The 2021 Oscars drew 9.23 million viewers, a 51% drop from the 18.69 million who tuned into the program in 2020.
Creating a fake controversy might get people to tune in?
Perhaps what the audience wants is more woke lecturing and virtue signalling from people who get paid millions to pretend to be someone else?

Probikekit are doing those little Feedback Sports torque wrenches for 45 notes, so to contradict myself I’ve just ordered one as a load of my frame pivot caps are 4Nm

Been wearing the same pair of half jackets for over 20 years now, would buy another pair if they died. I wear specs too and the best frames I’ve worn are Oakleys in terms of sturdiness and style. Cost a bit more but you get what you pay for

I knew they’d come back into fashion one day

It’s marketing.

So I’ve got the Phenom on one bike, went for a 3hr+ last weekend, and a new Ergon SM Pro on the other, first ride last night, 1.5hr. Phenom is good as ever, butt hurts a bit after an hour or so of the ride but far less than other saddles. Ergon firmer than I was expecting but didn’t notice it too much. Bit of the usual butt ache. So not much between the two in my experience

reckon you can get away with doing those low torque bolts by feel. I got one of those digital ones with a range something like 6 – 22Nm for doing the 7nm bolts – seat post was still slipping with it at specified 7Nm, tightened it by hand til it stopped slipping, job done. Don’t bother with the dig torque now. Use a standard 1/2″ TW for the 40Nm cap on the cassette. Get a half decent brand and it should be accurate enough, I’ve checked it against my 1/2″ digital torque adaptor and its pretty much spot on across the range, except perhaps the bottom 5 which are maybe +/-1Nm out
My other TW is a 3/8″ ‘calibrated’ Sealey, I managed to strip a car sump plug with that, and it was accurate as I checked against a new digital one, so going by feel is a good idea with aluminium

An XC MTB can go anywhere a gravel bike can, vice versa not so much

I’m going through this at the moment. You’re maybe only really going to need a solicitor if the will is likely to get contested, or there’s an irregularity or issue with it (for example the probate office want a completely unmarked, pristine, original-only copy of the will)…
I’ve heard of a case where someone has ended up with a useless solicitor, its dragged on for months, cost money, and they end up DIY-ing it…
Note that before you can apply for probate you have to accurately value the entire estate, which the lovely people at HMRC will tell you includes small change, pictures on the wall, all effects and belongings, you have to go back through seven years of their bank statements looking for potential gifts that were given away, etc, etc. Only once you have done this, come up with an accurate figure with evidence, including a probate estimate for any house/property(ies), investments, other money that may come in after death (eg may be a pension credit) minus funeral costs etc, can you actually apply for probate and be able to liquidate their property.
HMRC can challenge your case any time for up to 10 years so you have to keep all records.
I’d only do it for family tbh, and I guess the closer you are to the inheritance tax limit the sniffier HMRC might get about it.
You’ll also probably have to deal with things like council tax exemption on the property, take up responsibility for bills (eg leccy) until the property is disposed of, etc. Not sure if you would be able to get fast access to any bank account(s) they had left to cover this, I think it depends on the size of their final balance, but you might need probate first (I got almost instant access but it helped I’m a close relative with the same bank).
Its not been as bad as it sounds but as it tends to be a stressful / upsetting time I can see why people would want the weight taken off their shoulders and go for a solicitor.

I’ve got a Phenom on one bike, 155 Large I think (went to LBS to get measured, how very dare they) and one of those red Fabric Line Elite Shallows that comes in a 142 in large. The Phenom is pretty good from memory, I’ll be sitting on it for first time in over 2 years tomorrow so I might have a different opinion in 24hrs.. which is amazing seeing as its pretty much a thin strip of plastic based saddle.
I wanted to like the Fabric but tbh it is complete torture after about an hour. I’ve put up with it for a year and a half to get my money’s worth but writing this I think its time it went. I guess Fabric sizing is a vanity thing for folks who don’t want to admit they are wide-of-beam, and I was in denial when I bought it.
So maybe the moral is, go to your LBS for a proper measure… I’d tried the DIY methods for measuring and had decided I was defo a medium…

Surely Bessie isn’t still going at the Dyffryn Arms? She was about 100 last time I popped in about 15 years ago, and there was a bad fire a couple of years back which you’d think would have finished her off. Hope she’s still doing her thing.

It can be a magical spot when the weather’s good, I was once sat by the Gwaun stream on a warm sunny spring day and 2 baby otters ran past chattering to each other about 2 yards away

Two words I didn’t know the meaning of a year ago… flexible endoscopy!

though reading the above I think I’ve got off lightly so far

There isn’t much great MTB in the area, true, though I rode the Preselli hills in snow and ice one new year’s from the east end, down to Rosebush, then back to the start on the road / ice rink on the southside. Also made up a couple of rides involving the Gwaun and Carn Ingli. More walking/roadie area as others have mentioned. I’d chuck my bike in the car and head for Cambrians when I lived out there

My youngest has just grown out of his MX24 dirt, great little bike, a bit heavier than you’d expect at around 12kg but that never seemed to be a problem. Suits 7 – 10 years give or take a year depending on height.

Now I’ve got the headache of selling it.

