Other (main?) problem with dairy is if it's processed, ie as hard cheese – the resulting chemical makeup tends to cause leaching of calcium from the bones as the body tries to keep a neutral ph (think that's also true of animal protein to a degree). Net result is in the west there are far more bone fractures, relatively, than asia.

Make sure you keep on top of it, both an aunt and a neighbour were/are in a terrible state from the age of 70 – at least you've found out early enough to do something about it.

Hmm..7 1/2 I guess:
circa '90 M500 Cannondale (in bits…components that is, not the frame!)
'96 M2 Stumpie (slightly more assembled than the above)
'02 P7 (vaguely more assembled than the M2 after a rear-wheel QR incident)
'03 SWorks Enduro
Trek Bruiser (which I really ought to flog on account of my age and jumping ability being diametrically opposed, and not in a good way)
HPVelotechnik Speedmachine (recumbent)
Challenge Hurricane (recumbent)
And a Pashley Municyle 😉

Got a mild form myself – occasional cramps mid afternoon, but generally bathroom sloppiness otherwise..and avoid loos that don’t have a decent supply of bog roll and running water 😮 Had occasional cramps for some years, but the latter only became significant when were were looking to move house 4-5 years ago and has stayed the same. Not enough to be a major problem, but enough to put me off going to music festivals 🙁

A guy here at work has had a rougher time with his, after doing an elimination diet he’s tracked it down to dairy/lactose, caffein intolerance. He’s managed to work out he can now have one coffee mid-afternoon without upsetting himself, but not any other time..

>extreme violence for years and years

Not, AFAIA, in the UK – there’s been the odd idiots/anarchists/troublemakers trying to hijack the proceedings, but they’ve been mostly peaceful over here. And that’s partly the point of the findings, the Police were treating it as a bunch of troublemakers to be corralled/detained, rather than a bunch of largely peaceful protesters, which is what it was.

One issue that appeared in the press over the last few days was that one officer that’s achieved some bad publicity by hitting people had previously left the force under allegations of inappropriate behaviour, subsequently rejoined the Met via another force, and his previous record wasn’t examined when he rejoined.

Dunno how widespread it is, but I have some reason to believe at least some of the officers had been on long shifts, and anyone tired might be a bit more short-tempered and heavy-handed. Doesn’t excuse some of ’em tho’. Equally corralling people ain’t gonna help.

>in any other country in Europe, or for that matter the rest of the world the police would have had water cannon, CS and baton rounds

Rubbish generalisation. In the cases where there’s actually *riots* that might happen, but equally a lot of peaceful protests takes place.
The Brits are just a bit crap at doing protests so I suspect there’s a certain element whether in government or in the police that seem to think it threatens public order and should be curtailed.

>the German guy who ran Sonic
Yup, he’s still around but moved some years back – dunno if he still does custom frames tho’:
http://www.soniccycles.co.uk/

Worth a wander into Bikefix just to have a look at some recumbents 😉 – I bought one from ’em a while ago.

>Granted this dog may have not been under the level of control it should have been

If it’s liable to stray onto the public road, it *should* have been under control. Off the lead’s fine if it’s obedient enough, on the lead if it isn’t. I’m pretty sure the owner is liable for any accidents it causes, and that not in the recent ambulance-chasing sense, IIRC my mother had 3rd party insurance for our dog and that was 40+ years ago.

Yup:
http://www.animalfriends.org.uk/pet_insurance_guides/pets_and_public_liability.html

BTW, the big/big+two links thing is usually done *without* running it through the mech at the same time (I suspect the ‘add two links’ bit covers that)

You could try madison.co.uk – they’re the importers iirc.

If you have a look at the Shimano faqs on their website, they say you can order through your LBS, and that the exploded diag under the relevant product shows the part no. (they’ve got a docs archive too)
http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/nl/index/products/mountain/deore.html

Probably:
http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/EV/bikecomponents/FH/EV-FH-M525-2067A_v1_m56577569830608928.pdf

Can’t see the relevant part number on the madison site, but searching for FH-M525 comes up with the complete axle.

Aha:
http://www.shimanoservicecentre.co.uk/spares_and_support.php
– try them
(and those exploded diagrams are on there too)

Do you have enough float – and in the right direction ? As your knee lifts the foot tends to rotate outwards a tad.

Had something similar some years ago, but the problem was using a new cleat (slghtly different design) with older pedal – cleat angle was fine, but floatless. Back to old cleats – no problem.

>creates a key for the powder

It doesn’t *have* to blast 7 shades out of the surface, depends on the media chosen/finish required/material being treated.

Err..I think a bit of clarification might be in order re pwm/constant current drive.
Just had a look at the luxeon faqs, they recommend pwm for dimming, although they also give specs for fwd current vs flux (as do Seoul Semi re the P7) – something like a 5:1 range, and current vs flux is roughly linear (ie halving current halves light output).

Now, both types run at about 3.5v, so your driver circuit is almost certainly going to be a switching converter of some sort to allow a very different – or a range of – battery pack voltage to be used. Once you’re using a switching converter there isn’t a huge jump to having pwm available on it (as quite a few seem to do).

