Steve_M

47 minutes ago, Bender said:

Me and the wife went up Ben Nevis it was a white out near the top, we passed all sorts of idiots, a Chinese guy in shorts, socks and sandals even the wife said who wears socks and sandals, I know I'm not allowed to.

 

A family group with kids who had ice axe each, but nothing else, and old woman who I was amazed had made it past half way, she was struggling I mean what is the thought process.

We’ve encountered quite a few similar when wandering the fells. For example, we once met a couple who were, in our view, inadequately dressed with no map, one early evening on the Corridor route. They were heading for Scafel (not Scafel Pike) as we were heading down from the same. The ascent to Scafel is unpleasant scree and tiring and we advised them that they might wish to reconsider as it would be dusk by the time they got to the top, and dark for the descent. Our opinions were dismissed. You can only do so much…

1 hour ago, veracocha said:

Not sure what MRT could do to assist if they were not lost as such, troubled by the wind isn't something that a helicopter is going to resolve. I have been atop of Place Fell where the wind was so strong it was hard to draw breath. The horseshoe is a case of trace your steps back or continue the round. That debacle on Red Screes where one of the rescue team was terribly injured and subsequently dies is the one that gets my goat. (During covid iirc)

The report suggests MRT made their way up to the idiots then brought them off the fells (in their words) crawling back down. 

The windiest we’ve encountered was on Harrison’s Stickle a couple of years ago. It wasn’t too bad on the way up - a bit breezy is all. The last twenty metres or so, though, we got to the cairn on our hands and knees before getting off the top. We abandoned our planned walk to High Raise and made our way down Stickle Ghyll for safety’s sake.

As someone who walks Lake District fells from time to time I periodically pop some money to the mountain rescue teams to support their work. I also keep an eye on what their challenges are. Most call-outs are genuine and happen as a result of a the casualty having a mishap - a slip or a fall. Some are due to being unfamiliar with the terrain and being ill equipped both physically and in terms of kit for the task. These latter I find a bit annoying ‘cos it’s all pretty basic.

Last night’s call-out for the Langdale and Ambleside MRT, though, I found unbelievable and felt more than a little angry at the absolute idiots who created the situation requiring rescue. As the well publicised and anticipated storm Isha developed, a couple chose to walk the Fairfield Horshoe. Part way around they found themselves pinned down and having to take shelter behind a wall. Then they called the MRT who dispatched a team (aided by an RAF team who were training in the area) thus putting more lives at risk through sheer stupidity. 
 

Welcome. 
 

Definitely not disqualified as a rider - I’m sure there are many of us who’s riding more “fair weather” than “all weather”.  

Self nomination. Took my glasses off to get changed from working clothes to casual wear. Sat on the bed to put on my trousers. Yes, I need a replacement pair of glasses. Currently wearing a previous prescription as I can’t find my spare set. Luckily the difference between the two prescriptions is minimal so I’m fine for now. 

On 14/01/2024 at 18:40, S-Westerly said:

Obviously I have strayed in to some alternative universe where the language spoken is "English but not as we know it Jim".

It feels a little like when I was working in an IT department. When talking to the techies  I understood most of the words, many of the phrases, some of the sentences but rarely the whole exchange of information. 
 

Back to the original question. I can’t get Spotify (other streaming services are available) on my Denon kit, so it’s back to the content of an old iPod which has a quite eclectic mix of music in it. Brooke Benton, Lindisfarne, Cat Stevens, Beatles, Kinks… 

16 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Not done anything aside from building a selection of 'set piece' routes, for Germany and France. so I have options if the weather is iffy.

First thing will be to sort out my passport as its now basically defunct, it expires in April. So, I'll wait till then to sort a replacement. Still undecided whether to just get a new (not) blue UK one. or a surrender, project fear, Farage would not approve, EU one. I guess at the end of the day it doesn't really matter.

Tunnel can be booked either April or early May. no worries on that score.  And then it will be booked again for September, probably mid July.

 

For the first trip, its just 150 days to go. so I tend to hold off the excitement until it clicks over 100. For September, that's 230 days in the dim and distant future.

 

Meanwhile I have other priorities.

I wish the EU passport had been an option for me.  However, the queues for our last trip were only an inconvenience, not really too much of a delay / hassle.

I prefer to book early - the cabin options on the route seem to be more limited as time goes by. As it is we’ve had to go for a 4 berth cabin for the two of us on the way out. It would not go down well if only reclining seats were available.  It also gives me incentive to start saving and loading up my FX card - I’m an expert at prevarication (and impulse buying) so a deadline tends to focus my mind. 
 

Route planning… we have an outline plan - An amble around Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria then across the Pyrenees, then wend our way back to Rotterdam. We’ll work out the detail as we go along.

Now I can concentrate on priorities with fewer distractions. Lime plastering anyone?

Ferries booked for our September jaunt “sur la continent”.  I may cry next month when the credit card statement lands. 

10 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

The one I like is the common in Northumberland- Shitlington, pronounced Shillington - really?

Ah, leave us not forget Slutshole Lane - also in Norfolk. It’s not far from the Route 11 “biker” cafe if you’re ever in the area. 

Good evening. Before moving to Cumbria I lived in Norwich for 30years, and a fine city it is, too. Sometimes I stumble across bits of information relating to Norwich that are … surprising?

This for example. Don’t click the link if you’re of a sensitive nature.

