Thanks TallMartin – am after some for the mountain bike. Might treat myself to new ones and flog the old Hopes I have on there currently.

Managed to get myself 3 days ‘leave’ from the family in June and going to do the King Alfred Way.

Is there a setting I need to alter to get the alternative bean?! How are you all getting it?!

Can I really manually ask for the other one ;) ?

how do i get that instead then?

I did. It was behind the car. It should have stopped. But came round the side at the same time as I pulled out. Pretty straightforward really. Do you look at the full line of traffic before pulling out. Or the one that’s stopped…

I will be sure to let you all know once the insurers have worked it out 👍

Seems I’ve caused quite a stir on here – thanks for your views.

to be clear I was not obstructing the highway. I was visibly trying to come out as my car was on the dropped curb.

No traffic from the right. So when the car to the left stopped (which tbh I was not expecting because nobody ever stops to let me out) I pulled out. Then a bus came into the side of me. Because it couldn’t stop.

the car didn’t exactly slam on the brakes I suspect the bus was not paying attention. No passengers btw.

if my fault, so be it. I’m insured.

how’s about a Sringador – lab/springer mix?

I have one. Amazing temperament, great with the kids and weirdly does not seem to shed that much or affect my allergy ridden family!

DB did you do that yourself on get someone in to do it. One quote I got was £85 per square metre which seemed high…

I’m liking the idea of a £4 chain. Have gone 8spd. Bring back the days of everlasting geoupsets…I hope!

And which 8 speed shifter do you go with? The one review is not good…

Found the code 👍

Benefit of Acolyte over Advent X? Or vice versa?

Kind of like the idea of 8 speed but I don’t have a chain – whereas I do have a new 11 spd chain kicking around whic will apparently work with the 10spd

What’s the code for the 75% off?

So…I had a chat with the Headteacher. We get on quite well and she agreed she wouldn’t like to hear her kids spoken about like that.

Parents evening was great. Turns out the feedback loop was fast. Teacher was incredibly apologetic (thought she was going to cry) and explained it’s just bants between her and my son who she loves. She didn’t say bants but that was the vibe as she is about 28 going on 16. She recognised it had gone into the playground and is mortified by what’s happened.

Tbh I think my son is probably OK. But 6 year olds don’t say a lot. And name calling at that age is not cool.

Think the teacher just a bit young and naive and actually seems very nice. Maybe a little bit stupid too…

So, you’d go to the teacher direct? My thoughts at the mo is go to the Head (she is v approachable) and give her the op to speak to the teacher so they can come to me and explain themselves. Interestingly it’s parent’s evening tonight so nice timing for an uncomfortable exchange…

yeah, needs fact checking…initially my son told me and I immediately thought (which I feel awful about) ‘i’m not really surprised…’ but said to him ‘well, that’s not very nice – I’m sure she didn’t mean to be mean’ but then I heard from two parents that their child had told them about it. Which clearly means the children either thought that is was funny or out of order themselves.

I’m with DudeofDoom. I got a signet ring 20+ years ago that I wore for about 6 months. I could sell it but my Dad would be distraught – even though he wouldn’t tell me he was…

Sounds like painting the walls is the way to go :) it’d be nice if it was warmer but tbh I only use it as a workshop and turbo space.

So, in a way cooler is better. It does need a new door and window as they are not very secure. So need to find a nice cheapo way of sorting that too!

How about trying half link chain?

Have you tried enough of the AF ones? I only drink real beer twice a week now and very happily have the odd AF during the week. But because it’s not as delicious as real beer it breaks the habit weirdly…

Best AF beer I have tried is Guinness, or if lager then Freedam or Heineken. All the crafty ones are a bit shit.

Can’t get the images to post but had a lovely little paddle down the Medway this evening. Tonbridge down towards Yalding. First time out in an inflatable 2 person kayak my wife bought me for my birthday.

Lovely bit of kit and now trying to work out how I can combine it with cycling. I think probably use the kiddie trailer to carry the kayak somewhere is the way to go

‘with all due respect’ (what you mean is, I think you are a moron…just say it like it is)

‘let me double check’ (what you mean is, I haven’t checked yet and will do so now…)

Theotherjonv this could be ideal. If you are sure, I’d be up for this. Let me do some more working out – need to get another key cut, which I’ve been meaning to do anyway. Thank you! Will DM you tomorrow

It’s all quite complex…basically I live in Tonbridge and a mate from India is coming over to ride part of SDW with me and some mates from London.

They are getting train down first thing fri and then train home sat evening. We can’t get train to petersfield Fri morning because we have to go into London first and it’s commuter time so no bikes allowed.

Train from Eastbourne to Petersfield is a ballache. And then it’s a 90mik drive back to Tonbridge

drP yours sounds like a potentially awesome solution!

We are riding Friday 15 and Sat 16 July.

So if you can get the car back to us on Saturday eve by around 6pm that would be amazing!

Ok, sounds like I should stick with the Follow Me for a bit longer.

Can’t help but feel someone could do a better/lighter version of it. It’s a great tool for riding with my kids but F-me is it heavy!

loving this thread. Some duds obvs but some stuff I’d never heard and love! Here’s my offering

They have to be very thirsty squirrels. I’m assuming this is a joke!

I think it’s relinimg time. Tbh I didn’t get it quite level first time round so it’s an opp to sort that out too.

def not evaporation sadly. although maybe the plants are sucking it up. It feels like a lot of sucking though. It’s a fairly large pond (3.5m x 2.5m) so to have lost 6 inches in a week seems like it must be a leak…

mate of mine hated Rugby. So he sawed down the Rugby posts at his school.

We moved all the desks and boards out of the classrooms and set them up on the playing fields. Took most of the night. Not even that funny tbh but felt hilarious at the time.

Wish I’d had a saw…

Budget around £20-25k

SteveH I’ll drop you a DM. Basically after a kombi ideally converted into a day van. Would ideally have Captain chairs and maybe even a pop top. But def no kitchen etc

How much do you reckon you spent on all those fixes?

Not the one that comes as part of the STW subs :( it’s not great coffee. Be nice if they changed things up a bit..

Yeah, I don’t think it will be the slickest shifting tbh. But given my gears are always a bit shot it’s not such an issue…

Thanks – I tried emailing on his site but got a bounce back :(

Thanks all. Seems like people don’t think it’s unreasonable to request but that it’s a bit micro managey. That’s fine. I am micro managing at the mo. I inherited the team and don’t think they are quite cutting it from a productivity perspective – which they know.

Of course, I do understand people can have camera on and still not engage. Which is why I will also ask them to put their hands on their heads throughout the meeting ;)

Thanks all – sounds like it may be too tricky. Laptop is a MacBook Air 2020. TBH I can make do with the two screens. I’m only a lowly marketeer. It’s just I had a spare screen kicking about so thought I’d put it to use.

We have a large-ish dog but the most harm he’d do to an intruder is an excited wee on their trouser leg.

Good to hear the Ring replacing a ‘proper alarm’…

Thanks all. Def not at the hanger. Feels like it’s around the clutch mech. I have one on another bike that doesn’t wobble…

Using a Project Debut turntable with a Denon CEOL (midi system).

Answer to the Q about why use a turntable? I have 200+ vinyl. Used to have an old Pioneer amp but it died and my wife hated the ‘massive black boxes’ of my separate systems so when someone offered us a Denon CEOL it seemed a good bet. But no phono input…

annoyingly it’s TuneIn :( there must be a way of hacking it but not my forte