I bought a pair of the Rail Sports (650 x 47) but am returning them as the sidewalls leaked like a sieve despite being tubeless ready. Air and sealant just leaked from the join between the tread and sidewall in dozens of places on each tyre. It was as if the fibres has gone brittle as the sidewalls would make a cracking sound as they were inflated or pressed with a thumb. Very odd. Maybe old stock. Shame as they looked good and the tread pattern was exactly what I was after.

According to government website you need to self isolate for two weeks if you have it or your family member has it https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/.

We also know food deliveries are completely clogged up.

With these two facts in mind, why you wouldn’t have a two weeks supply of food to cover the time you are self-isolating is beyond me.

I’ve never had a doubt in the system being able to generate food for everyone, its the delivering it to you house that I knew would also be they issue.

Isolation length depends on if you’ve had it, or someone in your household has had it (or had symptoms) as per your link. Therefore, you don’t need 2 weeks of food as the person who had symptoms first should be able to go out after 7 days as long as they don’t have a temperature.

The reason there is a food crisis is because lots of people have suddenly stockpiled stuff just as you are suggesting. That has caused the system to break down and has left the old and vulnerable in a really poor position as they are struggling to get food. If you (or someone in your immediate household) are not over 70 or in the extremely vulnerable category then you should be using the shops (not daily obviously, but say about weekly) rather than using vital and overloaded delivery services and stockpiling items that those in a less fortunate position cannot now get. If you subsequently get isolated it’s not difficult to get friends or family to shop for you or get local firms to deliver (you are now in the needy category so delivery is fair enough).

Stockpiling and selfish, unnecessary use of supermarket delivery services are the cause of the problem.

At that rate you should always keep a mortgage going. An old boss had a similar deal. Bonuses/enhanced redundancies/inheritances/pay rises meant he could pay it off, but he kept a small amount going and re-mortgaged for a few times to fund things like kids uni fees, car as it was much cheaper than other finance.

Very true. Thankfully managed to port it over 2 house moves. Will be interesting to see if they will do that again in the future or let us extend the end date given the likely economic chaos in the coming years.

I was using an Alpkit Exorail and thought it was excellent at stabilising the bag. The main downsides are that the rail is a faff to put on and take off so if you are wanting to pop the bag on and off it becomes a real pain. Fine if you are putting it on for a few days or a specific trip. The other issue is that it raises your saddle about 15mm so you will need enough adjustment to lower the post in the frame to correct for that. I had no concerns about any sway being transferred to the post, partly because I try to keep the saddle bag relatively light but also the forces IMO are small compared to those generated by me!

The Topeak link above looks interesting. I don’t think it will stop sway like the Exorail as it is essentially just an alternative mounting point rather than a frame that extends along the length of the bag like the Exorail. If you are using it on a full sus bike you will need to ensure you have enough clearance between rear wheel and saddle/seat tube when the suspension is compressed and seatpost lowered. You may find you need to lock out (or greatly stiffen) the rear sus and/or greatly limit travel on the dropper to stop the wheel hitting the bag or mount.

Pics below – first one is a large bag without Exorail but using the enduro collar to limit travel. The second is with an Exorail and enduro collar.

I’ve used the collar in the same way as a couple of posters above. I put it where it was needed to stop the rear wheel contacting the bag if I dropped the post. I then used tape above the collar to protect the post from the bag strap, worked really well and left no marks on the post. I also used it when a fellow rider’s Reverb kept dropping so he could finish the expedition we were on. Not sure it would be the best solution if you are wanting to put the strap actually on the collar as the shape is likely to let the strap slide off. Worth a try though if you can get the freebie above.

Yup. 0.49% above BOE base rate. Had it for years and thankfully it is a lifetime deal. Phew (until the rates go up!).

^^^ agree with Nixie. Really good book that talks you through the whole process.

its going sorn on Wednesday for the foreseeable. I’ll still start him up every week and do a cheeky block trip just to keep him moving

Is it worth the risk of multiple points, a big fine and increased future insurance costs to save a few quid by going SORN? Or is the cheeky block trip all on private road?

Unfortunately a lot of the catering food is heading for landfill. The packs are too big for the general population (2.6kg tin of beans anyone?) and the labelling requirements are different.

That’s certainly true unfortunately. However, numerous wholesalers are starting to provide direct to consumer services such as Bidfood. A relaxation in labelling rules would rapidly ease that problem and maybe free up a considerable amount of meat, flour etc. The government could relax those rules very rapidly if they wanted, as seen by other actions recently. As for pack sizes I’m not sure. Many people have been buying in wholesale quantities which is why were are in this situation. A 2.6kg tin of beans is only the same a 6 regular tins. Not too outrageous for a family (not in one sitting I hope though!!). Meat could be split into smaller portions by the wholesaler or at the supermarkets using the currently empty (at least in the supermarkets I’ve been to) meat counter. Not ideal and would need some action by government but all certainly achievable in times of need and much better than sending it to landfill.

