I’ve got the small Ortlieb one and its great. Mounts to a bracket on the seat rails, rolltop and elastic over two buttons on the side of the bag, small, waterproof, visible, adjustable volume and rattle free.

Because of the rail mounting need to ensure you have some rail free (e.g. won’t fit my synapse as saddle is p[retty far forward). It does mean however easy fitting with my Reverb on the Whyte.

They do bigger ones too up to about 0.5L I think.

Do the Tourist stuf if you’ve never been. go to http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london and make sure you have a train ticket, lots of 2 for 1 vouchers for big things like the Tower and river cruises.

Get an Oyster card each or at least a day travel card. make sure your phone is charged for your GPS, you’ve downloaded a tube map/app and know what tube lines are shut for repair from the TFL website.

A lot of stuff is really pretty close, I’d start off at Parliament and Trafalgar sq (Westminster tube) head over Westminster Bridge and go to the Eye, continue down the south bank past the globe (tickets for the yard there are only £5 each! don’t tell your mrs) and through Borough Market (don’t bother with “On Your Bike” their new place is pretty pants unfortunately) head to the Shard and go up to the bar take lots of money for drinks but still massively cheaper than the viewing platform. Go to the loos you’ll understand when you see it for yourself.
London Dungeon is right there too next to the station.
Head up onto London Bridge and get some photos of Tower Bridge (don’t take pictures of London Bridge from Tower Briodge that would be stupid).
Either continue over the bridge into the city and head toward tower bridge and the Tower itself (maybe a bit empty and dull at the weekend) or back to the south bank and along past the Assembly and over Tower Bridge itself.
Couple of hrs in the Tower planning how to heist Liz’s shiny stuff and then out to the river for the afternoon tea cruise you booked with the 2 for 1 vouchers.

Also very very important as mentioned before stand on the right on the escalators in the tube or I will hit you as I barge past muttering F’n tourist…

Ship and Mitre (Draft Frulli is so wrong but yet so right), Dr Duncans or Philarmonic (the one with the famous but over rated loos and in-house poet). Jacaranda on Slater street alright too… Baltic fleet if you don’t mind a hike and want a proper boozer.
If you’re after inappropriately dressed young ladies concert square and if you’re after inapproriately dressed older ladies Matthew St.

Maharajah on London road is great for a south Indiian Curry after all that or pop up to China town and have the p$%% extracted from your mates by the staff especially if you are daft enough to have any “Chinese” tattoos.
Basically loads and loads of pubs in the city centre but only good Friday and Saturday really.

Haven’t seen it mentioned but Mavic have their insurance scheme MP3 so for about £40 extra you get full repair cover for a set of Ksyriums. Couple of important things, there are weight limits for particular wheels but they are pretty high, you need to keep your receipt and you absolutely must register within 5 days of purchase.

It was actually much better than I expected, the sequence where Bert turns and looks at him on the mountain then disappears into the distance is brilliant, never had a lot of time for Bert previously but loved this.

If its for on bike sensors like the garmin speed and cadence one there are Bluetooth alterNatives so you won’t need the dongle at all.

You can get windproof gaskets for racing jackets (main difference from jawbones tbh). Also have the strap mounts on end of the arms or if you want something smaller they do the same for split jackets, think they call them windjackets.
I got them for sailing and really comfy and removable when you don’t need as much protection.

Really depends on your shipper, paid a bit extra for express UPS on the ti axles for my speed plays, they machined them in Illinois last Monday, I got them in Sussex on Friday morning. Pretty damn good service!

Those Archetypes look lovely.
I went the boring Ksyrium elite route but they really are good wheels, also remember a bit better value than maybe first appear as normally sold as a complete wheelset including the tubes and actually pretty good tyres.
2 other tips make sure you remind the shop to give you the MP3 (weird name) registration card as you need details of their customer registration number and have to register within 5 days of purchase but seems like a very good deal.
Final tip probikekit.com are really cheap for Mavic wheel bags, got mine for £27 the pair they arrived within 18hrs of ordering and on a Saturday too so most impressed.

Went on Thursday and was a bit underwhelmed but meeting Chris Williams the guy behind Empire (the ti printed frame doing the rounds last week) was a real highlight. His bikes looked fantastic (ti one isn’t for sale) and really clever design switchable between 26″ and 650B with removal of one spacer under headtube and change of shock mount bracket on swingarm. Its that sort of thing I’d like to see more of. I really hope he does well and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know his customers and sorting out demo days, said he wants to be the UK Canyon and I hope he does it.
Did pick up some unusual and new things Aptes recovery hot chocolate very nice and maybe some effect but maybe placebo and some interesting pads to stop my bike scratching the car on the rear rack when I head up to north Wales next month. Might also get a set of the bone conduction headphones next month too.

