I and my colleague had to carry a load of gear to a patient through thick clay mud to reach a casualty on Sunday. It was about a mile or so from the nearest access point, I then had to stay and treat the patient in snowy conditions at temps of about only about 3C whilst my colleague liaised with another crew. Luckily the person fell at the point right next to a dual carriage way flyover, we found this out when we for there, and the lane she was closest to was closed for repairs. So we got the other crew to drive the wrong direction up there to get near the casualty. We still had to carry her on a stretcher for about 200 metres through slippery mud and lift her over a 3′ high fence.

Now I’m still relatively fit and young, as I currently stand I can retire at about 58 with a reasonable pension after 42 years of service. The changes mean I’ll be working at least until I’m 68 maybe more by then and for slightly less money. I can’t see me be able to do the job much past 60 never mind 68 and no it’s not what I signed up for.

What about labourers, steel fixers, scaffolders, ground workers etc who do heavy work like that all day, in all weathers everyday? No doubt they get paid less than you do and have no pension.

What is happening to you is s**t especially when those at the top make sure they aren’t effected but a lot of people are far worse off than you.

I tried with the ‘plucking’ method but the first wheel I built the spokes came loose. I couldn’t tell much of a difference between the tones when plucking the spokes. But my hearings not great from years of working with loud machinery.

If your a newbie to building wheels how do you know the differnce between 90kg spoke tension and 130kg? Buying a spoke tension meter (which I got from here at a good price) tells you that and imo your more likely to get even spoke tension.

just grin and bear it..

I used to think that.

I originally asked for a larger dose of diazepam because it was working but they made me feel like a junkie begging for a fix. It’s addictive blah, blah. Yes it might be but you have only given me ten and i’d like to be able to stand up and walk further than a meter without being in agony!

If it’s just hallucinations I can deal with that, at one time I used to pay for that 😆

Edit: Cheers for that Headpotdog, I suffer from depression and knowing it’s coming is half the battle.

Spa cycles for sapim spokes which have a loyal following. Their pg spokes are ment to be the best about (from my limited knowledge!). The wheelpro book is well worth a read, it’s cheap and pays for it’s self by telling you how to make your own jig, dishing tool etc.

I also bought a second hand spoke tension meter as I just couldn’t get on with the ‘plucking’ method.

what is it about these celebrity endeavours that I dislike so much?
am I being completely irrational?

I’m the same. I can’t help but think they have seen what it can do for your career and think i’ll have piece of that. Years ago nobody was interested in doing children in need now it’s a complete luvvie fest, all trying to emulate Angela Rippon. Then again I am cynical and should see that whatever their motives it does raise money for good causes.

I’ve just bought a Topeak Ride-Up Stand. You can’t take your wheels off like you can with the ‘Andystand’ but it does fold flat.

very rare i buy something off eBay thats been listed more than 5 minutes, and ive got 3500+ feedback

Can I ask why?

What happened? The link I posted was for a ‘screw on freewheel removal tool’ (the old type with longer splines and slightly smaller diameter) which from the picture your cassette looks like? Was it a third different type or did you get sent the new cassette removal tool by mistake? My apologies if I got something wrong.

I don’t really get the cable brakes are more reliable than hydro thing.

Perhaps i’ve just been lucky but i’ve never had any real problems with numerous sets of hydro brakes. The one and only problem was a sticky piston on hope m4’s and that was a re-build kit and 20 minute fix.

You can bleed shimano brakes with vegetable oil if you can’t get hold of anything else. If something serious does happen you can tape the brake to the forks/bars and you still have one good brake. Whats the likelyhood of two failures?

With a cable brake the cable can break, become sticky in the liner or freeze in cold conditions. All of which I think is more likely to happen and happen quicker than a fault with hydro’s.

The only advantage I can think of is you can easily carry a spare cable but then what if the outer is damaged, who thinks to carry spare outers?

People are always complaining about rubbish avid brakes don’t let them put you off hydro’s. I haven’t used them but the new shimano brakes are ment to be really good and rose bikes have some good deals. Hope’s are more expensive but great back up and spares.

I never used them but surely a cable would give more potential problems than shimano (i.e. mineral oil) hydro’s? Always been a bit curious about them because they have a big fan base USA.

I bought the tool from ebay for £1.85, surely you can afford that!

Edit: Sorry it was £2.68

Have you upset anybody? Sounds like somebody has put something down your heater vents.

I was told of a tip for smelly trainers which was deodorising cat litter. I’ve never tried it so I can’t speak to how good or bad it is but it sort of make sense.

Are you putting newspaper in the boots when they are wet? Dries the boots a lot quicker.

From the picture that doesn’t look too bad. If it’s still good metal clean it up with a wire wheel on a drill. If it’s a bit to fragile for that wire wool or sand paper. Then treat it with Vactan, it’s very good, cheap and goes a long way. It’s about the best rust treatment around.

I’ve found it’s best to put it on with a sponge brush because it gives a flatter and smoother finish. Don’t sand it down, then put on a high build primer which you sand to a flat finish and finally your top coat.

No, yes.

The only difference between a murderer and a hero is the opinion of their peers.

Nothing you can do will ever stop her. Report her, she will hate you for it until she’s clean, if she can ever get there.

if it were me I’d be very tempted to rent a van, call a locksmith get my stuff and then have the argument about who was right or wrong afterwards.

+1. What happens if the flat gets broken into and your stuff is stolen? You can guarantee everybody concerned would blame everybody else and you would end up seriously out of pocket.

Acas 08457 47 47 47. Always found them to be very helpful.

Way off the mark on the description. You should offer a full refund or if the buyer agrees a larger partial refund.

I wouldn’t go through an agent who charges again. I did it once 9 years ago and I was charged over £200, it’s a complete rip off.

