Throttled

Stinky gloves and the Lovehandles would make a great band name.

Mayor in charge of rubble now and a future of being seen by fellow Ukrainians as a collaborator. Possibly the least appealing job going.

Bikes that allow batteries to be swapped makes sense, so long there is also an option to recharge. Recharge when at home, swap batteries when on longer trips.

I know it is OK for me, as we can afford the price rises, but if it helps out the Ukrainians by squeezing the Russians by drying up their main source of income, I can make that sacrifice. The pandemic changed so much. Over the past 2 years I have filled my tank at less than 110p a litre, with a low of 99.9p, far more than I have filled my tank at more than 1.50p. The average cost for unleaded has been around 1.30p for the past decade. It was always going to go up as demand rose again as society went back to normal. The war has just made supply more volatile, which will hopefully end as OPEC producers agree to increase supply, which apparently they are doing.

It is sanctions on a level not seen before. There will be hardly anything to buy, which is moot, since most Russians will have little to make purchases with. Huge job losses, as lots of European companies close, will bite hard just as Russia is getting back to normal after the pandemic. Plus, this time, the oligarchs will be properly hit, even though they will not go hungry.

My university degree was in International Relations and at that time in the mid 1980s, it was dominated by the Cold War. The history of Ukraine and Russia and the Soviet Union is one of intense rivalry and genocide. The Holodomor was a genocide of Ukrainians by Stalin deliberately causing mass famine, killing around 7 million people over a 12 month period in 1932-3. Then, many Ukrainians fought with the Nazis during WII and the Action Reinhardt death camps were staffed by Ukrainians, under German officers, during the Holocaust. There are some people still alive who will remember that and many more Ukrainians will have parents or grandparents who were there, and with that history, this conflict is going to be brutal.

Another suggestion for XCP rust blocker, which looks a mess, but at least you can see where it has been applied and so far so good.

Chat to where you plan to MOT your bike about what can and cannot be done with an exhaust.

The farmer sites husoi mentions are where the farmers would direct people wild camping, to go. I have wild camped a few times and when we got moved, it was invariably to a better spot.

You should see the list of things I am not allowed to do, including anything with an "immoral purpose", which includes no "betting" or "gambling". Are they not the same thing? Anyway, the TMBF Sex Dungeon (Scotland branch) Ltd is now out of the question.

Finally got the keys, after the Housing Association fitted a new door, which has extra security to make it harder to force open. The car that was blocking it has taken the hint and moved. I am getting £49 back off the insurance, but they have stipulated that if I park my bike outside the house overnight and not in the garage, they will double my excess. I have sourced a second hand metal cabinet from an office supply company and should be in by the end of the week.

The situation has both improved and worsened. Camping in national parks has been totally clamped down upon, but more places have opened up to camping and camper vans as farmers/landowners/crofters have sought to stop some of the excesses of too many people wanting to wild camp camp in the same places.

The Old Ship Bank, a red pub.

Bar 67, which is a reference to Celtic's European Cup win in 1967, which makes it a green pub.

Great thread, I had noticed a drop in fuel consumption and this explains why. I knew I was doing more short runs than normal, but not so it would affect the MPG as much as it has. I did not know the cold had such an effect.

I like the pub challenge, since there is not the usual problem of Scottish pub names are quite different from English ones.

The Louden Tavern, which is an orange pub. That makes sense to those from Scotland and NI, but may puzzle the rest of the country. But, I can assure you, you cannot get a pub that is more orange than the Louden. The Crown, which is a black AND white pub. That makes sense to everyone from Paisley, as it is where St Mirren fans gather prior to a home game. The Silver Tassie, my submission for a silver pub, because it has the word silver on it. The Heritage, my submission for a brown pub, because it is an utter shite hole. That is 50 points to me.

For wheel cleaning I use WD40, sprayed into a dishwashing brush, to avoid it getting onto the brake discs.

I am wondering if the issue is that the rust is down to the time of year. Would the white wax/grease have stopped rust when riding in the winter? I use some WD40 stuff that left a white residue and come the winter, the chain rusted as it always does.

Most junctions in the town near me are traffic light controlled, so pedestrians have to wait for the lights.

As a driver in the Glasgow area, pedestrians just walking out into the road as if they have right of way, has been a thing for decades. I already slow and keep an eye on pedestrians anyway. Horse riders know to be careful anyway, as the horse has no idea of the Highway Code. It is the cyclists who I think will cause the most problems.

