There is nothing wrong at all with cheap gin – as long as the alcohol content is high enough this is hte important aspect. You are dramatically changing the flavour with the sloes after all. Friends and I have used own brand gin and cheap holiday gin without exception and had comments on how damned good it is. Don't wait for the frost over ripeness – my local sloes are ripe now so I'm picking them now.

Take bottle of gin, empty half gin out.

Put sloes with skin broken (different methods here) into bottle until half full with sloes.

Put 150g of sugar (granulated is fine) in there, top up with gin.

Shake, put in dark place, shake once a week.

3 – 6 months later, decant wonderful gin, drink.

This year I want to try sloe sherry and slider. You use the gin-soaked sloes and chuck em in a gallon of scrumpy or a bottle of sherry – then leave for a bit.

Hic!

I think I have enough sloes for a couple of gallons this year – a great harvest!

Nah – get the foam pipe lagging from the plumbers merchants and pad that steed! Works a treat.

Nasty looking thing. Looks like a jump bike with the wrong wheels. All just so some dwarf can ride a bike with daddy's wheels on it. Waste of effort. Fail.

How about seat forward and aft? Too far back and it cripples my knees.

Buying wine in a box and wondering whether you can ruin it?

Erm – use a cool box / cool bag? Then food can also be kept cold.

I'm not TTB – whoever that is.

Yes – they are new – in the last 2 yrs I think – and they are good goretex. Much better than the ones you refer to.

Piltates

I had 3 weeks of full time rehab for lower back & piriformis that included hydrotherapy, propreception, physio, exercise etc. The single best part of that was pilates – it really is superb for that core strength.

DeVs – are you talking about the newest pattern ones? I've cucled in them in the lashing rain more than several times on commutes and they have been great. They are the nearest waterproofs to normal trousers in fit so less fabric flapping around.

Just my opinion but if you want to wear those RAF trousers then you really do need your head examining

Honestly – some of the best cut and fit waterproof trousers I've ever worn – and they have been as waterproof as anything else.

Stupid boy – speak to me next time! :roll:

anotherdeadhero – Member

*waves*

You ARE down this way then, you've been ignoring me

Ignore? Warned off by sane people actually.

*backs out of thread without making eye contact with ADH*

backhander – I'm not currently rad enough for Welsh trails – but I might be in bit.

Great – CTC adding fuel to a fire that doesn't even exist here.

This is a badly implemented good idea – training kids is the proper thing to do – it just needs more training available at more pertinent times to make it work – not militant parents getting uppity.

Always good to see a bit of a shotgun approach to an issue – combined with the 'parents know best' junta. What great adverts for responsible education and cycling.

I can't believe the reaction by a few on here. A school is taking a responsible stance in ensuring kids get training early in their life on safe cycling. It isn't well implemented, but it is very good to see more training in this. They are just managing the risk – the same as any decent company / business. They also have to work to the lowest common denominator – which is a kid whose parents are not cyclists themselves.

My god daughter's school also ran family cylcing days at weekends so parents could join in with the kids on the courses. That is inclusive, educational and a damned fine idea.

Quotes from RoSPA:

About one quarter of the cyclists killed and injured are children. Cycling accidents increase as children grow older and peak at around 16 years.

Most cycling accidents happen in urban areas where most cycling takes place.

For child cyclists, 90% of their accidents occur during the day. The most dangerous hours for cyclists are 3.00 to 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 to 9.00 a.m. on weekdays.

Get off your high horses and support responsible cycle training. Anything – anything at all – that helps prevent road accidents (especially cyclists and especially your own kids) can't be anything other than right and proper. The fact they haven't got the delivery of the training sorted is seperate – try getting involved and help instead of whining on a forum.

You could always take a less combatant stance and contact the school to see whether additional training courses might be run?

It isn't anti-biking – it is responsible. It just does not seem to be applied very well. Perhaps, as an interested parent, you might offer some assistance?

From that roll of electricians tape you have in your tool box. Tape it – its what we did before top caps.

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/21055/Raleigh_Metro_GLX_Womens_Bike_2009

Here you are fella – bargain and fully loaded – got one arriving for Mrs TT to get around town. The model down from it is the same price.

