Look on the bright side, it gives you something to practise your bunny hops over :wink:

You get used to the width. 750mm Havoc & 55mm Haven stem for me love ’em :)

I’ve worked from home for the majority of my time since 2006 and there are only a few financial implications in my opinion. The main ones being:
Claiming expenses for travel to business meetings.
Company car option due to business travel.
No commuting costs
Reduced child care, as I can do the school run most of the time.

The main issues to be weighed up are are not financial though & I can certainly see how it won’t be good for everyone.
For example, you’ve got to be very motivated & ideally under pressure to make it work, otherwise distraction could be a major problem.
You have to find ways of dealing with the isolation, otherwise loneliness & paranoia (not knowing what’s going on in the office, or with your colleagues) could be a problem. Regular face to face meetings and decent online communication tools are invaluable for this too IMO.
If you’ve got a young family, like me, it gives you a fantastic opportunity to be there for them, much more so than if you had to work in an office/ factory from 9 to 5.

Basically if you’ve got an addiction to gaming, adult internet browsing habits or just love Jeremy Kyle, it’s probably not for you, but if you’re not too bothered about these things, give it a go, you might find you love the flexibility it gives you instead.

Twatt… in the Orkney Isles :D

Childish, I know…

I’ve been looking for exactly the same type of tyre as you recently and have narrowed the options down to either:

Maxxis Minion DHF 2.35 (concerned it might be a bit on the small side).

Bontrager XR4 2.35 (not sure if it’s worth paying for the Team issue version or not).

Specialized Purgatory 2.35 (not sure if it makes a good front tyre as most of the user reviews only rate it as a rear).

I’m probably going to go for the Bontrager XR4 as it’s meant to be a good all rounder, but would be really interested in how they compare to Minions or indeed to the Panaracer Rampage’s I’m running at the moment.

I’ve been really happy with my Fox Launch Pros. No chafing, no cramps & most importantly, no knee injuries despite a number of crashes.

Just waiting for Jedi to come along in a minute saying “Scott Grenades FTW”. Very consistent that man ;)

My advice is that whatever gun you buy fits you properly & is capable of shooting a good range of disciplines (sporting, skeet, DTL trap) otherwise you’ll have a pretty miserable & unsuccessful experience to start off with.

Get some advice from a good gunsmith as there’s nothing worse than spending your hard earned cash making a load of noise but hitting very little. :wink:

I don’t understand the “unhygenic” argument against Camelback’s. Just empty it and put the bladder in the freezer when you’re not using it. Sorted :wink:

Easton Haven FTW

I’ve worn a pair out too. In the end they were really sloppy and the bars had become flattened through wear & would probably have bent or broken if they’d been whacked by a rock.

In the end I just got some Shimano M520’s which work really well & amazing value for money too. Haven’t really missed the extra float the Time pedals gave me either.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/8673846/

Devinci Wilson looks “right” to me. Looks elegant & fast all at the same time.

Broke mine in 3 places 18 months ago. Used a figure of 8 sling & regular sling at first to try and align the bones properly, which worked to a degree. I’ve now got a nice step & lump on the bone though which has completely ruined my previously stunning good looks :wink:

Couldn’t use my right arm properly for about 6 weeks & it was pretty weak when I finally stopped using the slings, but a bit of determination & gradually increasing the intensity of exercise sorted that out fairly quickly. I don’t have any aches or pains from the shoulder or my back, so I guess it worked out fine in the end.

In the days after the accident I seriously contemplated whether I should push for an operation to get it plated (against my consultants advice), but I’m now glad that I didn’t. Plates & pins are fine if you really need them but in my case I’m sure they’d only increase the likelihood of problems in future, especially if I crashed on that side again.

Thanks for your thoughts guys. Really appreciate it as it’s been driving me mad!

To be honest, I thought I’d put the axle in the wrong way round too, but I swapped it round and it still didn’t help! I even printed off a copy of the Shimano tech doc which shows the wide spacer on the non drive side. I then checked a mates wheel (which has never been serviced) to check it too which looks like this. You can see the wide washer/spacer just inside the locking nut.

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IMAG1039[/url] by Jonathan Roch[/url], on Flickr

Also I couldn’t get the centre lock tool in place with the axle in place either. The locking nut stopped it from getting into position & engaging with the ring! Soooooo frustrating!

We swapped an X1 for an E91 318i touring two months ago & love it! The engine’s as sweet as a nut, it handles sooo nicely, it’s really comfortable and my two golden retrievers are happy in the boot too. We were surprised but it actually had more room for the dogs than the X1. Looks great too in sport plus trim!

The downsides so far are the fuel economy as it’s mainly been doing urban journeys which explains the slightly disappointing 31mpg, but and the run flat tyres will be mind bendingly expensive to replace at some point I guess. Thing is, I’m willing to overlook these bits though as it’s just so much fun to drive compared to just about everything else I’ve had before. Love it :)

Try http://www.parcel2go.com. Really easy and has been very reliable for me so far.

I had some bars snap on me at speed a few years ago. One of the scariest experiences I’ve ever had on a bike!! Really rattled me because I didn’t expect it at all. One minute I was skimming over rocks the next I was tumbling with a length of sharp edged metal in my hands.

Since then I’ve preferred to spec slightly heavier bars, take care not to overtighten them and to check them regularly for signs of damage. It’s one experience I’d be happy not to have again I can tell you!

Sheffield’s a great city, but I’d only have a decent bike at Uni if I could lock it up where I live.

When I was at Sheffield Uni I kept my bikes in my room in the Hall of Residence & in the houses and flats I lived in after that. No way I’d ever leave them in a public lock up.