2 hours ago, Gerontious said:

If it works for you then I’m not going to argue. But it does seem doubtful to me that the tyre makers test their tyres on individual bikes - all of them. Their recommendation will be based on a per tyre and per size basis. You might easily have two completely different bikes. That take the same size tyre but are wildly different in weight. Yet the recommended pressure is the same. Both ways seem to be a one size fits all. I do think though that the maker of my bike will know what suits it. Rather than a tyre maker who might easily have designed their tyre before my bike even existed. Pressures are really just advice - they are not rigid. “This or you’re gonna die” a few pounds either way isn’t going to hurt and if a pressure works better with your specific bike, but is a tad higher or lower then that’s not going to be a problem  There is no right or wrong. I just go with what Honda recommends. Just as I used to with BMW.

But, on the other hand, they will know about the tyres characteristics- eg. Sidewall rigidity - and can baseline it against their other products. 

13 hours ago, Gerontious said:

I’m a bit old fashioned. I have this outdated idea that the people who designed, built and tested these bikes know what they’re talking about.

When I had my VFR I tried a variety of tyres from different manufacturers. I did notice that the recommended pressures occasionally differed between tyre brands. I always went with the tyre brand recommendations - it was  a couple of PSI different as I recall, on the basis that they knew what they were doing and had carried out sufficient testing to ensure it was the best figure.

According to this article tyre pressures change by 0.19PSI per degree Celsius change.

Effect of temperature on tyre pressure

I’ll admit to not checking my tyre pressures every ride. I do have TPMS (that’s a four letter abbreviation from my days as a COBOL programmer so it takes me a moment to apply it to motorbikes) which has only flagged up a problem - a slow puncture - once in my 4 years of ownership. This includes last year’s tour with ambient temperatures ranging from 12° c (Alston Moor) up to 34°C (Troyes). 

Good evening.

I’m currently feeling a little worn after a busy few days - the last two chipping plaster and cement render off the walls of our lounge. I’m hoping for a spin out on the bike on Saturday for a bit of a break. Hoping for decent weather… 

On 10/01/2024 at 02:46, Gerontious said:

At the moment I’m just listening to music on my phone. It’s the end of an era. My Amplifier has died a horrible death. Hard to believe I bought it in 1985!! It was a Mission Cyrus One and though other components have come and gone that little amp just chugged along - 39 years!! Now I just have a very lonely looking pair of Linns.

 

its been a long time since I dipped my toe in the murky ocean of HiFi. I have a feeling life is going to be a bit expensive for a while.

 

does anyone else listen to music on separates?

 

 

 

My son has my old Technics kit - separates - that I bought second hand in 1996 and is his preferred kit.

52 minutes ago, Bender said:

We lived across the field from a fecking power station, their lights never went out.

 

Ours didn't either, we had a 45 gallon drum of red diesel and a diesel generator on a trailer, it was probably big enough to power our entire street.

I worked in the drawing office of a foundry. The gas fired furnaces never went out so the founders kept working anyway. The office staff were doing 3x13 hour days per week. Then they realised we were burning more electricity due to working out of daylight hours and needed the lights on longer. It was madness ! 

2 hours ago, RideWithStyles said:

We had a PC of over hour and a half last week at work midday...

they still whined even more about it (i thought is was really warm and comfortable in their room still) and being dark oh what will HS say..., "oh its so scary in the corridor im not going down their by myself someone help and follow".

i came through there just moments before with a coffee....Its arrow straight with nothing to bump into with window doors at both ends that get DAYLIGHT that leads to daylight filled room/outside still.

If it was dead of the night, closed their eyes and kept their arms folded walking along the corridor youd still beable to make it out alive.
dont know how they drive without full summer sun without crashing if thats the case.
 

I wonder how they’d have coped with 1973/74 power cuts.

Good morning. I’ll be offline soon as there’s a scheduled power cut any momen

Welcome aboard.

Advice? Buy a bike, move to somewhere with decent roads and hills.

Ex- Norwich resident. 
 

5 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Good evening. Just checking my life insurance and long term disability insurance policies. I’ve been invited to join in a judo session with a local club and my good lady is encouraging me to go. No problem ten years ago but I’m questioning the wisdom (and ulterior motives) of me going along…

 

 

 

 

That was fun. I need to renew my coaching qualifications, though. 

Good evening. Just checking my life insurance and long term disability insurance policies. I’ve been invited to join in a judo session with a local club and my good lady is encouraging me to go. No problem ten years ago but I’m questioning the wisdom (and ulterior motives) of me going along…

Chaps. Thanks for the input. The company we got an online quote from pretty well have a monopoly around here. The fact that we’re a little off the beaten track probably adds to the cost, too.

We’re looking at alternatives. 

1 hour ago, husoi said:

Alternative would be the guys that collect the rubbish for you instead of a skip.

As said above. Maybe better to hire a van and DIY it. Make sure the guys at the tip don't think you're a builder.

I would be concerned that the guys who collect and dispose have the relevant licensing. There are some dodgy characters around and I’ll aware that there’s been a some flytipping hereabouts.

We’ve just been quoted £380 for the hire of a “2 yard” skip. When we first arrived at this house we were hiring “6 yard” skips for under £300.

As we’ll be generating under 1.5 cu m of rubble and be bagging it up into rubble sacks and disposing bag by bag over the next year or so, or waiting until we need our next skip in 2025 when we will be producing a much larger pile of rubble. 
 

Still a bit shocked at the increase in costs of everything we need for the renovation, but this is a tin lid.