I have a Strada Evo and have measured the wheel rails at 19cm centres and the top tubes of the first 2 bikes at 17cm; so they do lean together very slightly. I’m very happy with the rack and for reference can put a SC 5010 V2 (with 148 boost rear), 26 inch hard tail and 2 kids bikes (with 4th bike extension) on it quite comfortably …although you do have to be a little careful of rubbing points.

Took my two girls (then 7 & 9) on the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal last year and they loved it! The bikes came along too and got used every day riding along the towpath in the rain :-) Many of the boat operators don’t like bikes because of the low bridges and potential damage to the paint work but Beacon Park Boats (highly recommended) didn’t mind and only a little bike shuffling was required. Take your own bike and sneak off to do some of the bigger stuff round there too ;-)

Regarding the latest tax changes; from Wednesday the new Personal Savings Allowance comes into effect meaning that if you are a basic rate tax payer you can earn up to £1000 tax free every year (£500 for higher rate payers). Martin Lewis’ current recommendation (for cash savings) is a Santander 123 account (3% interest on balances between £3000 and £20000) and cash back on household bills – which comfortably out-performs all the current cash ISAs – unless you qualify for a help-to-buy or lifetime ISA.

Fein Multimaster Top Kit for £155 – £39 saving – thanks!

I’m with Hob Nob on this. I’ve cracked an Enve AM and an M70. If you ride hard on rocky trails and like to run low(ish) tyre pressures I wouldn’t buy Enve rims. The M70s aren’t particularly light either …my rear with Hope Pro 2 is significantly heavier than my DT Swiss EX1501 rear.

I had chronic acid reflux for many years and eventually went for an endoscopy to check for the early signs of oesophageal cancer, which came back all clear thankfully. I took Omeprazole (a proton pump inhibitor like the Lansoprazole you are on, I think), which was very effective – far more so than Rennie or Gaviscon which would only give me temporary relief. But that was just treating the symptoms and not fixing the root cause, which was of course my diet. In actual fact my diet has changed very little but one thing I have done is to cut out sugary drinks completely and now only drink water (I used to drink a lot of cordial) …and this alone has more or less fixed the acid reflux. Nowadays I only rarely need to take the occasional Rennie when I’ve over-indulged. So my advice would be to experiment with your diet to find the things that trigger it and you will soon learn what you can eat and drink without bringing on the acid reflux.

Mine’s been back to Olympus UK twice now, no problems at all …they even arrange the courier to collect.

I’ve had a good experience with Panamoz and saved a packet buying an Olympus OM-D …just check that Canon have an international warranty first though. Panamoz are based in Hong Kong I think, and ship direct from there hence they are grey imports I.e. Not through The official importer.

Use hand sanitizer gel containing isopropyl alcohol to remove ink marks from leather.

I had the same experience when I used a colleagues pen last year so I bought a box full of them …Uni Jetstream.

I think most (if not all) iMacs come as standard with a traditional HDD rather than a Fusion (Hybrid) or Flash (SSD) drive. This is one option I would tick because it makes a big difference to the overall performance/responsiveness of the machine. Unfortunately retailers like John Lewis only tend to sell the standard models and “configure to order” models are only available through the online Apple store.

We did exactly what you are planning about 3 years ago. We had a wet UFH 3 room/zone + existing radiator zone system installed and connected to our existing oil combi boiler …planned and supplied by Nu Heat. All zones have programmable low voltage thermostats which are linked to a network controller, which should in theory be controllable from an app/browser but because of a wiring fault has never worked quite right! There are better/smarter options these days with regards to thermostats and I have been considering installing a single Nest stat on the radiator zone. As others have said the Honeywell Evo Home system is the most flexible with the ability to turn each room with radiators into a separate zone with wireless TRVs but it’s expensive.

Sounds like a contaminated rotor to me. I had the exact same symptoms, which were resolved by changing the rotor. Try cleaning with isopropyl alcohol or a brake cleaner or swap the rotor.

Isn’t it bad karma to give a knife as a present? Anyway I have a set of German Zwilling Henckels knives that are very nice but are completely outclassed by the Robert Welch knife that we have added. That one up there recommended by The Flying Ox is the one I’d be buying.

First thing to do (as has already been mentioned) is to identify whether it’s a wireless issue or an internet connection issue. As the previous poster said if you can easily logon wirelessly to your router admin webpage when the connection is down or on a go-slow then it’s likely that the internet connection is the problem and not the wireless network. Also, you could try using speedtest.net to test your internet connection speed in your browser (take a baseline first when the internet connection is good). It’s possible that something you have introduced to your home network is hogging your bandwidth …a couple of candidates that have caused me issues recently are Google Drive; have you dropped a very large file onto your cloud storage that is trying to sync up, or Apple Photo Library or something similar? …and an app called Tu Go from O2 that bridges mobile calls onto our home broadband was hogging all our bandwidth periodically. If you have a router that gives you some sort of diagnostics and/or traffic stats from various end points then this may help identify the root cause, otherwise you will have to use a process of elimination by switching off internet connected devices one by one (or all at once then re-introduce them one by one).

