Why did they stop making the Soda… I’d have one of them in a shot.

Made me think of that cartoon. We used to have to feed the cats in a separate room and then move the food dishes afterwards to prevent the dogs cleaning them out. When the cats were younger they used to bully the dogs for food!

Tsk – it’s not about how they perform but how they look… The grey lens is actually pretty darn good but a little dull!

For off road I like the photochromic lenses quite a lot, they just work.

VR28 is a great contrast base in my opinion (if you don’t fancy the expense of the photochromic lens). I have a battered set of VR28 blue iridium which work in all but the darkest forest (and look cool obviously).

I also really like the +ve red iridium lenses for road riding, they’re really nice.

Prizm lenses are getting people excited. I did have a look at them in a shop and the Trail lens was great on a murky Scots day. Will probably get some when it’s time for a new set.

All time favourite was the VR28 black iridium polarised. Just superb. But don’t look as cool as the jade iridium…

Wee update – emailed saying it’s leaking so they’ve sent me a new one FOC, no questions asked. Pretty good customer service, very happy!

Are you removing the air from the bladder before folding and sealing with the slider?

Not sure I follow – how do I do that before sealing it without getting water everywhere?

Sounds like I might have a duff one then, I’ll contact them and see what they say.

I have wanted, and never been able, to get to a gig by

I’ve seen them all! sorry…

Explosions in the Sky were good but not very rock and roll (they blew an amp which went on fire and instead of dealing with it calmly they screamed and ran away…)

You should check out Mono too, they are not only good on record but very good live. Almost louder than Mogwai!

Best post rock gig I’ve ever been to though was Do Make Say Think at Cargo in London. Absolutely, utterly brilliant. They’ve been supposedly making a new album for a very long time now, wish they’d just get on with it!

I’m a 47 in Sidi, 46 in most other makes. I have narrow feet so find the fit spot on. Most expensive shoes I own! But they do last – my Dominators are probably 6 or 7 years old and still going strong!

I have the Ambit 2 and use it for all oytdoor sports. Cracking bit of kit. The battery life is great. Done multi day trips no problem. Is massive though!

I am cautiously optimistic. Against my better judgement considering the let down the last time, but the trailer looks good, the sets and costumes look proper Star Wars. I was dreading seeing the aged Han Solo but I couldn’t help but get excited when I did.

Only 8 months to go…

I never tire of their early records, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada I listen to a lot. As said above live it is an incredible experience. Feels like the room is going to explode as they build the sound. I am quite, quite jealous you’ve got two gigs lined up!

I’d be tempted to come off the motorway at Kendal and stay there as like Somafunk said by the time you are at Dumfries you’re almost at Glasgow. In the time taken getting from the motorway to the town you’d be on the outskirts of the city!

I just got a numb and it does take a fair few breaths to inflate but for the money I really can’t complain and it packs down so small it is worth the effort. Not sure how warm it will be though.

The Basilica di Santo Spirito is well worth a look on the south side of the river. Brunelleschi tested his theories of proportion and scale there before doing the Duomo (which is amazing and worth a visit too). But the smaller church is less crowded and I was pretty stunned when I walked in – one of the highlights of my visit.

Another highlight was the preening Italian roadie, all tanned and white kit with an extravagant hairstyle (no helmet of course). He looked very cool and was a big hit with the ladies. I did wonder if he ever actual rode his bike…

I had an Orange C16R in the late 90’s which I absolutely loved, it was really light and a real joy to ride. So I was overjoyed when Orange brought out the Clockwork special edition in the classic paint job a few years back. It was horrible to ride, weighed a ton and I just didn’t get on with it, I tried for quite a while but eventually gave up and flogged it. Shame as it looked great!

I suppose I don’t wish I’d never had it, just wish it had been a better bike.

My dad and I went a couple of years ago – drove down from Scotland! The drive down was pretty cool as the number of interesting cars and characters increases the closer you get to the circuit. It was an excellent weekend, beats the atmosphere and action from any F1 race I’ve been to. Drivers parade on the Friday is worth doing just for the break from the circuit and chance to get something better to eat! There was a lot of drunken idiots staggering about, but we were in a closed campsite (by the Porsche curves) so it was fine in there. I’d love to go back again but small kids and pets seem to be getting in the way.

How is it greenbelt if there was a sawmill business on it? Surely it must be a brownbelt site? I’d consult a local architect or planning consultant (someone who knows the lie of the land in your neck of the woods) rather than a builder and see if they have any suggestions.

I left my Exposure Race on the bars one day and it poured all day long, I think water might have got in the smart port (I lost the wee rubber cap a long time ago) as the light wasn’t working at all. Out of warranty so I was pretty worried. Put it in a freezer bag with some uncooked rice, sealed the bag so it was air tight and left it 24hrs. Working perfectly the next day and still is now.

