A random thread for things too unimportant for their own thread...

[EddiePJ]

Well it is official, I have joined the ranks of being a mountain bike rider.

After years of wearing lycra shorts and bib tights, and years of searching for a pair of mtb shorts that I actually liked both the look of and practicality of use of, I finally spotted some two weeks ago, whilst out on a locally organised group ride. https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/madison_addict_softshell_shorts-ID_67932?&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=Ret_ROEYE_0023&utm_medium=PaidSocial

I now no longer have to frighten children and put people off their food in local cafes, with my horrible legs and knots in cotton knees.
I have to say that these shorts are easily the best that I have come across. In black, not the green as shown.

And on another note, with the sale of the full suspension eMTB, it is once again new bike time. Two months of research and umming and ahhing, trying various bikes, ruling out various bikes, my quest has lead me to buy this cheeky little number. A quick peek of the new toy.

 

[flecc]

A quick peek of the new toy.

Indulging again in your new hobby of keeping people guessing Eddie!
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[SHAN]

It's all verv well for you living in spacious, sparsely populated Scotland, but in densely populated towns and cities a large excess of cats and dogs is a really serious problem, often for those animals as much as for the humans.

And judging by the rat infestation problems in large towns and cities, the cats and dogs are lazy as well as being a nuisance.
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Red deer, fallow dear, sheep, capercaillie (now they are bad), pine marten's (pungent), gangs of menacing red squirrels flinging faeces at you, give me cats and dogs any day of the week. Further north is the feral goat territory, evil.

http://westhighland-hunting.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Mammals_1024x600px_Feral-Goat-7-770x360.jpg

 

[LeighPing]

Dog poo is bio-degradable. Where practicable, I bury it. Otherwise I'll bag it and carry it swinging on my handlebars to the nearest doggy bin.

Bad dog behaviour doesn't apply to us. I've exceptional control of an exceptionally well behaved mutt.




As a responsible dog owner, I like to think that we put more goodwill into the park than we take out.

 

[anotherkiwi]

We all need to have a good rant from time to time.

All dogs should be shot because of a few irresponsible owners therefore all bikes should be banned because of a few irresponsible riders.

My rant today is stereo headphones/earphones & mobile phones used on shared paths. The users should be locked in a room for 24hrs with Russ Conway & Mrs Mills music played at full volume.

And deaf senior citizens should stay at home in front of the tele. Or as a bare minimum stay off cycle paths. Problem is when most of them were born there was no such thing as a cycle path so they don't know what it is for...

 

[flecc]

As a responsible dog owner, I like to think that we put more goodwill into the park than we take out.

But my concern is a chalk downland nature reserve. The soil there is very poor, having flora that suits in those conditions. The last thing we want is added nutrient which lets in invasive species, destroying the natural flora.

That's our published and genuine reason we want the hundreds of daily dog owners to clear up after their pets, not one of cleanliness.
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[Gubbins]

Dog poo is bio-degradable. Where practicable, I bury it. Otherwise I'll bag it and carry it swinging on my handlebars to the nearest doggy bin.

Bad dog behaviour doesn't apply to us. I've exceptional control of an exceptionally well behaved mutt.

View attachment 22434


As a responsible dog owner, I like to think that we put more goodwill into the park than we take out.

Unfortunately Mr Ping I think you are in a minority yet having to stand the flack, a bit like me carrying the can for the knobeds who terrorise the towpath chasing the uncatchable Strava.

 

[SHAN]

Problem is when most of them were born there was no such thing as a cycle path so they don't know what it is for...

and stagecoach drivers used to get extra long whips made, so they could lash out at penny farthing riders that frightened the horses. Just ban everything, then some folks would tell you what they want, instead of what they don't want.

 

[Gubbins]

But my concern is a chalk downland nature reserve. The soil there is very poor, having flora that suits in those conditions. The last thing we want is added nutrient which lets in invasive species, destroying the natural flora.

That's our published and genuine reason we want the hundreds of daily dog owners to clear up after their pets, not one of cleanliness.
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I supose that at about a lb per plop it soon mounts up...
For those that don't understand old money its an old fashioned weight term.

 

[flecc]

I supose that at about a lb per plop it soon mounts up...
For those that don't understand old money its an old fashioned weight term.

