are you for real mate? on the outside?

If youz talking to me then yeah! Unfortunate like – but I’ve gotta drive in all sorts -20 yesterday and another job tomorrow that makes Altnaharra look like the Sahara!

**** advertising / news world goes mad for snow / ice, personal trauma etc.

Edit – it’s really really crap. But some simple tips from locals / truckers / drivers help me and others. I thought I’d share 🙂

@drinkmoreport – 2 choices.

1- look like the local wino and pour neat alcohol on your car’s bonnet
2- run the engine when stationary for a while (20 mins?). The heat travels upwards and defrosts the hoses and jets I guess. Then empty the tank of whatever halfords crap you have in there and put in proper diy flamability!!!!

Graham – I dunno what I’m going to clean my brakes with come spring but I aint wasting proper beer!

btw – I’m putting my scientific / googletific hat on here :

100% alcohol ( ethanol / methanol)freezes at approx -113 celcius.
40% -23
30% -15
20% -10
10% -4.

Bike = £250 max.

What’s brill is that there’s 3 of them. All silver-ish. Very ish. I know she knows I know that she doesnt know that she knows I dont know that there’s more than one bike in the garage. She knows I dont know………..about the number of shoes and boots that she doesnt buy. Simple. Really daft actually. But it works 🙂

Only thing is she wont buy me anything bike related as a present, under any circumstances, ever. It’s most definitly related to me refusing in no uncertain terms to ever ever go shoe shopping with here.

Strange – I went through the same dilema recently and went back to the ingredients. All screenwash seems to be ethanol / methanol / ipa based. In pure form it works to -113 celcius! At 50% diluted with water about -50. 30% about -20. 10% -6.

So being a tight ass I had a litre of ipa (cleaning disks etc) and even 200ml in a 2.5L tank of cheapo tesco concentrated stuff works down to at least -20 over the last weeks. You may notice that I started another thread about ice forming on the inside of cars but screenwash wont help **** all in those circumstancs.

As a stop gap methalyated spirits will do the same job but it’s pink. So guys wont buy / use it. But my car’s handbook says to use it in extreme cases.

In a pinch vodka, gin (40% proof wont freeze till about -30ish). All of the above will probably attract the “my seals will rot” brigade, but the ingredients of screenwash are pretty much the same thing – just diluted with some glycol added.

I stand ready to be shot down in stw flames and am about to die etc!

Edit – dont fill the tank up when the engine is hot / running. All alcohol is very flamable.

Cheers guys! Top tips.

True – I is sweaty on the bike but normally v chilled driving!

I can of course leave it running etc but it’s just not normal. The other cars dont do it. I’m confused.

Edit – my initial thought was the heater matrix but the coolant level never moves a millimeter. Nowt.

if you fancy going for a wee spin on the bikes in the snow later in the week I quite fancy that.

Sorted! I’ve got cabin fever 🙂 Tea / beer is available too!

mmmm. Coulbe be. But we live up a hill. You;ve met me near there. The only cars up and down the hill in the last 2 year in these conditions (eg tonight) have been mine. I might be a crap driver. Probably am! But the A3 & A6 were surprisingly bad gettting up our hill. Our bmw is totally a non starter!

Oh – I only met you a couple of times – but if you fancy dropping round for a coffee – let me know. I’ve got cabin fever. I’ll guarantee you a giggle getting up our hill in the snow!

Personally I do most of my flying between November and March.

mmm. Hadnt thought about that! Still you can ski in Scotland. If you can get there on the roads 🙁

So as a balanced view – I’ve owned a 325 coup, a 528, and the missus currently has a 118. All are/were pants in the snow. Embarassing bad. Especially with speed bumps. Until someone somewhere mentioned winter tyres. Even then they just about equate to a normal car in the snow.

Since then we had an A3, A6 and a passat. All awful to get moving and dangerous if we ever did.

Nowadays we’re back to 2 cars. A dingtastic japtastic fwd with winter tyres and the 118 that hasnt moved since Nov 26th.

The best combination imo. Even if you spend 20k on a 4wd some other idiot is going to slide into it in the winter. I’ve spent the last few days pushing / towing transits, civics, quasquais and faux 4wds. Fexk that. I’ve shut the blinds. Buy proper tyres.

But there’s the great conondrum. I’m having a huge personal problem but I know if I post on here I’ll get ripped to shreds!

All I want to know is what tyres for emotional stability???

I have a very simple, cheap and widely available answer to the whole British winter transport problem. I learnt this some years ago.

