Oops! :oops: Now sorted.

Light failure in the dark. P*****g down and no back up. 2 Hour walk down a hill. Never ever again!

Night time test of the Mini DV D001 on a MTB. In the dark. In the snow.

OK got mine this afternoon – so I had to try it at night / in the dark.

After your guys enthusiasim here I decided to get one for the kids at Christmas for their karts (kids includes me!!). Another sucker for a gadget!

So to test it I brought it out for a ride. It happened to be getting dark, and snowing, and about -4C. I didnt have time to do anything other than bar mount it – sorry.

Light wise – on the right was magicshine on high. On the left a DX MTE SSC P7 5 mode on high. On the helmet, a Fenix P3D modified to run on a 18650 2P on turbo. Total about 600 + 500 + 200 lumens, apparently. Without the snow it would look way way darker I think,

Video link below (it still uploading).

Anyway, overall – physically it's tiny!!! smaller than my thumb. Actually its unreal!

I got 50mins+ recording at around -4C. I got a 4GB Kingston Class6 card. Recording 50m took less than 1/2 of the card. Whats weird is that the video doesnt reflect what the ride looks like to the human eye. The bar lights give a big spread of overall light (but the magicshine is brighter) but in the video the helmet light dwarfs both of them. It must be a cumulative thing that the camera records. When things get technical the detail pretty much gives up. You can get the idea on the steps at 02:15. Some parts on the vid look scary when they werent and v.v.

Supplied mounts are ok – I've broken one already just from this gentle commute type run with no crashes. Araldite to the rescue!

Daylight performance is radically better – but others have posted examples of these. There's little chance with fast moving bedroom antics!

Overall – It's great! This could be the "magicshine" of DV cameras – but in daylight.

Video here:
http://www.vimeo.com/8322558
The original looks slighly better on my PC.

Compared to what I thought I'd get for peanuts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx0Y7YuHHpo

or:
[list]http://www.vimeo.com/7788133[/list]

I can't do Sunday AM but will be going up around dusk or later.

Btw I'm in perthshire at the minute and there's no snow. It seems so wrong!

For occasional use these are great. OK there only £5 but someone else recommended them and I've used them a few times.

http://www.screwfix.com/

Item 27403. Sorry I cant post a direct link.

She cant even afford shoes never mind patching her jeans.

I love my wooly boolies! Well not in the biblical sense – but still.

They are warm – I dont know if they are the hottest ever available, but as they're not too thick they dont cut off circulation in my feet so they stay warmer.

Some "undocumented" bonus features: if the cuffs get wet it doesnt seem to spread to the in-shoe part, if your shoe leaks and they do get damp they are still warm, they never seem to smell.

But they are £11 a pair.

How old is it? Still under warranty?

Suppliers are http://www.2pure.co.uk/

Very helpful ime.

Or you may be able to get a used one in the classifieds / ebay?

Just about everyone says "It's not my problem : somebody else should stop driving / stop having children / showering / holidays / …..

There is now way everyone is wrong. Therefore its someone elses problem.

Andy – you've mentioned lights and £225 so you're likely to get a load of people talking about DX and Magicshine (you can get 5 magicshines for that money etc) Ive got both but it you want to swap for a Hope 4 I'd be more than happy :)

I was going to sit this one out but I'm just back from a night ride and cant bloody sleep!

Oh dear. Youve got juicy wschhh..

Anyway's what works for me is starting with the grab and tighten approach mentioned above. Then I get a torch, put that on the far side of the caliper, spin the wheel, squint to see where I can just see the light and see what side needs to move a bit as the rotor rotates. Id usually start with the side furthest away from me (I'd be at the front of the bike). Usually it's a tiny fraction to move. For me though there was usually a lazy piston, but I do ride in all sorts of conditions (you can google this).

Been there too! Three times. A local branch of a BIG national company seems to have been 'skimming' my cards. The card company were super helpful though on all occasions. Its a little different between credit cards and debit cards IME. With credit they take the initial responsibility, with debit it seems to stay with you until they're satisfied you or your family arent involved somehow.

