>Typical PC nonsense being pushed by that arch loony Peter Tatchell

So when exactly did campaigning against discrimination qualify someone to be described as an 'arch loony' ?

And from what I can see from a quick web search, it's not particularly being 'pushed' by Tatchell, unless you can say the other 28,000-odd signatories are 'pushing' it too…

Re the apologist issue – statues of people of note have generally been erected posthumorously, so why not belatedly recognise that Turing was hard done by ?

For that matter, he probably deserves a bloody statue too !

It is sap, but otherwise known as resin/rosin – you won't remove it by dipping it (and IMO anyone that dips doors ought to be bloody shot – it often warps them if not completely ruining them). For the same reason, before painting woodwork you should always put knotting solution (shellac, iirc) on any knots (which are especially resinous) to seal them and stop the resin leeching through into the paint above and staining it

You ought to be able to remove the resin by wiping it with turps – that's *proper* turps, not 'turps substitute'. Or when the weather cools, carefully scrape it off when it sets again.

If the doors are early 1900s, and have a very noticable grain, there's a good chance it's pitch pine – that's the sort of stuff you often see in churches as various woodwork (eg pews) and looks far nicer than any scots pine stuff you get nowadays:
http://www.woodcomponents.ie/images/pitch_pine.jpg

Most of the woodwork in our last place (Edwardian, 1914-ish) was pitch pine – one door in the hall had so much resin in one patch that with the sun behind, it looked more like a patch of ambar viewed from the other side…

>bb tool on a powdercoated facing

Sounds more like it was grit in the threads rather than the powdercoat itself causing a problem.

FWIW I saw an Alien – in green too – locked up in Godalming a few weeks back…

Could try taking the cleats off and comparing with some new ones ? Mine are pretty worn, but they're pretty old too.

You're probably best having a search through the forums to check, but the last time I did, a few week weeks ago, 540s or 520s seemed to be popular and Merlin was about the cheapest for 'em (I *assume* they come with cleats, but might be worth checking in case it's OEM stuff)

I used to have a terrible time with it as a child, up to my mid thirties – only thing that seemed to work on the worst days was Beconase, when it came out. Admittedly for the last few years I seem to have lost some of my hayfever sensitivity.

Garry – it might be that you're particulary sensitive to whatever pollen is about for that month – mine was always exam time 🙁 – I think that's tree pollen, but walking through long grass gives me skin irritation

I understand the problem, but constant night-time lighting's one of my pet hates – contributes to light pollution, adds to light coming in round curtains/blinds (worse with the latter), and disrupts moth behaviour – ie night time pollination. Also, if you leave your curtains open a chink to help wake yerself in the morning (as I used to), someone's external lights buggers that up.

The building I work in is filled with PCs/workstations, we've not infrequently had complains from the neighbouring estate about the light levels when some of the numpties in the office don't turn their monitors off.

A few links of interest:
http://www.unicycle.com/faq6.asp
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97apr/uni.htm

– check out youtube for one of the guys mentioned in the first link, Kris Holm – does northshore on a municycle.

http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=1062

Interesting that Schlumpf are doing geared hubs – their BB speeddrive/mountaindrive's have been around quite a while. Almost 900 quid tho 😮

Sadly my Pashley muni's languishing in the garage, the combination of snowboarding lessons in hard boots plus unicycling with tired legs came close to messing my knees up quite a few years back 🙁

Occasionally I see a what looks like a Coker (36 or 40" I think) locked up to a lamp-post in Kingston-On-Thames…

>Guardianista Liberal Nazis.
Oi, I resemble that remark :p

If you've ever played Return To Castle Wolfenstein, you'll notice someone spent *far* too much time modelling the leather-clad SS ladies.
Think Kate Bekinsale with a goosestep…

>idealogical party intolerant of any dissent or discussion.
You are joking ? – it's taken them this long to settle on having a leader, if that isn't indicative of dissent or discussion I dunno what is…

