Nice circular walk round Llyn Padarn, back through Padarn woods, with halfway lunch stop at the excellent Caban cafe.

Head for a coast and castle day – Caernarfon castle followed by going to the beach at Dinas Dinlle (lovely cafe for lunch) – can be done as an easy circular cycle on quiet lanes and cycle path.

Head for Waunfawr – get the Welsh Highland train to Beddgelert – spend half day there doing easy riverside walk / lots of cafes / excellent icecream – railway back to Waunfawr

Wearing your first ever pair of padded shorts

Chamois cream

Paying more for your bike than you did for your car

First alpine col

Hoo Ha Ride Glide for the win :)

Your Hoo Ha will thank you for it (If you’re a girl that is …)

My post was not a “I did it so everyone else should’, it was to broaden the debate to consider:

– not everyone with a ‘difficult’ background would necessarily want it to be ‘taken into account’

– that factors other than parental education or family background can have a greater impact on academic performance – in my case the issue that had the greatest effect on my education was bullying – something which transcends social demographics

Personal background:

Parents never went to Uni (Dad a mechanic and Mum a housewife / admin)

Left school at 15 with no qualifications due to years of bullying
Got a some O levels after going to a FE college for a year
Started A levels but significant health problem meant missing almost all of the first year
Had to complete 3 A levels in one year

Achieved top grades due to hard bl**dy work and determination. Offered place at top Uni based purely on grades.

Would I have wanted ‘poor’ or ‘difficult’ background to be taken into account – No. I got my place based on merit, equal to everyone else. There are so many other things that young people’s grades might be affected by, regardless of income or background (for example school bullying), you can’t account for everything.

Puerto Pollensa – lovely beach, few kids, small town with nice cafe / bars etc. Easy to get a transfer from the airport if you don’t want to hire a car, and a decent bus service to nearby visitor places.

Lots of hotels to choose from – we stay here: http://www.duva-pollensa.com/?i=ing

It’s superb! Best weather we’ve had for ages.

Did my first 100 mile ‘century’ ride yesterday – along the coast and across the mountains in the sun … best ride ever :) Saw the weather forecast, booked 3 days off work, plus the weekend – planning on riding til my legs drop off. Absolutely fantastic!

Anglesey Lanes Audax today – 102km. Hot, sunny, great scenery, and a crazy maze of lanes! Lots of happy, smiley, chatty people. And cake … lots of cake!

One of those days that just makes you grin from ear to ear :)

Riding bikes is ACE!

Heading off now for a day hiking in the Carneddi mountains in Snowdonia.

120 mile road ride tomorrow, including doing the Anglesey Lanes Audax.

And it’s going to SUNNY :) Bring it on!!!

(Oops – sorry you’re poorly! Virtual get-well hug coming your way :) )

“Bendigedig” – my favourite Welsh word.

Diolch yn fawr pawb :)

Well, I just googled my name and it led me to this page, where I find multiple uses of my name without my permission!!!

Oh, and I also find that apparently I might be a ‘hot link’ :) :)

Sue

Another lifeproof case here – stays on all the time as it isn’t at all bulky and the phone is completely usable. It’s fully waterproof, shockproof, and protects against dust and snow. Great as I can now I can now use my phone / camera / GPS etc outdoors in all conditions

Great vid, and some excellent skills :) nice to hear a bit of humour and banter too!

Rain + Mothers Day =

Saturday – ride in the rain anyway, it’s only a bit of water!

Sunday – Mother’s Day, ride anyway (chocolates and card in the post, phone in the evening)

Here’s to a fun weekend :)

Mark is a friend of mine and a very competent mountaineer and member of my mountaineering club. He was out that day with other members of the club when this unfortunate accident occurred. Seeing footage like this when it involves someone you know and like can be very difficult when you realise how close an accident can be to a tragedy.

Most importantly, Mark survived the slide, although has badly broken one ankle and chipped a bone in another. Within the club we are all too aware that this isn’t always the case. As he is a very talented photographer and camera person, he had his helmet cam on which recorded the incident.

Mark has be open enough to share the footage with the BMC and MRT for their training purposes and to help us all learn from his experience. Thanks Mark, and get well soon!

Kev – I guess you’re wanting it for day hikes? 40l would probably be too big for that, even with winter kit. So I’d suggest you get one closer to 30l and minimise the kit you carry (ie wrap food etc in clingfilm rather that bulky plastic containers). Amongst folks in my mountaineering club (who are doing the same stuff as you in Snowdonia) the osprey brand has an excellent reputation. I’ve got a 25l montane one, which I’ve had for several years and used a lot, which is superb. Trail magazine has also just recommended the 32l montane as a day sack.

Did my first one on Boxing Day, so in addition to the warm-up and get there on time advice, here’s my top tips for what NOT to do!

