Depends how much you’re into American shows. Prime maybe has better film content. Does have The Expanse and Picard though. HD/4K doesn’t cost extra for Prime content. 4K streams seem better quality on a ain HD TV also.

Brit shows there’s Britbox but sounds like many issues with that.

Amazon Fire stick gets you access to each including Netflix but have to pay for each service. There are various other services on it too plus the free ones.

Note, Netflix have cut their bandwidth across Europe and asking people to use lower quality streams in preference due to the virus. Their infrastructure is likely only a fraction of Amazon’s.

I might have or maybe not. Who knows. Came back from France skiing just as it was kicking off and close to where that first case was in the Alps. Shitty cold. Just considered it normal for a ski trip. I never get colds at any other time. It’s just the flights, airports etc that spread it.

But no temperature, so assumed not. Still, some at work were not keen on me coming into the office.

Actually somethings been dragging on with this as constantly having blocked or stuffy nose but maybe it’s a sinus infection. Or it’s the after effects of a mild CV (though actually, coronavirus can be a cause of the common cold, just not Covid-19).

Is it absolutely the case that you’ll get the fever if you have it, even if mild?

🤷‍♂️

NT shutdown is their parks and gardens but open spaces, coastal areas etc are open. Plus parking charges suspended.

Going by FB posts, Surrey Hills was rammed yesterday apparently. Not just riders. Walkers in big groups hugging each other. Walking Bottom car park the usual crammed social meet. Despite requests to only go two at a time into the village shop and keep distance, not queue outside, apparently the opposite was happening.

I went elsewhere but loads of people out. As said, not just riders. Was good to see a lot of families with their kids riding though.

I think with everything else shut and everyone thinking exercise in the country is good and socially distant, it’s ended up making the countryside a gathering point which is what the government are trying to shut down.

I don’t want to lose the ability to ride as it’s a lifeline for me, even just pootle about. However at this rate we’re going to get a full ban. We’re paralleling Italy for infections and death rate, just a couple weeks behind. They’ve banned riding and now just banned all outdoor activity.

At present though I’d say no gnar, think about less popular places to go for a walk or ride or keep it local.

I did short lap around Frith area today…. never saw any other bikes there

Passed through today. Loads of dog walkers. Loads of them around everywhere and also families. A lot with kids on bikes which is good to see in a way.

Did see the odd few other riders. Plenty more over Tunnel Hill. Everyone seeming to be sensible though a few hero jump types.

Swinley though, Crown Estate are taking no risks. Not even fireroads. Yet walking fireroads are fine 🤔. To be fair, it’s the amount of people there and wide range of abilities that causes problem.

This from the bike hub.

“A statement from the landowner, The Crown Estate.

———————————————

Mountain Bike Trail Closures

We closed the trails to stop this.

A paramedic crew, and ambulance and a hospital bed taken up today unnecessarily.

DO NOT RIDE THE MTB TRAILS AT SWINLEY.

They are closed for a reason.

@thecrownestate

———————————————

Speaking with The Crown Estate earlier *all* trails include fireroads.

As a small business operating on Crown Estate land please help support us in applying and supporting the landowners wish to halt mountain biking at Swinley so that we do not consume critical NHS resource at this time.

Thank You for your support

#swinleylife @ Swinley Forest”

around about 5 mins maybe?

Not the same but love that. The whole episode. Is that an adult education thing?

Used to sing a song about coffee. I have no idea if it was a known song or just something the music teacher made up.

C..O..F..F..E..E, coffee tastes nicer than tea…

And can’t remember the rest.

Also weird junior school kids singing about coffee and tea.

What’s a Banda machine?

A form of drug control with the vapours it gave off. Nice smell though.

Swinley now shut for MTB. Facilities closed and not allowed to use the trails for MTB. Crown Estate taking the risk and pressure on NHS stance. To be fair given the high number of incidents there it’s understandable.

All B1KE parks shut also.

At today’s press conference the deputy chief medical officer was asked about children playing. Her reply was that obviously team games shouldn’t be done but cycling was fine so long as social distancing rules were followed.

Government advice – go cycling! 👍

The key bit being stressed is the closure of all places of social gathering even for exercise. Hence leisure centres even outdoor if gathering there.

Trail centres and popular ride destinations people drive to might be put under pressure or feel they have to close access. Have to wonder about Swinley. At least the car park.

As above, consistency.

Don’t care what the PSI says, just that the tyre will feel about what I’m used to each time.

