It’s not a huge drop but I wouldn’t be over keen to do it on a fully rigid!

I’ve done a few with uphill landings, proper violent bottom outs, they don’t even have to be that big and it feels like your bike will snap in two!

You got it done with no damage to the frame, that’s all that matters.

I’m of the opinion main pivots need doing about every 1-1.5 years (to avoid being badly seized) for bikes ridden regularly, in all weathers, with small bearings and no additional sealing. That’s most bikes on the market bar a few! There are a few exceptions that have better sealing, less exposed linkages and larger good quality bearings.

IME the next bearings that wear out on four bar bikes like Cubes, Treks etc are next to the rear axel. In Cube’s case tiny bearings, which are usually doubled up each side, so four bearings that you need a blind puller for. The rest of the linkage bearings tend to last a lot longer!

@nbt – The Middlewood platform drop, yeah always go off that. The flat landing is a bit thumpy on a HT or short travel bike!

Turn off the Middlewood Way at Springbank Ln or Brookledge Ln and get yourself up to Nab Quarry/Styperson’s. There’s a good selection of drops (some are a bit hidden/not obvious) and a cliff drop I’ve not got the bottle for. Mind you it can be lethal slippy at this time of year!

What gloves for punching mirrors?

No, no it’s not.

If none of the above works it can also be debris restricting flow inside the heat exchanger on the CH side.

It’s usually the rads on the end of the circuit that are most problematic. Modern microbore piping is more prone to blockages!

Yes carry on as you are. Constantly spin and hit the bolt at both ends to get shocks down it from as may different paths as possible. Do this with a pool of fluid in the bolt hole so hopefully some slips past as you shock it. Once you get some lateral movement you can spray oil on and knock it back and forth till it frees off completely! You’re going to have to be very patient as it’s a carbon frame and you don’t want to destroy the bearing recesses by smashing **** out of it!

Different metals expand and contract at different rates that’s what breaks the bonds not the heat itself!

Another more extreme way of getting penetrative fluids in is to heat the metals then quench (squirt a shit load on when it’s red hot) with the penetrative oil. It’s a very smokey/not indoors experience but can work when things are really stuck.

Likely just the Alu axle corroded to the inner races of the bearings. Either break that bond chemically, or physically. The latter is more fun.

Yup this IME. The corrosion on the inner races wedges the axel/bolt in, can be pretty solid if it’s both sides!

There is a way to get heat down a bolt by screwing another long bolt into the end of the stuck bolt and blow torching the extra long bolt, which is extended well past and out of the way of damaging the frame! The heat travels down the bolt and heats the stuck one in turn.

TBH in this situation I have got lucky and it’s eventually freed off with penetrative fluids and shocks/vibration from as many different angles/paths as possible.

^^^^Exactly.

Unfortunately you know what the answer is going to be don’t you, the same answer they have trotted out before and voters lap up.

That’s right moar stick, more police cos them streets ain’t safe anymore.

Gold you say?

That’s matchy matchy taken too far. I think the contrast of matched seatpost and fork stanchions looks better.

What?!?!

Judas **** priest.

Probably the best podcast I’ve heard from this man. Although he does his usual trick of pushing his agenda and attempts to put words in Theodore’s mouth, which he takes in his stride!

Shell jacket and layers (especially a skin tight base layer) underneath is the best way IMO. You can adjust the layers to suit different temperatures and use jerseys you already have as mid layers.

I have two types of base layer thinner for Autumn/spring and Ski base layers for winter. You don’t have to spend a fortune on bike related ones either, my Ski base layers were 3 quid.

Merino wool socks work well for winter biking but are quite expensive as far as socks go! Again I avoid MTB brands, as some of them charge ridiculous prices. It’s like they are in a competition of who can charge the most and get away with it!

100% Briskers are good.

Summer any old shite will do.

BTW it’s Tort Law, Nuisance.

There’s loads of websites with the case law/precedents, some of them quite surprising! There’s even a precedent for the number of dogs kept in a dwelling!

A very good alternative to the proper tool for installing a star fangled nut in a fork steerer.

Any old screwdriver (pound through is best) that doesn’t have a bulbous handle and fits through the hole. The shaft of the screwdriver centres it and the handle wedges in the top of the star nut.

