+1 army goretex kit. Had to buy three jackets before I got the right size, right condition at the right price… Moved on to trousers and got lucky with sizing first time.

I only wear the combo when no-one I know can see me* but by Thor, it keeps everything out. Just brilliant.

*Often, it’s all camo, so no-one can see me.

I got a Charge Spoon when I Peed myself… Keep meaning to re-Pee.

“Minor chip”. Unimportant. It’s alloy and you’re unlikely to ever try to sell the frame.

“Rear triangle has not been cut out properly”. A bit ambiguous – more info needed. Is it actually forcing the rear wheel to run off angle?

“Rear disc not flat”. I’d be back to the shop if I had a bent disc from new.

Sub-£500 bike: not cheap but you’d expect it to be ready to ride. Yes take it back.

This is pretty mind blowing – a depiction of utter evil.

A smashed up packet of Cheese and Onion crisps, topped with yet more **** cheese on top, stuck undr the grill for a further few minutes will improve matters greatly.

Aegolius Funereus! Pretty sure that’s it, thanks ninfan! Or if not, it’s incredibly close. Thought it was an owl at first.

The only slight difference was that the call rose with each iteration, over about five seconds. Off to do a spot of research…

EDIT – ah, it *is* an owl!

Habitat is rural Scottish woodland with open moors not far away. Bird was heard at night. Definitely not a curlew.

None of the above but thanks for the suggestions! It’s sort of a “cwoo, cwoo, cwoo, cwoo, cwooo” noise, getting progressively higher pitched.

‘Twas really quite low pitched to begin and rose a fair bit during the call. Wish I could figure out how to post a noise so I could make a tit (pun intended) of myself trying to emulate it.

Good shout but the first one was closer tbh. It’s quite a rounded sound, rather than harsh. A bit like the Jetsons’ spaceship :-)

Ta – close with similar warble, but the one I’m thinking of is lower pitched and rises through the call. Heard in East Lothian if it makes a difference.

Well worth a visit to the rustic charms of The Oyster Shed – http://www.skyeoysterman.co.uk/

Choose a decent day and sit in the lean to eating the freshest sea food imaginable whilst admiring the views. Cheaper than chips too.

There’s loads of riding on Skye if you don’t mind a bit of pushing and out and back type rides. Plus one for Glen Sligichan – hard, hard going but mostly flat and amazing scenery to take your mind off the pain…

You’ve got to get home too FF… Can barely get out the door here on Skye just now. Medium sized dog keeps getting blown into my legs so have abandoned many dog walks over the last week.

Got sent to ballet lessons for 10 years. Laugh it up. Eventually, my teacher told my parents that my knobbly knees meant I’d never be a star.

Took up the guitar, learnt to sing and still can. Just don’t ask me to put on a pair of tights.

For once I haven’t read the entire thread before posting.

It is a weakness. Unrealistic expectations dumped on an individual will do this. My dad’s partner has been though this and eventually moved schools twice despite worries about black marks.

So if the head teacher is unwavering in her / his ideas, perhaps your wife could consider changing schools.

Good man, ta.

I’m a bit disappointed – how about a miniature Grouse?

I can bring beer…

Ach weel, cheers for the thought. My brother in law has a road bike but it’s not lighting my candle.

Plus one for just getting away from it all, even if it’s just for a couple of days. Easier said than done, I know but better you do it now than get to the point your brother has arrived at.

Best of luck to you and yours.

Let’s not start down that route again. It’s not so much madness as crazy anger and banning!

Walking is ace! As a dog owner, I walk for at least an hour a day, usually through Autumnal woods (at this time of year). Brilliant smells and colours. You can even stop at the pub for a pint without carrying a massive D lock.

It just slows everything down a bit – there’s no rush or panic and everyone knows how much fun it is to kick some leaves about.

The internet is a confusing place. I’m no engineer and although I try to keep an open mind, the mechanics of the thing are poorly explained. Even to my little brain.

Fair dos, ta. I’ve asked the neighbour to get a quote – if it’s not crazy, we might just pony up the cash ourselves rather than make a claim.

The title of the thread pretty much sums up all the aspects of mtb-ing I feel removed from.

Yours,

Grumpy not-very-old man.

P.S. “spec me”?! Best get to bed before my cocoa gets cold.

Holy moly. At everything here.

Kindle app on my S5. I miss real books but it just makes sense.

I’d try E45 cream before any of that nonsense. Or the prescribed wisdom of chamois cream. Or just cut off my bum.

Haven’t done it but it keeps popping up in my FB feed and I’ll definitely be giving it a go this Spring. Will make a change from the c2c route.

Turned over after 20 mins to watch Solaris. Just totally didn’t get it.

Sounds rough as Hell but your attitude is fantastic. Give it stick and all the luck in the world.

As a cyclist who also walks on shared paths with my son in a pushchair / rucksack thing, get a **** bell or at least a Hope hub. A bit of warning goes a very long way.

Just God no. Other hot ladies are very available.

aracer – Member

Did you pull?

Yes. To the left slightly. Just to make sure. Poor thing.

twinw4ll – Member
I put cleaning windows in the same category as cleaning the car, the can’t be bothered category.

I had to go and buy some shit from Morrisons this morning. Bloody car wash was closed, just after I’d committed myself to spending six quid on the wax wash. Devastated.

I’m sure it has been mentioned already. But there are plenty of circumstances where it’s best to use all available lanes. Otherwise you end up with traffic blocking up preceding junctions

Ad nauseum.

sorry if its been posted before but I cant be bothered to check.

Ad nauseum.

Can’t quite believe I found the time and energy to post this little missive, frankly.

Is this a ‘thing’? Never had to do it. Perhaps it comes from riding in traffic fumes?

Lol @ yunki. It’s a time and place thing I think. As we get older, there’s just not so much of the time aspect, and the places I’d like to be are far away. If I can have fun on two wheels within an hour, I’ll do that rather than spend an hour getting to the place I want to be.

All that said, I do agree that fun is good for the soul, so do whatever makes you happy. Just don’t be surprised if I’m standing there laughing.

;-)

I also have a geared 29ee which can cruise at 15mph.

I must admit that’s an impressive claim and my interest is being tickled. I do still struggle to see the point though, other than the mastery of a pointless skill (unless, like me, you are a massive show-off, which you claim not to be). Part of growing up is the understanding of what works well and what does not. Two wheels work better than either one or three.

I eventually grew up, saved my paper round money up and bought something with two wheels. It allowed me to do my job better, I had more fun at greater speeds and no-one pointed and laughed, unless I was falling off, which I frequently did.

Sorry if I’ve been harsh (especially thinking of the OP here) but I suppose I’m still a bit crap at juggling so I may be a bit biased.

Twop Twip from Mr Pik n Mix. BOOM! You just don’t get this shizzle on Mumsnet.