Your rants here.

Blonde Cyclist

Triple head wind day? What are the chances of it changing direction just before every time I get on my bike today. Looking at the BBC, high...

Initialised

Nearly wiped out by two different Lexus drivers this morning, one at each end of the Redheugh Bridge, both silver. No I wont use the foot path with Cyclists Dismount signs at both ends as I am too fast to ride there safely and didn't get on my bike to go for a walk.

Can blame a new road layout and signalling with scant regard to cyclist's safety for the first. Second was an under-take followed by revving, older car with big alloys, tinted windows. Should have seen him one take off when I motioned to kick in his rear light cluster! Probably a dealer not wanting any hassle from the police.

J77 JKK iirc

rick_chasey

Rear puncture this morning. Of all the mornings.

For some reason managed to find it impossible to get good tension on my SS chain without putting it in skew-wiff.


Did. Not. Enjoy.

You'd think 100 years on after the invention of the pneumatic tyre they'd come up with one that rides ok and doesn't puncture.

bails87

Ugh, had to drive in today (3 days this week off the bike now, twice due to having to bring stuff in, once due to being sent to London). The weather was grim . The traffic was grim. The other drivers were grim. There was a suicidal old man in a car behind me who kept trying to over and undertake where there simply weren't enough lanes. Just horrible. Then I got soaked walking from the car to the office. Would much rather have been on the bike. At least when I get wet on the bike I get dried and changed afterwards.

rick_chasey

While I'm in a bad mood.

People who ride without mudgards.

You clearly love having dirty enemas and should be imprisoned for anti-social behaviour.

Fair enough if it's a sudden downpour and you forgot to put them on. It happens to all of us. But on a day like today, no f*cking excuse.

The amount of sh!t I had in my eyes and mouth this morning as a result. It wasn't even like I was being lazy and getting a tow. The spray's a good 3m, and if you're sh!t slow I'm going to have to get near the back of you to pass.

It's not even pleasant to ride without mudguards in the p!ssing rain.

Alinshearah

Initialised wrote:

Can blame a new road layout and signalling with scant regard to cyclist's safety for the first.

I can't work out who the new light are to benefit. At a push it will save seconds for people on SJB wanting to turn right and no don't have to go round the back of the Jury Inn.

I'll watch out for the Lexus's (or is it Lexi?)

fossyant

Fecking Solicitors. Defendant's solicitors not accepting my injuries were caused by their stupid driver running me over. See you in court for slapping. How elso does one end up with a perfect right shoulder, and a fecked left shoulder ? Oh just so happened your car hit it at 30 mph and I then landed on it again when I hit the road! Grrrr

bails87

B**tards! May you give them a really rough royal rogering in court!

dhope

Plane diverted due to a technical. Queuing at Shannon rather than Amaterdam right now.

Ben6899

Girlfriend needs three references, for a job offer, to cover 2009-present. She has three, but they only cover 2010-present. Her employer 2009-2010 does not give references.

Her other three references are freakin excellent.

She is currently in discussions with HR and they are going to try and get something out of the key employer. But what the f*** is she meant to do!?

So frustrating and unfair, I feel like crying. She just needs a more stable contract/pay arrangement so we can move out of this SHITTY house-share that we're currently in.

rick_chasey

Ben6899 wrote:

Girlfriend needs three references, for a job offer, to cover 2009-present. She has three, but they only cover 2010-present. Her employer 2009-2010 does not give references.

Her other three references are freakin excellent.

She is currently in discussions with HR and they are going to try and get something out of the key employer. But what the f*** is she meant to do!?

So frustrating and unfair, I feel like crying. She just needs a more stable contract/pay arrangement so we can move out of this SHITTY house-share that we're currently in.

This kind of administrative w*nkness was a big big problem when I was first applying around to firms out of uni.

Eventually I lost the will and decided that any company that is that obstructive is not worth working for.

