Pedro

I'm going to fight to try and keep it going, but the truth is that a forced stop and a few months to figure shit out might be what I need, and should be a welcome break. I am pretty much conformed to go along with whatever needs to happen.

Raining, it's just not stopping. Miserable wet rain, for three weeks now, I don't know how some countries cope with this shit without going depressed. My brother came home after a few months away, picked him up from the airport and fed him a hamburger when we got home. I'm pretty proud of it, tasted great. Went to try on some pants for riding in winter or rain i the morning as all I have at the moment are jeans, found nothing so will carry on carrying my plastic overpants. Will try again next weekend. Am planning a ride around on christmas week and/or the one after and some proper pants would come in very handy if the weather doesn't change, and maybe it changes as well since it'll get colder. I am more and more loosing faith I'll be able to sort out my declining business relationship so there is that cloud hanging over me, but also I'm getting to grips with it and with the prospect of being with no income. I've gotten less worried over the last month, if it happens so be it, I'll have the forced chance to have more fun than usual while I run out of money.

Bruce, you’re a legend edit: write a book!

I never did anything on christmas, two of my grandparents died on christmas though, and although that doesn't haunt me it made for a few unpleasant years of christmas, as the whole family simply endured that. To be honest, I never did anything fun on christmas and always spent it at home, there is not much of a culture of going to parties or hanging out with friends for christmas here in Portugal. Since becoming a teenager Christmas has always been something I sort of just endure and suffer through, although Maria did enjoy it and I had a couple of nice ones with her, also as a family. Now, I'm back to just getting through it, last year I retreated to my home and had a warm meal in front of the fireplace, with a great bike ride the day after, this year I will probably do the same.

Shit is warm, there's nothing resembling of warm there! It's like riding a bike in a deep freezer, then setting up tent in a deep freezer, then eating dinner in a deep freezer, then the bike doesn't start because it's been parked in a deep freezer, etc All the while, drinking jagermeister?

I don't think I'd like the Elephant at all, regardless of duvets or not! I'm just not made for that kind of outdoors cold. Maybe a hotel or cabin with a nice fireplace and some good goulash might make it endurable, but then I wouldn't like to park my bike in deep freezing mode.

I can put away a serious platter of ribs, my friend are like:

Nobody likes a show off, @Tym @Earache @XTreme!

Ever since "House of Cards" I'm looking forwards for ribs in the US

Oh man, fully agree that is a great ending to a day's ride! Except I would use the apple as dessert, I can't eat something sweet like that as main dish. Superb, though! We usually serve those kinds of ribs cooked less slow over live coal, with the bones separated from each other to be eaten by hand one by one. The "american style" is very well known and I'm not going to miss the chance when I'm there.

No, there isn't, but it has nice character in the way it runs, feels like a quality engine even if it's not fast at all.

There's not even a list here yet, Pete, that's how far down I am

I learned to ride and took my test on a 225cc version of that (I think it was 225, might have been 200), the big balloon tires make for an interesting handling on tarmac, and I think steal a lot of pep out of the engine.

There's two schools of thought, first is what the UK is doing and what most countries with political correctness sensitive people will do, which is to try and vaccine older people first since that's the demographic that dies the most if infected. Second school of thought states that the rate of vaccine success is a lot higher in younger people (this is a fact for most vaccines so far, regardless of covid), so those should be vaccinated earlier to stop as much as possible the spreading of the virus. No absolute right or wrong. The UK people would complain if they were last after every European country, and they complain that they're first, would they be happy with third? fourth? fifth? You can always point the finger at any policy as every policy as flaws, but at some point you have to just go ahead and advance. I would love if it had been Portugal to be first and would happily pay to be vaccinated today.

I had a sit on a naked version of that, and it surprised me how comfy it was. Good seat. I would like something like that but honestly don't know what I'd use it for except look cool on a sunday morning ride to go get coffee.

I loved that. Also, I think I can type welsh names if I just hit my keyboard keys at random as long as there are "y"s in there: fhsyhf

I love that, very cool.

Now that looks like someplace where you can enjoy a cold beverage and a snack in style!

Speaking from a cozy sofa after a bottle of wine an oven cooked seabass, why do you brits always make things harder than they are?

My favourite river cross is over a bridge

Simple, don’t ride like a pussy then sorry, couldn’t help myself

I changed to a small screen from the original huge one specifically to get a better view with less clutter in my eye sight, but also to make the bike less hot in summer. I can't imagine having those two things with less wind blast.

Wasn´t a dig against you, @boboneleg

Unusual color choice, but it works really well. I once knew a guy that used to ride 1150 GSs, he's carry the same odometer, body and seats from bike to bike, slap some new grips on and they look like new. Not saying he was a very ethical guy, though .