Recent Posts

91

Freewheeling / Re: Elephant in the room

« Last post by Cudzoziemiec on Yesterday at 12:01:29 pm »

As long as it makes clear how that speed is measured (cruising on the flat? average over the whole ride? does it include breaks, audax style, or only moving time?), maybe so. But even then, the same group of cyclists are likely achieve different speeds on a hilly ride than a flat one (and noting De Sisti lives in Cheltenham, between the Cotswolds and the Vale of Gloucester) and at different times of year. So if a a ride is actually social, stopping at the top of every hill, letting people have a breather, plenty of cafe breaks, etc) then social might be a better name than x mph. They're indicative of different attitudes, rather than different speeds necessarily.

92

The Pub / Re: Super-Twat

« Last post by Legs on Yesterday at 11:58:35 am »

Aha!!!   I think that I have found a new one.

Telegraph hack Jill Kirby says,

"True British patriots have gas boilers and petrol cars".

Typical right wing $bigoil shill rattling the patriot sabre ...

Dear me.  What manifest nonsense.  We have diesel cars.  God save the King!

...and the most patriotic among us have oil boilers! 

93

Online quizzes / Re: Squaredle

« Last post by Wowbagger on Yesterday at 11:51:28 am »

I played https://squaredle.com 04/17:
*41/41 words (+5 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 13% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 123

I played https://squaredle.com/xp 04/17:
*24/24 words (+1 bonus word)
🎯 Perfect accuracy

94

Arts and Entertainment / Re: Radio 4Extra WTF

« Last post by Efrogwr on Yesterday at 11:46:07 am »

R4X is the home of the Radio Comedy Hall of Shame.

95

The Knowledge / Re: Routes around Ely?

« Last post by ElyDave on Yesterday at 11:40:09 am »

Goodio!

Ely is also good for various cafe stops - there's lots of places where you can sit with your bike and a cuppa around the market square.

Ooh, if off-road fits your definition of fun, then the Aldreth Causeway may be worth looking up. It's a great time of year for doing it, before all the grass gets too high. It's the only place I've ever seen a cuckoo, and plenty of kingfishers round there too. I've done it on touring bike with 28mm tyres. Lovely route this time of year. It's a great time of year to be in that area generally - the flooding has (usually) gone down, roads are dried out after last year's harvest, blossom's out, swallows are on their way... 🙂

Aldreth causeway - do tell.  I've only ever got to Haddenham and turned the other way towards Grunty Fen.

@Ham - from that vantage point, head across the A141 towards Manea, Through Welney over towards Little Downham (Chez moi) to Ely, and/or circle back through Coveney-Haddenham - Earith - Somersham back up to Chatteris, or a route through Manea, down to Chatteris, just out the other side a nice back lane route through Sutton Gault to Sutton, hop over the A 142 into Mepal an you can follow a nice off road route back all the way up to Welney

96

Audax / Re: Double Dutch, Ship of the Fens 200

« Last post by Lightning Phil on Yesterday at 11:38:45 am »

I was in shorts last weekend and 3/4s during this week. Looking at the forecast being northerly wind and temps not picking up much, think I might stick with 3/4s.  First world problems.

97

The Knowledge / Re: Flooded rural roads and the impact flooding has on them.

« Last post by ElyDave on Yesterday at 11:31:06 am »

Yes, absolutely this! It seems really obvious to me when audaxing - no doubt everyone has a county near them where the quality of repairs is markedly different. I'm in Cambridgeshire and notice it mostly riding in Essex - it just looks as though the Essex county council/highways team have retained a level of skill and knowledge on doing repairs properly.

In general Essex is pretty good. I have not been riding there much recently but a few years' ago the difference between lanes in Essex and Kent (being in East London means we can easily head in either direction) was very noticeable.

not sure I'd agree with that, I've ridden some utter shite in both Essesx and Cambs. Norfolk and Suffolk this weekend also demonstrating the problem pretty well.  My moment of pleasure was close to home when I remembered a previous closure and thought "this was the worst stretch before" as I rode on without having to swerve round the crap.

98

The Sporting Life / Re: County Cricket 2024

« Last post by Peter on Yesterday at 11:23:39 am »

Interesting stuff, CAT.  On the last point, Lyon (Australia) has played both games for Lancashire, while Hartley was absent from the recent one.  Perversely, Anderson has played neither.  They will be milking Lyon because he is only going to play half the season, now because of his Test team's requirements.  Not that that will be any consolation for Hartley.  Maybe Hartley is injured, too because he batted better than most in the first game.

99

Health & Fitness / Re: The health and fitness thread about random things

« Last post by finch on Yesterday at 11:22:16 am »

I’m bald ( ing ) and a while back I started properly shaving my head and noticed - after a head trauma and operation to remove the resulting lump, that there was a big patch following roughly what my hairline “was” that would not pigment - pure white ! I tan quite easily so it was , let’s say , quite striking ! This facilitated the near permanent use of a hat. I don’t know if it came about because of the head trauma or if it was stress or what - a dermatologist thought it might be vitiligo but after an initial consultation no further intervention was offered beyond a shampoo that didn’t work.

Recently for various reasons but mostly because I’m trying - I’ve been losing weight - down to near my correct weight of 86kg ( 93kg ) from well over 100kg - because of this and a slight reduction of stress ( I think ) my scalp seems to be slowly regaining its colour , I don’t “really” know if it’s the cross training , the stress thing or the diet which just consists of putting less crap in my body but obviously I’m just going to have to continue all three of those improvement factors

Just need my hair to grow back now

100

Freewheeling / Re: Elephant in the room

« Last post by Kim on Yesterday at 11:15:36 am »

But it seems to me that “x mph” is a better name than “social”.

Agreed, as long as it actually goes at x mph, rather than being 'aspirational' or 'self-deprecating'.