To make all members of the (hugely posh, naturally) Fopster family happy you would need:

Clean showers and toilets, and enough of both to cope with a sunny bank holiday fully booked site.
Pitches with some a space between them for a bit of privacy
Trees for shade – not a flat empty field with a few staked saplings
Decent shop for supplies
Camp fires allowed
Enforced noise curfew (to avoid grumpy sleep deprived kids/wives…) or separate kid free field for revellers
BIke storage
Kid friendly no traffic bike routes from site (and trails a short drive away)

And the champagne as previously mentioned would be nice, but not essential.

I have two iMacs. Both have been bomb proof. Have had maybe four crashes in four years, all of which simply needed a reboot and all was well. No blue screen of death, no "go to manufacturers website to download drivers" when you try and connect anything. Much better than my experience with a PC. Would never go back. I have an external USB drive connected and it does an automatic back-up (Apple call it "time machine") on ongoing basis, so even if there were a problem you're covered.

I hesitate to start everyone off again, but FWIW…

Bought a road bike last year. Went for the double. Wished I hadn't. 95% of time it's fine, but there are a few times when I would have preferred to be able to spin up climbs late in the day.

I'll get my coat…

Olly
Had not considered maintenance t.b.h. However, the obvious single pivot is the ubiquitous Orange (?) and they are definitely more burly – and expensive – than I was considering.
Anyway – thanks to the STW massive for friendly and helpful advice. By way of thanks if I go ahead and make the purchase I'll post a photo so you can all be rude about my lawn. Can'y say fairer than that.

I briefly sat on said Zesty in St Albans last weekend to check for size. 'Tis indeeed very nice. 'Tis also a 314, and I have approval from the house finance commitee ( :?) for a 214. It is however discounted. Negotiations with other half are underway…

Chapaking – good to hear from someone who has ridden both. Looks like as a shortlist they are pretty good. Think I'll try and get a test on both a.s.a.p. and then brush the cobwebs off the wallet. Very excited at the prospect.

SOOBalias – can get either locally. Tried both for size on Saturday but haven't taken out for a test yet.

becky_kirk43 – haven't considered a Spesh, but I'll have a look. Thanks for the suggestion.

Bushwacked – re. my late starting, I am indeed like 60. But actually 45…

Anyone?

Thanks rOckeTdOg. In view of response to Q1, I shall try and do something creative with cotton wool in a Santa stylee. That should do the trick.

This looks like fun – I'll have a go at the weekend. Can I just clarify the rules:

1. Is a beard compulsory? If so, it won't be THIS weekend…
2. Do I have to ride something niche and/or steel framed? If so, it won't be this year…

To Buzzlightyear
I've got 26er Epicon forks on my bike at present and have been very impressed. Having said that I'm a noob so not much to compare, but a proper bikehead mate borrowed my bike at CYB (he'd loaned his expensive boutique brand jobbie to someone else) and was surprised what you can get for not much money nowadays. Though he'll still choose to blow a fortune on his bike, as I suspect would we all if we could…

Anyway – if you're skint, Epicons seem a good idea to me at least.

Yes. Always. IMHO, mad not to. You'd never live to hugely regret wearing it, but you may come to regret not bothering. No brainer – look after yourself, no one else will do it for you.

Last was The Fall – still great after all these years.
+1 for Pavement. Gutted I haven't been able to get to see them.
Console myself with thought that next Arcade Fire album isn't far away now…

If you have never read Raymond Chandler,do it now. Immediately. Leave work and go to the library by the fastest route possible. Even use a car, if you must. You won't regret it.

Oh. +1 for Neil Gaiman. Just read American Gods – great stuff.

But what tyres for reading?

What's the story would be on my list. Nevermind and Never mind… would certainly not be.

Think I'd go for anything by Coldplay or Muse.

And as fan of whiney middle class art school bollox I'll have no truck with anyone describing Radiohead as over-rated. I'd say best British band of last decade hands down.

But I ride a bike from Halfords and am therefore clearly deranged. I'll excuse myself from the vote… :oops:

OK to peek in mixing – once mixing done I'd give it some privacy for it's swelling…

At work so I'll do one from memory…
If you're in a hurry, this always comes out fine on basic fast setting – less than 2 hrs on a Panasonic (which I also have). I use Doves Farm flour – it's organic and seems to work consitently:

1 tsp yeast
250g white bread flour
250g wholemeal bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
About 15g olive oil
About 15-20g runny honey (squeezy bottle makes this mess free and quick, and you can get quite nice honey this way)
320g tepid water

Put in machine in that order, do on a basic quick program and you should get a nice loaf for sandwiches every time. I use electronic kitchen scales for measuring almost everything – even cheap ones go down to 1g and you can weigh ingredients straight into the tin, and remember 1ml water = 1g so no need for measuring jug. Makes process very quick. The main issue is getting right ratio of flour to water – the rest makes a differnce but unlikely to be catastrophic. Best bet if you are not leaving on a timer is to have a look after 10 minutes and add a bit more flour or water depending what it looks like…
Good luck. I'll post a few more interesting ones at home if I remember.

