A second vote here for BeatsX. I bought a pair when on holiday in NYC in October in a sale and am very impressed with them. I was concerned they may be a bit bass-heavy but Apple seem to have got rid of that feature of Beats kit.

For info, the newer iPhones do not have a headphone jack socket but an adapter is supplied with the phone to allow ‘regular’ headphones to be connected to the lighting connector on the phone.

It shouldn’t do as it Apps that use data, not the phone itself.

Check the settings for individual apps. It could be that some have defaulted to be always on or may be using your location at all times.

If it’s an iPhone make sure you turn off the sneaky Wi-Fi Assist option. [Settings – Mobile Data – scroll all the way to the bottom]

Seat post clamp should be 36.9mm.

Original spec is HERE.

Isn’t WhatsApp just for talking nonsense with your mates and sending pointless photographs?

Why would you want a backup of such banal rubbish?

Tredz are selling the Camelbak Podium Flow waist bag.

A nice little ride up to Crook Peak in The Mendips yesterday.

Buy her a big bag of flour, some eggs and caster sugar.

Have you looked at moving out of Cardiff, milky1980?

Cheaper rents in somewhere like Caerphilly but still easy to get in to Cardiff.

paulmgreen

They supplied a 2016  spec frame to replace the 2012 one ….  they switched over all the components and everything fits fine

That’s interesting. I thought the 2012 model had 135mm drop outs but the 2016 model had 142mm drop outs. Or does the 2016 have replaceable dropouts that can be converted between 135 and 142mm?

That’s great service. We have 4 Giant bikes in the household so good to know Giant respond so well to warranty issues if ever we need to make use of it.

Is the replacement Anthem frame identical to the original or have Giant supplied a newer design frame?

If it’s the latter how did they deal with changes such as boost rear end and shorter chain stays?

£2.00 for 10 from Bird.

Uumm, an F-16 isn’t a Eurofighter..

Correct…. But I think the article says it’s a Euro fighter jet, not a Eurofighter jet.

The article says it’s a 40 million euro fighter jet. i.e. a fighter jet that costs 40 million euros.

The River Ludd, Stepaside, Pembrokeshire

Slippery bridge

Another view of the Transporter Bridge at Newport

Brecon and Mon canal

Severn Bridge toll plaza

Poncysyllte aquaduct

Bah. Can’t edit the post to change the incorrect and duplicated pictures. Sorry.

Stumpy and the Transporter Bridge in Newport

On the Brecon and Mon canal

Newport footbridge

Llangollen Canal

Usk

Overlooking the Severn Bridge toll plaza

Bourton-on-the-Water

I’d go for BPW.

Plenty of variety there and even if the other two aren’t regular MTB riders they should be able to get down most of the blues without too much trouble. Even for the more experienced riders the blue runs are great. You just ride them faster.

Good old British Rail used to employ maintenance teams to regularly cut back vegetation and prune trees to stop leaves dropping and building up on the rails. Privatisation and cut backs put paid to that activity, or severely curtailed it so now we get trees growing much closer to and overhanging the tracks and leaves drop on the rails every Autumn.

I’d go for FoD if you haven’t ridden there before. It’s definitely worth a trip.

The trails are good and the new pump track and jumps & drops skills area are great for learning and practicing.

The café is very good as well.

This DIAGRAM from Bird shows how various measurements change with sag.

It’s based on 130mm forks and 30% sag but gives a good indication of percentage changes.

It’s a great big YES from me. Blimmin’ gorgeous little morsels.

I also drape them over a lamb joint when roasting it. They add a lovely salty tang.

Have a look HERE.

There are a few photos that may help you.

All the hard plastic does is make it easier to slide the bladder in to the pack.

Buy whichever size suits your need.

Another vote for a Bird Zero here.

I bought a Mk1 frame second hand about 10 months ago and built it up with Fox 140mm forks and it is a great bike. Very capable on the rough stuff but also good for long, more relaxed rides.

One of the things that attracted me to Bird is that the frame warranty is transferable. That is something to consider if buying second hand.

I replaced the BB on my Trance with a Wheels Mfg screw together jobbie after the dreaded creaking started and it has been excellent. As mentioned above the secondary bearing seals do a great job keeping the bearings dry and clean.