Wooler is often overlooked – I love it up there and there are a couple of interesting hotels etc in town – and great pubs. Rothbury is a lovely small place West of Alnwick with nice rides & walks.
Most anywhere on the coast is great, but Seahouses is a bit grim really.

I've ordered some knee pads after my first trip to the FoD today. Great – except the REALLY hard rocky bit just against my right knee.

Ouchy

*stiffens – but in a very bad way*

Lovely to met the lovely people there too. 8) Small world.

My bad on the Hope Hoops. I just e-mailed them and they tell me they don't do them as 29ers – but they do road wheel builds. No information on future plans.

Hey – here is a possible revenue stream for Hope – combine the road wheel stuff with the 26er mountain bike stuff and produce 29er mountain bike wheels – wouldn't that be a revolution?!

Probably not – it seems to make sense – probably corner a large part of the 29er wheel market – nah – that wouldn't make financial sense. Would it?

Are American Classic that much lighter hubs than Hopes? The Hope Hoops ready built onto Arch or Flow might be a good choice (unless you are a big bloke and want to run tyres over 38 psi).

There are a couple of wee loops around the Stamford / Wittering area marked on mapmyride.com – not that challenging but nice and interesting. The area around Old Sulehay and what was RAF Kings Cliffe has plenty to see – including the odd memorial at the last place Glen Miller and his Band played a public performance!

Turner Sultan in XXL – looks the right length for the height. Too many 29ers look squashed short so little people can ride them.

In the real world people slag off others products all the time. It's rule number one in the book of life. Big up yourself and make veryone else look crap.

Hark at you – you big cut-throat rough tough businessman you. :roll:

Even something like the Beatmapping element of Sony Acid (expensive software) has trouble picking out the proper beat in 'organic' music. It means you have to manually map it yourself – so I can't see other software being any better.

You are being so organized you could probably start mixing it yourself now!

Congratulations upon what appears to be your first proper barbers experience. This is the sort of service expected when a chap has a hair cut – along with ear and nose as required.

I presume you have been making do with some sort of metrosexual jey salon up until now?

The velo is a much better top – longer sleeves and a more cycle-specific fit.

Interesting Freudian slip there – saying they would turn up 'unannonced'.

Heh.

flange – google 'safety camera partnership' for your area – they have probably signed up to the practices that govern the placement of safety cameras. They have to have evidence of a set number of serious accidents in a location before a camera can be placed there. I was a sceptic – far more convinced these days.

America – the land without TeeJay – imagine that! BTW – your 'statistics' are nothing more than that Jezza – just statistics and don't account for the real world. As usual.

I ride the trails from my door – no petrol, no fees, no camping and as many pub stops as I like. There are always trails and at least better than most event trails.

I feel like a perv because I'm wearing lycra without baggies over the top! I'll get used to it.

Bike is going in to Mud Dock tomorrow for a look see. I'm convinced the frame is creaking at the rear stays (part carbon) and I don't want it to fail on me. Not so good.

Oh well – screw em all – I'll join the silent masses then.

I will, however, reserve the right to be grumpy when some little runt drafts me for a couple of miles along a cycle path without getting in front for a bit. Grrr.

Those pics show you riding along on it squatting down. Isn't the point of a DH bike that you go down hill on it? Not too indicative from that view.

Some bouncy forks for the Scandal?

I've always had a bell – mostly because it annoys the militant red sock brigade when you use it. It also annoys the too-cool cyclists who think it is somehow degrading to have such a thing fastened to a bike.

Win win.

http://www.lifecycleuk.org.uk/bikeback

I'd have thought they would take parts too.

I have the Fat Airic and it is great. Anything else is too wee for me – comfort all the way.

Just use Mapmyride.com – same info plus a tool that maps, measures and stores routes – magic!

AeroPress

Aerobie AeroPress – yes the people that make frisbees and stuff. It makes a great coffee, is tough and 90% self cleaning. Love it.

Suggest you tell cat to CTFU.

Oh – asking this question after using this for 'ages' on a cycling site rather than at the vets?

The physiology is important and you need to look at the whole rather than a single function. I've got a lung capacity over 11 litres – the doc made me do the test again to check his readings (having a diving medical at the time). This is rather large, but there is a lot of me to haul about, so all relative I guess.