A bit of time at home, showering and ... well, showering ;) and we were ready to go off and play with some bikes!
The blokes there were lovely. Happy to let us try out whatever they had.
So Danger tried out this one:
Then, of course, he tried the one he's been in love with all week. That seemed to go well. I think he's in love.
I tried this one:
This one:
This one:
And we both tried one of these:
John tried a few more too. It's a big bike dealer, so they don't just stock BMWs (obviously), and it's good to get your leg over a few, get the feel for the different positions, ride quality, all that :)
And after all the excitement, we picked Sherlock up and he rode on my shoulders all the way to the park, around the park, enjoyed ice cream - and I even had an iced coffee - and now I could very happily have a cold bath and a large fan. As it is when I asked John to fan me he just chucked a cushion at my head. Charming.
London isn't too nice in the heat.
85 comments:
Thankyou thankyou thankyou for more shiny bike pictures :-)
I'm a big fan of the fourth one down very nice!!
It sounds like you've had a good day which is the very best thing for a day off together :-) I hope it's followed by a very nice evening.
Fourth one down is the one Danger's been lusting after. It was quite a nice ride.
(And I've figured out why he's fallen in love with BMWs, and how he rode the last one. They offer lowered suspension/seat height as a factory standard on a bunch of models. Heh.)
You can stop mocking me for trying that scooter any time now...
I could..
...
..
....
..
...but I won't.
I mean...seriously. You may as well buy a chihuahua and a manbag too.
I'd rather buy you a rescue donkey to ride around London on than a scooter.
Ooooh, look at all the bright shinies!
Just how hot is this heat? (Not that temp is the whole story, I know, but wondering.)
FYI--a tepid bath with some baking soda dumped, soak half an hour (or as close to that as you can), and you'll stay cool for quite a while after.
I just thought it might be more practical! I'm sure it's less expensive.
But I hate it, so don't worry.
mocking you far riding a scooter and mocking you for being vertically challenged all within a few minutes it's just not fair is it John ;-)
It's a good job I have no idea how to go about learning to ride a bike!!!
yeah but that's definitely a soft scooter.
There are non-soft scooters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BHMpNo_Ejs for example.
(I happen to have one of those, and yes it does wheelie rather easily....)
It's about 25, 26. Drops to just below twenty at night. Feels hotter in the city. Not too bad if you can find a bit of shade with a breeze. The flat gets way too hot though.
AnonyBob - still getting my own back for the tickle-attack yesterday.
Danger - only £400 cheaper, basic spec. I'd happily pay more than £400 to never sit on the back of one. :)
Who would buy that for only a £400 difference?
I'm not entirely sure how John managed.
I was fine, thank you! It wasn't that bad.
When I picked my little one up from nursery today she was playing dressed in just a nappy, all the kids were the same because of the heat! it's taken us all a bit by surprise I think.
You can use the tickle attack as an excuse if you want Greg but I think you just like picking on John really ;-)
It's about 25, 26. Drops to just below twenty at night.
*finds a nice C to F converter* Ummmm....79F for the high, 68F at night. *carefully does not giggle*
Well, I see why you lot don't have as much in the way of air conditioning as we do. I generally set the a.c. here for 76F or 77F in the summer during the day, which feels quite cool compared to outside. (If it's supposed to go below 76F at night, I turn off the a.c., I don't like the noise.) Of course, a.c. also dehumidifies. Humidity is nasty.
Can you get ahold of an electric fan? Or even an exhaust fan? Ought to do the trick, at least at night.
I don't really like sleeping without being covered up, plus always have to wear at least boxers now, as Sherlock has freedom to roam.
It'll get hotter in the summer, but given that last week the temperature was single figures it's come as a bit of a shock to everyone right now. We're all quite aware the UK isn't a hot climate.
By 'don't have as much in the way of air conditioning as we do' what you really mean is 'don't have air conditioning', right?
Well...you do have some air conditioning, don't you? In shops and theaters and like that? Just not often in homes, if what I've read is correct.
I shouldn't tease, a big temperature jump IS always uncomfortable--unless it's midwinter, and even then it feels weird.
(Come to that, I always use at least a sheet by way of covering, even when it's still in the upper 70s. Can't sleep without. And a nice sleep-t, because that's the way I am. :))
(And if I'm going to be fair, in Texas, for example, they sneer at New York heat--it's been in the 90s (F) all week, and goes well above 100F regularly in the summer. Yikes.)
Some shops - new shopping centres. Not old ones.
And I've never been in a theatre with air con, although I suppose some might.