I’m not sure cheaper=pwm and better=constant current, I’d be curious as to what’s being referred to. Also if the constant current controllers aren’t switching, they’re probably less efficient than a switching/pwm controller – not to mention having a poorer supply range capability. IMO I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to use pwm…

Re epilepsy – just had a quick search, seems to be 2-30 Hz is the range that might set it off – fluorescent lights by comparison have a flicker rate 100Hz. I’d suspect any switching converter/pwm used with high power leds is gonna be running well into the kHz so shouldn’t be a problem – unless it runs at a rear-light stylee slow rate flash mode, of course !

I’d recently been thinking about a lumi backup (more for commuting really) – not to mention upgrading them for better efficiency..I’m quite tempted for 50 quid!

(And apologies for being a slightly anal electronics engineer 😉 )

Ah – was looking at the Sidis about 15 mins ago, they’ve just run out !

Another vote for preorder at Travelex/pickup at airport.

>metal t-shirts

Most of mine are in the loft ‘cos they’re a bit fragile now, but mostly wearable

I was wearing my (cut-off) ACDC back in black tour shirt a while back, and one mate asked another “…is that an original..?”.

And at one of the Rush anniversary gigs a few years back, wearing my Moving Pictures tour shirt, as I walked past a couple of guys propping up the bar I overheard “…I used to have one of those….and it still fits him!” Also passed a guy in his 20s and got a “cool shirt !” 🙂

Yup.
I occasionally wear some flared levis and gig shirts from when I was about 17 (46 now).

Also got…ahem.. a mid blue crimplene safari suit from when I was about 15, still fits me a treat – I’ve been pretty much the same size since then. And it’s still waiting for the next 70’s party to come round !

Not directly, but been vaguely looking at ’em myself.
Have a look over at

http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/forums.html
and
http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/index.php
– there’s a t5 section at both

(you’ll have to register for the vwt4forum iirc, probably don’t need to for brick-yard)

FWIW you can get the 85 remapped to something around the 104 (likewise the 104 for something higher) – there’s quite a few postings about it.

I actually use M&S (bizarrely having to take out a new *cheaper* policy online rather than renewing the old one !), but try Waitrose, the cover’s not too dissimilar but isn’t as comprehensive in non-bike related areas iirc (and is a bit cheaper).

Same thing here re new quote vs renewal – might be worth checking out the Waitrose equivalent, it’s not quite as comprehensive (I forget the differences) but was cheaper, with similar bike cover I think – best to check the away-from-home cover tho’.

FWIW the term ‘salary sacrifice’ is normally used in conjunction with receiving some other benefit in lieu of salary:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM42750.htm

Had this happen some years ago where I work, for about 6 months, fortuntely we were bought up/things picked up and most of us got the missing cash back via a product-ship bonus.

I dunno the answer, but one thing to be wary of is how it might affect any payout if you were subsequently made redundant whilst on the reduced salary.

I believe Dualit’s are made in the UK, rather than just designed/assembled, if supporting a UK company is of any interest..

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/bicycle-stands-workstands-for-bikes/

I managed to get the pro-elite (when they were Ultimate) on offer a while back (jaws open wide enough for the 2″ tubes on a recumbent bike), but the Sports Mechanic is 129 and might have been my next preference otherwise – both fold up well, v stable, etc. I’m sure the Park jobbie would do the job well, too.

>no right to warn you off like that

Presumably the kids parents reported him alleging something like ‘threatening behaviour’, in which case they’re probably obliged to talk to him.

Re bullying – I spent a significant proportion of my schools days being the fat/shy/quiet kid that got picked on/made fun off, etc, despite being bigger than most kids. Nothing *that* bad looking back but didn’t feel like it…a constant drip, drip, drip. Only ended when I was about 15 and pinned/threw one annoying t*t up the wall, right off the floor. Put the sh*ts up him and it soon got round. I suspect some of those kids didn’t appreciate how it gets to you (well, apart from the ones that try ‘offering you out’ I guess). With bullies the answer, I’m sad to say, when no-one else is gonna do anything, a bit of well-placed aggression can work wonders, or however you need to stand up for yourself.

I can certainly say my experience, grand scheme of things or otherwise, *isn’t* irrelevant, and I wish I’d lost my rag years before and sorted it for good

Off a base* level of fitness I used to find a 12 mile commute – max (aerobic) effort 3-4 times a week or so for a month would be enough to keep on top of my local club medium pace rides (or enough for a 24hr event as a 4-man team, as happened a couple of times). That was a mainly flat ride too, no hill climbing – but some of it would be sprints out of the saddle I guess.
I guess that kinda ties in with what’s been posted already

*generally after a winter of occasional rides, but not awfully active – ymmv

Exactly.

Show yer kid they’re harmless by picking it up and putting it outside (in a glass if you have to). My bloomin’ mother passed her spider aversion onto me when I was a kid and it’s only taken 40-odd years to get around to picking the things up (tho’ the large/fast ones I can’t quite manage)

Not to mention bugs are really quite interesting/beneficial (or at least, have their own little niche) – they’re not there for useless friggin’ people to squash ‘cos they don’t like ’em.

