Penblwydd Hapus TJ :)

Have a fantastic day!

Did 104 miles on my Tricross, extremely comfortable.

Yes it’s heavier than my road racing bike, but it’s far more comfortable for longer rides and having a triple makes steep climbs an easy spin.

Sounds as though you guys have been having a great time out there.

Heading over myself in a few weeks time to Puerto Pollensa – gonetothehills: do you have any suggestions for approx 60 – 70 mile routes out at that end of the island? And did you pick up a map out there? Is there one specifically for road cycling routes?

I am curious – there seems to be general agreement from everyone that there are far more men in cycling than women, and on balance the majority of (presumably male?) forumites seem to support the idea of encouraging more women to take part. But, whenever the issue of gender in cycling is raised, or if anyone mentions any action being taken to address it, there is almost a backlash of “that’s not fair”.

So, open question, what do you think would be acceptable actions to encourage more women into cycling? Women-only clubs / rides / events? More female role models? Better coverage of women’s cycling in the media? Cheaper prices? etc etc

hugor – agree completely that money isn’t the main deterrant, but as a ‘gesture of encouragement’ then it might be appreciated as a way of offsetting the number of times women have to pay a bit more for cycling-related things. But I don’t think it will lead to more women entering the event the OP is referring to.

However, women only clubs, training, and events can, and do, encourage more women into cycling, and for many a female only sportive is a great entry point into that type of event which means hopefully they will go on to do more “mixed gender” sportives in the future.

It’s great to see more support and encouragement for women in cycling / mtb’ing. Currently, out of all the possible “outdoor pursuits” (such as climbing etc), cycling has the lowest proportion of women.

Women only events are a great idea for a few reasons. Cycling is so male dominated that a lot of the time I’m the only girl. Even on the normal Saturday ride with my local road club I’m the only woman riding with 40 guys, so often cycling is “men only” by default. I would definately ride with a women’s group or event – not all the time, but sometimes as it would be good to have other girls to share experiences with, and to compare my performance with others of the same gender.

The £5 less is probably a gesture to try and encourage more women to take part. As for whether that is fair, be aware that women pay a “price penalty” for being such a minority in cycling. There is very little choice in women’s cycling kit, so often we have to pay for a high priced product as we have no option to choose a cheaper alternative. Plus, if you wanted to go into wider societal gender differentiation, thd average women’s salary is lower than men’s, so we have less money per se.

Personally I love cycling / mtb’ing, and happily keep doing it even when I’m the only girl. The guys I ride with are great, but I do wish there were more women in cycling so fully support any attempts to encourage greater participation.

hmmm … must admit am rather disappointed in what the bike shops had to offer. Made it round 3 different shops, and only one option available to try on.

It would appear that “we don’t stock women’s shoes as there’s no demand”, or even worse was told “you can’t get road shoes which are compatible with mtb spd’s” – erm, yes you can!

Feet are sore, and I am somewhat disgruntled. I try to make thd extra effort to buy from bike shops rather than online, but not if they can’t / won’t meet the needs of female cyclists. Time for a glass of wine before I become a grumbleweed!

Great – cheers guys! Will try the one’s closest to town (Bike Shed and below Frazer’s?) as I don’t have enough time to go further out.

ron jeremy – I’m just down today and tomorrow, mostly working but have some time free this afternoon and this evening so thought I’d try and get some new shoes while I’m down.

Wish I had a bike with me so I could have gone for a ride, but not possible so fitted in a dawn ride this morning before I left so will head for the pub this evening instead :)

Gulp! Thanks (I think!) for all the advice and info. I guess it’ll be a change from my usual ‘steady pace / long ride’ approach.

Right, will try to practice my sick-eating technique as I’ll be on my “best” bike and there’s no way I’m going to get the bars all dirty :)

Thanks for the recipes and info about quinoa, will definately try replacing rice with this.

Scruff – don’t really get into debates about judging who eats what, I consider that’s usually up to the individual! But as you’ve asked, I eat fish as I have Sjorgen’s Syndrome, which is not curable but fish oil has been found to be one of the few things that can make a difference (aside from drugs etc). And I try to make sure that I choose MSC approved fish.

Thanks folks!

