Cryptic clues

[Motobecane]

Spoiler

As Tim says, L is the Roman symbol for 50 but AB doesn't give me any members. However, there was a MIR space station. If you ''crash land'' it, you could end up with an (orbiting) RIM...

I'm having problems understanding this. Is it a pro squad? I mean I can see Sky is a squad but what is the significance of 'members'? Skylab minus fifty (L) = skyab. 'AB' in cryptic crosswords can mean sailors (Able bodied). So if the clue read 'loses fifty sailors' it would make more sense, perhaps.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I'm having problems understanding this. Is it a pro squad? I mean I can see Sky is a squad but what is the significance of 'members'? Skylab minus fifty (L) = skyab. 'AB' in cryptic crosswords can mean sailors (Able bodied). So if the clue read 'loses fifty sailors' it would make more sense, perhaps.

I don't get the later clue, I went back to the first clue.Calling @winjim

 

[jefmcg]

I'm out. When someone post the correct answer (with working) I will almost certainly say to myself. "Yes, that was obvious"

 

[winjim]

There are three space station clues. The first one has been solved

Spoiler

Rim / Mir

The third one is very very close to being solved

Spoiler: Hint

but the solvers didn't watch enough TV in the 1980s

The second one is still up for grabs.

 

[winjim]

'AB' in cryptic crosswords can mean sailors (Able bodied). So if the clue read 'loses fifty sailors'

If I'd known that I might have used "sailors"
Still, "members of a team" it is.

Spoiler: Very heavy hint

members of 'A' Team

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I gather Descartes ended up in this team. (3,7)

 

[Fnaar]

Spoiler: Spoiler

Iam Cycling

I gather Descartes ended up in this team. (3,7)

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Spoiler: Spoiler

Iam Cycling

I think, therefore, you're right.

 

[Fnaar]

"I fettled Miss Goodbody's rim by tweaking her Dutch pipes", he said.
(5, 7)

 

[Tim Hall]

"I fettled Miss Goodbody's rim by tweaking her Dutch pipes", he said.
(5, 7)

Spoiler

The second word could be nipples. I'm not familiar with the term Dutch pipes, but as Fnaar set it...
The first could either be twist (tweaking) or spoke (no good reason). The two together are what you do to a rim. Am I close?

 

[Fnaar]

Spoiler: Sort of...

The term 'Dutch pipes' is meaningless, but impt. to the answer.
How else can you identify something as Dutch? Once you've got that, tweak them, together with 'he said'.If he said something, what did he do? You have the answer, I think.

Spoiler

The second word could be nipples. I'm not familiar with the term Dutch pipes, but as Fnaar set it...
The first could either be twist (tweaking) or spoke (no good reason). The two together are what you do to a rim. Am I close?

 

[Tim Hall]

Spoiler: Sort of...

The term 'Dutch pipes' is meaningless, but impt. to the answer.
How else can you identify something as Dutch? Once you've got that, tweak them, together with 'he said'.If he said something, what did he do? You have the answer, I think.

Spoiler

Ah, got you. Dutch=NL. Tweak that with pipes gives nipples. He said is "spoke". So spoke nipples.
(Googling "Dutch pipes" was, um, educational and NSFW)

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I see there's been an overnight exploration of Miss Goodbody's nether lands....

 

[Fnaar]

Spoiler

Ah, got you. Dutch=NL. Tweak that with pipes gives nipples. He said is "spoke". So spoke nipples.
(Googling "Dutch pipes" was, um, educational and NSFW)

You win
That was first ever cryptic cclue I've ever made up

 

[Tim Hall]

Hurrah! Alas I don't have a clue to hand, so someone else smarter than me better step into the breach.

I do have (an old) crossword related joke.