Blimey, was about to order some wheels 🙂

Looks a bit suspicious – almost looks like tube section has moved wrt the welded-on clamp, and the line is where the weld ends.

>Thats true stockings would go down a treat, why didnt I think of that!

Just don’t catch ’em on yer chainring !
Cue ‘what pedals for stilettos’ thread 😉

Interesting…

This is our local tw*t:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/mpexpenses/html/243.stm

23K+ for a second homes allowance ?…kinda curious ‘cos I was sure he lived not *that* far away. He’s the mp for Walton/Esher – this is 20-30 mins from Waterloo, last train midnight-ish, or 1am+taxi (£15) from a station a few stops up the line. Guildford’s 20-30 minutes away by train (1 change) or 40 mins from Wateloo, last train midnightish. Or 20 minutes from Esher by car.

Interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Taylor_(UK_politician):
In 2009, Ian Taylor was exposed in the expenses scandal that hurt several MPs. It emerged that he had been claiming the maximum allowed for a second home allowance for a London home for four years between 2003 and 2008, even though his main residence was in Guildford – a 38 minute train ride from London Waterloo. [1] Shortly afterwards it was revealed that Ian Taylor would not stand at the next general election, a decision that was greeted by some local Conservative activists – Roy Taylor, leader of the ruling Conservative group at Elmbridge Borough Council, which fell within Ian Taylor’s constituency, said: “While I’m sorry to see Ian go, I think it’s necessary. I think if we have a new candidate we put behind all the taintedness.” [2]

Ah well, good riddance !

More general re t4/t5, but you’ll probably find some useful info here:

http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=147
http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/default.asp

A half ally handlebar works well too – use the wider end against the headcup. Actually easier than the ‘rocket’ tool, tried using that on a more stubborn cup on one bike and couldn’t shift it, h/bar worked a treat. Just use it carefully and work around the circumference.

Ditto London.

But they *are* lined up for doing Wembley in October – tickets on sale monday – so I daresay they’ll be doing some other dates…new album’s out later this month so mebbe that’ll be part of a bigger tour.

Wembley sucks tho’, wish they’d go back to Hammersmith where I saw ’em a few years ago….

These are self-aligning, but they ain’t cheap 😮

http://www.velotechservices.co.uk/acatalog/MTB-XC_SABB.html

>I could get into internet Pron but then I wouldnt have enough time (or energy) to post on here (or walk, move, etc)

If it’s Victorian or Edwardian – under the stairs ? I generally had about 3 there in our old place…the GF grumbled a bit but understood 😉

>why no blood test? I’d bloody want one!

Quite ! – a guy I know vaguely via the GF works in forestry, some years back picked up Lyme disease but didn’t know for about a year or more and had bunch of health issues as a result – can be quite nasty. Lost touch so I dunno whether he made a decent recovery..

>Can’t distinguish one band from another TBH

Well, if you don’t like it, you ain’t gonna listen to it enough to make that distinction, are you ?

>Judas Priest, Saxon? Oh, please

Get a grip. Judas Priest laid the foundations for a lot of the metal that followed. As for them being ‘NWOBHM’ they ain’t – been around since the 70’s. Whereas Saxon *are* NWOBHM…

>overkill IMO
Depends on your definition of ‘just scuffed up a bit’.
Anything that’s worth calling a graze will heal a lot quicker ‘cos it’s won’t go through the crusty-surface-breakup stage. Not to mention it keeps crap out, the messy weaping in, hence keeps yer clothes/bedclothes etc clean. I managed to have a fight with a local bridge via my shoulder recently, the graze under the film healed a treat, the bit *outside* where it didn’t quite reach yet healed first (didn’t have two dressings to hand) is the section that feels quite bumpy after 4 weeks. (Is that what you mean by granulation ?)

At about 1.60 per dressing from yer local chemist they aren’t exactly expensive.

The supposed ‘fix’ for those Dells was a bios update which just kept the fan on all the time.
Interestingly the new lot of Dells generally don’t use Nvidia gfx…

One point I’m curious about – is countersteering taught as part of DAS (or otherwise)? – ‘cos the swerve should be piece of cake if it is. Certainly wasn’t taught when I did DAS about 10 years ago…

Yeah, you learn to ride a bike with flat pedals, but that ain’t tooling around off-road.
I’ve ridden spds pretty much since they came out – the few times I’ve ridden flats since my feet *really* don’t stick to them. Ride with what you’re used to. If you insist in relearning at least take both sets of pedals/shoes and have the option.

I did a more xc-biased holiday in Morzine some years back – really didn’t need pads, found it kinda amusing how one guy kept swapping ’em on n off all the time.

On the spd front I *did* manage to bust my fibula there (last day but one). But on the smooth, green run off between the bottom of a DH course and the pavement as the back end of the (heavier hired dh bike) slid out over the camber under light braking..about the only time I’ve not had the pedals release. And I could have done that bloomin’ anywhere..