Seemingly trivial things that intrigue you

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Comments

  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 58,160
    Now that's one drink that tastes horrible at any temperature.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,921
    I have to say I do enjoy a pint of Guinness.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,594

    I have to say I do enjoy a pint of Guinness.

    Singular being operative. 😉
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 58,160

    I have to say I do enjoy a pint of Guinness.

    Well that is intriguing...
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    How long it will be until I am completely comfortable with going shopping with solely electronic payment methods on me. i.e. phone or watch but no cards.
    I almost always pay by phone these days but still feel I should have a card, just in case.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,195
    Funny old world.
    I worked in a Cocktail bar as a student. Head barman was world class - a guy called Massimo Lisi. Here he is:

    https://www.facebook.com/ballantraefoodfest/posts/who-likes-cocktails-massimo-lisi-has-been-a-cocktail-bartender-for-over-40-years/2015449511910521/

    https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2013/07/london-bartender-wins-ukbg-benedictine-cocktail-competition/

    I never did mix any cocktails bar the odd Long Vodka or something simple, I had to learn all the right glasses for the right drinks and he was meticulous.
    Until I got pie eyed once on Laphroaig I would love a decent Scotch. My favourite was Glenfarclas and this, required 1 cube of ice. This was Massi's recommendation; to "release the flavours". There were whiskies where this wasn't recommended and some where a spot of water was often added.

    It depends. He said that the Peaty scotches benefitted from a spot of water and the lighter, less peaty one's either none or a single ice cube.
    I wasn't that keen on the 'heavy' whiskies so I can't comment on whether it made a difference.

    What is apparent is that taste is highly subjective and if I told you that you shouldn't do this or that and you shouldn't have beer at x temperature, it would be futile and quite frankly, pointless snobbery.

    For example, if it's proper Dublin Guinness, I like it 'natural'. If it's the exported alternative, I like it Extra Cold.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,594
    There are still people who think going on a cruise at this time is a good idea?

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53636854
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,195
    ...and there are people who still think the world is flat.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,498
    pinno said:

    Funny old world.
    I worked in a Cocktail bar as a student. Head barman was world class - a guy called Massimo Lisi. Here he is:

    https://www.facebook.com/ballantraefoodfest/posts/who-likes-cocktails-massimo-lisi-has-been-a-cocktail-bartender-for-over-40-years/2015449511910521/

    https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2013/07/london-bartender-wins-ukbg-benedictine-cocktail-competition/

    I never did mix any cocktails bar the odd Long Vodka or something simple, I had to learn all the right glasses for the right drinks and he was meticulous.
    Until I got pie eyed once on Laphroaig I would love a decent Scotch. My favourite was Glenfarclas and this, required 1 cube of ice. This was Massi's recommendation; to "release the flavours". There were whiskies where this wasn't recommended and some where a spot of water was often added.

    It depends. He said that the Peaty scotches benefitted from a spot of water and the lighter, less peaty one's either none or a single ice cube.
    I wasn't that keen on the 'heavy' whiskies so I can't comment on whether it made a difference.

    What is apparent is that taste is highly subjective and if I told you that you shouldn't do this or that and you shouldn't have beer at x temperature, it would be futile and quite frankly, pointless snobbery.

    For example, if it's proper Dublin Guinness, I like it 'natural'. If it's the exported alternative, I like it Extra Cold.

    This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about.
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    The expected resale values of bike bits.
    There is a group on Facebook for selling 2nd bikes and components and I find the prices people ask consistently amazing.
    Just seen two basic bottle cages (brand new but not returnable to shop so up for sale)
    £25 the pair. I googled them and can get same from tredz for £10 each.
    Pair of carbon wheels last month. Good nick but 1 years use and 15% reduction on as new price.
    Lots of used tyres being offered at about 50-60% of retail.
    Are people really getting away with effectively paying rental rates by selling on their used stuff at minimal depreciation?
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,121
    orraloon said:

    Bzzzt. Not all Scots add water to their already watered down to 40% abv whisky.

    True story: my 2nd job, 1st proper IT job was based at Johnnie Walker bottling plant in Kilmarnock, a site now gone. I still remember vividly being given the internals tour of the blending process, this combination of 'science' and 'nose' to bring about the right combination of some barrelled malts and a load of factory grain to hit the std for e.g. (pretty keerap) Red Label. After all the hokery pokery explanations of finesse, provenance, blah blah the head blender then promptly ruined the spell by explaining that they brought down the abv to 40% by simply adding standard mains tap water.

