I regretted buying mine for 6 months or so in 2010. I didnt find things like iplayer very stable or fast. I THINK what happened was the software caught up with the device, it’s now a lovely way to surf the web and watch tv.

I have it with me around the house, dont use it for much more than catching up with BBC documentaries, listening to Today while I get ready for work and a bit of web at night. Thats more than enough to justify having one. Wouldnt rush out and upgrade to the new one though.

You keep your fruit based fantasies about me to yourself binners you dirty barsteward.

Up at 0530 for boiled eggs, maybe a bowl of muesli. Shower at home, 5 mile easy commute. Coffee and bannana after the 0715 morning meeting, apple, pineapple around 1000, lunch at 1145 by which time I am famished.

Been trying to really watch what I eat since I came off being sick, dropped about 4kg in 3 weeks. Find I’m eating much less in the afternoons and evenings…..I think maybe my body is getting used to smaller portions. Who would have thought it?

Transport Museum is great. It’s not too big and busy like some of the others can be. Very hands on and interactive for the kids.

Yes, Greenwich for the Royal Observatory and the Naval College. Trememndous views over Canary Wharf from there. Again maybe one for a nice day, you really want to be outside and enjoy the Park.

And the Tower is a genuinely impressive sight and great for kids. The Armoury has had a huge makeover, my boys couldnt get over the children sized suits of armour for Royal princes.

Yeh wouldnt bother with the Eye. South Bank is a great walk though. Start at London Bridge, Borough Market is lovely, then down the water past Shakespear’s Globe all the way to the Theatres opposite Parliament. Loads going on, loads of good places to eat with kids…..Canteen at Royal Festival Hall is a great spot for lunch. All Lancashire hotpot and fish and chips. Go into the Hall too for a look around, marvelous place….last time we went there were hundreds of gay fellas having a tea dance.

+1 Museums at South Ken (V&A, Natural History, Science) then walk over to Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens if the sun is out.

Earth Wind and Rider merino jerseys. I dont what the Yanks do with that stuff but I’ve had one of these for 6yrs, I wear it almost every day 9 months of the year, riding, skiing, walking the dog. Be a stretch to call it good as new but it hasnt bobbled or worn out at all, just keeps going.

http://www.earthwindandrider.com/product.php?productid=16155&cat=210&page=1

Thanks, looks like about £12…..

Collective bargaining in action. Take note people. Naturally people like mcbooo here will criticise anything that gets in the way of their own self interest.

It’s certainly rational behaviour by the unions, no question of that, and no-one is saying they arent entitled to strike or threaten to strike. But we’re entitled to call it what it is, draw the battle lines and act accordingly.

I actually think the tube is pretty good, considering how old it is and how many people it has to deal with. Try the Paris Metro. Very good friend of mine works for London Underground and is a member of the RMT. He doesnt pretend they dont have the terms they do for any other reason than “Strong unions mate”. He’s earns good money and has just an incredible amount of free time during the working week and paid days off. Its all fair enough, but if you get what you want through Might is Right dont complain about class attacks when the public and their elected representatives get pissy and push back. Fair enough?

Because we have been told that unions are bad for so long, that we act like silly little sheep and do what we are told be the media, therefore foregoing collective bargaining that would get the majority of us better pay deals.

It’s that Daily Mail argument againt. I wish people would stop with that, used whenever someone on the left knows majority opinion is against them and doesnt have anything to say. I think Bob Crow is a knob and a thug and I worked that out by reading the Observer.

Let them have their £850, the next generation of trains on the Tube will be driverless, it’s happening already…..they brought it on themselves.

Football, especially Scottish football, never fails to reveal the inner moron.

I’ve seen Star Wars but never Coronation Street. Honest.

Groundhog Thread……not only is it going round and round with you know who, we’ve all heard the same arguments what 5-10 times before?

Cullen is a top bloke and I love my Canyon.

Our IT guys are the least geeky in the place, bunch of beery Aussies with attitude.

What are the options for a Ti 29er? As a light, go-anywhere XC bike with occasional steepness. 100mm, maybe 120mm forks.

I don’t know when he turned into such a bitter old man, but circa 1978 Kenny could walk on water.

Genesis Vapour here, very happy with it so far. BB7 mech discs work well…..lots more power and progressive. Geometry makes it comfortable to sit on the drops, even in traffic. All round excellent town bike, which is what the market is looking for I think.

I was just a little bit sick in my mouth

This is why I ask this stuff on STW.

In the Pyrenees, dont think its going to be a massively techical route but yes might want to get my backside over the back on the fast descents, and yes could get filthy back there. That hip-pack looks like it might suit, good idea.

I’m 6’3 on a 60″ Vapour……its right for me but at the large end of a good fit, you might want to try a 58″ depending on your shape.

Another great STW book thread…….my NY resolution only to read fiction in 2012 is going swimmingly. Have settled on great crime fiction as the sweet spot between fine literature and cant-put-downability.