I reckon long travel hard tail is the way to go though. Maximum fun for the least maintenance and cost. More money and time for booze and girls that way too ;)

We’ve got two golden retrievers and our Dyson deals with all their hair really well!! I think its a DC14 Animal.

Superstar sintered pads FTW. Not wooden feeling at all and a bargain too :)

Time ATACs are blooming brilliant, but Shimano 520s are just so cheap and tough they’re hard to ignore. Can’t see the point of the CBS though. Why bother when there are other relatively trouble free options out there?

Wore my MW81s last weekend and my feet were sooo toasty :). Very well made and pretty waterproof in all but the worst conditions. What’s not to like?

I seriously considered the Northwave boots too, but I wasn’t convinced that the materials were as good and the fit of the Shimanos is just spot on too. Well worth the money IMO.

Genius!!

Easy. Another vote for Le Chameau. Great fit, durable, warm & great quality. Love ’em :)

I started when I went to Sheffield Uni in ’91. A group of the lads in my hall of residence had mountain bikes and I took the piss out of them mercilessly (along with the other non-lycra wearing blokes) until they challenged me to go on a ride with them.
I wanted to get fit and loved being out in the countryside anyway, so after a really tough & scary ride up Endcliffe Park, to Stanage Edge & Blacka moor I was hooked. Bought my first bike with my student loan a few weeks later & never looked back. Changed my life & I’ll never give it up either (no matter what the missus says!!) :-)

Whether you like wider bars is just a matter of personal preferance and is bound to be affected by where you ride. It’s going to be really annoying if your regular ride takes you through tight tree runs and you’ve got some 780mm bars fitted!

Personnally I’m going through a wide phase at the moment. I changed my 680mm bars last year for some 750mm wide ones on an 80mm stem and the steering definately felt slower, but I also found it harder to find that sweet spot when descending, probably because it had brought my weight forward a bit. I then changed my stem to 55mm and what a difference that made!! The steering was noticeably quicker and I felt more centred on the bike again.
Hasn’t stopped me crashing though, so it’s not been the transformed me into a riding god, but hey, what would? :wink:

Sintered in all conditions for me. Never had a shortage of braking power with 180 and 160mm rotors.

Shimano, Ashima & Superstar have all been good for me, but I’m convinced the key is to bed them in properly with a few hard stops before using them on the trail in anger. Superstars instructions also advised this but they also said to cool them down with water so that they sizzle. Looks cool and seems to do the trick too :-)

We used to have raw milk when I lived in Cumbria when I was younger.

Delivered straight from the farm each morning it was absolutely delicious, but you’d occasionally get a “free gift” when you poured it out. Mainly bits of grass, but I once got a bit of udder lining flop out of the bottle! 8O Just picked it off my cereal and carried on with my brekkie though. :-) It’s all good natural stuff eh!

Had a ticket to see Nirvana at the Sheffield Octagon in ’91, but gave it away to a girl I fancied at the time. I seem to remember that was the night they played Smells like Teen Spirit on Top of the Pops too (pre-recorded, obviously).

Missed a great gig & I didn’t get the girl either. Stupid boy!!

3rd glass of Barefoot Merlot ta. Might have a cheeky Jamesons in a minute :)

Just so I understand, you’re on your own playing with yourself?

Don’t worry. In about an hour you’ll either be blind or fast asleep :)

Yup. Had horse & stripy donkey or Zebra as most people call it.

Nom, nom, nom…. :-)

Pyramids – meh
Venice – meh
London (any of it) – meh
Los Angeles – glamorous my ar*e!
Daily Mail articles – don’t believe a word of ’em
Jordan’s t*ts….

Orange Clockwork from 1993. Still in occasional use by my Dad, hence the big “comfy” saddle. It’s a great bike, so quick and capable even with those skinny flexible forks.

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Also got a 1997 Proflex 853, but the rear shock’s ruined so it’s in bits at the moment.

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My old Proflex[/url] by J[/url], on Flickr

CandB Seen. £45 for 1200 lumen light kits. £90 buys you a set for both helmet and bars. Bargain!!!

Link

Love my Fox Launch Pros. Very comfy, not too bulky, a bit more subtle than some if the other designs & if they’re good enough for Danny Hart & Cam Zink, they’re good enough for me ;)

We’ve got a Sharp Aquos. About 2 years old, no problems, still a great picture & still like the design of it which was so much cooler than the others on the market when we bought it. Happy punter here :)

2 x C&B Seen here too. Very happy so far. Excellent value for money.

Just try something new.
I don’t know what your skills are like, but I’ve really enjoyed trying to learn new tricks recently. Basic trials moves, wheelies & manuals really, but learning this stuff is fun and just puts you back to playing on your bike Nothing serious. No pressure. Best part is that it also gives you something new to try out on your next proper ride. Works for me :)

Another for C&BSeen here too asI got 2 x 1200 lumen kits for helmet & bars for Christmas.

Only done one ride with them so far in very difficult conditions (heavy rain & mist in very muddy woods), but my initial impressions are good. Plenty of power, decent spread of light & good battery life. Excellent value for money at around £45 per set!

Only criticism so far would be for the battery pack case which is pretty crude & heavily rubbed my frame (should have put some protective tape on first I guess). I might also look into whether its possible to change the lense for the light on my bars as a broader beam might be better, but I really need to get a few more rides under my belt before I do anything.

Well I got mine a Golden Retriever for her 40th :)

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Bailey puppy[/url] by Jon[/url], on Flickr[/img]