Or people could stop being dicks and just shop normally.

Buying to have 2-3 weeks of good healthy food as a reserve is not panic buying. Just build your reserve gradually.

Yes it is if it’s not how you normally shop. The food chain cannot support the massive increase in demand if everyone does that. You are stocking up and taking things off the shelf for people that may need it now. If everyone just did what they do normally, rather than taking ‘a little extra’ the situation would be a lot better. Yes, there would be some shortages as more people are cooking at home but it wouldn’t take long for the wholesale businesses that normally supply restaurants to redirect produce to shops.

It’s the same with online shopping. Many people are using it when they don’t need to meaning the vulnerable (often the older and less tech savvy) cannot get food without going out. The whole situation is showing just how selfish many people are. Very sad.

Wobbliscott mentions a very common problem that certainly drains the battery, the alarm sounder. It is in the near side front wheel arch and gets wet over time and causes all sorts of weird electrical gremlins. Random wipers that cannot be switched off even after pulling the ignition key out are one, as are random radio and drained batteries. I had to replace mine a few years ago after having numerous battery issues and very embarrassing unstoppable wipers! It solved the issues. May be worth investigating.

IIRC there were details on the S-Max Owners Club forum on workarounds.

I’ve seen a few articles/threads that have said a normal Shimano road front mech just about has enough adjustment to work ok with the 2.5mm wider GRX cranks. I guess it may depend a bit on the seat tube diameter as a wider seat tube would sit a mech slightly wider from the centreline and therefore more likely to be able to cope with the GRX crank offset. As said above, worth a try and if it doesn’t work get a GRX front mech. The other thing worth considering is the ability of the mech to handle the smaller chainrings (46-30 or 48-31 depending on which chainset you are looking at). Again will probably be ok but best to try.

Thanks Supernova. Will have a look. Unfortunately the Old Man is not Facebook savvy so I will have to do from afar. Just wish there was more structured and simple support for the seniors.

Not sure how vulnerable you need to be to get this aid but my 77 year old Dad didn’t qualify. He lives on his own in a remote(ish) area 100 miles from relatives, has had cancer and a heart attack, is diabetic, has angina and can only shuffle about 10 yards. But that is clearly not enough!! He certainly fits the bill for those recommended to isolate for 12 weeks but no state help at all. He wasn’t signed up for online shopping and really struggling to get slots for that. Not impressed by lack of Government support for the elderly who have been told to isolate. Not after much, just some priority for food delivery and delivery of prescriptions.

The raised pivot point is on the di2 only. The mechanical are just re-shaped levers. The RX810 calipers are the same mechanically as Ultegra but with a different spray job.

I broke mine in 3 places last summer while on holiday in France. French doc referred me for surgery but Brit doc from my insurance company was advising to leave it in line with normal UK practice. I opted for the surgery and was fixed up less than 24 hours after the crash. The surgeon was excellent – lots of practice I assume as it was in the Alps! Very glad I went that route as the shoulder recovered very rapidly, good enough to MTB across Iceland 5 weeks later. My ribs however took 3 months to stop hurting and there was little I could do to ease the pain. Thankfully they were surprisingly ok on the bike but not good sleeping.

The shoulder is all good with no pain, full range of movement, a tidy scar (war wound!) and all symmetrical with the other side. I do have a very small lump under the skin on the edge of the plate but it does not bother me in any way. My doc and physio were very impressed with the surgery and how it speeded up my recovery. I would therefore recommend surgery but it is obviously not for everyone and there are risks. Your doc will be able to advise. Good luck.

The article linked below from the New York Times on 20 Mar is worth a read. The author argues that isolating and supporting essentially only the vulnerable would limit the death rate, build immunity in the long run and limit economic impact. Similar to some of the points that Montgomery makes but without sounding like we are sacrificing the vulnerable to save the rest!

It does however say there is a narrow window of opportunity to go down this route. Maybe that has passed. Not sure if I agree with the article but a good discussion piece.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/opinion/coronavirus-pandemic-social-distancing.html

What do we reckon about hiking? (or just tramping through the woods?)

i.e. driving 45 mins out of town, park up, a 4 hour walk punctuated by sandiwches on a stone wall somewhere, see half a dozen others all day then drive home again?

‘And even if you don’t have symptoms and if no one in your household has symptoms, there is more that we need you to do now.

So, second, now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel.’ Boris Johnson, 16 Mar 20.

And things have tightened up even more since the 16th.

What is necessary about your 45 minute drive to another area? Stop bloody travelling when it is not essential. How difficult is it to understand? Stop being part of the problem.