Issue I have though is multiple track pumps. In the house and in the car. They may not be the same. I need to calibrate really, ie work out what the reading is for the same pressure I like on each and mark that.

The government has said there should be no none essential travel. So yes it has been banned. Driving somewhere to ride your bike is not essential

The government has advised against none essential foreign travel, and non-essential use of public transport. They have advised varying travel times avoiding rush hour.

The headlines are misleading in this and have only picked up on the non-essential travel but reading the article details and the official published government guidance, it all relates to worldwide travel, flights etc, and the same when listening to the full statements from Dominic Raab etc (and not just the soundbites from Johnson).

Also, very little has actually been banned. We just have advice. Whether that’s the right approach or it should be stricter and enforced like Spain, Italy etc, is another matter. Going by the figures infected regionally I don’t think we’re at that stage yet.

Travel to a destination to get some exercise is essential as far as I’m concerned and we are advised to get exercise so long as we maintain social distancing.

The government advice to reduce transmission of the virus being “ Avoid gatherings with friends…”

I denounce them as friends then 😄 . Just some people who happen to be about while I’m riding, and not a gathering (it’s not Highlander).

Meanwhile – https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/imba-statement-on-mountain-biking-and-covid-19

There’s been no statement banning cycling in UK. I can’t find the link at the moment but there had been comments from MPs I think, or at least some GPs, advising cycling being good form of solo exercise.

The risk and pressure on NHS does apply however, but then the risks from driving are far greater and that hasn’t been banned. Only non-essential foreign travel currently advised against.

The pressure isn’t there yet though. There were 30 confirmed cases in Surrey as of yesterday. Not all of those will have required hospital treatment and many of those are old cases. Might only be a few in ICU if any currently in hospitals near me.

However it can all go through the roof in the next few days/weeks/months. At that point I expect cycling will be banned. I really hope not as it’s a lifeline for me for mental health amongst other reasons.

Anyway, social gatherings advised against but again, not banned. That’s been enough for events to cancel which maybe is fair enough, and a lot of informal group rides binned too, which I’m not so sure about.

Got no problem with going out with a few friends and just keeping distance. Still, I’m happy with solo rides. Just more of a problem for night rides.

If WHO give cycling a green light as above, then fine by me. Just knock the gnar on the head.

Meanwhile – https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2020/03/17/do-not-ban-bicycling-in-covid-19-measures-industry-urges-uk-government

Surrey Hills today

Elite was the best thing on the BBC Micro back in the day and I played it to death (and to Elite ranking). Loved it.

Elite Dangerous, looks pretty, too much detail, the “realistic” flight sim too complex, the large amount of controls are confusing, and way too long to achieve anything.

Got bored and gave up.

That’s the thing. Original Elite had all the gameplay bits and simplified the flight controls so people could enjoy playing it. I believe that was some of the conflict between original creators Bell & Braben that led to their falling out. Braben wanted physical realism. Bell was fine with an arcade style space trading sim. Braben went on his own for the sequels and they’ll all been hampered with too much complexity or difficulty in flying.

Still, with potential extra time available and renewed interest I might fire up Dangerous again. I feel I need fancy joystick controls though and I’m just on PC with keyboard and mouse.

Though it’s probably moved on a lot in last couple of years and I need to buy another expansion pack or something to keep up. That’s another problem. It’s online only and evolves.

IR35 off payroll private sector changes postponed for a year 😉

Not scrapped, but it’s a good thing for now in my book.

Been riding round there for a decade and know how to spot them. Primarily to be sure I can keep out of their way. Get to know their favourite spots.

To be honest they give themselves away at times smoking 😉

Anyway, despite the current bylaw and without consultation prior to the review, they’ve fenced off another area.

https://www.byelawsreview.com/

FYI – been posted on FB, Pots is now entirely fenced off. They’ve put up fences by the canal access at the bottom.

Vast majority of the night ride groups are on Tunnel Hill and Caesars. Neither fenced off and both have more training going on than in the fenced off areas. Occasionally see some around the bridge in Minley. Extremely rare to bump into any troops at night in Pots and Long Valley.

If troops encountered, always quick to cut the lights and go elsewhere. Occasionally have a chat with them and they’re happy to talk and point out where’s good to go. Only ones who have told us to clear off have been Landmarc, even then only the odd few.

As for the dog shit, most of that is in Ash Ranges. It’s considered rightful dog walking territory. I’ve even seen posts calling out people not walking dogs there as weirdos and suggesting reporting them!

Noting there’s a licence being introduced for professional dog walkers.

