West Midlands Express
Comments
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I'll have you know that Coventry is the Costa Brava of the Midlands! 8)All this pedantry about which county is lost on me. It's in the frozen wastelands of the north
in terms of tackiness and bad taste or other?
left the forum March 20230 -
Went to see a customer in Rugby the other day with my boss and was saying I don't think I've ever been to Coventry. I have a low opinion of it that I think is largely based on listening to the Specials, songs like Ghost Town and them always saying how deprived Coventry was.
I'll have you know that Coventry is the Costa Brava of the Midlands! 8)All this pedantry about which county is lost on me. It's in the frozen wastelands of the north
in terms of tackiness and bad taste or other?0 -
A lot of the negative stuff about Coventry is fairly accurate, but it has some good things going for it too and its own certain charm. I moved here to go to Coventry University in 2000 and have been happy enough here ever since.0
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A lot of the negative stuff about Coventry is fairly accurate, but it has some good things going for it too and its own certain charm. I moved here to go to Coventry University in 2000 and have been happy enough here ever since.0
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I will be in Coventry tomorrow. In particular IKEA.... That third bedroom isnt going to furnish itself now is it.
I have already been out with Stratford CC a couple of times. Not sure they were keen on my ICC jersey though.
SCR Warwickshire.... or the Warwickshire commuting thread?"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
I will be in Coventry tomorrow. In particular IKEA.... That third bedroom isnt going to furnish itself now is it.
I have already been out with Stratford CC a couple of times. Not sure they were keen on my ICC jersey though.
SCR Warwickshire.... or the Warwickshire commuting thread?
Won't get involved with clubs, I had my fair share of club nonsense back in the Amersham RCC days... enough to last me for a lifetime...
left the forum March 20230 -
The loss of our favourite wheel builder will be of far more concern to the London types.
Your loss is our gain! another west midlands/warwickshire resident here!
Lots of nice cycling if you head away from Birmingham! and you'll struggle to find many unsafe roads, steer clear of the major A roads and you won't go too far wrong.www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0 -
I wasn't planning on contuining to build wheels once in Warwickshire, as the next job will be a lot more demanding in terms of my time (and hopefully more rewarding too on a personal level!), but you never know... I will probably get a spoke key itch... left the forum March 20230
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RLS-CC is very informal and club arranged rides are open to all including non-members if you want to keep out of any politics. I joined simply as I believed it was right I put something into to what I benefit from.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
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Whats the local brew like?
I have noticed that i can get Duvel in some of the pubs in Stratford, so not overly bothered...."If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
Can recommend Drapers Bar and Inspire in Coventry city centre - Inspire has a massive range of craft and belgian beers. The guys who own it manage the bar in Draper's - smaller selection, but a much bigger more comfortable bar (both do Duvel and generally the staff know how to pour it properly too). They also have an off licence called Beer Gonzo in Earlsdon - last count I heard they had over 600 different beers.
There's also a newly opened micro brewery in Fargo Village called Twisted Barrel Ale - they have a brew tap that's open on Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays. Some fantastic beer, but they're very new and still finding their feet.0 -
'Warwickshire Brewery' is a micro brewery based in Cubbington, excellent product and the nearby Kings Head usually has one or two of their products on tap.Whats the local brew like?
Yes I have a brewery less than 300 yards from my front door - who would want to live in London eh?Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
300? 'bout 3 times as far as I lived from the Meantime brewery.
'Warwickshire Brewery' is a micro brewery based in Cubbington, excellent product and the nearby Kings Head usually has one or two of their products on tap.Whats the local brew like?
Yes I have a brewery less than 300 yards from my front door - who would want to live in London eh?
To be fair, I moved away, now I'm 900m from it
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ftfyBut where will London get it's wheels?
Mavic?
Jonathan Bell in Wandsworth, aka Noble wheels...
Arup Sen somewhere nasty in SE London
spasypaddy north londonBMC TM01 - FCN 0
Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
Premier (CX) - FCN 6
Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN30 -
ftfyBut where will London get it's wheels?
Mavic?
Jonathan Bell in Wandsworth, aka Noble wheels...
Arup Sen somewhere nasty in SE London
spasypaddy north london
If you want to do it to replace your job, I have to warn you there isn't much money in it. If you are honest and don't lure people into buying expensive components with high margin for the sake of it, I estimated you need to build a thousand wheels per year to make a living.
I think it's a nice side activity to pay for your hobby and maybe even a small cycling holiday in France, but that's about it...left the forum March 20230 -
i have no intention of it replacing my job! i just want to build some wheelsBMC TM01 - FCN 0
Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
Premier (CX) - FCN 6
Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN30 -
i have no intention of it replacing my job! i just want to build some wheels
It has been an interesting experience... if you do it well, in a city like London you will soon become very popular and it's difficult to say no and let people down, it can easily escalate and take over your life. At that point it becomes difficult to get the right balance between work/hobby/personal life... it's totally satisfying on a personal level, just as it's not worth the bother on a financial level... but you need to get there first... left the forum March 20230 -
EPO has just gone to pick up the keys of the new house.... Exciting times.
I officially own a home in the countryside...."If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
So, it turns out we don't like Leamington, but we prefer Warwick...
Or in other words, the areas of Leamington we can afford are pretty damn ugly!left the forum March 20230 -
Leamington is where all the students live, try snitterfield, claverdon and places like that if you like smaller country villages. If not, Stratford isn't far away and alrightwww.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0
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Warwick is a great place. Elaine and I both come from there. If you want any advice Re housing/areas pm me. Also its got a bike shop for the first time in twenty years.
