Though Tevas are the nearest to being acceptable adventure sandal

FTFY

make sure the marriage certificate doesn’t get lost!

Oh, and +1 to being a fixer and last man standing.

also there is usually a a shedload of stuff to sort the day after a wedding. Being around for that is a massive help.

I got married this year and my best man did a great job, so I’ll share my experiences.

My wife and I didn’t need much support in organising it, so my best man was pretty redundant up until the week of the wedding (stag do aside).

In the week leading up to the wedding he was really supportive, helped with little things like picking up the suits, carrying boxes of booze about, wrapping little bloody chocolate hearts. He also returned the suits for the whole wedding party whilst I jetted off on honeymoon.

On the day the band needed directing and paying, also the photographer needed paying, I let him handle all the cash for that so I didn’t have to worry about it. He was also main point of contact for all the other suppliers (venue, caterer, driver etc), so it was important that we walked him through all the plans and running order in advance and gave him the contacts.
On the day he went above and beyond with chatting to all our families, dancing with grandma’s, downing jaegerbombs with father in law etc etc.

He took a few days off from work to be around for all that, and also just to be around so I had someone to hang out with in the downtime and not stress too much about things.

Of course the speech and the stag do are important, but it is the rest of it where the best man really makes a difference.

Ask what the groom expects of you, but he probably won’t know so just being around and available as things come up is a good start.

There is nothing sexy about Teva’s, or in fact any sandals. Unless they are on a lithe, tanned female outdoorsy river rafting guide. And in that case I don’t think it has much to do with the shoes tbh.

A case for practicality can be made, but sexy? pull the other one.

Man, sucks to be you.

Try some of these?

Lloyds phone you real time to have you tap in a code from the internet banking screen to authorise new payment recipients. Other than this it is widget and phone free.

Jens Voigt is proper nails. It’s amazing to see him on the front putting the serious hurt on so-called climbers.

Put them on the other feet

Presumably his sentence lies somewhere between the minimum and maximum penalty for the offences of which he was convicted. They don’t just make this stuff up on the fly to “make an example” of someone cos they had a go at Charlie.

He’ll only do half of it anyway.

Going well in Le Tour though aren’t they.

anyone able to burn this onto a dvd for me? I cant get ITV4 where i live

Stream it from ITV Player?

That doco was quality.

Hincapie – what a hard man.

Charcoal grey, plain, no stripes, is definitely the most versatile colour for a suit.
Single breasted, 1 or 2 (3 if it fits well and suits your body shape)button jacket, flat fronted or single pleat trousers, standard notched lapels, no turn ups on the trousers, nothing too fancy or “fashionable”.

It’ll do all occasions.

Whatever you do do not buy one of those skinny trousered, short jacket suits that are doing the rounds. They might look ok poncing around shoreditch, but turn up to a job interview or a funeral in one and you’ll just look like a ****.

So many suggestions for where to buy so I won’t echo them. Just try a few and buy the one that fits best.

Job done.

(I said earlier that here was the last place I would come for fashion advice and here I am doleing it out, I am aware of the irony)

Don’t right off Evans. He won’t blow the schlecks away in the mountains, but he is in great form and if he can hang in there close to them then he will take serious time out of them in the TT.
He’s very much a factor in this tour.

no idea me and the neighbour went halves as we both wanted it sorted and it seemed the reasonable thing to do
We did the work between us as well.

How utterly mature and reasonable.

Are you sure you’re in the right place?

This forum is the absolute last place I would ever come for fashion advice.

I’m going on Sunday for the final round – yay! :D

I’d be amazed if Kaymer is anywhere near, based on his form this year.

Would love to see a McIlroy win it, he’s a star, but I can’t see it. If the wind blows he’ll struggle.
From the brits Donald and Westwood can obviously be expected to be up there. I think Donald has a better shout than Westwood because of the quality of his short game and accuracy of his irons, on a links course accuracy will be key.

I think Steve Stricker has to be worth a look, quality player, in form and he’s a great putter.

I tried some Mavic road shoes on. Found them very narrow in the toe. I have quite wide feet but can get away with spesh in a 43 and shimano in a 44. The mavics were way too tight.

Definite try before you buy.

I saw about 10 roadies yesterday.
I overtook 3 of them.
I was gaining the other 7 until I turned off the road up a bridleway.

Hero.
How can I get to be as awesome as you?

this is normal when getting used to running off the bike, the more you do brick sessions the less you will suffer and after a while it wont be a problem.

