I’ve found Sealskinz crap for winter biking (feet get very cold) but great for off-road running in winter.

EDIT: Should say I’ve never had issues with blisters, but my runs are generally only 40-60 min long and the socks/shoes both fit my feet well

He looks like he’s morphing into Iggy Pop on his latest promo photo

TBF the bar isn’t set very high if comparing to Prince of Thieves (excluding Alan Rickman who I won’t hear a bad word about)

It just seems like a pretty shitty and shallow thing to do. It’s in the same league as those who pretend to pray or sing at funerals, weddings or christenings. If you’re not a believer stop acting like a ****

I don’t believe in God but went to a carol concert once and joined in singing (I do like Christmas carols….).  🙊 I sometimes wonder how I sleep at night! 😁

One lesson I never want to hand to my kids is that being a hypocrite or a liar is a good thing. People who attend church just to get their kids in to a school or visit a church for a month of Sunday’s just to get married there are bloody weird in my opinion.

It just seems like a pretty shitty and shallow thing to do. It’s in the same league as those who pretend to pray or sing at funerals, weddings or christenings. If you’re not a believer<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>S Stopacting like a ****</span>

It definitely breaks rule number one in my eyes. Don’t be a dick

I agree on the wedding part – it’s 1 hour in one day and doesn’t really matter in the long run. But what’s more damaging to your kids – sending them to a poor performing comprehensive or spending a few days going to church so they can have a better education and future by attending a high performing VA/VC school? Bcause that’s the choice many parents have to make. It’s a dog eat dog world out there. The real solution would be to make all schools equally as good and give children the best possible opportunities regardless of which school they attend. But unfortunately that’s not the case. It’s hypocritical but the ends justifies the means imho. I don’t have to make that choice but I’d have no moral qualms whatsoever about doing it.

The sooner religious schools are forced to be secular or risk having all their state funding revoked the better (or as a minimum have an open admissions policy  and restriction on the amount of time spent on religious activities).  Education not indoctrination. And whilst we’re at it, remove the remaining bishops from the House of Lords too.

Never gonna happen though (especially with a Vicar’s daughter as PM)

I’m just glad I could afford to move from where I lived previously, otherwise I’d have had to pretend to be religious to get my kids into the only decent local school. Yep, that’s hypocritical – but like many parents I think it would be worth the tedious waste of time.

I really enjoyed it too, though everything Phoebe Waller-Bridge does seems to be fantastic.

That’s the first I’ve seen of her,  but I loved Jodie Comer in it too, some people have said they  thought she was a bit pantomime but I thought she was bloody brilliant.

If you’ve not seen it, watch it!

I’m not a huge fan of ZB but will give her the benefit of the doubt and hope she can stamp her own mark on the show. I was a CE fan but find him massively tedious now, the sooner ALL his nauseating segments are scrapped the better.

If I had to pick from the current R2 DJs I’d have gone for Jo Wiley and Simon Mayo (or either one of them on their own/alternating).

Oh yeah, and the Steve Wright comments… Agree totally. He must have melted into his swivel chair and be wedged in the studio – there’s simply no other explanation as to why he’s still there. Utter shite. Literally the only thing positive about his show it is that it means the Jeremy Vine Show is over.

What are other people’s experiences with the kits like the OP has? I’ve done 3 now, an IPA – just about drinkable but disappointing. Lager – crap. St Peter’s Golden Ale – crap. Instructions always followed to letter, I’ve given up now.

The Ginger Ale I made from scratch in a demijohn was awesome though, but needed diluting with lemonade to make it drinkable (it was 12-13% in the bottle!)

I’m going to answer the OP’s original question:

I prefer the Tissot (purely from aesthetics).

That rugged phone looked promising…. Until I got to the screen resolution. Shame.

I’ve got an Arkose Alfine and a Gazelle Cityzen 8 (flat bar/belt drive/8 speed Nexus/hydraulics). Both were bought on C2W, though I only really commute on the Gazelle, the Arkose is for road/bridleway fun rides. The belt drive feels way more draggy than the chain driven Arkose.

I really really like the Arkose Alfine, if I didn’t enjoy riding it on road(it’s made my road bike redundant)  and non-techy local off-road so much I’d have added some mudguards/rack and commuted on it.

The Gazelle….hmmm… I’m not so convinced yet. Maybe if it proves to be maintenance/fuss free I might grow to like it more.

£13 for mine, tip a quid. The kids are £9.50, I pay £20 for the pair. Costs more then the previous place which also had a loyalty card with 6th hair cut free, but they always seemed to be in a rush and did a few crap cuts on the kids so now join the queue at the popular local one instead

I read the title and guessed correctly the who this topic was about. The sooner people stop taking about her and she fades into total obscurity the better (yeah I know, the irony isn’t lost…)

Love my Paramo jacket for winter/cold autumn days. Not sure about wearing it in town, but it’s brilliant for dog walking/cycle commuting etc.

