On the flu jab, my FIL developed carpal tunnel syndrome immediately after his last one. Apparently it’s a (rare) thing.

After a covid jab my girlfriend suffered a dead/painful arm for a long time, but then found a cyst in her breast on the same side of her body. Had it drained and the dead arm pain also went.

Incidently the lump came back and she had it cut out by that Asmaa lady that won this years “The Great British Sewing Bee” – needless to say the stich work was impeccable…

carbon fork though…

Halfords had an exclusive deal with Voodoo but hardly put any stock in their shops which was weird as their bikes are designed my a MTB hall of famer FFS.

So what would be the point of buying lesser brands for sale in Halfords ?

They would need to buy the retailer brand instead

If you can get long-term interest free at the moment, where the initial price doesn’t seem to be inflated to compesate, then that’s worth it because of inflation and the rates available to put that money elsewhere.

I am personally not having another jab after seeing how the flu jab has completely wrecked my girlfriends brother life – I can’t remember what the diagnosis is now but it’s gone through “It’s all in your head” to possible Guillain barre syndrome to whatever it is now, with him being unable to work and physically unable to do much activity at all. Also had Cateract problems resulting from the treatments and has had to have operations on both eyes.

However at the time he had the jab he was training hard, circuits, etc.

So if I were to have another jab, flu or covid, or whatever, I would certainly be resting for at least a week afterwards.

That also fits in with a documentary I saw ages ago about people with ‘chronic fatique syndrome’ and most of them seem to have carried on with some intense exercise close to an illness which included a sore throat (virus…).

I’ve always used the footjoy ones which seem pretty decent.

I’ve got a polar verity sense which is much less hassle than my ticker chest strap. I use it on my left bicep, I had it on my forearm but it actually caused some tennis elbow like issues!

You can also reduce the size of the jockey wheels to give a bit more clearance, I did this with a 10 speed XTR mech…

Man Inadvertently Proves That Hipsters Look Alike By Mistaking Photo As Himself

The comment says that the GX Chainset non-boost linked to above is actually Super-Boost…

South Downs Bikes currently have the Wahoo Kickr Move at £999, which is less than they are selling the normal Kickr v6 for and the same price Condor is selling the Kickr v6 for.
you can always lock out the fore/aft movement if you don’t like it and just have the increased lateral movement that the Move addition provides over and above the standard feet, which means I can dump the sorbothane pads that I have always used on my v1 Kickr to provide some lateral movement.
https://www.southdownsbikes.com/facetresultsalt.aspx?facet=wahoo/instock 

Bose quiet comfort 35 which I presume would be just as good sound wise if plugged in

Never assume Bose have good sound quality – if they do Bose were just lucky as they normally have overblown bass as their minimum infringement on sensible sound quality.

My mother ended up with several large tumours in her stomach – and even had names for them…

She decided to eschew chemo and embrace the upcoming ‘clean’ end rather than wait for dementia/alzhemers, etc.

She arranged her own burial/gravestone/funeral – the stone mason said it was refreshing to deal with the ‘client’ – although he actually committed suicide himself before the headstone was finished by driving his van off the cliffs at Brighton.

We have a shower room downstairs and seemed to have a lot of condensation/humidity and mould problems with it – the shower does chuck out a lot of water, the fan is not that great and there are no windows. Old house with cold stone walls.

I have a dehunidifier outside the door, but the real improvements came when I put a small squeegee on the wall (OXO Good grips) on the wall and after a shower sweep the walls down into the shower tray and then the water in the shower tray into the plug, and then later run the towel over the walls to remove the last of the moisture, plus any on the floor.

The towel then goes in the wash bin, although because of the squeegee it is much less wet than if it were used to wipe the walls down on its own. Obviously we go through towels at a rate but the washing machine has an efficient quick cycle and the tumble dryer is also quite efficient.

The fan is then enough to remove the mist in the air whilst I am finishing up shaving/etc.

The mould in particular is gone/reduced massively.

I note your fancy tiles make sweeping them down with a squeeee slightly less easy.

(I tried my karcher vacuum but it was just a pain in the backside).

My Sultan with CYC Kit.

They have just reduced the price on the Kickr Snap and Core, will hold their value better for resale if you ever decided you wanted to upgrade, and also probably better for support.

I’ve just installed the CYC Photon kit on my Turner Sultan, the main bodgy bit is that I have had to mount the battery under the downtube because of the lack of space within the frame – if it were an XL instead of an L it would have fitted. Other FS frame types with inline shocks are more accomodating. I drilled 4 proper mounts for the battery so it is solid on its own, although I also use a couple of small straps for extra security.

The motor protrudes a bit forward but not by much and it would have been less if my frame was more of a regular front triangle shape.