Also the Gov site for opening times shows booked out for driver training. Not aware that’s a driver training area

Actually, I read the wrong bit there. It’s Long Valley closed for driver training which makes more sense. Though out of hundreds of times in there I’ve never come across a vehicle on training. Only the odd Landmarc van.

Anyway, G2 is Pots, and closed for training. Not seen evidence though but guess they’re very good at hiding.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/south-east-training-estate-firing-times/aldershot-training-area-closure-times-march-2020

Also, Long Valley open this weekend.

Only way I’ve had decent increases is to move on.

However as said it’s down to negotiation also. I’m never any good at knowing my value and pushing for it, so what I think is good I find later others have got more and are no better at the job, purely because they asked for more.

Going contacting has made it more complicated as there’s no pay review in long term or renewing contracts (as I seem to get stuck in). Have to force the issue. Ideally just saying you’re putting your rate up, but a lot of clients dictate the rate, which is bad but I’ve often been stuck with that.

Though I’ve gone from some contacts to very good rates and then less on another but happy with it if it’s a good job and frankly it’s still a decent rate.

Certainly chest pains can occur through anxiety and can see it would be very confusing if you’ve had a heart attack trying to tell the difference, with the worry making it worse.

However the shortness of breath during exercise I would be worried about.

I had anxiety chest pains (no heart condition, that I’m aware of, after various checks) but one thing that reassures me is it goes away with exercise. If it didn’t, I’d be taking it easy until it’s fully checked out.

I seem to remember near the Old Dean Camberley side was, can’t think why though as it just looked like scrubland.

Perfect ground nesting bird territory most likely.

NE did get their knickers in a twist over an event round Barossa due post event trail uncovering, and they’ve been banned since I think.

The Thames Basin Heaths lot have their claws into a lot of the MOD land trying to protect heaths and GNBs. Can work to our benefit if it means maintaining public access. Though they’d prefer bikes and dogs weren’t there. The army mainly don’t like dogs (crawling through their shit).

On Pots being opened, that’s welcome and as a result of pressure I think. Though they’ve shut it most the last month or so and seen claims it’s in full use. Not when I’ve been there though. Also the Gov site for opening times shows booked out for driver training. Not aware that’s a driver training area. Though they have just put in a new surface on some of the fireroads.

No problems I find, but that’s with Prime. Next day will give me updates where the driver is on the day. I also get same day options which are reliable.

Best delivery service of any retailer, hence I prefer to buy from Amazon. If they say it’s in stock, it’s in stock and the delivery is when they say it is.

And, no, it’s not almost always cheaper elsewhere, with the exception of aliexpress and then if you’re happy paying the Chinese state for official knock offs… 😉. Though ebay and Amazon sellers are often the same people / Chinese state run companies.

No problems I find, but that’s with Prime. Next day will give me updates where the driver is on the day. I also get same day options which are reliable.

Best delivery service of any retailer, hence I prefer to buy from Amazon. If they say it’s in stock, it’s in stock and the delivery is when they say it is.

Did my head in. Persisted and yeah I could get used to which bit to look through but they’re annoyingly impractical unless I don’t need to read anything that isn’t in the distance. In particular if I want to read something small text at face level, I have to hold my head up high and peer down my nose. Causes eye strain. Fixing the prescription is just a compromise, adjusting to improve one thing at the sacrifice of another.

Now I just use my regular glasses and shift them about my nose or take them off to read close. Except when wearing contacts, then I’ve got the reading glasses, and I don’t have to peer down my nose with head held high.

Where I live I was told no flood defences as too few property at risk (a few dozen though). However just down the road there was a big costly flood defence scheme… exactly where the council intended building loads of flats (and have, plus are planning a huge amount more). Hmm.

This being river flooding, not coastal.

Took mine at Heathrow T5 couple years back and they couldn’t get it on the weighing belt and bloke just shrugged said it was okay. I was also worrying about 23kg limit but he insisted it was 32kg for bikes, despite what it says on their web site.

Packed off to the oversize and job done without being weighed.

Recent thing I’ve learned is T5 at least with ski stuff, head for the far left and the special assistance check-in area. There’s a desk for oversize check-in and they’re more clued up and seem less fussy plus the oversize drop off is right there.

Anyway, looking at the updated advice it doesn’t mention weight limit now other than your normal checked bag limit being 23kg for economy. Seems they want to check the potential weight up front.

