosis on my left knee, it continues to cause problems. I know have a similar pain developing in my right knee, similar to what I started feeling in my left knee a few years ago. I also get tendon pain in my left knee. Even walking can be sore now. Cycling, well it seems okay but I’m sure it is actually not causing further pain after.

I feel like it is all slipping away.

My dad had a cancer scare end of last year and whilst he has been given the all clear, it has left me feeling anxious. My mum is doing okay in here home now, been there over a year. Thankfully I got to see her over Christmas but it breaks my heart to see her. I think she still knows who I am at this stage, but she can’t verbalise it to me.

Yes, I’m aware that all of these things are fairly common. But, just because you might be able to deal with it, doesn’t mean I can.

Disagree, many times I’ve felt worse after a bike ride.

That most other riders are faster than me.

I’ve had a 19 plate Octavia SEL for 3 1/2 years now. Great car overall, and I’ve had a few random issues with the infotainment system. But not enough to force me to go to the dealers. I have an iV PHEV on order, but who knows when that will turn up. I’ve heard plenty of reports of the issues, but I’m sticking with it.

Interesting thread. I’m very much a glass pretty much empty person. I doom monger pretty much everyday. It’s the norm for me and I think I’ve just accepted the feelings. The stress will likely put me in an early grave.

These last 2 years have had an affect on me more than I realise. Whatever length of time I have left, I’m sure there will be something much worse than the pandemic or the Ukraine war at my doorstep.

Also, I’m not buying into the getting a mortgage has lots of positives thing. I just got my first mortgage this year at the age of 39. Just something else to add to the list of stressful things. And paying for it isn’t going to get cheaper anytime soon.

Guess I better make an appointment. That will be fun, I’ve recently moved and need to find a new GP.

Not using my hands any more or less than I used too. I don’t have any repetitve movements either. I don’t type much, I am a bit of a gamer, but would be about an hour or two a week on average. I can still write and my handwriting is pretty neat and tidy.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, getting an appointment in the first place will be stressful enough I’m sure. It’s things like Parksinsons etc that scare me. Thankfully it hasn’t affected riding yet, so I can still brake everywhere all the time.

if I’m stressed

Most of the day for me. Doesn’t seem as simple as that.