The bike is a 29er set up as 27.5+ with 3.0 and 2.8 back tyres, weighed 17.75kg before fitting the kit, now 21.22Kg which includes a 728ah battery (52V, 14Ah). I cycle a lot without any assistence so get good range. I might go back to 29 as then I could make it a bit slacker with the current offset shock bushings.

The motor is torque sensing and is very good, better than the TongSheg apparently, and it is pretty quite.

The normal kit is switchable between modes and there is an EU 250W mode, although the fact it is switcheable (in the app) makes it technically not legal in the UK. There is a UK legal restricted version available now, and I don’t feel the need for any more power as it is a very torquey motor.

CYC Photon – 250W EPAC Compliant eBike Torque Sensing Mid Drive Conversion Kit

Think the Kickr Core reduction is a general thing now, not a bargain reduction, so don’t rush

Right hand thread tightening only.

They both have a little lever near the head that ‘might’ change the direction, judging by other tools I have…

My father had 3 white English bull terriers named Butch, Blossom and Belinda

One of my cats is named Ty (influenced by Caddieshack…)

All Tarantino films, IMO he is a genius.

You sound like you might also be an Elon Musk fan…

A couple of his films are good but he is basically a plagiariser

Other than Apple Pay, what features of the Apple Watch will a Garmin not give you?

Accurate HR and sleep tracking ?

also covers the Ultra 2 :

The Last Seduction

The Sure Thing

Clueless

Ponzi scheme ?

I’ve had a downpour plus for several years now – still going well with no wear but it hasn’t had much in the way of hard use.

Gets wetter inside that my old (North Face and Berghaus) paclite jackets did and I have the impression that it doesn’t breath as well, but I must be wrong as everyone says the pertex breathes better.

Rad do a hybrid jacket with the thinner pretext for most of the jacket and the thicker, ore robust 3L for the shoulders, which might be a good idea if you are planning on using rucksacks, etc. 

  but what is clear is that any twist and go bike since 2016 has to be type approved.

any new bike with twist and go has to be type approved, unless it only assists to 6kmh (there may be a change for vehicles sold after 2018, I haven’t checked), but a conversion of a bike that has been previously used on the road with a kit can be twist and go to the full 15.5mph, as the article I linked to points out and I’ve had confirmed as well.

I was also sent this guidance:

Guidance on European Type Approval for certain Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPC)

New European rules affecting certain Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles

This note provides guidance to help retailers, manufacturers, importers and dealers ensure that they do not sell or register non-compliant electrically assisted pedal cycles. The term Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPC) includes vehicles that are capable of being propelled either by pedalling or by electric power, but does not include more powerful electric bikes (over 250W), those which can exceed 25km/h (15.5mph) (“speed pedelecs”) or those which cannot be propelled by pedal, all of which are treated as mopeds or scooters in UK. A separate guidance note covers the situation as regards the domestic laws in Great Britain covering these vehicles and the criteria they must satisfy in order not be classed as motor vehicles.

New European laws affect certain EAPC sold new after 1 January 2016. If you import, manufacture or sell certain EAPC then you need to be aware of the law.

1. New requirement from 1 January 2016 – Type Approval for “twist and go” EAPC.

Certain electrically assisted pedal cycles are specified in GB law as not being motor vehicles and thus not subject to the requirements for registration, tax, driver licensing, compulsory insurance, helmet wearing and annual roadworthiness testing that would otherwise apply to all motorised two wheel vehicles. Within the GB definition of Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle there are two distinct classes – cycles which can only obtain power assistance when the rider is pedalling, and those where power can be obtained even when the rider is not pedalling, often known as “Twist and go”.

1.1 Cycles which cannot obtain power assistance when the rider is not pedaling

Under European law (Regulation 168/2013: Article 2-2 (h)) these cycles are exempt from EU type approval.

1.2 Cycles where power can be obtained even when the rider is not pedalling (twist and go)

Under European law these cycles are categorised as “L1e-A” and are required to obtain EU or domestic type approval. They are not required to be registered. There is however an exemption for cycles where power is available only up to 6 km/h without pedalling, to help start-up, and these are exempt from type approval.

2. Is there some leeway for in-scope EAPC models that were in stock or on sale prior to 1 January 2016?

Yes. We believe that in-scope EAPC without type approval can continue to be sold by importers if they were manufactured and imported prior to 1 Jan 2016. Article 12 of 168/2013 states that importers shall place on the market only compliant vehicles, suggesting that EAPC already placed on the market prior to 1 January 2016 can continue to be sold off. This does not permit the import or manufacture of new in-scope EAPC without approval after this date.

