Having to remember where each day’s childcare is, and at what time child needs to be presented is proving a logistical challenge

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Free time slowwwlly has been taken over by Geocaching. Blimey its addictive! Just started roping up and getting up trees to find tree based caches too :D

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I run an informal MTB “Club” in Sussex and Surrey.

Without doubt the most satisfying part is the process of meeting folks who come along and struggle initially, but with encouragement, cake and absolutely NOT leaving them behind, slowly start getting better.

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Cyclist knocked off by unnecessary posts

Not only was the poor chap knocked off by the posts (he didn’t ride into them, no), they were unnecessary too!

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Here’s mine – bust Feb 2014

An utterly pathetic crash involving plenty of enthusiasm, running out of skill, and clipping a fence on the 4 mile commute home from work.

NHS were (for balance) really helpful. A&E staff really good fun. In a sling for 8 weeks, then slowly slowly use it and gain the mobility back. No pinning and a nice clean heal – looking at some of the other posts perhaps I was fortunate.

Yes, taking things on and off was horrible for a number of weeks. Soft tissues take a long while to recover and to be honest if I spend hours on the really lumpy off road (e.g. smashing over many rocks) then the shoulder aches quite a lot!

still – got a new singlespeed and love riding that – if I had issues then I would feel differently I am sure :) I have a full range of movement too. The shoulder joint is amazingly tolerant, even with a massive bone overlap!

I guess every case is different. talk to your GP as time goes on. enjoy the sympathy. Hope you heal quickly and well.

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Sustrans have Bike It officers whose job it is to encourage cycling on schools and in workplaces. if you think your employer or school could do more, contact them and ask.
Good point! (I’m a Sustrans supporter and a Volunteer Ranger by the way )

I wouldn’t say her school is unusually bad for cycling. They at least have secure-ish bike rack to use.

I just thought the nature of the Bike Week support was fairly indicative of the bigger picture in the UK.

Graham – good for you for being a ranger :)
Agree that the response does feel a bit apathetic…
The statistics from places like Copenhagen I have seen are amazing – like 50% of ALL journeys into the city being made by bike.

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Our local school make an effort throughout the year – Bike It breakfast once every term and there was a Bling your Bike event last week where kids turning up on bikes adorned with pirate tat could wear fancy dress that day.

Sustrans have Bike It officers whose job it is to encourage cycling on schools and in workplaces. if you think your employer or school could do more, contact them and ask. From experience it needs people who want something to happen to start pushing a bit.

I am helping lead this ride in Crawley Crawley family ride[/url] at the weekend, and then leading this ride (my first ride! gulp!) the week after Merstham to Redhill ride.

There are things happening out there – the point of Bike Week is to get cycle paths looking like that photo at the top of the post

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yeah yeah. noted.

was hoping to do it at a weekend. just looking at a free slot….

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Nope – not happened yet. I can organise but a couple of things to arrange first.

Unless someone else can help?

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Lol @ Ming.

Do you remember where your bikes are Ming?

OK – let me look at the diary. might do an evening or a Sunday

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waves at Brooess, Phinbob and Singletrackmind

Is it time for a Redhill STW ride again? anyone interested?

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The town is a HOLE, a horrid one at that

Bit harsh, but 15 years ago (especially when the nightclub was fully operational) I would have agreed. Things have been changing now (nightclub long gone and now becoming new flats). Of course as I live there I am biased, but the place is improving (finally).

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am I? 8 mins walk to Redhill station?

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*waves*

Redhill resident of 20 ish years – don’t snort coke either :)

If this is the same Broess what I am thinking of you and I did a Redhill ride together a while back!

There’s a lot of investment going into Redhill right now – the town centre has been remodelled, Sainsburys is being doubled in size (with a Travelodge and gym on top) and the station is being redeveloped.

Oh and the council have just won a £4.9 million sustainable transport package to improve links between Redhill and Horley. Improvement to cycling routes will play a big part in this.

Its easy to be critical of any town centre – for balance Redhill has:

– a fabulous old fashioned (no TV!) Harveys pub that serves the full range of Harveys (Sussex) beers
– a bustling Wetherspoons offering their ever changing real ales and good value food.
– small indoor shopping mall with familiar names (M and S, Waterstones, Argos)
– National Cycle Route 21 right though the middle of town
– Train links North, South East and West (London 40 mins, Brighton 30 mins, Guildford 40 mins, Tonbridge 30 mins)
– decent leisure centre with pools, gym etc etc
– excellent mtbing trails on the nearby North Downs, lots of other green spaces

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Mystery caches take a bit of practice and can be fiddly, but worth persevering with to get that feeling of finding the super secret :)

Oh and check out night caches – reflective markers in the trees to follow at night. Excellent fun!