Mainly it's a few new office blocks and stuff where they have to have it on all the time or the computers pack up.
ReRe - it's not just that we don't have as much air conditioning, air con is almost completely unheard of in homes here. I don't know anyone who has air con in their home. Fans, on the other hand, are readily available :-p As you know, the city holds and builds the heat, so it tends to feel more oppressive than it would outside of a city.
John - scooters are extremely practical, regardless of what Lestrade says. OTOH, you aren't buying a bike for practicality, are you? Did I read Lestrade's comments correctly, that the bike was comfortable, a good height and weight and fit, and that there is basically no good reason to not buy it?
it's good to get your leg over a few, get the feel for the different positions, ride quality, all that :)
Too right. No way to pick The One if you haven't test driven a few before-hand. You need to know you're a good fit, able to be comfortable without losing interest. And you certainly don't want to end up with an unreasonably sore arse if you can avoid it.
Nameless - but a reasonably sore arse is okay? ;)
Nameless, of course I know cities build heat--I live in Manhattan! It's a sauna all summer--and the subway platforms regularly reach well over 100F.
L, that all sounds very...hot, actually. I was going to go for environmentally responsible, but it really just sounds hot. (And not the good kind.)
It's kind of depressing to think companies will pay for aircon for computers but people can boil but that's britain for you ;-)
a reasonably sore arse is the required outcome of a good ride isn't it?
AnonyBob - depends on how hard you ride, I imagine... how much prep you've done.
I mean, I can handle a short ride with no soreness at all... but for a real marathon you might need a bit of added help for comfort.
Perfect preparation prevents permanent posterior pain ;-)
Lestrade - reasonably OK, I would imagine :-)
ReRe - yes, sorry, that's what I meant; you have more experience of that than most of the rest of us.
I was down in Brighton again yesterday and today (Brighton is a seaside town on the south coast) and the sea breeze really helped take the edge off. But even with that, I had trouble sleeping last night, and I reckon London probably felt a good few degrees hotter, and rather more humid.
RR - I should warn you the British are very proud of our weather. That's why we talk about it all the time. We may moan and moan but it's like a member of the family, we're allowed to insult it, no one else can.
Anyway this whole 'quantifiable' way of looking at weather is frankly barbaric. Higher numbers does not mean better.
(Also it's the humidity, completely different type of heat so there :p)
Trills - Yeah, it is like that! Depends what you're doing too. I can cope with it hitting 40 odd in Italy, because I'm always there relaxing, pretty much. The same here would be completely horrific. (Is, regularly, on any given tube line.)
I'm definitely not looking to get in a dick-waving contest about who has the best or worst weather. The bloke sitting next to me volunteered to spend extra time in the bloody Afghan desert...think the heat really did fry his brain ;)
Nameless - and that there is basically no good reason to not buy it?
...I think that is a fair assessment of the situation.
... he just needs to choose the colour and any changes he wants made to it, far as I can see.
John - \o/
(The red looked very good in the pic. Just sayin')
No problem, nameless.
Trills--I would say that higher numbers are worse, not better! And I'm not sure how saying the weather is nasty, hot, and humid in New York qualifies as insulting London weather. I'm sure I'd rather have a San Francisco-like climate.
Will your wiring support ceiling fans? My parents had that in their summer cottage, when they had one, and were very happy with them. (They couldn't put in any in the apartment because the wiring is too brittle. Lovely thought.)
The bloke sitting next to me volunteered to spend extra time in the bloody Afghan desert...think the heat really did fry his brain
Ha. How are you explaining the first time then?
I still like the red.
The first time I'm putting down to you being willing to experience most things once, plus a large number of your other noble characteristics.
Mmm, thought you might.
The red one was the most amazing looking bike of them all John I think it would be just perfect for you :-)
the thing that causes a problem with british weather that it varies by the day or even in the course of the day. This morning was boiling hot, at lunch time we had mist and sea frets and it was freezing and by three it was back to boiling.
I have no idea what we brits would ever talk about if we didn't have weather though ;-)
the thing that causes a problem with british weather that it varies by the day or even in the course of the day.
Anony--varies by the day, that we have. Over the course of a day--almost never.
I like the original red, too, John. :)
Well it's midnight and our big tub of coconut oil in the bedroom is completely liquid. So it's obviously above 25 still.
I blame Danger being so smokin' hot....
Seriously, ceiling fans are really great for bedrooms if the wiring is safe for them.
If the wiring can't cope with a ceiling fan, I'd expect the flat would need rewiring, stat, or risk being condemned by an electrician.
Lestrade - oh no, what could you possibly find to do with a tub of liquid coconut oil?