– don’t eat just before the start (plan your preferred food / drink intake in advance)
– don’t get so nervous that you can’t control your breathing and hyperventilate for the first couple of miles (deep steady breaths before the start)
– don’t think that you’re going to fall off your bike because someone’s holding you upright on the start line (might be worth practicing this kind of standing start beforehand)

Having made all those mistakes, I was gobsmacked to actually come first out of the women, so I guess despite being not at all prepared you can always give it your best shot! Enjoy :)

As above, plus ordinary cod liver oil (teaspoon a day added to food was recommended by the vet for my GSD / collie cross – so about lab sized).

Had hydrotherapy sessions at a local greyhound facility – not too expensive and great for keeping the joints mobile. Otherwise exercise as normal.

Saxabar – yes :) And I was up around Pen y Pass about that time (well, I know I was back down in the Siabod cafe by 2.30 …)

Not sure if I remember a Cube, but I did go past a very happy looking chap, so maybe that was you? (Although most people out on their bikes today had a ear-to-ear grin – it was like kids being let out of school to play in the sun!)

Took the day off when I saw how great the weather was :)

5 hour road ride through Snowdonia – blue sky, hot sun, crystal clear lakes, and snow capped mountains. Absolutely stunning day!

Saxabar – Pen y Pass was part of my ride too – wasn’t it great up there! I saw a fair few roadies out today, so if a small lass wearing a pink jacket smiled / waved at you then that was me :)

Yup, that looks exactly like the Orme in Llandudno … just add lashing rain, gale force wind, and stinky feral goats :)

Wherever it is, I wish I was riding there!

Had 2 rescue dogs:

No 1: a stray which I found on the streets. Some kind of GSD cross, about 6 months old. Obviously had no information about him or his prior life. Turned out to be a fantastic dog, great with everyone, and the best friend I’ve ever had. Sadly died aged 17 after a great life together.

No 2: came from a kennel, and supposedly matched what we were looking for. Unfortunately the kennel lied about many things, including her age! So we ended up with a very psychologically mixed up dog, with a fair few behaviour problems. But that was 14 years ago, and she’s now 15 and curled up beside me – a loving, well-behaved dog.

My advice – all dogs are different. Think carefully about what characteristics are most important to you, and make your choice on that basis rather than looks / breed. Choose your rescue kennel carefully – not all of them are responsible! And above all, put whatever time and effort is needed into your dog – they are not a disposable item to be returned if they’re not perfect. And that applies to both rescue dogs and ‘new puppies’ (my sister always has pedigree dogs as puppies from reputable breeders, and one of them has a fair few personality problems)!

Thanks for the suggestions – will definitely check them out.

Any other recommendations?

6 hour road ride yesterday in the rain through the mountains of Snowdonia. Good ride and great company with the local club, but bike and kit absolutely coated in grit and road dirt :(

Having cleaned it all up last night, I don’t know if I can face another ride out in the rain today!

Thanks guys!

“What blows my frock up”? :) :)

Leaving aside many possible replies to that, in this context top of the list would be a photography exhibition.

“doing bu99er all except getting fatter” :lol:

As one of the child free contingent, does that include …

An interesting and stimulating career, aimed at contributing to the public good?
Volunteering my time to help others in several clubs?
Riding my bike, hiking in the mountains, climbing etc?
Travelling the world seeing amazing places and meeting great people?
Having time for my wider family and friends?

Oh, and at 45kg I don’t think I fall within the ‘fatter’ category either :wink:

Less stereotypes please!

mattjg – I’m not sure that it provides the OP with ‘the answer’, but I’m a woman past the age of having children. I don’t have children, never wanted to, and don’t have any regrets.

No kids, now in my mid-40’s and never had any regrets. I don’t dislike children, but I have never enjoyed playing etc with them. I don’t think I’m selfish, and life isn’t all one big snowboarding party :) but I do enjoy having the freedom to go out onto the hills and wander for as long as I want to, or to have a quiet evening reading etc

One thing that never gets mentioned by people who are thinking of having children (or very annoyingly telling me “you’ll change your mind …”) is the possibility of having a child with disabilities. It can happen to anyone, and the impact will change your life, and that of everyone around you. My brother was born with severe disabilities, and 40 years on my mother is still caring for a “child” (including all those basic toilet functions you think you’ll only be doing for a couple of years). He needs 24 hour / 7 day a week care.

He is the most important person in my life, and I love him to bits, but I do think he has had a massive, and at times extremely difficult effect on all our family. And it never ends. Caring for my brother has dominated my mother’s entire life, and that responsibility is now transferring to us, his siblings.

My only advice to others is that having children is everyone’s personal decision, but never ever take it lightly, and be prepared for whatever the consequences might be – even when they can last for your entire lifetime.