Yup.
Many years ago (20-odd) I bought a cookbook by/compiled by Khalid Aziz – a newscaster in more recent years (and probably at the time). Some good recipes in there, everything from scratch.
Even includes lime pickle, tho' a jar sat on the window doesn't break down anything like as well as in Indian or Pakistan, as I found after a few months or waiting..smelt bloomin' great tho' !

http://www.marywardbooks.com/books/The-Encyclopedia-of-Indian-Cooking-by-Khalid-Aziz/0850510806.htm

Sad ? – 94 – that's a bloody good innings after all…everyone's gotta pop their clogs sooner or later…

Er..if you want long hair and it's *really* curly – it's almost certainly gonna turn into dreads.
Mine's somewhere in the middle, a few times my ponytail's turned in one matted lump if I haven't teased it out for a week.

Not that there's much left of it 😮

..but I'm making up for it with the beard, being a metalhead 🙂

There seem to be a few bloody hair nazis 'round here…

>They're ugly

You can certainly say that of a lot of middle aged blokes*, don't see 'em parking their lardy arses or beer bellies on bacon slicers tho !

*I'm 46. I have neither. So there 😉

No, it doesn't matter.

Unfair dismissal can only apply after 12 months service (used to be two years). (There's a get-out clause relating to illness, but that's irrlevant in this case)

Sidis come in a wide fitting (mega ? – or is that something else?) – tho' their normal size is a little on the slim size, anyway.

This was another case:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Rhiannon-Bennett-Teenager-Killed-By-Cyclist-Family-Hit-Out-As-Biker-Sentenced-With-A-Fine/Article/200807215029710

– it's not described in the link, but allegedly she'd stepped into the guy's path at the last minute…

>Personally I just use a marigold glove

What, the fingers ?

*ducks*

😉

>So why are the prices high
Again, place of production, units produced, added features – more lighting levels/modes, bells/whistles..also what the market will stand, price-wise.

The price of high power leds (like other silicon devices) drops as they become mass market – but the next big thing will always be a little more expensive due to lower production yields initially and potential market sales. Even then, once a production process is mature, there's a minimum prices it won't drop below – the price is based partly on silicon area per led and yield (no of leds per silicon wafer)

Anyway, that's getting a little away from the 'what lights' question 😉

>Thats so true, and so very sad

I don't disagree, it's simply that production costs are lower, primarily labour. And in recent years the capability of Chinese industry has improved a lot.
Unfortunately labour savings can also be at the cost of working conditions and more environmentally-sound working practices – (eg the clothing in dustry and sweat-shop labour). In some cases you can vote with your conscience/wallet, often it's just impractical/impossible, as montylikes beer wrote re electronics goods.

You've probably never heard of Foxconn, for example, but in the electronics industry they're reasonably well known – they do the manufacturering for Apple (iphone at least). They've been in the press a few times for possibly dubious practices – or at least, of some of their employees have (just checked, in one case they admitted they'd broken Chinese labour laws).

Cycling's one area where people seem to like buying more niche items, plus much is fairly competitive. Some of my cycling gear is Lusso/Sidi/CorinneDennis 'cos it's well-priced/well-made (and TBH, I like the fact that it *is* made in the UK/europe). But Assos is getting a bit rich for me 😉 – and doesn't quite fit 'value for money', particularly when one off might wreck something.

Shimano (AFAIK) used to do all their production in Japan. but now have manufacturing in China too.

>I am fed-up with "made in China", more so as so many UK people are losing their jobs at the moment.

Err..where do think the componentry in these things is made ? Singapore/asia/china etc, like the majority of consumer goods (or otherwise). Everyone's competing (largely) on price, they'll get kit manufactured where it can be done well and/or most economically – once you're selling lots of units a small saving is well worth some degree of effort in pushing manufacturing elsewhere.
It's all very well manufacturing in the uk, but you're got to sell on features (IMO), doing it on price you're not going to last long.

