>Surely if it's ceramic you leave it bare?

Nope – I tried that once on the first mech I overhauled – more squeaks than mouse p0rn.

The ceramic one should be at the top, and should have some side-to-side float on a Shimano mech.

The lower one on some mechs is a sealed bearing, which you can't do a fat lot with other than wipe clean – don't hose it with wd40 either,'cos that'll wash out any grease.

>apparently ally expands more than steel

Yup.

Dunno if it's make enough difference, but mebbe you could try packing around the area with ice – or leave it outside for several hours if it's gonna be frosty ?

>(I've never even had a go!),

The lower they are, the harder they are to ride initially – it's like balancing a wooden spoon on your hand vs a broom stale. Tillers are a bit trickier because the steering movement feels unnatural compared to a normal bike.
Also takes a while to relax and not wobble off-line, and the muscles are used slightly differently so it takes a few hundred miles to get your 'recumbent legs'.

One of the guys in BT where I did my apprenticeship had a Quasar (ie the orange thing) briefly – tho' he did change bikes/cars like some people change their socks…

>I can also imagine the inability to stand on the pedals are a problem.

Not generally a huge one, but you do have to change your riding style to suit.

Some more feet-forward m/c pics here :
http://www.tonyfoale.com/ – see gallery

>Am I allowed just to mention this….Clicky

That reminds me, I haven't listened to any Ted Nugent for a while 😉

The UK equivalent is http://www.bhpc.org.uk
There's also ihpva.org, dunno how much mail list activity there is now, but like bentrideronline.com (what a name…) it's more US-centric

I've got two, a Speedmachine (underseat steered):
http://hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/spm/index_e.html

and a rather older version than this, of a Hurricane:
http://www.challengebikes.com/publichtml/index.php?language=en&selection=semilowracers-hurricane2009-en

Not the best choice of names ! – neither are light (16kg+), and yeah, hills are just a case of get in the right gear and churn away.
Challenge do their SL (superlight) range of some models, they're more like about ~20lbs depending on model.

Visibility isn't really an issue – or at least, anyone coming up from behind usually gives a width berth 'cos they dunno what it is. Not great for filtering (or at least those I've got) – tho' there is some footage on youtube of a guy filtering nr Hyde Park – see link near the bottom of this thread from a while back:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/recumbents-anyone-tied-one-got-one

There's several variants, long/short wheelbase, high/low/mid racer, under/overseat steered (overseat can be tiller or bars). Then there's recumbent trikes too.

>wasn't in A1 condition

It should still be in serviceable condition tho'.

Get in touch with Spesh UK, they've been v. helpful with both myself and a mate in the past.

I bought one from this lot on fleabay a while back, tho' I'm not sure they're advertising there now:

http://core-equipment.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage_css&product_id=37&category_id=10&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=34

8.50 plus p+p
You probably need to check the sizing, but the one I bought was the size yer after, and was the same as the one I'd been using for Pilates, ie v. firm

Think I've still got mine from when I was about 12…about 35 years ago !

>Seems like an injected dpc is required if rotting joists have been found

Not necessarily that an *injected* dpc is needed, it just illustrates the wall's been quite wet for a long time when it (presumably) shouldn't be. We had to have one end of a joist in a bathroom replaced because previous owners had let the water p*ss off the corner of the bath though the floor, eventually the joist started rotting – dunno how long it'd been going one for.

Slate's the traditional material (and works well) – tho' we've got an outbuilding in the garden that was built in the 70's and even that's got a slate DPC.
(I just wish they'd put in more than what appears to be a few inches or foundations :o)

A physical DPC is a better fix than injectable stuff, but you'd need your neighbours to cooperate, and it's more expensive (tho' by how much I dunno)

A few points of note in here:
http://www.cat.org.uk/information/pdf/DampProofCourses.pdf
and the articles/forums here may be worth a read:
http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/ppuk_discovering_articles.shtml

One other issue that can arise is the wall's been repointed with portland cement mortar – a lot of builders will try an use it for repointing, but a) it doesn't allow for brick movement and b) it doesn't breathe as well as the original lime mortar
(even more of a problem where stonework's been repointed with cememnt mortar, 'cos that's the only way the wall can breathe)

Re no undertaking – that really applies to multi-lane roads, cyclists are expected to be near the curb at most other times so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume they would carry on moving in the same manner. I can't see any restriction in that respect from a quick glance through the highway code website (or other forums)

Having said that, I'd generally overtake on the offside for all the obvious reasons…

Is there a decent gap between the outside ground level and the DPC ? – I can't remember the min. height but if the DPC is relatively too low water splashup could give the effect of rising damp. Pretty sure that's what some prior numpty in our last place did in the 70's – lobbed in a patio that put it a few inches below the original slate DFC, at some point later a physical DPC was installed, presumably to fix it. Tho' even then there was still a minor issue wrt the rear/party wall we shared with the neighbours.