Tazzy – that would be most kind! Can I have a full ZZ Top style please, none of this designer trimming :)

“Manly men with thighs of steel and beards of might” … I’m not sure if we’re ready for that kind of thing up here in North Wales 8O

Although on the other hand … thighs of steel might be worth ditching the gears for :)

Edit: Kev – beards? No, just say no. Trust me on this one, I’m a girl and we know these things …

Kev – you ride in Snowdonia! SS is not a good idea here, especially if you’re daft enough to ride into the headwind we’ve got today :)

Gears are great, the more the better … as shown by the number of fit guys you can spin past up a steep hill if you’ve got the sense to have a triple and a 32 rear cassette on your road bike! It might not be hardcore but I prefer riding to walking up the hills :)

Check the environment agency flood maps and the police crime maps – both have a significant impact on insurance and an even bigger impact on your life it either happens!

Consider what type of lifestyle you realistically want to have – do you want to spend your weekends doing DIY or riding your bike :)

Energy efficiency is increasingly important – look for very good insulation and be aware of the impact of house design – lots of external walls / roof (ie detached bungalow) will loose much more heat than a property with less (ie terrace of modern townhouse).

Fontainebleau – 50km south of Paris. Easy to get to – Eurostar to Paris then hop on a local train to Font.

Beautiful, romantic small town – fantastic Palace, gorgeous formal park, lots of lovely little streets and restaurants, the best chocolate shop, and surrounded by a beautiful beech forest for romantic strolls :)

http://www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/index.php/en/

Damn … now I wish I was going there!

DGOAB – good write up! And covers a lot of the niggles I currently have, from old injury pains to getting into the drops to feeling that I’m in a position to draw on more power. Shame Fife is so far away! (Although I’m up in Edinburgh for work soon …)

c_g – yes wind is a problem! I struggle to feel stable when there’s a strong crosswind (which is unfortunately very common in north Wales!), but although a heavy bike can be more stable it doesn’t help when going up hill. As I’m planning on doing some hill climb TT’s next year I might sacrifice stability for less weight.

Love Tubs – thanks for the hugs and kisses :) Agree that geometry is not straightforward, but most “unisex” bikes are completely wrong for me – not just frame size, but crank length, bar width and drop reach etc. In the end a unisex bike is built for the average male, but I am very small even compared to the average female!

Right, looks as if bike fit is the first option … (at least that’s cheaper than a top spec carbon bike!!!)

FuzzyWuzzy – I’m based in North Wales, but often in London and Cardiff for work. Budget is flexible but not unlimited – around £3k would seem OK, but £6k would seem excessive!!!

Thanks all for the recommendations and advice – will definitely be checking some of them out.

Bike fit is a good idea – I’d only want to invest in a new bike if there was a noticeable improvement in performance compared to my current bikes. So am looking for a significant upgrade from my Specialized Dolce with 105 spec. I think that weighs in at around 9kg, so a 6-7kg bike would be a big difference, especially as at only 45kg I would struggle to lose 2kg without losing muscle power.

Will check out Epic re bike fit, but are there any other recommendations for the best place for road bike fittings. Also, any recommendations for suitable bike makes aside from the mainstream Trek / Specialized etc ones (not that there is anything wrong with the main brands, but I’ve already heard of them so would be interested to know if there’s any smaller / less well known brands that I might have missed)

Cheers

alexonabike – sounds like you will be a great dog owner, and some day some lucky pooch is going to end up in your care :)

Rather than focus on a specific breed at this point, concentrate on the attributes that you’re looking for – an active dog that you can take out all day, but can also cope with several hours alone. Anything else – size? long or short haired (big difference in the time needed for grooming!), child or other pet friendly, good with livestock etc etc? Then talk to a rehoming / rescue centre where many dogs are cross breeds.

Hope you find the right dog for you soon :)

Thanks folks

DGOAB – how do you think the Madone compares to the Domane? Trek seems to have some very good high end bikes for women.

Boblo – who / what / where is Epic?

(And, yes I am keeping an eye out for second hand sales … )

In this weather I just mix it up – once a week ride with the club as the social aspect makes it fun, then hiking / running in the hills for my outdoors / fresh air fix combined with a evening session on the turbo to keep up my cycling fitness.

My main thought when its icy isn’t so much getting cold etc, it’s the increased risk of crashing and knowing how frustrated I’d be to have to spend weeks off the bike recovering from injury.

On the list so far:

Winter ‘training’ week in southern Spain
Early season road riding week with the girls from Team Glow
Cheshire Cat (100 mile route)
Etape Eryri (103 mile “mawr”)
Wild Wales Challenge
200km audax
10 day cycle tour of the Hebrides (all the Outer Hebrides plus Skye and Mull)
Alpine cols road trip in July to coincide with the Tour
Do a sub 30 minute 10 mile TT (and then aim for a 28 min one)

Have read through the above and realised its all road based! Must add “get out on my mtb at least once”!