He’s always been one of my favourite author’s ever since I picked up a copy of Guards Guards well over 20 years ago. Really sad news.

What would happen if the chain hits a nail or metal object imbedded in the wood?

This. If the object being cut gets caught on the saw then the person holding said object could get pulled into the saw, if the object being cut gets kicked off the saw then the person holding it gets a face full of log. Either way it’s Darwinism at it’s finest.

There is 20% off Oakley Prizm stuff with the code OAKLEY20 at Cyclestore right now. My wife will never notice a new set of lenses. I’m sure she won’t…

Sportpursuit have loads of great jackets. Had some Rab Mountain Dru’s on there, I have an old one which has seen 5 or 6 years of abuse and still going strong.

how do you get access to the newer version of getamap?

Scratch that – found it.

Indeed. I’d be very interested too! Though if I’m caught buying any more Oakley’s my wife may well kill me…

I was just looking at them just now – looks suspiciously like the VR28 blue iridium to me!

Another vote for OS Getamap. I use it to map all my routes these days then I can export as a gpx which I can import to my Ambit. The Getamap interface is a bit clunky which can be frustrating at times but if they’re beta testing V2 that’s interesting news!

I’ve been going to class regularly for close to a year and a half now and it’s made a huge difference to my flexibility and core strength. It had a larger impact on my road riding than MTB I think, though I haven’t ridden competitively for a long time. Sorted out a load of issues I had with my back/shoulder from sitting hunched over a desk too.

I do think going to class is essential. Not only does it really help have someone explain things as you go along but a teacher can help if there are postures you struggle with or have specific issues you are trying to resolve.

Took a while for me to stop thinking of it as a competition! As someone said you don’t compete at yoga, you practice.

I do wonder if it’s worth waiting and investing in something I know will last years (though the tents I’ve been looking at are not exactly cheap rubbish).

Castanea, have you ever used the Elixir with just the footprint and flysheet?

The DPF in our Golf just failed, it warped! Apparently there was nothing we could have done to prevent the failure. We’re still under warranty but the DPF is not covered. Close to a £1200 bill (that’s with a dealer contribution as they’re feeling guilty)… Not best pleased! Currently arguing the toss with VW.

I use one too, have done for the past couple of years on my dark, murky rural commute. Have to echo the comments above, pretty much faultless. Very bright, minimal effect on main light battery in my experience and in the past 2 years it’s been 100% reliable.

I’d love it to come back. Not found anything else to replace it. Any suggestions for a similar event?

I thought this was going to be about the ethics of taking on a large government contract which may have gone against personal morals.

You can download one of the new tunes off their website if you didn’t know that already.

I’m going, it’s going to be awesome and I’m that excited that this is the first time I’ve posted on STW in ages…

Sorry, I’m sure that’s not helping!

I use racing jackets, find they are actually better than radars for keeping sweat off the lenses, think it’s the nosepiece design. Have photochromic lenses for MTB and some polarized for road/driving. Far better fit than radars too. Not quite the answer you were after I suppose!

Dalbeattie is not very big. You could ride into the centre of town in a couple of minutes or even walk! Granite Kitchen is a pretty good cafe too.

I have the steel winter bike, I like it. It’s taken a lot of abuse over the past 18 months or so. I commute on it daily along rural roads in Scotland and so far so good. Though it’s components that suffer more than frames. It’s comfy enough, does take a little buzz out the road and the handling is nice. Heavy, but that doesn’t really matter for a winter bike/commuter. Don’t think the finish on it is all that great, got a fair few paint chips. It will take 25mm tyres but not much wider, certainly not with guards.

I have a set as well. Bearing adjustment is minimal, you get a wee tool for tightening them up if you get any play in the hub. I last bothered about 2 years ago… Still going strong! They are stiff but I wouldn’t say uncomfortable. Plus mine have one red spoke on each wheel which looks really cool. I was going to run them tubeless when I next need tyres as they don’t require a rim strip, just a valve to do so.

The only issue I have with them is the nylon bushing for the freehub, it wears out and you develop play in the cassette which was driving me mad. I have since fitted the hub doctor upgrade and it’s running really smoothly without the play in the cassette, so all good.

I was in the market for a GPS watch about 6 months ago and looked at all the options out there and went for the Ambit 2 in the end. It’s a brilliant bit of kit, being able to design your own apps is a cool function and being able to customise each sport to suit my own needs is pretty handy. If anything it’s too involved, getting to grips with it takes ages. I’ve had mine over 6 months and still find new things! It’s accurate, the route tracking is really good and there’s a new compass bearing function in the latest software update which is useful. It has a huge battery – easily lasted 2 days out running in the hills. Movescount is a bit temperamental and the thermometer is useless if you have the watch on your wrist, other than that I’m really pleased with it.