Time to go through the cookery books looking for recipes which have more pulses, beans etc. Also considering swapping white pasta / rice for whole grain. Will increase the amount of fish I eat, and maybe include some quorn once a week. Not too keen on eating too much cheese / eggs due to cholesterol levels.

Anyone got any favourite protein-rich veggie recipes, let me know :)

If you act quickly, phone the bank constantly, and jump at every opportunity, it is possibly to turn a mortgage around very quickly.

I’ve just done the following:

Day 1 – select mortgage and get AiP arranged on the phone
Day 3 – visit bank in person with all required documents etc, appointment with senior mortage person, get everything signed for them to sign off. Stress need for prompt processing, get agreed date for them to call you back
Day 5 – phone bank for update, phone again, phone again (yes, I will continue to pester ..)
Day 6 – bank phone’s to say mortgage has been approved
Day 7- 9am in bank, signed off approved mortgage

So it can be done in 7 working days, just be focused, informed, act very quickly at every opportunity, and pester thd bank (very politely!)

Previous partner was 5 years younger than me, current bf is 5 years older.

Age differences are fine in either direction (older or younger), it’s interests / attitudes / behaviour that’s important in terms of compatability, not age.

Was meant to be spending the day up in the mountains, but have just spent a sleepless night racked with pain. just called my friend to cancel, and will be spending the day tucked up in bed with painkillers :(

Very glad I had a fantastic day out on the bike yesterday in the sun riding round the wild mountain roads of Snowdonia. Makes being ill today seem not so bad, and hopefully I’ll be well enough for a ride tomorrow.

Diolch yn fawr CFH :)

Had a proper St David’s Day lunch provided at work today – leek and potato soup, and bara brith. Yum!

Beautiful weather now so off for wander on the beach, Wales really is a wonderful place.

Copied from my post on the other thread …

The World Health Organisation (who know a thing or two about these things … although obviously not as much as the STW experts ) published their revised recommendations for adults last year:

150 minutes of moderate+ intensity activity per week (preferably upping to 300 minutes); or 75+ minutes of high intensity

http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/index.html

If you’re not sure whether your activity counts as moderate or high intensity, you can always check in the Compendium of Physical Activities: http://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/

But basically, if you’ve increased youre breathing rate it counts as ‘moderate’, if you’re panting and sweating it counts as ‘high’ intensity.

And if you wait a few weeks, I’ll be publishing our research on the the data about the amount of physical activity people get from outdoor recreation (and yes that does include mountain biking!) Bet you can’t wait for that exciting installment.

The relationship between physical activity and health is a complex one, and I must admit I’m concerned that the Horizon programme will do more harm than good, by leading people to think that if they just do 3 minutes activity a week they’ll be ‘healthy’, which is not the case.

700+ minutes per week. About half of that is road cycling (brisk to fast pace); the rest made of of hiking, climbing and swimming. So all would count as either moderate or high intensity physical activity.

The World Health Organisation (who know a thing or two about these things … although obviously not as much as the STW experts :wink: ) published their revised recommendations for adults last year:

150 minutes of moderate+ intensity activity per week (preferably upping to 300 minutes); or 75+ minutes of high intensity

http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/index.html

If you’re not sure whether your activity counts as moderate or high intensity, you can always check in the Compendium of Physical Activities: http://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/

But basically, if you’ve increased youre breathing rate it counts as ‘moderate’, if you’re panting and sweating it counts as ‘high’ intensity.

And if you wait a few weeks, I’ll be publishing our research on the the data about the amount of physical activity people get from outdoor recreation (and yes that does include mountain biking!) Bet you can’t wait for that exciting installment :-)

… looks down at current attire … phew, decently clad in post-ride yoga clothing …saved possible embarressment of being caught working in PJ’s! The perks of ‘working from home’ :)

The lovely people at Transport for London sent me a collection of Cycle Maps for all the different areas of the city. They seem to show not just the traffic free cycle paths, but also the quiet roads and recommended routes. Are these maps worth following? Or would I find that the supposedly quiet route is actually traffic hell or the local lorry delivery shortcut?

Commute heaven …

Up at dawn, spin through deserted country lanes and sleepy hamlets, wave at the seagulls and early morning strollers on Llandudno’s Victorian prom, climb the traffic-free headland of the Great Orme looking out over the sea, fast swooping descent to the beach, and into the office*

I was in that there big city of London yesterday, but worked an 18 hour day so I could get back up to Wales late last night. This morning’s ‘commute’ made the long day seem worthwhile.

