The Retirement Thread

[screenman]

Good morning everyone.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Good morning all. Still dark and I've been awake since 5.30 but hey ho.......very still outside and the sky is clear so I think we are set for a nice day.

Setting off to Haverigg, Cumbria at 8.00 for three days cycling in the Lakes with a friend. He has two statics, he and his wife in one, me in the other. Forecast for the local area is excellent for today and Monday, less so on Tuesday so a decision on Tuesday's riding is yet to be made. Should have been two others but they've cried off; one injured and the other personal matters.

I've decided to buy a gravel bike. Next job is to run this N+1 by Mrs P. She did agree in January when I wrote off my tourer but I should check. A gravel bike will fulfill three purposes; good winter bike, tourer and, obviously, gravel.

I've done perhaps 20 miles on towpaths recently. During one of these rides met a good friend who was doing a 50/55 mile loop to Manchester of which 90% off road. Plus I'd forgotten how much fun I used to have on my Marin San Rafael on towpaths and trails.

I'm finding our routes less and less interesting. We know every square inch of Lancashire, no matter how we mix it up any route is basically the same roads. We have to go further and further afield to find anything new. If I was riding solo I probably wouldn't go out. My thought is a gravel bike would open up a lot of new possibilities........I'm not taking my beautiful Cervelo along any more towpaths, she was very sad last time.

Go for it Paul, N+1 is always my favourite part of any equation* and should reinvigorate the love of cycling. (You may need to budget an equivalent amount for a purchase by Mrs Paul) 😁

* Fermats theorem puzzled mathematicians for centuries
"I have discovered a truly remarkable proof of this theorem which this margin is too small to contain"
He was obviously referring to N+1 😉

 

[Mo1959]

I've decided to buy a gravel bike.

I keep looking at them! Lol. There's really not enough trails around here to justify one though plus I already have a carbon hardtail that is only just over 10kgs so nips along quite well so would be silly really.

Just over 7 miles early head torch run done. It is very misty but was so peaceful just trotting along in my own little pool of light with the occasional rabbit scurrying across the road or an owl screeching in the trees, then as the light came in the dawn chorus started.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Good morning people.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Good morning all. Still dark and I've been awake since 5.30 but hey ho.......very still outside and the sky is clear so I think we are set for a nice day.

Setting off to Haverigg, Cumbria at 8.00 for three days cycling in the Lakes with a friend. He has two statics, he and his wife in one, me in the other. Forecast for the local area is excellent for today and Monday, less so on Tuesday so a decision on Tuesday's riding is yet to be made. Should have been two others but they've cried off; one injured and the other personal matters.

I've decided to buy a gravel bike. Next job is to run this N+1 by Mrs P. She did agree in January when I wrote off my tourer but I should check. A gravel bike will fulfill three purposes; good winter bike, tourer and, obviously, gravel.

I've done perhaps 20 miles on towpaths recently. During one of these rides met a good friend who was doing a 50/55 mile loop to Manchester of which 90% off road. Plus I'd forgotten how much fun I used to have on my Marin San Rafael on towpaths and trails.

I'm finding our routes less and less interesting. We know every square inch of Lancashire, no matter how we mix it up any route is basically the same roads. We have to go further and further afield to find anything new. If I was riding solo I probably wouldn't go out. My thought is a gravel bike would open up a lot of new possibilities........I'm not taking my beautiful Cervelo along any more towpaths, she was very sad last time.

N+1 sounds like fun, go for it, I have the same problem, I've been riding the same roads and using a lot of the same cafes since the mid 1980's, though if I want N+1 I'd have to win the lottery.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Morning all, overcast and damp here. Not very inspiring. Looks better for tomorrow.

 

[Dirk]

Morning all

Is that what you tell TV licensing when they knock on your door?

I was so fed up getting threatening letters from TV licensing that, about 15 years ago, I asked them to come to my place and check for themselves. I even told them that I would be in at home during a particular week and they could drop in at any time.*
I haven't heard from them since.
Bunch of insidious blackmail artists, if you ask me.

*If they'd turned up, I wouldn't have allowed them in without a warrant. I can waste other peoples time as well.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I've decided to buy a gravel bike. Next job is to run this N+1 by Mrs P. She did agree in January when I wrote off my tourer but I should check. A gravel bike will fulfill three purposes; good winter bike, tourer and, obviously, gravel.

I've done perhaps 20 miles on towpaths recently. During one of these rides met a good friend who was doing a 50/55 mile loop to Manchester of which 90% off road. Plus I'd forgotten how much fun I used to have on my Marin San Rafael on towpaths and trails.

I'm finding our routes less and less interesting. We know every square inch of Lancashire, no matter how we mix it up any route is basically the same roads. We have to go further and further afield to find anything new. If I was riding solo I probably wouldn't go out. My thought is a gravel bike would open up a lot of new possibilities........I'm not taking my beautiful Cervelo along any more towpaths, she was very sad last time.

Sounds a good move ! You don’t need miles and miles of gravel tracks to enjoy their benefits, just a few miles of them in key places to join up quiet roads and enable circuits that would otherwise be dead ends. Almost every ride I do is mostly on road but almost all use some track. And pouring over OS maps is always suggesting new possibilities. One caveat of course is that the English access rights are so much more restrictive than the ones we enjoy here.

 

[Drago]

I have risen!

 

[Mo1959]

Sounds a good move ! You don’t need miles and miles of gravel tracks to enjoy their benefits, just a few miles of them in key places to join up quiet roads and enable circuits that would otherwise be dead ends. Almost every ride I do is mostly on road but almost all use some track. And pouring over OS maps is always suggesting new possibilities. One caveat of course is that the English access rights are so much more restrictive than the ones we enjoy here.

Be quiet.....you're selling one to me!

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Sounds a good move ! You don’t need miles and miles of gravel tracks to enjoy their benefits, just a few miles of them in key places to join up quiet roads and enable circuits that would otherwise be dead ends. Almost every ride I do is mostly on road but almost all use some track. And pouring over OS maps is always suggesting new possibilities. One caveat of course is that the English access rights are so much more restrictive than the ones we enjoy here.

PS I use a Croix de Fer with mudguards and 32mm road tyres. Nice and comfy on the road and copes absolutely fine on all but the roughest of tracks.

 

[numbnuts]

 

[Dave7]

Mrs P is watching Britain's Got Talent..................................I'm looking for the razor blades.........................

In fairness to Mrs P the daughter in law of a friend was on. She is the young woman who helped the lad in a green T-shirt and wheelchair during the performance by Sign Along With Us - that isn't a typo.

I do feel she could have turned over to something else now

Under pressure I agreed to try a bit of that dreadful program. It stayed on for maybe 10 minutes. Watching those judges is embarrassing.
We both said......"never again".

 

[welsh dragon]

Cooeee. Seems like a nice day here today.

I heard on the news that around 260.000 people have cancelled their T.V. license and it's cost the BBC about 40 million pounds. I bet a lot more so the same thing in the near future.

Stay safe folks.

 

[gavroche]

Be quiet.....you're selling one to me!

Goode morning. You are lucky ebikes have not been mentioned or @Drago will try to sell you one as well.