>Pah, I work in software development and it's 8am-9pm 7 days a week as standard, extending to 8am – 3am and beyond at crunch time, all overtime hours (ie outside 9-5 mon-fri) unpaid.

Been there, got tee-shirt at both my last place (consultancy) and current one – both electronics/sw eng. It used to be like that here when I first joined – pretty much ended when we were bought by a v large company some years back – we now have no effect on the share price and there's now not much employee ownership. But at least most people now work sensible hours – downside is the work isn't what it was, but that's more to do with market segment and operating practices rather than anything else.

Well, you started it, can't imagine wiping with my own socks.
Mebbe someone else's tho' 😉

>I wear socks until I need a poo and don't have any tissues

I'm sorry, I have to ask.

Is that to poo *into*, or for wiping with?
Or a bit of both ?

They do stretch a bit, really – tho' more around the instep (ratchet) fastening area. I picked up some off a forum member some years back who'd got 'em the wrong size – I still haven't needed to wear 'em yet, but trying 'em on recently they felt a *little* short – but they're almost exactly the same as my current pair, and next size up would eventually stretch too much for the ratchet to work I suspect. My very first pair of Sidis – early 90's – got to the point of feeling like a pair of slippers 😉
If they feel a bit short – rather then generally tight – make sure you've cut yer toenails 😉
If it's a bit tight across the toes you could try a shoe stretcher mebbe ?

I guess just get the thinnest socks you can find (silk?)
Or just wear 'em for a while barefoot and see how you get on – but I guess if you were thinking about returning/relling them you might not want to. They don't *seem* to suffer like trainers do for getting smelly, mebbe the lorica breathes somewhat better 'cos it's more leather-like (and I always use socks)- YMMV.

FWIW, I'm not overweight and I suspect my OH might say I could snore for England – so losing weight may well not help (but at least it wouldn't do you any harm)

FWIW that bit of legislation I mentioned is the Fifth European Union Motor Insurance Directive:

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/22059/Motoring-lobby-furious-about-EU-plans-to-protect-cyclists-British-media-runs-wild-stories-about-bicycle-guerrillas

tho' this lot reckon it doesn't actually change anything wrt existing law:
http://www.medical-reports.com/5thEUdirective.html

Wee in his shoes *and* crap on his door handles for good measure ?

>jond behave man!!

Eh ? – think you've misread that, I definately *wasn't* saying they should be on the road ! Tho' at that age they should have the skills to use roads where it's safe to do so IMO – but the pavement's a lot more sociable 😉
Not sure at what age I'd expect kids to be on the road (don't have 'em myself) – certainly below a certain wheel size (20" ??) the bike is classified a toy and shouldn't be on the road anyway (so kinda takes care of itself wrt little kids)

I think Mark's quote needs to be waived at both the driver and the Police – I suspect a good proportion latter are pretty ignorance of the detail of highway code.

Not verbatim from the highway code btw, it's from http://www.leighday.co.uk/news/news-archive/the-new-highway-code-what-does-it-mean-for
so the latest might be a little different, but:
"Rule 206 of the new code, as in the previous code, has an entire section dedicated to road users requiring extra care. Previously, motorists needing to cross a pavement, for example to reach a driveway, were only advised to give way to pedestrians. The new rule now stipulates they must also give way to cyclists and pedestrians."

Ah, real thing's here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069858

>in the other hand, the kids should have been riding on the pavement.

It sounds like they *were* riding on the pavement, the pavement dropped as it met the pub turn-in. I guess the question is whether the turn in is part of the footpath and who has right of way.
Irrespective, the driver's a) a useless tosser for not taking care to see if anyone was trying to cross, and b) and utter **** for all the reasons previously mentioned..

I don't know if the law's changed yet, but the presumption in any bike/bike incidents is that the claim is from the driver's insurance (to much whinging from some of the driving fraternity) – iirc this was to bring the law in line with Europe and kinda redress the balance – ie that drivers must take more care. 'Course, in the case of a hit-and-run that's a bit academic.