Doesn't really explain your party wall issue tho' – unless they've previously had problems and plaster on their side's stopping it breathing effectively – eg in the unlikely event the render coat was portland cement, but you'd be more likely to get that in a bathroom.

Cartridge koolstops are pretty good – but like all rim brakes they need to be set up properly (tho' it's not difficult).

Could try cleaning the existing pads/rims as well as checking the alignment.

Blimey, Beach Boys and Slayer in the same sentence 😉

Currently listening to Arch Enemy.
Otherwise a slightly smaller subset of MrsToast's list I guess

Plus Hair Metal 🙂

No, just extreme optimism 😉

Helps if you have a vice or a (big?) adjustable spanner, plus the two cone spanners. Get it somewhere close then tighten up one cone/locknut pairs pair. Put that end in the vice or adjustable so the axle won't move, adjust the other pairs to suit. Bear in mind what may feel ok finger tight may bind a little when the locknut's tightened against the cone, so it may take a few attemts to get right.

I used to regularly take my hubs apart on some wheels with rubbish seals to service 'em, never had a problem with loosening.
Check your freehub's secure on the hub – drop the axle out and there's a hollow 10mm hex bolt holding it together.

There was a thread time back – I lobbed a few links in…

found it:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/mountain-biking-in-madeira

As haddock wrote, central plains might be a possibility – kinda moor-like I guess..

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/photos/pa/pa0425a.html

Re walking – take a decent torch too, some of the levadas cut directly through the hillside – there'll be a path next to it but even on a short cut-through with light at the far end it's very difficult to see where you're walking.

Ooops – I read the thread title as 'Hustler'…I assume it's still in print 😉

Not sure if it's the major-ness, tempo, or a bit of both I'm having trouble with..and playing the relative minor just sounds a bit wrong (or at least the way I'm applying it). Maybe I'm just crap 😮
That said, just winging it on maj/min pentatonics sounds better, but nothing memorable enough to repeat. I'll be giving it a bit more time this w/e..

I have done on the very first version of SPDs that came out in the early 90's – needed some fairly small spanners tho'.

Even if you open, clean, and repack them with grease, that's gotta be better than nothing.

Search by member login seems to be a bit variable – a few times names just haven't been in the pull-down.

Met this chap some years ago on a recumbent weekend in oxfordshire – turned out he lived a miles or so away from us:
http://www.aqvm78.dsl.pipex.com/SWLDA/Other/RonBeams/RonBeams.htm

He died a few years ago at 99, I used to regularly see him pedalling one of his recumbents around the area, on one of his trikes he had electric-assist to help with a couple of steep hills.

AFAIA he didn't really take up cycling seriously 'til he'd retired in his earlier 60's.

http://www.eastsidebiker.de/

– so it *is* a real bike shop, rather than someone set up to look like a bikeshop.

Normally warranties are handled by the local distributor, so if there were any issues you'd probably have to ship it back to Germany.

Interestingly – from the Nicolai-uk website :
http://www.nicolai-uk.com/index.php/warranty-and-faq/nicolai-warranty-five-years/
– the (UK)warranty transfers with the frame – most frame warranties only apply to the original purchaser.
In the English warranty on the manufacturer's site
http://www.nicolai.net/download/pdf/garantie-englisch-17082006.pdf
it also say that you can use your local dealer *OR* ship directly to Nicolai Germany (at your own expense) – so it sounds like you'd be covered both through the German bike shop or by dealing directly with the manufacturer (which is a little unusual)

You *might* be able to get Nicolai-UK to handle it, but since they're almost certainly not part of Nicolai, and wouldn't have made any money on it, you couldn't expect them to.

As Andy said – try asking Nicolai Germany, including about whether you could use the UK distributor too.