    I think Egg Wallace showed something similar on his Inside the Factory thing - they take all the water out then dilute it down at the end.
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,121
    morstar said:

    The expected resale values of bike bits.

    I scrapped my Cycle to Work scheme bike the other week because I couldn't even sell it for a tenner. It was 10 years old and absolutely thrashed :smile:
    Maybe that's why HMRC's table stops at 4 years?

  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190

    morstar said:

    The expected resale values of bike bits.

    I scrapped my Cycle to Work scheme bike the other week because I couldn't even sell it for a tenner. It was 10 years old and absolutely thrashed :smile:
    Maybe that's why HMRC's table stops at 4 years?

    TBH, that’s my experience so I’m always amazed at what people ask. I gave away my old commuter a couple of years back and have donated kids bikes to charities.
    But, if buying, if I’m going to pay a significant proportion of the retail price for used goods, I’d stump up the extra and go new.
    If a product is unused, I’d accept a smaller depreciation but anything that has been used for any period of time, I’d be expecting to pay less than half price.
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    edited August 2020
    If a drink such as whisky or beer is chilled it will not smell as good as at room temperature. But that should encourage you to spend longer tasting it in your mouth, as the flavours will come out as it warms up.

    Not that I drink either.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,510
    morstar said:

    The expected resale values of bike bits.
    There is a group on Facebook for selling 2nd bikes and components and I find the prices people ask consistently amazing.
    Just seen two basic bottle cages (brand new but not returnable to shop so up for sale)
    £25 the pair. I googled them and can get same from tredz for £10 each.
    Pair of carbon wheels last month. Good nick but 1 years use and 15% reduction on as new price.
    Lots of used tyres being offered at about 50-60% of retail.
    Are people really getting away with effectively paying rental rates by selling on their used stuff at minimal depreciation?

    I just accept that I value new stuff more than other people must do, so have stopped looking for used things as the price always seems to high.
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190

    morstar said:

    The expected resale values of bike bits.
    There is a group on Facebook for selling 2nd bikes and components and I find the prices people ask consistently amazing.
    Just seen two basic bottle cages (brand new but not returnable to shop so up for sale)
    £25 the pair. I googled them and can get same from tredz for £10 each.
    Pair of carbon wheels last month. Good nick but 1 years use and 15% reduction on as new price.
    Lots of used tyres being offered at about 50-60% of retail.
    Are people really getting away with effectively paying rental rates by selling on their used stuff at minimal depreciation?

    I just accept that I value new stuff more than other people must do, so have stopped looking for used things as the price always seems to high.
    I think I’m the same as you. I am pretty easy on my equipment so tend to prefer buying new and it just lasts. It seems to me most other people hammer stuff so to buy 2nd hand I expect it to be cheap. It rarely is so I buy new.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,594
    Strava climbing, not that I expect to compete. 😉
    Current leader for August has done 47,899m in one ride. 😱
    Looking at his profile his biggest climb is 1392ft.
    It's easy to call bulls!t but how is it achieved?
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • shortfall
    shortfall Posts: 3,288
    pblakeney said:

    Strava climbing, not that I expect to compete. 😉
    Current leader for August has done 47,899m in one ride. 😱
    Looking at his profile his biggest climb is 1392ft.
    It's easy to call bulls!t but how is it achieved?

    Didn't we have the world's expert on this in various guises on this very forum?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,216
    edited August 2020
    pblakeney said:

    Strava climbing, not that I expect to compete. 😉
    Current leader for August has done 47,899m in one ride. 😱
    Looking at his profile his biggest climb is 1392ft.
    It's easy to call bulls!t but how is it achieved?

    Dodgy elevation data within Strava. My biggest climb according to Strava is over 15,000 feet and I did it in a 12 hour TT a few years back that had about 4,500 feet climbing in total over the 200 odd miles and the elevation never got over 500 feet. Some people know here these dodgy bits of elevation data are and use it to their benefit. They should just ditch the Strava climbing challenges until the data is more reliable.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,216
    morstar said:

    The expected resale values of bike bits.
    There is a group on Facebook for selling 2nd bikes and components and I find the prices people ask consistently amazing.
    Just seen two basic bottle cages (brand new but not returnable to shop so up for sale)
    £25 the pair. I googled them and can get same from tredz for £10 each.
    Pair of carbon wheels last month. Good nick but 1 years use and 15% reduction on as new price.
    Lots of used tyres being offered at about 50-60% of retail.
    Are people really getting away with effectively paying rental rates by selling on their used stuff at minimal depreciation?