Get round some shops and try a few,no shortcuts with this I’m afraid. Don’t buy from anywhere that doesn’t do full fits or that won’t let you test the bikes on the road.
I’ve just bitten the bullet and got a carbon synapse but only after trying about a dozen different bikes from Specialized, Trek, Bianchi (very nice), Focus (really really nice and great value), Cervelo, Felt and obviously Cannondale.
I’m 5’8″ with 31 inside leg but needed short seat tube and longish top tube with highest head tube I could get, Cannondale just fitted best and was best around ride, although Focus ergoride was a bit racier. Ended up with a 54 but was in between size really.
For what its worth wasn’t impressed by the Roubaix at all, too short and dead feeling. Tarmac was better but too low and bit too stiff. Domane was nice but wanted internal cable routing for later Di2 upgrade and that costs bloody fortune. cervelos are lovely but start at £3K.
But really love my Synapse, got the 105 and upgraded to a pair of Ksyrium elites which are brilliant and also 11 speed for when I get round to upgrading.

For that kind of money best thing would be binoculars, lot more light gathering on two smaller lenses for the price. You could get a nice set with a tripod mount and planisphere set etc.
Patrick Moore did really good bino astronomy book too.

Been trying to get a pair of the PDWs for weeks now (found the roadracers a bit rattly) been told they’re sold out everywhere and next delivery not until May. Cancelled order with discount cycles now and trying tredz hopefully managed to get their last pair.

I’ve been wearing vans on the bike for about 30 years from bmx through to full sus never had a problem. Check if there is a vans outlet near you, I got most of mine from Cheshire Oaks but down south now so will need to try Portsmouth in future. They have end of line and samples in different colours for anything between £5 and £40.

Might be a long shot but if you have any Lufthansa miles & more points
https://www.worldshop.eu/category/Backpacks/WorldShop_Sortiment_Sports_And_Wellness_Rucksaecke_?5
Got mine their last year.

Alternatively if you have a suitable backpack just get the Antidote Bladder and hose for £30 odd most places. My Halti pack which I use every day has a pouch in the back and an opening on top that you can use, much bigger pack than most Camelbacks so gives me an extra option if I need something a bit more “epic”.

Easy answer
Feedback ultralight get it for about £180 lots of places, strong stable and the only stand with a better clamp is their pro model but the clamp on the ultralight is fantastic.

Thought it was Barry Hoban who had the ride a bike quote.

Just back from Whinfell last week, second time there with the extended family and loved it both times, wish my folks had taken me to something like that when I was young. Outside of School holidays a lot cheaper and quieter but unlikely given the kids ages you mentioned, try to get something above comfort plus, then you get maid service and wifi. Took our own bikes but probably cost as much in extra fuel from Sussex as renting them there would have been.

Overall I’d definitely go back

My mrs is having her usual new years bout of it, kept me awake for the last 4 nights, beautiful day here and I’m too bloody knackered to go out…

Guide for setting it up on the PC here, no need for special printer just a shared one

Ordered my edge 800 the Sunday before Christmas got it through Tuesday morning on standard delivery, thought that was excellent. But I do like the Harribo Superstar send you too 😀

Have a look at the sales thread sealskins on sale at Merlin for when you eBay all the other stuff you don’t want

New hubs? Might need the threads chasing on them ? I’ve never seen rotor bolts with allen key fittings mine are always T25 do you have one on your multi tool, most I’ve seen have got them now.

Last week Field and Trek in Coventry Garden had discounts on their icebreaker stuff, was about £40 for the 200 long sleeve crew down from £48.
Personally one of those is probably better than 2 cheap ones, I’ve had my icebreaker for years and still looks like new.

Got Parks from about 15years ago were expensive even then but other than ovaling outers a bit when you cut them can’t fault them, still really sharp and feel pretty much like new, bit grubby on the handles now but can live with that. That said those eBay ones look like they’re the business, just curious about the longevity, they’re cheap enough to replace but if I find out they need replacing when they mangle a set of Gore cables then not such a bargain.

Any experience doing this with a matchmaker set up, I’ve got Elixir 3s and X7 2×10 shifters (might change to X9 when the new bearing ones come out) was also thinking of getting a right but running it under on the left.

Bugger just used my £50 off CRC voucher to get it for £309 😥 arrived on Saturday, and it is as good as everyone says even just after a week.

