TMB – you need to be careful with the detachable horn. The “industry standard” changes every few months so replacements can be hard to find for some of the older models.

According to Unicorntrack World the new thing for 2017 is fat-horn unicorns.

I wouldn’t want to be walking around all day with the horn. I think it would be very distracting and people would stare at you.

Thanks for the info. Looks like it’s a paperwhite with a case to protect it in her handbag.

Do they come in different sizes and with different amounts of memory?

Thanks Chris, I didn’t see your post before replying.

I was looking at the paperwhite with the backlight. She would be using it on flights, would that get annoying for other passengers?

I understand your point about losing your books if/when Amazon stop supporting them. But as she reads a lot of fiction and most of the books she has she gives away or leaves them on trains or in airports for someone else to read (probably the cleaner to put in the bin), I thought it would save space in the house.

Is there a way of downloading books for cheap / free or are you tied to Amazon prices?

Because you don’t see many around I’d imagine it would be a magnet for thieves. That’s what put me off.

Plus you’ll spend loads of money on one and people will think it’s another Chinese fake. It’s easy to spot the fakes when you’re close enough. Just look for the elastic band holding the horn in place.

With a pad for me. I’ve not tried without a pad, but I’m happy with what I’ve got so I’m unlikely to change.

I think it’s a bit big to mount on the bar. I’ve had a 6S for nearly 12 months. I’ve been using a Griffin Survivor case. It’s solid and has kept the phone safe on some very wet rides and runs. The only downside is the cover over the camera lens can get condensation on it and means you can’t take great pics for a few minutes after you stop riding.

Apart from that I would recommend the case. It’s taken a battering and not let me down.

We top-up with the following from Sainsburys:

Dried herbs / spices
Fresh herbs (Aldi do sell fresh, but not always in stock)
Flat breads
Pasta
Red/white wine vinegar

I’m sure there will be other stuff but I can’t think of any now.

Forgot to mention that Aldi is so much quicker than a “normal” supermarket.

We shopped at Sainsburys. About 18 months ago we switched to Aldi for most of the shopping with a small list of branded items that we still get at Sainsburys. It’s saved us loads of money.

The quality at Aldi is great.

+1 for never left.

All main bike manufacturers will launch their “new standard wheel size 26 inch “.

Possibly a new King?

Another great show. I like it because they haven’t over done it with loads of episodes.

For a few minutes it made me think about starting a model railway.

Every 2 weeks. Costs £15, but I get a discount because I go so often and the same hairdresser has cut my hair for over 10 years.

I’m in Lancashire.

Lovely detail.

How many people are eating the turkey and how many toilets have you got?

It could be an interesting boxing day in your house.

Been awake since 6. Mrs Gastro won’t let me get up yet. We’re going for a run at 7:30 so she needs to get up soon

It’s the forced fun I don’t like.

The weather is rubbish and mrs gastro is refusing a trip to the pub to give us a couple of hours of peace and quiet.

I’ve saved the most recent Singletrack mag to get me through this evening.

I had one on hire for a week. I would never buy one after that. A guy I work with bought one that is a few years old with low miles. It’s already dropping to bits.

I’m going to resurrect my 2006 Orange Gringo in the new year. Putting rigid forks on it and using it for less serious riding.

I had one on my shoulder about 18 years ago. It was easy but listen to the doctors and nurses when they tell you how long before you can do stuff again. I went on my bike a couple of days after the op. It pulled my stitches and left me with a tell-tale blood patch on my t-shirt. Mum wasn’t impressed.

On a more serious note, the first night was fairly uncomfortable and I didn’t sleep. But after that it wasn’t much trouble.

Good luck.

My mountain bike is a 26″ full suss with 2×10 gears. It’s 3 years old and loads of fun. I like 26″ wheels and will be sad to move to 27.5″ when I need to change it in a couple of years.

Scalextric?

I had a good experience buying my mountain bike from the National Cycle Centre branch. When they opened the Preston store I booked my road bike for a service. They did a good job and I was happy with the price. That was the last good experience from them.

Earlier this year I booked a service for my road bike. After a hard winter it needed some TLC and I knew it would cost a few quid. I booked the service for the week I was away on holiday. We agreed that I would collect the bike 8 days later and while I was away to email the quotes for the work that needed doing and have the bike ready for my return. While I was away I didn’t get an email so I called and was told they had not looked at it but would do the quote asap. I got the quote when I landed at Manchester airport. They quoted £250ish for the parts and labour. I was happy with that so called to ask when it would be ready, I was told it would be at least another week. Following a call from the manager who didn’t seem to care I collected the bike and took it to another bike shop for the work.

I won’t rush back.

Poolman sorry for the slow response. It was the Aldi by Morrisons. I think it was the last one. Have you tried calling the customer service number to ask which stores still have them. When Mrs Gastro called she was told they still had some at other stores within 15-20 miles.

Santa got one for my Christmas present from the Morecambe store.

On the face of it, getting paid to be shipped around and ride somewhere different with your time at sea spent tinkering with the bikes sounds like a great way to spend a few months, even if the money is rubbish. But there are some interesting additional duties around hosting social events and supporting other excursion teams makes it sound like a general dogs-body who can fix a puncture.

Worryingly they aren’t asking for any guiding, mechanic or first aid qualifications! A load of oaps having a go at “mountain biking” is bound to end in one if them having a medical emergency.

I don’t think he’s daft and I bet he turns down loads of rubbish ideas that could make him look like an idiot. Some of his most recent shows haven’t been great, mistly following the same format. But his India and China programmes have been good.

I’ll continue to watch his shows.

Is it easy to transfer the unit between different bikes (mtb, good road bike, winter road bike)?

I like both. But GMBN probably isn’t representing the whole sport where as GCN covers everything from a weekend rider to people who are racing.

I think GMBN will get there.

Thanks for the info. I’ve been to Kielder before but it was years ago before the trails. I thought it would be ok to ride but it can get bleak.

Fergal, I’m in Lancashire.

OP – well done for getting a Doctors appointment. When I told my Doctor how I was feeling he was brilliant. I worried before I went in that he would tell me I was a time waster but it was the total opposite. I talked openly about it for the first time and he gave me a few options of how to proceed. I opted not to use meds (my choice, but do what is right for you) and quite soon after I started CBT. It felt strange for the first couple of sessions but it started to help and I still use some of it now when I start to feel down.

Keep us updated and I look forward to learning that you’re back to your best. It might happen much quicker than you think!

Thanks for the info Velomanic.

The food in Brewdog looked good when I was in there a couple of weeks ago.

OP, keep going and as many have already said, keep talking.

Can you rearrange your day off? It’s important to spend time doing things that you enjoy.

I have been affected by depression and I’m getting better at spotting the early signs and acting to stop the rot from setting in. Go and speak to your GP, it was the best thing I did. Also don’t be afraid to take a step back from responsibility inorder to recharge and get yourself ready to take on the world again.

Lived in 10 so far and looking for number 11.

+1 for slaters. When I wore a suit 5 days a week I always went to them. Good service and a reasonable range of prices. Avoid the cheap stuff. Go in the “other room”.

Now it’s TM Lewins for me. I only keep 1 suit and wear it once a fortnight at most. Look for their sales, there ars some good deals. Again the service is great. But, if you’re under 40 and turn up in jeans and a t-shirt they have a habbit of speaking to you like you’re an idiot who has no idea what you’re doing.

I’ve fitted the new crud road racers with the “velcro” fixing. I’ve not done liads of miles on them, but they were really simple to fit and seem to be fixed solid. They are also easy to adjust if they aren’t set perfect the first time.