We have 2 kids and a mid size dog and went from a Golf to a CR-V. It feels like definite step down in quality, however it’s massive inside without being too big on the outside. We have two huge isofix car seats in the back and a dog cage in the boot, and still have loads of space left. Decent standard spec and nice elevated driving position. Pleasant enough to drive, but as far from exciting as you can get! (and that’s coming from a mid-spec Golf). I’ve only managed to provoke the AWD once, and that was deliberate on a wet field. It was just over 3 years old when we got and good value, perhaps because a new version is due out. In summary, it’s boring but I like it.

EDIT: just re-read the OP. You won’t get 3 isofix seats in the back of it. It only has 5 mounts (yep…), So you can have seats on the left and/or right. Or one in the middle only.

A Seiko 5 is an absolute piece of pi$$ to regulate; I did mine over the course of  a few days with nothing more than the time on my PC and a paper clip….

Tbf I’ll probably experiment on the 5 first before tackling the Prospex. The adjustment looks identical on both of them

Sounds like the OP would be better off with a Citizen Ecodrive. I bought my wife one about 15 years ago, she doesn’t wear it often but that thing just keeps on going.

I had an original Seiko kinetic, the capacitor went on it and it didn’t keep charge. Apparently the new ones come with a rechargeable battery instead. Rather than faff with converting it, I sold it on eBay to a guy from France. IMO the kinetic felt really heavy.

I have a couple of Seiko automatics now, a 5 and a Prospex, both gain time. Think I’ll look at trying to regulate myself after reading this thread. I know mechanical watches are inferior to quartz for timekeeping, but there’s something I really like about having a tiny intricate machine on my wrist that is powered by nothing but springs and cogs.

Here’s mine 

In my mid-twenties I bought the comfiest running shoes I could. Built up gradually up to train for the GNR but had to withdraw due to shin splints. I started running again some time later, different shoes, same issue.

Did the gait analysis thing, was told I over pronate. I’ve run in Asics stability shoes ever since without any sign of shin splints. I’m sold. YMMV.

My personal opinion is it’s best to just run off-road whenever you can (but that’s not always possible). It’s harder but more interesting and infinitely more enjoyable imho

One of the only useful pieces of advice my Dad gave me was “Any c*** can be uncomfortable.”

I like that, wise words.

This thread has reminded me, I better get my chimney swept asap

I’m wearing a long sleeve top now that I’ve not worn since spring. Brrrrrr.

I get them normally after I have pushed too hard at the gym or some such or when I am dehydrated

It’s not just me then. I occasionally get them after playing squash at lunchtime in the height of summer when some a-hole has had the heaters on for the previous hour (it must be 40°c on court). Even with a 700ml Camelbak bottle I must get get seriously dehydrated. Then going back to my desk to stare at a computer screen doesn’t always end well.

I find as soon as I get the ‘floaters’ I need to take paracetamol, eat something (salty if possible), drink even more fluid and stop looking at the screen. If I do that I can get away with it and be ok in 15 minutes. If not, my vision gets worse and it’s game over when the headache from hell descends 😵

I was going to suggest an Arkose too…

I’ve got the Alfine version which probably isn’t what you’re looking for, but it’s my favourite recreational (i.e. non commuting) bike at the moment (and has been for the 12+ months I’ve had it). I just need some nobbly tyres for winter mud as the standard ones are dreadful in the slippy stuff.

My intention was to stick mudguards and a rack on it and use it for commuting, but I enjoy riding road/BWs/non-techy trails on it far too much to do that.

I stopped shaving everyday around the same time I stopped wearing a tie to work and switched to chinos rather than ‘work’ trousers.

I shave once a week now, even then mostly it’s with a hair trimmer without the guard, so still looks stubbly. Occasionally I’ll wet shave.  If I could push through the itchy phase I’d just grow a beard.

My previous car (Mk6 Golf) needed front disc & pads. VW wanted £260. Local garage was £150ish. Mobile Mechanic quoted £140. Took it to local garage as the was some bits I need them to look at. My guess: £150

I’ve declared tow bars and my last 3 cars, it’s never changed the premium

Cars with manual front windows

Kia ora (drink not a car)

Shell suits 😱

Head bags (carried by one strap over the shoulder, obvs)

Film cameras

4:3 CRT TVs that weighed as much as a house (with Teletext/Ceefax if you were lucky!)

Drawers FULL of CDs

Gini (delicious fizzy sugary lemon drink)

Reebok pump!

I’m wearing some right now. My parents wouldn’t dream of spending that much money on trainers in the 90s. It wasn’t worth the wait! 😂

Flat top haircuts

I’ve literally just got back from the barbers and there was guy getting a flat top. He was probably mid/late 50s though, so has probably had the same hair cut for the last 30 years, just like my old man has!

I had cantis on my old work bike (steel frame tourer so quite heavy). They were dreadful in the wet. And the dry. Hateful things.  I swapped them for mini Vs even though I had to faff about with the mudguards.  The mini Vs were much better but still not great.

