Hahaha that made me laugh, I’m under no illusion that I won’t be able to do what I was saying as not naive enough to go “I know better”

We booked the pointers to work March 2023 around 1.5 years ago expecting it’d have been well untruly done by now, how can everyone on “Homes under the Hammer” get projects done so quickly!

We even tried to get a builder to take it on and weren’t interested as it wasn’t enough……

I’ll bring it up again with the Missus when baby’s here and I don’t put that in her head hours beforehand, I’m thoughtful like that 😆

So that part I scraped off was with an SDS chisel and a tile removing 50mm end I think

There’s so much work by the looks of it, and some bricks will be ruined but we do have plenty to replace those that I pulled out of a flowerbed (around 200) .

It’s turning out to be a huge headache as all we want is back to brick, remove the porch and stick an oak arch on the front. I have it in me to get scaffold up and just sds drill full on as much as poss but by the sounds of it time isn’t going to be on my side!

Aaaaaaargh!

Another close up for those that are interested (we’ve been told the induction won’t be today so I’m keeping busy!)

So looks like we have brick at the very bottom, then it looks like it had the cement wash, then a layer of yellow paint then topped with the grey-ish render on top.

I know blasting will remove the render and the paint but I bet it won’t remove the cement that recessed into the bricks!

Haha I’ll take your words for it, I think yes you’re likely right being cement mortar, it’s been months since the lime pointer came to talk to us and the wording has clearly switched from cement to concrete!

I’ll get a close up photo of the brick that I’m referring to to help as well… looking at it again I do think a thicker grade grit will shift the coat that’s there, maybe the idea of a scutch comb chisel is overkill…

Thanks for the suggestion but it’s not just paint, there’s some form of concrete wash underneath once I’ve hammer drilled the loose render off…. At the front it’s only from halfway to the top of the house.

I was speaking to a passer by the other day who said Trevor the last owner, managed to get it off the bottom half of the house at the front, but if you could look at the bricks closely at the bottom they’re smooth so I think he had someone grind it back, then painted over.

It really is a bit of a pain as all we want is to expose the original brick which has such character but can’t get anyone to even quote except the guy that wants over 10 grand for doing it which will really eat into our finances!

I have seen a video where someone used a scutch comb chisel which to remove the remaining concrete render off I may try but also appreciate I’d have to be very careful as it may literally comb patterns into the brick!

Also now the timing isn’t great as missus is being induced for our firstborn TODAY!

Just thought I’d add some context to the wording here.

So this is the front of the house, the almost removed top bit is the render that comes off with a chisel and light tap with a hammer (just breaks away) I’ll be getting the rest with scaffolding once we have the blaster lined up! Then below that is what feels like a concrete type coating on the bricks. Then halfway and to the floor is just some very hardy paint, you can see far left is where I used a masonry end on the karcher to blast the paint which has done half a job then we had a hosepipe ban.
Chased that sandblaster again twice this week and still nothing…

Btw wall on the boundary will be cleaned up too, but it’s low down the list at the moment.
You can see next doors has been done in the past (we can’t find who they used) but they used concrete mortar, on the side of the house the salts are already coming through the brick near the bottom and it’s only been like that 5 years

We bought when it was 93p /l thinking it’s just start going up over winter, very silly as Truss came into power and within days it was down at around 77p I think! Then again we have 1000l and a new born literally days away so priorities are different 🤣

12.5 currently in the bedroom 🤣

Then again I’ve read Galfer disks are meant to be very good, I’ll use them in anger and see if I need to change

The only thing to decide now, is if I want to get 203 ice-tech rotors or stick with the SRAM 200’s…. From what I’m reading Ice-tech’s basically eliminate brake fade which the SRAM’s suffered from but also I now have finned pads so that should also help heat dissipate.
Is it acceptable to just add a small spacer to the caliper bolts to get to the 203mm or should I be able to do a straight swap?

Okay so…. Woke up at 5 and couldn’t stop thinking about it so got out early, amazing what not rushing and a bit of sleep can do!
All fitted and fully operational!
Thank you 👍
I will caveat that I am someone who’s always taken my bike to a bikeshop for anything like brakes but over the years have learnt that I’m not happy with how a bolt was slightly rounded or the money I spent so I’m a rider learning to do everything himself and an adapter shouldn’t defeat me and think I was just rushing!

