weather here

mrh – this was covered in some detail a couple of weeks ago, just in case you need more info that'll help your / any search.

Don't ride this w/end after maybe 10am as it'll be absolutely heaving with the flipflop-wellie brigade plus the ban starts on Thursday.

Outlook for Thursday
Perhaps a little brighter but still with occasional wintry showers and occasional hill fog. Further accumulations of snow likely over the higher ground. Significant wind chill likely in strong or gale force westerly winds.

Outlook for Friday
Showers or longer spells of rain and occasional hill fog. Some sleet or wet snow still possible on the highest ground. Strong southerly or southwesterly winds with a continuing risk of gales.

Outlook for Saturday
Sunny intervals and occasional showers, some still wintry on high ground. Occasional hill fog. Continuing risk of gales.

AP Racing brakes.
Goodridge and Earls for hydralics and hoses.
Do you need the addresses?

Since it's the sort of thing that they gift you when you bought a Rover 75 or Rover 45, do you not want something that follows on from that text already on the side?

Your retirement date perhaps? 😉

Nope.

search other posts on this site "snowdon"?

Titanium comes in various gauges and of course tube thickness differs from bike design to bike design.

Just a thought, but I'd contact Orange and see what the next step really is rather than prejudice any possible future dealings with them by asking for the Great Unwashed’s opinions on public web forums.

If you've seen the weather forecast it's all going to Hell in a bucket this week!
Snow in the north, wet with some more wet in the south.
Lovely!
Roll on N Wales and a mud-fest (maybe).
I'm booked in for both the night ride (40km) followed by the day 50km, so 2 of everything will be the order of the day.
One last fling for the Bonty Mud-X's to have some fun I hope.

They're only for giants.
And clowns.

Clearly, it's better if you're a giant clown then you can reaaly start to own the trails.

(looking forward to the promised bigger knob).

My Tanita scales today told me I have the body of a 36yr old.
The Dr last week confirmed I have the knees of a 75yr old.
I feel like a refugee from Robot Wars!

I'm closer in age to the bride's mother than I am to the bridemaids & I quite look forward to time by myself.
Now all I need is a high-backed chair, a Rover 45 in the drive & a pair of slippers.

I met a couple whilst out trekking solo over the High Atlas Mtns a couple of years ago. Both in their 70's, they now have to hire a mule and guide when they go on home-made adventures, but I'd love to still be a free spirit myself in 20-30 years time & fit enough to able to do something abouit it (although that'd make my knees 105!).

I bought my 1st bike in my 40's (had them as a kid).

+1 Penmachno.
CDB if you want a weekend's riding all in one place, similar to Afan, but different!
Snowdon on the doorstep. Marin too if you're really bored!

A view from the otherside (a little bit playing the Devil's Advocate here) so I expect some flack
:
40 is, for many a realisation that things will never be the same again.
The fat will not shift, so what you have will remain, and more will accumulate.
Your liver will be close to being pickled (maybe) your ears will become forests of unwanted hair, what’s left still on your head hair will recede and also go grey.
“Distinguished” you might be thinking. "Old" others will comment.

Ask the ladies on non-mtn bike forums for a more balanced view but you're beyond 1/2 way to the end at 40 (average age of men is 78) so yes, technically you're on the other side of the hill.

The thing is, that the gradient this side of the hill (45) is very much steeper than I personally imagined but what’s quite worrying is that you can see the end point, which is likely dementia from 65, or caring for a partner with dementia. This will be brought home to you as you witness your own parent’s slow demise, both their mental and physical abilities will rapidly diminish almost monthly & they’ll eventually look at residential homes for their own future. This is not pleasant.

Your ability to attract a mate diminishes too, although the desire wanes somewhat (!) and you start to think back to how fast you used to be, or how many 36hr sessions you could pull, or that your pects were once seriously impressive.

The slimmer and fitter you are in your late 30’s, early 40’s the better off you will be. Into your mid 40’s there’s a real sense that there was some Y junction at 40, and much of the population had no choice but to take the less-fit route (leading to all manner of health related issues later on down that path), where as you might have the other route available to you; which is by far the better option.

The answer: do everything you can now, this side of 40, just so you do not have regrets & it will set you up for this un-spoken about Y junction. Push hard, take lots of pictures to amaze / bore the fellow residents of your own care home 35 years from now (!), get your priorities correct and go and enjoy the remainder of your life before 40 ‘cause the prospects of you making any real gains beyond 40 are slight, although you’ll be in the Vet’s category by then! Fitness will help you no end & mtn biking or any cycling can be a key to feeling no different about 40+ than did 30+.

