Cesar Ramero was the best Joker for me.

“Am I the only person that squeezes the sidewalls, thinks that is about right then rides?”

No, that’s what I do. I have 2 track pumps and they both give a different reading anyway. Quick squidge test is the way. If they need a little added I err on the side of caution knowing I can let a little out if the ride is a little skittish™.

I had a partial tibial plateau break in September last year. I’m 50 for reference so recovery was predicted at least a year. No bike until March.

Big metal plate and lots of what look like poorly sized ring shank screws still in place. Doesn’t look quite as bad as Kayaks mind.

3 months in now and did my first bike ride with my boy around gentle fire roads at Christmas. Been out a few times since across town and its feeling good.
Lots of short walks up the woods, I still take my crutch but don’t use it much now. Borrowed a turbo, never had one previously, that is helping my mental state when I feel like recovery is taking forever.
Definitely feels like I will be doing proper rides come the warmer months.

I ordered a new bike frame in June last year and it arrived in the week I was released from Hospital. Nearly finished it now and itching to get out on it.

Repair feels bloody slow sometimes but there is steady progression and improvement almost daily.

What shocked me most was the amount of muscle wastage. It is coming back though. I’m feeling positive. It will get better. Don’t expect too much too soon, it appears to be a long old but the NHS are supporting me very well with physio, hope you get some good support also.

Oh, I’m NHS all the way. They have been awesome. The stay, the food, the after support, the free commode to poo in until I could make the stairs. All of it. They are worth their weight in gold. 5 stars!

My first thought when I saw his Beagle as their user name and career was the name of Darwins boat.

Going to watch Eternals tonight. Expectations are low however.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the live action ‘Cowboy Bebop’ at the moment.

As the above suggests, its a live action version of an Anime series, which I haven’t seen.

Script is basic and a bit cheesy, I guess an attempt to retain the feel of a graphic novel / anime, but characters are great fun cartoon style characters. The soundtrack and photography however are both awesome. Some beautiful shots design to look like graphic novel panels but done equally as good, if not better as Sin City IMO.

Chewing gum for the mind with great aesthetic.

It is set directly after the Mandalorian series, some time after Return of the Jedi. Empire is dead, many antagonists trying to fill the power void.
However, when Boba is sleeping in the Bacta tank we see his memories or flashbacks to directly after the fall of Jabba. First him escaping the Sarlacc Pit then being captured by the Tusken Raiders.

If you have seen the Mandalorian you may remember him retrieving Boba’s armour from the Jawa’s, then Boba chasing him down to retreive his armour.

I don’t think that scene was the Skywalker family being killed. They weren’t stormtroopers. I think it was a random settlement being raided just to illustrate the lawlessness of the time after the empire has fallen.

Wasn’t Technic’s just the posh division of Panasonic? They made all aspects of Japanese HiFi kit. It just so happened that they made turntables with pitch control and a strong direct magnet drive for pitch stability that could be used for beat mixing.
Also, I’m pretty sure the clothing was just promotional kit as they used to sponsor the world DJ mixing championships.

I have the Feedback sports one with the cheap clamp. Had it 15 years or so and it is badged as a different make. Can’t remember the name, something Support or Support something. It gets regular use.
The clamp is getting a little temperamental recently but I know its quirks and its still completely usable.
If I bought again, I would go for the posh clamp. However, I think the one I have will see me out.

I just bought a new tool tray for it as my old one broke and got lost many years ago. I broke my leg a couple of months ago so mobility is reduced. The tool tray is well worth the money, I can’t understand why I went without is for the last few years.

We had a big problem with the little blighters last year.

We think it was the raw food waste that we put in our compost that was the initial attraction. Then they found a way in through the air bricks. These being 115 years old metal type that have rusted out.

I started with ‘humane’ catch traps that turned out to be useless.

Moved on to kill traps. The best bait I found was blackcurrent Strepsils!! Caught 3 like that.

Once I had found / chased one in the bathroom, upstairs that has got in through the water pipe runs, we got a man in.

All gone now.

“Our politicians are idiots”

And also on drugs it seems.

@Merak, That bug body looks great. What chassis will you be mounting it to?

