Willy Bain was closed today too (as you noticed), presumably for an extended Fair holiday. He is back open tomorrow. No complaints for Behind Bars work, but I find Willy Bain always seems to have more choice of bits in stock at any time.

Because of the last couple of weeks weather in Glasgow, I've just put the mudguards back on.

I am gladdened to to read this. I know I need to change from the self-sabotaging way my life has been the last half dozen or so years. And the fact that I must have changed to become this way shows there must be a way to change again, for the better.

So thank you STW once again.

My GP said the same thing to me (yeah, carry on riding and running) when I went about mine. But I'm going to go back and ask to get it stitched up. It hasn't strangulated and isn't sore, but I am regularly worrying about when it might go all balls out. With my luck it'd be while up some distant munro two hours from a phone signal.

Top speed on my old Aldi wireless cycle computer was 78mph, sadly clocked while I was sat stationary at traffic lights. Offroad, the top speed was probably when I fell off and the bike carried on down the hill.

No, I'm serious.

I think I know her!

Except she's neither Canadian nor an underwear model.

Chuck's good, and Leverage (on Bravo earlier) is also good. Other than them it's The Big Bang Theory on Thursdays, IT Crowd on Fridays, and Top Gear on Sunday.

Does anyone else what?

I see a lot of consultancy work (in any field) awarded on track record. Which is one of those chicken/egg situations. I'd suggest finding a current consultancy company and offer your expertise as an associate. You won't get top day rates but you build that up over the years.

I don't enjoy driving any more.

I used to love it as a reckless, feckless dangerous-driving teen. But sadly I matured enough to recognise the roads were filled with reckless, feckless, dangerous-driving teens and old folk, that it cost too much, and that I was usually sat in a traffic jam in a dented Vauxhall Astra rather than driving a convertible along an empty, winding mountain pass. So I sold the car 5 years ago and just hire or steal when I have the rare need to use one.

My name's Steven, and I'm a workaholic.

I've had what would be considered grim jobs in the past, for nothing more than food/lodge, working with idiots and slackers. I was grateful to be given the chance to work. Now I'm in a job that I can meet and talk to the people I'm helping, and see the change I'm helping make in their lives. The money helps me do more things in my free-time, but I'm not doing this for the money. I do this because I LOVE WORKING.

There once was a man from Peru
Whose limericks stopped at line two

I have learned that thinking "four days rest is enough for that gammy knee to magically fix itself, so let's go try that 8 mile run (in the rain)" is not a good idea. Because the gammy knee will wait 40 minutes before giving up, throwing you in a puddle, and leaving you a loooong hobble home.

Drat, I'm obviously still slower than a slow thing towing a heavy thing. Can do 30 miles in 2 hours, but anything above that distance and the average speed plummets. (And I can't blame that just on the tea-and-pee-stops.) Was thinking of signing myself up to do the 100 mile Pedal for Scotland in September but just don't reckon I'm fit enough yet to do the distance in the time allowed.

I've got an advert to join gays.com.

Looks kinda interesting, actually. I used to go camping, back at college.

No, but yes. I work for a (non-I.T. related) management consultancy as an analyst, but I can build databases, websites and PCs when required.

Yes, but not very often.

Is a totally personal thing. I tried them, didn't find them any more efficient (because I just carried on pedalling the way I always had done), thought "sod this if I need to relearn to pedal, I'm here to enjoy myself!", changed back to flats, and have carried on my happy way in blissful ignorance since.

From the title I thought you were asking what time England will be getting knocked-out the tournament! Oops. Am looking forward to it. And despite divided loyalties will be rooting for England.

I don't know why everyone's slagging off Rob Green, he's the team's top scorer of the finals.

Have you got a the route yet? Have I missed it?

I can't offer you lodging space (1-bed flat already shared with 4 bikes) but fully intending to join you for a bit. With cheer and cake.

If we can hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate.

Down the back of the sofa?

Four.

An MTB for off road.
A road bike for on road.
And two bikes (an EBC Courier and a Singlecross) I use for everything – commuting, on road, off road, going to the shops, touring.

Can I just say, even thought it's possibly irrelevant to this conversation about irrelevance, that I like bimbos.

Guy I know managed to break an arm fishing, is acutely aware of damaging himself again, and so armours up when mountain biking. The rest of us may jokingly call him a big jessie, but we'd rather joke about that than leave him at home.

If score stays as it is this'll be the first right prediction I've had. Expecting more goals now though.

10k run and 40 mile road ride.
Recovering by watching World Cup and F1, and shopping for new road bike.

Hit one of those new Renault Megane Scenic kid-carriers. Bounced right back off it! Lovely soft and squigy thing. If you're going to have a collision with something, then I recommend one of them.

Brilliant timing – I had one pop out on Wednesday morning! Not a huge lump, but certainly a disconcertingly sized one just above and to the right of my mini Major. But by the time I saw my GP yesterday morning, it had gone back in. Advice I got was to just keep an eye on it and if it gets horrifically bad to go back to the doc or straight to A&E. I've also to try to avoid taking up weight-lifting, but am fine cycling and running.

Even since Wednesday, it's been in and out time and time again.

Is the two weeks wait you having been passed to the consultant from your GP? In which case your's may be in worse state than mine.

This is Tuesday already? Ruddy 'eck, bloody Bank Holiday's buggering around with the week. Mutter, ramble ramble, mumble.

Anyway, yes, let's know how you got on!

The fact that others do things like this helps me believe that I will be able to one day. (I'm not the healthiest or fittest person in my postcode. But I am dragging myself back up to an acceptable level after health scares, and so have signed myself up to do both the Glasgow half-marathon and the Pedal for Scotland 100-mile Sportive thing in September as motivations. and yes, from where I'm sat, I need the time to prepare.)

More running than riding for me these days as wanting to try my first half-marathon later this year. And after a 8-mile run this morning all I've been capable of since is sitting in the park talent-spotting.

Did Glasgow-to-Ayr on the road bike yesterday though so the weekend wasn't totally non-bike.

What's pink and hard?

The Financial Times crossword.

Is the rule not anything above the neck and you can go for it?

I remember it as:
If it's in your head, go ahead.
If it's in your chest, give it a rest.

Along with the usual disclaimer that if you follow that advice but die, then you probably shouldn't have.

Could've been worse, I could've asked "Where's Sinitta?"

Where's Kylie???

As said up there, I was concerned at the jump from Week 4 column 1 to Week 5 column 2. And rightly so – I failed spectacularly on day 1.

Ignored days 2 and 3 and went on a drinking/smoking/cake-eating binge instead.

Am now repeating Week 5 but doing column 1 instead.

Just finished week 4 column 1, and the progress test has put me into week 5 column 2. Looking at the jump in numbers I think this may be where the real pain begins.

Glasgow city centre. Sun has come back out. Road works. And I can just about see three different Starbucks's.

Started it last week in week 3, column 1. So tonight start week 4.

Not wishing to sound a complete sack but I'm finding it reasonably easy so far (the last set of the last day last week I managed 26). Am pessimistically guessing that won't last.

Damn, it's not raining on this channel neither.