I don’t know how you guys can cycle in London, it scares the bejesus out of me! Although spinning through the parks and along the river is lovely.

* Today’s office being at home.

Uh-uh … you said “Keep up the good work, admitting that you’re wrong guys“

No mention of girls being wrong …

I’m a girl so I can’t possibly be wrong … ‘cos women are always right :wink:

(surely you chaps have worked that one out by now …)

On the one and only (so far) century ride that I’ve done I had one cafe stop, a few brief pauses for flapjacks, a couple of pee stops, and one off-licence stop to buy wine … well, I had my panniers and it’s rude to visit friends empty handed :)

Ooh! Have just worked out that yesterday’s 70 mike ride = 112 km! That’s more than a metric century (feels well chuffed, and prepares for Monday bragging rights at work …)

In which case for metric centuries, two combined pee and water stops (not simultaneously!), no cafe stop as I’d forgotten to take any money, and one picturesque riverside flapjack stop …

It’s an extra day, that only exists every 4 years, so time to do something special! (Plus I’m in the middle of a load of housing and work stress, and have had to cancel a winter mountaineering trip to Scotland, so feel the need for something good to look forward to …)

So am taking my ‘we’re not really dating’ chap on a surprise night out to see a great blues player from Canada and then to stay in a rather gorgeous hotel with jacuzzi :)

Oh, and it’s our ‘bring and share’ baked potato lunch at work – cool!

Great video – thanks Bullheart!

BTW, I only know one Olympic cyclist … my brother*, who won a gold medal in the time trial, and who is an equal source of insipration to me.

*in addition to being an Olympic cyclist, he was born with profound physical and mental disabilities, and has lived much of his life in pain with no idea of his life expectancy … he’s still with us, still winning, and still taking the p*ss out of me :)

trail_rat – that’s great news … two man caves = awesome :)

I took the weekend off from house worries, hung out with friends and went biking :) Back to reality today, but fingers are firmly crossed that an alternative (wo)man cave will be purchased so I can move before the house I’m renting get sold out from under me …

Another TransAm planner here.

Hoping to do it next year, and should be able to get enough time off work if booked in advance. But am now very tempted to do the Adventure Cyclist Associations new Sierra Cascades route as an alternative TransAm. 2500 miles from Mexico to Canada – following mountains, forests and National Parks.

Anyone interested in swapping planning notes / info / or possibly the option of riding as a small group, let me know.

Yey, me too!

A brisk 4 and a half hour road ride, with an “invigorating” weather mix of hail storms (ouch!) and sunshine, passing snowy road banks and fields of spring lambs.

Plus discovered a great mid-ride pub: http://www.theoldstag.com/ Heartily recommended if you’re ever in the Conwy / Betws area.

Ain’t riding bikes brilliant :)

Thanks guys for the positive messages

Being guzzumped (in North Wales!) is bad enough, but combined with the landlady simultaneously putting the house I rent up for sale, means I am somewhat worried about being stuck for somewhere to live … and my bikes will not be happy if that happens :(

Just wish people would be a bit more honest and a bit less greedy …

REM – Everybody Hurts (especially poignant as it is associated with when my boyfriend at the time committed suicide)

Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares to You (seemed to get played a lot when I seperated from my partner …)

And +1 to Johnny Cash’s Hurt

I wasn’t saying that anyone should try to ‘match a statistic’ (hell, I break most ‘norms and averages’ in life :wink: ), but rather to show that there is a really wide range of frequency.

Similarly, I wasn’t ‘defending the woman’, but rather saying it is an issue for BOTH to address.

Overall, it is a question of difference, rather than either person being ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Whether or not the OP can accomodate that difference within his relationship, or whether to attempt to resolve it through counselling, is probably something only he can answer (with no blame on either side)

It’s a shame that most people are seeing this as a situation where the OP’s girlfriend has the ‘problem’ / should change. There really isn’t any such thing as a ‘normal’ frequency to have sex – it varies massively between people and can range from once or twice a year to every couple of days:

– 18-29 year olds have sex an average of 112 times per year, 30-39 year olds an average of 86 times per year, and 40-49 year olds an average of 69 times per year (Mosher, Chandra, Jones 2005).

