Great to see so many fantastic dogs, all of which are now having good lives were they're getting the love and attention they deserve. So, a big up to all of you for taking on a rescue (or abondoned) dog, and giving them such a great life.

No pic's, (as he died 6 years ago, so pre digital camera days), but I was lucky enough to have found my dog (a long haired German Shepherd cross) abandoned on the streets over 20 years ago now. I had him for 16 years, and he was the most loving, loyal and faithful dog and I feel priviledged to have been able to spend so many years with him. Even though it's been 6 years since he died, I still miss him.

oh … oh … excitment level rises above an acceptable level for a Tuesday evening

erm, if it's not intrusive to ask – how tall is Sharon (I've always thought she's way taller than me, but then I think that about everyone cos they usually are!)

Still snowed in, still below or at freezing point, still snowing lightly here in Snowdonia.

Did someone mention there was a thaw going on???

mmm … going back to the original post (not getting diverted by comma thingies!) …

Just been out and checked and all the grit from the bins on the currently impassable road to our house has been stolen. I used some the other day to grit the road to get access for us and out neighbours (one of whom was trying to get home from hospital having broken her wrist slipping on the icy road). There was still about 3 quarters left, and now it's all been stolen. I saw some people in a 4×4 taking some yesterday. Frankly, I'm appalled – to actually get to the grit bins you either need to be either (a) fit enough to walk a mile up a steep and icy / snow covered mountain road, or (b) drive a 4×4 with snow chains. If you're either of these you don't need to grit as much as the people living up here on the mountainside do. There is an elderly couple down the field from me that have been house-bound now for nearly 3 weeks (we're all helping to bring them food etc), a local district nurse lives up and needs to get out to see patients, and the farmer needs to be able to feed his pregnant sheep. It might appear that it's not used that often, but those of us who live up here know to ration it as there isn't enough to be gritting the road every day. But now it's gone, we completed f*cked cos there's no way the council could get up here to restock the bins.

There's so much good that goes on in these circumstances with people helping each other out, that it's pretty poor that selfish gets don't think of the implications of the actions, or whether other, more vulnerable people's needs might be more important than theirs.

no worries LoCo, glad it is of use

Oh, the 'annual income' is the 'household income', not the 'individual income'

Cheers

*switches on boring work brain even though it's Saturday*

LoCo – partly it depends on how you're defining 'mountain biking' and who you want to include. For example, many in the mtb industry will do their own survey's to find out demographics – for example a magazine might do a survey of it's readership, but this would be representative of 'those who read that magazine', not mountain bikers as a whole.

If you are after a more 'universal' (as in UK population) type of survey of mountain bikers, then the most statistically valid source of data would be from the big UK agencies that cover outdoor recreation – ie Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, and Countryside Council for Wales. I run the national survey for CCW (and there are equivalent surveys in NE and SNH). We include a category on 'off-road cycling and mountain biking', which means that we have a demographic profile for this activity, which is basically: mainly aged 16-24; 25-34; and 35-54; predonimantly male; white; more likely to be either students or employers / managers; have a higher than average annual income 9mostly between £50 – £80k); have a degree (or higher); have a car, and have children.

I suspect the demographic profile from the English and Scottish surveys would be similar. As they are all run by public agencies, the data from these surveys is publiclly available on request.

HTH

Sue

*switches off work brain*

cheers guys – will give it a go this afternoon.

and less of the cheek about old puntos :)

Thanks all for the advice

CaptainM: do you mean that I should start it and keep my foot on the accelerator for say 20 mins (ie with the car in neutral as it can't be driven anywhere) rather than just leave it running? My main concern was using up what little battery power might be left in it through starting the car, and I didn't think it was possible to re-charge the battery without driving it around?

and there was me thinking I needed winter boots and thick socks!

Next time I'll obviously have to opt for barefoot and a bikini :) … I must have been mistaken about the snow drifts – they're actually sand dunes

You're a very hardy man Ian Munro!

wow – I can't believe how much 'appearance' / 'rules' matter when riding a road bike – glad now that I'm not part of any roadie group and just get out on my bike and ride.

Anyhow, I ride with a triple (never realised that it would be an issue or considered unacceptable!), for 2 reason – (a) I live up a really steep mountain and do most of my riding in Snowdonia, and (b) I have a knee problem that means that I have to try and ensure that I minimise strain by maintaining an easy cadence.