It's an interesting debate, one that's been rumbling on for a while.

I think it comes down to one thing: do you value The Times enough, ie, do you and have enough of a relationship already with the writers, cartoonists and maybe even the photographers to continue that relationship on-line?

If not, and you're a casual user, the the Guardian on-line has stated it's staying free, so you can use that, or the BBC's on-line content is a good overview, but you should also be aware that certain specialist titles such as the FT already charge for their on-line content.

Not sure if they won't have to re-consider this in 6 months TBH as the one thing that's propping up these titles is advertising. If you don't get passing trade, relying solely upon an established client base your ability to attract new advertisers might be greatly reduced.

A rock & a hard place, so good luck to them!

If you are there for a few day, can I suggest Cader Idris, which too has a bikeable trail.

Closer to Snowdon is the Red Route at Penmachno (both loops), it's like your favourite, pretty, winding walking narrow trail way out in the holls – but for bikes!
It might even be my new, personal "best" trail. Allow for 3hrs in these conditions.

I did not gel with the Marin trail, but am reassured it's a blast in the final 1/6th of the trail.

A walk up Tryfan (Wales's most striking mountain?) is something to be savoured too.

Also, learn how it works and forcast your own. It's not hard.

People tend to look at a waethermap that says 'sunny' or whatever, then expect it to be like that all day…..

I don't think so! The Met spends millions on forecasting models so I think it must be a little harder than you suggest!

I'd be keen to learn if there's a more accurate web based forecast (if anyone knows, plase tell) that is more reliable as just taking a jacket is not a sensible answer to a more complex question.

DD. You joke, right.
They said heavy rain at 12:00.
So I'm standing out in the garden, all soaped up to the hilt, waiting to shower it all off.
And so the sun comes out.

So far it's been more wrong than usual this week. One thing's for sure, don't plan your Easter w/end around their forecasting!

Higthepig:
Becareful what you say!
A snapped spindle in the middle of the Ulu is nothing to be laughed at.
I had mine rebuilt at Mayhem each year and yet one Egg Beater "let go" & left me stranded 1/3rd into the 100 mile race up in Kielder.
It cost me heaps, as I spent ages (40 mins) looking for the outer casing, then I bought a set of flats 1/2 way 'round at a Mech' 1st Aid station, then I missed the cut off at 55 miles (just!), meaning that all that training had seen me fail to complete the event.
Plus the terrible cramps I endured as I only fitted 1x flat pedal (not to be recommended) at the time.

Take a leaf out of my book and maintain a strict maintenence schedule or it could cost you far more than you ever bargined for! 😳

Up then down Llanberris.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Why?
It's far more interesting to do the Ranger's Path on the return leg.

How can you possibly take different paths? Are you sure you're on the correct mountain? 😉

Anyhow, are we in agreement it's not possible to actually ride the entire route up, as MBR this month suggests?

Some shocking images there.

Regrettably, the UK is very soft on its approach to so many things like this.
Dr's are even hesitant about telling people they're clinically obese, so there's no hope in getting a slick, hard hitting advert like that past the sensors. YOu'd have all manner of complaints and it'd be pulled.

Worth it though as once it's pulled, people would actively search it out on line to see what all the fuss was about!

Just under 2hrs up.
10 mins pics on top. Get cold. Ride down the Ranger's Path.
It's very rocky & steep in places.

Be aware it's easy to miss the R turn up onto the grass & up & over to the final decent back to Pete's

If you get to see the zig-zag nature of the trail on the final part down to the road & Ranger's Sation, back up 150m!

4hrs and enjoy the ride. Mine's a pint O'tea.

Go with the Candys as the Eggbeaters tend to fall apart unless you maintain a strict maintenence schedule.

Wait 'til you puncture!

'Tis the point.
You don't!
I always carry the kit in case the trye tears.
But I don't puncture amy more.

I've lost all my underseat gubbins 2x after failing to zip everything up well post innertube replacement though, and a pair of ride-glasses that mysteriously got snaffled by the pesky bushes!

I wish that were the case.
My Pace RC 300 frame went for peanuts.