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C:Geo all the way.

Nanocaches are typically cylinders less than the size of a 5p and about 10mm long. They can attach using a little internal magnet to anything. Can be evil to find!

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Challenge?

There are some hides that have taken me 4 or 5 revisits to actually find. Extremely satisfying when you crack it!

There’s also a terrain rating – if you seek out the caches with high ratings then finding yourself 150m down a 4 ft drainage pipe can occur. Or 80ft up a tree :)

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The number is irrelevant – its the fun you have that’s important.

There are guys in the USA who find 60 a day, every day. Their total finds totals are well over 25,000.

I’d take a super afternoon out with my family wandering around the woods playing about and eventually finding one geocache to that any day…..

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Geocaching is indeed mighty addictive – fun to do on bike as well as off the bike.

I’m “going for my comma” this year – geeky Geocacher speak for finding a 1,000 different caches. Over the 500 now and on track – I’m having to travel a bit now – some good training bike rides!

Any other Geocachers on here?

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Oh and I was plodding my way up the hill back home with daughter on the tagalong a few weeks ago. Got to the top and cars were filtering past. I could hear a bunch of verbal coming from one of the cars and expected the worse as the car passed me. Here we go – Expecting to hear ” you held me up, why are you on the road blah blah”.

What I actually got was a woman leaning almost out of her window yelling encouragement and praise. “Excellent effort! Keep going!”

you never know do you?

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A hugely entertaining thread – good job everyone :)

A couple of interaction stories from me

Used to drop off daughter at nursery in a Burely trailer. Parked up collecting daughter to come out and see car reversing into (empty) trailer. Once she had realised what she’d hit, and I suggested what might the outcome have been had said child been in trailer, she was so mortified I imagine she had to hit the bottle that night!

Similarly – driver pulled out on me at a notorious junction. Again very upset driver when she finally “saw” me.

Most people are actually pretty good and don’t want to flatten a cyclist/other human being.

I do occassionally get shouted at by a woman (with a small white dog – usually seen just south of Whitebushes near Redhill on Green Lane/NCN21). I’m sharing the specifics in case anyone else has been on the receiving end. She is insistent that “IT IS A BRIDLEWAY! AND NOT FOR BIKES!” despite it being fully signed as part of NCN21. I have an ongoing charm offensive with her – she seems to have a massive issue with bikes which will take some work to change…

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Excellent grumpy old man thread. :)

Cafes that put the napkin between the sandwich and plate. If its a dribbly sandwich then napkin is already ruined. bah.

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I’m one of those people who travel to Afan every January to hurt myself trying to get up the climb from Glyncorryg (that used to be in the trees, you know the one).

MTB SS is mildly addictive. Many don’t like it.

My Pros are

Gives you a good workout, even on a short ride
Works your upper body and core well
The direct, hooked up feeling of riding without a derailleur is ace
The bike is lighter
You are always in the right gear
You get to sit up and smell the roses on flat spinny bits
It trains you to spin faster
Highly mud resistant operation
You get people gasping at you if you manage to get up anything bigger than a mild slope
You can legitimately grown a beard (probably)
You will be amazed what you can get up
You will learn about momentum
You get to say “coming through!” quite a lot on group rides

Cons

It will find your cracks and weak spots
Other than going for a flat spin, ss rides are tough. If you want to twiddle up a hill hungover chatting, having an easy time, take the geared bike

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test drove the 2L diesel yeti and the petrol 1.2 version

FAR preferred the petrol – absolutely amazing engine. The diesel felt like a rough old lump comparatively (could be my driving style?). We drive a diesel Cmax (2l turbo)and it felt unrefined compared to that too.

Compared to our Cmax, the visibility out of the front felt restricted – the Cmax bonnet drops away quite sharply so you get a good view of the road close up (which I noticed immediatly, but expect I’ll get used to).

