As a slight hijack here – I’ve got a really nice oak table and sideboard – it’s about time I put some oil/protection on it to stop it splitting and keep it looking nice – any recommendations or does this Osmo stuff work on furniture too?

B&Q will have some sticky backed rubber feet.

If you want some nice ones that stop the vibrations from the PC going through into the desk etc. then have a look at these:-
http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/caseaccessories/acoustifeet

(PS they also make good feet for your hifi, certainly a lot cheaper than the normal snake-oil expensive hifi products…).

Double tap is okay on a road bike, I’d be interested to see if it would work with all the bumping around on a trail.

So basically it’s a 10 speed cassette, and a double chainset and a shiny groupset. Albeit a very expensive one I suspect…

I though the “journos” were hinting it’d be a lightweight Hammersmidt-type front chainset.

Poppa – can you imagine a Campag 11-speed mtb groupo?!

Abus one (amongst others) is Gold rated for security – it’ll be better, and your insurance may require this level of security for protection.

If they can cut through the cable then the best ground anchor in the world is gonna be pointless. Conversely if they can take the bike away easily (ie cut through the anchor) and cut a brilliant cable in their own time in their own place then again self defeating.

Depends if you think £60 is worth if for your little treasured steed…

Anyone know if they’re keeping that mad Pirate sub-story in the film? I’d imagine it’d be the first thing to be cut if length of the film was an issue, plus it might confuse a few people.

I have a decent separates stereo and use the compute wired into it as one source. The 2.5 mm output jack from the soundcard into the amp. Is it worth upgrading the soundcard? Does the quality of the CD drive in the ‘puter matter? Is it best to use a digital output from the ‘puter and a separate DAC?

TJ – if you’re running low quality MP3s then is ain’t gonna matter what tweaking you do – the quality of the source material is going to be poor and the major factor. If you’re using the CD drive on the laptop as a source then an optical output on your soundcard and a decent DAC would be a good starting point. Though you are getting to the point of it being cheaper/more convenient to just buy a decent CD player for your stereo.

If you’re feeding the amp lossless music files from the harddrive then the optical/dac would make sense too.

Sorry, just to clarify my typo – 70mph in a Nissan is 60mph in my Golf.

anotherdeadhero – can you get the 16mm chain though spokes on a wheel? Its the combo I’m looking at as I’m revamping security on the garage.

Do you need special plugs for the anchor if it’s using resin? Do you have to bolt on the anchor before the resin sets?

flatboy – yep, that’s why speed cameras have a certain leeway. It’s to account for the possibility that you may think you’re driving at 30mph because your speedo says so, but you’re doing 35 actually (though normally it’s the other way around).

The other halfs Nissan is shockingly inaccurate. Seventy in her car is same as 70 in mine. The signs that tell you what speed you are doing reckon at 30 she needs to be registering 35 on the speedo.

And the traffic cop next door agrees. Reckons the Tom Tom he has in the civilian car is as accurate as the properly calibrated speedo in his jam sandwich.

Yep, ring Vodaphone and tell them you’re thinking of moving. Ask for the PAC number so you can keep your current number. That generally puts you though to an agent whos first question is “why are you leaving” normally followed by “is there anything we can do to make you stay…..”.

Plus £10 ‘admin charge’ if Parcel Force end up delivering it. Well, when I say “deliver” I mean you have to go and pick it up.

Sounds fair enough to be honest. Worth the risk of a letter worth pennies to find out the proper address for some expensive bike kit I suppose. The theory being the letter will get delivered and you would reply earlier rather than you waiting for ages for no parcel then querying it.

Could be worse – you should try the Home Delivery Network that Amazon seem to have stared using. They left my laptop in a cardboard box at the front door all day whilst I was at work last week.

And the courier who left some rifle parts beside the bin, the one what left an expensive DVD player in the wheelie bin (“because it was raining”, I quote), and a set of Hope Hoops by the back door (which is visible from the street…).

Worth investing in some decent SKS full ‘guards? Mine hardly rattle on the commuter. If you want to use the bosses then that’s the kind you’re gonna need.

I did spot some nice ones called “Speedez” in the states

http://store.airbomb.com/ItemDesc.asp?IC=FE2517

Cheap, but cost of shipping would be mad. If you find some let me know!

If you’re paying over a hundred quid on the credit card then the c/card company would have to get involved if everything went a bit pear shaped.

I would advise at least checking out a mortgage lender first, just to make sure there isn’t any nasty surprises these days like how they calculate your income, deposit required for their deal etc. etc. (plus their costs which can be quite a large fugire).

It’ll show willing and intent if you do see a nice house. First thing the lenders/estate agent will probably ask you is if you’ve got a mortgage. If you can say, yes, got £xxx agreed in principle then at least it shows you’re serious.

Personally, if I was selling I wouldn’t accept any offer until the buyer had a mortgage arranged.

Or like this:-

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/LifeLine_Chainring_Nut_Tool/5360031521/

Theres a cheaper Shimano version of that tool mudhsark is on about. Again, it’s the proper tool for the job rather than trying wedge a dirty great screwdriver in the back of the bolt.

Does it ‘really’ have to be a laptop? You’d get more bangs for your bucks with a desktop.

Against my recommendation the folks went with BT for broadband (an “expert” at the golf club told them it was best, what do I know, eh, working in IT…).