Anyone got a good technique/aid for putting freehubs with loose pawls back into the hub

Yes I posted about it a few years back. I use a thin piece of wire, could be fishing line, floss or something looped around the pawls closing them down. Partially insert the freehub enough to set the pawls in the ratchet teeth and withdraw the wire/fishing line/floss/whatever.

We did this topic some years back. I mentioned a French farmers answer to a British couple who complained about him farming close to their new business venture.

People were up in arms like I hung their pet dogs from a tree in the garden or made the programme broadcast on a national TV channel!

This, but the lower tech, equally helpful, considerably cheaper version from Decathlon.

This one: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/chain-whip-cassette-remover/_/R-p-200?mc=8309913

I can vouch for these great tool. The cone and pedal spanners of the same design are decent as well.

Tickle me Elmo

It’s good to go and buy as many as possible then burn them. Just to deny some snivelling spoilt brats and potentially cause a golden moment like the following:

So worth it, it puts a bounce in your step. Merry Christmas!

You’ve got to ask yourself if you put a pallet down, which size would the general public tear each other apart over. That is the correct size even if you have to knock a wall down.

Remember the heady days when 42 was enough and getting your hands on a Blaupunkt was worth knocking a women out for, getting two was a measure of the man you are. How far we have come people fighting over the last packs of bog roll!

The good old days…..

Surprised the show that nobody watches or only watched once by accident hasn’t been cancelled!

Wonder what the viewing figures are.

What has that go to do with anything. Breathing pollutes What next a punishment tax for breathing ?

Good god man don’t give them ideas!

I can see it now, a rebranded Poll Tax. The ideologues, shills and stooges would be out in force on the internet, telling people how it’s nothing, only x amount per day, easy to setup via Apple Pay and how it’s only fair all adults should contribute to improve society!

Now’s probably the best time to give it another whirl under the auspice of saving the environment. No one would fight it, they’d roll over and justify it.

Get the schematic for the sump that shows the bolt pattern. Main dealers usually have them on their system.

A lad I know did one of those little VW GTI’s under the tutelage of an experienced home mechanic and still managed to shear off the bolts in the gearbox next to the driveshaft!

Some sumps are easy with all the bolts visible underneath some aren’t. The sump itself is usually stuck on pretty solid and will need levering apart, be carful to not damage the mating faces!

Not a fan of Orange bikes or gunmetal grey but that works really well.

Noice enjoy it.

Pipe cutter for bars and hacksaw and guide for the steerer. Probably not the answer you wanted!

You get a cleaner edge when using a pipe cutter if you use it gradually rather than clamping it down double tight. Even then there will still be a tiny bit of filling/reaming if you are bothered about smooth edges. Some pipe cutters have a built in reaming blade/triangle spike.

I use a Monument pipe cutter because that’s what I’ve got for cutting pipes. For cutting actual pipes ratchet cutters are handy things to have!

Well **** me what do we have here the reanimated corpse of Barry Chuckle showing off his NVQ level 2.

We should get your FIL down to sort out all these tradesmen with shitty old vans. I’ve got a Euro 6 for getting the shopping in, so should you.

According to the north-west expert on vehicle ownership in the trades, Chapaking, most tradesmen are already driving compliant vehicles. Then you pop up with your website link suggesting proof of such, which isn’t in the link or the point you made and the obvious points you are now making.

May I suggest when you respond to a specific question on behalf of another forum member you should read the preceding comments.

Anyone got a Transporter shuttle for sale as temporary measure until the goalposts move again?

@nickjb – You post a link as a response to:

Are they according to who/what?

That doesn’t answer a question not directed at you or add anything useful to the discussion that hasn’t already been discussed.

BTW good for your FIL. I know a fair few gaffers who drive pickups to price jobs. They occasionally see the odd bag of cement in the back, a few bits of timber, anything that won’t scratch the loadbay up too much! The lads doing the actual day-to-day work not so much.

So all tradesmen drive round in Euro 6 vans and customised VW lifestyle vehicles with alloy wheels (there’s a few how shall I put this specialists that mainly cater for a certain clientele that do) just like at the Trail Centres. Right yeah course they do. We are all off to buy fleets of 50k leccy vans and will be carting tools and materials up hill and down dale in bike trailers. Maybe get a low mileage T5 off here to go with our Maserati’s and Audemars Piguet watches.