Still like the Yeti – its quirky and a bit different. Great value. Loading space looked good enough for us. Wife still convinced we need a hybrid – I’m working on the BMW I8 as an alternative :)

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Yep, old and new versions running on 2 bikes with zero problems. Crashed a few times – seem very sturdy. Some folks would prefer them to be wider – seem perfect for me when singlespeeding as the extra leverage from a wider bar when hauling uphill was causing my puny shoulder joint to ache (being pulled apart I suspect – previous injury not helping)

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Weekend away starts tomorrow

Child getting dropped off with lovely grandparents for half term for a few days (first time, gulp).

Day off on Monday exploring Peak District

I have a big bag of McCoys Steak flavour mancrisps

All good.

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KLF?

So many happy memories of asking every DJ at every student disco if they had any KLF and would they play it please.

and going mental when the request was fulfilled. Great nights (and early mornings..)

they were of their time for sure. Marvellously so. Their wiki page is worth a read if you have some minutes.

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Slightly different solution that is proving to be very excellent indeed

Veglo X4[/url]

Other retailers available – that’s the only I can get to display at work (pah websense, pah!)

advantages – side visibility, lets drivers judge your size better
Disadvantages – not especially cheap, kinda bulky compared to a dinky Flare/TraceR

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We bought one of these a few years ago – a little bit of an investment but brilliant bit of kit

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/21736/Dry-Soon-3-Tier-Heated-Tower-Airer

Come in – chuck wet gear on. pick up dry gear the next day. folds up.

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The difference between a try(i) and a triumph is just a little “umph”

I actually like that in a twee way. Much of the stuff I attempt to Project Manage is work that’s got stuck at the “almost done” stage and just needs a little determination and effort to finish.

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recent Pact customer here – impressed.

currently 7 quid for 250g posted.

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Not much flaming going on is there?

Lots of useful advice – as ever – well done STW dwellers

My 2p – Little babies are a pain in the backside. Ungrateful, relentless, ungiving.

Slowly, things change. You get smiles back. You have fun. You realise having a Dad is just as important as having a Mum for that bundle of snot and nappies.

Give it time. Talk to your family and friends you trust. Don’t bottle it up.

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Amazing event

I love doing both days

Saturday – the big party, big crowds, mega atmosphere

Sunday – more mellow, less busy, hungover :)

In enjoyment terms they are different – both wonderful

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Stunning ride home last night – all layered orange clouds and blowing leaves.

Crystal sparkling ride in this morning.

Much appreciated annual bonus letter before 0830. Winter kit upgrade shopping this weekend!

Got my Sustrans Ride leader qualification confirmed.

Beer festivals, Halloween events and new bike on the way.

its all good :)

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I really, really don’t understand why people insist on using their cars.

Agreed – I work with plenty of people who live less than 5 miles away yet schlep in by car.

I do enjoy highlighting how I get delayed by having to watch a heron or woodpecker on my ride in through the woods :)

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what a fun collection of ideas – lots of creativity going on out there :)

We hired a Youth Hostel (Holmbury St Mary for Surrey Hills visitors) and stuck a marquee on the games field in the grounds.

Supported a good cause, got the place to ourselves and we could offer relatives a room for the night on us meaning hotel costs wreren’t a factor (esp for those less well off).

Beer was Shere Drop and Gilt Complex from Surrey Hills brewery. Wine was from a trip to france.

Seeing dogwalkers/MTBers faces as a whole wedding party hiked up to the top of Holmbury Hill mid afternoon was excellent :D

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Twas a lovely day indeed – I was on Leith Hill

I was the idiot struggling around with the mouthy 4 year old on the tagalong behind me. :)

Lots of encouragement from MTbers, walkers and picnicers

4 year old has now learnt to wobble the bike when going up a tricky climb and blame the wobbling on me. most (un) helpful :)

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Just joined mine. Positive group vibe trying to raise some cash to buy fun stuff to make school better

perilously close to organising a huge fireworks event *gulp*
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We test drove the 170HP Diesel and the 1.2 petrol Yetis recently – both in all the toys Elegance trim. Big up to Crawley Down Group in East grinstead for being friendly, reasonable and flexible regarding test drives.

We’re committed towbar carrier users now – but the inside seemed pretty practical

2L 170hp diesel seemed rough as a old boots. The petrol engine ont other hand is amazing – so capable given its a 1.2 (albeit with a turbo).

We will probably go for one once our brilliant Smax decides to get too expensive to keep. Mind you it does seem to keep going and going and going :)

Concluded it would be an update car rather than a radical difference.

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