Granite cricket bell for me. Have them on 2 bikes, replacing a worn timber. The on off jingle is fairly weak in comparison to timber bells, but it’s more useable because it has a normal striker. Other wise it’s also fairly unobtrusive, small clamp and faces down and fairly out the way. End up not using it in ‘tinkle’ mode very much, but still useful to have, and the design seems like it won’t fail like a timber.

Separate GK review on bikeperfect too! Of the same test bike of course….

“Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and led to US projection of power everywhere in the world with few positive results to show for it, which Trump has learnt from.”

I think that’s a bit of an under-baked assessment of how US projection of power has panned out since WW1. Whether you agree with its motivations and methods, it’s not controversial to say that the position of the US as a super power in military and economic terms, is in large part a direct result of its projection of power. Yes, there have been unsuccessful wars for them, but at the same time they are still the primary beneficiaries from the postwar settlement. This position has by and large been successfully defended. I don’t think the orange manbaby has the capacity to learn from history, he just uses his arrogance and ignorance to stir division.

Agree, really like the look and price of that. Don’t need a bike though. Hope they continue with the Chisel HT too. I think the D’Alusio tubing/welding method of making these frames has worked very well. Agree it’d be nicer as a frame only in brushed alu.

All this riding with other people lark sounds horrendous…

Also, don’t expect 8 hours of blissful sleep – series of short naps and anything better is a bonus (seems to be my experience anyway, always struggle to get a ‘proper’ kip)!

Quote from Rone: “(I tell you why the campaign seems it’s dragged on because you all inherently know the big win is not going to be that much of a push back.)”

I fear the above is sadly correct. There will be a measure of relief and some change – but not enough, and not enough in the right directions. The ultra-caution approach of Labour is becoming stultifying.

I’m looking forward to change because it’s very overdue, and i’ll enjoy the spectacle of the tory party falling apart and eating itself – and then the man-frog will gulp them up like the man-phibian demagogue he is. Hopefully it’ll fatally poison him politically.

Keep the TLS mantra in mind. If it’s just an overnighter, and you’re not doing mega mileage riding each side of the camp, then you really don’t need much. Water in the bladder and bottle on the frame should suffice. Cooking dehydrated food will eat [drink] into that water though. As mentioned above, you can save space and time and water by making food at home and just taking it in a suitable container. Even cold it’ll still taste nice outside! I take a small stove for a luxury of a coffee and/or porridge sometimes, but it’s pretty tiny. Most recent camp I felt I could have gone without. It’s important to pack for what you’re planning to do. There’s plenty of other opportunities to spend money on water filters and bags and all the other kit you might need, but for a test, keep it simple.

Incredible builds, that tank looks amazing. I have to say I find the world of adult model making very intimidating, with 2 young kids around I’ll never have the time, space, or concentration to do much. I used to love it as a kid and did pretty well with what I had, but the levels it goes to with PE, weathering, airbrushing, and everything else – is totally beyond me. A colleague at work shares photos of his waterline ship models, with full PE and they look amazing, but they mentally set a standard i’ll never get near.

I’ve an old matchbox Handley Page Victor kit from when I was a teenager, gathering dust under the bed as I don’t think I can do it justice…

Yeah this campaign is dragging on. I think partly because it feels like a foregone conclusion, the main contenders and the areas of policy focus are pretty close to each other, so there’s mainly wrangling over small details. I was desperate for the election, and will be happy when (hopefully) the Tories are eviscerated. I’ll enjoy election night itself, but based on what I’ve heard so far, i’m not filled with hope for the future, sadly. Maybe the Labour manifesto will unleash interesting ideas, but it doesn’t look likely.

I’m more looking forward to watching some football, and the Tour (Divide and de France), and some Olympics. Maybe just need a good sleep and get out on the right side of bed! :-)

Rack and dry bag is a good shout. Cheap front and rear bags can be had, but are more faff to get right. Put light but bulky stuff on bars and saddle if you go that route, bits and bobs in frame bag, snacks in top tube bag.

Stove a luxury for a simple overnighter, just take cold food/snacks if you want to save space.

Even on warm nights you’ll likely need extra layers. Depending what I’m riding in and forecast, I’d take a neck buff/snood, small mid layer, and merino base layer. Depends how warm your sleeping bag is, you may end up wearing some or all of it to sleep. Depending on the ride may also take a hat and fresh thick socks.

Few wet wipes in a freezer bag if you get really dirty and don’t want sheep poo in your sleeping bag. Possibly think of a sh1t kit if you’re likely to need a wild poo. Plastic trowel and paper, Google best way to do it.

But to be honest use the often heard mantra TLS – take less sh1t! So don’t worry about getting loads of stuff, keep it minimal as you really don’t need much.

Edit: never bother with toothbrushes for overnighters!

Endura Pakajak? Had one for a long time, and it does a good enough job of keeping the chill off, and the worst of the rain for a bit (only a DWR coating). Gets a bit hot, but that’s to be expected from a posh plastic sack. Packs very small. The Keela one looks decent and usable off the bike too…

Is this kind of AI a way of turning pointless activity into large amounts of C02…?