One thing I’ve learned through experience is that I wouldn’t automatically blame the ISP or the router …and try and eliminate all other causes before going down the road of calling out an engineer, for which you will be charged handsomely if they find no fault.

PPS. If you get offered a new Bronson, demo it and decide that you don’t like the way it climbs …I’ll swap with you :-) …just make sure it isn’t PINK!

Dwarf? What Dwarf?

…Happy Birthday Trout and thanks for your part in a great day!

I punctured a Minion DHRII 3c Maxterra EXO through the central tread (running 33psi) coming over that wall towards the bottom of Stage 1 on Saturday. Luckily didn’t have any trouble on Sunday with High Roller IIs 2.4 (27psi) front 2.3 rear (33psi) both 3c Maxterra EXOs …but I think it’s pretty much luck of the drawer with any single ply tyre around that rock …that and good line choice!

Follow the bearing overhaul instructions without actually replacing the bearings unless they are feeling rough I.e. clean and grease pivot axles, bearings, caps, bolts and tapered washers…
http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en/us/node/409
…and make sure you put a layer of grease on the outside of the tapered washers step 6 e. I think this may have been the source of creaking on mine at one stage.

Alternatively, you could use some 6mm Timberlok screws – designed as a substitute for coach screws. I can vouch for the fact that they are seriously strong and suitable for fixing oak…
https://www.fastenmaster.com/tl_files/fastenmaster/product-info/timberlok/SellSheetUK/TimberLOK-SellSheet_UK.pdf

About 25lbs and size large…

Warped brake rotor?

I’ve no experience of the LB rims but have cracked 2 carbon rims in the last 18 months. I would consider the type of riding you do, the type of terrain you ride in and the tyre pressures you like to run before making a decision. I have just bought a set of EX1501s from Germany and ridden them for the first time over 4 days in Glentress and Innerleithen and am very happy. Whilst I do miss the ultra direct snappy feeling you get from a stiff carbon wheel, I suspect the DT wheels are going to be more robust over the longer term. Regarding the quality of the EX1501 rims – I understand that DT have made significant improvements in their rim technology lately and the rim used in this wheelset is identical to the EX471 which took a beating under Arron Gwin when he rode the Leogang World Cup DH race with a flat rear tyre last year. Out of interest (not normally a weight weenie) I weighed the Enve M70 on Hope Pro 2 that came off the bike compared to the EX1501 that replaced it and they weighed 1040g and 922g respectively …yes, that’s right the aluminium wheel was 118g lighter!

I’ve just bought some from http://www.bike-components.de

Having bought the tools I would recommend just paying your LBS to do the job. Even though the tools are purpose made the job is a faff and the tools got burred in the process. The smaller bearings in the upper link tend to disintegrate even when using the tool …Jungle told me that this happens all the time and recommended that I heat the link up in the oven to get the outer race out.

I’ve had a very similar experience to you Rick. I’ve cracked 2 Enve rims in the past year; the first an Enve AM on the rear after a rocky ride in The Lakes – I didn’t even know I’d done it until I was cleaning the bike at the end of the ride. This was replaced under warranty but only after I was a bit persistent and an email was sent to Enve in the US. The second an M70 (also on the rear) I cracked a couple of weeks ago landing on a pointy rock, which flatted the tyre. I would have expected neither impact to badly damage a decent alloy rim. I love the way the Enve rims ride but can’t honestly say they’re worth the money – if they had a rock solid, no questions asked warranty then maybe. As it is I’m probably looking at a £450 crash damage replacement …but TBH I’m more likely to spend this on a decent tough alloy wheelset. Procore on carbon rims is a very interesting alternative though. Rick, how was your experience of the Enve warranty?

+1 …I’m also interested in how you do this! I have a 1/2 inch bolt but it doesn’t have a very aggressive thread on it, so it doesn’t tap into the bushing well enough and pulls straight out :-(

Try unchecking the “automatically detect settings” option under Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings IIRC.