One will be going on my wife’s Anthem soon as her BB has started to creak.

Recommended.

Bird Zero TR?

It will certainly take the heavy landings and as much abuse as you can subject it to.

I have been riding Vespas and Lambrettas for over 35 years.

(Currently have a 1976 Vespa Primavera ET3 and a 2000 Vespa PX200)

A PX125 is a great commuter machine. Easy to ride and maintain and parts are readily available. They are good for 55mph and you’ll get 50mpg.

The main concern to be aware of is that the body is all metal and can easily get dented/bent in a crash and repairs can be difficult.

Since Piaggio stopped making the PX a few years ago second hand prices have started to rise. Post-2008 models are fitted with a catalysed engine that severely restricts the already low-powered engine so try and get a good pre-2008 model if you can.

Any questions just ask.

Eat: Pizza

Drink: A nice white Rioja

Listen: Athletico Mince podcast

MAH drives me mad with her breathless wittering so I won’t miss her on the weekends. I rarely get to listen to the late morning slot so it’s a win for me.

RadMac will be sorely missed in the weekday afternoon slot. That is probably the show I listen to the most as it often coincides with driving home from site visits for work. It will be good to have them on in the mornings on the weekend though.

I hope SK can make the afternoon slot work. I find him a bit of a pain on the breakfast show but will give him a chance.

I like Maconie’s quote in that BBC article:

“Ever since humanity first emerged from the primeval swamp and looked questioningly and fearfully towards the stars, a restless desire for change has been part of our DNA, and the scheduling of BBC radio programmes is no exception. I see the move of Radcliffe and Maconie to weekend mornings as part of the ceaseless turbine of progress that drives us all, somewhere between Elon Musk’s tiny submarines and landing on the moon. I am looking forward to it immensely.”

I wonder if he managed to keep a straight face while reeling that off?

Wasps make Marmite.

Marmite is wasp poo. Fact!

Marvellous. Sounds like she had a great treat.

Here’s the BBC news item:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-44860998

The battery indicator is shown at the bottom of the small info screen on the front of the camera when it is turned on.

@hammy7272 – go to Settings – Mobile Data and scroll to the bottom. Make sure Wi-Fi Assist is turned off.

If it is on the phone will switch from wifi to mobile data if the wifi signal is weak but it doesn’t tell you it is doing so.

Also make sure iCloud Drive is off as this will use data to transfer files/photos.

While you are in Mobile Data settings it’s worth going through the list of Apps that can use mobile data and turning off whichever ones you don’t need or want to use mobile data.

A Mediterranean cruise for the middle 2 weeks in August. First not-camping holiday for a few years so really looking forward to relaxing and visiting some nice places.

Ah, yes. I should have added to my earlier post:

No need for fire doors or self-closers but we did have to have mains-powered smoke alarms fitted in every room in the house and an escape window had to be fitted on the first floor.

We had our attic converted 4 years ago – 2 double bedrooms and a wc. House was built in 2000.

We are lucky that the roof has a high pitch as this enabled us to maximise the headroom in the new bedrooms.

We had the ‘wrong’ rafters (i.e. skinny, cheap ones) but this was overcome by adding extra rafters when the cross braces and ‘W’ struts were removed.

The whole conversion is built on 2 huge steel girders that were installed and span the entire width of the house.

We sacrificed an existing single bedroom to put in a half turn stair and create a study area.

Planning permission wasn’t required as we were fitting Velux windows rather than dormers.

Can’t remember the actual conversion cost but the whole lot including decorating, carpets, fittings, beds and furniture came to about £23k.

The SIM will show the data usage but not the sites that were visited. The browser is on your phone.

Forget about it and it you get called out on the extra data just come clean and tell them you forgot to switch the SIM back to your work phone.

While you’re at it ask them for a better phone.

Thanks, all.

Just did an on-line quote with Aviva and it comes in at almost half of the JL quote. Bikes covered up to £2.5k each when at home or out and about – must be kept in a locked building at home but not locked to anything.

He rode it under the pseudonym ‘Terry Smith’ to avoid any media attention.