Titanium casio protrek with waveceptor and solar power. Perfect watch!

Another vote for Acer Timeline series. Thin, light, durable and about £500 each with a long battery life.

I think the difference between CDi and Si is like XTR vs XT. Very similar performance in the real world, but manufacturers always have a “halo” product. The 30Si was on offer at my plumbers merchants.
We got the 30Si, flushed all radiators with “stuff”, fitted TRVs all round and a Danfoss wireless stat for £1750. Big chunk of cash but the lads did a good job. It took 3 of them the full day to do it.
Some other local place (British Gas subcontractors) reckoned two of them could do the job in 4-5 hours, they were £100 cheaper but did not fill me with confidence. Anyone in Leeds area needing this then drop me an email.

Got a Worcester Bosch 30Si
Its lovely and quiet and powerful.

yes, country would be worse off.

Angeldust: PLEASE ACCEPT MY SINCERE APPOLOGIES.
I didn’t realise that you were the one buying these high spec cars that I then pick up for 25-35% of new price after a few years use.
I owe you a debt. Without you (and others like you ie wealthy and too busy to bother with any repairs)then me and Northern Star would have to pay a lot more for our cars.
Sir, I salute you!

Angeldust, lets agree to differ then. Northern Star above sounds like he is on my wavelength, ie much better off with a 3-5 year old nice spec car.
Will leave you with your 1.6 navy blue focus 😉

Let me defend that assertion then, or at least clarify.
By bottom of the range, I mean cars that have likely been used for hire cars, learner drivers or company pool cars (the fastest car in the carpark!). You have to ask, why would anyone get rid of a one year old car? Typically one year old basic spec cars have either been company cars, demonstrators, traded in because the owner didn’t like them or are repossessed.

I accept thats a generalisation, but I see car buying as about playing the odds. Certain car types (typically) get bought by certain types of user. Its not foolproof, and I am sure there are plenty of nice spec cars out there that have been ragged, but I think you are less likely to get a lemon.

If you think thats rubbish, then thats fine by me. It means that we won’t be shopping for the same cars!

Always buy 3-5 year old cars and buy one with a decent spec.
A bottom of the range one year old Ford Focus will have always had a hard life. A 3-5 year old car from a good brand (Audi, Volvo, BMW, Skoda?) that has had a list of optional extras added to it will have been owned by someone who cherished it a bit more (typically).
For the same reason, I always buy privately so I can assess the cut of the jib of the previous owner.

You just missed one in Aldi. £20 two weeks ago. Bought one for my wifes necklace and rings.
[certainly not for my bike chain, so sirreee that would never fit in there with warm water and vinegar…never. What you mean put dirty bike bits in where your jewels go…what kind of bike fiend do you take me for!!!!?]

I have a pair of 2002 SIDs that have hardly lost any pressure in 9 years…so I wouldn’t worry about storing them with no air in.
Most suspension forks have a foam ring at the top, so storing them inverted helps keep this soaked in lovely fork oil.

Other than that all I do is wipe down and spray finishline dry lube onto the stantions.

deadlydarcy… one of the best written posts I have seen in ages.

It’s 20 years since my dad next month. Very different circumstances (hic). We cremated him on red nose day and I had a black joke by playing the “hamlet cigar” music at his funeral (I was 17 and a bit overcome… I nearly selected a well known Queen song! He would probably approved of either).
Certainly grew up a bit that year.
His best gift to me was my sense of humour and perspective on life

samuri, I tried to use the inbrowser fault reporter… it didn’t work!!

Shame about the fuzzy text and weird font sizes as the browser overall looked nice.

I have to say I am platform agnostic, but I am being swayed towards Apple stuff. How can a company with the resources of MS still release crap?

Indeed yes, however this is RC (release candidate), so I thought I would try it.
To be fair the email from MS did not make clear it was beta/RC otherwise I would not have bothered.
It was only as I was installing that it came up as RC.
Clearly with your level of IT knowledge you don’t need the tip off, but thanks for your comments, now go away and turn it on and off again 😉

Parking is free. It costs £7 to enter. Good value really when you consider that would only just get you in to see a mediocre film at Cineworld.
There are a HUGE amount of tracks created there, do you think they were made by unpaid trail fairies?

