How hard is your water? The guy I spoke to yesterday said if your water hardness is above 400, which ours is, it is mandatory to have an unsoftened tap.

Ah, fair enough, our softener is set to 200 so I guess that’s what the water is. Ours isn’t there just for calcium though, there’s a lot of other ‘ion stuff’ in the wate that it deals with too.

We need to have an unsoftened drinking water tap due to the hardness of our water & the amount of sodium that will be present in the water after softening.

There isn’t any sodium in the water after softening (well, there is, but it’s a tiny tiny amount)

To reiterate, everything in our house uses softened water, we drink it, cook with it bathe in it, everything, as did the people before us, and the people before them. As do next door, as we supply their water. And as do the other next door, as they have their own borehole and water gubbins.

Obvs though I forgot to allow that only our plucky little TP can truly handle a bike in the pro peleton.

Indeed, some of the comments on here are awfully close to the “he used to race mountain bikes so he’s an excellent bike handler” nonsense that Liggett and Sherwen used to trot out when they were commentating on the Tour.

You don’t turn the screw, you move the little lever, and you only need teensy-tiny movements. And yeah, + to speed up, it’ll be a bit trial and error to gauge exactly how much or little you need to move it, but if you’ve got the app you can check each time.

There are actually two levers, you need move the top one. The bottom one sets the beat, leave that alone unless you really can’t get it running to time.

There’s tonnes of how-to’s on YouTube.

I downloaded one of those accuracy checking apps and it is running about 160secs a day slow.

So who would I send it off to for a new movement?

Any local jeweler would do that swap for you. In fact with a few cheap tools and some YouTube instructions you could likely do it yourself if you get a new movement off eBay like Murray suggested. I did with an old SKX diver. Just be aware if you do upgrade at the same time, you’ll need a new stem and crown too because the original won’t fit.

Don’t be too hasty, the SKX movement is a doddle to regulate yourself. I’ve got two, and after a bit of fiddling (which is especially easy using one of those apps) they run nicely to time.

I’ve had many years of great use out of my Shimano MW81s, but they’re now pretty knackered, so I think this year I’ll be treating myself to their latest incarnation, the MW702.

Oh, and Vanish and Vanish-like powders are the same stuff as Napisan, and that gets the smell out of, well, nappies…

Supermarket own brand version of Vanish.

You need an enzyme-based cleaner to kill biological unpleasantness.

I agree on the own brand Vanish, but it’s not enzyme based, it’s sodium percarbonate, aka oxygen bleach (as opposed to chlorine bleach). It kills the bugs that cause the smell.

except the use-by date was 20th October 2024 and only I eat them – 6 in 4 days is a bit much even for me.

So if you ate one a day you’d have the last one two days after the use-by date? That would worry me not one bit, it’s a mince pie, not a sushi roll.

Its utterly baffling seeing people try and claim that Truss for example doesnt have a strategy and economic vision. I mean she is still arguing for it even now

I said cohesive economic strategy. She does not have one of those. Thatcher did; many people didn’t agree with it or like it, but she had one and it did what she intended it to do.

If you’re in a multi-hour downpour, your feet are wet because the rain has run down your legs and into your shoes/boots. This will happen with the very bestest of waterproof boots and/or overshoes. At least a neoprene overshoe will keep your feet warm(ish) even though they’re wet.

As for what I do, Shimano winter boots, tights, with the stirrup of the tight over the boots, so water running down my leg drains a bit more down the side of the boot and a bit less into the boot.

Also, given that they have a couple of gigantic holes in the bottom for cleats, no overshoe will ever be completely waterproof.

And, more significantly, even bigger holes at the top for your legs…

The real irony of this is that although they all claim to idolise her royal handbagness, I don’t doubt for a minute that if she was still around she would absolutely despise them all and be utterly appalled at what the Tory party has become since Brexit

The very idea of leaving the Single Market would have given her a seizure

..and she had a fierce intellect, and whether you agreed with her or not, she had a cohesive economic strategy and a clear vision of what she wanted to achieve* The current lot have absolutely none of the above, they are chancers saying anything they think might be popular, sixth-form Tories in the same way the Corbyn was a sixth-form socialist.

*I’ve said it before on here, but I was once at an event with Tony Benn and he was asked which modern politician he most admired, and he said Thatcher for basically these reasons

In terms of salt usage, it varies a lot based on the specific softener device (how efficiently it uses the salt, I guess) and how hard your water is. I have seen anywhere from £100-350/year mentioned in salt consumption.

We spend about £150 a year, split between the two properties our softener serves, and there’s two adults in each property.

 it was pretty quiet – about 6 tables outside the shop and not huge amounts of customers.

Hmm, that’s a bit disappointing

On the “you shouldn’t drink softened water” issue, our water comes from a borehole and is filtered, UV’d and softened before it even gets into the house, we’ve got what is effectively a small waterworks in an outhouse.

And we get 5 Bar, as it needs to be that much to get it uphill to the next door property that we share the supply with.

Heat from the fire?

Is it old plaster? If so, has it been contaminated in the past with tar/smoke/anything from the fire, so it’s now ‘greasy’ and the paint won’t stick?

Did the previous paint flake off as well, or just the new stuff?

IANADecorator

I’ve used Reglaze Glasses Direct in the past, and back when they were called Ciliary Blue. Always pretty good, I was just drawn by the much cheapness of Goggles4U

Varifocal cycle glasses from Optilabs.

IME, you may a lot of money for very average glasses.

I could swear I put something into this thread last night, but anyway…

I wear varifocals all day every day and spend all working day using two monitors, it all works fine. I went for the middling ‘size of area of view’ option, and they were from a local optician, if I remember rightly I took them back to get the prescription tweaked as the various focally bits weren’t quite in the correct place for one eye. They just sorted it though, no problems.