Have loads. Will try and remember this evening…

Not exactly what you're after, but I'd finish with fish and chips from mermaid cafe in Whitby. Best I ever had and you'll have earned 'em…

coffeeking
A mate borrowed my Carrera Fury (as linked to by poppa) at CYB recently as someone else had borrowed his bike. He genuinely enjoyed riding it, albeit his usual bike is nicer. Thing is, you can buy six of those Carreras for the price of one of his. It'll go anywhere his will, and nearly as quickly. Don't disagree that paying more get's a nicer bike most of the time, but some cheap bikes are amazingly good. And some of those cheap bikes are Carreras. I still want a Lapierre, though…

Pavement – Slanted/Enchanted
The Beat – Special Beat Service
Blue Aeroplanes – Spitting Out Miracles
The Fall – almost any of 'em, t.b.h.
Boo Radleys – Giant Steps
Jungle Brothers – Done by the forces of nature
Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory

That'll do, it's tea time…

STW is not the place to get sympathy when companies make cheap tat and it goes wrong, sadly. "There speaks the voice of experience…. "

I can speak from experience. My Halfords bike WAS cheap, but I don't think you could call it tat. Had a fall at CYB and lost a little paint and pride but bike still solid. It's a Carrera Fury, btw. Paid less than £500 new and like it more the more I ride it.
It's easy to knock H but for those of us for whom a Santa Cruz is a little steep they do some great bikes. Maybe one day I'll get my dream Lapierre, but until then I'm having a blast on the shonky "cheap tat" bike…
:D

The Fall – Your future, our clutter. Best thing they've done in twenty years. Try "Bury, Pts. 1+3" for size…

Shame on the STW massive for missing out the obvious not-obvious choice. Any self respecting refusenik should surely choose a Saab. The diesels are quick and you can get them uprated without affecting the warranty. Plus no whiff of chav. And in budget. Job done.

But which tyres?

I made just that change before Christmas, and so am in the happy position of being able to give you the definitive answer.

The answer is:

Yes. And no.

Glad to be of help.
:-)

Local jeweller near me (Welwyn GC) has fitted a few batteries for me for free. Just pay for the battery and they do it while you wait. When I wanted to buy a jewelry type gift for my wife, guess where I went…

Or get a Mac???

I'll get my coat.

:oops:

I've got Canon Pixma MP560. Cost just under a hundred and does very good photo prints and also good for normal stuff. Has a scanner which works really well and has wifi if you want to use with more than one computer via local wireless network (otherwise you just connect using USB). There are cheaper PIXMA versions without wireless and scanner if you don't need them, but keep an eye out as some have fewer ink colours and are not as good for photo printing.
Good luck.

If you are in the North West, try getting some from Booths supermarket in Knutsford. Top banana…

Thanks folks – I'll get 'em looked at. Only problem is local Big H don't book ahead for workshop so have to leave bike with them. A few days with no riding.
:cry:

[/quote]That's a long drive back. 1400km to Calais from here!
Fancy dropping me in Belgium on the way through

Would love to Marge but got a car full already. Five of us, but a nice Saab Estate so should not be too bad a a trip I hope. Good luck getting back!

Had a few 9-5s. If they are maintained properly they seem to last forever, especially Aero which are also very quick. Shared GM parts not as extensive as some would have you believe, though they are certainly there. If you can afford it a 9-5 Aero estate is a great way to cover big distances in comfort.

Lovely sunny day in Gothenburg. Sadly I was supposed to fly home this evening. Bugger. Have borrowed a car and a bunch of us will be driving to France then Eurotunnel. What fun…

Just got a linky thing and fitted last night. It's my new favourite thing, and the best way to spend 2 quid I have ever come across. Genius. Of course if it goes wrong when I go out for a ride tonight it will henceforth be sh!t and officially the worst thing EVER. Firm but fair, that's my motto.
:-)

I'm going. No idea what to expect, which is as it always was with MES. One of my great regrets is not going to see them doing the "I am kurious orange" thing with Michael Clark. I'm told by someone who went it was one of the wierdest and best Fall gigs ever.

Ooh Aah. Cantona.

+1 for nincompoop (though I have no idea how to spell it – does that make me one?)

Also a fan of dunderhead.
Can never go wrong with numpty.
So many to choose, so little time…

Good luck with it! I am an MTB newby and I started with a similar – though less impressive – goal (mind you I drink less… 8O)
I got a bike and set a goal of going out two nights a week and one weekend ride each week. Have stuck to it thanks to a couple of DX torches for night rides and feel good for not having given up. Hope you manage to stick with it – I am almost inspired to try myself but not sure what Mrs Fop would think…

I suggest that these folks pay in lieu if they don't want to stump up hard cash. Perhaps the air in their tyres could be a suitable charge…
:roll:

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