any good presents?

[palinurus]

I changed my book over today, swapped 'The Best of Linda Smith' for 'Herzog' by Saul Bellow. The gentleman in waterstones looked a bit incredulous and said: 'They obviously underestimated you'. That was a nice moment. By the way, Waterstones in Watford is rubbish: it only had On the Road by Kerouac (I'm looking for the new 50th anniversary hardback edition, but will have to buy it online), yet had a whole row of books by Jordan. A whole row!

Waterstones is a bit crap, but you wouldn't get a comment like that in Borders.

 

[Cathryn]

I did WELL. I got an Altura Night Vision jacket, a long sleeved base layer top, an inner tube, 'The Bike Book' and some winter cycling gloves. It was fabulous!!!

 

[Hugo15]

Endura skull cap and Assos winter socks. Got some vouchers for the LBS too - boy are they burning a hole in my pocket!!

 

[Sabreur]

I'd probably have done better were I a Jehovah's Witness

Now on tablets which means I'm not supposed to drink, so the family get me... whisky, and stuff all else

 

[Will1985]

Garmin Edge 205 from my girlfriend - that was completely unexpected, and she even came out on a ride to test it on Boxing Day!!

 

[Crackle]

let us know how you get on with it. I find mine completely irritating - particularly when my fingers are cold

I shall report back: Odd, as I took out the various 7,8,9 and 10mm spanners, I realized with shock that there was not a single bolt on the bike they would fit anymore, hasn't been for 10 years and yet I still carried them!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I got only 2 pressies (for me only), both from my MIL, a £30 Wiggle vouchers :?: and the "Crap Cycle Lanes" book
I Love my MIL!

 

[bianco]

I'm distantly related to Dean Downing, he gave me one of the tops he wore competing in scotland(and won), a few old pearl isumi tops, waterproof, windproofs, couple of bib longs and bib shorts.

I got some halfords vouchers and got myself a garib edge 205 for £89.99

Got some bike parts from Mrs Bianco for my second fixed gear project

 

[ChrisKH]

I Love my MIL!

Steady Fab; way too much detail. No pictures or on-line video streams please.:?:

 

[SamNichols]

Waterstones is a bit crap, but you wouldn't get a comment like that in Borders.

I don't expect to be readily acknowledged walking into Borders, or indeed for the staff to ever read books or know anything about them: it's the wal-mart of reading and I despise it...

 

[Cathryn]

I rather like Borders. I totally agree that the fiction they sell is for numpties and can't remember the last time I bought a novel from them - but I love the atmosphere and I like how they've helped bring reading to the masses via their deals.

I also love having a Starbucks in a bookshop.

For proper reading there's www.abebooks.co.uk

 

[Aperitif]

I like Borders - probs for the same reasons as Cathryn - coffee but they have a reasonable selection of stuff (London based comment here - it might make a difference) and. They offered the magazine 'Found' for sale. This was interesting and helped the imagination of several that I bought it for...

 

[TimDanaher]

I've tried to make it a rule with my wife that she always ask me before she buys me something cycling-related. This happened after she gave me a voucher for....*gulp*...Evans.

I made the mistake of drooling into the window of 'Kettenlinie', a seriously cool bike shop in Cologne. They specialise in fixed gear and vintage -- and specifically vintage fixed gear.

They've got some amazing examples -- Alans with Nuovo Record, old Colnago track bikes, loads of chrome & centrepulls, old woolen jerseys, leather-soled shoes. Great fun to reminisce over...(a bit like the Airfix thread) but there's absolutely nothing in there that I would want to buy.

So I got a €100 voucher to spend in there.

Oh, well...it's the thought that counts.

 

[walker]

Finally been able to get online,

I got a carbon Crankset, a new set of Adidas cycle shoes, you know, the new ones that are stupidly light, and the full family guy box set, along with other little bits too.

Oh and a fever thats kept me in bed all day xmas day and finally got out of it today.

 

[barq]

Not much cycling related this year because my relatives are unsure what to get (fair enough). But I ended up with one of those Muji cycling multitools. Most presents were for the kitchen, pride of place now going to my Swiss Diamond frying pan. Someone bought me Heston Blumenthal's book ('just add dry ice...') because they know I like quite technical cooking. It's a good read if you have no expectations of recreating the dishes in your own lab kitchen.

My brother gave my a DVD of 'Withnail & I', which was great but for the fact I've already got it... something he should know as he borrowed it from me a few weeks ago!