…there has been **** all serious investment in UK power gen for decades…

Since, er, roughly about the time of privatisation…?

Disappointed it’s not going ahead – I entered in a fit of enthusiasm and after spending a couple of weeks crapping myself about what I’d just signed up for was coming round to the idea again. When I mentioned the event to some friends in my MTB club, a coupe of folk baulked at the price, and there’s no denying that it’s a chunk of money to spend in one hit. But compared to the cost of doing five one day events, once you add in travel, camping, parking, food and drink there probably isn’t a whole lot of difference.

Was it really radically different from the P7?

…total lack of interest…

Interest free? :wink:

Possibly suggesting the obvious here, but… check the hose connections have clicked all the way home.

Re: priming – the pump should take care of that automatically.

Beargrease ticks most of those boxes though the head angle is a touch steeper at 68.5. And some of the 2016 variants really tick the “bright colours” box.

Bright enough for you?

[edit]Just seen your last comment bemoaning the spendiness of some of the other options suggested. Probably best you don’t go looking at the price of Beargrease Carbon X01’s [/edit]

Older Kindle user here – I find it more convenient than books for reading whilst out and about. As mine is an older one, there’s no backlight so the comments made by others about reading with the lights off don’t apply. That said, I find the lack of backlight makes it much easier on the eyes than reading on a backlit display (e.g. phone, computer screen).

Print does still have a place in my heart – particularly if the subject matter requires a bit of flicking back and forth, or if accompanied by images or diagrams. That said, I usually read the articles in Singletrack on my Kindle whilst on the train, and then only open the mag to look at the pics at a later date… :oops:

Have you tried dropping Pace an email? Can be a bit hit and miss on speed of response but they usually get back to you.

If it helps, I’ve got an old RC405 knocking about at home that I can measure up later on. There were lots of similarities between the RC405 and RC506, but I’m not sure if the extra travel on the RC506 was achieved by same linkage/leverage with a longer shock or same shock with different linkage/leverage. The RC405 is currently fitted with a Fox RP23, with a volume reducer to increase the spring rate a bit. With a little bit of fiddling, that felt a big improvement on the rather basic DT Swiss shock that it came supplied with.

Potential money saving tip – if you’re looking for Thule bike carriers, scour eBay for bike carriers being sold still attached to roof bars. For some reason, this usually ends up being substantially cheaper than buying bike carriers separately. Chances are you’ll end up with a set of roof bars unsuitable for your car to shift on, but if you can figure out what they’re intended to fit, you might make a chunk of your cash back. Or just add a new foot kit to suit your car and you’re in business. In the past, I’ve picked up a set of roof bars complete with a pair of bike carriers for less than people were asking for a single second hand bike carrier. Madness.

Oh, and if your car doesn’t have a sunroof, enjoy checking shadows and reflections at every available opportunity to make sure the bikes haven’t fallen off. Or maybe it’s just the more paranoid types that do that kind of thing… :oops:

In order of preference…

Inside car/van if possible.

If not inside, towbar mounted rack.

If not towbar mounted rack, up on top.

If not up on top, then a rear hatch mounted rack as an absolute last resort with lots of padding/packing to stop things rubbing, and consider taking the wheels off and transporting them inside

Is it dying when you put the key in or when you turn the key?

A previous car had a head gasket go allowing coolant to leak into one of the cylinders. Turn key and the starter motor would try (briefly) to kick the engine over whilst compressing a cylinder full of water against closed valves. Starter motor would try and pull all the amps in the world, killing everything else electrical in the process but still fail to generate sufficient oomph to compress the water. Of course, it was very much dependent on where in the 4 stroke cycle the engine came to rest – if the leaky cylinder wasn’t about to start it’s compression stroke, the car started just fine. Also, it took a wee while for the cylinder to fill sufficiently – if the car was in daily use, no starting problems.

As a quick check, (assuming it’s petrol), pull the spark plugs and see if it’s any happier about turning over

Got all excited there for a moment… :(

…Also, owning a house is not a right. Many European countries where people never own their house…

…however, the tenant is often signed up to a tenancy measured in years rather than months, and the landlord generally can’t kick them out on a whim with a few weeks notice.

Given that rock guards have only started coming on bikes as standard in the last couple of years, not sure it’s an ‘admission of guilt’ on not fit for purpose, it’s a nice to have feature, like fork bump stops on down tubes, but nothing more.

Well, perhaps, but downtubes generally tended to be straighter in days of old. Frame designs have moved on in recent years, and whilst they may be stiffer and/or lighter, my perception is that whilst big swoopy hydroformed downtubes and lower bottom brackets may be great news from a handling point of view, they seem to be more susceptible to damage.

Some idea of the industry you’re in would help…?

Admittedly, they weren’t Scouts but I was recently looking at Octavia estates generally. I ended up buying a Yeti.

Done ArdRock 3 times, twice on my BFe. Fairly sure I haven’t died.

I got a set of these cheap from Start Cycles in Newcastle a couple of months back. Might be worth a look?

