The XC “replay” videos don’t seem to be up yet – the live feed worked but the replay isn’t there yet.

For those that don’t trust the Daily Mail, The Evening Standard had coverage of the same story:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/stars-fashion-designer-knocked-cyclist-off-bike-after-he-kicked-her-audi-tt-10145932.html

likely to be nicked instead of inside the deadlocked alarmed tinted windowed estate car

I had the same conversation. Their reasoning was that once the bikes get to a certain value (£1500) it becomes easier to nick the car as well as the bikes, the car being a convenient way to transport the bikes. Still doesn’t make sense to me as I doubt bike thieves are also skilled car thieves.

I like Toploaders for carrying around a big lens but they take up a lot of space in a rucksack and aren’t the best shape for carrying a spare lens. A wrap like this is easier to fit in when you don’t need the straps, pockets, etc.

For a more conventional bag, look at a Lowepro Nova AW. In my experience the flat, wide shape fits better in a rucksack than the Toploader and one day you’ll be grateful for that AW cover.

On naming convention, I went with <artist>/<album>/<track no> <title>

The track number prefix means albums play in the right order. Not sure if I did the right thing with the artist folder because compilation albums end up getting spread out everywhere so you can’t, for example, play the whole Top Gun soundtrack but it does keep the top level folders to an almost manageable size.

I’ve been using Freerip[/url] which works well but it only supports mp3, ogg and FLAC, not mp4a. Instinctively AAC in an mp4 wrapper feels like a better choice than mp3 these days. I suppose many would argue that a rip to FLAC keeps your options open but it’s expensive in disc space.

pasty’s carbon SJ is over budget, but you can get a Alu one for £2000 – http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Comp-Evo-Mountain-Bike-2014-Full-Suspension-MTB_65852.htm

A van.

A van’s an option, how comfortable are they to spend large amounts of time in?

what is a ‘mixed’ couple?

It was a polite way of saying that the female half is unlikely to entertain suggestions that we only take one change of clothes for the entire fortnight.

I’ve currently got a Focus and whilst 2 road bikes will fit with just the front wheels off if you don’t want much luggage, the Stumpy doesn’t fit in by itself with just the front wheel removed.

I’m told that being bumped around upside down for 2 days is likely to move air around inside the system, thereby necesitating a bleed to avoid unpleasantness half-way down an Alp. Is this scaremongering?

Don’t get dragged into the manufacturer religous wars. The Nikon/Sony/Canon are all close enough, and not worth jumping system for. Both the Nikon and Canon are excellent cameras.

If you do get into photography, both Nikon and Canon have excellent lens ranges, I’d argue Canon’s is better, or at least with fewer compatibility issues. None of the other systems has anything like the lens line up, but if they have everything you’ll want that isn’t an issue.

Opinions on the EOS-M are varied. But it is very cheap these days and has excellent image quality.

Try a bridge camera in a realistic setting first. You might find the speed of focus and shutter to be too slow for action work. The EOS-M has a particularly bad reputation in this area.

Went on the Brenin course a few years ago. Instructors were OK, but it was basically two days of marching up and down hills in the snow in ill-fitting boots, with a few hours of axe/crampon technique and ice axe arrrests thrown in for fun and an avalance lecture in the evening.