Raymond Chandler – The Long Goodbye, The Big Sleep – Think Humphrey Bogarde.
James Ellroy – Read the LA detective novels, it’s basically like watching an extended “LA Confidential”, one of my favourite movies. Just finished The Black Dahlia, now onto The Big Nowhere.
Elmore Leonard – They are all brilliant, no-one paints funny/sleazy Americana like him. Get Shorty a good start point, as is Killshot. Gangsters, cops, low-lifes.

For true crime you must MUST read David Simon, Homicide. He camped out with the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Detectives for a year, wrote this incredible piece of reportage, then went and made The Wire. Tremendous book, I’ve read it twice in a year.

I just got a Genesis Vapour CX. Alu frame, carbon fork, cable discs. Using as a around town/canal towpath bike.

Very nice, like the geometry, nice and upright for commuting. 28mm slicks at lowish pressure…..not harsh at all, glides along.

Ah great, glad you had a good time…..Satsuma is a winner. All round Soho at night is great fun, you just find a spot and watch the freak show.

Walk down Charlotte Street on the way south…..its a lovely spot, bars and restaraunts all the way down. Cross Oxford Street to Soho Square and you are into the madness. Wardour, Frith, Greek, Dean, Old Compton, Broadwick, Berwick, Brewer Streets are where you want to be.

I went out on a non-descript Tuesday night a few weeks ago and it was so busy you could hardly walk on a pavement.

Ah West Drayton ran Bucks Off Road last year didnt they? Great event.

Satsuma at the bottom of Wardour street is a great Japanese/noodle joint, very relaxed, you can stuff your face there for much less than that.

Budget? If you dont mind going largeish Yauatcha is stellar Michelin starred Chinese in Soho. Not cheap but not a rip-off either…..memorable.

Two places you cant book but are great Soho stalwarts are Randall and Aubin, and Cafe Boheme.

http://www.randallandaubin.com/restaurant.html
http://www.cafeboheme.co.uk/

R&A for seafood, Boheme for steak and chips and lashings of red wine. Think you can book next door at bohemekitchen.co.uk…..sister place, I’ve never eaten there. Both will be busy tonight but you can chill out at the bar with a cocktail until a table comes up.

Walk round to Kettners after for post dinner drinks, lovely old place, favourite of Oscar Wilde, open till 3am.

The Craft on food

We haven’t got a full pub menu, but we serve the most amazing pork pies, scotch eggs and alike.

<burp>

Fellas….Charlotte Street? Very close to you, can walk down there and just follow the crowds, many many nice pubs right?

<It’s like the Bigg Market without the public nudity>

Hah….report back will you, let us know where you go, how you get on.

I bloody love London

Have one in the Betjeman then next door in the Booking Office Bar of the St Pancras Hotel. Beautiful place, all part of the railway station, as is the Betjeman.

http://www.bookingofficerestaurant.com/restaurant/hotels/hotel-information/travel/lonpr-booking-office-st-pancras-renaissance-london/

If you dont want to brave the crowds in Soho (and I love Soho) walk round to Primrose Hill. Beautiful little enclave, The Engineer is a fine old pub with a very good restaraunt. Need to do book though, awfully poular. Good upmarket Sardinian across the road, Sardocanale. Also Lemonia for maybe the best Greek food in London.

http://theengineerprimrosehill.co.uk/

Definately pop into the new St Pancras Station, have a pint in the Betjeman Arms and admire the stunning architecture.

http://www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/thebetjemanarms/gallery

Nazism had a very very strong strain of anti-capitalism in it from it’s earliest days. Read up on Gregor Strasser..

Getting worked up about mass movement 20th century labels in 2012 is a bit pointless. Theres authoritarianism/totalitarianism on one side and humanity on the other. Orwell was a socialist/anarchist at various stages of his life yet I’m in his gang.

Fascism stems from fear and hatred of the other, is nationalist, often traditionalist and religious in character.

With Socialism everyone exists in a state of cuddly warm ethical nirvana. That sounds nice. I’m going to be a socialist.

Trek do know how to style a race bike…..nice graphics on that hardtail, and njee’s susser.

Shorty121 – Member
mcboo – that canyon is amazing :). How you finding the DT Swiss forks?

I really like the DT forks, shock too. I had a spin on a Nerve MR that came with Rock Shox World Cup SIDs….were all very gucci and all that but I just couldnt be bothered with all the dual air malarky, were very fussy. I havent owned 100mm forks before but the DT are lovely and smooth. One thing, they came with a very ropey remote which I broke in a few weeks of use. Have replaced with a regular switch on the fork itself.

Funny, cause I spent my youth as a platoon commander in a Scottish Infantry Regiment. Feel free to send me a mail direct, I’ll be happy to meet you one on one for a bit of unarmed combat.

Fair enough, others may have more backbone though

Thats pretty insulting.