3. What forms of type approval exist?

2.1 Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA), which is an inspection normally carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Services Agency (DVSA), formerly VOSA. An EAPC will be treated as a low power moped. For more information on how to apply, details of the requirements, the fee and so on, see:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/motorcycle-single-vehicle-approval

2.2 European Type Approval (ECWVTA), which is available from the UK Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) or from type approval authorities in other member states, for example KBA in Germany. More information on the requirements is given below.

4. European type approval – the requirements for EAPC in scope (see para 1.2 above) 4.1 Requirements of European type approval from 1 Jan 2016

We have been advised that initially the only requirement for in-scope EAPC is on lighting: An Automatic Headlamp On (AHO) facility must be fitted. Essentially, a bicycle front lamp which the manufacturer declares complies with ISO 6742-1:1987 must be fitted and designed to be lit automatically when the vehicle is in motion. This could be via dynamo or other technical solution. Under domestic law (The Pedal Cycle Safety Regulations 2010) a number of reflectors must be fitted to a new bike so it would be advisable to cover them in the type approval in preparation for a full type approval as per paragraph 4.2 below. In addition, a manufacturer’s Conformity of Production will need to be demonstrated to the VCA (or overseas approval authority).

4.2 Requirements of European type approval for vehicles sold after 1 Jan 2018

From 1 Jan 2018 all EAPC which are of the “twist and go” type will need a full type approval to 168/2013. This encompasses a long list of requirements, on lighting, brakes, and so on, although in case of lights and tyres, “bicycle” CEN standards are accepted, and low speed vehicles are exempt from some requirements.

5. What are the penalties for not having type approval?

The relevant domestic regulations are in draft form and will be subject to a short consultation soon. Currently a range of fines are envisaged as penalties, depending on the severity and persistence of the offence. After modification following any comments received, the regulations will be published and enter into force immediately.

6. Q&A

Why are certain EAPC (the “twist and go” types) required to have type approval?

This was decided during a European negotiation and the majority view among member states was that requiring type approval was appropriate for these vehicles. Once obtained, type approval means that the vehicle can be sold throughout Europe without further inspection. This should result in lower costs for consumers and help exporters.

What about electric pedal cycles which are not EAPC under British law as the power exceeds 250W, or the powered speed can exceed 15.5mph (25kph)?

These vehicles, regardless of the precise mode of power assistance, are classified as mopeds in Great Britain and like any moped, type approval has been a requirement since 2003. Depending on the maximum power and speed the vehicles will be categorised in Europe as L1e-A (not exceeding 1000kW or 25 km/h) or L1e-B (not L1e-A, and up to 4kW and 45km/h).

7 . G l o ssa r y

European type approval

Most two and three wheel motor vehicles are type approved before they can be sold and registered. Type approval is the process of a government appointed body (e.g. the UK government has appointed the Vehicle Certification Agency, VCA) certifying that a range of vehicles complies with relevant safety and

environmental laws. It is normally obtained by the manufacturer, as only he can guarantee the conformity of every vehicle he produces. Once a vehicle range is type approved, a manufacturer issues an EC Certificate of Conformity (EC CoC) with each vehicle to declare that it complies with the approved specification.

Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA)

Two and three wheel motor vehicles, including in-scope electric cycles that have not been type approved by the manufacturer must undergo an SVA inspection before they can be registered, to ensure they meet relevant safety and environmental standards. DVSA carry out MSVA testing in Great Britain, with DVA responsible in Northern Ireland.

8. Exports and sales in other EU member states

Other member states may have completely different domestic rules, although as a matter of principle they will be required to accept a vehicle with a full EU type approval. You may find that EAPC of a class subject to

type approval will be subject to registration, driver licensing and so on as if it were a moped – albeit some member states have a less onerous regime for mopeds. You will need to contact the vehicle or transport authority in those states, or a bicycle or motorcycle trade association, for more information.

9. Useful links

MSVA from DVSA (GB) -https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/motorcycle-single-vehicle-approval MSVA from DVA (Northern Ireland) – http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/the-motorcycle-single-vehicle-approval-msva-scheme

Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) – http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/

EU Regulations on motorcycles – http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/legislation/motorbikes- trikes-quads/index_en.htm

Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) – http://www.mcia.co.uk/

Bicycle Association of Great Britain (BAGB) – http://www.bicycleassociation.org.uk/

The information in this document is a summary of the Department’s understanding of what the law requires. However, ultimately the interpretation of the law is a matter for the courts based on individual facts of any particular case. You are therefore advised to consult the relevant legislation and, if necessary, seek independent advice.

Department for Transport

What are the regs with regard to cut off speed and power?

15.5mph and 250w continous, same as for normal epacs.

You can have a throttle but you have to have a cut-out if the cranks stop rotating. If the motor works when the cranks aren’t turning (apart from a moment of over-run) then it isn’t a road legal ebike.

you’ve made that up – I have never seen anything in writing that says that – you need to provide a link.