The only fly in the ointment is if any of the transactions in dispute were done with chip & pin they will take the opposite approach and ask you to prove it wasnt you.

Knock an hour off last years time at Merida 100km marathon in Selkirk.
Strathpuffer (well Jan 2011 as 4 weeks from now – that would be crazy).
Do a course and learn wtf I'm supposed to be doing going down the hills :)

At least give us the name – or even a link to these preeminent gloves? Or do we have to guess – whilst suffering our blue pinkies while you savour your pink and cosy ones?

What tyres to get to the car park?

The ice cream headache dulled my ability to tell that you were probably taking the mickey! :)

What tyres to get to the car park?

You mean to drive up or cycle?

On the bike its fine with knobbies (pref mud tyres), in the car I'd be reluctant. I might get up but dont know about getting down safely.

Plus one for core temp. DHB do some good winter stuff like Merston long bibs and tops, Runcton jacket. Also a head warmer / skull cap of some type?

Personally I could light a fire inside my gloves or shoes but my hands will be numb unless my chest & head are warm (or even hot).

Sure did – back about an hour. I was in two minds about going but I really enjoyed it. There's around 2 inches show at the top and its starting to freeze. The worst bits are the fire roads where vehicles have been – turned to frozen slush. Otherwise grip is ok (better than I was expecting).

They're doing work at the top of spooky woods – the first few drops are closed.

I think Paulo has hit the nail on the head.

We had this on our last boiler. The pressure would vary a lot and it needed topping up every few months. I'm no expert but a combi boiler has a built in expansion vessel to regulate the pressure as it heats the water up.

Once side is connected to the water – the other has air and theres some sort of flexible membrane between them. Once the membrane goes theres no regulation left and the boiler blows off some water so when it cools down it needs topping up.

BG installed an external expansion tank / regulator as part of the annual contract. Looked kinda like a small fire extingusher with connected to the radiator pipe (just one pipe from what I remember).

Just back from a night ride in Glentress. Was great – a deer and I had the place to ourselves. Went well til just about everything on the bike froze. Worst was the water bottles. Then the front derailleur, then the jockey wheels. Still nature gives us a natural de-icer, but I need water bottles to keep it replinished :)

Just checked the charger with a meter and its 8.5v with no load. I dont have a connection to test it when its actually charging.

But – my ultrafire 18650 charger runs 0.2v higher than the battery it's charging eg if I put a discharged battery in at 3.6v the charger starts at 3.8 and slowly increases to 4.2v. Dunno if that helps in any way….

8.4v when fully charged. I presume that's what the charger runs at. Be careful!

My Minewt x2 dual (dont know if you've got that exact one?) has a 12v battery and charger. The shape indicates there may be 3 18650 cells in there (wired in series I guess) along with a switch and driver. There are however 3 connections on the socket and plug. I dont know what the extra one is for – either to communicate with the charger or to drive the indicator leds on the lights.

If you buy third party or make you own you would loose some of the functionality – it would probably only run on max mode all the time, there may / would be no regulation, the indicator leds wouldnt work and you may not get any low voltage cut off (unless the new cells are protected).

If none of that bothers you and you can get hold of a connector (I believe they're Niteriders own) then it might be worth a shot.

We just had a lucky escape – just got back from Cyprus with them. Wouldnt have minded being stuck out there – but the hassle with insurance companies etc would have been a pain.

Had another close shave with Allied Carpets into administration in the summer – but they seem have been resurrected since.

I have the feeling now that we wont be as lucky 3rd time. Definitely the credit card for everything major from now on.

Surprise weekend away. Big plus (a bit selfish I know) is that I get to go along too!

To me it sounds like Unite are getting ready for a series of tough battles – especially public service and they need to show they are tough. This is them drawing the line in the sand with a relatively small number of members who will have a huge impact.

12 days eh – I couldnt afford to strike for that long.

