Then that would be a convenient example of a perfectly fine “opinion” for us to agree to differ on. Because if one of my friends came out with something as abhorrent as that to my face then I’d never speak to them again.

It sounds like you act with the same zeal in real life as you do when closing threads on this forum. I guess at least you’re consistent.

JP

Glasgow has plenty of decent specialty coffee places and bakeries that will sell you a great pastry.

Chains, on the other hand, generally sell pastries that range from inedible to just about passable. Patisserie Valerie is a particularly bad example of a chain – I believe at one point they weren’t even using butter in their croissants as they were so stumped for cash.

JP

It’s very easy to de-friend people with whom you disagree on political matters. I think this is slightly dangerous, as you end up in your own little bubble where everyone agrees and nothing is challenged.

My business partner and I have opposite views on Brexit, but we respect each other’s standpoint. I admit that this would be harder for me if his stance was based on xenophobia or suchlike, but it isn’t.

JP

Everyone I know who has Hope stuff (including me) has it in colours. I always assumed that the colours were more popular than black, but, then again, I did grow up riding in the Ringle quick release era.

JP

chewkw

The only chance to get Brexit is to “drain the swamp”, hopefully with No Deal, then start again. i.e. get out with No Deal then after that the politicians can argue amongst themselves until their face turn blue.

A stunning piece of political insight there. Please enlighten us further with your great and unmatched wisdom.

JP

OMG, there’s nothing more vile than old roadies that refuse to buy new shorts until they actually have holes in. 🤮 I’ve had words with a couple of my club mates about it in the past.

Not just roadies. I still wear the shorts that I bought at the 1989 Malverns Classic. More holes than Lycra now. Admittedly, they’re only ever used as under shorts underneath my baggies now.

JP

I left a workplace (university sector) and fairly well paid job that I’d been in for 12 years, but had begun to absolutely hate. Started up my own business, which ultimately turned out to be a total moneypit. Fortunately, I met some great people along the way, including my current business partner, with whom I now run a related but different business.

We have much less money now, – I had to sell my Lotus to fund things, and am only just about to get back into a half decent car after several years of running round in something I borrowed from my parents. However, I’d say that I’m much happier.

If I did things again, I wouldn’t change much, but I’d probably have got more money behind me before quitting, rather than flouncing off quite quickly (as I did).

JP

richmars

Subscriber

Pumpkins may be biodegradable, but the fuel used to plant, harvest and transport them isn’t.

Ban Halloween I say.

Humans create huge amounts of CO2 just by breathing. Perhaps we should ban that.

JP

i have been through the whole five10 range. these columbia boots are just as grippy with flats.

Your idea of grippy and mine are obviously radically different.

JP

Freeriders and waterproof socks is the best bet IMO. Anything else is going to be a compromise for grip.

JP

They’re just rebadged Novatec hubs, IIRC, so if you search for how to service those you might find something.

JP

I think there will be plenty of tactical voting. In my constituency I’m already hearing about a serious campaign to get ride of Rees Mogg. He’s so massively disliked by most sensible people in the constituency that they’d be prepared to forego their usual voting intentions just to get rid of him.

JP

mrwhyte

My beard and skin tends to get very dry in the winter and the moisturiser I use sticks and clags up in the beard…

Drink more water. No need to get caught up in the cosmetic bullshit.

This. Unless you’re a metrosexual, the beard is meant to save time and money, not cost you more and be more hassle than shaving.

JP

They just want a real labour party in power, not a sad imitation tory apologist one. This is the legacy of Blair (along with 1 million dead people in Iraq but that’s old news apparently). The reason Corbyn is leader now, and why the membership will elect another leftwinger after him is because Blair abandoned everything that was held dear to labour members and supporters. So next time you go on about how great he was (apart from the 1 million dead people of course), just remember he caused all this. A political party doens’t need to be idealogically pure, but it does need ideals, that’s all the membership want (and no more deaths on their consciences).

You are correct in that assessment – Labour had become almost indistinguishable from the Tories during the Blair/Brown years. I hoped, initially, that Corbyn’s rise would mark a shift to a sensible kind of socialism, but, unfortunately, he’s gone totally loony left. I find it strange that his supporters don’t see that that he’s just as much a believer in magical unicorns as all of the Brexiteer Conservative nutters. The only difference is the colour of the unicorn.

