Ah LoCo – I work as a statutary advisor to WAG – best not say anything :wink:

Used to work for a local authority – councillors were the bane of my life … (along with irate, usually retired local residents with obsessions with ridiculous minor issues!)

Another one for the ‘learning to enjoy the single life’ brigade. Some bits are great – I can get up when I like, put stuff wherever I like (3 bikes currently in the dining room) go on holiday when I want … Some parts are still pretty hard – I miss sharing meals, catching up with each others day, and really miss having someone you trust to give you a hug when you’re down.

But the pluses of being single are increasing – and I’m getting into new things. I’ve made a pledge to not say no to anything and try new things at least once. Most have been great (alley cat races are fab!), some I wouldn’t repeat, but have been ‘interesting’ to do once.

No intention of returning to the world of relationships in the foreseeable future!

what a great collection of bikes! I’m increasing more into road riding and cycle touring than mtb’ing (which is a real shift as I never rode on the road until the last year or so) – is that just me or are more mtb’ers getting into the skinny-tyred world?

Vortexracing – is that a Janis? It seems really tiny. Did you get it in the UK?

Sharki – proper LOL :)

Sharki and C-G : you’re right, thanks :)

Kev – cheers! I’m still at my old house in the mountains at the moment (getting batteringfrom the wind tonight!) – will give you a shout when I return to the balmy coastal shores.

The downs:

– still struggling with the end of a 16 yr relationship (was hoping that after 10 months I would have WTFU and dealt with it, but emotions don’t seem to want to listen to reason..)
– currently back in my ‘old home’ (now where my ex lives) looking after the dog while he’s on holiday
– house sale falling though so still need to try and sell it in order to move on
– an unbelievably heavy workload

The ups:
– biking, hiking, and generally playing outdoors more
– family and friends all rallying round – seeing more of them than I have for years
– meeting new people and making new friends (hi kev – sorry I’ve not been in touch recently – had taken up temporary residence in the black hole)
– despite the best efforts of the condems I still have my job, and although it’s pretty stressful I do think it has some value to society

Things that make me smile:
– snow wave sculptures on the beach
– watching the sun set over Anglesey from the top of the mountains
– following a low flying buzzard along the lane
– friends’ bad jokes and good company

Things I have learnt:
– people are more important than anything else
– to enjoy the good moments
– make the effort to create my own good times, opportunities and adventures
– believe that the future will be positive – don’t know what it will bring but I will make the most of it :)

Shibboleth and some of the Hustler’s comments – IMO you’ve overstepped the mark and your views are totally unacceptable.

Sickened that people can think in the way that you do – no matter who this girl is or what she might have done. And if it’s a ‘joke’ I fail to see any humour in it. So much for STW having some caring / decent people on it.

Kit – 880 miles is pretty damn good going for your first trip! Hope your knee / tooth are no longer knackered.

TJ and DruidH … so if I refer to it as bikepacking can I be down with the youth :)

mcmoonter – I’ve got my eye on the TransAm – one for the future after I’ve built up some more experience first. Would be great to hear about your trip after you get back.

And is it just me, or does anyone else love the justification it gives you for eating loads of great food!

Thanks all – what fantastic trips, great pictures and write-up! So many amazing places to go, and bikes are definately the best way to travel. I’m sitting here now with a really bad case of itchy feet …

Plumber – if you haven’t come to your senses yet, and still fancy a ride across France, drop me an e-mail: suewilliamsouATyahooDOTcoDOTuk I don’t think I’m a nutter (leastways didn’t seem to be last time I checked …) We could make it the first STW cycle tour / bikepack* trans-France trip :)

*delete according to one of the various definitions, variously based on: terrain (and no I don’t know what you are if you mix up on road and off-road); type of luggage carrying equipment; type of bike; minimalist baggage or taking everythign including the kitchen sink …

Alpine girl – cheers for the link, not sure now where to put myself – mainly road but with off-road sections. However, given that I usually travel with panniers, I suspect I might be in the ‘cycle touring’ category!

