In terms of bike-friendly cars.

I’ve had a Galaxy, which was fab for fitting my mtb tandem in, upright (with the middle and rear LH seats removed).

My Discovery was also good for being able to have a bike upright.

Discovery Sport had lower headroom and loading, so needed to have wheel(s) off. Similar for Kia Carens.

Given the choice, I would opt for the taller and get the bike wheeled in, at the expense of a bit of handling.

My order arrived today. £170 odd of clothing – rrp around the £1000 mark.

Ordered 13/3

But missing one jersey. I’m not confident that I’ll be able to rectify.

I checked about an hour ago, and it was showing my order (15th) was in transit and due tomorrow.

Fingers crossed that (a) Evri delivers (b) everything’s there (c) the remaining staff are OK

63.5p on 4th Dec then 66p at end Jan.

North Yorks.

Need another 500l in about a month.

Looks fab! Close enough to home, too.

I’m on it – have been for nearly 2 years – my GP (who is one of my closest friends) is quite relaxed about it and continuing on it. I can’t talk to Mrs XPS about it – she’s hugely hostile / sceptical to the whole idea, which doesn’t help matters.

I’ve no idea whether it is still making a difference – I’m more on the anxiety side of things – but am in the “why not continue – don’t want to possibly make things worse” camp at the moment.

I’m on 200mg at the moment.

You could also use the “bar shrink wrap” stuff on the affected area, but it’s not as pretty a solution as a bare clear coat

Wet sand and clear coat.

I’ve done it on a few sets now.

Phone with a credit card and £10 note tucked behind in the slim case.

I’ve been caught out with “pay at pump” which doesnt take contactless, or “cash only” shops

The whole point of Vanguard LS is that it “is” your strategy, not “part of” your strategy.

If your LS60 is too rich for your current appetite, then I’d suggest heading towards LS40.

I’ve taken a similar approach – but with the global 100% equity ETF (VEVE / VWRL).

My 2007 Galaxy would take my mtb tandem upright, with the rear wheel backed against the front passenger seatbelt, and with the middle L and rear L seat removed. No need to remove saddles or wheels.

Discovery 3 just about fitted a standard roadbike height-wise (albeit you had to tilt the bike sideways a little to get the saddle past the top lip of the boot).

I’m hoping that the e-Buzz will do duties, perhaps as a van Kombi conversion (3 seats front +2 middle).

Er…

1994 Trek OCLV still going strong, despite two major RTAs

2007 Ridley carbon CX still fine.

2014 Look carbon still perfect

2013 Canyon CF SLR still spot-on (sanded and clear-coated though).

All have been upgraded over their lifetime, and still ridden regularly.

Pretty much agree with the above – Bitex and Novatec hubs are decent, very light and cost effective. Road flavours, both rim and disc.

Bearings (and general serviceability) are better on Hope, but at double the price.

If I were building a long term bomb-proof set for all year riding and commuting, I’d probably go for the Hope.

For weight weenie summer bike and glorious long epic rides, I’d go Bitex.

Good shout on the discount spokes!

I had Spyres – OK but not confidence inspiring – replaced them with Juin F1 which were heaps better.

I also tried the cheap Aliexpress cable/hydr ones which were mid way between Spyres and F1s.

Money no object would be Pauls, but really the F1 are the sweet spot for me.

As with all cable disc brakes, the rear cable annoyingly points slightly upwards, which encourages water ingress that then gradually rusts / siezes the inner cable at the lowest point around the BB. You need to try everyghing you can to seal the end of the cable outer/ inner as it terminates at the rear brake, using o rings, cable ends, vaseline etc. And check / replace the inner regularly, or you’ll find you have no rear brake one day when hooning down the first hill from home. Apparently.

Top contenders:

On-One Pompino (google it – NSFW)

IBIS Hakka Lugi cx bike

Happened to me a long time back.

The best you can make of the situation is to leave with your head held high and your pockets full.

If there is a compromise agreement (which it very much sounds as though they are looking to pursue) then they should also pay for your employment lawyer support.

You can fight, but they have MUCH deeper pockets than you.

Normally, they don’t follow correct procedure (I’ve reviewed these processes in a few companies and it’s rare to see it followed correctly).

THere is a certain amount of time after a TUPE transfer where you should still be able to take any redundancy package that might have been on offer at the time of transfer.

If you can get anything close to 4 weeks per year of employment, then I’d take that as a big win. Try your luck at anything else (eg company car for an extra 12 months / keep the company mobile / laptop, compensation for foregone options / bonus, accrued holiday etc).