That looks so impressive! The very best of luck, I think with a good plan then if needed a crowdfund would look quite attractive too.

Looks exciting though!!

Our heating isn’t on yet, I did light the fire yesterday for the first time though but it’s not as cool tonight.

Also we’ll have it on as little as possible due to the price of it! Everything is just going ridiculous costwise, we can afford it but why spend more than you have to. We were both born in barns anyway

I will say it really does make sense, so will see when I get a chance to retry!

Anyway once I get this out the way just need a long hill (flat as a pancake around us) to bed the new brake pads in then the newborn will be here and It’ll be hard to ride it at all for a bit 🤣

Okay so…. It looks nothing like that but I can’t figure out how it would work!!

Popped out during Grand Designs ad break to get a photo but that bikeyoke wording is actually the other side of the bar at the front and not the back!!

Was rushing a bit to get it done before the Yorkshire puddings for tea were ready so I think I’ll have to have another look at it soon as I can when I can…

So believe it or not that is a right, if I’m going from the diagram on the site and how it looks…

Another pic of it not fitted, ignore the old Azure study notes! 🤣

Oh god the next headache! Finding the right matchmaker to fit the SLX new levers!

I just don’t understand! Bought a bikeyoke Ispec EV adapter from TF Tuned which apparently fits SRAM X1 shifter. Look at this! It just doesn’t!!
I will ring them when I can, but all I can think is that it is the wrong adapter and their site is wrong, but it can’t be!! The shifter is nowhere near the grips even when moved fully to the right hand side! This is what I ordered https://www.tftuned.com/i-spec-ev-adapter/p3899

I’d say it’s much harder than you think, usually business owners don’t pay themselves a wage for a while. It’s an interesting thread to follow but as soon as you start growing surely the supplier admin costs of product logistics goes higher, you’d want a v keen eye on all figures to make sure you’re not being fleeced.
As people have said, unless you have some great design ideas you likely need to be that brand, get people loving it and build the hype then test the water… expensive if it doesn’t take off though

Good luck!

We live in a very farmy village and the tractors drop lots of seed etc, I agree though rats of the skies! Always the first bloody things to wake up too and I cannot stand their cooing and usually can’t get back to sleep!!

Next year if you visit any MTB events you always find great priced jerseys!
Usually half price too or just really affordable 👍

Dharco
Oneal
Can’t Quit Cartel
Broken Riders
Nukeproof

Few i can think of

Sweating like a priest in a playground

Oh you’re kidding me!
I even got a 5dr for when we started a family, finally managed to find a 185bhp one with low miles almost immaculate in blue and sounds like as soon as kiddo starts growing I’ll have to sell it 🤣

Wondering if Octavia VRS diesel estate might be a second option. At my size in the back there’s plenty of legroom to the seat as missus father has one. Then again he’s 5ft 5 and sits pretty far forward 🤣

I did look at the A4 Avant and found the black edition has the flat bottomed wheel too which I’ve sort of got used to now…

Anyone got a Leon estate as they’re such good value for money by the looks too and if I read right have a bigger boot compared to the A4!

Tbh we may only have the one kiddo, and the seat does fit so that’s the main thing. When she said “we’ll just have to take my Astra when we want to go out” i basically found a way to make it work so the Audi could still be used 🤣

Haha binman…. Yes we did! So last time we went camping and also do plan on going as soon as it makes sense to, straight up I think I’ll need a new car by then as I dropped the Quinny buzz pushchair into the room and just about had room for a de-icer can……

Wouldn’t mind but the whole reason why I changed (apart from wanting one for ages) from an Astra J to Audi 8V was the fact apparently the boot size was identical when looking at the stats, we found out this definitely wasn’t the case the first time we went camping in it, foo fighters said it best “stacked to the rafters” to the point I had to pack the car because if she just threw things in it wasn’t Tetris enough to fit everything 🤣

Haha, I do think that’s the thing though. I’d say to have me and them comfortable I’d probably need the A4 avant. We do only have one and missus doesn’t plan on a growth spurt anytime soon so think I’m safe.
It may be as I do have my seat quite reclined but to me it just feels truly comfortable, but yes Audi A3 5 dr that can’t fit a child seat in the back behind in average size driver!
Wow at 6ft 5 your blindspot check will be out the rear passenger window 🤣

Oh this is bringing back memories, we’ve not done that for a while.