Your US trip sounds amazing! Any more details? Have you planned it yourself, or is this an organised trip? I’ve been to northern Utah (Arches / Canyonlands) and the landscape makes it the most stunning place I have ever been to. I was looking for a route like that, but the only ‘group’ trip that the ACA was doing this year in that area seemed to be for a week around Utah, and I’m wanting to go for longer than a week, so have been looking at their pacific coast trip.

MLC – yup would be taking waterproofs and skin so soft to the hebridies (used to live in Argyll so am familiar with both the weather and the wee beasties!). Was considering heading there during the easter period (when we have that convenient extra holiday), but not sure how busy it would be, or whether late April is too early in the year weather-wise?

Cheers for the link to the WRT blog … would have loved to have done it this year (especially as it’s just down the road from me), but my friend is inconveniently getting married at the same time. Oh, and could I just ask you about bears …

ebygomm … no idea when cycle touring becomes bike packing :) I tend to head out on my ‘cross bike so I can mix up the ‘on-road’ and ‘off-road’ whenever I fancy. I guess I quite liked the term ‘bikepacking’ cos that seems to sum up what appeals to me most – pack everything you want / need onto your bike (even if sometimes it’s just a credit card!)and head off …

Can girls join in too?

Request for a social pace (little legs can only spin so fast!), around 50 to 60 miles, with a chilled atmosphere please :) I’m north Wales based, but happy to travel but would be good to make a weekend of it i did.

Kev – it’s on all this week at cineworld in LLandudno :)

Blimey … lazlo, what an utter [insert rude word of your own choosing, although number 5 on Mostly Balanced list would just about cover it]

RM delivery have been randomly delayed loads before and over Xmas. Most of the presents I’d bought for family had disappeared into the postal ether, so all I did was either explain it to the ‘grown-ups’ and told them they could have a second xmas when the presents did appear, and get a few relacements for the non-grown-ups who would have been upset at not getting anything on xmas day.

Oh, and R0cketd0g – LOL and thanks for the update :) It took 3 weeks for the washing machine repair man to get round to mine so I can relate to the problem!

I love STW, a mine of Information and most of it different :) as I’ve only got an hour, and am navigationally challenged in cities so likely to get slightly lost when faced with more than one road choice, I think I might be pushing it to walk between stations. So tube it is, and I go for a bit of an explore from Liverpool street if I have some time to spare.

Cheers all

Sorry Elfin, no socks! And somehow I get the feeling that the winter running tights I bought would be rather too short (unless you happen to be a diminuative 5′!)

nearly cracked on the ride back and scoffed the delicious Christmas cake fudge I’d bought as a present, but managed to resist … Although a muesli bar wasn’t half as nice

Hi Kev – the pannier is rather commodious :) how was the rest of your ride – did you head off getting lost above llanrwst?

Tazzy – you’re right, a longer ride over to llanberis would have been better – it’s stunning route over to there. But saving myself for round 2 of Xmas shopping tomorrow – 40 mile round trip to a festive fair at an enviroment centre in snowdonia. Much better than t’internet shopping (and I’ll not discuss some of the other alternative options mentioned above!)

Long mynd is fairly ‘central’ and the new mtb centre that has heated camping pods that look fab :) never ridden there but on my ‘to do’ list

would probably prefer a weekend trip (as I’m based in northwales so most places are a fair bit away), and the suggestion for somewhere with options for different abilities sounds good.

Both my dogs have been ‘rescue’ dogs – the first one followed me home after I offered him a biscuit when I saw him hanging around ouside my local shop – he was probably some kind of long-haired alsation cross and the best dog in the world (I was lucky to have him for another 16 years)

second dog came from a rescue centre who told us a pack of lies (from her age to the fact that she’d been returned several times) in order to get the dog out and get a ‘donation’ off us. She’s a pointer / whippet cross, and was pretty s screwed up for quite a while after we got her – she had a ‘fear – aggresive’ personality, but I guess I believe that if you take a dog on, you make a commitment to stick with them.