It seems a real shame that people who ride road bikes are so judgemental and image conscious :(

mmm … so if you tell people they either must come in or have to take it as (a) holiday (if they coincidently have some left to take at that particular point) or (b) make up the time (if they have the type of work that allows them to do that). For those that can't do (a) or (b) then you have to lose a day's pay. After all, you've 'choosen' to live too far away from where you work. For my partner (a) and (b) aren't an option – so this morning he biked down the mountainside, to his van which is parked low down, struggled in bad weather to get to his job which is 40 miles away. Had to leave at 1pm as the weather conditions in north wales had got so bad. Therefore loses pay, and possibly won't be able to get in tomorrow either. He's not a skiver, and didn't 'chose' to have a job so far away. He used to work only 5 miles from home but the company went bust, and this was the nearest alternative job he could find – with a mortgage to pay we don't have luxury of waiting around for a job closer to home to come up.

So, is it fair that he needs to either risk an accident / injury struggling to get to work, or has to lose pay becuase he can't get in, when he always does as much as he possibly can to get there and work the hours required (as opposed to all those people who can get in and then sit around talking or surfing t'internet).

Did my last trip to take family pressies to the post office yesterday … car snowed in so the nearest post office is a 3 hour hike off-road through the mountains to Llanberis

Beautiful – untrod crisp snow, blue sky, sun, glistening mountains and silence (bit nippy mind!)

So, cloting of choice was thermals, fleeces, winter overtrousers, down jacket, hat, scarf, mountaineering gloves … rucksac with supplies (and parcels to post). Looked like a mini-michellin man, but assure you there are some half-way decent legs underneath

Best post-office trip I've had for ages :)

The most important thing is that you're there for her, and with all the stress that she is having at work she probably really appreciates that she is not alone and has someone who really cares about her.

I'd suggest starting off by asking her what support you can give her, rather than trying to decide yourself what she needs to do. I'm going through a similar situation at the moment (not just work but also pressure from house renovation as well) and my partner is great, but does get cross as he sees me very upset and stressed and doesn't understand 'why I don't sort it out'. Unfortunately, that adds to the pressure and stress and becomes another thing that I need to be responsible for. Although many guys are very 'action-focused' and think that sympathy doens't help, for many women, and hug and an opportunity to talk without being judged is really importnat, and yes, sympathetic words can and do help by making you feel that you're not alone!

Then it gives you both a chance to talk though what might be done, breaking it down into managable 'chunks' for what to do in the short, medium and long term.

Now … I just need to pay attention to my own words as I'm currently working away on an FOI request, missing my work xmas lunch, worrying about the car that needs fixing, and the stress of having to drive in snow and ice to see family at the weekend …

barnsleymitch … you'd have to try and come up with something that I haven't heard before :wink:

42 (just to up the average age of the laydees)

Researcher and Advisor to Government on outdoor recreation in Wales

fab project, and good on them all for getting off their arses and actually doing something … it's far too easy to be cynical about things, but I reckon this is one to be positive about.

Tod will never be in danger of being seen through 'rose-coloured glasses' (unless of course they're mtb ones!), but I always loved it despite it's flaws …

165's on my road bike, trying some new 165's now on my mtb to see if it helps with my knee problems

BTW, I'm only 5' tall so have somewhat short legs …

Wind definately – actually make that the severe gales that we've been having for most of the last 10 days – highest wind speed recorded so far = 92 mph!

When accompanied by torrential rain and hail, then the overall effect becomes somewhat more unpleasant …

Hi grumm – like you I had a full range of blood tests, and nothing has shown up. But apparently that is quite common with post-viral fatigue.

Definately consider reducing your hours – I've been seeing an occupational health person at work, who has been great. Reduced my hours by half, stopped all travelling (of which I did a lot up and down the length of the country), and make me work through a plan of work that was absolutely essential, what could be delegated and what could be dropped.

To be honest, manging the pressures from work, and reducing the 'load' there has been easier than at home, where I have a house in need of renovation, which has now sufferd from roof damage and partial flooding!

Like you, one of the biggest challenges is getting depressed, which is tiring and draining in itself, which then 'feeds' the post viral fatigue, becoming a bit of a viscious circle. I don't have an easy answer – maybe seeing if you can explain to friends / family that this is how you feel (although to be honest I seem to have found it easer to share on a mtb forum!). I now celebrate the littlest thing that I mange to achieve thathas an 'outdoor' component to it – so a short stroll with the dog becomes as big an event as all-day biking.