Still next year it might be privatised, then it will be £20 to enter plus extra to park.

😉

ready for round 2!

Stoner, my bruv has a house in Quillan (about 200m from your bike in that picture!). Fell in love with the place last year when we visited.

See theres two questions here!
1. Who makes good/best boilers for them that is a bit focused on quality rather than price.
2. IF installing a new boiler into an existing system what should the diligent punter expect to be done to flush the old system?

For me the old system has needed less than 5 top ups in 11 years and no leaks. I assume (but dont know) that whatever anti corrosion stuff is in there is effective. I also reckon than any sediment or crud is not circulating round my circuit on a daily basis. So what type of flush do I go for?

Hooja, you described Quillan to a tee!
Perfect location. 45 mins to skiing, 55mins to the coast through the vineyards. Loads of hills, winerys and kayaking in the area and better food than spain.

TJ is an opinionated shyte who I mainly disagree with. He is dogged, selective in what he hears and acknowledges, and helmets…well lets not go there.
However I am not sure I want a forum full of rightwing leaning english gits such as myself. We act as a wonderful check and balance to each other.

First tune on my first cars stereo : Eurythmics, sweet dreams are made of this.

Album of my early MTB days Nirvana Nevermind.

That should carbon date me with accuracy!

Now you’re showing yer age luv 😉
If you are into that then how about “One more bike”?

Phil Collins – One more Bike

Yes I have seen the size of Ton’s bike(s).
I imagine if you are the same person that Ton is your weekend exo-skeleton, bit like that alien in Men in Black.

“Welcome to the last bike you’ll ever ride”

like thats ever gonna happen!

😉

Is mamadirt actually a psuedoname for Ton?
I mean has anyone actually ever seen them in the same room?
Or even riding the same type of bike?

Just a thought.

Have a local bloke coming round in the morning for a quote.

Ton, a mate of mine once said:

“The key to a happy life is balancing the fact that every day could be your last, against the risk that it probably isn’t”.

From what I see (not much!) you have a grand life and attitude to go with it. 😉

We don’t currently have radiator valves (TRV’s), these will be installed at same time. Are Drayton still the best ones? Plumber has offered some cheaper ones that are the same as British Gas use.

Stoner, that boiler is insane! I think I live too close to Drax for me to have one installed…the NIMBYS would climb my garden trees and make camp with their undercover police buddies 😉

Hope use these guys:
http://www.inspirepac.com/who-we-are

I reckon they would run through a few unprinted boxes on the back end of a hope run if this suited you.
I think most of us are familiar with the boxes hope use for stuff?

loco, where are you?
I am a packaging buyer based in Yorkshire.

no brainer I would say.

You have my sympathy. I was there last year….

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ouchdental-turmoil-not-for-the-squeemish

Ah come on, the scots are a weird pale freckled bunch, but its a bit mean to call them Aliens.

😉

Sorry to hear that. Hope he was a ripe age and leaves fond memories.

I have a D80 and SB600 and SB800, I use them both fine outside using the on camera flash as commander.
These external flashes have a sensor on the side to detect the commander flash. Outside all you have to do is angle this sensor towards the camera and then use the swivel head on the flash to illuminate the subject. I have yet to find a real life situation where the flashes don’t fire. A truly amazing system.

The spread is very good if riding in a group, it gives a pool of light that all can share!

[actually more a lake of light!]

3+3.
I have one of the first ones with all 6 the same.
Its a bit floody for my tastes, but fantastic pool of light.
I keep meaning to drop it into Trouts for the LED/lenses to be tweaked to make it a bit more narrow beam and longer reach.

hydrocortisone cream is main thing that I carry.
I agree with TJ, that for most stuff a first aid kit is not needed.

If I carried stuff for a wilder trip then probably just a couple of sterile dressings and a triangular bandage. That should cover most of the lacerations you might encounter. Anyhthing more serious and you are looking at ambulance time anyway.

Had the first PX sportive in the country, flippin brilliant bike:

http://chb.fotopic.net/c1505118.html