If you are looking at taking on a dog from a rescue centre, ask lots of questions and ask to see vet paperwork for vacinations etc, don’t assume that all rescue places as automatically lovely, trustworthy people, although most probably are.

mmm – I seem to have been mentioned already, but in case the name hasn’t given it away – another girlie to swell the growing ranks on STW here :)

Like DGOAB, I seem to have turned more to the darkside of road riding (sorry!), and even worse cycle touring (harder and more fun than you’d think …) – but it was prompted by a knee injury that stopped only mtb’ing so I hope I’m forgiven :) I used to mtb loads, honest … and if you flick through enough back copies of ST mag you’ll find an article on a women’s DH mtb week in Morzine that I might have been involved in :) (and top marks to ST for covering it)

TSY – stick with the giving up fags, it’ll so be worth it – and if I recall your ‘friday boys’ photo correctly you meet the ‘hubba hubba’ standard so I suggest that you stick with the dating as well :)

Cheers for the replies – the jazz was on my list of possibles as the Honda blurb mentioned something about using the rear seat footwell to put a bike in upright across the width of the car – anyone tried this?

Will check out the micra and yaris. Not heard of the meriva but will have a look. I do like the look of the panda, but wouldn’t really want to be bothered about taking both wheels off.

Others have mentioned the Hyundai Getz or i10, Nissan note, and the KIA rio, but I’ve no idea whether a bike would fit upright in any of these?

Budget wise, I was thinking up to £4k, but as I’d like to get a car that’s no more than 3 / 4 yrs old, is that budget unrealistic?

Hi kevevs – I’m planning on heading out for a long (for me!) road ride tomorrow – probably up the Conwy valley, betws, capel curig, bethesda, Bangor, back along the coast. Coffee and cake stops will be involved :) or, as the weather looks good, I’m going to try to get some time off on Tuesday (not sure what days you have off?). And at some point I was contemplating a short night time ride round the orme (would have to road as I don’t have any good off road lights). Anyway, e-mail is suewilliamsouATyahooDOTcoDOTuk.

I’m generally happy to ride on my own and have no ‘him indoors’ to limit what I do or when I go out. Weather sometimes stops me riding, as does having to travel / be away so much with work, but overall I reckon I get to go out as much as I want.

Difficulty is trying to fit riding in with the other things I enjoy / want to do – time with friends, hiking up in the hills, climbing …

Junkyard – you’re right, there certainly were some utter c0cks around at that point (I remember being threatened with a knife by some of then who didn’t like being filmed!) and yes, there are violent people on both the protesters and the police ‘sides’. I guess I get frustrated when that complexity, and dual causality, is missed in the media. I also think that direct action (not including injury to people!) is an important part of the whole spectrum of democratic protest, from letter writing to the kinder scout trespass that has given us the access rights we have today. That doesn’t mean that I think every action by every protester is necessarily right, but that sometmes purely peaceful protest is not the only action.

Elf – I’ve not really heard anything from kevevs apart from on here (he does have good taste in films even if they are on the challenging side of viewing!), but if he wants to meet up for a (probably not ver fast) ride or a drink tell him to give me a shout. Anyway, I was unpacking a box of unedited footage the other day from the CJA filmng which I guess is why it’s in the forefront of my mind. Anyway, if you ever head up this way, let me know and if I’m around it would be good to catch up

From my previous experience as a documentary film maker during the protests / riots against the criminal justice act / Claremont road / etc far worse treatment is meted by the police towards individual protestors once they get them out of site behind police vans (or rather when they thought they were out of sight – you can actually capture quite a lot with a good zoom lens when perched on top of scaffolding). Filming someone being beaten up by the police is not something you forget easily.

Personally i hope this is the start of many demonstrations against the cuts – I’ll be heading out to speak up for those who can’t protest, including my severely disabled brother who’s classes are being cut as ‘non essential’ even though they offer the only opportunity for him to leave the house, thanks to the Tories and the lib dems

U31 – “knocker slings” – LOL :) not heard that phrase before

anyway, I have a feeling that I’ve probably already said a bit too much, and am not going to start talking about my underwear! But thanks for making me laugh and brightening an otherwise dull day reviewing research papers.