It’s simple. From the end of November to end of March I dont fly from the UK unless it’s a life and death matter. Even then if I have to – absolutely have to- I connect through a European hub.

If everyone had the same approach – well I’m not sure what the outcome would be.

Anyways, the memory of spending Christmas on my own in a shitty hotel will eternally stop me flying at this time of year.

I’m ooop north and loving it! I’m never door! (although I’m not from here originally).

I did live in London for years and I think that everything is so tightly packed in (esp transport) it takes any even small problem to throw the whole shooting match into chaos.

Up here it’s causing havoc with my work though (self employed) and even with extra time off the snow is too deep to cycle in atm.

Our forecast for the next 3 days (Celcius mins) – Mon -10, Tue -9, Wed plus 1 (but with more snow). So the shorts go back on on Wed 🙂

Edit – And Stuartie I’ve told you before about fixing that thermometer!

GrahamS – Member
I like to be wrapped in tight rubber, while matron spanks me with hairbrush and calls me sissy-boy!

Edit: sorry, mis-read the thread title.

LOL! Just a couple of letters can make all the difference. 😆

Ouch!!!!!

Really though you’re not going to get a whole lot of sympathy on here: unless we see the affected items.

In the meantime I’m off to search for pics of my Spec Romin vs my bits. It didnt end well!!!

Cheers! Good man! I might just….

Yes. Almost always.

Actually – always. I need the back to climb, I need the front to stop / corner. It’s different job I guess.

@sambob – and your google suggestion for whs just brings me to the home page with no discounts. GIVE US A LINK 😉

@Mc – we know it’s icy but on the motorway somehow – perhaps it’s daft – we expect warnings / limits. And the bbc forecast is relativly ok.

If you asked me in a non-web way (face to face) I’d say – personality, clever, kind.

Honestly: eyes, clever, boobs. (and many MANY more that I’ve come to appreciate over the years)

Just so you know – Barret & Coe are a national franchise of photographers. Nothing sinister. They’ll probably add your address to their mailing list etc.

I got attacked by a buzzard in Yair forest (Borders)last year.

On a nice rooty downhill bit I got this whack on my shoulder. Managed not to fall off and sensed this animal sitting on my shoulder. It was trying to peck my head through the helmet. Anyways if took off when I stopped but did a few more dive bomb attacks (always from the rear) and mainly hit my backpack but grabbed my wrist once. It seemed like it went on for ages but was probablly 3 – 4 mins.

I had some nasty scratches on my back and wrist and a holy jersey. Shook like a leaf for about an hour afterwards.

I can only assume it had young on the ground.

Ruthland Cyclind do a

Quad Technology 2 Syringe Bleed Kit with Adaptors

for £13 that works perfectly on Oros and Juicy’s IME. No fluid though.

Sorry I cant link to it directly?

ianc – Yep its a BMW. Our criteria for the second car is simple: fwd. Biggish.ISOfix child seats. Towbar (for the bikes so I can use it the odd time in the summer). Steel wheels (or at least 15 or 16 alloys). Normal sized spare (learnt from experiece). I went looking for a mondeo but couldnt find one that didnt look it was clocked. So I got a one owner primera from a local retired chap for peanuts.

Winter tyres went on – and it’s nickname is now SNOWCAT (has to be shouted!) Gets up every hill we come across.

I did run it last year with winters on the front only but this winter we had a real scare having to brake coming down hill in snow. The fronts got lots more traction than the back – so the the back swung around. We couldnt get more winters in stock anywhere so I got some all weather “mud and snow” Bridgestone A001’s. They are possibly 80% as good.

Anyway’s the key thing for us is confidence. Mrs is a really safe driver but cheap means the difference for her in the snow. If she power slides into the ditch she wont be too worried – she’d get a bigger bollocking for not keeping moving 😉 Dont worry – if she sees someone walking etc she slows and beeps before she hits the gas!

To the op – I’m guessing this is to do with the recent weather and I dont know if this helps at all but we live at the top of a hill (currently – albeit unusually- 12″ melting snow) and my SO’s folks live on a bigger hill in what seems like permafrost from Nov – April.

We have to run a second car just for the winter. It’s to do with her gentle nature. She cant get herself to risk/push/maintain momentum in a new/expensive car or 4×4 up her folks lane. Over the years its changed from screaming when things get slidy to giggling nowadays.

So we’ve got a car (whose make should not be mentioned on stw) for the nice weather and a crappy nissan with winter tyres for the slidy stuff. She’s now happ(ish) letting it drift sideways in the snow – once she’s learnt to keep it slow but always moving. She’s never been stuck yet – even on slopes that defeat ‘gentle’ offroaders.

