nick: "unlimited" broadband isn't exactly that, according to
 

 Steve: Good article (when you find the URL in the page source!). So who do I go with then? 1GB at peak times is a ridiculous limit. I'm in no rush though.

BTW Tim, we saw a bike with sealed hub gears and sealed hub brakes, hence the reference. Looked like a great commuter soultion for £400 quid. Then Nick was trying to get me to get and use a fold-up bike, maybe cycle to Hitchin (6 miles) and get that train in, then cycle 1 mile to the office. Hmm maybe not.

DiN Dub Autonomica (or whatever) is very good so far. Still no CDs from SMD and I can't seem to get an answer at the parcel office.
 

 Tim: Morning lads.

I'm back in work today. Things deteriorated Saturday afternoon, and it wasn't until yesterday afternoon I started to feel realistic again.

Sorry about buggering up the weekend.

How did the ride go, nice and wet? And did I miss anything else exciting?
 

 nick: Well... owing to a bit of a colossal oversight on my part, most of the planned route (except the beginning bit, which I'd ridden before) turned out to be footpaths: I'd misread the "beautiful nature walk" symbols as representing "bridleway suitable for cyclists". So after a bit of pushing the bikes through fields and carrying them over stiles we went on the (minor) roads from Alresford through Winchester to Eastleigh. Then we caught a train back to Winchester and cycled back to the car.

The weather wasn't great but we didn't get too wet and cold. As I was putting my bike away I noticed that the other bike had a puncture so maybe a threesome was just not meant to be.

I chickened out of a cycle ride yesterday morning (it was pouring) but went out this morning, jolly nice ride.

I hope you're well enough to go to the footie Tim?
 

 Tim: Everything went according to plan then, all in all.

I'm not feeling terribly lively, but otherwise OK so an evening of sitting on trains should be fine.

Hopefully I'll be a bit more up for it tomorrow, we'll see.
 

 Tim: Yes, good article. 1 Gig a week is a joke. Well, not that I'd use it up, but to call it unlimited...
 

 nick: from my plusnet page, my usage recently has been 4-5GB/month. I think I must use a fair amount with work, downloading source trees etc..

My contract (Premier option 1) gives me guaranteed "15GB peak time", so I'm OK for now. I think that on this tariff if I go over that, then it just slows down the connection speed.

I should be on for an 8MB connection soon too, and a corresponding increase in upload speed which is good news for wiki users.
 

 nick: Went out for a ride this morning, and I reckon I might have been on for a personal best time, but for the fact that it is dustbin collection day.

The dustbin lorry was blocking the road and various cars were waiting for it, so I weaved through the gaps and went along the side of it. Unfortunately this coincided with a bloke pushing a dustbin in front of me. Straight into it, over the handlebars, into a very pebbly puddle. Banged my head and landed on the same hand I hurt when we were out riding on Saturday.

From now on I'm going to wear a helmet. And avoid dustbin lorries.
 

 Steve: Re: helmet, this is one of the few types of accident that it would help on, I reckon off-road in non-rocky locations it's probably not worth it. We've just been discussing helmets here (coincidentally) and the jury's out.

The reason Nick fell off on Saturday was because he was looking at me *nearly* falling off but valiantly regaining control of the handlebars. All we were doing was riding up a kerb ramp.

I hope you are suing the council for the guy not looking, oh, and that it doesn't hurt too much!
 

 nick: arm, shoulder and neck are pretty achy but I think a bit better today than yesterday. Still I'm not going out riding this morning; I'll leave it until tomorrow.

Article on the The Guardian today about environmentally friendly alternatives to cement (and info on how bad cement is)...
 

 nick: looks like no trains in Basingstoke again this weekend. But Reading is OK so I should be able to go from there.

I suppose I'd better check they take bikes.
 

 Steve: Nick, you may have my coat - lovely blue Ben Sherman jacket? Enjoy it while you can.

Still trying to track down the phone number of the sorting office to see where my CDs are. After a long call on various menu options on a 0845 number I end up back with the first person I was talking to!

Went for a run this morning, a grind but Ricky Gervais was funny.
 

 nick: I'll check for the coat. I did notice a yellow top (sweater?) in the bedroom, I think that may be yours too?

Thanks for the battery btw, I'll try it out tonight
 

 Steve: Don't think the jumper's mine. Any chance of scanned versions of the virus review please as I'm about to renew in the next few weeks and Norton didn't come out that well did it?
 

 nick: I scanned in the review. Hope this link works!
 

 Tim: Hello boys. A quick catch-up:

Oh good, an alternative to cement that's based on... oil.

Regarding the helmet jury, what are the cons? Discomfort, and...?

Nick, any CC slots this weekend?
 

 Steve: Please reply today if you want to go to cheap tickets version of the LSO at the Barbican (Richard's arranging) for 15th June. Beethoven's Vth Piano and Shostakovich's 11th Symphony.

Re: Helmets - They make your head bigger so you may get a strike with one and would've got away with it without. They are not much good in high-speed car collisions. Some people say that motorists treat you with more caution of you are not wearing one. Insurance companies try to offer reduce damages if the cyclist is not wearing one.

Francis here reckoned his helmet saved his face in his crash - he cut his chin in the end.
 

 Tim: Barbican sounds like a winner but I won't be able to make it, cheers.
 

 nick: Steve, does have any of your money? It has been "closed for maintenance" for a couple of days...