You should also get PILON (pay in lieu of notice), assuming you are not going to work out your notice and they are not going to expect you to. If they do, then stock up on some videos and an unlimited data package on your phone/ tablet, and google “malicious compliance”…

You want some element of gracious withdrawal – whilst they cannot libel you in a future reference, they can intimate to future employers that you (whisper) might not be good… Very hard to prove.

Clearly they view the relationship as over. You can dig your heels in, at which point they might well go down a performance management route. I’d not try.

I am very much not a lawyer though. This is one of those times where professional advice is worth its weight in sterling.

i love the planet x clubman roubaix shorts. Not too warm, and veryh comfy. I have a few pairs, which were about £20 or so.

Not sure that small dings and scratches would be claimed for, under your insurance.

The rationale usually given is that being in a garage gives the thief uninterrupted opportunity to break in, strip for parts, hot wire etc without being seen.

i quite often ride my gravel bike on sportives.

I did the Fred Whitton last year, with Schwalbe G-one Speed tyres. I certainly didnt feel like I was held up at all.

Not so simple, I’m afraid.

If it is under sal sac, then tax relief is automatic (the gross amount is paid into your pension).

if done outside sal sac, then generally you need to claim the HR tax element back yourself from HMRC through self assessment / there is a specific form.

Another thing I forgot to mention.

I’m working with a client who allows monthly changes to be made to sal sac.

They are not allowed to let you sal sac below national minimum wage, but are having a really hard time in keeping track of this in practice. I can see the case for allowing occasional (perhaps quarterly) amendments, to keep things manageable.

presume this is a salary sacrifice arrangement, whereby you can select your benefits and have your company take it as part of sal sac.

There’s nothing explicit on whether your co should / must provide sal sac at all; indeed many do not.

Ours only allow one benefit selection window each year, as they deem that if they offered it more frequently, then they could be at risk of HMRC challenging its status. (garbage, in my professional opinion, but I work for an ultra cautious professional services company, who really do not want any risk of regulatory/ legislative challenge).

I have plenty / most of my clients who allow a monthly amendment, and who have quite a bit of admin in processing it (the main items are changing the pension contribution %, doing sal sac for technology purchases).

I’d love it, because I could fine-tune my pension contributions to meet the various thresholds, rather than guessing.

There’s nothing to stop you making additional contributions, not under sal sac, to your own pension, above and beyond that administered by your co. Clearly this would not benefit from sal sac (NI deductible and you would have to reclaim any higher rate tax back separately), nor a company match in the contribution.

The company has to offer at least the basic pension contribution framework as set out under Auto Enrolment. If you are already receiving this (or have positively opted out of it), then there’s nothing to force the company to allow you to make monthly fine tuning.

Sorry.

There’s a really good installation series on YT

(670) How to install gravel parking Grids part 1 – YouTube 

They take up the tarmac/concrete first though.

I guess one thing to consider is that you might have different base on parts – if you keep the concrete bits and also install over soil / lawn area as well. You might get differential settlement. It’s probably not a big issue if you prepare the new areas with hard core, but something to consider if you are going to use resin bond.

It looks like a big job, and eminently DIY able. It also looks like a great excuse to hire a mini digger to prepare and flatten the base!

I’ve got a broad gravel drive, but plenty of grass and weeds that need attention.

I’ve been looking into grids (and a membrane) as a proper solution.

From what I understand:

– they need to be installed on a flat base. Concrete would be ideal, or tamped down hardcore layer.

– membrane for weed control

– good grids are cheap, can be cut, interlock, and are generally held down by the weight of the gravel. There’s no harm in securing them to the base layer (pegs or bolts), but unneccessary.

– driveway will require edging

– allows good drainage

– gravel should be a certain size and shape to interlock, inside each of the grid squares, and provide rigidity.

– you can either top up the gravel level to the top of the grid, or 25mm above it. (I’d prefer the latter)

– you can work around existing stuff like the manhole covers, mains tap inspection bits (for us) etc. As long as you remember where they are…

– as with most things, the time and value is in the preparation.

– you can resin bond the gravel, but I don’t want to. It reduces permeability, and would make any alterations a pain in the ….

– as long as the gravel level is either flush with the grid, or 25mm max above it, then the surface should be strong and stable enough to support car as well as allow wheelchair, bike, pram wheel access.

A friend had this installed years ago in front and rear garden. They skimped on preparation, and the grids quickly settled into ruts where they parked the car. They used too much large gravel, which wasn’t stable enough and a pain to push pram through.

I’m also thinking of the same for a rear patio / seating area, as it should be more permeable than patio slab. I’d need to check whether it would be stable enough for garden chair feet (which sink into grass, at the moment).