It can be utterly kafka-esque sometimes. It's really terrible. Don't these firms realise they're losing good people by doing this?

rjsterry

How rigid are the requirements? If the ref's are as good as you say, then I doubt whoever is reading them will worry that they don't go back the extra few months.

Blacktemplar

Tricycleboy wrote:

Blacktemplar wrote:

22 miles into the inaugural Buachaille Mhor Sportive on Sunday when my rear gear cable snapped. Limped to marshal point a mile on to be told that the nearest mechanical help was 30 miles down the road. Stuck in 50-11 or 39-11, thirty lumpy miles later and with bulging quads, I arrive at said stop to find the mechanic has no replacement cables. Grrrr. He fixed my rear derailleur halfway up the block to make life a bit easier, but it was still another thirty miles to the next stop where I got a fix. Sixty miles with two gears. How we laughed. Cost me a decent time and just about killed me, but other than that a marvellous 170K day. At least it didn't rain.....

Well done to you sir! A lesser man would have waited for the broom wagon.

Thank you kind sir

(Bloody well hurt though)

CiB

Rick Chasey wrote:

While I'm in a bad mood.

People who ride without mudgards.

You clearly love having dirty enemas and should be imprisoned for anti-social behaviour.

Fair enough if it's a sudden downpour and you forgot to put them on. It happens to all of us. But on a day like today, no f*cking excuse.

The amount of sh!t I had in my eyes and mouth this morning as a result. It wasn't even like I was being lazy and getting a tow. The spray's a good 3m, and if you're sh!t slow I'm going to have to get near the back of you to pass.

It's not even pleasant to ride without mudguards in the p!ssing rain.

Pffft. Mudguards are a waste of space. Every sportiv & club run I've done in the wet isn't improved by someone fitting a bit of plastic that ends somewhere above the road. Rain + other crap is still thrown up high enough for me to ride into; the only way guards make a difference is if they go to the floor or if they have mud-flaps or mats like juggernauts have to soak up spray. Anyway it's only rain. Get used to the taste. I rounded a bend this morning to find a layer of rain-soaked slurry in my path and no means of avoiding it. The required word in that situation is 'plreghephssspperr". Seemed to work.

jonginge

bails87 wrote:

Ugh, had to drive in today (3 days this week off the bike now, twice due to having to bring stuff in, once due to being sent to London). The weather was grim . The traffic was grim. The other drivers were grim. There was a suicidal old man in a car behind me who kept trying to over and undertake where there simply weren't enough lanes. Just horrible. Then I got soaked walking from the car to the office. Would much rather have been on the bike. At least when I get wet on the bike I get dried and changed afterwards.

Is that the west midlands equivalent of being sent to Coventry?

Ben6899

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Girlfriend needs three references, for a job offer, to cover 2009-present. She has three, but they only cover 2010-present. Her employer 2009-2010 does not give references.

Her other three references are freakin excellent.

She is currently in discussions with HR and they are going to try and get something out of the key employer. But what the f*** is she meant to do!?

So frustrating and unfair, I feel like crying. She just needs a more stable contract/pay arrangement so we can move out of this SHITTY house-share that we're currently in.

This kind of administrative w*nkness was a big big problem when I was first applying around to firms out of uni.

Eventually I lost the will and decided that any company that is that obstructive is not worth working for.

It can be utterly kafka-esque sometimes. It's really terrible. Don't these firms realise they're losing good people by doing this?

Frustrating, Rick.

I don't want to provide many details, for obvious reasons. The person who actually wants her has told her face to face - in light of this obstacle - that her other references are brilliant and that she will speak to HR. In the meantime, HR are chasing the other company, but all they'll get is confirmation that she was indeed an employee from 2009-10.

Ben6899

rjsterry wrote:

How rigid are the requirements? If the ref's are as good as you say, then I doubt whoever is reading them will worry that they don't go back the extra few months.