Nameless--Not necessarily. My parents wanted to install ceiling fans a few years ago, and the electrician wouldn't because he said it wouldn't be safe with the wiring, but when they asked if they needed to rewire, he said not at all. Either would have been money in his pocket, and he definitely wasn't overbooked for work (he came back really fast to install a non-fan fixture), so.
ReRe - OK, I checked with a handy electrician (I married one :-p) and I think this may be a difference between US and UK electrical systems. Certainly here I would expect to just fit a ceiling fan without thinking about the wiring.
Anonybob - I was once treated to a highly enthused ten-minute lecture by an acquaintance as to why the UK's topology makes predicting precipitation so very difficult. I don't remember the details, it was something about how crinkly the country is :-p
Ha, Nameless--nothing like a handy expert! (And that sounds logical to me. The difference in systems would never have occurred to me.)
Funny to read of you guys being all hot and bothered as we head in to a week of 14-15C with lots of rain and wind. I like colder weather, but Melbourne doesn't really get cold enough for my liking. I do, however, have my first cold in about 4 years (stopped getting sick when I stopped eating gluten - yay for not poisoning my immune system!) It's almost a novelty! Nose blowing and throat lozenges, I'd almost forgotten you!
Hee! I'm heading up to my in-laws this weekend for the holiday, and we're expecting 90F all weekend, with high humidity. That certainly means pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon. We'd literally die in Indiana in the summer without air conditioning, nothing saying for those further south. Heat deaths are pretty common, unfortunately. It gets so dangerously hot here. For those that don't have AC, which is still hit or miss, cities set up cooling centers in local gyms or civic centers to try to help.
Now, as far as bikes go - get the red, John! It's sexier. ;)
My BIL has one of those scooters, and every time he posts on FB about riding his "bike," I giggle. My brother was a dirt bike rider, my dad and my sister's husband have Harley softails. I want to learn by my husband isn't too keen on the idea, after his uncle was almost killed due to a wheel repair defect that laid him down on the interstate at 55mph. We'll see, I may give it a go yet!
Ro- yeah, even though we're used to hearing about the seasons being different up north it's still odd to read about warm weather when I'm sitting here in two jumpers, a scarf and arm warmers because we don't have enough wood to light the fire too early.
We've had -3 at night and it's now 6c at 2pm in our little ghost village up a mountain.
Thankfully we've had a couple of mild summers compared to normal. I'd rather be dealing with -3 at night than 45c in the day like it was in the Hunter Valley. It's why we moved up a mountain. We're generally 8c cooler than Sydney.
And the best bit about it is that even if we get a hot day in summer it still drops below 20 at night. We don't have aircon (heritage house in a National Park, we're not allowed) or ceiling fans.
Can you not get window units to put in in London? Or evaporative coolers?
I can only imagine brittle wiring isn't dangerous if you never disturb it at all. And even then, given the chance of something else disturbing it, I'd replace it, I think.
I don't think it's worth putting in anything go cool the flat - not given how few hot days we have. But we might buy a fan.
I'd've been inclined to put in new wiring, but the electrician said it was perfectly safe short of the constant vibration of a fan--and it wasn't and isn't my call. And my patents were definitely not willing to rip open ceilings and walls to replace wiring that a licensed electrician said was safe. *shrugs*
(I suppose I should point out that we DID rip open ceilings and walks--or at least, had holes knocked in all over ceilings and walls--to run a new electrical line for each and every window air conditioner we have--plus a few extra for computers and the like. Hardly anyone does that around here, it's a horrible mess.)
Quick poll - how wrong is it to just wear my boxers under my paper forensics suit? I'm all for it. Sally says its perverted...
better than not even wearing the boxers ;-)
Not perverted--but also that much less protection if there's...splatter...or like that.
It's only perverted if you're naked under there.
She now says she only said people would think I'm a pervert if they saw me changing afterward.
Although I've got red boxers on, and these suits don't exactly hide what's under them that well... especially when sweaty. She might have a point.
Danger, don't make plans for Sunday. Because I'm forming one.
What sort of plan?
The plans should include cheesecake!
Oh, because...this Sunday and Monday is Shavu'ot (the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah), and it is the Jewish tradition to eat dairy meals--which means cheesecake, because we can't have that with regular, meat-including, holiday meals. Mmmmmmm! :)
(Sherlock, this is one of the holidays that Orthodox Jews can't use any electric or electronic things or do any "work" during, and since it directly follows a Saturday, that's three days in a row... o_o)
DI Greg Lestrade is the kindest most generous DI in the whole of the Met and I'm lucky to be on his MIT.
lol
Leave your computer unattended, Sally?
