Orbit XL II headset. Not very exciting

Thinking of ordering some flat pedals now as I feel it's about time (23 years) I learn't to ride a bit better and I think they'd give me the confidence to push myself a bit more.

Well unless you boycott their oil your principles are just something to make you feel better.

I had a Roberts frame made back in 1988 when there wasn't anywhere near the range of frames and sizes that are available now. I wouldn't feel the need to have one made now but it would still be a very nice thing to have. Nothing hand made and unique is usually the rational choice but that doesn't matter. If your buying it to solve a perceived problem then I think your buying it for the wrong reason. If you want it just because then that's more than a good enough reason.

Sorry should have mentioned that the dry wall can be sealed with the appropriate sealer which means if it's ever wallpapered in the future then removing it with a steamer won't cause a problem.

I usually just use a mist coat but my dad recently used a specific paint for new plaster and I was very impressed by just how well it covered. Personally I wouldn't use PVA unless I was painting on a very porous surface. I will never forget using a masonry sealant prior to painting my old house and then watching as the paint just slid off, the previous paint wasn't as weathered or as porous as I thought. It took the wife and myself a long hard day to sand the entire surface down again.

Well I've just calculated that there is only 4 pounds of me pushing along each pound of my bike. I think it's time to look for a something a bit lighter for longer rides.

It's all down to having the right tyres.

I'm not sure what angle your coming from.

A bright clear sunny day in the middle of winter when you are out on your bike and realise that it was worth being born for this one day, when the only time that exists is now.

Not always that easy to get out as I discovered when the nurse had to remove mine after the snip, they had failed to dissolve. If they had been anywhere else I'd have probably done it myself but I had this image in my head of everything coming undone and my testicles rolling away and getting lost under the sofa.

10,000 calories a day that's not a washing machine that's a launderette!

You could run audacity and then edit it down. It's free and with the lame plug in you can export the files as mp3.

Pesto +1

I think you need a tape measure.

Islabikes do trade in on their bikes so it might be worth contacting them to see what they have available. They don't seem to advertise what second-hand stock they have so you'll probably have to call them.

It's no longer in regular use but the only non original part on my 98 Marin East Peak is the headset and that was changed within a week of it being new as the original was some crap system that didn't work. All it needs to be up and running is a new set of cables. If the frame would run disks at the back I'd be very tempted to get it running again. Then again by the time I'd put some decent forks on bought new wheels and brakes and probably a rear it would make more sense to buy a new bike.

We'll soon know for sure whether he's innocent or not when the decision to release him on compassionate grounds is made.

Unless you really like champagne I'm with Stoner. Anyway shouldn't it be a really good single malt living up there?

Yes

No

Maybe

1 Print* out each of the above onto a separate piece of paper.
2 Fold paper.
3 Put all pieces of paper in a hat
4 Pull out one piece of paper unfold and read.
5 Pull out next piece of paper and read that too.
6 Finally remove the final piece of paper unfold and read.

*If you do not have access to a printer you can simply post the question on STW and get exactly the same result.

I thought the trick was to wave around the twenty while your waiting to be served making sure the bar staff see it and then pay with a tenner.

Took my son to his football training and then we went to Stamner park after lunch to watch a bit of the racing. A lot of people coming back round to the start finish line saying it was a lot harder than they thought. I've promised him an Islabike for Christmas and decided I need something other than the off road commuter for the weekends. But what….

Yes CaptJon get rid of some of that swimming nonsense. All races should be freestyle, what is the point of a race in which you are forced into using a technique that is not the optimum for getting from the beginning to the end in the fastest possible time? If we have backstroke in the swimming why don't we have a 100m run backwards.

And if were to believe some of the recent posts re carbon it really could cost you an arm and a leg!

I don't believe any ones last words were "I wish I'd spent more time in the office"

The only life you know you have is now. You can't save it up to use later.

It has brakes! I'm not impressed any more.

I put 2" Mud X on for last winter and was really impressed. On a 6 mile ride to work in the worst conditions I was having to stop 4 or 5 times to clear the bike with XC pros on. The wheels just stopped turning and the extra weight was huge. I was struggling to achieve walking pace on the flat at times. No problems once I changed tyres though and a hell of a lot more grip.

joolsburger wouldn't be a Marin by any chance would it?

I am indeed allowed to disagree…….for now

The Green Party

Not that I don't agree with some of their policies and ideas it's just that I see them as an idealogical party intolerant of any dissent or discussion.
More like a religion than a political party.

Any Green Party members please feel free to disabuse me of this view if your allowed to. :-)

I went from 12 years of riding a rigid bike to full suspension and it was wonderful not to be in pain after a couple of hours riding. 10 years on from that I turned my rigid commuter into a hardtail just to see what it was like. For me it was an even bigger revelation in that I realised 90% of the benefit that suspension gave me came from the front end. I would still like a FS but I like the simplicity of a hardtail and mine has a Rohloff so it's virtually maintenance free which is good as I commute off road all year round. I fancy a lighter bike for longer rides and still don't really know whether I want FS or a hardtail.

[Van Nicholas will replace (NOT repair) any frame that fails due to manufacturer defects in materials or workmanship.
– Van Nicholas Titanium frames for the Lifetime of the frame
– Van Nicholas Aluminium frames for 3 years from date of original retail purchase
– Van Nicholas Carbon frames for 2 years from date of original retail purchase]

So someone has more confidence in their Ti frames than their ally and carbon. They also offer 50% of retail price crash replacement as well.
Not bad for what are relatively cheap Ti frames.

Where's Rudeboy when you need him. He'd have had an opinion!

I just found I preferred flats riding in traffic and if a gaps not big enough to go through with decent width bars then I'm happy just to wait a bit. I think there's enough room in the lakes for flat bars if you want them. :-)

I've also used in board mounted bar ends on flats which are good for headwinds as they get you a bit further forward and lower.

I'm right your wrong – we can all agree on that.

On the flat versus drops argument I'd go for flats if you'll be riding in built up areas with traffic and numpty pedestrians and drops if it's more open roads. Alfine hub maybe if you not going to have much interest in cleaning it and are riding all year round. Full mudguards are great and make sure they have a good mud flap on the front as that does the most to protect your feet. And a rack to lug everything around on.

Mind you I got bored commuting on the road so now I put up with a sweaty back and getting filthy and wet in the winter to commute off road.

Don't Whyte and Marin have a good reputation for after sales service. And their suspension bearings come with a lifetime guarantee which I don't think anyone else does.

Jimbo how long ago and where were you living at the time? Sort of makes a difference I think. The point about training is a good one though, I'd say at least 50% of bikes ridden in Brighton by adults are ridden on the pavement because they are too clueless or scared to use the roads.

The one at the back seems to have the mudguards of my old Raleigh Arena.

Steel + Rohloff + Son Dynamo hub + Magura Oders now that's heavy! I like the EBB I have on my Thorn, never had a squeak or creak out of it in 3 years, quick and easy to adjust and looks neat. Thorn still have a few 853 Enduro frames at £299 which also have their own stainless dropouts which means you don't need any other form of torque arm or monkeybone. They also have Rohloff specific cable routing. The only downside to the frame design is that you'll have to take it to a fame builder if you ever want to run dérailleurs as there is no mech hanger.

I've cut one out before and it was so bad it took several vertical cuts before it would come out. If your careful a reciprocating saw can save a lot of time and blistered hands. If your going to try the heat method then try using pipe freezer first. I've freed a seized tap using that followed a couple of minutes later with boiling water. It gives a much bigger temperature change in a very short time.