This. There isn’t a magic solution other than practice.

Did you stretch and warm up adequately before the off? lots of people just jump straight in the water. This may help a bit but really, brick sessions are your friend here.

I found it very stable at speed and hold’s it’s edge well.

In powder, in theory it’s better than a cambered board. I haven’t had much opportunity to try it out, I’m not a seasonnaire and been unlucky with conditions.

Buttering, easier than the Agent, due to the flat base (no camber to press out) and it’s a little softer. It is not a noodly jib board so it’s not brilliant for buttering, but you can’t have everything.

I had the 06/07 Agent, with the dark purple top and blue base. that what you’ve got?
I don’t think they changed it the next year other than the graphics, 08/09 it was changed more fundamentally I think.

I have a K2 Slayblade and it is amazing. I had a cambered Rome Agent before that (stiff, all mountain freestyle board).
The Slayblade is much more stable when straightlining, I guess because of the flat base, the base is just as quick (the Rome was faaast), it holds an edge well (161 length, I am 95kg). It is not quite as stiff as the Rome, but still very stable at speed and in my opinion, is easier and more fun to ride.

(it sounds like I didn’t like the Rome, which isn’t true – it was ace, the Slayblade is just better)

Wholeheartedly recommended.

Here’s a few:

Four Brothers
Bad Boys
Bad Boys 2
Shooter
Blade 1,2,3
Friday Night Lights (sport rather than action but a great flick)
Desperado

My wife and I did this exact trip two years ago. In and out of San Fran, driving around and visiting Yosemite, over two weeks.

Re: that beach above, you can’t get onto Julia Pfeiffer beach – it is a park or reserve or something, so you can wonder along the cliff path and take a picture but that’s it. However the Big Sur drive is an absolute highlight and I would say a must do. That beach is just one of the stops along the way.
The way we did it was as follows – spent a day driving back from Yosemite to the coast at Monterey – really nice town. Day there and then left the next morning took in the Monterey peninsular en route to Big Sur (the peninsular is ace). If you are a golfer it’s really good as you can get into Pebble Beach and have a good nose around (it is a public course and there is no dress code for visitors). You can even play if you’ve got the readies (it was $500 a round when I asked! I didn’t play…)
We drove the Big Sur in both directions, which I think is worth it as you get both aspects of it. One day it was cloudy/foggy and we didn’t see that much, then on the way back it was glorious. It’s worth doing in both directions to get a contingency day as the weather/visibility is changeable to say the least.
There is a beach south of the Big Sur, once it all gets a bit flat, with elephant seals – really cool.

Car Hire:
– Don’t get your hire car until the day you leave San Fran. The parking costs are mental and the public transport is excellent – you won’t need the car until you leave town.
– GPS – is a god send. The road signage is garbage and who wants to faff with maps? We took our own Garmin and bought the north America maps as it was better value than renting one.

Other highlights:

In San Fran…
– Alcatraz, obviously.
– Breakfast at Dotties True Blue Café – worth the queue. Too cool for school locals will probably say it is too touristy now, and that may be but it was awesome. The area it is in is v close to the centre but quite run down, lots of homeless people hanging about.
– San Fran cable cars – great fun.
– Pub at the fishermans wharf with something like 80 draft beers. (need I say more?)
– Cycle the Golden Gate to Sausalito. It’s an easy ride and you can get the ferry back. You can extend the ride further or ride back if you are both good cyclists. Good fun.
– Clam Chowder – not a euphemism (though you are on honeymoon…)

– Yosemite is SPECTACULAR. We loved it.
Make sure you get full on 100% Deet insect repellent – in the early evening there are lots of mossies. Fine during the day (we were there in late June, this advice may vary by time of year).
You have to book early if you want to stay in or near the park. We stayed in a nearby town and had an hour drive into the park in the morning. It was fine but may be better to stay closer.
The hike to the top of the yosemite falls is only a short distance but basically straight up! It’s pretty tough but we thought worth it. We were woefully underprepared with inappropriate footwear, not enough water and only moderate fitness (the Mrs is especially unfit), but made it up and down OK and enjoyed it. Make sure you set off early enough as you wouldn’t want to be caught up there as it gets dark.
The giant sequoia grove is still in the park but quite a long drive, it is probably half a day’s worth of activity so there and back in a day is fine.

– Napa Valley – if you like wine I would strongly recommend a day doing a wine tour. We used Platypus tours and they were pricey but excellent. Top (but pricey) restaurants available in Napa city centre with obligatory amazing wine lists, to continue the pickling well into the evening.

