Thread by @swardley

X : How much do you cycle?
Me : Bizarre question. Not enough if at all. Most things I need are within walking distance from home i.e < 3 miles. I tend to be lazy.

... ah, hang on, Centre Parcs. I'm not sure I understand the place. It feels like Butlins for people with a bit more money. It's a nice enough walk, a pleasant place, good venue to hold a tech conference, lots of sporting events and no yellow jackets or hi de hi. It's very tidy.

Give me a day or so and I'll understand it better. The hotel is very comfortable and the greenery is a delight. But then I live in Kent and everything is green. Light pollution seems bad here, maybe cloud cover.

But it seems to be a family friendly resort ... I'm guessing that's the main focus / messaging. Wholesome families outdoors with a good dose of capitalism to boot.

Hmmm ... it's not cloud cover, it really does seem to be light pollution from nearby towns / cities. Such a shame. Sad not to look at a night sky and see it swarming with stars.

This year, I should pay off the final parts of my mortgage. Then I'll start the journey to going completely off grid. I generate a lot of my power already but it would be nice to go completely self sufficient.

I also need to start saving for my boat - something I can restore, put that allotment together and ditch the petrol car. I'll need more electricity generation for its replacement. A good 5-10 years of work to do.

OMG, the comment on e-bikes made me go and look up current bike prices. I bought my first Trek bike for £60 in 1990. I see an e-bike at ... $7,000 ... well, at this price I expect it to drive me, make me a cup of tea and go earn some money as a courier to pay off the loan.

Who on earth spends $7k on a bicycle bar athletes, professional couriers who have won the lottery and people with way more money than sense?