P.s. The cantis were Tektro Oryx, which I think are renowned for being shite.

I’d vote no (but at £~80k/year* to incarcerate a maximum security prisoner, it could be argued it makes a compelling business case… Surprised the Tory right aren’t looking at it as a way of offsetting B****T)

*Google may lie

Pretty cheap here: <span class=”skimlinks-unlinked”>http://www.creationwatches.com/products/seiko-automatic-watches-69/seiko-automatic-divers-skx009-skx009k1-skx009k-mens-watch-1454.html</span&gt;

Remember to add import duty + handling fee if buying from Creation. Still worth it though. I think there was an extra £30 to pay on the Seiko Prospex I got for Christmas.

Marathon Plus +1. A quick search of my emails shows mine have been fitted since March 2014, that’s in the region of 10-11k miles. No punctures. Rear is worn smooth. Front still has tread. Brilliant no-fuss commuter tyres.

EDIT: should say, that’s on a steel tourer with panniers and I’m not exactly a lightweight.

Not sure I’d agree. We have 1.6 Golf diesel estates at work and they are slow af. I’ve got a Golf with the 1.4 TSI and it feels much quicker in comparison. Obviously not fast, but I wouldn’t say it was underpowered (they’re not heavy cars).

In response to the OP I’d say get the one you prefer driving. Personally if I was struggling to choose after a test drive I’d probably go Octavia due to more space and more power but similar running costs

In the true STW spirit of #reccomendwhatyouhave …

I got the Arkose Alfine last year on C2W, the intention being to see what it’s like for road-bw-road rides from home, and then stick mudguards/rack on it for commuting duties if the novelty wore off. I enjoy riding for fun too much to turn it into a full-time commuter, but I it would be great. The bar end shifter isn’t too bad; I had reservations about it not being STI. I like the brakes, the hoods are more substantial compared to my other drop bar bikes and very comfortable. There’s also plenty of leverage to apply the brakes without having to get to the drops, so it’s great in stop/start traffic or for avoiding the odd selfie-ing tourists with a death wish (lots of them where I live). I’ve got my eye on another alfine commuter with hydraulics and a belt drive that just slips under the £1k C2W threshold. Should be virtually zero maintenance. Flat bar though, so no good for op.

The positive is it makes C2W even better value as if you earn between £51-60k and have 2 kids it’s equivalent to 18% extra saved

I’m not self employed but PAYE. I’m looking at dropping a day,  which will hopefully drop me below the threshold for paying it back (when I worked out the difference in take home pay vs a 3 day weekend it’s a no brainer – just need my boss to sign it off…). Ideally I’ll just do a self assessment this year, pay a cheque and not have to do anything  in the future. I’d rather leave my tax code as it is tbh.

Last one..i promise. Has anyone fitted a drop seat post on their arkosy? model? internal or external? did you have to hack into the frame for the cable?

Ooo, I’m interested in this. I got the Arkose Alfine model last year; love it for road/BW/road rides from my door. But would like it even more with a dropper. Shame it’s 27.2mm, massively restricts the options

I’ve got the cheaper Sony mdr-zx550bn (only paid £38 after tracking on Camel Camel Camel nearly 2 years ago). The noise cancelling does a reasonable job of reducing (but not totally removing)  aircon/train drone –  less so for plane drone, but it’s a definite improvement over non-NC. The battery lasts ages (but there’s no indication when they’re running flat) and they’re pretty comfortable.  Sound quality is a massive improvement over the cheap Phillips Bluetooth headphones they’ve replaced, but I suspect I’d be disappointed if I tried some of the Bose etc. mentioned above. I’ll keep a keen eye on this thread, when mine die I’ll probably spend a bit more.

EDIT: Those Sony mdr-zx770bn are £90 on PRIME at the moment 🤔

Update. So I went into the v large online music warehouse type place that also has a big showroom with the intention of trying a FG800, which they didn’t have in stock (turns out ”in stock” means in their Swedish warehouse…). The place  had no staff to talk to, half the guitars i wanted to try were up out of reach.

The next day I went to the local guitar shop in the city centre, talked to a guy, explained what I wanted, he showed me a couple, explained the differences and left me alone to have a play. Wasn’t pushy, didn’t just try to sell the most expensive one. I walked out with a Tanglewood dbt-d-eb for £130 (£200 literally everywhere else). MOR  Music in York is anyone is interested.

I had one similar to that ^ when I about 16, but it was a 200m water resistant. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was as robust as a G shock tbh, I remember it being pretty bomb proof

This is like mine. No idea how long I’ve had it (8-10 years at a guess) I remember it was about £65 and now is about £90 –  No battery to change, no need to ever set the time. It’s ugly/retro (or both) depending on your pov. It’s on an after market strap now (which I don’t like) after the original started splitting. I only wear it for biking/DIY/Swimming etc. now. Despite being left in a drawer when not used the power indicator has never dropped below medium.