For riding I use cheapy varifocals from Goggles4U. I’d used single vision riding glasses and sunglassess up to that point (which didn’t really work great for reading/GPS/maps or repairs) but took a punt on the Goggles4U ones as they were £40. They’re fine, and I now have a clear pair and a tinted pair. They’re not as good as my every day pair, but they don’t need to be, and if I drop them, scratch them or crush them in bag (been there, done that) they’re inexpensive to replace

Edit: those aren’t great results.

I’d be happy with them. We get about 12mb down, 1mb up.

Standard FTTC broadband, but the cabinet is miles away.

Another good reason, if anyone needed one, not to live in Tintwistle. You think the traffic is bad now…

I was reading somewhere that there’s every chance that Snake Pass will go the way of the Mam Tor road; it’s just one, reasonably likely, decently serious, andslip away from being unrepairable.

Cirencester is another option.

You can make an easy cider using juice from the supermarket and a strong cup of tea (tannins), just make sure it’s the 100% pure not from concentrate stuff. Haven’t done it but might give it a punt in the new year so it’s got a few months in the bottle before cider season starts (heard somewhere to leave a cider 3-6 months).

I’ve done that. Comes out okay but it’s reeeeeeeeeeally sharp. It’s less Devon Scrumpy, more Diamond White.

I’d maybe give them a whirl if they were =<£50 as a back up pair for when I (inevitably) want to go for a ride and it’s cold but I’ve not dried out my MW5s

I’d spend your £50 on a MaxxDry shoedryer

Stinky boots and shoes…

Holy thread revival!

I’ve recently come back to brewing. We moved house a couple of years ago and the new place has a borehole and a water softener, and brewing with that water gave pretty odd tasting beer, so I kind of fell out of the habit.

Anyway, I finally got round to sending a sample off for testing and the results said that an addition of AMS would help, so I tried a kit brew doing that and it’s come out pretty good, so I guess I’m back in business

I always wanted one too. I seem to remember that the reviews were pretty universally positive, but the buying public couldn’t get over the looks.

£500 though? In your dreams pal.

Yeah. I’m in the market for a new set of winter boots to replace my 13(?) year old Shimano MW81s. Given the choice between these and paying an extra £40 for the latest Shimano Goretex ones (MW702s), my money’s on Shimano.

That looks about as effective as most others, bearing in mind the big hole that’s needed at the top to let your foot in.

I dunno, the cuff on my boots allow a good amount of ankle flex and still stay ‘sealed’ , without the big gap that can be seen on the photos of the Carnac boots

Your choices are

1) Suck it up, and take the £15k hit ( or possibly a bit less if you can negotiate it)

2) Tell them to jog on, they may continue with the purchase anyway but, honestly, you’re the one with weaker hand. Plus, you’re going to have exactly the same issue with the next buyer.

3) Get the house reroofed yourself. This is bound to be the best part of £15k, it will add nothing to the value of that house, plus your have the hassle of doing it.

I’d be going with 1), but trying to negotiate them down.

I’ve just read the email, and you’ve just read my mind.

In the photos, they’ve really done quite well to demonstrate how poor they ankle cuff is

My Polaris roubaix tights are the oldest bit of cycling kit I own, but this, I fear, will be their last winter. Still, 23 years isn’t a bad lifespan for such things.

Air flow shoe dryer. Makes your shoes last longer and not smell

we have one of these, actually not bad value n Amazon today. It always has a pair of football boots, trainers drying on it

https://amzn.eu/d/fL5Osrg

Came here to say get a MaxxDry shoe dryer, and that is a great deal (even though Amazon are evil). MrsIHN does a LOT of trail running, and we are approaching Wet Shoe Season. That dryer works a treat, gets them dry before they start festering

It’s like an orange on a toothpick.

Outstandingly niche reference, well done sir.

Slightly leftfield, but…Macclesfield

history, architecture, “character”,

Yup

walks (hosted or map made up country/river/canal) ,

Canal, Macc Forest, Lyme Park is not far, ditto Tatton Park. Possibly some hosted town history type stuff too

bike bimbles(decent surface for Mrs),

Again, Macc Forest (might be a bit hilly though), Middlewood Way to Bollington or Adlington/Higher Poynton, even Marple if you feel like it, canal back, is basically pan flat.

decent scenery,

Peak District on one side, Cheshire Plain on the other

etc not hugely busy.

Tick

After somewhere to spend a week but want some no driving days (but public transport is ok),

Buses to Buxton, trains to Manchester and Stockport (the area up by Underbank and the market is possibly worth a trip out for the history, architecture etc)

and with some local pubs/decent food etc.

Definitely.

It appears that I’m unable to “feel” when a saddle is too high except when it ruins my back, my lower back is spasming and tight after yesterday’s trial.

Can’t you just try dropping your saddle height incrementally until it doesn’t ruin your back?

are there any advantages of using the other two?

Not especially

Mortgage broker might have offers not open to the websites

Might is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence

Plenty of mortgage brokers without a fee, who at a minimum (if they’re any good) can save you lots of website trawling and form filling.

I’m not convinced. The lender ultimately needs the information, they either get it directly from you, or from you via the broker. With a comparison site you pretty much just enter it all once.

Yeah, I have the same, and was wondering similar (although I was wondering if it was something that could be done professionally, there’s no chance I’m having a go myself)

If you have a normal, PAYE employed, regular salary each month job, and you’re buying a normal house, there’s no reason you can’t do it yourself via a comparison website. It’s just an exercise in form filling and paperwork providing.