Seemingly trivial things that cheer you up

pinno

Back OT:

Leaving on holiday last year, the Google car passed us and low and behold, we're on Google Earth:

pblakeney

A friend of mine has the opportunity to see his now deceased Dad sitting in his usual seat outside a pub pint in hand thanks to Google Earth.

pinno

pblakeney said:

A friend of mine has the opportunity to see his now deceased Dad sitting in his usual seat outside a pub pint in hand thanks to Google Earth.

That could be a good or bad thing. Sounds like he quite likes it.

shirley_basso

There's a lovely photo of my mother and now deceased grandmother in the car park opposite my mum's house.

Apparently you can ask Google for the pics (unsure if true)

surrey_commuter

pinno said:

Back OT:

Leaving on holiday last year, the Google car passed us and low and behold, we're on Google Earth:

I am intrigued by the idea that your family packs so much that you need a van

pinno

surrey_commuter said:

pinno said:

Back OT:

Leaving on holiday last year, the Google car passed us and low and behold, we're on Google Earth:

I am intrigued by the idea that your family packs so much that you need a van

It's a LWB crew cab. There is 8 ft between the rear bulkhead and the back of the van, so there's not a helluva lot of space.
In it (aside from clothing) was my bike, pump and bits and bobs, 2 girls bikes and 2 scooters. Also 3 x wet suits and all the stuff needed for a self catering holiday - including towels as holiday lets weren't supplying under C19 rules.
Nice to have the bike inside rather than all the concerns about having it on a roof rack.

surrey_commuter

pinno said:

surrey_commuter said:

pinno said:

Back OT:

Leaving on holiday last year, the Google car passed us and low and behold, we're on Google Earth:

I am intrigued by the idea that your family packs so much that you need a van

It's a LWB crew cab. There is 8 ft between the rear bulkhead and the back of the van, so there's not a helluva lot of space.
In it (aside from clothing) was my bike, pump and bits and bobs, 2 girls bikes and 2 scooters. Also 3 x wet suits and all the stuff needed for a self catering holiday - including towels as holiday lets weren't supplying under C19 rules.
Nice to have the bike inside rather than all the concerns about having it on a roof rack.

I saw one of these recently and it did make me think twice, if I had some big DIY projects in the offing it would help the man maths

shirley_basso

Is it not bloody uncomfortable to travel a long way in?

pinno

surrey_commuter said:

pinno said:

surrey_commuter said:

pinno said:

Back OT:

Leaving on holiday last year, the Google car passed us and low and behold, we're on Google Earth:

I am intrigued by the idea that your family packs so much that you need a van

It's a LWB crew cab. There is 8 ft between the rear bulkhead and the back of the van, so there's not a helluva lot of space.
In it (aside from clothing) was my bike, pump and bits and bobs, 2 girls bikes and 2 scooters. Also 3 x wet suits and all the stuff needed for a self catering holiday - including towels as holiday lets weren't supplying under C19 rules.
Nice to have the bike inside rather than all the concerns about having it on a roof rack.

I saw one of these recently and it did make me think twice, if I had some big DIY projects in the offing it would help the man maths

I bought it for the house renovation and it has paid for itself x times over.

pinno

shirley_basso said:

Is it not bloody uncomfortable to travel a long way in?

Actually no. The one endearing feature of the Fraud transit vaaan is that the seats and ride is comfortable.
You can't be in a rush. 55mph all the way.
I loved my 313cdi sprinter - far superior van but not so comfortable. Though. you could get there 2 hours earlier.
It's a bit like a 12kg hybrid with big squashy tyres and saddle vs a 7kg bone rattling high spec cf job, steep angles, tyres pumped to 320 psi, a BB the size of Anglesea that goes like the clappers but gives you piles.

morstar

Descriptive prowess knows no bounds.

pblakeney

pinno said:

pblakeney said:

A friend of mine has the opportunity to see his now deceased Dad sitting in his usual seat outside a pub pint in hand thanks to Google Earth.

That could be a good or bad thing. Sounds like he quite likes it.

People are rarely going to be searching a local area so unlikely to be a bad thing.
It's nice that he likes it. Not sure how he found out about it though. 🤔

shirley_basso

pinno said:

shirley_basso said:

Is it not bloody uncomfortable to travel a long way in?

Actually no. The one endearing feature of the Fraud transit vaaan is that the seats and ride is comfortable.
You can't be in a rush. 55mph all the way.
I loved my 313cdi sprinter - far superior van but not so comfortable. Though. you could get there 2 hours earlier.
It's a bit like a 12kg hybrid with big squashy tyres and saddle vs a 7kg bone rattling high spec cf job, steep angles, tyres pumped to 320 psi, a BB the size of Anglesea that goes like the clappers but gives you piles.

Fair enough. I have spent a fair amount of time doing long car journeys in cars and vans both as a kid and adult - and I can't see myself ever changing from an estate. Currently on a Skoda Superb, and I'll buy it outright when the finance expires

Pross

pinno said:

surrey_commuter said:

pinno said:

Back OT:

Leaving on holiday last year, the Google car passed us and low and behold, we're on Google Earth:

I am intrigued by the idea that your family packs so much that you need a van

It's a LWB crew cab. There is 8 ft between the rear bulkhead and the back of the van, so there's not a helluva lot of space.
In it (aside from clothing) was my bike, pump and bits and bobs, 2 girls bikes and 2 scooters. Also 3 x wet suits and all the stuff needed for a self catering holiday - including towels as holiday lets weren't supplying under C19 rules.
Nice to have the bike inside rather than all the concerns about having it on a roof rack.

