This morning, going to work, nothing out of the ordinary. Bit damp under the trees, nothing unusual or unexpected. Nothing untoward to suggest a different day than one in the office was lined up. Oh how one corner can change all that eh? Going round a right hander, in a 60mph zone but only doing 45-50 round the corner (it's an open enough corner, in the dry I wouldn't even slow down normally but today was damp, so eased off, as I have done every time that road is damp) when the back end slipped from under. 'Oh sh*t' thought I and rolling off the throttle in the hope of regaining it. Which it did, it went upright, but the back kept coming to the right instead. Full skid mode initiated! Throw the handlebars one way, then the other as the back went round the other way, then back again until the bike went "sod this" and spat me off, over the tank and into the oncoming traffic. Bike went towards the trees, I went head first into the traffic as a nice big landrover (you know, the sort of things that don't do a lot of damage if you hit them!) was coming the other way. Thought that was it for me but he saw me coming and swerved out of the way allowing me to skid along past and come to a stop in the middle of the road, face down with the bike near the trees on the left.

Someone called for an ambulance while I got to my feet (not quite as steady as I'd have liked) and got off the road. Then went back to get the bike off the road so not to hold up work traffic! List of injuries is nice and short though. Headache, foot pain, grazed knees. List of 'injuries' to inanimate objects slightly more extensive - helmet, gloves, jacket, trousers - all pretty much buggered. But they did their job - I walked away, got checked up by the ambulance and allowed to wait with the bike for the AA to come and take it home for me without needing to go to hospital. Sat at home now in a fair bit of pain knees/foot wise but able to hobble around and the bruises will heal. Just gotta take a look at the bike now, which I may do tomorrow when I can kneel hopefully.

And yet on the way home I saw three more bikers in shorts and tshirt. Why people do that is beyond me. Dress for the slide, not for the ride as they say - without the right equipment I probably wouldn't be typing this right now as I'd be in the hospital - or worse! Still, good excuse to buy the bigger bike I'm saving up for rather than repairing this one (if it needs much)

As many will be aware I like to watch the odd football game.  

With the season started, we got our first away tickets in the official ballot. Now fixed at £30 a ticket (new FA rules to try and make away prices fairer for travelling fans) they are a little like gold dust or hens teeth. We got our first for the away game to Hull. Contacted our local supprters club and booked on their funbus to Hull and back. Only thing was - they were staying overnight (Sat) with it being a late kick off (5.30pm) so it was a lads jolly. Booked a cheap b&b (£20 each which included breakfast!) and we were sorted. 

We quickly established a couple of things. 
Hull is a very run down, grey and grubby place stuck in a timewarp. 
Beer is cheap in Hull. 

We dropped bags into the b&b and wandered into the centre to watch the lunchtime game (Spurs v Liverpool). Found a pub ... £2.15 a pint . Made the most of it, as you do ...



Onto the KC Stadium early as I had been 'chosen' to collect my ticket in person with photo ID. (To try and stop ticket touts). 



Hull ... "City of Culture".   PMSL. 





Players out and a rather tedious match got underway. Tedious as Hull played for a draw from the start and United lacked the means to break them down until substitutions the fans were pleading for ...





United belatedly (92'nd min) got the winning goal and it all went a bit barmy ...






After a quick trip back to the b&b we were off out again. First in some very nice bars. Spotted some cool wall art in one. 



We then stepped into a different dimension in the early hours of the morning. It was like Glossop about 20 years ago (I kid you not!). 'Mega mixes' blasting out, double whatever spirit you wanted with coke for £2.99 - everyone hammered and knowing exactly which record was coming on next. Very very wierd. Crazy, but very odd!

We rolled back toward the b&b sometime about 2.30am "ish". On the way back we heard a girl shouting behind us - at a guy we assumed was her boyfriend. We looked around, but she seemed ok. Next thing she shouts "Dont hit me in the face. That hurts". So we look around and stand. She walks off. They are some distance away at this point. 