I fear cyclists, who already take the piss, will get worse. They will be all over the road, demanding everyone get out their way.

At junctions, no matter which direction a pedestrian is crossing, they get priority. Cyclists who used to be encouraged to ride at the side of the road, are now to ride in the middle of the lane.

Hope this is of use. There are some pretty comprehensive changes coming on the 29th January to the Highway Code. The main change is regarding priority and what is called a "hierarchy of road users". It places pedestrians at the top, cyclists and horse riders next, then bikers, then cars, vans and last HGVs. Basically, the bigger you are and the more likely it is you will kill another in an accident, you need to take care. Here is the government advice, and I have quoted all references to motorcyclists, so you can see what the Highway Code now expects. I have included only significant changes, not where the wording has been slightly altered from the old to the new code. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1037306/table-of-change-to-the-highway-code.pdf The old rule is on the left of the table. I have copied the new rule that is on the right of the table, below We all need to learn what is below here; "The ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ is a concept that places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy. The hierarchy does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly. The road users most likely to be injured in the event of a collision are pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists, with children, older adults and disabled people being more at risk." "Rule H2 Rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning. You MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing (see Rule 195). Pedestrians have priority when on a zebra crossing, on a parallel crossing or at light controlled crossings when they have a green signal. You should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing. "Rule H3 Rule for drivers and motorcyclists You should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, just as you would not turn across the path of another motor vehicle. This applies whether they are using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road and you should give way to them. Do not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist, horse rider or horse drawn vehicle going straight ahead to stop or swerve. You should stop and wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary. This includes when cyclists are: • approaching, passing or moving off from a junction • moving past or waiting alongside stationary or slow-moving traffic • travelling around a roundabout "Rule 74 Turning. When approaching a junction on the left, watch out for vehicles turning in front of you, out of or into the side road. If you intend to turn left, check first for other cyclists or motorcyclists before signalling. Do not ride on the inside of vehicles signalling or slowing down to turn left. If you are turning right, check the traffic to ensure it is safe, then signal and move to the centre of the road. Wait until there is a safe gap in the oncoming traffic and give a final look before completing the turn. It may be safer to wait on the left until there is a safe gap or to dismount and push your cycle across the road. When turning into or out of a side road, you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross (see Rule H2)." "Rule 163 Overtaking .... stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left. Cyclists may pass slower moving or stationary traffic on their right or left and should proceed with caution as the driver may not be able to see you. Be careful about doing so, particularly on the approach to junctions, and especially when deciding whether it is safe to pass lorries or other large vehicles. • give motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215). As a guide: ─ leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds ─ pass horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres of space ─ allow at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road (for example, where there is no pavement) ─ take extra care and give more space when overtaking motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders, horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians in bad weather (including high winds) and at night ─ you should wait behind the motorcyclist, cyclist, horse rider, horse drawn vehicle or pedestrian and not overtake if it is unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances "Rule 170 Take extra care at junctions. You should ... • give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way (see Rule H2) • remain behind cyclists, horse riders, horse drawn vehicles and motorcyclists at junctions even if they are waiting to turn and are positioned close to the kerb" "Rule 204 The road users most at risk from road traffic are pedestrians, in particular children, older adults and disabled people, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. It is particularly important to be aware of children, older adults and disabled people, and learner and inexperienced drivers and riders. In any interaction between road users, those who can cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they pose to others." "Rule 211 ....When turning right across a line of slow-moving or stationary traffic, look out for and give way to cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic you are crossing. Be especially careful when moving off, turning, and when changing direction or lane. Be sure to check mirrors and blind spots carefully." "Rule 212 Give motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders, horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians walking in the road (for example, where there is no pavement), at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 162 to 167). Drivers should take extra care and give more space when overtaking motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders, horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians in bad weather (including high winds) and at night. If the rider looks over their shoulder, it could mean that they intend to pull out, turn right or change direction. Give them time and space to do so." Now, that looks a lot, but in principle, it should make us bikers safer. It puts the emphasis on car, van and lorry drivers to look out for us and to take extra care at junctions. The "sorry mate, I did not see you" excuse is not acceptable, as drivers have to proactively look out for us. Then, we have to take more care of pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders and the biggest change is we need to give way to them at junctions. The emphasis about junctions is because so many accidents happen there. The good news is that it is getting safer for everyone, except cyclists;

RSPB Loch Lomond