Addressing it now, reducing your work hours and tackling any home pressures, will mean that you will get better soon. Just struggling to carry on will prolong things. But, you and I will both get better – maybe at some point in the future all us 'post-viral' people will end up hooking up for a ride :)

Kuco – keep on doing a good job – you might not normally hear many thanks, but I bet there's a lot of people who think it, even if they don't necessarily tell you.

so … landslides next is it … well, the house has been here for 300 years, and we had a full strucural survey done which said there was no sign on any building movement … but hey … if it happens I guess we'll be one of 'those people' who 'deserve little sympathy' :) No worries … any 'complaining' would be muffled as I'd buried under a mountain of soil … :)

erbii – yes I made it through the night – similar to Zokes it was a night of crashing sounds and howling wind – got even less sleep as the dog joined me on the bed (which she's never normally allowed to do) and quivered all night cos she was scared. Most things are intact this morning – some stuff has been 'distributed' around the field, the electricity's back, but still giving it a bit of a flicker now and again.

Just a heads up for anyone in Snowdonia, or tavelling to / through north wales – the road into / out of Llanberis is closed in both directions, so best to choose a different route.

It's got pretty bad here now – live high up on the south-western facing slopes of Snowdonia (bonkers place to live). I'm kind of used to bad weather living up here in the mountains, but it is now really bad by even by our standards. Definately going to lose some slates, and I can hear other stuff going outside, but I tried to batten everything else down so I hope it will survive. I'm here on my own and I must admit I'm getting a bit scared, electric has gone off a couple of times and the wind is screaming …

My dog is pretty freaked too now, so I guess I'm going to cuddle up on the sofa with her with a torch to hand. Not much I can do at the moment, just wait til morning and inspect the damage then.

Marcus – yes "informal construction" just about sums it up – it was originally built as a mountain 'hafod' – a summer dwelling in the hills for sheep farmers when they moved the sheep up from the valley in the summer. I think the end that the external door will go in used to be the shelter for the sheep, but is now a kitchen. The walls are built with hand-sized rubble stone (and a few boulders and bits of bedrock that are still in the ground) held together with old mortar which is common to similar old hillside cottages in Snowdonia – so I'm not sure if 'standard' approaches to calculating loads would work?

Sounds shonky I know, but the view is fantastic :)

nbt – "If you don't know what they are then I would suggest you shouldn't be doing them" ah, yes, I had that thought when I typed the question :)

looking more like I'd need a structural engineer – in which case is there an 'approved body' or qualification that I should be looking for?

Would I also be right in tinking that I will be needing approval from building control? Don't think I'd need planning permission – the house isn't listed, so no concerns from Cadw, and its just outside the edge of the National park boundary so less restrictions

I think the opening will have to be extended both below and above the height of the existing window, so probably a new lintel.

erm .. sorry to sound completely dense but are 'loading calc's' something that I could do?

Thanks all – it's good to know that there are other people out there who have / had this sort of thing and can go riding again / do other outdoor stuff.

My symptoms are probably most similar to mrs nbt / paul / jukeboxs – and much sympathy and respect for all of you for dealing with it for such a long time. I'm going to try altering what I eat when (I've always had the main meal in the evening), and I've already upped my fruit / veg / fish intake (I don't eat meat anyway, but have cut down on the cake and biscuits!) Paul and nbt – I'll drop you guys a line to fish for a bit more advice, if that's still OK.

I guess I'm still torn between whether or not to try taking a period of time off to rest and hope that that enables my body to 're-charge' more, or whether to carry on as I am now – feeling rather bobbins but not completely keeling over. I've got some deadlines at work to try and meet so I guess I'll carry on for now as I'll get far too stressed if I try and take time off now … and I'll carry on dreaming of being out on the hills :) Fortunately I live in the mountains so i can at least look at them (although living somehere flat might actually make a 10 min gentle ride an option!)

