It started in the private sector then it hit the public sector and businesses that shouldn’t be run as businesses started using it. Add a few managers with no people skills and a bit of bullying and you have a right old mess. It is rife in the Environment Agency particularly in North Wales.

I cannot comment on the trail pedals but it is for this reason that I have been running the old caged DX SPD’s for years – the cage makes them easier to get ONto – then you can INto it them the first couple of crank revs. Useful in mud and snow.

I’d say a medium road frame is 56cm (22″); a medium mtb frame is 18″.

2.54cm in an inch for the conversion

Giant Escaper

Cable magic here too on bare stainless steel inners, not galvanised and not stainless with a so called lubricating black coating. Of course with full length outers – does any one have exposed cable runs any more?

Sounds like a reasonable level of fitness, just start easy, play the long game.
Last time I was in a cabin in Coed y Brenin, after the beer had run out my mates switched me to whisky. The thing is they only switched me to whisky – they were drinking apple juice. Similar colour but very different alcohol content! An interesting days biking was had the next day.

Service, yes. Repair or tune, no.

Changing oil and replacing seals is pretty easy. If I dont do enough of the first it leads to the 2nd beig required so it helps if you have someone close by so you can drop them off and collect. I use Stendec on the way to/from my work.

I found Royal sizing to have been all over the place for years. I have not tried anything from them recently though due to this. I would try before I buy rather than run the online gauntlet.

With Vanillas being coil sprung I’d not even be too bothered if the stanchions were scratched, new oil will sort them out fine.

Some on here will tell you of performance loss but they study forks on a dyno rig in a lab.

Set up a BUG – Bicycle User Group. Gives a load of you one voice to confront managgement with.

They look nice but why would Spesh do that to us?

This is why I love my 1998 FSR with bolts that you can pick up on any trading estate (or in your box of bolts in the shed). They are also made of steel so don’t snap when you have misread the settings on your torque wrench!

For anyone that needs some replacement lens’ for either the Eye Jacket 1.0 or 2.0 I have just found these guys:

http://www.thesunglassfix.com/vshop/shopexd.asp?id=886

Not used them yet but $28 AUD is about £18 GB and they ship post free so I just need to be up late one night with a glass of malt in my hand and I am sure to press the button!

Well now that the Conwy Falls cafe has been mentioned I think I can say that they appear on this list of a few North Wales venues to avoid, including One Planet at Llandegla too:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-north-wales-news/mold-news/2012/04/30/more-than-400-food-outlets-rated-sub-standard-across-north-wales-55578-30866166/

Now that was just a snap shot of the situation when the man from the council visited so any of these may have sorted their venue out by now.
It does show that you can ride on a good bacon sarnie review for too long though!

Fit a thrust bearing is what an engineer would say (I am not an engineer) but grease is far cheaper

I hung my wet camelbak backpack on the radiator to dry (with the bladder still inside). A week later I went out for another short ride with the remaining water but for the next 3 days was shitting through the eye of a needle!. Hot water or freezer. Milton is good but you need to get rid of any grunge build up. Not all of it is visible, feel inside wih your hand for opaque slime!

The older style Hope one works for my bulk. The newer one slips due to lack of crankage with the flimsy lever – loooks nicer though so if you are 10st get a new one.

The original Ground Control Tyre* shed mud really well…. As soon as you hit some tarmac there it was in your face and all over anyone stupid enough to ride near you. Tioga Farmer Johns Cousins were ok retro tyres too when there was .ittle to choose from.

*Dont Specialized recycle trademarks something stupid? I have a frame with this same name and a set of shoes too. Same again with Umma Gumma tyre compound – they put it on their 120 shoes too (and it all falls off).

Ah yes the April 1991 MBUK April Fool joke. Twas a photo of a soap dish but had us all going until the May edition – the world before ‘tinternet. Bliss……full ignorance!

Panrancer Smoke on the rear, Onza Porc on the font was the choice of some Pros and all us yooff cat wannabe’s. Smoked Bacon was what we called it!

+1 for A2Z’s here for the last few years after trying most of the other budget pads. But I too have also recently cottoned onto the original Shimano XT’s idea too.