It’s an official language of the EU still, and dominant language of Ireland of course!

There’s surely got to be a direct polling hit for this mega, champions league level gaff? Gaff is probably too light a word, big effing mistake. It’s the kind of thing that will cut through way beyond any other policy he could announce.

Think the link they have is also to the people in their families that took part and lived through those times. Also, pride in a single, yet critical, historical achievement doesn’t have to be conflated with patriotism. You can identify with suffering and hardship carried out on your behalf (however distant in the past, which D-Day isn’t), and at the same time not be patriotic as a whole. One thing doesn’t automatically lead to the other even though the achievements of WW2 have been used like that…

I took ages to post the above and missed following posts… The whole war fetishism argument is valid in a broad sense, but I think it’s also possible to respect and understand warfare, whilst also choosing to wear costumes of the era in a friendly tea-and-cake atmosphere. The two things can exist simultaneously, despite the confusing/oppositional optics. It’s not something i’d choose to do, but I don’t see them as the objects of misunderstanding the lessons of war. Those will be the people seeking and sowing division and pursuing political aims that lead to war. Also, it’s pretty poor timing to complain about war fetishism on the very day and on the very discussion of when the opposite is happening,

WW2 isn’t a founding myth, it was a historical reality. Remembrance of key WW2 events shouldn’t be conflated with the process of mythologising that no doubt does occur, but that isn’t pertinent to the topic of D-day or its commemoration. EDIT – I get what you mean though, there’s too many cross-posts for me to keep up…

Curious to know what moving on looks like? I think maybe the simplicity of the statement might open it up to being misconstrued negatively?

Outside of these commemorative events and general historical interest, isn’t it just back to migrants dying in the channel and dodgy political party funding? I don’t feel over-encumbered by the existence nor the practice of remembrance. If you think of WW1, now that it has passed from living memory it has taken a different shape, and there aren’t national events for specific campaigns anymore, it is focussed on armistice day and the all-encompassing remembrance day.

For my part, I think these commemorations are very valuable, and they all too quickly pass and some of the sentiments and lessons forgotten. ‘Moving on’ will happen organically in the near future when it passes out of living memory, and commemorative events reduce and play less and less a part in national life.

The latest Savanta poll on the debate has Starmer ‘winning’ overall, and on all the key topics, particularly NHS and Public Services…

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/election-2024-keir-starmer-rishi-sunak-itv-debate-b1162167.html

(First link I could find, don’t ever read the standard btw…)

Keeping Demagogues from power? Like Boris?

That X clip above with Farage is illuminating and very well played – he had is ass handed to him.

On PR – I don’t think support of PR should come from a place of how it might benefit your own political position, as there will always be a negative for any party – but that’s the point. It’s not about who gets political benefit, it’s about democracy and representation, and as a result, a lot more compromise.

I think a whole raft of ‘things aren’t getting better’ were behind the decision to go for the election now, and the stupid Rwanda scheme is a key one. They won’t be dealing with all of the litigation, political losses and sh1t fighting of possibly getting a flight off the ground. There may be a gimic flight before the election, where they round up 3 people with no lawyers on to a flight.

Wild prediction – Labour might find a way of getting David Miliband back in a government role. Obviously not as an MP, but perhaps as Lord Miliband and Foreign secretary with all his Thunderbirds/International Rescue experience [edit – and as previously foreign secretary]? Or as some kind of high priest a-la Mandelson back in the day…David Lammy might not like the first one of course…

multiple news sites saying July 4th  – must be enough ‘sources’ saying so…

I’m clinging on to that fact! :-)

[edit – on July being 2nd half]

No more false hope, please…name the date so we can all have a farewell and F- off party.

Probably just going to be a reshuffle to create the Minister for Prisoners Doing Time at Home or some other innovation…

What about mullet? Does the 27.5 rear help with playfulness/agility? Going to find out myself shortly, but worth considering as it’s a popular build on 29er trail bikes of many types. One smaller wheel and tyre won’t make much of a weight saving, but more about ride feel??

How about a better bag or strap…? I’ve found that using voile nano straps has made a previously slightly floppy top tube bag (alpkit), much better. I imagine it would work even better with one that has a stiffer internal/base construction. A stiffer bag would be my preference, as you might go to all the effort of drilling holes and the bag is still only attached in 2 areas with a small surface area to fix them down. When you look at the (very expensive) tailfin top tube bag, they use basically a fancy voile nano strap but the mounting feet are large and help stop movement. Voile straps don’t really rub like velcro does either. Also doesn’t really need attaching around the steerer spacers either. Just an alternative thought.

I while ago I took a punt on a bargain Titus el Viajero frame that hadn’t been used much (assume its Waltly built). It was the cost of a cheaper new steel frame, but obviously no warranty. I absolutely love how it rides, and it seems to be built nicely and is light but not silly light – a fair chunk less than an equivalent size steel frame. I’m hoping it lasts well and that it can be repaired if I do break it and unlike a tough carbon frame, I don’t need to be that careful with knocks and abrasion to the tubes, which does appeal to me a lot. I’m hoping it’ll last me a long time, and I might feel differently had I spent £2k on a new frame with warranty.

