Asset

god we're all so judgemental!

Clipless pedals (usually known as SPDs) are really easy to use and once you get used to them (takes about one day) you will wonder how you ever did without them before. The downside is that you will need to buy shoes that clip into them, although these are available in numerous 'casual' designs. Shimano do an amazingly cheap set of SPDs for aout ?15 on eBay. I have used a pair on my commuter for about 6 months and they are almost as good a my ?80 set! Mr Asset saw a femaile rider slip off her wet plastic pedals with her wet rubber soled shoes recently (are you on the forum?) as she climbed DKH going into town. She didn't hurt herself, and he prob freaked her a bit by recommending SPDs as they rode up the hill together, but guys, you know what the result of slipping off your pedal can be. Eyewatering. The very important thing is to have someone experienced (eg. the shop that sells you them) set the angle of the clip (called a cleat) in the sole. Get this wrong and you WILL knacker your knees. I had to stop riding for two years once, and was considering surgery before I realised the problem. They are particularly helpful as they allow you to pull up as well as push down, like toe-clips but without the faff of getting your foot in and out (or numb toes due to lack of circulation). Shimano SPD cleats come in two types: multi-release and single-release. I'd recommend the latter to a newbie, as you won't know the difference and your shoe cannot come out unless you want it to.

Where in Dulwich Park did they use all these bricks? I haven't noticed any new edifices there.

and the place will soon smell of poo

Shame on the EDT for doing it.

meanwhile all the folk

no - she means the hairdressers I think judging by the thread title.

Polo shirt - ha ha *sorry*

OMG - I've missed it all so far but keep reading snippets e.g Cerys and Eastenders guy, Lynn and loony Janice. I'm desperate to see it. I MUST watch it tomorrow.

I suspect my grandfather may do that. I think it's an age thing. Obviously no one under the age of fifty would tuck a shirt in anyway!

try again * i've noticed rate your music replace their images with a single pixel gif once we link to them, they obciously don't like it - sorted it above for you *

oh bloody poo poo - it won't work

well exactly, I don't think this is an ED specific issue is it? Some people are rude, shopkeepers and customers, and some people are not.

Actually, I said streetlight because it is easier. It is actually a light that lights up a walkway between the back of my street and the estate behind. At around the same time as the council changed the lighting to the new fabulous floodlights they also decided to put railings and gates up so no one can actually walk down said walkway rendering the lights unnecessary. I used to have those crappy solar garden lights but it is so bright in the garden now they don't come on!

I've cycled from here to various places. I can't cycle at the moment and I do miss it. I used to cycle to Westbourne Park/Goldborne Rd, which after Parliament Square is quite a nice route through the parks and down through Notting Hill. It took me just over an hour. My last regular cycle journey was only 20 mins to the Elephant and it is pretty crap doing Walworth Rd, it will be interesting to see how Wally Rd is after the roadworks are finished. I have a Kona Kilauea and wear a mixture of civvies and cycling gear. I use SPDs which I too would recommend to everyone. I was nervous of them at first but they are so much safer and would hate not having them now. I'm not sure about helmets. I used to wear one all the time but I have stopped recently as there have been some studies to show that they can cause more damage and also that car drivers are likely to give you more space if you aren't wearing one. If I was off road I would wear one.

Oh Jah, that was horrid. Back to euphemisms. I was wondering just the other day about "when did your cat die?" (too short trousers). Where on earth did that come from?

Pink Panther

I have had a new streelight put in at the back of my house which is like having a football pitch floodlight shining into my back garden, sitting room and the bedrooms. There always was a light there but it used to be a fairly mellow orange sodium light. Now it is 250 watts of halogen. Horrendous. The council have ignored my requests to have it changed, even though I pointed out that it was a waste of energy (especially when it was on all day through the summer) and I'm tempted to chuck a brick at it.

soon the nights will get shorter

it became sunday without any warning

Pardon me but asking whether I think the rules and guidelines are not for me is specious. What exactly are the criteria mentioned in the quote? Children under, I think, 11 are allowed to cycle on the pavement anyway and I can see that the quote above allows for older kids or somewhat elderly persons to be allowed to also, but it is entirely subjective and lends no justification to you (I assume you are an adult), as a responsible (adult) cyclist you should be on the road or walking the bike. Obviously this is only my opinion and I wouldn't dream of assuming that the elected government could possibly be in the wrong about anything and as you now have a green light to do it there is no more argument.

I used to cycle regularly, circumstances make me unable to at present. If a situation arose where it was necessary to get on the pavement, I walked the bike. I don't think there is any justification for cycling on the pavement and cyclists who do try to justify it are, in my view, wrong. The fact that there are nutter car drivers and pedestrians who walk out into the road in front of you without looking is neither here nor there.

LL about 1/2 - 3/4 mile from home. Sometimes I walk, sometimes I cycle and sometimes I drive - depends on my mood, the weather, what time it is, how knackered I am, how quick I have to be. There you go.

I thought it was a bit more than that, but apparently the cyclist was special needs so got a dispensation. Still, my point was a cyclist on the pavement can kill, this was a 41 year old male that died, much easier to do damage to a 3 year old.