Hi,

Update ..

Thanks for the advice.
I got three of the locks off no bother but last one corroded, wouldn't budge with all the usual WD40 etc.

Alarmingly it too 5 secs with a hacksaw to cut through the long rod and remove the lock and a minute or so to remove the bar.

On a plus side I have carried lots of bikes and expensive windsurfing gear for years and it was all still there when I came back.

Thanks I will try that after work.

Cheers Iain

Hi,

I would also say avoid France. The school ski system is very limited. i.e. you must sign up for a full weeks instruction. Only other option is private one to one instruction which is very expensive. Also they are akward if you want to switch classes to a lower / higher / slower / faster standard.

Italy have lots of smaller family friendly resorts.

Canada? You get cheep deal to the Banff area. Great service and a little town. Maybe a bit of a long flight but a short transfer at the other end.

Iain

I bought a a dx light for off road commuting a few months ago (bar mounted.)

I use it approx 30mins daily mostly on the low setting and the battery doesn't run out in a week.

Sure it took a couple of weeks to arrive but for £50 its a great value and very bright with a good spread.

I've been out in pouring rain and so far I can't fault it.
Maybe it does not compare with a £200 set but I would not know, it works for me.

i.e no lasting damage to his head

"clubber – you cannot prove much of this hence I said – a cracked helmet has likely failed All you can do is weigh up the evidence.

as for the rotational injury that is pretty clear from many studies. POC are now designing helmets with mitigation of rotational injury as an aim. there is some discussion on rotational injury here – focussing on head injury not spinal but there is plenty of research that shows as helmet wering increses so does spinal injury"

I suppose the helmet did fail in a way. It compressed and cracked hence dispersing the force.

The consultant at the hospital told me that he was fortunate that he wearing a helmet. He said it had reduced the impact greatly. He explained that in his experience he would have not been sitting up and talking to us otherwise.

I don't get this.

If you are out doing real mtb you are going to fall off unless you are taking it very easy.

I would have thought most riders on trail centers would expect to have some sort of mishap on most rides.

If you go over the front, common on the steeps I would have thought you are quike likely to land head down.

I used to ride on an easy trail, just out for a ride without a helmet in the summer. I came over a wooden bridge and hit a tiny 2 inch stump on my front wheel. I didn't see it until I went back to look afterwards. I went straight over the front on my face. Fortunately on a plus side I didn't hit a tree (it was in a forest.)

On the road side of things my dad and his pal were mowed down by a taxi driver from behind. My dad was off work for most of a year with a badly broken leg. But he was wearing a helmet which was cracked in half in the incident. He had no head injury. In fact the police kept as an example to show kids at schools.
His pal was in hospital for 2-3 weeks cracked head and spinal problems.
He still has back problems relating to this, guess what he wasn't wearing a helmet.

Hi,

I would be a bit carefull with this.

My dad recently had a new electric shower fitted.

(Personally I would have just installed and connected up.)

However the plumber said that he had been round to two peoples houses last month who had burnt out the unit after installing it themselves.

They probably connected it up right but a lot of new showers have some sort of sequence they need to run the first time they are turned on.
Something along the lines of turning on with it turned full cold and warming it up slowly.

This may well be covered in the instructions / instalation guide, but I would double check it.

Cheers Iain

4-5 days a week commute mostly off road to the train station. 5 miles each way.

I was almost put off last night after nearly being run over on the only small bit of road I go along. With bright lights and a naff builders visibility vest!! And the pissing rain. Wondering what the hell I was doing.

However back on the bike this morning, someone still pulled out on me.
But dry and felt good when a bmw x3 pulled up beside and paid for his parking. (related to another post do people who drive those cars realise they look like tits, why not get a proper car.)

Real mtb ride maybe 2/3 times a month at week.

Hi,

Mine took a couple of weeks to come ,arrived on the 16th October. Approx a week later for a flashlight on the same order.
I had the no conformation email problem. But after readed threads on here got it sorted.

However the light is ace and I didn't get stung for import tax.
Looked like a Hong Kong shipment.