Sorry for scaring you!

I should have said “here is Peter Poddys PDF guide”

Revitalise faded plastic garden furniture with it. I spilt some on my old green chairs and it’s great.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1AoGIWBz4H1YWNhYWRkODYtNzRiNi00YTA1LTlmMjctNmQzOWQwMDdiZGFl/edit?pli=1

3 orders, 3 french connection uk ups so far. Each time I vow never to try them again but sometimes they are the only online shop with an item or they are the best price.

I’d probably try them a 4th time ‘cos surely they cannot be so consistantly crap?

Al, on my Sora shifter I kept setting it up but when moving through the gears on the stand it would ‘ping’ and pull through each time. I started to wind fuse wire around it in order to try to shim it out but it would no work man. The white nylon cable holder was splayed out.

Same thing happened to me with some Shimano Sora road levers. I wondered if there was a thimble type thing you could put over the cable nipple to make it bigger and hold in nylon holder but could not find any such invention on the market – does that give you any bright ideas?

I’d put it down to the fact that Deore and Sora are pretty cheap Shimano kit.

Yes they are nice, I have a few pairs kicking about – I am not so sure I am young enough to be able carry off their current designs!

Oakley are very good with their aftersales support so whilst they wont be able to get you any replacement arms they may send you the new design of the eye jacket or give you a big (say 40%) voucher for a purchase of any from their current range.

If that happens I’d be interested in your old lens and ear socks because I have an old pair with a scratched lens and tatty socks which I could bring back to life. Of course Oakley dont warrenty scratches only snappage although they will sell you a replacement lens if they are current.

I have the 2007 version and have done the bearings and replaced my Triad shock (similarly shite shock to the Septune), with a 2008 200×50 RP23 turning it into a Stumpjumper FSR 135mm. I dont intend on replacing it for a long time.
Our two frames are similar but not identical but both the shock replacements are discused in typical USA style on mtbr.com.
Thinking long term if you do snap either end, 2nd hand replacements are hardly gunna be scarce. You also have the option of getting a BETD link for your frame to up your travel – those welded links do occassionally snap. Stick with it, a great design.

I did a week-long Peak District loop aided by some great trains. You can get to Edale cheap from Town off peak.

Scott AT-4 or even better the AT-4 Pro curvy handlebars, perhaps in a C21st width.

IMO merino is not for summer high aerobic activity, particularly if you have backpack/hydration pack. Merino is great in the cold winter or year round for lower activity but I switch back to synthetic when things start to warm up a little and I persire more so need moisture transfer to occur quicker. Odourwise I can wear one merino top all week for a 5 day week at work and then get a few days out of it on the bike at the weekend.

Central North Wales Coast – Lots of Specialized near me (local Spesh dealer tho) aside from the 5 in my possession. Usually Spesh’s outnumber all other brands on our mid-week night rides too.

I asked her and got this reply:

“We know somebody who had a shop but unfortunatly was taken ill and had to close so he sold all his stock and we brought a big bulk from him in the hope that we could make some money on it. We dont really know alot about bikes really so that is proberly why the items might be mismatched.”

Fairy nuff.

Spray the white ones.

2 orders that they buggered up so I vowed never to use them again then last weekend they were the only online shop with the part I needed and they **** that up too. They may be fine if they are your LBS but mail order, never ever again……… (please remind me!)

I may swap my road and mtb forks around tomorrow – I reckon she may have something niche there!

I just want to see the pics from the bottom showing your shredded Ron Hills and rims that have been scored through ‘cos your blocks had worn out by the time you got down to Cloggy. You’d be smiling because we had no idea what the future would hold.

Crikey – that pic only shows that you got to the top in one piece!

Following a slight spillage oneday I now use old dot5.1 to revive the colour of my green plastic patio furniture!

Funny how I say Sandwidge but it is spelt sandwich. Ha Ha I’m so funny.

A2Z from WHS on my Mono Mini’s, Mono M4’s, Mono 6Ti’s. The only budget pad that seems to have consistant quality/life for me (I have tried most others). Every so often I have to buy originals from Hope for the springs and things.