Walowiz, good to know your insomnia got better. My appetite seems to be returning, so hopefully my sleep will get back to normal now. Hope you get your energy back soon.

I ended up catching it off my partner. Really wish I’d made more effort to isolate from him. My initial illness wasn’t that bad, temperature about 0.5c above normal, aches, upset stomache and an unpleasant taste/smell. On day 7, when I seemed to be getting over it, I developed insomnia. It’s now 10 days later and I’ve barely slept in that time. I fall asleep and immediately dream and then wake up again. I was prescribed 3 sleeping tablets and on the mornings after I took them I did feel a bit more refreshed, but then exhausted again by mid afternoon. I’ve got none left now so tried over the counter sleep aids, but hasn’t helped. I worked part time last week but today feel so absolutely exhausted and have a high resting heart rate. Not sure how I’m going to cope next week if I don’t start getting some sleep soon. Really worried for my long term health.

Other half is currently a week into it. He’s not had the jab, so I’ve been worried sick all week. He seemed to be getting better at the weekend and his cough seemed a lot better but it’s come back again today and sounds awful and he’s achy all over again and has a rash. I’m double jabbed but still worried about getting it as I haven’t been able to isolate from him. I have asthma and I’m at 5 months post 2nd jab. I thought there was supposed to be some protection from infection with the jabs but heard of so many breakthrough cases. Everyone’s experiences above are quite scary.

I spent 4 weeks a year in Dyffryn Ardudwy as a kid. I loved it up until I was a teenager. Have been back there cycling with my other half on numerous occasions and for the last 3 years at Dyffryn seaside estate with my sister and nieces. They seem to love it too. Have been bothered a bit by midges when sitting outside the pub in Barmouth. Barmouth was absolutely rammed last year on our last night, but it was one of the hottest weekends of the year and I think that and people missing out on holidays due to lockdown had everyone heading for the sea.

I had AZ and started feeling crap after about 8 hours. It lasted 24 hours, achy, shivers and a bad headache. My parents and sister all had Pfizer. My dad had no side effects and my mum and sister had a sore arm. Pretty sure my parents had Covid last March/April, but had no antibodies when they got tested in December.

I agree, it’s not right that some are being offered and some not. Also, a past hospital admission doesn’t necessarily reflect the current state of someone’s asthma. My brother’s ex was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties and was diagnosed with asthma. As soon as she was prescribed an inhaler, she was fine. Under the new guidelines she qualifies, but your friend doesn’t. I hope your friend’s GP decides she should be included.

Mine certainly didn’t feel well controlled 3 weeks ago, but I’ve been ok since the steroids.

I’ve had a call from my doctor this morning booking me in for a vaccine on Friday. I’ve never been hospitalized due to asthma. I’ve had steroids, the last time was 3 weeks ago, but never 3 lots in 3 months. Very pleased to be offered it.

I’m sure no one with asthma expects to be prioritised ahead of the elderly. I was assuming it would be group 6. If not, that means my partner who is 50 in 2 months and perfectly healthy will be offered it before me. I have 4 puffs of fostair daily but still feel like someone is sat on my chest.

While not being a fan of froome.. i have to say that i am impressed with the improvement to his descending. It wasnt that long ago that he was crying like a baby about others descending faster than him and calling it too dangerous.

Are you sure you’re not confusing him with one of the Schlecks?

Chapeau to both Froome and Dumoulin.

Councils won’t touch bees, are you sure that is not what you’re thinking of? They should do wasps, but you’ll probably have to pay, ours charge about £55, I think.

Joe Breeze outside the Marin bike museum. We had just ridden Repack road.

Try searching on eBay/Gumtree, I think some people have had theirs turn up on there after a while.

For history Waitangi Treaty Ground in the Bay of Islands http://www.waitangi.org.nz[/url%5D and Te Papa Museum in Wellington. We didn’t go to the treaty ground, so can’t comment on that. The museum was good.

As others have said, Abel Tasman. It’s really beautiful. I’d live near there if I could. Also, driving down the west coast of South Island is really stunning.