The person who reads them doesn't have a problem whatsoever. Hopefully this is the key.

I'm keeping a brave face in front of my girlfriend... easier said than done when you know each other so well. As most people in a relationship would testify!

phy2sll2

Rick Chasey wrote:

While I'm in a bad mood.

People who ride without mudgards.

"Belgian Toothpaste"!

suzyb

Can companies refuse to provide a reference. Or is it that they just can't give a bad one.

CiB

suzyb wrote:

Can companies refuse to provide a reference. Or is it that they just can't give a bad one.

They can give what they choose to but open themselves up to litigation if they provide an unfounded bad one or a good one that turns out not to be entirely accurate, so the common way these days is to either not give one or provide only basic facts - worked here from to as.

nich

FSCKING INSURANCE COMPANIES

Me: Hi, I want todo XYZ.
Ok Sir, let me pass you onto ____
Me: Hi, I want todo XYZ.
Ok Sir, let me pass you onto ____
Me: Hi, I want todo XYZ.
Ok Sir, let me pass you onto ____
Me: Hi, I want todo XYZ.
Ok Sir, let me pass you onto ____
Me: Hi, I want todo XYZ.
Ok Sir, let me pass you onto ____
Me: DON'T BOTHER! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS. GOODBYE!


Sigh, all I want todo is change from fully-comp to 3rdparty.

aeon

Ok sir, let me pass you onto ___

Kieran_Burns

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Blacktemplar

CiB wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Can companies refuse to provide a reference. Or is it that they just can't give a bad one.

They can give what they choose to but open themselves up to litigation if they provide an unfounded bad one or a good one that turns out not to be entirely accurate, so the common way these days is to either not give one or provide only basic facts - worked here from to as.

I'm told the HR* trolls have their own coded language for "was a total sh1tebag and waster, don't employ this loser" which you or I would just see as bland non-committal generalisation. My brother in law went through a messy separation from a previous employer and discovered this when he saw his reference and asked a pal who was in HR to translate.




*Human Remains

McNulty

the mfin wind ffs, please please please enough with the wind...in every direction

and while im on, if you were cycling in Wakefield this morning in a purple jacket and nearly got hit by a black car coming out of a side road junction - it was your fault and shaking your fist at the driver doesn't change that. If you hadnt jumped the red light it wouldnt have happened. The driver should have checked before pulling out but given the red light normally means the road is clear for him I blame you!

jds_1981

Oh PF, long had we been strangers.

redvee

Today I realised how good mudguards are when the roads are wet and water is still descending from the clouds. Took the un-mudguarded bike out today and it rained and my bum got wet. The route I rode could have been done on the SS with mudguards. I was looking at bikes with mudguards with envy.

the_fuggler

Bah. Having set my heart on a Giant TCR Advanced 3, it seems it's not to be. Spent a good hour plus in the local bike shop trying different set-ups to get a Medium or Medium / Large to fit. No joy.

Turns out that a Supersix fits like a glove though...!

veronese68

The Fuggler wrote:

Bah. Having set my heart on a Giant TCR Advanced 3, it seems it's not to be. Spent a good hour plus in the local bike shop trying different set-ups to get a Medium or Medium / Large to fit. No joy.

Turns out that a Supersix fits like a glove though...!

This started with a search for CX tyres as I recall. Will you be fitting CX tyres to a Supersix? Or are you headed for N+2?

the_fuggler

It would be fair to say this has become something of a saga. It has really been about n+2 (CX and new Road), with the new road bike having been lusted after for several months and the desire for a CX coming as a result of the recent weather, which has left the roads round here resembling the surface of the moon.

So, latest plan is to fit some CX tyres to my Roadrat for some on/off-road perversion, while simultaneously lusting after a new road bike (I seem to fit both Cannondale and Scott very well). Part A of this plan has been deemed to be fiscally prudent and acceptable by the Financial Controller. Part B has been covered in the letters 'WTF' in large red pen.