Highlands say please don’t come.

BBC – People urged not to visit Highlands to flee virus

2 of my local breweries in Harrogate:

Roosters Online shop for national delivery or local collection/delivery available.

Cold Bath Brewing Local delivery available. See Facebook for details.

Friends brewery in Morayshire:

Windswept Brewing Online shop for national delivery. Free local delivery available too.

It’s going to be a very tough time for the small breweries in the coming months. Such a shame given the sheer hard work and dedication they have put into developing awesome and successful businesses. Please keep the orders going!

thing is, they’re not taking that action yet, nor even advising it on their website. When they do, I suspect those on here who are currently planning to take trips will cancel/postpone them. The virus needs to spread at a certain rate, and in fact having it spread evenly across the country helps that (otherwise you have an imbalance of NHS needs in different places)

Yes, we are in the delay phase and widespread infection is inevitable but the government is trying desperately to slow that spread down so it peaks in the warmer months and limits the peak on the NHS. At the moment it is spreading quicker than hoped for hence earlier than hoped for actions such as school closures. I’m not sure the virus ‘needs to spread at a certain rate’, I think the government would do whatever it could to stop that spread dead if there was a way!

Personally, I think the PM was pretty explicit about unnecessary travel when he said the following during his update on 16 Mar:

‘And even if you don’t have symptoms and if no one in your household has symptoms, there is more that we need you to do now.

So, second, now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel.’

I’m sure people will interpret the guidance their own way and have an argument why they have to or can travel, but most probably know in their heart it is against the spirit of what the government is asking you to do. Probably the same people who have all the bog rolls and pasta.

Due to go up to Alnwick in Northumberland with the family on 6th April for a week. Current view is that we’re still going, but won’t be eating out or going to pubs much. Probably some cheap breaks at centre parcs in school time now 😀

Centre Parcs are closed from tomorrow for a month. They are playing their part. If you travel you are then part of the problem and risk helping C19 spread quicker and increase the load on the NHS and kill more people. You are part of the reason that the government will have to take action to prevent non-essential travel (your trip is not essential) to help lower and slow the peak. Why don’t you play your part and holiday at home and minimise your exposure? It’s not that hard! I was looking forward to a week in Northumberland too on 18 Apr but am going to stay at home and depending on the advice (and my health) at the time help anyone isolating or vulnerable on the street.

Look to France, Spain or Italy to see what is coming this way very soon.

Not convinced. The only people I need to come into contact with are shop staff. Just like being at home. In three months time the virus will be present in the population throughout the UK so I don’t believe travel within the UK in three months time, in the absence of increased social contact, will increase the virus transmission. In fact by taking holiday time I am reducing social contact as I would otherwise be at work in contact with numerous random people every day.

Who knows what the situation will be like in 3 months time? It is pretty much a day at a time at the moment! If the government’s plan to flatten the curve works we will possibly be at the peak so yes, maybe your trip won’t add much to the risk. But we are not there yet and trips in the next few weeks (Easter hols included) certainly do add to the transmission rate and undermine the attempt to flatten the peak and reduce the risk of swamping the NHS.

If people can go on holiday and have minimal/no contact why can’t they at home? Instead, take your time off work, have a staycation and minimise your exposure. A win, win that does your bit to help the big plan. I really hope things will have eased in 3+ months time as I have a holiday booked in Scotland. Looking at how other countries are coping I am not hopeful! My Easter trip away is not happening now, instead I will be doing all those jobs at home that I never have time for and spending some proper time with the family. Unless I get called up at work!

Wow. Why are so many people finding it difficult to understand the very clear guidance to avoid non-essential travel? Travelling for a holiday is not essential. Ever. It doesn’t matter a jot if you think you will keep yourself to yourself and just stick to the beach or whatever. By travelling you risk transferring C19 from one bubble of the population to another. You put the population at the holiday location at risk as well as your local population when you return. And anyone else you come into contact with (or leave the virus for) during the journey there and back.

What if one of your party goes ill while away?? Or during the journey.

The simulations at this LINK give a simplified idea as to why the Government are asking people not to travel. By travelling you are one of the people moving the UK from the 4th simulation (Maximum social distancing) to the 3rd simulation (lesser social distancing). That means more people will die and more will die quicker, meaning the NHS will struggle to cope. So yet more die.

It’s not difficult. Don’t be a dick selfish. ‘Holiday’ at home and do your bit to stop transferring the virus. The economy will recover but the dead won’t return. Just think, one of the dead could be a member of your family or a friend.

IMO the Government will take direct action if people ignore the very clear guidance not to travel. France and Italy are proof of that.