I've been seriously considering going to a crew cab version of one of the vans. Seems to make more sense than an SUV if you want a high driving position and load carrying capability. I'd be going for a SWB version though as they are that bit more practical in terms of parking. Great for carrying the dog or bikes, room to change when running or hiking. Diesel being increaingly demonised is the main issue against.

surrey_commuter

pinno said:

surrey_commuter said:

pinno said:

surrey_commuter said:

pinno said:

Back OT:

Leaving on holiday last year, the Google car passed us and low and behold, we're on Google Earth:

I am intrigued by the idea that your family packs so much that you need a van

It's a LWB crew cab. There is 8 ft between the rear bulkhead and the back of the van, so there's not a helluva lot of space.
In it (aside from clothing) was my bike, pump and bits and bobs, 2 girls bikes and 2 scooters. Also 3 x wet suits and all the stuff needed for a self catering holiday - including towels as holiday lets weren't supplying under C19 rules.
Nice to have the bike inside rather than all the concerns about having it on a roof rack.

I saw one of these recently and it did make me think twice, if I had some big DIY projects in the offing it would help the man maths

I bought it for the house renovation and it has paid for itself x times over.

I used a joiner who had a VW Transporter and was impressed with the versatility

masjer

From the BBC: Rapping burglar who boasted about Leeds car thefts sentenced.

A teenage burglar who recorded a boastful rap about his exploits has been given a three-year sentence.
That just cheered me up.

TheBigBean

Jacobellis doing a grab on the final jump.

kingstongraham

I got today's bikle on my first guess.

shirley_basso

Bought my 3 y/o a bike for his third birthday in December, but he really struggled to get the pedalling, despite being amazing on his balance bike - regularly on the vert ramps in the local skate park without issues.

It's been sat, neglected in the shed for a couple of months so I decided to whack the stabilisers on over the weekend, prop it up on some blocks of wood and had him turbo-ing in the house to get the feeling followed by a few trips out.

Did 10k on Sunday and rode himself to nursery (and back) yesterday and rode in this morning. Man I am thrilled!

Just need to work out how to get the saddle a little higher to make pedalling a bit easier and remove the stabilisers without knocking confidence.

pblakeney

shirley_basso said:

Just need to work out how to get the saddle a little higher to make pedalling a bit easier and remove the stabilisers without knocking confidence.

Can you raise the stabilisers so the safety net is still there but outside normal riding?
Just so you can say "See you don't need the stabilisers.".

pinno

pblakeney said:

shirley_basso said:

Just need to work out how to get the saddle a little higher to make pedalling a bit easier and remove the stabilisers without knocking confidence.

Can you raise the stabilisers so the safety net is still there but outside normal riding?
Just so you can say "See you don't need the stabilisers.".

This ^.
Did that with my two.
When Shorty was 5, she asked me to remove the stabilisers and I did little to assist bar hiding any anxiety and off she went, no issues. I think the over anxious parent installs hesitancy and fear.

briantrumpet

pblakeney said:

shirley_basso said:

Just need to work out how to get the saddle a little higher to make pedalling a bit easier and remove the stabilisers without knocking confidence.

Can you raise the stabilisers so the safety net is still there but outside normal riding?
Just so you can say "See you don't need the stabilisers.".

I still remember that moment, now about 54 years ago, when I realised that the stabilisers were just getting in the way of riding properly, and asked my dad to remove them.

monkimark

My youngest learned to ride with pedals age 3.
She was riding a balance bike to nursery every day very confidently so when we got the pedal bike I took off the pedals and let her push herself around for a bit, at which point she demanded I put the pedals on and after a short run with me holding the saddle, she was away. It probably took 15 minutes in total from getting the bike out to her pedalling off on it.

My eldest didn't ever really get the hang of the balance bike (she is naturally a lot more cautious). Managed to get her cycling using the same method as the youngest but it took her until she was 6 and involved a lot more input from me.

shirley_basso

pinno said:

pblakeney said:

shirley_basso said:

Just need to work out how to get the saddle a little higher to make pedalling a bit easier and remove the stabilisers without knocking confidence.

Can you raise the stabilisers so the safety net is still there but outside normal riding?
Just so you can say "See you don't need the stabilisers.".

This ^.
Did that with my two.
When Shorty was 5, she asked me to remove the stabilisers and I did little to assist bar hiding any anxiety and off she went, no issues. I think the over anxious parent installs hesitancy and fear.

Good thing is that I am not an anxious parent, if anything the opposite. I put the stabilisers on so he could relax while learning to pedal as it was weird that he really didn't get it - which I am thrilled he has now done thanks to the indoor practice.

My thinking now is how to the saddle high enough so pedalling is comfy (ideally higher than now), yet still having the confidence to touch the ground with his toes when he stops, and get going again with ease.

I just need the time - will look into it next weekend.

thedirector135

Elderly ladies in mini clubmans. It's becomming existential (is that a word?)

webboo

On Inside Heath today on radio 4 professor finally puts to rest the myth that you need to drink before you are thirsty to be hydrated.
Everyone’s fluid intake is different and there is no specific amount you need to drink, also dark urine is not a sign of dehydration. It is sign your kidneys are working well.
Apparently there is a website now called Hydrobollocks which is there for myth busting.

veronese68

Pross

The guy on the US curling team who looks like a character from an 80s 'gross out' comedy and sounds like either Marge Simpson or Howard's mother in Big Bang Theory.

rick_chasey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPQh1FrbOc0

This guy is live streaming planes trying (and usually aborting) to land at Heathrow right now.

He's loving life - not so much the pilots, I suspect.

rick_chasey

All a lot less interesting now the wind has moved to headwind.