    It might be a seller's market to an extent at the moment as I know bike shops were running low with some spares and accessories but I doubt bottle cages fall into that category.
  • Wheelspinner
    Wheelspinner Posts: 6,551
    Pross said:

    morstar said:

    The expected resale values of bike bits.
    There is a group on Facebook for selling 2nd bikes and components and I find the prices people ask consistently amazing.
    Just seen two basic bottle cages (brand new but not returnable to shop so up for sale)
    £25 the pair. I googled them and can get same from tredz for £10 each.
    Pair of carbon wheels last month. Good nick but 1 years use and 15% reduction on as new price.
    Lots of used tyres being offered at about 50-60% of retail.
    Are people really getting away with effectively paying rental rates by selling on their used stuff at minimal depreciation?

    It might be a seller's market to an extent at the moment as I know bike shops were running low with some spares and accessories but I doubt bottle cages fall into that category.
    There's definitely something in that. Hot item for a while was the Tacx or Wahoo Kickr and out of stock everywhere... "used" market went crazy prices for a while.

    And the usual online stores seem very low stock on a lot of things I want lately.
    Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    I've got so many spares here, don't anyone pay stupid prices without dropping me a PM first. :smile:
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    The space station and how replacement crews find it easy to navigate there, change over and get back to earth. How it stays in orbit. In fact, everything about it.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    I would have thought getting back was easy, just let your brakes off and wait for the splash.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Strava climbing, not that I expect to compete. 😉
    Current leader for August has done 47,899m in one ride. 😱
    Looking at his profile his biggest climb is 1392ft.
    It's easy to call bulls!t but how is it achieved?

    Dodgy elevation data within Strava. My biggest climb according to Strava is over 15,000 feet and I did it in a 12 hour TT a few years back that had about 4,500 feet climbing in total over the 200 odd miles and the elevation never got over 500 feet. Some people know here these dodgy bits of elevation data are and use it to their benefit. They should just ditch the Strava climbing challenges until the data is more reliable.
    Slightly OT, but the other day I was ridiculously pleased with myself for demolishing my PR for one of the bigger hills round here.

    Got home to discover that Strava had neatly hopped over that section, and only that section, of the route.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,594
    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Strava climbing, not that I expect to compete. 😉
    Current leader for August has done 47,899m in one ride. 😱
    Looking at his profile his biggest climb is 1392ft.
    It's easy to call bulls!t but how is it achieved?

    Dodgy elevation data within Strava. My biggest climb according to Strava is over 15,000 feet and I did it in a 12 hour TT a few years back that had about 4,500 feet climbing in total over the 200 odd miles and the elevation never got over 500 feet. Some people know here these dodgy bits of elevation data are and use it to their benefit. They should just ditch the Strava climbing challenges until the data is more reliable.
    That's as maybe, and probably something to do with it but surely his biggest climb would be the outlier as per the challenge and not a pitiful attempt?
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • de_sisti said:

    The space station and how replacement crews find it easy to navigate there, change over and get back to earth. How it stays in orbit. In fact, everything about it.

    There was a very good series about the moon landing which covered the first men in space through to the actual moon walk and it really helped understand what they were doing as they learned from scratch.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,216
    pblakeney said:

    Pross said:

    pblakeney said:

    Strava climbing, not that I expect to compete. 😉
    Current leader for August has done 47,899m in one ride. 😱
    Looking at his profile his biggest climb is 1392ft.
    It's easy to call bulls!t but how is it achieved?

    Dodgy elevation data within Strava. My biggest climb according to Strava is over 15,000 feet and I did it in a 12 hour TT a few years back that had about 4,500 feet climbing in total over the 200 odd miles and the elevation never got over 500 feet. Some people know here these dodgy bits of elevation data are and use it to their benefit. They should just ditch the Strava climbing challenges until the data is more reliable.
    That's as maybe, and probably something to do with it but surely his biggest climb would be the outlier as per the challenge and not a pitiful attempt?
    Looking again, the example you give is backwards to what I've seen with my own. In my case, my biggest climb in my profile is over 15,000 feet but when you click on it the ride it was supposedly done on only shows the 4,500 total and a perfectly normal profile. I suspect it all comes down to dodgy data within Strava rather than anything the person is doing to try to cheat (look at the distance challenges instead if you want to see the sad cases that will cheat to get on a Strava leaderboard!).
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 7,193



    Whether the T50 will be as good and as iconic as the F1.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,594
    Likely better but not as iconic.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.