We’d normally have the eggs same as you just slightly underdone so they’re runny. With some butter, put some chopped salmon into it with black pepper

Thinking of waking up earlier tomorrow now 🤣

Sorted it…. Good god so the extreme grippiness of the brake was…. The disk on occasions touching the caliper as they were mounted wrong! Seems I’d got the brake mount around the wrong way!

Bit of head scratching and sorted that, front brake cut, fitted and both bled… working a treat now. Just need to find a long slope to bed the brakes in as we live in the flattest county in the UK 🤣

Thanks for all the advice, the thing I was wary of was screwing in the cable into the lever, I expected that I’d just keep tightening til it stopped, whereas I stopped when it got “pretty tight”. Anyway so far no leaks, did the GMBN Henry bleed tip where you wind in and back the pad spacer bolt a few times, bleed each time at the lever and all working well! 👍

If I’m honest I’m chuffed as it’s something many would get a bikeshop to do, did a short shakedown ride and no issues found

Their impressions of Ted crack me up too, I’d be happy for there to be endless series of it!

Thanks for the reply, so yes it is just at certain points in the revolution. I’m going to get the pads out and spin the wheel in place to have a good look…. With the finned pads I found it harder to tell if there was daylight through the other side.

Will be having another look today, i think you’re right though it may be that the disk isn’t totally flat. I did buy them as genuine from lordgun which came from abroad so they may have had something heavy on them at points.

Before I started adjusting the caliper position when it rubbed it REALLY bit and I was amazed at the power there though so wonder if that’s the compound on the Shimano pads! Will update when I’ve had a chance to investigate further

Lovely that! Another keen roadie here, I actually got into time trialling as it was very local to me 2 mins ride away. Managed to shave 2.5 mins off a 10 mile ride over 2 years…

But recreational riding when the roads are great, is something else especially if the sun is out! I’ve got a Large Giant Contend Disk but at 6’1 think I should’ve got the XL really.

Well finally got around to having the time to fit one brake, so did the rear. Hopefully get the front done tomorrow.

Not 100% sure yet but think there MAY be a tiny leak or it was just what came out the lever when I pushed the cable in. I read they have unions built into the levers and will need a bit of a lever bleed.

Most frustrating part though, fitted brand new rotors (just used SRAM centreline 200’s I’d bought previously) and they rub… when I first put them on, they were rubbing quite severely but I mean really grabby. I was very impressed they had that power when I wasn’t even touching the lever… Going to have to do some fettling as can’t really do a lever bleed til they’re not rubbing!

Im usually pretty good at very carefully getting the caliper perfect but. I matter what I did with these they rubbed on off… I’ve read SRAM’s rotors are .5 mm thicker which may be part of the cause I wonder

Stunning sunset that, I saw the same last night but couldn’t get a photo as was driving…. It was a belter especially when you get the pink appearing too with the orange

Totally second this, the missus doesn’t get it which I’m happy with!
It’s only partly about the fishing and mostly about those two brilliant men and their ways….

She wanted a silhouette photo with the sunset. Done 😬

Two snowmen having a chat, one says to the other can you smell carrots?

I’d definitely RMA it, my new work i7 wouldn’t enable bluetooth and i had troubleshooted to the point of involving Dell. Dell sent out an engineer to replace MOBO. Replaced no difference, long story short that laptop had 2 MOBO’s and then developed another fault.

I complained so much that they agreed to swap the device out with a like for like, no issues at all since. Definitely RMA as it may be fine now but if it develops another fault then you’d wish you had

We also inherited solar panels and the FIT payments are about £600. Had anyone had them cleaned and saw an increase in payment? Hard to judge due to the amount of sun, but we’re considering having ours done

I’m in an 8 which was second hand from CEX, I’ll give it to apple though I managed to smash a small bit of the screen too left and even 9 months later it hasn’t come off any further!

Going to a 13 in a few weeks as cheaper than my 8 is costing me at the moment, I can only use an apple phone now too!

Looking forward to the upgrade but tbh the 8 even camerawise hasn’t been bad. Definitely slowed down a tad though I’ll say, but that’s fairly standard!