I had both of mine pierced – and yes it does have the benefit of (ahem) enhanced sensations. It’s also a bit of A way of reflecting who you are / difference without having to show that to the world at large. I had them in for years with no problems, only took them out in the end because they occasionally showed an outline through thin material (and as an advisor to the government that isn’t really the acceptable thing!).

I did it for a while when I was a student (quite a time ago now!), as several of my friends were studing fine art. To be honest it’s not the easiest way to earn a bit of money, not becuase of anything to do with being naked (you tend to forget about that after the first time), but because it’s very boring – everyone else is concentrating on their work and you have to just sit there with nothing to do. You do on the whole stay still, but nobody minds if you need to occassional stretch as long as you return to the same position.

Cheers all. I’m now feeling torn between a DiY tour, or finding a group, but good to know that it’s a friendly place. I’d be tempted to bring my own bike anyway as I’m fairly small so most hire bikes are too big.

Thanks for the advice on the ‘peddlers paradise’ books – just had a quick look and they seem idea for planning a trip. And if NZ has the best coffee anywhere, then my ticket is virtually bought!

Friends staying so a leisurely cooked breakfast and then laying with their dog on the beach in the sun. Friends had the decency to depart about midday leaving enough time for a 3 hr ride up the Conwy valley – autumn colours and stunning views of the snowy mountains in Snowdonia.

Can now see the bad weather approaching so heading for an evening at the climbing wall – rocking weekend!

Can’t say that I ‘enjoyed’ it, but it’s a damned good film. Showed a much darker side of human nature than secrets and lies’.

erm … I don’t shoot! (no idea why you thought I had a gun either …)

oh, and blonde but not dizzy :)

Bridget Jones – the most irritating useless character in the history of film … Off for a bit of cheery mike Leigh instead

Well Bridget jones – the edge of reason is on now … But I think I’ll have to turn it off before I through somethingat the tv.

Cheers for the heads up :)

not seen ‘naked’ but Secrets and Lies is in my top 10 flms list, Mike Leigh makes damned good films (not always easy watching though!)

Does this just apply to FC holdings in England? I don’t think it applies to FC holdings in Wales and Scotland. Although the Telegraph refers to ‘Britain’s forests’, all to often ‘Britain’ is used when only talking about England. The FC has a complex structure, including FC Wales and Scotland – which are funded by the Welsh and Scottish governments. The article refers to the cuts to Defra’s funding which does not apply to Wales and Scotland.

This doesn’t mean that a similar approach won’t be taken in Wales or Scotlandas the devolved governments have just been hit with cuts to their budgets. I think a big concern is going to be the massive cut in public sector grants that fund all types of ‘recreation’ (even those that most people think of as ‘natural). Llandegla forest is actually in private ownership (Tilhill forestry I think), but has recieved public grants to fund the development of mtb trails. It is these grants that are likely to stop, with a negative impact on recreation regardless of who owns the forests.

And yes, I do think the public sector should be resourced to provde for, and manage, conservation and recreation

I don’t find him depressing – but do think his lyrics show an extrordinary grasp of the complexity of human emotions. When I saw him live he was actuly quite funny about his ‘depressing’ reputation, and even at 70 his voice was powerful enough to make your hairs stand on end at points.

Overall I thought he was poignant, ironic, heartfelt, sometimes sad and sometimes amusing, but above all great lyrics and an outstanding singer. For other reasons watching him play evokes bittersweet memories for me

Tazzy I don’t think your doing yourself justice … there were some nicely defined tattoos in your earlier pic :)

Tazzy – that just about sums it up. I’ve lost count of the number of extra hours I’ve banked and never reclaimed due to constant deadlines. But I’ve resolved to be less of a workaholic and make more time to enjoy myself (I just need to get over the feeling of guilt!)

elfin – yup it’s pretty cool. Went for a road ride today – round the great orme (stunning scenery), climbed to road to the top with a fab descent (apart from a muppet in a car slowing me down on the switchbacks), and the up the Conwy valley. It’s just been so good that’s it’s tempting me to head off mtbing on Conwy mtn tomorrow!