Yes, a compact and efficient way of saying 454 grammes.
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[Gubbins]

Yes, a compact and efficient way of saying 454 grammes.
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Interestingly I am just reading about today's 11 inch snowfall... ain our metric world why revert to imperial to emphasise the depth..

 

[flecc]

I supose that at about a lb per plop it soon mounts up...

Indeed, plants grow in annual cycles and we've calculated that around 134 tons of dog poo are deposited each year in our one third of a square mile reserve. If none of it was picked up it would finish the native downland plants in the reserve. That's how serious it is.
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[flecc]

Interestingly I am just reading about today's 11 inch snowfall... ain our metric world why revert to imperial to emphasise the depth..

Once again highlighting a real world impracticality of metric. 279mm isn't easy to picture and 0.28 metres is just awkward.

The metric system is great for mathematics and science, but the Imperial system created from the real world of experience and scale is best for everyday purposes.

That's why it refuses to die.
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[EddiePJ]

Flecc, you have kind of reminded me of our local RSPB woodland http://www.highweald.org/explore-sussex/nature-reserves/broadwater-warren-tunbridge-wells.html

Something has always puzzled me about it. The woodland has an amazing network of dry tracks and trails, on which dog walking is permitted, yet cycling isn't (not that it stops anyone)
Apparently dogs running out of control off a lead does not disturb the wildlife and ground nesting birds, yet cycling on man made dry tracks does.

The dog walkers all drive to the site, the cyclists ride to the site. So again, which has a greater negative impact on the environment.

 

[Gubbins]

Once again highlighting a real world impracticality of metric. 279mm isn't easy to picture and 0.28 metres is just awkward.

The metric system is great for mathematics and science, but the Imperial system created from the real world of experience and scale is best for everyday purposes.
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Ah but is it? While this may be true for us older baby boomers, try getting a snowflake millennial to estimate 11 inches.

 

[flecc]

Flecc, you have kind of reminded me of our local RSPB woodland http://www.highweald.org/explore-sussex/nature-reserves/broadwater-warren-tunbridge-wells.html

Something has always puzzled me about it. The woodland has an amazing network of dry tracks and trails, on which dog walking is permitted, yet cycling isn't (not that it stops anyone)
Apparently dogs running out of control off a lead don't disturb the wildlife and ground nesting birds, yet cycling on man made dry tracks does.

Officially there's no cycling allowed in our reserve, and having a muddy paths problem it is a bit damaging, since bike tyres dig well in. However we don't attempt to enforce the byelaw, happy that many use it as a quiet bypass between two centres to avoid very busy local roads. We even encourage families to leisure cycle in there and took down the no cycling signs many years ago.

Dogs are supposed to be in control and owners are asked to use leads, but of course very few do. Running loose they can be destructive, we've had roe deer badly savaged enough to be put down and in the Spring a roe deer kid was dragged from the mother and mauled to death by two dogs.

The rest of the wildlife is safe, we don't have ground nesters and the other birds and squirrels take the mickey out dogs, teasing them mercilessly.
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[flecc]

Ah but is it? While this may be true for us older baby boomers, try getting a snowflake millennial to estimate 11 inches.

You may be surprised by how many know it's nearly a foot, and most of us have two of those.
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[EddiePJ]

Luckily the investment that has gone into Broadwater, means that almost all of the tracks/trails are dry throughout the year. They are either road stone, or where not, the soil is very sandy and free draining.

The good thing is that the RSBP have invested heavily into the woodland, and once established, it'll become a very valuable resource for all.

 

[flecc]

Luckily the investment that has gone into Broadwater, means that almost all of the tracks/trails are dry throughout the year. They are either road stone, or where not, the soil is very sandy and free draining.

The good thing is that the RSBP have invested heavily into the woodland, and once established, it'll become a very valuable resource for all.

Very different from our ground conditions where I've spread 61 tonnes of gravel recently to alleviate the worst of the muddy stretches. Being surrounded by three estates totalling around 6000 homes and with other large numbers driving to it with their dogs, our reserve suffers a very high daily footfall, churning up the ground.

Judged from that website Broadwater looks good and promising to be even better.
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[topographer]

To my mind there is nothing cool about a line of keich up your back or worse in your face.

Long time since I heard that word. Reminds me of being a kid and the family having a laugh about the different Scottish words for excrement: keich, toley, jobby etc.