JP

Trailrider Jim

Subscriber

Watched the Adrian Carter video about it, where he was saying it makes sense on a motorbike. It does, as the rear wheel drives, but it’s the front wheel on a push bike where you need more grip most of the time.

He’s also said in the past that hardtails need relatively short reaches. Two years later he’s saying the opposite.

JP

Had mine for 2 years. I’ve done nothing except change the cable once. There’s a little bit of wobble, but it’s not noticeable when riding.

The Oneup might be slightly better, but it’s usually at least 50% more expensive.

JP

Intense have just started selling them on their new bike. Probably because people were trying it and they saw potential.

They’re not what I’d call a mainstream brand, though, and it’s very much a post hoc addition to the range.

JP

kelvin

Subscriber

So, when’s the referendum? I’m still thinking we leave in May, with a WA, after a vote of some kind.

We’re not leaving and never were.

JP

Could I ask a bit of advice, my Vox VT40+ died a few weeks ago, made a slight click while playing then to the relief of the neighbours all went quiet. The power amp is ok, I can plug in a source. The tuner etc works, footswitch changes channels, get usual noise plugging in headphones – so I don’t think it’s dodgy plugs (mentioned on some forums). Seems to be something in the pre-amp. Swapped the valve as I could do that easily. Any ideas what it could be?

Valves these days are pretty rubbish quality compared to stuff made years ago, so it’s always worth trying a few different valves to make sure that it’s not just duff valves causing it.

I’m a big Bernard Butler fan, too. We’ve got a lovely 335 in at the moment that I’ve been hooking up to a Fender Twin through a Turbo Distortion – great for that early Suede sound.

JP

Big-Bud

Member

If you like it that’s all that matters
I personally think bird know a lot more than most about geo but we’ve all been guilty at some point of getting sucked in to marketing bs
I’m sure they were all sat in an office somewhere like the topgear Peugeot sketch saying we cannot give them another hub width ,we’ve done all the bb standard we can get away with ,we’ve done long low and slack and that paid for my new Ferrari ……I I know mixed wheel size

You say that, but you could make the argument that bike designers 25 years ago also knew what they were doing, yet we were riding around on bikes that were absolutely hopeless downhill, with 150mm stems, 550mm bars, 71 degree head angles, etc.

Mullet bikes have come more from people actually racing them than any marketing department bs. In fact, I can’t think of any mainstream bike that’s not an e-bike that is available as a mullet bike as stock. There have been, however, EWS and DH World Cup races won on mullet bikes.

JP

It used to be the case that you’d be liable for the fees if they couldn’t find someone to take over your lease. However, I haven’t worked in the HE sector for 5 years now, so things have probably changed.

The whole thing is a complete mess: universities avoided capital expenditure on halls by making deals with private organisations, but these organisations are now acting in exploitative ways. We’ve also got some of the highest tuition fees for public universities in the world, so students are getting royally screwed.

JP

5thElefant

Confiscation of private property

I’m actually with you on that one – Labour appear to have lost their minds on that issue.

JP

5thElefant

Member

Hopefully we’ll see the Labour Party decimated and not a threat for a generation.

Do you really believe that or are you just trolling?

I’ll assume the former and question why you think it’s a good idea for any party (Conservative or otherwise) to be able to enact all of its policies unopposed by any serious checks and balances. Or are you dim enough to be wishing for a dictatorship?

JP

This said, we have just become a dealer for FGN, who used to make the Japanese Fenders, and have a few pointy ones in stock.

Oh God, same factory as mine. The quality is flawless.

Yeah – they are very well made.

JP

Depends on how much you want to spend. Wilks is great, if you don’t mind being a bit outside of the centre and have the budget for something with a Michelin star.

JP

This has turned into the thread that taste forgot.

Pointy Ibanez/Jackson/Washburn/etc guitars looked terrible in the 80s/early 90s, when they were popular; age hasn’t done them any favours either.

This said, we have just become a dealer for FGN, who used to make the Japanese Fenders, and have a few pointy ones in stock. Personally I prefer the Tele inspired guitars they make, though.

JP

dazh

Subscriber

Why ?

Because he’s a tory, and an old school one at that, which means his single motivation is protecting the power and wealth of those who currently hold it.

