Can I be the first to recommend Paramo? I used my Velez smock for riding in winter. Warmer than a shell but not too warm and considerably more comfortable/breathable than ANY waterproof I’ve ever used before.

Amen to that brother, but I wouldn’t want to use it for riding on the road, too flappy for that.

Basically, is there a any way of telling what I can get away with without trying a short cage out? I’ve always just had long cage in the past.

Yes, check the capacity of the mech that you intend to use – the mech’s capacity is to total difference between the largest and smallest sprocket and largest and smallest chainrings.

In your case this is (34-11)+(38-26) = 35 teeth.

A short-cage Zee rear mech has a capacity of 28T so would not work with your setup. The long-cage version has a capacity of 36T so it will work.

Originally, mtbs went 135 to allow wider flange spacing and therefore stronger wheels

Not quite true – it was when 7 – and 8 – speed cassettes started to become the norm, Shimano and Suntour went up to 135 to allow for more sprockets. The flange spacing has changed but not by a lot.

Road bikes used to be 120, then 125 and have only recently gone to 130. I believe that 120 is still the norm for track bikes.

There’s also 150 x 12 for DH duties which helps reduce the amount of dish required in the rear wheel.

would there be any problem in using some ally/steel spacers of 2.5mm either side

I’d say so – look at how thick your dropouts are and how much of the axle they actually cover (i.e. how much of the axle protrudes beyond the locknuts – not a lot). Now remove 2,5mm from each end…

Unless you can replace the axles with longer ones (shouldn’t be a problem on Shimano/other cup-and-cone bearing hubs) then you should be OK, otherwise I’d be looking at getting the frame spaced properly.

RS are equally as good.

If monumentally expensive.

Highway Code says give bikes as much space as you would a car, but hardly anybody actually does that… But often, if there’s not space to pass 2 bikes side by side, then there’s not space to safely pass one bike.

And Rule 66 states that you should only ride in single file on narrow roads.

It’s called manners, something which 90% of the population seem to be sadly lacking these days.

Impreza WRX?

^ +1 for that.

Been using Mountain Kings for a few years now with no problems. Some feel that the sidewalls are too thin and easily damaged but aside from a tear in a tyre that was due for replacement anyway, I can’t report any problems.

Stanto Slackline anyone?

Mini All4? Fiat Panda 4×4? Suzuki Jimny?

Don’t forget it’s still possible to get it all wrong in a 4×4 in snow and ice. A lot of it is still down to the driver – bad workmen and all that…

Should I have put less float fluid in the air chamber

At risk of being accused of stating the bleeding obvious, have you read the specs in the manual? It’s all in there…

The only Dennis I know from Manchester is Dennis Law. And he’s not from Manchester. Do I win £5?

I often thought I’d make a good traffic copper, as I have no friends to start with, don’t care who I upset and do a great line in sarcasm.

On the flip side though (sticks head way too far above parapet); if insurance was a legal requirement for cycling on the road, it would be one less argument which could be levelled against us…

Personally I might be in favour of it.

This is not OCD i would say its more workmanlike

drives me nuts when folks are working haphazard on mechanical things and the workshop is a shithole or bombsite

You can be my special friend.

How do you file the band “The The”?

I don’t, as I do not own any of their material. That said, I would file it under T. Obvs really…

Also serious question if its a solo artist say Richard Ashcroft, under R or A, or next to (the) Verve album?

If it’s someone’s name then alphabetically by surname, regardless of attachment to a band, group or whatever. Richard Ashcroft would be under A, Cliff Richard under R and James Blunt under a bus.

EDIT: also if a band starts with a number, are they before the A’s or One under O, two under T etc?

Numerical first, then alphabetical. Therefore, 1 Direction would precede 808 State, who would be before AC/DC.

EDIT2: also where to you file various artists/compilations?

Under “V” for “Various”… :roll:

BTW this XC60 is FWD only so not an AWD aspect to worry about.

Er…not true. Only the DRIVe models are FWD, all the rest are Haldex AWD

Maybe we’ve been incredibly lucky or maybe you’re wrong.

I suspect the former.

Look at the VOC forums and look at the number of electrical/electronic gremlins associated with many post 2000 models.

Plus the following from my own experience with my 2002 V70 D5 – bought in 2012 with 113k on the clock and full dealer history. 6 months later the following went – both front seat heaters; headlamp levellers; headlamp wash wipes; both front 12V sockets; radio died; rear child locks. Alarm and central locking intermittently faulty.

All problems traced to faulty central electronic module. Replaced at main dealer (you can’t use parts cannibalised from other cars as they are all coded to the OEM vehicle) at a cost of £800. All good for a month or so then dash module went. Luckily these can be remanufactured for about £100 but still a week off the road.

A friend has had similar issues with his 2003 S60R. These are well-known and well documented faults.

Of course, I could just be lying.

I have a large Snap-On type tool chest. One drawer is devoted to combination spanners from 6 – 24mm.

All spanners must be placed in said drawer parallel to the front face of it, largest top left, smallest bottom right.

Open end of largest spanner must be at top left-hand side and all other spanners alternating in orientation. All spanners must be placed so that ring ends are cranked upwards.

All other tools just get chucked in the other drawers (admittedly one drawer for screwdrivers, one for pliers, one for hammers, etc.) but nothing remotely resembles the spanner drawer.

