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Clearcoat paint: yes or no? I rather fancy this, but it is a fair chunk more expensive, and I gather there were durability concerns in the past.

I looked into this a while back, but no-one seems to sell them in the UK; the cheapest option I found was finding an eBay seller with reasonable international shipping. I think it came to about £15 all in, so didn't bother. (Edit: because I'm cheap and have various reflective belts I can hang off a saddlebag if necessary.)

Let her try out the Douze and see how she feels? I live in the West Midlands, not exactly - WMP's enlightened policy on close passes aside - a particularly cycling-friendly place, but I've found that the WTF factor of a cargo bike means you generally get a fair amount of consideration and room from drivers. Greater familiarity in London's famous London may breed contempt, I don't know, but then you've got better cycle facilities...

Don't think so - has the definite look of something you'd find growing on a log in the woods.

So I've just noticed that on my front windows on the (outside) wooden sill it looks like there's some orange spherical fungal growths pushing up through the paint. I'm guessing along with all the other bodging the previous owners did they just painted over the wet wood or something and it's starting to come through. Strip back and treat with a fungicide or is this likely to be something more serious?

FWIW my KR8 has a nexus 8 and I don't tend to feel like I've got too few gears unless I'm very heavily loaded on a steep hill. If I were buying it again I might stick a bigger sprocket on the back; I don't need to do more than evens on the flat, and downhill you can just let gravity do the work. An Alfine 11 would give a bigger range, and for what is after all a utility bike I like the lack of maintenance, ability to shift at the lights, and ability to run a chain guard.

I've a workcycles KR8. The ride is best described as stately but very comfortable; OTOH when empty it can shift when given beans (as much as a 30-kilo-or-so bike will ever do so!), and when you've kids on board you're not going to hoon along like a maniac anyhow. My two (preschool twins) love it; we've had it since they were 18 months or so, and it does sterling duty for the nursery run and the weekly shop. Once they start school this autumn I suppose I will look at selling it, but I'll be very sad to see it go.

I've seen people suggest using a centrepunch before; that seems like it might be less of a crack initiation risk than scoring a line, but will of course be less easy to see.

Thanks; now to see whether my willpower breaks before my sizes sell out...

What's the code? Clearly I'm not enough of a #buyer to have got the email...

Is the pack jacket more breathable/showerproof than the classic wind? I like the idea of the packability, but it's not like the classic is bulky when stuffed in a bag...

#JanHeineHasAPosse

There's some discussion in the YACF thread linked above about the advisability of trying to waterproof USB connectors. Igaro's take is that it's better to let water drain out; they've also made the port on the D1 replaceable, as they reckon any one used in all weathers will eventually corrode. This is inherent to the USB spec - the pins are too small and closely spaced for robustness against the elements.

Thanks - though for the sake of my wallet I wish the answer had been 'no, they're rubbish'! Will have to up my imaginary budget a bit then...

My only experience of centrepulls has been the old Weinmanns on my tourer, which are rather indifferent; but they need new cables and probably some better blocks.

Oooh, one I could actually get; now if only I weren't 100+ miles away these days...

Are there any independent reviews of the Compass centrepulls out there? Am currently idly dreaming about a custom frame designed around 650bx42, but would like to find someone other than Jan Heine enthusing about them. Are they really that much* better than cantis?

*At current exchange rates (thanks, Brexit) they're about £300 including frame braze-ons aren't they?

Is the brevet gilet DWR coated? Washed it for the first time last week (liquid soap flakes, nothing harsh) and after 25 minutes of drizzle today the front had wetted through. I note the webpage just says windproof and not shower proof; is it worth spraying with reproofer next time I wash it?

Windproofing, waterproofing, or something else?

Probably dodged a bullet there - last week's weather seems to have caused all the winter windproof jerseys to go OOS. Which gloves should I be looking at if I want breathability above all else? I run very hot, so mainly want some windproofing; are the merino gloves any cop?

Dave Yates is still building - he's not fully retired, just slowing down a bit. I was quoted a 3 month lead time for a frame.

Tbh I'd be tempted to just stick a row of ø 3-4cm holes through the doors along the top and bottom with a hole saw and drill, which might do it. Otherwise chisel out one or two bricks out on each side top and bottom and replace with airbricks? Though admittedly that is a bit of a faff.

Though on re-reading your post long John style bikes are, well, long and a bit unwieldy for storage. What's your use case? If it's general stuff-hauling something like the Bike Friday Haul-a-day might work - folding and with a step-through frame; it got a rave review from the Lovely Bicycle blog.

The classic bakfiets has a step-through frame; I've got a Workcycles KR8 that works for me (6'5") and the OH (5'8"). I don't feel it needs the extra torsional stiffness of a top tube; if you're loaded up enough to make it feel flexy, you're not going to be throwing it around anyhow.

Ta; will have a chat next time I'm passing by one.

Is there any way to get a custom black edition? Quite fancy an M6R with dyno lights and a telescopic seatpost, but the Brompton website's a bit coy as to whether you can do this via a dealer.