This sort of thinking is very Socialist Worker circa 1982, and I don’t think it’s very helpful.

I’ll precede the following by saying that I have never voted Conservative and on a general basis do not agree with the bulk of their ideology. However, the notion that every Tory MP is part of some sort of national conspiracy to subjugate the proletariat is utterly moronic. Presumably, you’ve been reading too much Das Kapital with an uncritical eye.

JP

If you’re after decent coffee I’d invest in one of these:

https://peak-water.com/#shopify-section-1561470912108

It will drastically reduce your need to descale, especially if you’re in a high bicarb/Ca area, and will make a big difference to the quality of your espresso.

JP

I ran just over 3 hours on not much training a few years back. I was doing about 20 running miles a week, plus 4 hours on the turbo and an hour in the pool. I reckon if I’d been properly committed I might have been able to get under 3 hours, but got bored with it and got back into mtb instead.

JP

I forgot we had a riding god in our midst, who can make such useful suggestions.

JP

I think Jools has indeed had enough, and TBF he’s done an awesome job of hosting it.

I love Later..

Nothing to do with that. The tender for the programme came up this year and the bidding production companies were tasked with revitalising the format as part of the bidding process.

JP

First-ever mountainbike I lusted over was an Overburys Pioneer when I first saw one advertised in MBUK.

Yeah – I remember seeing that and thinking oh no, my bike is shit!

On a different note, why were tyres so low profile back then? They look about half the height of current tyres, yet were only a bit narrower (IIRC Ground Controls were 1.95).

JP

Did it to a Yari. Fork feels much nicer and it was a pretty easy job, considering I’m pretty inept at mechanical stuff. Hasn’t made me measurably faster, though, which is surprising given how crap people say the Moco damper is.

JP

I did Blade during the really wet period we had in the summer. It was fine – a bit wet, but barely any mud. Not sure what the other trails would be like, but I’m guessing that the main ones would be fine, but the off piste stuff might suffer a bit.

JP

duir

Member

Wild Enduro Magi x front is superb as a front tyre ridiculous grip on every surface.

No idea why anyone would think sidewalls aren’t tough they are very tough even if they weep a bit.

Grip is nowhere near a Magic Mary Ultrasoft of any Maxxgrip tyre over roots. Sidewalls are tear resistant but they’re not as supportive as DD.

JP

I’m waiting on the Clarks M4 brakes in the eurobike article from s couple of weeks ago…

Would the M2 ones Bo too low end/power?

A friend has the 2 pots. They’re OK, but I wouldn’t want them on my bike.

JP

Unless they have toilets I couldn’t.

I’m not surprised he didn’t take the custom shop. It’s a bit of a misnomer “custom shop”. “Custom” normally means you spec what you want like you do with Warmoth: I want the narrowest c-shape you do, 10-16 radius, 6105 stainless frets, matt nitro on the back gloss on the front, 22frets, don’t round of the fret ends – and that’s what you get. Fender custom shop stuff is mainly based on older Fender models; off-the-shelf custom shop guitars are IMO just idiosycratic reproductions. If you want a fat neck then get a 52 reissue or the corresponding custom shop – or just get a standard Mexican Baja because they have the same neck profile.

Of all the Fenders I’ve played my favourite necks are: Squier Infinity Strat, Mexican Strat and Classic Vibe Tele. Not much point buying a custom shop then untill they decide the Mexican Strat is a classic worthy of a custom shop replica.

Just keeping the thread running with some musing, JP, don’t mind me.

We do have toilets in Frome (they’ve made it this far!)

You seem to care a lot about neck profile. For me it’s really not that important – you can get used to most profiles. The most important thing for me (and all of the professional musicians we’ve sold to) is how a guitar sounds, and that’s where the Custom Shop guitars are usually pretty good. There’s a definite difference between them and the American Standard and equivalent guitars, and we’ve done plenty of blind testing to know that this isn’t just confirmation bias.

JP

Northwind

Subscriber

If you think that level of disruption to your commute is unaccaptable, you’re going to bloody hate the results of climate change, tube cancelled due to Thames on the lines

Do you really believe that will happen?

JP

Double the price, though.

JP

salad_dodger

Subscriber

I don’t have anything useful to add but I just wanted to finish a post with…

JP

Lol. I found that very confusing when I glanced at this thread.

JP