We wander on and a few minutes later this girl runs toward us (no 'boyfriend in sight). She is in skimpy clothes, very attractive and no shoes on. Not crying, no marks on her face at all - infact no marks or indication of any tears. She asks for help so we say - what do you want? She says her 'boyfriend' has her hotel key, so all of her posessions. All she has is her phone. Before we can say anything she taps her phone, puts it to her ear and starts speaking to someone immediately ...

"Hi. I need your help. Can you pick me up? It's £50 for a taxi and I've got no money. Oh, you can't. OK. Thanks". 

When recalling this later we all noted that the girl had not needed to wait (even a few seconds) for someone to 'answer' her call despite it was 2.30 am "ish" in the morning. 
   
She then asks us if we can help her saying she is scared 'he' will hit her again. 
In all this time the violent boyfriend is nowhere to be seen. 
I say "have you called the Police"? She says - what 999 or 101? I say - "101, it's not an emergency - is it?" 
She then says thanks, she is fine and wanders off quickly in the direction we assume the 'boyfriend' was. 

So, a good win at the footie, some good beers, a great craic and a scantily clad young lady tries to scam us on the way home in the early hours. Quite a day. 


PS. Let me kow if the pics show up ok as I linked them from Dropbox as I'm sick of photobucket being a nightmare to link to before USA wakes up.

Hello peeps....just thought it time I got off my typing arse and posted something...mind you there's little to post in my retired life these days .  Anyway.....Mrs C and self ventured up to Malvern for a few days in the motorhome...big motorhome show and pretty good entertainment ( she likes her line dancing and Country/Western music....mind you any kind of live music is usually to our liking and there were over 20 acts at Malvern over the four days).  So wandering around the show a 'lekky bike' stand caught 'our eye' ...well a few stands did actually...but all except this one were crap...bad welding/poor finish/ crap components etc.  So looking into it more we discovered the reason for the better finish....'German made'.  Chatting to the two guys there they said 'would we like a test ride'.....sure we would.  So with no deposit/name/address or hows your father...off we set on well over £2500 worth of brand new bikes.  As Mrs C has been considering....for over 18 months....getting an electric bike and now we had found a bike she really liked and actually came to decision time.  The bike she tried she really liked and felt comfortable and safe on....Dutch style, Alloy frame, 8 gears and three levels of assist, hydraulic disc brakes, Shimano gears and branded callipers, light set etc.....no cheap Chinese rubbish to be found on it.  So  after some haggling we bought the one she had tested and for £350 knocked off the retail as it was deemed an ex demo' bike albeit with the grand sum of 13 miles on the clock.  
Then off to the Dales....Dovedale to be exact and a lovely site at Ilam Park for a week.  A bit of walking, no cycling as my bike was at home.....some occasional partaking of G&T and red wines (well daily actually) ...a few days out  and about (we had towed the Smart car with us).  All in all a great two weeks and as this was my first visit to the Peak district we are looking to go back with both bikes for the Tissington Trail and whatever else we can find for both of us to cycle around.  Any recommendations for good fairly easy trails would be appreciated........remember I said fairly easy not IRON man stuff you nutters get into....hehe

Last Friday was a test day at Brands with Bemsee. One of the tech. officials has been muting doing a BRA for some time to get his racing licence but there was little point doing just one for him so I joined him. Rode steadily round Brands Indy on a Kawk 300 Ninja for about 20 mins with 2 practice starts. All of that qualifies me to now apply to the ACU for a racing licence! I haven't completely lost my marbles though - not yet anyhow. Well, maybe some. But not all. Just most! Gonna wait till next year to actually get the licence though, as I have no need for one for the remainder of this season (and it'd expire in December) so wait till next year then see what I'm doing marshalling wise and maybe line up on a grid or two if I'm not needed on post

Don't like it. 

Really really don't like it. 

Haven't been on for about 3-4 weeks and can't bring myself to go back to it despite it's best efforts with emails and reminders.  

 
So, in conclusion. 
I don't like Facebook. 
At.
All.


I feel better now having shared that with my multitude of friends on here ..................... 

As Kingy is having a clearout so am I :-)

Making way for a new hardtail and fancy giving some XC racing a bash.

Here is the ebay link Superfly

Great bike and would do a deal for £700, this thing flies!