Warts rather than verrucas, but I had mebbe 3 on one hand at different times as a teenager – same approach as redthunder.
Compound w to kill the top, slice dead top off after a while (with a razor blade), repeat. When it was level with skin, I just used compound w. One left a small scar, another left a slight bump after about a year or so, but no change since.

>At last some of you understand the courtesy angle

I don't *think* anyone specifically disagrees with the courtesy angle (unless I've missed something) – but frequently it's just plain impractical – as previously mentioned, either the moments lost, or someone's now more conscious of you taking a picture and it doesn't work so well.
20-odd years ago I would have had no problem about taking photos without asking permission – and I never had anyone make an issue of it when they did notice. It seems to be a pity that there's some degree of low level paranoia nowadays. I actually feel distinctly uncomfortable taking pictures in public now, and as a mid-forties bloke with no kids in tow (tho' the GF might be lurking somewhere), god-forbid that there's a child in the frame ! Or maybe that's *me* being paranoid….

Crikey, that's pretty decent, might be worth getting both mine done. It's a pity that I'd have to split it at one end or t'other to get it back on the bike cleanly – the rear's not too bad cause I can zip-tie it back rather than use the hole in the swingarm, but the front has to run up through the frame (it's on a recumbent – might get in the way of my legs otherwise). Still, mebbe there's some way I can rig it….

Must admit I'm a bit surprised they wouldn't give you a rough quote – I managed to chip a stanchion on some Magura forks a few years back and they gave me a quote over the phone – but mebbe that's more easily quantifiable. (FWIW, it was 60 quid – again, not bad at all, tho's it's bolt-together which helps)

I'd be interested to hear how you get on, according to the Magura website they think they aren't user-serviceable other than bleeding 'em – I've got an '02-ish OEM Louise (?) caliper which dumped it's guts recently and probably just needs new seals…

Definitely not chubby, certainly quite cute 😉

True, but the point was about comparing frames geometries, before there's any faffing with seat fore/aft and stem length.

As I wrote, effective TT is *more* accurate than the BB version.

>The horizontal distance from the bottom bracket axle to the centre of the bottom of the headtube

As mentioned, that takes no account of seattube angle – although the effective TT (ie horizontal distance) length is measured something like 10" down from the saddle, so there'll be some error according to seat tube angle, that error is going to be something like half or a third of the error you'd get if you used the BB measurement.

In any case, it's only a rough guide.

I suspect road bike geometry tends to be more consistent wrt head/seat angle.

Seat angle *is* important, it'll have an effect on standing/seated weight distribution together with wheelbase, and a slack seat angle will put your feet relatively further forward from your saddle.

Ah, beat me to it !

Just to be contrary, can't see the point myself – I take the roadie approach of bibshorts/bibshorts+tights/roubaix bib longs according to cold. And set of crud catchers.

>Speaking of which, Fox gloves

I had a pair from around then, weren't exactly neoprene but certainly none of the pseudo-leather nonsense that's available now.
Sadly they disappeared when some scrote broke into my car (in the company carpark !) whilst there was a bike in the back.
I've still got the Sidewinders I bought sometime after that (seemed to have lasted 'cos they haven't seen that much use over the last 4 years), and they're the stitched versions – extra palm layer has worn through on one. As to what I'll get next that won't fall apart I dunno…

Lots of online shops don't have an active stock count count.

>I actually take more offence at being accused of sulking

>but it really doesn’t change my feelings on the matter and my
>likelihood of ever using that retail store again

That comes across even more like a sulky teenager :p

And have a look here:

http://www.canecreek.com/tech-headsets?view=manual

The identification guide doesn't actually identify which your headset it (tho' it might be one of the others that there's a manual for) – but it does have a decent diagram of what the parts of a headset typically are.

You don't – they're supplied uncut, and the shop (assuming you use one) cuts it to size.

It's the sort of thing where 'measure twice, cut once' is *very* important !