I’ve noticed that there are many STW members who have unrealistic expectations, or won’t use a company because of some piffling issue. There’s often a nasty whiff of self entitlement.

Let’s note a few things: online retailers are very busy at the moment (I know, as I run one, and we’re roughly 80% higher on turnover since the lockdown). You can’t employ more staff, for obvious reasons, many suppliers are running behind schedule and couriers are short staffed. In short, it’s difficult to manage.

So, I guess I’m saying – use your brains, people, and don’t expect the f***ing moon on a stick every time you make a (highly discounted from RRP) purchase.

JP

Look – that subjectivist argument is obviously nonsense. It’s analogous to saying that Eastenders is high art to some people, therefore I can’t say that it’s objectively of no artistic value.

There are objective measures of what makes something good – or are you so perverse that you’d argue that instant coffee is as good as a flat white made by a skilled barista?

JP

I’ve got a few used basses in stock at the moment. What’s your budget?

JP

Single boiler machines struggle to produce enough steam power to make decent milk drinks. This said, I’ve trained people on Gaggias and had them pouring latte art tulips by the end of the sessions. It’s bit more hit and miss than a dual boiler or HX machine, though.

Pressurised baskets are absolute rubbish – you’ll never get decent coffee with one. If you claim you can then I’d question your ability to discern good from bad.

JP

I lived in Greece during the late 90s. One of my ex-pat friends became retty much fluent in around 6 months. The main thing that seemed to help her was confidence – she wasn’t afraid to make mistakes.

JP

I got a Superstar V6 rear hub for a bargain price on their site, then found a half price Spank 33 rim (28 internal) on CRC and got them built into a wheel by my local shop.

Total cost was about £180 for the rear wheel. Front could be done on a similar basis for about £130.

JP

The WHO has been hopeless for most of this. I don’t mean this as some sort of Trumpesque statement; just look at everything they’ve said from the beginning, note where they’ve been inaccurate, and make up your own mind.

Then, look at their leader: someone who has been a minister in a dodgy, repressive government and is not a medical doctor. Ask yourself how he got there and what sort of lobbying went on to achieve that and you’ll probably have a little bit less faith in them as an organisation.

JP

This is treating people like children. It’s funny how other countries, like Sweden, have taken a more adult approach.

JP

Germany did have huge investment after the war. The fact that the U.K. got more from the Marshall Plan is a complete red herring, as there was a huge war debt to pay off, so the net effect was quite different.

Aside from all this, on what basis are people stating that Germany is more successful than the U.K.? Most measures show them as being fairly similar.

JP

Pikes for that sort of bike – plenty of good deals to be had.

JP

There’s a simple answer to any question on here that starts with ‘Am I being unreasonable’ – it’s invariably ‘yes you are’ with an added dose of self righteousness.

JP

In my experience as an online retailer, about half eventually turn up at some point. Others probably have a damaged or lost label and go into a big pile of lost property at the courier, and the rest are nicked.

What I don’t know is what happens to orders sent to Mexico. I have never had a successful delivery there, so have excluded it as a country to which we deliver. I assume there’s some thieving **** somewhere over there sitting on a massive pile of things he can never use or even sell.

JP

That was the reason given, but that sort of thing is that easiest way to start conspiracy theories.

JP

I know of several cases where deaths have occurred and cause of death has been reported as Covid-19 despite the patients testing negative for it.

I don’t think this is some sort of conspiracy, but it is odd.

JP

It’s not interpreting the rules, it’s using common sense. Is there a greater risk of my infecting myself or others if I drive for 10 minutes to some deserted woods, or ride in the woods opposite my home, where I’m likely to encounter far more people? I think you know the answer.

JP

It was always ok unless you were some brainless rule-obsessed drone or a police officer with delusions of being in the Stasi. Just use common sense and don’t take the piss. It’s really not that difficult.

JP

Whilst I think Trump is an awful president and human being, I think all of this does ignore the fact that the WHO suffers from the same problem as many organisations of its kind, namely corruption.

Look at how its leaders have got to their positions and you’ll see what I mean.

JP

I’m not moaning about them; just pointing out that they’re not very good by modern standards.

JP

I’ve got a garage full of stuff from that era. There’s a Merlin titanium from 1991, a Rockhopper Comp from the same era, and a Cannondale M400 (I think – it’s my wife’s old bike) from when they were built in the US.

They’re all terrible to ride on anything remotely technical.

I’ve even got some original Maguras and a very rare Campagnolo MTB groupset, which never shifted anywhere near as well as Shimano, but looked great.

Bikes are much better now.

JP

As a former English teacher myself I’d rather eat my own liver than endure any Depression era American novels.

Brave New World is a much better novel than 1984. Huxley is also a vastly superior and more interesting author than Orwell.

Other classics that are actually readable: Don Quixote, most novels by Graham Green, The Woman in White, Frankenstein.

