Mat's BX Blog

[Thread Bear]

Where are the logs from the NEC. Brrr.

[mat_fenwick]

They're probably a bit green to burn this season, but we have plenty of well seasoned wood stored That said, they did seem quite a bit lighter after the dry atmosphere of the show, so might chop one up to see.

[mat_fenwick]

Went over to Sheffield this weekend, and took my Mum out to the Peak District for her 60th birthday. After a nice meal we took her on a very tame green lane, as she loves the countryside but her arthritis restricts her to places accessible by vehicle. Slightly spoilt by being vehemently called a c*** by a cyclist, when we'd pulled to one side and stopped to let them come past. It made the shout of "Idiots!" from the next bunch seem almost friendly.

How can people develop such hatred, simply from how others (legally and responsibly) decide to enjoy their time? I've hard about this sort of anti feeling before, but all I'd ever experienced is the odd dirty look. Pretty gobsmacked TBH.

[Dollywobbler]

There are some militant arseholes in the Peak District. I've almost been taken out by cyclists and horses when walking down bridlepaths, but I don't call them idiots! If I wanted to get away from them, I'd just use a footpath instead. Increasingly I can't be doing with laning because I don't want people thinking that badly about me - though I hate to give in to such unnecessary hatred.

[mat_fenwick]

I've almost been taken out by cyclists and horses when walking down bridlepaths, but I don't call them idiots!

The baffling thing is that I could partly understand (but not condone) it if I'd been driving aggressively, but I was just idling along in low 2nd, and actually stopped to give way to other users of the track!. I felt I ought to show an exaggerated level of consideration - even if not absolutely necessary - to try and improve relations and keep noise to a minimum. Although how anyone could possibly object to the sound of a rumbling V8 I can't imagine

Whinge number 2 is the people who overtake you when sat at a steady speed on cruise control, then pull in front and slow down. And accelerate as you pull alongside them again! Lost count of the number of times that happened on the journey!

Still, all in all it was a good weekend; had a great meal at a Turkish restaurant which was better than any of the food we had when we were actually in Turkey!

[Paul296]

Naturally I was pretty well disposed to cyclists - they don't pump any shit into the atmosphere and make like eco-friends of Mother Earth: so all is green and lovely - or should be. I've noticed recently however, that they do seem to have developed an attitude as if the motor car was responsible for every ill currently facing humanity. They ride two abreast, blocking traffic as if they had a divine right to get in everybodies face, and when you do manage to struggle past you get the finger (or worse) for doing what you're perfectly legally entitled to do. If you thought that was a bike saddle they're sat on - it's not - it's the moral bloody high ground.

[mds141]

Bring back public flogging I say!!

[mat_fenwick]

They ride two abreast, blocking traffic as if they had a divine right to get in everybodies face, and when you do manage to struggle past you get the finger (or worse) for doing what you're perfectly legally entitled to do.

I don't think you can make sweeping generalisations about a whole group of people, but suppose it's natural for the more extreme in any group to be noticed the most, and for everybody to be then tarred with the same brush.

I do a fair bit of cycling too, as well as hill walking so I guess I've got a foot in every camp! If I'm in the wilderness without a motor, I'd prefer not to have hoards of 4x4s around, but the legal green lanes are so few and far between there's plenty of places to walk/cycle without vehicles around.

[MULLEY]

There are arseholes in all walks of life, those one's just happened to be pedelling.

[Paul296]

They ride two abreast, blocking traffic as if they had a divine right to get in everybodies face, and when you do manage to struggle past you get the finger (or worse) for doing what you're perfectly legally entitled to do.

I don't think you can make sweeping generalisations about a whole group of people, but suppose it's natural for the more extreme in any group to be noticed the most, and for everybody to be then tarred with the same brush.

I do a fair bit of cycling too, as well as hill walking so I guess I've got a foot in every camp! If I'm in the wilderness without a motor, I'd prefer not to have hoards of 4x4s around, but the legal green lanes are so few and far between there's plenty of places to walk/cycle without vehicles around.

That's very fair minded of you Mat - and you're right of course. And some of those indignant cyclists will themselves own cars and get hacked off with cyclists when they're driving them!