Hobbiton (I seem to recall it was about an hours drive from Rotorua) and Weta Workshops in Wellington were both worth visiting. I’m not a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fan and only went because the other half is a massive fan. I really enjoyed it though.

We did a kayaking trip in Taupo to see some Maori rock carvings and also a white water rafting trip from there, helicopter whale watching trip in Kaikoura and jet boating in Queenstown. You can pretty much do any adrenaline fuelled activity in Queenstown.

Even if you don’t take your bike, it’s well worth hiring one in Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington and Nelson. I’d also recommend the Timer Trail in the middle of North Island.

We arrived in the middle of November and it was not that warm, there were even a couple of hail showers. Although my friend did tell me it was unusually cold and a couple of weeks before that had been really hot. The only time I remember it being consistently warm was January. Outside of that, if the sun was not out it could be quite chilly, but once it came out, it was burning you.

Picture of west coast of South Island near Franz Joseph. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153084735327996&l=b7571451e8

Thanks for the PSA. I have shared with the Charnwood MTB group on Facebook.

Done

Finished watching it last night. Really enjoyed it.

Some nice looking bikes there. Here’s mine. I sold it to someone on here. I really miss it.

Matts, thanks for your reply about the tyres. I’ve got a stan’s crow 2.2 knocking around the garage and tried it to see if I thought the 2.0 would fit, but I didn’t think it would. Think I’m just going to go for the Knards or the Panaracer Gravel Kings SK (although it looks like a long wait for those to be in stock anywhere).

I was using mine with a 1×10 setup. I’m pretty sure that the chain was 10 speed.

Brilliant!

We used Navigator Travel. I have asthma and had also just had an operation on my nose. My other half had just recovered from a broken thumb. We had to declare all of these. Don’t know what they are like if you have to claim though.

What are the widest tyres people have fitted without mudguards?

Did we watch the same video?

The copper didn’t “request him to stop,” he leant on his horn and shouted some twaddle about cycle lanes, as far as I can tell primarily as a result of someone else swerving out of the cycle lane. As soon as he fired up the blues and twos the cyclist stopped as soon as was (arguably) safe to do so. Big man in a big car hurling abuse, I’d have ignored him too. I’ve no time for bullies.

The copper then didn’t read him anything, he went on a tirade of whataboutery and tried to intimidate the cyclist with threats about taking his name (which you’re not obliged to comply with unless being detained). As soon as the policeman realised the rider wasn’t about to bend over he sodded off.

And what “riding standard” exactly constituted him breaking the law?

This.

The guy with the camera was in the cycle lane until after the police car sounded his horn. He seemed to move out of his lane as a result of the conversation with the copper. I thought the copper was sounding his horn at the other guy.

I don’t know what the answer is, some people just don’t like cyclists. Someone got arsey with my partner on Sunday, he was going slower than walking pace, she had 3 dogs that were running around all over the place and wasn’t in control of any of them. This was on a NCN route. Another time we were sat on a bench at the top of a hill. Some woman started ranting to her husband about cyclists not being allowed there, there’s children and dogs that they could run over. She was clearly saying it loud enough for our benefit. We’d just ridden up a track that is sign posted horse and cycle track, there’s a gate to the car park and a left turn up to the bench, there’s nothing to say that cyclists aren’t allowed on the bit up to the bench and we hadn’t seen a single child on the way up and have never run any over in over 20 years of cycling.

I’m not sure why people are saying cyclists are so much better behaved in Holland. I’ve never seen so many bellends on bikes as in Amsterdam.

Yes, a Santa Cruz Tallboy. I’ve had it for over 2 years, but only done 1200 miles on it. I have a Niner Air 9, which I love, but was a bit harsh when I took it to Wales, so decided to get something with some rear suspension. I used to own a Superlight, which I loved, so thought another Santa Cruz would be a good choice, but it’s never felt right. I enjoy riding it downhill, but hate it anywhere else. Have decided to put it on the classifieds or Ebay.