My CD collection is also religiously ordered alphabetically by artist. “The’s” are not placed under T – so “The Beatles” are filed under “B”.

No. Being a Volvo whore I wouldn’t buy any Volvo post 1999. That said I once did and it’s the worst Volvo I’ve ever owned.

Post 2000 Volvos are plagued with electrical/electronic glitches and unless you know what you’re doing these can cost a fortune to put right. They’ve been better of late, but I still wouldn’t have another after 1999. I’d insist on a full and detailed service history at that mileage (not just “stamps in the book”) and get the codes read before committing.

But meh…what do I know.

Probably lead, yes. Arsenic possibly. If you’re sanding you should be wearing a dust-mask (preferably the type with a filter cartridge) and eye protection.

Never had a problem with eBay, sold loads of cars, motorbikes and push-bikes that way. Local paper sometimes can work too.

Nah, mine was blue with silver lettering until it became orange… I have the head tude badeg still but never had enough confidence in any glue to stick it back in place.

So basically you’ve painted it? Like asking how much the Mona Lisa’s worth now you’ve put some nice anaglypta over it… :roll:

Then tell us how easy it is to repair steel frames that aren’t bog standard 531.

Very. Any competent welder with a TIG set (if it’s welded) or a brazing torch (if it’s brazed) should be able to do it.

This is why long-distance/round the world tourists prefer steel frames because even Oxy-Acetylene Ali in Shitholerabad can bodge a steel frame… :roll:

Obvious troll.

you have a mouth, use it.

cheaper than a bell. adjustable volume to!

^This.

Plus it’s all well and good moaning about everyone else being a set of twunts and having no consideration, but IME cyclists/MTBers are the worst culprits of the lot for behaving like they own the trail. 99% are miserable bastards and have zero consideration for anyone except themselves.

People in glass houses and all that… :evil:

I think people are missing the point here –

I have a (old style copper cable) BT landline because up until recently there was no fibre-optic available where I live. I use this landline to receive my Orange/EE broadband.

The question I am asking is – now that I can get fibre-optic, do I a) lump it all in with BT, or b) just upgrade my Orange service.

I don’t have a problem with either provider, it’s just that the only upgrades to Orange that I get give me unlimited calls at weekends etc., which I don’t really need as I use my mobile for phone calls. Which is rarely.

I’m also wary that if I upgrade my Orange broadband I’m going to start getting plagued with cold calling again.

Never had problems with BT – now TalkTalk on the other hand…which is why I went back to BT for my landline.

PlusNet – absolute garbage by all accounts, worst customer service ever and they’re from the wrong side of the Pennines…

EGR easy to sort – just make a blanking plate with an old coke can and blank it off (between the valve and the plenum).

Clear all the s**t out of the plenum and you’re good to go – plus you’ll get better response and better mpg. It may throw up an internal error but it shouldn’t cause any dash warnings.

Hake it when that happens…

Biggest pitfall is you’re buying “as seen” – you can’t test drive or inspect the vehicle before the sale. I wouldn’t buy from auction unless it was for stock as a dealer.

Secondly, how many bank robberies have actually involved the robbers wearing ?ij?b?

Robbery Gang Jailed[/url]

Man Dressed in Burkha Robs Bank[/url]

Praise for Public who Tackled Burkha-Clad Raiders[/url]

Want any more? I can give you plenty. There have been 11 armed raids in East Lancashire alone in the last four years where the prime suspects have been disguised in burkhas/niqabs.

If I walk into a shop, bank, petrol station or any other public premises where it might be deemed a reasonable need to establish my identity, wearing a head covering that only showed my eyes, I would not think it unreasonable to be asked to remove it.

Greyhounds are ace – but…

They crave company – if you get one, it’ll need to be with you 24/7. Preferably get two, which is pretty easy because many form bonds with other dogs in refuges and then can’t be separated.

They fart. A lot. And it stinks.

They’re very often emotionally traumatised – they can take a lot of rehabilitating, if ever.

The worst thing is they are very prone to cancers. Both the greys I had died because of malignant tumours. Won’t be going through that again.

That said, wonderful, loving dogs, very laid back and I think extremely good looking animals.

Ambulance trips for motorcyclists and other “self inflicted” problems

So all motorcycle accidents are self-inflicted then?

What it should look like…

29er specific grips, anyone?

Sounds like a lot of inverted brand snobbery and sour grapes going on here…

lets start a crusade to get all the lakeland footpaths reclassified.

If you’re snapping them every few months then I doubt it will make any difference what chain you use – something is awry with your pedalling.

^This.

I don’t think that I’ve ever broken a chain of any make, type or width.

If it is hand in hand with the Arab League

You’ve said a bundle there. Getting that lot to agree with themselves would be a start, never mind agree with the Western world.

T. E. Lawrence said (and I may be paraphrasing a bit her) that “the Arabs are a silly people, a little people, and will continue to be so untill they learn to stop fighting amongst themselves.”

There’s no way that the critical nations here (and by that I mean the likes of Iran and Iraq) will jump on board with the USA or Britain, Iran out of principle and Iraq because they aren’t in a position to do so. And not least of all because the USA continues to back Israel (or is that because Israel continues to control the USA??).