[mat_fenwick]

Ah well, my Mum enjoyed it at least! A couple of photos:







(Freelander is my Dad's...)

[mds141]

Trust you to park near a body of water Mat.

[Thread Bear]

Ah, its your dad's car. Perhaps he has a secret history as the Buxton Bike Basher......

Trouble is there are to many people trying to get away from it all, to get away from it all, at times. Get some very ill adjusted folk on the Ridgeway these days, when I am walking my two Dalmatians. You would think they were Rottweilers or something. The whole point of taking them up there is so they can run. They were bred to do 40 miles a day at horse trot speed. A mile on a lead is no use to them. A guy on a mountain bike is chase worthy. Most think its good fun but some get very nasty. I love the wise and pitying look my older dog gives these people when they go off on one. You can see him thinking 'Arsehole'. They stand back and look on being harangued as the interest is in a moving target not in interaction, particularly. Very few of the horse riders ever make a fuss as the Dallys will run along with them too, unless told not to.
If I go to the Thames its fisherman. They have a slightly better case if the dogs are scrounging, or on the visual horizon, but again some of them are ill tempered sorts. The local wood I used to go to is infested with rats on a string that get clutched, so not much cop, the other two woods now discourage entrance to all but the bridle paths. Again a few spoiling it for the many by ill behaviour, this time damaging private property. They will not be the country folk either, but the influx of townies, where much of this attitude problem stems from, as antisocial behaviour seems to be acceptable in the urban environment.

The beach at Allonby, Solway coast, is completely different and free running dogs, the odd horse rider, all intermingle with very few canine altercations and lots of games. Tellingly rural and not an area attracting many new people with a little red book of rights.

[MULLEY]

TBH, a dog chasing me on my mountain bike is a tad annoying even if it means me no harm, how the hell am i supposed to know it's friendly when its chasing. I had some stupid owner shouting after his dog & i nearly came off. He kindly informed that it doesn't bite, i told him in no uncertain terms that he didn't have control of his dog & that i'd nearly crashed as a consequence. I was totally fuxxed off with his never mind attitude, so i can empathise with anyone who's had a dog or 2 running either alongside or chasing me, i don't know what they are planning on doing as i don't know the animal. A mate was cycling in front of me & a dog ran alongside him, looked like it was just having some fun, but it decided to jump up & nipped my mate on the arm, nice This is coming from someone who owns a dog. After that any dog that got in my way got run over or booted if the owner didn't have control. Rant over.

[mat_fenwick]

I agree Matt, the owner needs to have full control. Ours loves to run too, but we have to balance that against the fact that others may not want to be chased!

Onto this weekend, Friday was a road trip down to Southways, where this was the result:



Overlaid on top of a standard BX TD, which made me feel all smug until Kitch overlaid the graph for his (remapped) Picasso on top of mine

Had a great run back up through the early hours - in fact I made the 260 miles in 4 hours to the minute including one stop for a drink. Would have been quicker, except they had closed off part of the M42, M5 and M6 around Birmingham, so had no choice but to go through the city.

When I got back I saw a police car parked up the road just before I turned off - then as I looked in my rear view mirror he turned around to follow me. Then when I turned off up our track he slowed, then went past and came back. He shone a light up it but must have either realised I lived there or not fancied his chances in the mud!

Last drive of the BX for the year So much grit on the roads round here; it was 6 degrees C in Fareham when I left, clear skies and no grit on the roads. A degree warmer in Wales when I got back, cloudy sky (surprise!) and they'd gritted the roads -

Saturday was nice and sunny, although it rained later. But not before we'd climbed a mountain which we'd failed on twice already this year!



Sunday (a day of rest?) was spent on chopping/moving firewood and car stuff...replaced the exhaust and an inner rack joint on the MINI and the thermostat on the Focus. Not massively impressed with the exhaust, as it didn't come with the chrome tip as even most pattern parts do, so welded that on from the old one. Their welding was none too hot either Still, it had a 2 year warranty which is more than most.



And the boiler has chosen to pack up just before the next lot of cold weather - great Fortunately I managed to get a circuit diagram and find what the fault was...bits were under £30 delivered and should be here early next week. Back to work for a rest I think!