For those of you who have managed to get one I found this really useful
[/url=http://http://frank.kinlan.co.uk/garmin-edge-800/dummies-guide-to-the-garmin-edge-800/]null

Lots of good calls but Hadge and count zero have got it right – Build A Rocket Boys, the most “growy” album I’ve heard in years really disappointed in it on first listen but now OMG it’s Legend…

Saw lots of live stuff this year too but there as well Mr Garvey and friends win hands down saw them in Liverpool and Brighton both astonishing nights. If anyone doubts it try to find the radio 2 gig they broadcast from Manchester Cathedral stunning absolutely stunning

Runners up probably the vaccines or my morning jacket both even better live if you get the chance, was gutted I couldn’t get tickets for Bjork that looked like it would have been amazing too.

Definitely interested in how you get on. Myself and a few mates have been looking at doing the same good luck with it!

You shouldn’t need servio. If you have win7 and the std MS video act as a dlna server with a couple of clicks just google “dlna” lots of tutorials there. I used the samsung dlna server download but standard stuff in win7 is much more reliable.
I’ve got the 40C7000 and a validated 8+ mbps as I can see the main exchange from my house but on HD iplayer still buffers more the bbc than either the tv or you isp imho.

872 on bars and nightrider minewt 600 on helmet, the folks at Quest rated it much better than the diablo which was my first (and much more expensive) choice.
Great build easy to use still quite heavy but seems very bright given the suggested lumen difference with the872

Lots of the gigs now do VIP packages but probably won’t get you back stage, tbh as GaryLake said be prepared to be underwhelmed if you do get AAA it’s a work site not a party unfortunately. The VIP will be a lot nicer free bar, decent buffet and good seat for the gig.

lived there for 15 years moved down from Glasgow, now down in Sussex but tbh I think of Liverpool as home now, don’t knock it until you’ve tried a night out down concert square, slater street and maybe down to Matthew st when you’ve had a few too many. absolutely brilliant, much more life that you get anywhere else in Britain I’ve been. Going back up on Thursday and I can’t wait, I’ll be down in the Ship and Mitre before 9 on Thursday!
Fantastic architecture really good people and great places to go nearby, over to Snowdonia, up to southport or the lakes and back home fora pint of Cains.
Admittedly I now live on the other side of the river (in one of the highest per capita income areas of the country, much more money there than Guilford or most of the home counties) will pop up to Vita Cycles to ogle the gorgeous road bikes and go for a good ride with my mates with the obligatory stop at the Eureka cafe to take the mick out of Mr Boardman when I see him again and might even bump into Daniel Craig again if he’s back up visiting his mum.

Looked at the cx bike last week but they’d put it up £100 so I’m expecting they’ll be doing some deal post Christmas maybe this is the start of them?

Quick but cold and muddy pootle on the downs this morning, getting the bike cleaned and lubed just now for Christmas week in the lakes 😀

Didn’t think I’d like it but mine’s barely been off since I got it at Christmas last year, writing this on it now. Had to buy one for my mrs for her birthday so I could get mine back off her.

Sounds like a decent deal, but get the 32gb if you can very surprising how quickly it fills up with apps video and music

I’m in the same boat looking to get new riding glasses., been using my rx raybans but no good in the winter. Was looking at oakleys had loads of non rx pairs in the past, especially looking at Jawbones just now. Thing is after I had my eye test they gave some contacts to try and I actually didn’t hate them…
Going back next week when they get some of my prescription in to try out over the hols thinking now I’ll get some daily disposables (can carry spare pair then) and a standard pair of jawbones £200 ish with 2 polarised lenses vs £300 with one polarised rx lens but might still get the polarised rx lens for non contact days at £200 for the lenses. Any experience or opinion on that set up?

I do have a pair of rx Adidas goggles for skiing with the inserts as described before but just couldn’t get on with them anyone tried contacts at the top of a mountain?

What about Shutt VR got a pair of 3/4 about a month ago, really good fit and while not having tried Rapha they would need to go some to have a better pad.
Not as warm as my Enduras but much much better fit. £89 seems a lot less than Rapha would charge as well

Condor good selection with giro, sidi, shimano etc. mostly road focussed but still quite a lot of mtb, cycle surgery have a place near it in Holborn as well.

Got a fire for friend’s birthday, works fine with UK accounts, really good value at $200 so good in fact getting one this week for Father in Law’s crimbo. The nook gets good reviews and you can go into most B&N and pick one up there, but like 5lab said if it’s just for text get the regular kindle touch if you can, much better value than the basic one here in the UK kindle infrastructure seems better.

But best of all just get an iPad you know that’s what you really want….