TBH there are a few on here who are delusional, dismissive and as detached from reality as the ridiculous politicians who love a photo op in the papers.

Love to know your thoughts on the Munic beer hall putsch too chester..

As a compare and contrast exercise. Hmmm if you like start another thread.

@chakaping – Are they according to who/what?

Were you expecting an event like Jan 6th to occur or we’re you at least a little bit surprised?

Surprised not really. America has always had more than it’s fair share of nutters. It was a protest (founded on bullshit), a building got smashed up and one person died. None of the functions of government were severely affected and it wasn’t state wide or supported by the majority of the populace.

It was pretty ineffectual and just a showpiece. Looked good on the showing off, gossip and stupidity network if you’re into that kind of thing.

So lets get this straight it will have zero impact on the numbers of tradespeople (tradespeople often being one man bands) prepared to work in certain areas, is that right?

I can tell you now it will and it’s more a case of the tradespeople who come in from surrounding areas opting to charge more or simply not doing the work. Many of the small firms I’ve worked for did a lot of work in neighbouring counties, as well as sourcing materials. In business things are simplified to reduce costs, administrative ease and maximise profit. Where any hassle’s are introduced it’s easier to overprice with a good butty on top or just turn down/not show up.

Big operators charge more it’s as simple as that. British Gas for example typically charge double the rate of a competitive local plumber, whilst pushing financial products on their customers! They benefit from reduced costs when purchasing, whilst paying their operatives less than the market rate, hence the stakeholders trouser the money, not the workers and homeowner get’s to pay over the odds for everything and are hustled into subscription services.

What a load of nonsense. As has been pointed out the percentage of people who would consider raising arms is tiny

Pretty much. Heard people going on about it being on the cusp here, I almost died laughing it’s even less likely in the UK. A bit of mild disapproval maybe.

You think it’s expensive to get tradesmen now. Remember Aleksander and Yurei went home. John and Fred won’t be working in the areas where charging is introduced, but you will be able to get tradesmen from corporate companies with fleets of 50k vans. I’m sure it will be nice and cheap, they might even turn up if the jobs big enough and the price is right!

The coming years will be looked back upon fondly by the Automobile Manufactures Association as a glorious cash bonanza, where they could charge what they like backed by public subsidies.

The Labour party and it’s politicians will be thanking the “King of the North” as they get voted out on mass at coming elections for a generation at least.

You’re lucky in this modern world of zero hours pooled work forces, line managers (usually jumped up types employed for their lack of empathy and minimal human like behaviour) in many settings ring round the pool of workers, sometimes as little as an hour before at weekends. Ooo the smell of progress it’s wonderful isn’t it.

Bring back the workhouses and slum landlords! Bring back the birch, hanging and debtors prisons. Build Back Betterer. We’ve got the slum landlords we just need to work on the others.

If you’re used to a lightish HT with lesser treaded tyres, then it will feel sluggish. It’s got rear suspension that soaks up some of your input power and proper tyres for the roughest terrain. You have got a bike kitted out to storm through rock gardens and the roughest terrain, go and use it on the terrain it is built for!

Too much air, too much LSC and HSC will make a fork feel harsh. Not too mention packing down if the rebound is too slow. With compression start at fully open and work your way in if it bottoms out too easily or feels soggy and out of control. You will find a sweet spot that you can adjust a few clicks for say jump based riding (where it needs to be a lot stiffer) and normal trail riding. Your rear shocks performance can make a big difference to how harsh a full sus bike feels and IME can’t always be solved with just the adjusters. A well matched coil is a much smoother experience, although that usually comes at the expense of how poppy it feels and on some bikes can bottom out too easily! Using a rear shocks compression switch to firm up on climbs can make things more tolerable while pedalling! Thicker softer grips can help mute chatter as well.

Didn’t he call the majority of the British public thick and illiterate.

How they have got away with extending it to the administrative area of Greater Manchester as opposed to city centres like all the other schemes. It covers areas which are semi-rural into Cheshire stopping at Derbyshire that don’t suffer from city centre traffic problems.

And the government have enjoyed approximately 10 years worth of banded tax revenue, when alternatives were prohibitively expensive and in the case of vans and heavier vehicles not even available to buy.

Oh and you get to sell your current vehicle at knock down prices and buy at the highest prices.