Stanton Sherpa would get my vote also for what its worth.

@Pondo

I can’t vouch for banana’s but potatoes worked well back in the day. Just make sure the firing line is clear once the pressure has built up enough to move the projectile.

The XT 2 pots I bought from the Discount.de came fully assembled. Bought as a set (front and rear) for more discount too. Disks and adaptors bought separately, natch.

Discount-bike.de have Shimano brakes in stock. They are set up Euro but the hoses will ned shortening anyway, no? Just swap the levers as part of the job.

My LBS (which I try and support as much as I can) said that they were taking orders for next year for Shimano stuff so took the plunge with the above.

Prepare for a VAT spanking though. 20% of the purchase price means not a mega bargain but still a fair price.

Dude, get out and ride.

I broke my leg 9 weeks ago. Still can’t ride or even walk without a crutch. I have spent the last 9 weeks with a sad face at the window watching people ride past in the gorgeous autumn sun.

Finally have enough movement in my knee to turn the cranks on a turbo trainer this week.

I have suffered from low motivation on many occasion but suddenly realise that once you cant ride, you really appreciate what good a ride does for your head.

Dude, get out and ride. Get the F*** out and ride. You will love it and feel better for it, you know you will.

But go careful though, and stay safe.

The Tamiya Rising Fighter might be worth a look.

Cheapest Tamiya 1:10 kit, easy enough to build and has the same DNA as the older Hornet and Grasshopper.

Bought one for my lad a few years ago. Great fun building it together, plenty of scope for upgrades and spares readily available.

From the trailer it looks like Takeshi’s Castle with death.
Another dystopian landscape from the Netflix dystopian landscape machine.

I still miss Dirk Gently.

Hope makes a 35mm mount, if needs be.

But I already have the 31.8mm mount and can see no real benefit in using 35mm.
Thanks though, I wasn’t aware they did.

I’m collecting parts for a new build.

I stuck with 31.8 (Hope stem, RF bars) mostly because I have an old Hope Vision 4 light which still works very well as wouldn’t fit on a 35mm bar.

Speaking to a guy in my LBS and he assures me that the 31.8mm standard isn’t going to disappear.

I’m hanging on for LSDecember.

I’ve developed a small drinking habit over and since lockdown. Not excessive but noticeable enough to raise Mrs Wachowchows eyebrow. She’s nurse in a rehab ward (Not addiction rehab), so see’s issues it can cause.

Anyway, broke my leg last week and read somewhere that alcohol can be detrimental to bone growth and repair so that’s me off the sauce until at least I’m riding again.

I’m also making a commitment not to do any crystal meth during October as well.

My boy has a DUB BB on his Ripcord. It spins freely enough (maybe 4 or 5 rotations with chain off).
It came on the bike and I’ve not yet had cause to do any servicing yet to see how it installs or if there are any spacers.
Never had or used DUB before so no previous. I only noticed this one was at the weekend to be honest, but the cranks always get a spin when its cleaned.

In Brazil their equivalent of a ‘local cafe’ is a Kilo restaurant.

You self serve from the salad bar, attempt to communicate with the BBQ meat guy and place your full plate on a set of scales at the till amd pay by the kilo, or fraction thereof. Same cost for a plate of pasta salad or a plate of meat, by weight.
We found any restaurant aimed at tourists had crazy menu’s (not in the cities) so ended up eating at Kilo restaurants the whole trip. Good prices, always full of locals.

Maybe buying food by weight in restaurants is a Portuguese thing? Though not seen it in actual Portugal before.

Handy cheese grater for the mid ride snack, what’s not to like?!

I have a build that I am collecting parts for and struggling also. I elected to go Shimano 1 x 11sp to give myself a chance of finding parts with it not being the latest and greatest.
https://www.bike-discount.de/ have been good for some parts. Managed to find a XTR shifter at half price, got XT cassette also. They do have a minimum spend of €175 to make orders to the UK worth their while but you can’t blame them.

I have tiny kitchen so proper filter machine would be in the way.
Had a couple of counter top bean to cup machines in the past
I have broken too many caffetierres, at home and camping.
I just rinse the Aeropress foot under the tap which is clean enough for me.