There was an article on Pedelecs soon after the 2016 reg change which confirmed that twist and go on a converted ebike was legal as long as the power and speed limits were followed, and I wrote to the DfT for confirmation, which they provided by saying that the web article was correct. I have quoted their answer several times on this site, one fairly recently.

DfT: Pedal cycles converted to ‘twist and go’ exempt from type approval

The presence of a throttle is not itself illegal if it is a conversion kit, as long as the cut off speed and power match the regulations.

Perhaps there should be more demonstrations of ebikes to the public ao they can see how much easier they are to pedal when assisted and how the different assistence levels can be used – might make more of them think that they are a viable option and a throttle is not needed – especially as the range when peddling is much better than using just a throttle.

When I first got into mountain biking and used to pound out 35 mile loops Saturday and Sunday morning around the Walton Heath/Epsom/Leatherhead/Dorking bridleways – which got very muddy and wet in the winter.

I would wear mostly HH lifa base tops with fairly cheap Ronhill pertex running jackets – which were fully waterproof but with a lot of vents for running ventilation (across the back, etc – not pit vents). If the weather was really cold I might wear another thin fleece midlayer, although not often.

I thought this worked really well and I never remember feeling the need to upgrade – I was riding hard enough to need to often wash the white salt marks from my helmet straps.

Currently I have a Rab Pertex Shield jacket, with pitzips, that I only use for walking, and I really don’t think it is great for breathability, and I am fairly used to the ‘feel’ of the thinner type of jacket, having had several paclite walking jackets from North Face and Berghaus.

All my riding jackets are eVent which seems to work well in the rain and has never felt ‘sweaty’

There was an article online recently comparing drying with a heated airer and a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier won on time plus less hassle as you needed to keep rearranging the stuff on the airer to get even drying.

The best was he dehumidifier in conjunction with a normal fan which served to move the air about to replicate a breezy day outside – cut the drying time nearly in half.

Respect – I’ll start my NT subscription back up again…

I could never afford a new build so I’ve bought one from 1890!

beat you, mine’s 1889.

Cold stone walls but enough height in the rooms downstairs to put up a golf net and swing a driver.

Sister’s is older than that in Brighton and made of that bungaroosh stuff.

I’ve got hyperaccusis as well as Tinnitis (increased sensitivity) and I’ve used ER20s successfully at a DJ Shadow gig which was pretty loud, also recently bought some Senner MusicPros which seem good and are a bit more discreet.

Took the RAC option when I renewed my car insurance – switched to Aviva as the RIAS quote had increased 120% and the Aviva quote was the same once the RAC cover was added, so I ditched my AA cover.

I go straight to LinkedIn

Ever since my sister endorsed my xml skills on LinkedIn I knew it was pretty much worthless.

It is just a self-congratulatory forum where no one critisises anything and hardly anyone posts anything that could be critisised, there’s lots of virtue signalling, and lots of building up connection networks with tenuous links just to show how great you are.

Ebikes older than the regs in 2016 can have a throttle and bikes previously used on the road and converted to an ebike can also have a throttle that works to 15.5mph, as summarised by an article on the Pedelecs website:

DfT: Pedal cycles converted to ‘twist and go’ exempt from type approval

When I wrote to the DfT for clarification they replied:

“I believe that the text you have quoted, which has been reproduced on the Pedelecs website, is from private correspondence with the Department for Transport which the recipient has obviously decided to make public. It is not an official document. However, my colleagues in International Vehicle Standards have confirmed that the website has correctly reporoduced their comments and the person writing the website has understood correctly”.

I’ve just converted my Turner with the CYC Photon kit and left the throttle on there.

Howver, I am considering removing it but for the possibillity that it might be useful for those times where you are negotiating a waterlogged/muddy rutted track. Not so useful for using it to try and get started on a very steep bit of track that you’ve made a mistake on and stopped due to the need to have your weight forward anyway – you’re better off trying to peddle due to weight distribution.

Achievements and not just what you did…

CVs ae now often screened by software looking for key phrases, etc, so it might be worth using a CV formatting firm who will make sure your CV gets through such software with a decent score.

But avoid topcv.co.uk, they changed the formatting nicely but kept filling the CV with BS/meaningless statements, probably because the person working on it wasn’t a native english speaker and also wasn’t familiar with the field.

Lots of good stuff in this book :

https://amzn.eu/d/0p7OXXP

You can also buy weighted blankets that are supposed to work really well

I have several and they do work, but the ‘totally confined by the weight of the blanket’ takes a bit of getting used to.

Usage with a wool duvet is recommended as they regulate temperature much beter than down.

Baavet wool duvets are lush.