London to Hastings ride

Halfords in Milton Keynes has space to lock up a grand total of two bicycles outside it's shop. That's how committed they are. I looked at stuff there, at a time it wasn't busy, then went to Decathlon's cycling department and that was heaving with customers. They seem to focus on car stuff these days, they may be better off dropping cycling.

@shufflingb I agree. I switched off the voice control on my GoPro when it’s on the bike. It would randomly switch on and off when I was talking to my riding buddy. Who needs voice control on the bike, in wind and traffic?

@Rendel Harris If was the passenger, I'd have got out at the petrol station, taken the keys (if possible) walked away and phoned the police.

surely the shopping carrying dilemma at Oxford Street is no worse than at places like Bluewater?

@Rendel Harris absolute scum..no other words

Something I learned the hard way going down the south side of the Col du Parpaillon in the mud and rain on a loaded touring bike was to ride across the ruts not in them.

Trainers with steel toe-caps?

Not sure I trust myself to comment on this one, so I'll just give the facts: guy ran over a cyclist, a 56-year-old headteacher, with his 4x4. Dragged him a mile with the passenger still able to hear him moaning in pain. Stopped to try and pull him off the car, couldn't so got back in and drove off again, slaloming to get rid of him. At least he's on trial for murder, which is something. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c674p0l8925eo

Weak fork not necessarily weak. I did the same once, not so dramatically as here, but the fork was still toast and I cracked a wrist bone. Mechanism is, if the tyre catches the mudguard, the guard can start rotating with the tyre. The mudguard stays instantly dig into the tyre, because geometry, the front wheel locks completely solid in about a quarter of a revolution, and the rider gets brutally thrown off the front while wondering what just happened. This is why front mudguard stays need a breakaway fitment.

@mdavidford .