Horses for courses innit. I have a mate who only drinks Espresso out of a £600+ machine that takes up half his kitchen, a separate machine to grind the beans and only gets a thimble full of, in all honesty, pretty average, if not overly bitter shot of coffee that makes me wince. But he loves the ceremony.

I would suggest that their hostility and eagerness to engage in aggressive conversation is because they know full well they are taking a liberty riding motorcycles in the woods and already steeling themselves for conflict. W******

Yes. I have a Marantz CD6000 OSE coupled to a Marantz PM6010 OSE set up in the house. Alpine something or other in the car / camper.

I initially bought a similar CD player for my ex wife when they were new to go with her Linn system and it sounded great then and found a bargain on fleebay a few years ago.

It sounds as good as I remembered.

Used to DJ and was a vinyl nut as a result but got cheesed off with the inconvenience as I don’t DJ any more and laptop / phone sound awful through big speakers in comparison.

Hmm, just reading this thread.

I ordered a Stanton Switch9er recently. At 5’11” I am right in the middle of the 2 size options.

Last time I was in this situation was with a Transition Covert. I went down a size to a medium with the same philosophy as most above, more fun and chuckaboutable. Never got on with the bike and wished I had bought a large. Sold it after just 2 years (I keep my bikes as long as I can so that’s a blink of an eye for me).

Not wanting to make the same mistake I have opted for the larger Switch9er frame (yet to arrive) I did crunch some numbers and compared the reach to my current large TR Scout and I reckon with a 35mm stem the reach figures on the Stanton will be around 10 – 15mm longer. Hoping the 2 degree slacker head angle and steeper seat tube will compensate. I am hoping the leap of faith serves me well.

Weirdly, the Covert is the only bike I ever demo’d before I bought and every other bike I have bought by looking at the numbers and angles. I liken the effect that cause the error back to my DJ days. If I rode my motorcycle to the record shop I would come home with a bag full of nose bleed techno, if I took the train or walked the bag of tunes would be a lot more chilled. The demo day on the Covert was winch up then steep chute descents, it was wicked for that but not suited to the trails I normally ride.

Just shy of 6 feet tall, riding a large TR Scout mk1 and use 785 Race Face bars for all types of riding (XC, Trail, days out at Rogate etc). Currently collecting parts to build a 29er HT and already have the same bars ready to fit.

My bar width has gone up incrementally, maybe driven by fashion / availability a little but these are the first bars I am not hanging off the ends of. My bars hit trees, not my knuckles.

And on a motorcycle?

500 km in a day! Dude, that’s some ride!

I think I only became aware padded shorts about 1995 and found them a revelation. I do some riding without but feel it very quickly.

Thanks Guys,

@thegeneralist – I am after padded shorts. I see a benefit in having a padded arse and tight shorts down to nearly the knee. They help me ride more comfortably and for longer.
I did have some padded boxers for a while which were pretty good but the thigh support of proper riding shorts has a perceived benefit to me. Also, if I bought my pants from anywhere other than M&S my mum would spin in her grave.

@zilog6128 – My bib longs for winter are DHB and have served me well for a few years. I will have a look at what’s on offer. Thanks.

I have 2 of the original aeropress, which I have used for years and make, in my opinion, the best coffee ever.
I recently bought the little one for the camper van and used it in anger on a recent trip. It works equally well as the original, takes up much less space and you don’t need a separate cup.

I fill to the top.

I went for the Bearing Pro Tools option as above.

https://www.bearingprotools.com/

They did a specific kit for my bikes bearing sizes and have worked very well. More beating required than I thought to get the bearings out but more likely down to never having done it in 5 years than the kit itself.

“Have you considered moving to Scotland and campaigning for Scottish independence?”

“Give it a rest, that is a shitty statement.”

I disagree. I have totally considered this. And still do.

It’s a little like watching an Austin Powers movie. Worlds best Dr Evil cosplay goes to space in massive penis.
He could be Batman, Iron Man or International Rescue but he wants to be Dr Evil. Seems like an awful wasted opportunity.

As my dad would say “spend all that money on a bike and it doesn’t come with a stand?!”