Things that were a bit meh:
– Santa Cruz. Big vagrancy and drug problem there. The town is very “different”, quite old fashioned. Was ok for a day I suppose hanging out on the beach and in the amusement park. Remember the Lost Boys, the town is just like that (I don’t know if it was filmed there or not)
– San Jose – only visited cos an old friend lives there, it’s just a normal town without much going on.
– Crescent Bay (or something like that) – we only went to get away from aforementioned old friend (who has turned into a knob since moving stateside), and wanted to see some Californian surfers doing their thing. It was OK.
– the Ol’ Faithful Geezer in Napa Valley.

Stuff I would have liked to have done but didn’t:

– Attend a sporting event. Was outside of football season and the Giants baseball team were on a road trip. ?
– Las Vegas – the drive was too far, it would have eaten up too much of our two weeks, will have to go back.
– Grand Canyon, as above.
– Mountain biking in Marin County – the Mrs isn’t a MTB’er.
– Head up the northern coast, above San Fran. We just didn’t have the time.
– San Diego – too far.

I’d love my smart phone to be able to make calls easily, or even to text without spelling everything wrong. Oh, and for the battery to last more than 5 minutes.

All the other whizz bang stuff is mainly a nuisance for me.

So, no, I’m not a slave to my mobile phone, except when it decides not to call someone I want it to.

Get a normal, non-smart, phone?
They are still available.

It really drives home how much I rely on my phone these days when I go abroad. With data roaming switched off it becomes just a phone again. I hate it.

I think we all like to think we’re not as enslaved to our mobiles as we really are.

Agreed.

I’m enslaved to my phone in so far as I hate not having it with me. However, I do not drop everything the moment it rings or beeps at me with a text. If I’m out on a ride, it goes in the bag/jersey pocket and isn’t checked til the end of the ride, on the golf course it is turned off. If I’m driving I don’t have a handsfree so unless my wife is sat next to me to answer then sorry caller, you’re shit out of luck.

I’d take a dim view of someone repeatedly ringing me unless it was an emergency or we had a pre-arranged appointment that i had missed/forgotten/was late for. If I don’t answer leave a voicemail, or preferably send a text (I hate voicemail, don’t know why).

So am I enslaved to my phone? Partly I’d say.
I don’t remember phone numbers anymore, since they all just go in the mobile phonebook. I live in fear of the day I NEED to contact someone and don’t have access to my mobile!

Drop bar bikes typically have a shorter top tube, as the long stem and drop bars have you further out over the front.
Roadrat comes in long and short versions, long for flats, short for drops.

Have been out on the bike for a bit of a test ride. First time I’ve been on a road bike for decades… Everything feels fine but my hands ache like mad and I feel like I’m gonna pitch forward over the bars. Is this normal ?!

To be expected if you haven’t been on one in years. Give it a couple more rides before you knee-jerk change anything. If it is still bothering you then look at the saddle to bar drop and consider flipping the stem to get a more relaxed position.

They’ve changed that headline. It originally was the same (or very similar) to this thread title.

That article is proper mental. I see they have disabled and hidden the (200plus) comments.

:) They do a white/transparent one for the proper racing snake look, can’t remember what it’s called though.

If you want proper racing snake: Castelli Squadra.

Altura nite vision flite is worth a look.
I just got one and it packs down into a little mesh bag that easily fits in a jersey pocket. It is not too boil in the bag, pretty waterproof and has plenty of reflectives (bonus). Available in red, black and high vis yellow.

Perhaps they were actually not roadies, but triathletes? They can be proper rude

Bullshit. Triathlon is the most inclusive and welcoming sport I have had the good fortune to get involved in.

Are you planning on competing at the sharp end of the race? if so then probably not worth it as a mechanical or puncture is pretty much race over. Otherwise, ask yourself, would you rather finish or retire if you get a puncture?

I carry a multitool, pump and a tube.

suck it up, or not offer it as a benefit in the first place.

+1

Diddums for the poor bosses. My heart bleeds.

I once dated a girl with a hot sister, not sure I’d say she was more attractive, but definitely hot. She was petite and skinny, whereas the sister I was knocking off was curvy with big jubblies.
Actually thinking about it they didn’t look alike at all. I wonder if this is a William and Harry scenario?
Hilarity didn’t ensue but I definitely copped a crafty perv at every opportunity.