Van Nicholas Ventus
Rose Xeon RS0 -
The nice areas of Leamington (not where the students live) are rather expensive. It's not helped by all JLR employees moving into the area driving up prices.Leamington is where all the students live, try snitterfield, claverdon and places like that if you like smaller country villages. If not, Stratford isn't far away and alright0 -
What's your budget, I know of a house that may be coming up in Cubbington soon....Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
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What's your budget, I know of a house that may be coming up in Cubbington soon....
Not buying, just renting... comfortable with 900 quid a month or less, 1000 or more is a stretch. But wife prefers Warwick anyway, which seems marginally cheaper Than Leamington... I personally don't give a toss about these things... I just don't want to spend my time chaffeuring people around, so it can't be a village, got to be a town, with a train station and not depressingleft the forum March 20230 -
Whenever i have been to Leamington, It has always depressed me. Some parts are nice but they are expensive. I was there with the OH a couple of months ago (she is from the area) and I asked here where the spa was? she said what Spa? as we were stood opposite it...
Snitterfield is very nice, but not if you want village. I quite like Warwick though although not spent to much time there - BTW, dont use carpet right in Stratford, they dont know their aris from their elbow.... And good luck trying to get a tiler....."If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
BTW, dont use carpet right in Stratford, they dont know their aris from their elbow.... And good luck trying to get a tiler.....
As I said, I am renting, so none of my problem... I have never been into properties in the way Brits are, kind of wanking in front of the estate agent's window, if you allow the expression... my cycling friends seem to be and all they talk about is extensions, remortgages, bathroom fitmens and garages... the all talk has never stopped depressing me immensely I never fail to remind them, as they go to any length for a nice house... they tailor their life, jobs around having a nice property. I have always put my priorities elsewhere, which is probably why I am not on the property ladder, but looking back I see it as a mistake I didn't make among a few I did make... it's the one I got away with
Here I have a colleague who lives in Cambridge and commutes to west london... it's stuck in this nightmare because of a property... :roll:left the forum March 20230 -
This one is a rental, I'll find out.What's your budget, I know of a house that may be coming up in Cubbington soon....
Not buying, just renting... comfortable with 900 quid a month or less, 1000 or more is a stretch. But wife prefers Warwick anyway, which seems marginally cheaper Than Leamington... I personally don't give a toss about these things... I just don't want to spend my time chaffeuring people around, so it can't be a village, got to be a town, with a train station and not depressing
Cubbington is neither Leamington nor a separate village, 3 miles to the station 2miles to the middle of town but nothing like being in town, Warwick station isn't much use by the way, check the schedules before you commit based on that!Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
This one is a rental, I'll find out.What's your budget, I know of a house that may be coming up in Cubbington soon....
Not buying, just renting... comfortable with 900 quid a month or less, 1000 or more is a stretch. But wife prefers Warwick anyway, which seems marginally cheaper Than Leamington... I personally don't give a toss about these things... I just don't want to spend my time chaffeuring people around, so it can't be a village, got to be a town, with a train station and not depressing
Cubbington is neither Leamington nor a separate village, 3 miles to the station 2miles to the middle of town but nothing like being in town, Warwick station isn't much use by the way, check the schedules before you commit based on that!
Bit far...
EDIT: Warwick station has trains to Birmingham every 30 minutes and to London Marylebone every hour... good enough... I've seen much worse
Back on topic, does this route make sense?
https://www.strava.com/routes/2860206left the forum March 20230 -
Only if you want to go the long way round!
The bit avoiding the Coventry road is a bit out of the way and rough/gravelly so I wouldn't use that, then at Leak Wootton i'd go straight towards Kenilworth not branch off (and come back on again later), when you get to Kenilworth you can follow that route or turn left onto the A452 (which at that point is Kenilworth high street - not a main road) then along Priory Road and out on the Coventry road (Mike Vaughan cycles is just by the right turn onto Coventry road). Then when you get towards leaving Kenilworth just by Princes drive you can turn left onto the Greenway (grey line on the map) which takes you straight(ish) to the Uni and comes out at the sports fields (see link in my first post on the first page of this thread), its nicer than the road (which is fastish and not that wide or a rubbish pavement cycle lane) but can be a bit grubby in winter. If you did go up Kenilworth road towards Covnetry I'd go all the way to Gibbet hill and then into the Uni at the Gibbet Hill Campus and across the internal cycle path to the main campus (see my other log on the first page).
House I know of coming up in Cubbington is over your budget - sorry.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
Only if you want to go the long way round!
The bit avoiding the Coventry road is a bit out of the way and rough/gravelly so I wouldn't use that, then at Leak Wootton i'd go straight towards Kenilworth not branch off (and come back on again later), when you get to Kenilworth you can follow that route or turn left onto the A452 (which at that point is Kenilworth high street - not a main road) then along Priory Road and out on the Coventry road (Mike Vaughan cycles is just by the right turn onto Coventry road). Then when you get towards leaving Kenilworth just by Princes drive you can turn left onto the Greenway (grey line on the map) which takes you straight(ish) to the Uni and comes out at the sports fields (see link in my first post on the first page of this thread), its nicer than the road (which is fastish and not that wide or a rubbish pavement cycle lane) but can be a bit grubby in winter. If you did go up Kenilworth road towards Covnetry I'd go all the way to Gibbet hill and then into the Uni at the Gibbet Hill Campus and across the internal cycle path to the main campus (see my other log on the first page).
House I know of coming up in Cubbington is over your budget - sorry.
Thanks, the grubby lane looks good, I had not spotted it. I think over autumn into early spring I need a route for the morning and one for the way back when it's dark. I don't like "main roads" in the dark, I'd rather go off road. I have CX tyres and can run them tubeless to avoid punctures.
Don't mind weaving around a bit to make it longer and safer, 10 miles is just about right, currently doing 13 each way. Basically I want a commute between 40 minutes and an hour... if it's shorter I just get fat... left the forum March 20230