Cheers Iain

Hi,

I've been made redundant a few times.
The second last time I vowed I would never sign on again as I found it a real knock to my confidence going back into job seekers office. With a professional job they couldn’t even find a category for.

But then it happened again and I thought I've been paying my taxes for years wtf. So I called in, they do it all on the phone or internet these days. And then sure you have to go in look like a muppet for 30mins.

It is amazing how quickly savings etc go if you are not working so the small amount you get off the state does make a little difference.
And if nothing else it makes the unemployent figures real.

Hi,

I have these cams that slot into the top of the cable slot on the brakes. The cable goes round a disc about 270 degrees. It really improves the cable pull.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Travel-Agent-Pulley-Replaces-V-brake-spaghetti-pipe-SIL_W0QQitemZ300351072973QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxq20090926?IMSfp=TL090926145003r8974

I was not sure if you can still get them .. see above link.

They do get bunged up if it is very muddy or wet but I think they do what you want.

Cheers Iain

5thElefant you may well be right too.

The train I get is a long haul train from Glasgow to Aberdeen and is rairly late. I get off and opn mid way. You always get a seat. Only busy on a Fri night.

Granted commuting into London or across London is a different matter all together. Hot and very crowded, often late or delayed from what I remember.

Iain

Hi,

I forgot to say in the 2 years motorway commute I must have seen 20 cars on their roofs in fields on straight bits of roads. And that's not the bad ones!!

Hi,

I worked for 4 months on a contract in glasgow a couple of years ago and stayed there during the week. So driving monday morning (v v bad) and fri night (v bad unless later on.) The traffic on the M8 is hellish during the week at peak times. It must take for ever to get across the kingston bridge. Just go and try it one morning!! Before you decide.

Distance driving is mostly about how busy it is and how good the roads are. I used to commute from Amersham to Staines (junction 13 I think m25.) If I left at 6am it took me 25-30mins. Approx 25miles. If I left after 6.15am it took 1 hr 15-25mins. And is that horrible 35mph to standstill traffic which is very tiring & fustrating. Fri night forget it.

For two years I did a 110 mile round trip daily driving on quiet motorways in Scotland. Which took 50mins one way. It was an easy drive with few holdups but it really drains you after a while doing it every day. Especially when it is dark or wet. It ruins your car and costs a lot in fuel.

I have now moved house and although I still commute 100 odd miles daily it is now 5 mile on bike to train station, mostly on tracks. Or drive and 5 min walk. 45 mins on train + less than 10 min walk to office.

Although the wasted time is annoying I now read a book a week on the train and feel normal when I get to work and home.

Hi,

I use a 3 speed nexus hub on a 90's mtb that I use for commuting.
Bought of ebay with a new mtb wheel built up. Its not the same as my brompton one which has the chain pull changer at the hub.

Its a about 5 miles one way on a mixture of bumpy road, tarmac track, dirt track and a little single track. It goes over a hill so hence the need for some gears. I tried it as a single speed but found I was either standing up or pedaling like crazy.

With a semi slick tyre, singleator chain tensioner and a 42 chainring I find it great and it suits me fine. Smooth and does not get bunged up.
A bit of a pain to setup but once working I've had no hickups. I wasn't too sure about the twist gear changer but its good once you get used to it.
I had to buy the special bolts for vertical dropouts, only one side fitted but I haven't had any wheel movement.
I've not tried it on any full on xc but cycling through the woods, firetrack, jumping on/off kerbs etc no problems.

The gear range is quite wide if its the same as the one I have. 2nd gear is the straight gear. i.e. less there is more gear resistance in 3rd gear which I mostly only use for going downhill.

Cheers Iain

Hi,

Sorry I did not give a budget.
Looking for something in a sale or maybe second hand up to approx £250.

Cheers Iain

Hi,

I ordered some lights about a week ago.
Like others I did not receive a order recipt. (I did get a paypal one.)
Following the advice from above, as it was my first order I created an account. Now I can see my order "waiting supplier"

So hopefully it will arrive sometime

Cheers Iain