Weeks and weeks of being passed to departments who didn’t seem to have a phone line, regular “that’ll be sorted this afternoon for you”, etc. etc.

You have my sympathy.

Find out when any overpayments kick in. I seem to remember certain banks only knock it off the bill once a year (I might be mistaken), so you may worth saving it and getting a small amount of interest, then every December maybe paying a big lump sum off.

Obviously you can’t just get your money once it’s in your mortgage so be sure you’ll not need anything in the future – new car, new kitchen etc.

In this current climate I’d be tempted to have more than £3k savings for a rainy day before I looked at big overpayments.

Don’t try to ‘hack’ his site. It’s illegal, you’re the one probably going to get into even more bother. Sounds like this guy has some pretty clued-up lawyers of his own if he can keep just ahead of the rules so he’ll no doubt have a list of likely hackers (ie the people he’s ripped off before).

If you can play about with ordering/returning/not paying for stuff then fair play.

Strictly speaking he’s done nothing wrong. Not legally. Morally he sounds like someone you wouldn’t help if he was on fire.

Painful lesson learned.

I’m 6’3″, skinny with long arms – both my Gore windstoppers are XL and spot on fit wise.

One is more roadie/athletic and hence a little snugger fit, but both are a nice fit lengthwise. Waaaay better than Enduras take on an XL.

Shorter cranks are better for spinning the gears, longer for better leverage, that’s why ‘standard’ road bike cranks are 172.5mm, and mtbs are 175mm.

Though as most people above say, you’d probably never notice the difference.

I’m using Oury lockons and I like them. Though they fit my big shovels-for-hands – if you ar emore petite then they may not be what you’r after.

Sorry, possibly not.

Well, certainly an £8 ‘handling/admin fee’ to start with….

CC – the standard duty approach is to see if the company will send the forks marked with a lower price. They may not (and some may say rightly so), then it’s just the lap of the gods whether the courier charges you fees etc.

Though if they get lost/damaged you’re obviously only insured for the lower price. You takes your chance….

Check out CRC – Truvativ Stylo single speed bars if you want 31.8mm oversized ones 700mm wide:-

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31130

It’s worth pointing out that if drug trafficking were not illegal there’d be little money in it

What like tobacco being totally legal to import, and yet there is a massive black market and illegal contraband smuggling?

Yep, if you’ve got the tools and bits and bobs to hand then you’d be unlukcy to need a bleed when shortening the hoses.

Just remember the obvious things like putting the threaded collar and the rubber cover etc. (and the olive) onto the hose before you start pushing the barb in. Cough, not that I speak from expereince you understand….

CFH. I agree, as I said very early on in this thread…..

Maybe Brown should get “angry” at all his own staff claiming all their special expenses.

If you live in London, work in London and send your kids to school in London then maybe you shouldn’t really buy a little cottage in the country and say it’s your main residence so you can claim ‘expenses’ for your London pad….

It’s the sort of policies which I would associate with BNP fascists.

Not saying you are a BNP supporter of course, but interestingly you launch into vitriolic and quite personal attack against bankers – which is of course another perennial favourite of fascists.

Nice. If you’re not implying he’s a BNP supporter then why bring it up?

If you don’t want detachable arms I’ve just picked up a Nice 2008 Gore Contest windstopper for £60 posted – Winstanleys I think.

Maybe Brown should get “angry” at all his own staff claiming all their special expenses.

If you live in London, work in London and send your kids to school in London then maybe you shouldn’t really buy a little cottage in the country and say it’s your main residence so you can claim ‘expenses’ for your London pad….

If you go to any of the ‘special’ clubs then a) do not ever ever ever lose that ticket they give you when you go in b) offer to buy the barmaids a drink, they have very expensive tastes that you will be expected to pay for by the very very nasty bouncers/riot police types when you try and leave.

Nice place, went a good few years back, was mad cheap in those days. Enough for a nice weekend anyway, castle and the bridges are pretty.

I’m with crazy-legs – 34/48 up front, 12-27 at the back.

Oh, and check the fine print of the mortgages. Some cheeky lenders were charging an purchase fee, exit fee, admin etc. – we found some of the higher rates were better value when you worked out the total cost over the whole period of the deal.

Renton, yes when you remortage they’ll take into account what the value of the house is at that time – that’s why so many people are getting in trouble – they are trying to get new mortgages for actually more than the actual current value of their houses.

If you take your worst case, you owe £128k and the house is worth £135k – £7k difference which is borderline to getting you any decent deals. If you drop onto a decent base rate with your current supplier I’d be tempted on that and possibly start up a savings fund (or stocks and shares ISA if you’re brave) for your overpayments – you might need that little lump sum to get you a better deal in a few months…

It’s definitely worth complaining through the right channels.

When the little one was born she and her mother ended up staying for a week in the hospital. I ended up changing sterilising fluids for her bottles and other things. The staff were obviously overworked and actually pretty much asked me to complain.

If they don’t have any hard written evidence then they can’t say they need more staff/resources.

Don’t just complain on forums like this, let managers and MPs know.

Stoner – almost certainly be ‘unsagged’ – as sag is quite a variable dependant on rider weight/air pressure.

Does look sweet those forks mind.

I’ve got an orange Air-9, but I’m harking back to the old days of my Rockhopper in grabber green, looks like I’m a hitting the credit card when they hit the shops.

Drool.