"dog auntie" – that sounds like a fab idea! it would be great if we knew someone who'd like to be our dog's buddy as she can't go to kennels (she was a rescue dog and has a lasting trauma about being in a cage), but that then makes it very difficult for us to ever have a break from dog care. I'm sure we're not the only ones! Maybe we should set up a STW 'dog auntie or uncle exchange'! I'll start:

'Auntie or uncle! wanted for medium sized short haired lurcher. Loves romps on the moors and equally happy to lounge beside the fire. Likes other boy dogs (but not girls), loves all adults, but not children. Lives in the mountains in Snowdonia if anyone wanted a weekend or week as a residential auntie'

actually … that now seems like a 'dog personal ad' which would be disturbing in the extreme :)

Glad you had a good ride – great to see some pictures to remind me of the fab time I had down there last week :)

… wanders off grumbling to self as it's been absolutely p*ssing it down in Snowdonia today and blowing hooley so no riding …. decides to consult job websites to find employment next to the Quantocks …

mmm … wine tasting and biking – sounds ideal :) Thanks for the pointers, I'll start following them up.

Will definately come again – I work in Cardiff a fair bit so I'm sure there's a chance of heading a bit further south – I'll post something up when I know when.

Sharki – didn't mention your name (I wasn't sure if they would know you as Sharki!) – but they were great and I'm sure John must owe you a pint for sending me in his direction

Hi – I'm a five footer with a full-sus :) I've got a titus motolite (which is the xs – a 12.5 inch frame) – the suspension fits in fine and it's a great, albeit expensive, bike. The other bike that fitted perfectly was the Orange Diva. I'd just say that it's not only the reach / standover that are important, but the overall weight of the bike – I'm obviously quite a small lass and really struggle with heavy full-sus bikes.

Neil – that's great – which event(s) is he in? Did you get a chance to go to the opening ceremony on Saturday night? – it was fab to see so many competitors filling the stadium (apparently Gordon Brown was there as well, but I was much more impressed by the athletes!).

The Special Olympic's is on all week in Leicester – it's the UK event, so I guess he's the 'best in the UK' rather than the 'best in the world', but even so …. Bradley Wiggins / Mark Cavendish – watch your backs in the future :)

cheers guys … he did ask why he didn't get champagne when he stood on the podium, having seen it on the TV before, but happily settled for some orange juice instead :)

sorry to butt in … but Steve – do you have any more info on Morvan? – or know of any websites? – looking for routes maps, more details on the biking, and campsite info etc. Cheers!

cheers all – some good suggestions there to follow up – I’ve also had a look at the Alsace region http://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/cyclotourisme-et-vtt-en/ if anyone has been there?

Juan – I know I seem a bit vague – probably becuase at the moment I am – I’ll driving across (so either from calais area or Caen) heading in the direction of the mountains to meet up with a friend who lives over there. I had though of heading for Chamonix as the lifts there are still open in the first week of september. My knee injury means that I’m now looking for places en route that have good biking in more undulating terrain – but searching in google for ‘the best spots in france for riding with a slightly knackered knee’ isn’t that useful so I thought I’d ask the oracle that is STW :)

Hi Sharki – not sure about next week – I got overcome with enthusiasm last tuesday (the sun was out!) and headed out for a long ride over the Carneddi mountains – I’ve been hobbling around ever since so no riding for a while (it was worth it though – absolutely fab ride – if you’re ever in Snowdonia let me know cos it much better than the FC trails if you like wilderness, views, wild ponies and deserted tracks across mountains)

I do really want to head down to the Q’s though – and have booked a week off at the start of August to head south, so maybe catch up with you then?

Cheers all … at this rate I’m going to want to up sticks and move there! (although at the moment out of my window I can see the mountains of Snowdonia in one direction and out over the sea to Anglesey in the other – biting cold easterly wind though)

Philby and Buzz – thanks for the routes in the Mendips – definately would like to head there too.

millsonwheels – I don’t think I’ll make it as far as Plymouth this time, but I’m sure I’ll head that way again at some point.

Not going to get into the locals / outsiders / house prices debate – there’s a lot of it up here and I can always understand the concerns from both sides ….

Aargh – too many choices!

Going to have to decide between the SE or the SW or otherwise I’ll spend most of the week in the car.

Must admit the the pictures of the Q’s rides look far too tempting to ignore .. and as for the scones …

Is is feasible to be based in the Q’s and also get to the Mendips / Exmoor etc within about an hours drive?

“rained for 12 hours” sounds just like Snowdonia! It’ll be strange coming down to that part of the world – I was born and grew up in Devon, but haven’t ben back since I left at 16. Will be good to hear west country accents and drink some decent cider …

The weather forecast does seem to be getting better – even up here – so time for me to head out into the hills before it changes

Cheers Sharki :)