I’m also thinking about whether it would also be a good solution for our small rear lawn, which looks like the Somme because the dog is permanently digging. I understand you can sow soil and grass seed (rather than gravel) through the grids. I’m not sure of the asethetics, and whether it would dissuade the dog…

This looks like the correct term is “repairer assessment was that it was not economic to repair, with costs likely to exceed market value”.

It hasn’t been written off.

In these circumstances, then you can choose whether to pursue through insurance company, to take it off you, give you the market value, and for them to write it off; or whether they make a cash offer to you in lieu of repair.

If you take the latter, then it’s up to you how much or little you choose to repair, as long as it is roadworthy and would pass the MOT.

You’ll have already notified the insurance company that it has been in an accident.

Thanks – I’ve got a 7 which is similarly out of support.

Both mine and hers are no longer able to get the latest OS, and therefore fall foul of my work and her school in the min security device standards to allow access.

I fear that jumping *just* to an 8 will give us the same problem in a few months’ time.

Without trying to sound too picky, something like a 10 or 11 feels like cheap enough and still a couple of years of useful life left (battery notwithstanding)

I’ve just been presenting in a large motor insurer board meeting today (ooh get me. Important!)

Main topic of conversation with Execs, NEDs and the wider insurance market is the 40% increase in renewal premiums YOY, and what it’s doing to complaints, customer satisfaction etc.

Most of increase is down to rampant claims cost inflation – claims handling, legal costs, parts scarcity and rising cost, scarcity and cost of hire care replacement, rocketing total loss valuation figures etc.  Even with the FCA rules on fair pricing being properly embedded, we’re finding that prices across the market are rising rapidly and few are making any margin.

EV repair costs are indeed high, and driving higher premiums. Parts are still scarce. Fewer garages are trained and tooled to work on high voltage cars (and therefore repair costs have risen). THere’s also a nervousness about the frailty of batteries, which are over 50% of the price of a car, and which are being replaced rather than repaired in a lot of cases.

THanks all

Re – “why iPhone” etc. At her school, all learning is iPad driven, so synching with an iPhone is much easier. She has an iPhone 7+ 32gb, which is on its last legs and doesnt have sufficient storage for the essential apps.

For other children, and mrs XPS, we have provided decent android phones (Motorola G series). £120 odd.

I’m having a look at GiffGaff, given we use them for all the family mobile (SIM only) contracts, and the others as well.

@Matt OAB – DM incoming…

What do you respond to then?

I’m struggling to get any responses at all.

Ah well.

Anyone got an iPhone they are looking to sell?

Must be at least 64gb, so daughter can install Teams etc on it for school.

We’ve worked on paying the accommodation, and the basic student loan (restricted for them by dint of my level of income) works out at about £3000 per year / £1000 per term / £100 per week (during term time).

Ours have some work part time, but not the real work ethic that OAB sets out above.

It’ll come in time (I hope).

We’re always there to be guarantors on flat rental, extra kit (depending on the course requirements), taxi and removals duties, full board catering when back at home etc.

I’ve had to amend my working / retirement plans recently though.

No. 3 has started a course, but at a performing arts college rather than uni. This means he’s not eligible for student funding, and sadly (for me) my income exceeds the threshold for the DaDa grants available. As a result, i’ve now got £20,000 pa fees and London living expenses to fund, rather than the £6.000 pa ish that I’ve been paying for the others at uni.  On the positive side, he won’t have student loans / debts / tax…

So instead of the expected 3 year cost to me of £20,000 odd, I now have an additional c£75,000 to find. Ouchety-ouch. That’s a lot of extra work for me, and additional loans to pay off.

I’m hoping no.4 follows nos 1. and 2, rather than the route of no.3

(whispers) there’s also a rim brake Dura Ace 12 speed Di2 set.

DURA-ACE Di2 Rim Brake DUAL CONTROL LEVER 2×12-speed | SHIMANO BIKE-US

A picture might help!

A couple of thoughts:

– can you double check whether the rear is 27″ or 700c (similar but not identical diameter)

– what tyre are you using? My bikes of that era are/ were designed for narrow rim width and 21 or 23 mm max tyres.

– you can get a small bracket like this one Brake Extender for Brompton Folding Bike (EE G4 brake) – AliExpress

i’ve got an UPPER in Med. Fantastic road-oriented bike.

I’m just buying another wheelset – Zipp 353NSW as a pure road set.

It’s great.

Yes it doesnt have mudguard mounts. I have an old Boardman CX with ‘guards permanently on, for bad weather days.

Advisor not always required.

Firstly – you are likely to have a pensions access date of 57, given your age.

Secondly – you need to work out what you have at the moment.