Do you have a window? I’ve got a view of a road and my observation is I have seen NO X5M’s today… I saw a Range Rover something but that’s the only big SUV whereas I’ve seen several small SUV’s…

Guessing your window isn’t in Harrogate then?! Can’t see any small SUVs as they are hidden behind all the Land Rovers, Range Rovers, Q7s, X5Ms, Cayennes….

The roads up here are very muddy though and the hills very steep and everyone has 5 kids so these ~20mpg Chelsea tractors are essential.🤔

For many I believe it is all about fashion and status rather than a real need that couldn’t be satisfied by a more economical and appropriate vehicle. By appropriate I mean for urban school runs, super market car parks, town street parking, commuting etc.

Don’t know of a euro wide tag. I got a French one a few years back. It is brilliant and just wish I had got one decades ago. We always get through the tolls quicker than cars without, especially when using the 30kph lanes. Mine costs a whole €1.90 each month it is used. I can save that by lifting off down one hill!! The website and paperwork is mostly in French but Google Translate helps out!

ATMB

Meant to add – doesn’t save you anything on the tolls. Also, bill it to a credit card such as Halifax Clarity and there are no exchange or foreign transaction charges.

I have a large with 25mm Conti 4000s which fit fine once the wheel is in. However it is really difficult to get the rear wheel in/out so IMO a 28 would be just too big to get the wheel back in. Tyre jams in the frame between the chainstays and bottom bracket before the axle is near the dropouts – requires a firm thump to fit! 28mm would also be very very tight with the chainstays if you did manage to get the wheel in.

Maybe try Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover. It’s the stuff Invisiframe recommend for cleaning the frame before applying their film. It seems to shift most stuff like dried on bugs and tar so will hopefully do sealant too. Won’t damage paint either!

The guide at this link is really good if you are not used to building wheels. Wheelpro

IMO no need for washers as the rim is designed to take the nipple directly. A dab of oil from a cotton bud on the inner face of the rim spoke hole will help with the build.

Just been through this loop. Ended up renewing with Pedal Cover but minus the excess insurance. Good cover for the bikes and also possessions away from the home. Yes it may have been a little (~£30) more than others but the lack of stupid restrictions on the bikes sealed it for me this year.

Hmmm! Slightly worrying comments on this thread. Flying out of Manchester soon with a big group and lots of bikes. Will obviously need lube, sealant and tools etc. Leaving CO2 at home and going to buy in country. Fingers crossed for the rest!!

2.8 DHR2 3C on the front and 2.8 Recon on the rear. Great combo for most UK riding and not too draggy. Fit a 2.8 Butcher (50% off on Spec website!) on the rear for the Alps to get a bit more grip and toughness.

+3 for Yellow Jersey. Had to claim a few weeks ago when I broke my collarbone in Morzine and needed surgery. All handled by Allianz who are the insurer. Claim in but not yet been paid – don’t expect any problem though!

I would recommend Cycle Systems Academy for Level 2 or 3 mechanic training. I did a L3 course a couple of years ago with them and thoroughly recommend them. Sean who owns the business and teaches the courses is excellent and has a deep knowledge of exactly what you are looking to do.

https://www.cycle-systems.co.uk/

I bought some rubber mats and a boot liner from Travall a few months ago. Good fit and delivery. Perhaps fractionally thinner than manufacturers originals but certainly very good for the price and will last years.

The Westphalia bars are excellent. Really easy to fit/remove and last years with no maintenance unlike the bar on my last car that siezed and could not be removed after I left it on for a couple of months. Had 2 Westphalias on different cars.

Much depends on the way the electrics are connected to the car. If it’s a proper connector then generally fine but some after market ones are connected with the little blue 3M inline connectors. A bodge at best that could result in problems down the line. I’ve had both and prefer the proper route. Not long ago had VW detachable Westphalia fitted to my Passat by VW. Cost £600 all in. Was only slightly more than going the PF Jones route with aftermarket electrics but is fully warranted by VW. Of note my Thule rack with LED lights works fine and is fully recognised.

Would also recommend going with the 13 electrics as mentioned above. Much better than the 7 pin.

Good luck.

Used to use this on an old car that had hazy plastic headlights. Works very well but may need to reuse annually. I put a clear car wax on after that seemed to help keep them clear for longer. Only £8!
Fenwicks Cleaner

I thoroughly recommend CSA if you are near Devon. I did a level 3 course there a couple of years ago. They do everything from beginners courses to pro level stuff depending on your need/interest. Cycle Systems Academy

I’m 178cm with a 30-31″ inside leg and found the large perfect. The short seat tube means I can run a 150mm dropper without it being too high at full extension (unlike my Whyte G150 with a 125 dropper!).

Stif have some good deals at present, especially on the Plus models. They are cheaper than the 29er to the point that you can buy a second set of wheels and have the option of both sizes. Win win!