Gazprom is looking east because long term demand growth just isn’t happening in Europe whereas in China it very much is. Plus there is a lot of gas around especially since the US shale revolution and with new Aussie LNG projects coming on soon. Europe will still be dependent on Russian gas for the foreseeable future but the European gas marketplace is becoming increasingly crowded and (at least up until Ukraine) Russia was looking at losing some market leverage. Could mean softer wholesale prices rather than price increases.

It’s tapered and only external at the bottom, top is semi integrated or whatever it’s called.

the black is wicked and I am crap so it’s not that hard. rough but not technical as others have said. redemption climb is looooong though.

was that reading gig the one where he stopped mid way in the set and started telling the audience that ‘one of you is going to get shot’ etc?

My 2 (11 & 10) watch somebody called Stampy, playing Minecraft levels, that he talks/rambles over whilst wandering round

mine too (9 and 7), they love stampylongnose. endless youtube videos of him playing minecraft with his friend iBallisticsquid. They almost never watch TV, just these youtube vids. better than the unboxing of Match Attax that they used to watch though.

Edit: they also found this, which made me think of nothing more than comic book guy in the simpsons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FbBiBUqwMs

I’ll give it a go. making the 9p inflator looks like half the fun.

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban.

/end thread

was it airship industries ones which traversed over London through the 80s carrying a variety of advertising banners on their sides?

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5c266dd0-9f83-11e3-94f3-00144feab7de.html
on the FT too…

a cabbie told me they were axing the airport bus but he could have been biased.

eligible to vote. Not Scottish. Voting no.

I was in Serre Chevalier last week. Rode powder every day!

I’me enjoying Obree’s book but he’s clearly a bit ‘out there.’ I haven’t deconstructed any turbos but most of it is of use to me. breathing technique is hard though!

Nickel! I love mine (140mm up front) and I do most of my riding at trail centres. I’ve never felt the need for more travel at the back.

it’s good fun and I have signed up again for this year (Scotland one) but definitely try and get onto a team. I didn’t get electrocuted last year so I guess I’m going to cop it this time.

I work just round the corner and Macdonalds was crap way before Evans came along. I think Evans were positioning themselves relative to the bike co-op rather than any thing else.

mine’s great. weird feeling having the post screwed into my jaw and a bit of a chore with repeated uncomfortable visits to the dentist but it’s so worth it, even with the high cost. feels weird and dead at first but you get used to it.

The Road is the best of all suggested in my opinion. Did the book justice and the book is, with Riddley Walker, one of the two best post apocalyptic books ever published. Oblivion was better than expected but book of Eli crap. And waterworld is terrible!

the Jake Blauvelt movie ‘Naturally’ is worth a watch (but not if you want contest snowboarding!)

I’ve got a Mk3 focus and the arrow is part of the display. I was wondering if there was a setting to turn it off somewhere.

I would also love to know the answer to this!

Haha, busted. We are one and the same. Thought my alias needed to reflect the passing of time. Good to see you!

I can vouch for Ski Famille, we went to Les Gets last 2 winters. The nannies are there 8.30 throuugh 4.30 and will take the kids off to ski school and pick them up again, give them lunch etc. then do activities in the afternoon if they want, or you can meet up with the kids and go skiing with them. Last winter just gone I credit them with me and the mrs getting 4 EPIC powder days in the PdS while they looked after our kids. Ready to get out riding at 9am with the kids already fed and off your hands? I wasn’t expecting that. Way more riding than I thought I’d get on a 1st and 2nd family snow holiday. They are better suited for younger families though so this year we’re going self catered.

English ski school a must too – 360 was good but value for money seemed a bit lacking in the early days – didn’t seem to be a lot of actual skiing going on – but they can both ski now so I guess their methods are valid.

love the comments about lying in bed paranoia. I grew up in pretty much central London in a converted Victorian house. My room was in the basement and I used to lie in bed wondering if that would protect me from the shockwave and heat blast radiating out from the city. That programme last night brought back a lot of memories.

nail polish remover is the best

the gypsy camp that was under the westway for years is probably the closest thing Hammersmith has had to a campsite for a long time!

get the ST, I just got one over the weekend and it’s brilliant. chav car or not I don’t care!

2nd Spin’s vote for the Coe if you want natural interesting features. a lot of glencoe is proper steep and there is plenty to jump off (as long as you can see where you are going). Chamonix is the other obvious euro alternative for in-bounds off piste (I’ve not been to St Anton but heard good things).

Living in Edinburgh the last 7 years I get between 2 and 8 days per season in Scotland. I have all my own gear and I’m ready to go at super short notice if the forecast looks good but I still get caught out sometimes and spend £30 on a lift ticket to ride around all day on slush in a cloud. Plus the petrol! It’s not cheap riding here and if you were coming up from south of the border for more than a weekend it’s going to be more cost effective going to Europe. Having said that, I concur with buzz-lightyear – a blue sky no wind powder day at Glencoe is a thing of pure joy…

I do love a stealth motor

great thread, thanks. Maybe I’ll stick with the Volvo!

I did the Edinburgh one last week. Wicked fun although the arctic enema was horrible. Already preregistered for next year.

haha, DO IT that’s what I want to hear!

thanks for the feedback. lots to think about. cheers.

I don’t really ever drive in town, most of my trips are 200 milers in a day to go snowboarding up north or go cycling somewhere so I can live with the running costs I think. Seriously tempted by a couple on Autotrader.

I can recommend Paul Slifer at Red Hot and Blue in Tollcross.

cyclebiker – Member
Currently trying to stop myself looking / buying this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181173035565?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I am looking for something to tinker with, however a t4 Is also a possibility so I can have a project that the family will benefit from in the end…but I would love a ‘rocco.

cyclebiker – I have a T4 (V40) I am looking to sell in the not too distant future!

yes, sandy heath is what I was referring to, thanks. was never ‘approached’ there, I think the dangerous bit is over the road behind Jack Straw’s Castle.

I grew up in Belize Park down the road. We used to ride bmx on the triangular wooded bit from Whitestone Pond between the roads to highgate and Golders Green. The chat back in the day was because of the sandy soil that area was dug for sandbags during the war. No idea on the truth of that but the natural terrain was fun. Later on jumps got built but they always were pulled down. Probably still fun there though I live in Edinburgh now so I don’t know for sure. It was always fun bombing the main path on the Heath down from Whitestone pond back to the bottom of the Heath at the train station.

QOTSA at the Kentish Town Forum (with Oliveri) in 2002 was one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. Saw them a few years later without him and it was the Josh Homme band, good but still nowhere near what they were. Definitely more than just willy-waving. Hope their new stuff is better than the last album.