Idiotic response.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47032829

Just taking one point from there, so you’re cool with burqas?

Yep, presumably you are not – which is no surprise given all the other shit you post.

Wow, ok. I post shit? Coming from an inhabitant of a troll filled echo chamber, that really hurts!

Yeah well call me a Nazi but I’m with the women of Iran who risk their necks by going unveiled in public. We are talking about real fascism here. If you think it’s shit perhaps you need to do a bit more homework. Saying “you write shit” might win you an argument in your school playground but if you are trying to argue with someone of opposing political views you need to be a bit more intelligent/eloquent, or I’m afraid you just sound like a knuckle dragging standard issue pond life.

Good grief, going through the Charge Sheet it would seem some time ago Boris made a disparaging remark about poor governance in Africa. Well Comrades, I don’t think we need to feel offence on behalf of Africa, where corruption in office is literally unheard of. They can rise above it!

think this thread has all you need to know about him…

https://twitter.com/uk_domain_names/status/1138840014824124417

Oh my goodness. It says here this Johnson fellow has some sort of irrational fear of Islam. Well this is too much. I can’t believe it… WHY Boris?? I trusted you, believed in you, and how do you repay me?? Irrationally fearing Islam, that’s how! How are we to get full Sharia implemented across the UK with politicians like Johnson around? I must admit people I’m starting to come round to seeing things from the Corbyn mob point of view. There’s hope for me yet Comrades! Thinking about it, there’s an easy cure. If an Imam puts a Fatwah on BJ, it won’t be an irrational fear!

I think this thread has all you need to know about him…

Just taking one point from there, so you’re cool with burqas? Don’t see why people might not like them? This is the same Boris who wants an amnesty for all illegal immigrants by the way. The nazi.

Sounds like BS, how hard would it have been to keep an eye on the fridge at lunchtime and spot the sarnie thief redhanded

Darn and I had my hopes pinned on Greta Thunberg

I’m just about to embark on a family weekend to the Devon coast. I’m sure it will be worth the 4 hour drive. Will be hiring bikes for a family ride and the kids will bloody well enjoy it or else. Almost looking forward to Monday and the office

First world problems

We need to burn as much fossil fuel as possible to stave off the next ice age

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-mini-ice-age-is-coming-in-the-next-15-years

It’s fruitcake central in here

If you think Gumtree can be a pain, just try giving stuff away on Freecycle. It’s full of mad hoarders who contact you as soon as you advertise and ask for the item. You say yes, and then have to disappoint everyone who wasn’t fast enough. Fast forwards a day and your customer is asking odd questions. The trolley jack, is it heavy? Erm .. yes, it’s a trolley jack. Only I have to get a bus. Then why do you need a trolley jack?!? Ok sorry Ill have to leave it. So now you are contacting the next person who you have already told it has gone, but they’ve also changed their minds. Finally someone seems genuine. Can I come round Tuesday morning? Erm… No we’re at work. And now you’re paranoid about giving your address out to someone who knows the house is empty.

Next time you just take your stuff to the tip

£4k? For a bicycle?

Forest of Dean. Friends went camping and cycling with 8 and 10 year olds, loved it. Not sure which campsite though.

Blame 3rd party parts, sounds like a Karoq of $hite m8

The scam is they will raise an issue with PayPal saying they never received the goods. You lose the camera and the money.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/katie-investigates/katie-morley-investigates-new-volvo-xc90-faulty-brakes-could/

Geely make the S90 in Daquing, the XC60 in Chengdu.

Plenty of rose-tinted glasses/weird old git stuff on here.

I know right. Before 29″ slack geometry I literally used to go over the handlebars every time I touched the brakes, which is crazy right because today’s brakes are like 10,000 times better than old ones

Fine for parking, hopefully you’ll miss the worst of the queues at this time of year, it’s horrible during hols.
Don’t miss the Atlantis submarine ride, best thing there IMO

https://www.change.org/p/men-previously-convicted-on-postal-vote-fraud-employed-by-labour-during-this-by-election-investigate-the-postal-votes-that-were-counted-in-the-peterborough-by-election

Get an e bike

Free bike vouchers for the workers, down with the rich who benefit most from C2W schemes! Maybe when Komrade Korbynistyn sizes power he’ll nationalise the bike industry, Grifters and Choppers all round, priceless

Just the blingy front grill makes me want to bite my arm off. And it’s just a small hatchback, nothing special. I suspect people buy it for the badge, much like Armani or other tat. At least the old A class was a clever design, tiny car with plenty room inside.

My bike is 18 years old, I had to ride on Sunday with virtually no brakes after a rear pad disintegrated and a new one would be nice, but I’ll keep riding it til it’s impossible to maintain. While I might not be as fast downhill as all those with modern bikes, trundling carefully, half expecting something to snap, it’s going to hurt a lot less if I fall off.

But don’t kid yourself. If you started spending time reading and writing to a hifi forum and reading the magazines, as if by magic you will rapidly convince yourself you need to buy a new amp and speakers.

And the electric/hybrid car fad doesn’t result in planet earth having less pollution.

I don’t know about you guys but I collect all my plastic bags and then dump them in the ocean in order to harm marine wildlife.
Thank goodness Caroline Lucas is on hand to hound me until I change my evil ways.