>Is it OK to not like them?
Of course 🙂

>Might be my age!
Lightweight 😉 …if it's any consolation, I'm 47 this year and my OH is 48 next week 😮

Oh, I hate bloody arenas, but annoyingly many bands will do somewhere like Wembley or (even worse) the 02, whereas they would have sold out somewhere like Hammersmith Apollo for several dates otherwise..I guess it's about time/effort/profitability, s'pose you can't blame 'em. For example, I've seen Dream Theater a couple of times at Hammersmith (one a tour a two-nighter) – sound was great -and I've been the front (seated !) few rows in fact – but the last few tours have been at Wembley. Grr…
(Last time Rammstein were here – didn't see 'em – they were in Brixton, which isn't a bad venue **if** the sound engineers don't bugger it up…)

Apologies GH for a thread diversion…at least it's getting a bump 😉

I think our A4 had never had 'em replaced 'till about 150k – tho' to be fair about 140k of that was my OH doing 60 miles each way to work.

>engine braking slows the car down very well

Even my old 1.3 Escort had decent engine breaking..

We're getting some made up for a 10yrs of last-thursday-beers-of-the-month thing from work – tho' IIRC minimum order is 48, and they work out at 3.50 each. That's (I think) somewhere in W.London or Surrey, and I believe the lead-time was 2-3 weeks

There's certainly some whinging **** anal pedants (and I'm an engineer, so that's saying something…)

>Any chance of having some sax included please?

It'll only be 30-odd seconds, regardless of spelling 😉

*ducks*

@stratobiker

Oh, indeedy ! – have a search for 'em on another thread (rocketdog's ?), there's some piccies.
I'm not much of a fan of industrial (eg NIN) – until recently I hadn't heard much of 'em but I guess then just 'got' them. They're kinda industrial metal/dance metal (whatever that means – I think the latter's their term).
Think metal with tunes (as the quote goes) 'to invade Poland to' 😉
Kinda big, f-off sound – I'm sure the sound of German lends itself far better than other languages.
Great stageshow…kinda interesting that a German-speaking band sells out (I think) Wembley…admittedly a lot of people go for the stage show, but a lot of people knew the lyrics too.

<edit>
Linky:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/just-back-from-rammstein-gig

I'm sure there'll be some more, a bit of judicious bumping of the thread might be needed so people spot it 😉

This is even bike-related:

http://trekbikesuk.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/11/16/alice_with_topfuel.jpg

>Bimey guv' where's all the rockers then?

Yoohoo 🙂

Just got back from seeing Rammstein, in fact..probably won't get time 'til the w/e, got another gig tonight – Lacuna Coil

Yup, that was a **** corking gig :)))
#1 gig ?..yeah, very probably !

(Despite some annoying **** a few people in front that could barely keep their poxy phones out of the air.FFS…)

For anyone that didn't go, in the picture above Till's angel wings have flame throwers on the wingtips too !

>I can’t understand why they’ve they not come to my attention before.

Same here – some mates from work (not into metal at all) went to see 'em on the last album tour – I think probably more for the stage show…I didn't 😮
In fact getting a ticket this time was bit of a spur-of the moment decision – since then I've bought the back catalogue 🙂
It should also a good excuse for me to brush-up my German – I managed to pass my 'o' level (annoyingly we had a really crap teacher) and despite my OH being fluent (or at least, was) I've never done anything about it…

BTW – gonna be seeing them again in July – there's a music festival in Bilbao that a bucn of us from work are going to (first 1000 tckets are cheaper too) – one other band's Pearl Jam. They're also on at Sonisphere this year.

>Is it Stuart rather than Steve?

If it's the same guy – I *think* Stuart's the manager/head honcho – description would fit tho' ISR his hair's pretty cropped. Also known in recumbent circles as 'Darth Stuart', since recumbents are the *other* Darkside..

>I suppose I am wierd by their standards – I have gears AND brakes on my bikes

Nah, it's just 'cos you're not lying down on it 😉

I'm found 'em ok but a bit too busy/thinly spread. I bought a recumbent from 'em but haven't been back for the free service – not much I'd want 'em to check really, vs the hassle/cost of getting in there in the week – unless I rode it in 16+ miles though S London on a w/e. Only time I've used the workshop was a *very* long time ago..

Hmm..easy for me to say 'cos I'm not a parent, but knobbling the console would seem be be fixing the symptom, not the problem – they shouldn't be skiving off in the first place…

>Steve

Stuart ?

http://www.hiwheel.com/

But can one retrofit a Flite?
😉

Good excuse for buying a track pump ? – not that cheap tho'..

Jo Brand.

I was standing behind her at London Recumbents in Dulwich a few years ago – I think she was picking up her bike (and they don't sell pies)