– 23% of non-married men reported they have never had sex in the past year, 25% reported only a few times in the past year, 26% reported a few times in the past month, 19% reported 2-3 times a week, and 7% reported 4 or more times a week (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).

– 32% of non-married women reported they have never had sex in the past year, 23% reported only a few times in the past year, 24% reported a few times in the past month, 15% reported 2-3 times a week, and 5% reported 4 or more times a week (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).

– 1% of married men reported they have never had sex in the past year, 13% reported only a few times in the past year, 43% reported a few times in the past month, 36% reported 2-3 times a week, and 7% reported 4 or more times a week (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).

– 3% of married women reported they have never had sex in the past year, 12% reported only a few time in the past year, 47% reported a few times in the past month, 32% reported 2-3 times a week, and 7% reported 4 or more times a week (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).

– 13% of married couples reported having sex a few times per year, 45% reported a few times per month, 34% reported 2-3 times per week, and 7% reported 4 or more times per week (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).

The main issue for the OP and his GF is one of incompatability – to overcome that are BOTH able to change and each take a step towards some middle ground? Seeing it as a problem where only one person should change their behaviour is never a good approach.

TJ is right, and a therapist would be a good way forward – but only if both are happy to consider how they might change their behaviour.

If not, then in the end going your different ways might be the best way forward.

Great!

Got into work to find a pink parcel waiting on my desk … Opened it to find a rather lovely new Gore pink and black cycling jersey and Gore mtb shorts. Fantastic! (Plus many thanks to the usual great service from minxgirl.com)

Rather than the media manufactured stereotype, I’d far rather buy what I want for Valentines Day than wait for some guy* to send me flowers :)

* fortunately current ‘we’re not really dating’ guy has a similar view about Valentine’s Day, plus by now he has already got me so many flowers I have run out of vases to put them in …

DGOAB – great way to get sweaty with your OH on Valentine’s Day!

Hi FuzzyWuzzy – cheers for the link. I didn’t think it would be warm enough in March in the Alpjurras, but is it actually OK? And also, it seems to be self-catering and to be honest I would prefer to have food included as I don’t want to have to spend my tim e shopping – do you know if that’s an option?

Any other suggestions? Or recommended companies?

Not much to add to the above.

It does partly depend on your wife’s height, proportions and weight. The closer she is to a ‘man’s’ size / build, the more likely a ‘unisex’ bike will fit, but the more ‘female’ proportioned she is, then WS might be best.

As a smaller than average girl, I always look out for the following:
– short top tube
– short cranks (preferably 165)
– thin grips and short reach levers
– light weight
– able to get full movement out of any front / rear suspension

As it’s for her birthday, how about buying her a ‘biking day’ somewhere suitable for biginners with a hired bike (or 2) to try, and a ‘bike of choice’ promise. That way she gets something on her birthday, whilst also meaning she has some input into what type of bike suits her.

Thanks for all the suggestions – will check them out. Keep the ideas coming :)

Would prefer to go as part of a ‘group’, as it would be nice to have other folks to ride / eat etc with.

But was also considering Club La Santa in lanzarote: http://www.clublasanta.co.uk/sports-activities/cycling
Anyone been?

Blimey … was today National Puncture Day???

b r – your wife is indeed a top bird for doing that :)

Well done you!

Here’s to continued recovery and more biking :)

SB – she is beautiful! What stunning dog.

Really pleased for you. Although you must still really miss Rex, we all have space in our hearts for another dog.

Have loads of fun with her :)

Graham_Clark – adjustable bouldering wall sounds great … any details / info? Did you make it yourself, or buy it?

ianv – fantastic idea! A mini climbing wall (bouldering mats could double up as a spare bed, or extra large throw cusions to keep TSY happy?)… or maybe a couple of traversing routes round the room? Plus a finger board :)

mmm – at this rate I’m going to have to knock through the wall and expand the wo-wo man cave into the utility room to make more space

Rusty Spanner – I sure am having a housewarming party, just not sure that an open invite to a (predominatly male!) mtb’ing forum would be wise! However, I might organise a North Wales ride at some point after moving …