It seems strange that it was delivered and then 2 hours later returned to sender

That does seem strange

02/02/2016 17:06 Return – Processed By Hub
28/01/2016 15:00 Returned To Sender
26/01/2016 12:19 Delivered – BFPO HQ UK
26/01/2016 05:52 Manifested to Courier
26/01/2016 03:09 Processed at Depot
26/01/2016 03:03 Receipt at Depot
25/01/2016 19:59 Hub Sorter Receipt Scan
25/01/2016 11:33 Order Generated

Ah…

As an aside, CRC are around that price (or 10% cheaper if you have a BC membership) [edit] for a non-stealth [/edit]. The Reverb I bought from them a few months back turned out to be a retail packed one with bleed kit (etc.) despite what the website said.

Surprised it’s not been mentioned yet, but are you planning to continue using the car for business? It’s not uncommon for car allowances to come with terms and conditions regarding age and mileage of the vehicle

Expect to hear “Sorry Sir, data protection…” or similar :roll:

Drinks – electrolyte tabs in the Camelbak. SIS ones usually as they’re cheap and easy to get hold of (bigger Tescos usually have them), Nuun if I’m doing a bunch of back-to-back days for the range of flavours. Possibly some SIS Go Energy in a bottle if I’m racing.

Gels – usually carry one or two Torq gels just in case, but they tend to be an “in case of emergency” measure only.

Food – usually carry some or all of fig rolls, soreen (other malt loaf just isn’t the same), jelly beans, haribo, dates, etc… Again, this is generally just in case. Eating sensibly the night before and a decent breakfast the morning of the ride usually does the job.

Its a spelling error….he meant ‘old’, not ‘odd’.

Really? I’ll refer you to the 1st post of the thread, which stated…

Any odd* cars you fancied in your childhood?

*Odd meaning the sort of car that would be less likely to have attracted the interest of your mates.

No love for the NSU Ro80?

Paypal rate usually isn’t too bad. Having tried paypal and a foreign funds transfer through my bank, I know which route I’d go in future. Paypal was less hassle and less costly in additional fees…

I love it because I feel like a kid again, riding stupid lines because I can

This is what I was on about with my “hilarious monstertruck-ness” comment :D

I ride fat. Bought a s/h On One Fatty to try it out. It spent the next year or so being my most ridden bike – all year round, all conditions, did a bit of pretty much everything on it. So I decided to upgrade to something a little nicer/lighter.

Both of my fat bikes to date have been pretty good at most things – possibly not the fastest bikes for everything, but they have been the bikes that have made me smile the most. I love the hilarious monstertruck-ness of it, and I really like the way that at the start of club rides, you often hear “expecting snow are we?” type comments but by the end of the ride there’s usually someone asking “can I have a go?” :wink:

Will keep an eye out for a Raceface setup, I didn’t know that they did one

One? There’s a bit more choice than that…
http://www.raceface.com/components/cranks/fat-bike/fat-bike/
Most (if not all) of the range available in the UK too… :-)

What cranks and BB did you go for to replace the howitzer setup?

I pointed out a secondhand set of Race Face Ride cranks complete with bottom bracket to my brother. Mahoosive weight saving.

Having run the Howitzer/Hussefelt combo on my old On One, I can confirm that this arrangement is comically heavy. I upgraded mine to a set of Race Face Chesters with X-Type bottom bracket and saved a pound or so of weight, despite adding an extra chainring, shifter, front mech and front mech mount.

The wheels are not offset on an On One Fatty, but the front brake is rear spaced (disc mount on the front hub, calliper mount on the fork). This used to be fairly commonplace, but is now becoming increasingly unusual

can one sign with BT at all on a rolling monthly basis?

Don’t think BT do short term contracts, but there are other ISPs that do. As with most ongoing contracts, short term is more expensive, but that’s the price you pay for having the flexibility.

ramblers asking about your bike with genuine interest
doing everything on just one bike

With a fat bike, these things need not be consigned to nostalgia

Onza Chill Pills

…just put some grease or coppaslip on the threads, like you would do with any metal to metal threads…

I would dispute “any” in the above statement. Obviously not the case with a valve dust cover, but lubing metal to metal threads and then tightening to a specified torque will pretty much always result in overtorquing

Re: insurance, I didn’t feel the type and level of cover was worth the additional expense for my personal circumstances (I seem to have similar cover through other routes). Between saving 10% off a CRC order per month (when I remember to claim it) and saving day licence fees at a handful of regional level CX races a year, I get my money’s worth out of a bronze membership.

You do but the Day Licence cost is higher…

…for road and track events. No additional day licence fees at any regional level CX event I’ve ever done [edit]with a race bronze membership[/edit]. So it very much depends on what kind of racing the OP is intending to do. Note that unless you don’t even need a provisional licence for most mountain bike racing up to and including regional level

As a bronze member, I can confirm that you can claim 10% off a CRC order each month

…and i spin like a monkey having tinsel pulled out of my arse…

8O

Zees use a split pin for holding the pads. Never had an issue but I’ve thought about tapping some threads in.

No need Scruff – the caliper is ready tapped. Just replace the split pin with a bolt and you’re sorted. Same goes for SLX…