I got an oro on the front and an juicy on the back. Ran them for 18 months in the worst of conditions with no problems with the oro. Mad powerful – better than my abilities. Great feel and control. Pad wear is great (I use Superstar sintered about 1500mi a set – but I do bed them in) but lever travel does increase as the pads are 3/4 worn. No seizing or other problems (touch wood).

The oro is so good I went and got a used one for the rear and will sell the avid.

Fab year!

Completed first 100km mtb marathon, learned to manual. Learned how not to flip backwards when doing a manual :) No major spills. Got some decent winter gear and learned to love riding in snow and ice. Learned some new trails. Met new people.

Of course they are downsides, but I wont focus on them.

She was on the radio recently (I didnt know how she looked) emptying her skeleton cupboard before she stands for labour. Shes a recovering alcoholic and has dim memories of lots of one night stands – so I guess she doesnt want this coming out when shes an MP. Sounded pretty sound to me – refreshing honest I thought.

Hitman – its too personal – ime. Some folk here recommend Charge Spoon. If I ever meet them I'm going to kill them. Slowly and painfully. Just cause their recommendation did it to me! And it was heavy – around 50% more than the pack said.

Any way – your ass is different. Mine hates hammock shape saddles. Some hate wide. Some hate narrow. Some hate cutouts. Some need cutouts. Yours needs something ???.

I'd say start with what you have and see if it's hammocky, wide, cutouts… Then buy the opposite – or at least different. Otherwise go to a Specialized dealer and they can help a lot – ime.

BTW- here's my saddles-
Charge Spoon
WTB Rocket
Selle Flite
SDG Belle Air
Selle SLR XC Gel (favourite)
Spec Phenom Gel (2nd fav)
Gobi
….

Oh – Apart from Selle (with their chicken money back g'tee) I buy them all 'used once' on ebay. Saves a fortune.

Plus 1 for mastiles_fanylion suggestion – even then you may have a slight problem as a canvas needs at least 1.5 inches image 'space' on all edges to be printed with the required wrap around and allow stapling with a margin of error. On huge sizes that's less of a problem tho (less of a % lost to the edges).

I think you'll need to manufacture some image on the top edge (or get it from the original) to keep the composition.

If do lots of these a week. If you want to know what the front face will look like on canvas – email you final crop to me (along with chosen size) and I'll send you back a front, top, sides, bottom image.

LOL. The whole thing is kinda too close to the Christmas reality?

Plus 1 for too tight .

I saw this Hope video on BBs and the techie just slightly tightened them – and then loosened them off a 1/8 of a turn.

http://www.hopegb.com/page_mep_force_58.html

Interesting bit at 08:30 if you're impatient.

No worries.

Im no expert. But it seems like you do have a form of depression. My only advice is be a man and ask for help from those closest to you. Ime everyone that cares for me / you will help. Everyone. But you gotta be strong enough to ask. From the bottom that's a big big ask! You take that step tho you might be impressed by those around you.

Shopping will never make you happy!

Youre wife can, income never will.

Cuddle up beside her and tell her your inner thoughts. Maybe in the morning?

If you ride a mtb I doubt you're lazy!!! Where I am I have to cycle up a bloddy great hill to get the buzz on the downhill.

For me a really shit day can be tough to get out of bed. But I've now assimated a good team around me (mainly my wife, sister, painintheassbrotherinlaw) who can see the signs. It took me some time to know the signs and my escape valve.

I've never met you but all the best people I've ever known suffer from depression, some mild, some extreme, some bipolar. Maybe it's some form of normal?

psychle – This is as good a forum as any. We should compare notes. Life doesnt work out. The dark dog wait for any opportunity.

Ok – fret over! Really tho – 1st things 1st. I'd recommend some form of mentor. Out of your friends could someone do this? Otherwise lots of organisiations offer this, its worth the minor gamble. Things climb in on top of all of us – some deal with it better. Personally I recognise when I need impartial help.

Dont you **** dare!

Theres lots of rellly good folk here and everywhere you are. Please em me or other here, you have interests, family and fiends you dont even know how gutted they'll be! Honestly.

Edit – it that your work email?