Here’s what I wrote about the DOSS post last year…

“I like my Fox DOSS dropper – I’ve been using it about twice a week for the last 8 months in all conditions with no real issues and no service. Very occasionally it slips back down to the next stop after extending it – that happens usually in wet conditions when it hasn’t properly engaged in the up position. It only happens rarely and doesn’t really bother me. Otherwise it works very well and the “clunkiness” I see as “positive engagement”! I like the 3 fixed positions but think that the intermediate position is a little too high (at 40mm from top) for my liking. The vast majority of the time I use it in the fully up or fully down positions. The lever is also great if run with a 1x setup underneath the bar on the left – it is a little awkward if run on top of the bar but still usable. I primarily chose the DOSS based on the mechanical (rather than hydraulic) internals and am optimistic that it’s going to remain reliable”

…10 months on and it’s still had no significant issues or any servicing! It now occasionally loses some air so probably could use a service though. Also, in extremely wet conditions the lever can become a little stiff in use but that’s only really happened twice. All things considered I’m very happy with it; it’s both functional and reliable and I would be happy to recommend it.

Brilliant car! I’ve had an e90 330d saloon auto for the past 5 years and 60K miles and it’s been almost faultless. Mine has a split breather pipe but so long as I don’t fill the tank to the very top it doesn’t leak fuel and isn’t costing me £400 to fix! I get about 36-37mpg (according to the computer) with a heavy right foot and only a little motorway driving. I have the through loading (folding) rear seats and can comfortably get my bike (with wheels off) in the back – would struggle with 2 though! The only real downside is the run-flat tyres which can give a crashy ride on poor roads particularly when they are worn and on bigger rims …and the fronts do cause the car to tramline quite badly when they are worn. The more recent Bridgestones do seem to last reasonably well though (approx. 20k) but they are costly to replace (approx. £850 set). It’s the first car I’ve had that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again …then again that M135i :-)

Thanks ir_bandito, that’s great …looking forward to some more great riding in the Lakes this summer and Nan Bield is top of the list :-)

What’s the recommended northern descent? Is it the path from the Gatescarth Pass to the Southern end of Haweswater or the Bridleway from Nan Bield past Small Water to the same point at the Southern end of Haweswater? …and what’s the best way back up to Nan Bield? I shalln’t be making the same mistake I did last Summer, which was to climb Nan Bield from Kentmere and descend the Gatescarth Pass!

Well I clearly left it too long :-/ …lower bearings shot after 4/5 months winter riding. It would seem sensible to grease them every few rides, perhaps even more frequently after particularly wet rides. I found the supplied grease gun to be pretty hopeless so have bought a replacement.

Oh and remember to grease your lower linkage regularly …ooer missus …especially after a few wet rides or liberal use of the jet wash …I’ve managed to destroy a set of bearings after 5 months :-(

You’ll need to speak to TFTuned to get the full rundown of what they change but all you really need to know is that internally it’s essentially a new shock! They remove the boost valve (which apparently can be blamed for the high speed harshness over rocky terrain) and put a custom shim stack in there to custom tune the shock to your riding preferences and weight. If it’s anything like as good as the CCDB-Air (and according to the TFTuned guys it is) then it is a vast improvement for a minimum outlay …bit of a no-brainer really …probably should have done it myself but I’ve just started to enjoy a tinker ;-)

@GolfChick …if you can’t be bothered with the faff then I suspect your best option might be to have your existing shock PUSH tuned by TFTuned …they reckon it’s almost as good as the CCDB-Air at a fraction of the cost (£140 which includes a service).

I have the CCDB Air CS XV on my Bronson and it’s great. They changed their recommendation on the air can almost as soon as I had bought it :-/ It’s been set up as per the suggested settings on the CC Lounge with 1 large spacer and the sag set to between 25 and 30% …I have been using all the travel but with no harsh bottoming out on my regular ride and trips to Wales …so although I will try experimenting with the air volume it feels pretty damn good as it is! IIRC CC say that adding 3 large spacers will make it feel exactly the same as the standard can so there is no real down-side to having the XV apart from a few extra grammes …having the XV can just gives you a wider tuning range on the air spring. At the end of the day the tuning (including the air volume) is very much down to rider preference, weight and the terrain they are riding.

Thanks OP. I just bagged a Scott Helium Gilet …got a further 5% discount with coupon code “cloud5” also …so got it for the very reasonable price of £23.70! @kimbers ..there is a review of it on BikeRadar and they reckoned the fit was “easy” http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/clothing/gilets-and-vests/product/review-scott-helium-gilet-11-45462/

I’ve switched to a CCDB Air CS and love it …but haven’t started tweaking beyond the recommended base tune yet. Expensive though …if I’d been more sensible I’d have tried a PUSH tune on the standard shock first – TFTuned reckon that it’s almost as good and much cheaper. The CCDB Air just makes the bike more composed on fast repeated hits and rounds off all those square edges …I was worried that it would make the bike feel less playful (less inclined to get airborne) but it doesn’t seem to have made much difference in that respect :-) It also feels much less fidgety (more settled) on rocky climbs also – the Climb Switch feature is impressive!

+3 oldskool-mtb …but yes, I think they have “other interests” during the week …it’s a lifestyle thing you know ;-) …in fact we’re off there in the morning aren’t we mtbscoop? ;-)