Little girl. Read the books as there's no such English word as gonna, and that "sat" is the wrong form of the verb, you meant to say "sitting there"! 😉

Take the lot but leave me my walking boots and my washing machine (although, if you took all my clothes, I guess the washing machine might be a tad redundant!).

Mr W. Walsh is no fool.
Prior to the strike, he parked dozens & dozens of aircraft away from H’row so any air images on TV and in the papers won’t look bad.

If you’re a plane spotter, it’s plane heaven at H’row at present as he’s sub contracting much of the work out to smaller carriers as they’re not on strike.

If you believe it’s simply because they want one less cabin crew on each flight, then you need to take your head out of the sand!

3 in one ride 18 months ago.Walked home.

Tubeless now and it makes innertubes look so very 20th century!
It's one of those, "Why the Hell did I not do this a long, long time ago" moments.

Interparcel: you get the option of about 8+ (?) different courier companies, various options on collections and delivery times too.
But assuming you're clicked on the previous link, you already know this.
Can't imagine they'd transport anything not wrapped or boxed.

What makes me weep most is: people not knowing the difference between there & their, but the worst culprit, people not knowing the difference between they're & there.

Sincere commiserations salad – I personally still have all that to go through.

You only need to have seen the display put on by Patrick Kielty who, over several hours, sobbed himself to sleep on the first night on the Sport Relief's £1,330, 000 sponsored bike ride to know that the answer is NO.

He proceeded to sob after every little ride he did thereafter (between bouts of drinking alcohol).

I am very uncomfortable with men sobbing unless there's a very good reason for it, which would typically involve personal loss or some tremendous achievemnet / high.

I was very surprised by the out-pouring of grief after Princess Di died.

Don't know! Would hate to think of myself as normal!
😉

"would have had a crash and damaged it to have hurt the ligaments & trust me"

Incorrect.
I never crashed, they became stretched for unknown reasons, partly lost in time and I did not kneel for 7yrs as I did not like the "dislocating" effect on the knee.

I also had cartilage removed and an arthroscopy and a lateral release on a quad, all at different times.

Now I'm side-lined as I've overdone it and there's inflamation under the knee cap. Fun, eh!

Most of the time I'll venture a reply if I think my knowledge will in some way help out.

Except when we get questions like
1)"Tell me how to photograph my brother's wedding as I'm too tight and don't appreciate the difference anyhow",
or
2) " Tell me how to design a logo and not pay a professional"
or
3) the post is generated by a evangelical convert who is looking for reassurance the he/ she has made the correct decision.

I (now) avoid these like the plague!

Go to the Dr's.
Do not pass Go.
Do not collect £200.

Possible answer: you've stretched the ligaments on the outside of the knee and it's that movement of bending fully bent & then straightening full that's making it look like it's popping in and out of a joint. I had something similar with both sides of the knee.

Solution: don't kneel down – for 7 years!

I also note that he's not got an original thought going on as he's never started a single thread, only ever adding some randon letters to existing posts.

Troll for sure.

McCoy Racing's long lost brother?
Orange is the new black.

http://www.interparcel.com

Must it be boxed? DOH!

The bike's going to be stripped down anyhow as some of the lacquer has been damaged.
The CF has not been punctured nor crushed and it's been kept indoors since the incident as naked CF is porous – something to be aware of when buying 2nd hand CF as this will likely see the weave fail with little or no external evidence of an impending catastrophic failure (I had quite an in depth chat with Caparo T1’s manufactures!) so this protective layer needs re-applying, which Smart Moulding in N Wales are doing for me next week.

As you say, Paypal's fees have made it less cost effective as a seller.

Cheers for the advice about posting in on STW, not something I'd considered.

HERE Lucy Davies

A few days later, Lucy Davies sat down on the BBC Breakfast News couch along side Sian & Bill.
This is the 5yr old whose parents received a letter from the local authority about their child’s BMI and likely future health issues.

It’s only when you get some perspective on things that you can make more informed decisions, and she was indeed a large-of-stature girl, but big of bone and in IMHO, IN proportion.
However, the camera zooms out to reveal the mother, who was a gargantuan! Again, physically very large of stature, in a N Germanic and not in a Tamil way (!), who for some reason had inflated A tractor tyre inner tube & tucked it under her bright red, too-tight fitting top, further emphasising her weight issues.

Her mother, Susan, 38, said the 3ft 9in-tall girl, who weighs 3st 9lb, regularly played outdoors and took part in ballet, cheerleading and walks.