Thread here. Please look and comment. Thankyou.   
http://dw4n.com/ThM/showthread.php?tid=507

My bike insurance is up for renewal soon, and the renewal quote is being based on a 7 month old licence as that's when I upgraded my licence from a learner licence to a full bike licence. However, when I did my insurance last year (as a learner), they took the licence date as being from when I passed my car test (2009 - the time I became eligible to ride a bike on L-Plates).

So I was wondering what you lot do (assuming you've ever encountered the same situation) or what you would do? It seems from the argument I had last night on the phone is that my licence (and by association my 'riding experience') is limited to 7 months as that's the date on the licence despite the fact that I've been regularly riding for 2 years.

Anyone got any thoughts/comments to guide me pretty please?

I've just spent a very pleasant weekend in Amsterdam. I tagged along with the 'pool lads' as I know a few of them (plus my brother) so got an invite for 'Dave the Hens' 40th birthday weekend. I've been to the Dam before and whilst it's a good place I'm not overly impressed with it - but anywhere for a lads weekend is always quality.   

After a short flight (under an hour) we found the b&b, dropped bags off and got out for a wander as it was 10am Friday morning. On of many bars ...




Then off to another called 'The Last Waterhole'. Went back here Friday evening as they had some good bands on. Really good place. 



Newspaper front pages as wallpaper in parts of the place and graffiti and streetart in others. 



Passed some water on the way ...



Charlie spotted something he liked ...



Ahhhh, that makes sense ...







One issue we did have to watch was the stairs in Amsterdam. Steep is an understatement ...



Passed some nice sights ...



Continuing the general theme ...



But birthday boy was struggling ...



Best bar of the day was this quirky place.



Up and out Saturday and this bar was the place I paid the most for a pint on the weekend. It was normally 6 Euros, but I managed to get a pint of Affligem Blonde without checking and got my pants pulled down for 10 Euros. 


Watched some young girls show off their freestyle football skills to help promote a book ...




Just next to Rembrandt Square ...




Found a great bar to watch the FA Cup final in, but Birthday boy was struggling again ...



Decided we would get some food, but gave this place a miss ....



Back to the Quirky bar again Saturday evening ...



And the Bulldog where we had a good craic with the bouncer ...



And even managed to grab a scenic pic whilst wandering home in the very early hours of the morning. 



We have plenty of daft stories. Eating a spoonfull of raw chilli as a 'dare' in a restaurant then pretty much passing out, offering someone pushing infront in toilets to a 'Cock Fight', 20 minutes on the floor in a comatose state after trying a spliff for the first time and saying "There is nothing to this" ... then BANG! ... and much much more!   So, the usual lads weekend away. 

It's been all over the news and is yet another embarrassment for the club in a season I'm sure they will want to forget. A pretend 'bomb' used during a training drill last week was left in one of the toilets in Old Trafford. It was discovered by a fan before the game against Bournemouth on Sunday (final game of the season) and so a full evaquation was required. We were in the East (K) stand opposite the area concerned. We were held in and kept ourselves upto date with twitter and text messages ...



Quite odd. Our stand 3/4 full, but people who never miss kick off weren't in. South Stand (to our left) also nearly full, but we watched the other two stands empty completely, then stewards do a mickey mouse sweep of the stands before Police sniffer dogs were let loose. 



Now we have to go back tomorrow night (great - night game to leave me knackered all week) to watch a game of no importance at all as the finishing places were all sorted out in our absence. I appreciate they acted based on what they assumed was a credible threat - but it wasn't, could have been avoided and has ended up costing a lot of people a lot of time, money and inconvenience. I especially feel sorry for the travelling Bournemouth fans and the coaches of United fans from further afield. 

So far United have said nothing, but I've heard via the BBC that United are planning to refund people that bought tickets and credit Season Ticket holders for the game. Sounds good, but for season ticket holders, if you aren't renewing I bet you won't be able to get that credit changed into a ££ refund. 

Apologies if I sound apathetic about this 'bomb scare', but this season United (as a club) have been beyond useless on many occasions (particularly with their treatment of match going fans) and this really is just the icing on the cake.