Of course even a gentle 4×4 with winter tyres would be even better – but then she’d get nervous again.

Wookster – Member
Why do none of the buds on the front page work here on an iPad but not on the front page! Am I missing something????

POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST
Wookster – Member
Why do none of the buds on the front page work here on an iPad but not on the front page! Am I missing something????

Yes – you’re missing the keypad on your ipad 🙂

I daren’t mention the swearing – had a thread closed earlier.

I’ve used them for 2 years after a broken wrist and thumb. If I stop taking them my wrist gets achey inside a week / 10 days. So I go back to taking them. Anecdotal I know. BTW beer has the same effect for me – only there a slightly shorter effect 😉

Ive got one – there are spoke holes in rim (tyre side). I used a ghetto rim strip. Works fine. You’ll need to do this or buy a proper stans rim.

Nice wheel btw!

I must add, in a non argumenative way, genuinely curious way, that I’m a bit confused.

I re-read a post I made a few days back and it contains some profanity I wouldnt normally use (except while on a bike). I was surprised it wasnt asterixed out. Or got a warning for which I would have apologised for and tried harder next time etc. And it was a word that there’s no doubt about.

But apparently if I’d tried to type ‘around’ it – I would have been banned?

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-note-on-the-rules

1- Your elderly neighbours really appreciate you checking on them / their food levels. Unfortunatly they’ll want to chat for 90 minutes on their doorstep.
2- Leaving beers outside is better than the fridge and offers a wee shock every time you pop outside for one.
3- Your number plate will probably be covered in snow – that might have some advantages?
4- Use your domestic bin sparingly. The council wont be round for weeks to empty them.
5- It’s almost impossible to get a parking ticket!

Stuartie – that sounds a bit harsh!

Im not getting at the gritter drivers etc. I really do think they’re busting their chops! I just felt it for this minister though – trying to find blame somewhere. Actually I’m just poking fun at him!

Everyone else saw the forecasts and chose to try and drive…

The forecast even on Sunday afternoon was light snow possible. By Sunday evening night apparently it had changed to heavy snow (I never saw that one or heard on the radio). I think the transport minister must have seen the same one as me.

stuartie-c : you need to get that car fixed. It’s cold and all but no way near -105C. Unless you parked in some industrial / military freezer thing 😉

Yaris? Strange you should mention that – I stopped to help a Yaris in Perthshire to offer to push. He nearly went mental: something about plastic panels. I left him to it. Was he serious?

Wimps!

Me – I’m going to head out for a few hours on the bike. -12 is nowt. Got some training to do!

Around 2 minutes later I’ll fall off on the ice, do a uturn – cop myself on and get in a hot shower. And probably join you in the pub 🙂

Refreshing! Festive! Glad I wasnt on the M8 though!

Not been but it sounds nice according to Lonely Planet:

Prosperous Oulu (Swedish: Uleåborg) is one of Finland’s most enjoyable cities to visit. In summer the locals, who appreciate daylight when they get it, crowd the terraces around the marketplace, and stalls groan under the weight of Arctic berries and giant pans laden with all manner of delicious food.

The centre is spread across several islands, elegantly connected by pedestrian bridges, and the water never seems far away. This layout has made it very convenient for cycling, and Oulu’s network of bike paths is one of the best in Europe.

Oulu, the largest city north of Tampere and the sixth-biggest in Finland, is also one of the world’s foremost technology cities; the university turns out top-notch IT graduates and the corporate science and technology parks on the city’s outskirts employ people from all over the globe. The centre of Oulu is even rigged up as a free wireless network, so you can check your emails from the terrace of the local pub.

But never fear, it’s not all laptops and cycle lanes; this is Finland after all, and there’s a good dollop of weirdness here, particularly in the summer season, when the World Air-Guitar Championships come to town!

I dont know if any come with Freview+ built in but even if they did I’d prefer a separate box. They’re just computers and stuff does go wrong / outdated etc.

As a recommendation I love our Humax (9200 I think) and you can buy them refurbed directly from Humax for a good discount. The user interface may not be totally perfect but ours gets regular software updates and is really well supported. You can also get a HD version now AFAIK (for when HD starts on freeview in your area).

Oh – and check that the connection will suit his new TV (eg scart)

Edit – We got ours on the basis of a Which grouptest and it was the clear winner

Barclays are the scum of the earth if they whiff any sign of weakness or illness or bereavement in their customers.

Sometimes they do double take if you stand up for yourself.

If you’re going to war with them – go for it.

I hope that doesnt get me a ban on here?