They do have bit more explanation as to why here

You let us know by calling our contact centre at least 72 hours or more before your flight to tell us that you are bringing your bike with you, no matter what cabin you are travelling in. We also need to know how big its container is and, if possible, how much it weighs so we can tell our baggage team. This is especially important if you are travelling to a cycling event or with a group of cyclists. We have limited hold space on our smaller aircraft so, by letting us know, it will be more likely that your bike will travel on your flight with you, although this is not guaranteed.

Your bike is packed in a protective bicycle cover/box that is no larger than 190 x 95 x 65cm (75 x 37.5 x 25.5in) to reduce the risk of damage. This can be a heavy-duty polythene bike bag, padded case or hard shell. If in a non-rigid bag, please make sure the handlebars are fixed sideways, and the pedals are removed or fixed inwards, so they don’t stick out. It is also sensible to reduce tyre pressures. Clothes or other personal items should not be packed with your bike in your bike bag/box.

Interesting about not putting clothes in. They say the opposite for ski bags. Chuck it all in!

Though if there’s a chance the bike is going to end up on a cargo flight then perhaps good advice not to stick other stuff in. Besides I would struggle to keep it under 23kg with clothes in there too.

Bike ending up on cargo flight and/or turning up days later or not turning up at all is why I prefer driving. If it’s practical.

Doggy McDogface

Careful squeezing lever with pad block in. I’ve bust seals doing that before. Though was old Juicys which were always rubbish anyway.

I find once I have to bleed Guides they’re never quite the same. I’ve managed to shorten hoses and get away without bleeding.

The bite adjuster I believe just tweaks the travel of the plunger, though still find doing what SRAM say with it either makes no difference or makes it worse.

Just back from Chamonix and been up and down the valley to places only few miles away from Les Contamines-Montjoie where “that bloke” was. I’ve now got a cold (rarely get colds). Will I die?

Work actually suggested working from home all week as there’s some concern! 😄 (suits me WFH whatever).

Interesting though going through both Heathrow and Geneva on way out and on the way back, the amount of people wearing face masks.

Just to echo the above and from what people I know have said, stress your life is based around your riding. They may go for a basic fix enough for work unless your quality of life is seriously affected, then they may go for the premium package. That said it might not be an option on state care.

Though sounds like it’s a tough road.

Bloody legend and still was presenting Just a Minute at 96!

NSFW language, but always funny

Multiple hills around Surrey Hills can easily get you 3000ft+ climbing, but it’s very different to a Welsh mountain or the lakes.

How about Brecon first (Gap ride perhaps) and/or Black Mountains (the hills, not the trail centre)?

The whole system is crazy. Various neighbours have taken years to sell because of buyers pulling out and chains collapsing, costing a fortune each time.

Immediate neighbour finally sold, completion for the buyer, they moved out, buyer moved in but the house they were buying fell through. They’ve ended up staying with parents.

As for the freehold rent, is that pure freehold or leasehold rent to freeholder, even though you may own the freehold or share of?

As joint freeholder and also leaseholder on my freehold, I’ve just done an update to 999 year lease and now includes peppercorn rent but there’s basically no money involved as I understand it, in mine at least. Hence the peppercorn. Over years you could owe a bag of peppercorns I suppose 😀

Unconscious is best. After my big off and waking up in hospital with no clue what happened, I realised they’d stuck one in. Only had to deal with removal but not the agonising experience I was thinking it might be.

I’ve had to get one last three times for USA.

Half a dozen times driven there in last ten years including last year. Mostly Utah. Not one hire company has asked for one but accepted UK licence no problem. I even printed out the special DVLA code thing for hire companies which American ones are supposed to be able to access. They didn’t look at it.

Though I’ve never been stopped by a cop in the States. Though can’t believe they’d insist on the cardboard thing over the photo card.

Only issue I’ve had with photo card is using them for ID and one time had a rather clueless girl in a bar refuse it because she couldn’t understand the dates being the correct way round. Even arguing with her she claimed these must be fake. Her boss came out and laughed.

They still have the gray cardboard thing?! 😮

Had one of those 20 years ago to drive in the US, and then discovered they’ll accept British licenses anyway, especially once we got photo cards.

Wondering about EU after Brexit though but just done my card renewal and has nice EU flag on it as well as UK so might keep them happy. I also seem to be able to drive a lot more vehicles now.

There is the “travellers” camp down the road.

Squirt.

I use it all year round. Even sub zero despite just using the regular stuff. I apply it before I head out though, not just as I’m about to ride.

Don’t worry about chain feeling dry, the bit that counts is the rollers inside where the wax component builds up.