I’m still cycling (36 miles a day), only been back two days and already it’s starting to get to me. I do a mix of road and muddy cycle paths so I get plastered in mud everyday which just wears you down after a while.

Tuesday night a cross wind blew me into the kerb, lost the front wheel on some mud and fell into the road. Luckily the car following me wasn’t too close otherwise i’d be flat by now! Fair play to the driver behind he stopped and checked I was ok, the only thing hurt was my pride 😆

On the bright side, we’ve had the shortest day so it’s all downhill now, roll on the summer!!!

Hope so as thats what i’m using for my spare set of wheels. Very much doubt it will but should it rub or be close you can always put a washer between the mount and caliper.

I’ve used green & blacks chocolate flapjack receipe before, then you add nuts, seeds and dried fruits of your choice.

I think the RTB was about far more than raising money and giving people ‘pride of ownership’. It was about preparing the country for the situation we are in now, more people taking from the system than putting into it.

If you didn’t give people a RTB their council house they would stay in it until they die. Not only does the government have to pay for the house they also pay for the pension and any care needed. If you let people buy their home they then have an asset to fund their old age. It was a win, win situation for the governemt. Why do you think they didn’t allow any funds raised to be used towards more social housing?

You also can’t ignore migration to the uk as a major factor in the increased cost of buying a house or renting. Legal Non EU migration is always the figure used but this is a small number compared to legal EU migration, illegal non eu migration and students. The vast majority will also rent, feeding demand and pushing up rents. It’s not a case of ‘blame the immigrants’, it’s a fact which can’t be ignored when it comes to the cost of housing.

I commute 180 miles during the week so I walk the odd hill when mtbing at the weekends. I do feel like I should wear a t-shirt explaining this though 😆

As above, it’s sweat or water getting in from the top. You’ll never stop your feet getting wet if it’s heavy rain or humid. Your better off with overshoes and wool socks as wool keeps you warm when wet.

I am hard on wheels, especially the rear. Never worked out why as I don’t do big drops etc but I do tend to plough through the rough stuff. I always blamed it on the extra leverage of being tall but I think your taller than me (i’m 6’6″)?

Perhaps i’ll have to pick my lines better 😆

Doesn’t whey contain lactose? Also the whey drink will more than likely contain skimmed milk powder as do nearly all recovery/protein type drinks.

I know very little about lactose intolerance, isn’t one of the side effects tiredness?

Edit: You could try soya protein as an alternative, if that doesn’t contain lactose?

tyre choice and wheel weight is simply not an issue for 29ers at all…

It is if you want to do alp type riding and your heavy. Might get away with Gordo’s if your light enough, failing that Kris Holm rims are the only choice.

I’m not heavy at 14/14.5 stone with kit and I only just get away with 36 hole flow’s on an xc hardtail.

Ringo – ygm

2.1 is the maximum recommended width for xm317’s. You can fit wider but you may find 2.4 to wide. IIRC panaracer fire pro 2.4’s are really heavy, you could try 2.35 60a high rollers? They are quite a narrow 2.35 and a similar type of tyre, kevlar or wire bead.

Proper size wheels. Never weighed it, don’t own any scales.

Petrol in diesel is a bigger problem than the other way round. But with the small amount you have put in I doubt you’ll notice any difference.

A lot depends on what type of riding you do? Xc/trail 29er’s make sense but if your more in to the type of riding where you need 6/7 inches of travel not so. Lack of fork/tyre choice and added wheel weight make 26″ wheels a better option.

If you have a healthy budget get a proffesional bike fitting done and have a custom frame made. The taller you are the less likely you are to find a frame that fits and end up making it fit.

Thanks for the replies. I think I was over thinking it and worrying about nothing as you said martinxyz.

I’ve just been reading up on the lacing patterns and i’ve done it correct to the wheelpro book. I have built it symmetrical but with the elbow out spokes facing away from the braking forces which as you have both said is not the more common approach. My factory set are the standard way but the handbuilt set I thought were wrong are in fact correct. As the hub is a shimano disc the builder has built it asymmetrical which is the way recommended by shimano(and as martinxyz said chris king).

I understand the theory of it a lot better now, i’ve found it quite interesting, sad I know! But as they say ‘the proof is in the pudding’ and i’ll find out how they hold up tomorrow. Well the rear only as i’ve just found play in the front bearings so they need replacing.

Sorry about the quality but i’ve only got a rubbish phone camera.

I’m as sure as I can be that i’ve built it correct. I did the back first and that was ok and the wheels i’ve done before have been ok. I’ve got two sets of wheels to check against, one factory built and one hand built. They are correct to the factory build but I think the hand built set have been built incorrectly.

When I lace the first 8/9 spokes (drive side) I pass the spoke through the hub from the outside, as per the Wheelpro book. When I do the next 8/9 on the disc side I site the hole to the left from the drive side. Then pass the spoke through from the outside (disc side) so that the spokes are a mirror image of each other. On the hand built set the spokes aren’t a mirror of each other, the disc side spoke has been passed through the hub from the drive side.

Hopefully that makes sense, it’s hard to put it in to words.

Edit : The front bulb hub has different size flanges if that makes a difference?

It was at the start of the build, I hadn’t started adjusting the tension. All the spokes were at the same point because I had put them in with a ‘nipple driver’ as per the ‘Wheelpro’ book. The tension should have therefore been the same on all the spokes but it wasn’t, for some reason 9 of the 18 on each side were a lot slacker, hence my question.

I have got a tension meter and I adjusted all the spokes to the same tension and then carried on building the wheel as normal.

I expect they have changed manufacturers, which is a pain as I need a new pair. I’ve had my old FACT pair for 5 years, won’t be buying the same this time round at £150!