My thoughts exactly DW ;-)
if you're serious Sally why?
how wrong is it to just wear my boxers under my paper forensics suit?
Give me a minute, I'm just picturing it...
Sally - um, you haven't succumbed to heatstroke, have you?
He bought us all ice cream and wouldn't let me have mine until I wrote that.
I think the boss just made one of the soco techs have a crisis about his sexual preferences by eating a callipo in front of him.
Understandable. Also, someone please take a picture of all of you eating ice creams...
It's good to know that the sun and heat are having no effect on his behaviour at all though isn't it Sally ;-)
callipos were invented to have that effect on people I'm sure of it!
Right, now I have a mental picture of L in red boxers and a see through forensics suit eating a callipo and dripping it down himself. I wanted to cool down, not heat up.
SH - I think my brain just died and went to heaven, thank you :-)
... it sounds like you like imagining old bloke who can't dress or feed themselves!
Danger - It's a cunning plan, involving sun, food, picnics, drink, pretty things and adventure.
And if you wanted a picture of us you needed to be quicker than that! This lot put away ice cream almost as fast as Sherlock.
RR - they were talking about that on 'thought for the day' earlier this week.
Heh, Sally! (I think it's a decent trade. :))
they were talking about that on 'thought for the day' earlier this week.
Really? Cool! *runs to read the transcript* ...I like that. :)
Sounds like a lovely plan. Maybe we can kidnap Mycroft for a few hours.
It does sound like a lovely plan, especially with Mycroft. :)
Did everyone know that today is Towel Day? :D
Lestrade has texted me already to book in a kidnapping.
My housemaster says it sounds very educational.
Kidnapping by appointment is the politer way to kidnap.
And yeah, heard that on the radio too, RR, also on thought for the day. ;)
Ha! They are all over the important events, aren't they? :D
Good manners are always important. ;)
They do try to cover all big religious events, yeah.
Oh good, I'm glad our kidnapping has been properly scheduled.
You, Danger, are a very handsome and amazing man.
Just thought I'd remind you.
You in the park? Run away to the seaside? Jumped in the river?
Just leaving the park where I've been doing my best to confine Sherlock to wading rather than stripping off and jumping in.
Idve stripped off with him.
Just leaving.
Excuse me when I arrive home sweating like a pig and smelling a bit of death.
I wanted to as well. Waited for a cold shower though. I recommend it.
People are often recommending cold showers to me...
I'm almost home. Brace yourself.
I hope you've got rid of any death type smells Greg and that you're have in a fun evening :-)
You know we're all very grateful that there are good guys out there willing to deal with dead bodies to try and make is all a little bit safer don't ya?
I hope you've had a good day John, the park sounds like it was fun :-)
AnonyBob - problem is, even after you leave somewhere like that, you can still smell it even if no one else can :) Sort of hangs about inside your head, it feels like.
And thanks.
You should go outside and look at the Earthlight if you can see it in the light polluted city:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthlight_(astronomy)
Here's a photograph a mate of mine took, it's not quite as good as the wikipedia picture but it was taken all of half an hour ago:
http://alex987854.tumblr.com/post/23754058588/earthlight
Afraid you can't see much from here. Just looks like a crescent moon...
Great picture Anon, going off to look now :-)
How long does it take for your brain to stop smelling it Greg or are you in a permanent state of smell the dead? (sound horrid you know!)
Usually a bit of a sleep and it's gone.
Or you realise you do actually still smell...
You don't still smell, I promise.
I think one of the other members of your household would have made it quite clear if you still smelt of bodies ;-)
I hope you get good smell removing sleep tonight :-) are you at work tomorrow? you said one day of the weekend didn't you? (my brain is completely burnt out today I might just have imagined it!)
Yeah, work tomorrow. then off on Sunday.
Guys, I'm getting tears in my eyes and sniffles and stuff as I'm selling my dear bike.
And I never even gotten around to ride it.
I bought it, didn't have the money for the touch-up, got a surgery that prevented me sitting down comfortably for half a year, broke my arm, f... ducked up my elbow so my right arm won't stretch anymore, got a surgery to loosen it up, still no money for the touch ups though and my husband is an epileptic, which means I can't even take him on pillion - a little bit of sun between trees on country road and there we might go!
Yes, I bought the bike before I started to go out with my husband...
Well, so now I am researching the prices on the iNet, and trying not to look at the crash helmet on my shelf...
So yeah, John, I will have to live vicariously through you now, won't I?
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