• defined benefit schemes. Find out what you are entitled to. It’s virtually impossible to transfer out to a DC scheme, as there are no advisors willing to advise (given the risks) and no schemes willing to accept a transfer in from a DB scheme.
• Defined contribution schemes. Find out what you have. You should be able to identify each of the pots you have from previous employers, then what are the ongoing costs and fees, what are they invested in etc.
• It’s normally sensible to consolidate into something like a SIPP with lowest ongoing fee structure, so it’s key to find out what your costs are and how these compare to best in market.  Costs are insidious and to be minimised at all costs!
• work out what your attitude to risk is. Given 10+ years from earliest access, I would expect that you would be willing to take a fair bit of investment volatility for longer term better returns.
• (for reference, i have a low cost ETF global tracker, which gives a “whole of world” return. Vanguard do some great products with varying proportions of bonds and equities, to match your risk tolerance)
• work out what your employer will contribute, including ers NI if under salary sacrifice, and maximise this (at least) for your ongoing contributions
• work out what your marginal tax rate is – ie whether you’re paying 40% / 20% tax etc.
• If a higher / additional rate taxpayer, then it’s a no brainer to pay as much as you can into pension
• your 25% tax free cash can be earmarked to pay off the mortgage, rather than overpaying now.

There’s lots more nuance about other savings, marginal tax rates, likely tax rates in retirement etc.

The costs can quickly mount up, and are not apparent as you’re not paying them in cash, and can take a considerable amount of your investment returns if you are not careful. I chose to educate myself on these things, and make my own decisions, as my interests are fully aligned with my choices (unlike the advisors)

I was a few hundred yds behind the Kegworth crash. Thankfully driving single file in roadworks, and already slow, when everything stopped

I guess most evs have enough range for the stages themselves, but perhaps the transfers might be challenging.

I’d expect the biggest current problem would be the infrastructure. You’ll have a large number of evs all needing charging at a new (often remote) stage finish each evening, at the same time.

The “4% rule” is designed so that you can sustainably withdraw 4% of the total pot each year, after inflation, without depleting the capital.

THere are a few assumptions.

1. you remain invested – back testing has shown that a 60:40 equity-bond portfolio generates the right sort of risk-return model, and upping the portion of equity invested doesn’t change the outcome by much.
2. ideally invested in global trackers (eg Vanguard Life Series 60)
3. long run average market return 8%, with long run average inflation 3%, giving net return 5%. This means (simplistically) that you can therefore take out 4% sustainably without running down the pot
4. keep ongoing costs as low as possible. These include low platform fees (eg SIPP), low product fees (some trackers are much more expensive than others), and ideally no advisor fees (the advantage of a global tracker is you don’t really need advice on where to invest! Just perhaps an occasional check in to see if things are still on track, which you can do yourself really).
5. be flexible. Clearly if there are serious market challenges, then it would be sensible to take lower than 4% if you can, and equally if the market / your pot accelerates then you can perhaps take out more.
6. there’s one challenge – “sequence of returns risk”. In spite of the above simplified approach, the wrinkle is that if the first few years you take 4% and the market experiences persistent recession, then your pot will struggle to recover from its depleted state even if subsequent years are strong growth. This risk abates if you experience recession a few years after starting, or if you are adaptable / flexible in the early few years to accommodate a downturn.
7. finally – tax. You won’t pay NI on money you take out of your pot as pension, but you will pay income tax at your marginal rate. This means that it might be sensible to take out an amount up to your tax band, rather than a strict % of the pot, depending on your circumstances.

Lots of information.

What’s the summary?

You should (highly likely, but not certain) be able to take out 4% each year sustainably, without depleting your pot and still allowing for inflation.

Adding myself as another on the list of clueless husbands.

I feel like I’m despised a lot of the time.

I can’t say anything without being contradicted or criticised.

It doesn’t appear to be cyclical, but very unpredictable. Anger almost at boiling point immediately, with no obvious trigger.

I think (!) I am endlessly patient and endure uncomplaining, but it’s really soul destroying to feel so resented and to be avoided at every turn. I can’t speak to her about it either.

I’m not sure if it’s from the empty nest approaching, the menopause, the work patterns upended by Covid (previously I was away for most of the week; now I’m rarely not WFH).

The last time she said anything complimentary, or even nice to me, was a long time back. Years.

I get a lot of gaslighting-type criticism/ contradiction. I’m not sure if this is her poor memory, or deliberate, but it’s not nice. I end up questioning my own memory of what I have done and said.

I can’t walk away, and don’t want to, but it’s a real slog each day, hoping to avoid saying the wrong thing, or not saying the right thing, or not being sufficiently supportive, or …

I have no answers; just another soul in the same sort of position and taking it a day at a time.

I advertised mine on eBay and got about £40 for it.

I helped the nice couple dismantle and load their trailer with it.

Otherwise – break into small pieces and feed into the weekly bin