Rushdie is worth reading, but not The Satanic Verses, which is a work of opaque pretentiousness.

JP

There’s plenty of research in peer reviewed journals on grinders and particle distribution. It’s not pseudoscience.

Positing that a blade grinder would produce anything but terrible results is nonsensical; they give no control over grind size and the uniformity of particles is terrible. If you don’t understand why this wouldn’t produce awful coffee then it may be better to stay away from coffee threads.

To return to the original question: better grinders produce better tasting coffee. In fact, the grinder is more important than any other piece of equipment in determining how good your coffee is.

JP

There really are a lot of virtue signalling, sanctimonious bellends on this forum aren’t there?

Government advice does not sanction some elements of the police to live out their fantasies of being part of the Stasi in East Germany.

It’s worth remembering that Orwell’s 1984 was inspired by the measures put into place in the U.K. during WW2, not just the Soviet Union, as many people think.

JP

People I ride with have had just as many problems with SRAM brakes as any other. Mainly pistons jamming on Guides and Codes.

I’ve got Deore 4 pots and they’ve been totally reliable. Ditto the XTR 4 pots on two of my mates’ bikes and the Saint brakes on other friends’ bikes.

JP

We had a PE teacher who used to join us in the showers (naked, of course).

The run back from the games fields to the changing rooms was faster than any running we did during the lesson (stick head under shower and get fully dressed before the teacher got there).

JP

The eco nutters don’t want the world to look like this because they don’t seem to understand that the consequences of their demands would be exactly that.

Let’s just take the example of what is going to happen to all of the countries that rely on tourism for a large portion of their GDP. What is happening now is exactly what would happen if we reduced global flights to the levels demanded by extinction rebellion.

I have friends whom I would describe as eco nutters and they have yet to offer a satisfactory answer to this simple problem. Perhaps you have a solution?

JP

Nukeproof Reactor in 275 guise.

JP

If we listened to all of the eco nutters the world would look very much like it does right now – ruined global economy and no one travelling anywhere.

JP

Lazer Phoenix Plus is ASTM rated for downhill, quite light and only £60 if you shop around. I have one and use it all the time.

Quite a few people wear open face helmets for enduro (I don’t think many events in the U.K. stipulate full face) but I’d much rather be a bit hotter but have the added protection.

JP

This pandemic has really given STW members a chance to be self-righteous in a whole new way.

You could quite easily apply the logic on this thread to everyday life outside of the current situation, and never do anything vaguely dangerous, like riding a bike, or driving a car, because it might burden the NHS.

I really wish people would STFU. If you want to be sanctimonious and judgemental about what other people do, perhaps you should join one of the more puritanical religious groups.

That is all,

JP

I’m making a note of all the spurious predictions, assertions and other nonsense on this thread and will be reminding everyone, when this is all over, of their stupidity. You have been warned.

JP

100 psi is too much. I run 80 on my Lyriks and I’m only a bit lighter than you. Different air spring doesn’t make 20 psi difference.

Is your shock pump pressure gauge working ok? Have you tried a different pump?

JP

I’m around the same height as you and don’t get on with 29ers.

I know people will point out that there are pros who are shorter than us who love 29ers, but I really think they work better for taller riders.

JP

It’s a non adjustable OPV on your machine (didn’t realise that originally).

There’s not a lot you can do really that doesn’t involve spending quite a bit (adjustable OPV, better grinder, etc).

Increasing the dose will slow things down, but will reduce extraction (but increase strength).

JP

@tomd Well said.

JP

Much cheaper to change the damper.

JP

Changing the damper and spring is dead easy. Some people think the Yari chassis is heavier, but I think the weight difference is due to the Yari being an open bath damper with loads of oil floating around.

You can get the cheaper Charger 2.1 damper without the high speed compression damping control for about £150. If you’re a fairly average weight I’d argue that the high speed compression control is probably not sort the additional money.

JP

Why do do many people on here with zero qualifications or experience relative to the issue think that they know what’s best, or believe that they have some sort of magical ability to predict the future?

Please realise your own limitations and biases and STFU, unless you have something useful to add (and ‘millions will die’ is not something useful in case anyone was wondering).

JP

Pressurised baskets are useless. Buy yourself a VST or IMS basket. Try dropping the pressure on your machine and using a lower dose and coarser grind. Also, go longer on your espresso – eg 15g in, 40g out in 15s.

This is all based on some recent peer reviewed research by Chris Hendon et al. You can easily achieve a good (ie 20%+) extraction yield with this recipe, even though it sounds counter intuitive.

JP

Schools aren’t being closed (yet).

Jp

Get him a full size one unless he’s got particularly small hands. A used Squier of some kind is your best bet.

I’ve got trade accounts for Fender and some other brands, but when I’ve looked for friends the wholesale price has been pretty much the same as the cheapest online price, so there are also some new bargains out there too.

JP