Will have to pop into Leicester at the weekend and give them a try.

Ozone coffee.

Weremonster was brilliant. Also really enjoyed episode 4, loved the woman getting murdered while Petula Clark was playing. Apparently Hulu leaked episode 5 last night, so a few people got to see it before it was taken down. Sounds like it might be a bit different.

I was not impressed with episode 1, the dialogue was awful. CSM being back after being blown up seems ridiculous (although we are supposed to get an explanation for this in episode 6 – I hope it’s a good one). Mulder was too quick to dismiss all he’d previously seen and believe the new conspiracy.

I have seen up to episode 4 and they have all been much better IMO, especially episodes 3 and 4.

Here you go Wallop.

I believe she lives in London, and has done for quite some time, as well as doing a lot of stage and period drama stuff, so she’s had lots of practice.
She is a fine looking lass, and no mistake, and a damned good actress. Looking forward to the new X-Files, anyone know when it’s being shown over here?

It will be on Channel 5, the first episode sometime between the 6th and 12th Feb, they will announce the exact day on Wednesday. I’m hoping to watch it when I get up in the morning, either by USTVNOW, i’ve got some free dvr credits, but not sure if i’ve set it up properly. If that doesn’t work I’ll try Series Cravings or it might be on a David Duchovny forum I’m a member of.

I’ve seen a couple of Gillian’s plays and she was great. I wanted to watch Streetcar, but didn’t think I was going to be in the country at the time, so didn’t get a ticket.

Season 6 and 7 were a real struggle to get through. Think I might have given up if it hadn’t been for the Hank Moody hotness. I can’t believe I’ve got a brand new episode of The X Files to look forward to in the morning. Bought tickets on Friday to a meet and greet with him at one of his concerts. I missed out on London as they put them on sale a day earlier than advertised, so going to Paris instead.

I’m intrigued. I can’t picture what would have been wrong with the frame to cause that issue.

We’ve no idea. The only thing the shop we took it to could suggest was that he might have crossed the threads when he put the bb in, but he’s replaced enough bottom brackets and done enough bike maintenance to know if he’d done that. It was a cheap sram bb, so don’t know if there was a quality issue with that. It was only one side, the other one was fine.

Here’s pictures of mine. Had a few issues at first. My partner put the bottom bracket in by hand for a few minutes while he checked how many spacers were required, but then couldn’t get it out without a tool. When it came out, the threads of the bb were stripped and aluminium left in the bb shell. Had to take it to a specialist to get the threads chased. Also, they sent the wrong end cap with my wheels, so had to wait for that too. It’s finally built up and have done a few rides on it.

Signed

Nice bike Moobaz. Mine is on its way

Nice write up Hummerlicious. How was your bar bag? I bought one from Charlie a couple of months ago but haven’t used it yet.

I’m sure Freeborn said there was a shipment of frames due at the end of July and I was hoping mine would arrive next week, but looking at Upgrades site, they’re saying 21st August :(

Yes, got a TV, but not hooked up to the aerial. Watching box sets at the moment and intend on subscribing to Netflix shortly. Watched the TDF on ITV player through the playstation, but the programmes weren’t always there which was a bit of a pain. The Alpe d’huez stage didn’t appear until sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, although we were able to watch it on the laptop. Can’t understand how that could be.

We just notified TV licensing that we didn’t need a licence as we watched dvd’s. My boyfriend noticed someone hanging around outside that didn’t look like a burglar, so we assumed it was them trying to see if we were watching broadcasted programmes as they said they would send someone round to check.

Thanks for your reply TurnerGuy, I ordered a USE Sumo, it should be with me tomorrow. Nearly got all my components now, hopefully there’s no delay on the frame. I’m just ordering my brakes, I seem to recall that it will only take one size rotor, is it 160mm? Can’t seem to find that info on the Kenesis site.

Would anyone recommend running a ti post and if so, which one. I want one with a clamp that’s not fiddly to set up/adjust. Thanks.