Gary looks over the moon…

All the chatter on Susan Hall is a bit premature, as they’ve not even started counting, let alone splitting out the various electoral races. Just social media filling a void of actual news…but I really hope she’s nowhere near, or not near enough for a scare at least…

The Tory expectation management machine set it’s stall out early that it was a poor night for labour if they couldn’t win West Midlands and Tees Valley mayors. That’s pretty much the best they could come up with. Still plenty of time to see the end result of the votes, but by and large it so far seems to be reflecting what the voting intention polls say, with obvious local nuances. Certainly nothing for the Tories to feel positive about, no closing of gaps with Labour, and generally losing votes to all and sundry.

His views on Russia don’t just have to just be a Tory right wing attack line, as explained above, they can also simply just stand as another horrible truth about the man. Not sure any of it needs to be ranked, it all rests on a plane of his true awfulness….

It’s an exaggeration to suggest he’s paid/directed by Putin for sure. But that’s almost a technicality when compared with the substance of his views and actions in support of Putin’s Russia. Whether he is actually paid/directed is somewhat besides the point; what he says and does in relation to Russia, makes him a de facto stooge in any case. Coming to his defence on a technicality, comes across as inferring (deliberately or otherwise) that his views on Russia have merit and have been misunderstood.  Fair enough if that wasn’t your intention.

I still think the weight of evidence/his actions refute that quite clearly, and the example above doesn’t really cut through the sheer weight of everything else. Particularly as Putin’s relationship with oligarchs is somewhat mixed to say the least, so that subject area isn’t much in the way of defying Putin’s outlook.

As Yak said, an old SLX triple will likely be 104bcd for the outer and middle rings. 30t will be threaded and spaced most likely. I’ve been using just this combo (M660/5 chainset) as 1×10 for ages (and 1×11 on the gravel bike!). Only issue lately has been a new frame where the ‘old’ chainline meant the ring was too close to the chainstay, just because of the tubing shape on that frame. Should be fine on a Vagabond used with the same triple already!

FWIW it think the old SLX stuff is really nice, and is still good quality and decent weight. Newer lower end 1x chainsets aren’t Hollowtech II and fairly chunky.

Does George still think the recent Moscow terror attack was orchestrated/had involvement from the West/Ukraine though?

I think one example of George seemingly having a moment of sanity, doesn’t deflect from his long history of supporting Putin’s regime and false narrative. That isn’t a myth, and calling it out as such is wilfully ignoring the weight of evidence backing it up. Sure. he’s not paid or directed by Putin, but he doesn’t need to be, just that his version of the world suits those regimes enough to have given him a platform.

Does that mean that the few things that he says might make sense in complete isolation, are enough to support the rest of his abhorrent views? That’s a question for those choosing to defend him to answer…

I think the  general election timing is purposely obscure because downing street are preparing for a post local election sh1t fight, and can stamp out a move for a new leader by calling a GE in July. Otherwise I’d assume Sunak wants to remain in post as long as reasonably possible so it would be in the winter. It feels like recent government activity is trying to show they’ve done something, albeit in complete desperation and in the wrong ways. Is this flurry of ill-conceived activity just for local elections, or for a GE coming sooner?

I still feel like the Tory’s couldn’t get away with installing another leader/PM, and I still struggle to comprehend why anyone would want the gig knowing it’s almost certain they’ll be kicked out. But I guess there are others like Truss with inverse imposter syndrome, who might believe they could take over, call an election, and somehow win!?

It’s all a very unpleasant fever dream from which we all need rescuing sooner rather than later…

Shimano mtb calipers work fine with Shimano hydro road levers, Been using post mount Deore calipers for years on mine and they work brilliantly. You will be limited to minimum 160mm rotor though, if that’s a problem.

Get a pole. You have to remove a dirty wheel and remember not to squeeze your brake by accident. Then you can’t get in and out of the tarp at the end with the wheel. Never used/tried it for these reasons!

Sounds good, but need pictures. Ti XC 29er will make a great machine for all terrain riding.

I think a rigid mtb is a superb all-round tool with the right tyres. My main (and most used) bike is a rigid ti 29er. Addressing the point above, using an XC bike doesn’t have to add weight, and they can make for great all-rounders. I don’t like the term flat bar gravel bike when it’s just an mtb with different tyres.

I have a camino too for exposure to curly bars, but I seem to be using it much less now, and the curly bars are basically drop bars for mtbers (Ritchey corralitos).

Have Amtico in a south facing kitchen with big doors and skylights. Been down 7 years and in very good shape, no fading but that might be down to colour choice – ours is a grey-ish finish. It does scratch a bit if something hard gets under chair legs, but the scratches fade pretty quickly. But, we’ve made sure to put pads on all table and chair legs from day 1. But the room can get very warm and plenty of direct light, and two kids have played in this room and done pretty much everything kids do on the floor, it gets a lot of foot traffic including in and outdoors, and has lots of life left in it and the busy areas not worse than others.