Then we had the case of the 10yr old whose father contacted the media when his own daughter was told by the Wii Fit that she was obese.

"I was gobsmacked when it told her that she is overweight.”
"She is a healthy ten-year-old girl with an active lifestyle – she swims and dances every week.
"There is not an inch of fat on her. She is solidly built but not fat”

Then the two of them went in front of the world’s media (read cameras and TV) and lo! she was, as had been suspected, just a smaller version of him, and he was obese.

The point being that we do not need TJ (just using this as an illustartion) to tell me his nephew is fit & healthy, and please note that these “facts” were never in doubt, but it’s simply that there is little or no perspective for us to work with, and as such is fairly meaningless as proof positive that all is as he would have us believe.

Thought the scenery in Scotland in the snow was visually quite stunning, and Davina's frozen hair – what a stalwart!

I did think Miranda would have been more of a comic, a litte more light hearted about the whole experience, at least Carr injected some humour into the event.

Finding correlations between one event (finding vegetables even) and another is a little unconvincing don’t you think?
I know a cyclist who, after cancer and chemo reached the peak of his physical performance. Therefore to reach your next level, like Armstrong, you too need testicular cancer. Or is it that you need chemo to reach the next level of performance? I forget.
Or with Lewis; is it not that he maybe let Jesus into his life that took his sprinting to the next level, or was it the loss of his mother perhaps?
So, we therefore deduce that in order to run your best times you need Jesus and no mother?
Next you’ll be ‘round my place flogging me a copy of the Watch Tower!
Only when you explode such urban myths and fallacies, lay bare some truth and perspective to these spurious links do you see something approaching the truth.

Then we live for two years in northern Germany and witness at first hand the large meat content in their diet and draw a correlation between that and their (N Germans) very large physical stature. Then spend time in a predominantly vegetarian society in the Indian sub continent and similarity draw conclusions about their small physical stature and the low meat content of their diets.
See, I can make my landscape fit my map too.
It is my experience that those who took up vegetarianism at an early age have not physically developed at the quite same rate as their siblings within their own families.
Or am I making the Lewis – Armstrong error, and it’s actually that they chose to wear lace bonnets at the annual Easter Parade that’s really the link?

You see, no mention that they weren't health and fit, no one has disputed this TJ, it is you that is rather transparent with you observations and closing sentence "You are talking utter claptrap" since it's you who is talking selective rubbish!

My, we do have some blinkered, vitriolic posting here this evening.

Not surprising really since those with a vested interest in proving that their child is X or Y or that they can jump over the moon in one leap is proof positive of their own stance.

The evidence sported here is at best no more than a small sample, as was mine.

We're told once Carl Lewis had finished growing he was turned vegan, although my point was that not having sufficient protein during the formative age was perhaps a concern, so the Lewis story, whilst a very nice story is a red herring.

But he's slow by comparison to the carnivore that is Bolt, so do we all eat at McD'd before our Olympic races, of course not; isolated cases prove very little.

TJ's nephew: were not told when he went veggie nor that his parents might well be quite a bit taller than their offspring, so again, selective story telling par excellence.

Linda McCartney foods were lambasted for their high fat content a while back and the few meals I get in for the veggie staff (x1) here are high in fat.

So let's have some science:
Almond Nuts. 1 cup. 140 gms, 26 gms protein, 75gms fat, 2 gms carbs, 785 calories, 35% protein absorbed & converted to muscle.

Brown Rice, 1 cup. 150 gms, 4gms protein, 1gm fat, 38 gms carbs, 177 calories, 70% protein absorbed & converted to muscle.

Spinach, steamed, 1 cup. 100gms, 3gms protein, trace fat, 3 gms carbs, 24 caloriies, 48% protein absorbed & converted to muscle.

Red kidney beans, dry, cooked. 1 cup. 200 gms. 16gms protein, 1 gm fat, 39gms carbs, 229 calories, 48% protein absorbed & converted to muscle.

Lentis, 1 cup, 200gms, 16 gms protein, trace fat, 37 carbs, 212 calories, 48% protein absorbed & converted to muscle.

Chicken. white meat. 8oz. 227 gms, 40gms protein, 14 gms fat, 286 calories, 68% protein absorbed & converted to muscle.

Source: Dr Franco Columbu & Linda Fragomeni. ISBN 0-8092-5457-3

I had no opinion on him before last night.
Barely registers on anything I do or watch or listen to.

But now I know.
Bring back National Service – what-what!