what I have learned today.

[Mr Larrington]

Seems the Skerne bridge on the Stockton-Darlington Railway was featured on the back of the 1990-2003 fiver along with George Stephenson.

[Ruthie]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/b12f197b01c40dda801a5c0919ee26a8562b2c13.jpg

It was a rather splendid bridge, used for the first steam railway.  It's still rather splendid but hidden behind a lot of gas pipes and litter.  I'll go down another time if you like and get a photo?

[T42]

The word mokita comes from New Guinea and means "a truth everyone knows but nobody mentions".

It's also a brand of espresso machine, which is how I found out.

[Cudzoziemiec]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/b12f197b01c40dda801a5c0919ee26a8562b2c13.jpg

It was a rather splendid bridge, used for the first steam railway.  It's still rather splendid but hidden behind a lot of gas pipes and litter.  I'll go down another time if you like and get a photo?

Photo, ride report, map, etc etc. And a five pound note! 

[rogerzilla]

Alexander "Boris" Johnson's other middle name is de Pfeffel 

[Ruthie]

That there's a thing called Gregg shorthand.  My friend does it.  It is the best thing I have ever seen.  I wish I could do it.

[Mr Larrington]

Not to be confused with Greggs shorthand:

ps: pies
pts: pasties
ha: myocardial infarction

[Wombat]

POTD!

[T42]

BTDT.

[Polar Bear]

Alexander "Boris" Johnson's other middle name is de Pfeffel 

Is that pronounced 'piffle' perchance?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Alexander "Boris" Johnson's other middle name is de Pfeffel 

Is that pronounced 'piffle' perchance?

[fuzzy]

Alexander "Boris" Johnson's other middle name is de Pfeffel 

Is that pronounced 'piffle' perchance?

Nope.

In that upper crust English way that Featherstone-Hough is pronounced Fanshaw, Alexander 'Boris' de Pfeffel Johnson is pronounced Boris The Fuckwit Johnson.

HTH.

[Bledlow]

Olivia de Havilland ain't dead yet.

[Legs]

Nope, and neither is Herman Wouk.

[rafletcher]

Nope, and neither is Herman Wouk.

Crikey! I can barely remember reading The Winds of War.

Edit: I think I'll have to re-read some of his stuff.

[T42]

The missus is reading a bio of Jane Austen and wherein it is noted that at around the turn of the 19th century £100/year would allow a young couple to own a comfortable fully-staffed house, to entertain as often as they desired and to keep a carriage and pair.

Our weekly grocery bill is about twice that.

[Jurek]

Not sure whether this should go in here or in 'I am such a feckin' div' thread?
So, here goes.....
I've always found the eazy-wheels on the Brompton a bit of a disappointment, especially their claim to making the bike easy to wheel around when it is folded.
I've always found them a bit crap in that respect.
But then, that is because I was folding the bike and pushing it around using the seat post.
 
I now know that you're supposed to drop the seat post, and unfold the 'bars and pull it around with them.
I'll be clock-watching the rest of today 'cos I can't wait to get home and try this.

[ian]

I didn't know that either, one of my several endearing disappointments about my Brompton was that they couldn't – on a thousand quid bike – get three little wheels to work. Are those the crappy default wheels or the special ones? All the crappy ones do is snap at my heels when I pedal.

I saw an epically shiny brand-new Brommie at the station the other day. One of the clear one (lacquered I guess). He looks at my dirt-smeared one and edges away like it might be contagious. I look up the cloudy sky threatening rain. It ain't going to stay like that, buddy. Anyway, they seem to have improved the little wheels somewhat.

[Kim]

Also note that the bottom of the seatpost has a rubber ferrule that serves as a parking brake for the folded bike - to roll on all four easy wheels you should raise the saddle slightly above its natural resting position and re-clamp it.

If you're in the habit of lifting the folded package by the back edge of the saddle and rolling on the front two easy wheels alone you don't have to do this.  I find that gives the best directional control, but how practical it is will depend on your height.

[Jurek]

I didn't know that either, one of my several endearing disappointments about my Brompton was that they couldn't – on a thousand quid bike – get three little wheels to work. Are those the crappy default wheels or the special ones? All the crappy ones do is snap at my heels when I pedal.

I saw an epically shiny brand-new Brommie at the station the other day. One of the clear one (lacquered I guess). He looks at my dirt-smeared one and edges away like it might be contagious. I look up the cloudy sky threatening rain. It ain't going to stay like that, buddy. Anyway, they seem to have improved the little wheels somewhat.

I'm not sure that its supposed to roll with the default wheels.
I found out today that the upgrade eazy-wheels (slightly larger Ø) allow you to pull the bike by the bars - the third wheel doesn't come into it.

@Kim - I'm rackless - so only have three wheels to contend with.

ETA: This evening I am delighted!

[ian]

The default wheels are pointless. They don't even roll over the flattest ground. But they do catch your heels. I should have bashed that other Brommie owner over the head and stole his shiny new one.

[Jurek]

I'm advised that if you reverse them, so that the conical bits point outwards, they're less likely to catch your heels.
If you want proper roll, a pair of eazy wheels is around £12.00 from £vans - given that their real cost is probably 25% of that, I don't know why they don't fit them as standard to, as you say, a thousand pound bike, and be done with it. Those default wheels do little other than let down an otherwise great (never thought I'd find myself saying that about a Brompton) bike.

[Bledlow]

The father of Linus(x) Torvalds is a member of the European Parliament.

[Mr Larrington]

That Nico Hülkenberg has an umlaut.

[mrcharly-YHT]

That the Juno satellite aka the Jupiter probe, has three lego figurines on board.