Maybe it’s more an issue that ahead is rubbish and we should have stuck with threaded

“Ahh, got my headset all sorted after loads of faff. [5mins later] Its f**ked again!”

As much as I like the chap, isn’t it a bit soon for an autobiography?
If he’d won the IOM, I could understand. But he’s still got a lot of unfinished business to attend to.

Even if he is 32, in his line of work any time for an auto-bio might be right.

Still, even though I’d like to think I’m not superstitious it feels like a bad-luck omen.

His autobiography

Bed ~12. Usually asleep somewhere after 1230 when the neighbour has turned off her TV. Wake up at: ~330 when deliveries for the warehouse arrive; ~5am when the seagulls nesting in the flat opposite me wakeup; 7am when my housemate’s alarm goes off. I usually drag myself out by 815. If the earplugs don’t fall out I get a full night’s sleep.

I slept better when I lived right next to the WOE mainline & a train washing machine.

9 speed clutch mech.

Use a SRAM shifter or drill a hole.

I developed trigger-finger in my left-hand little finger. The pain it caused in my palm meant I would ride with my left hand on its side after 30mins. Ergon GP1s let me ride for hours.

The GP1s do feel a bit unwieldy when you are “on it” descending; your fingertips are caught on the flat section so you can’t get a full grip. It’s not a deal-breaker, just something to be aware of. I’m going to try GA1s for my DH bike.

Some form of basic temp control is needed. You don’t need a fine tip to do fine-pitch work; I used to do tqfp 144s with a fat tip at work. A bit of technique and lots of liquid flux can go a long way. If you can get lead solder, do. Its a lot less hassle.

Are you the official spokesman for all asian people?

I did I say I was? Has anyone come out and said as a [insert person of ethnic minority] I am offended by what Clarkson didn’t say to me?

Count me out of here. Some are far too touchy.

He can probably speak for his wife better than you can

I don’t doubt he can. However, speaking from experience, his reactions are eerily familiar; playing the race card for someone else so they can get into a shouting match. Seen it happen too many times 1st hand.

What chainring are you using? I dropped my chain a couple times going through compressions with a Works Component ring.

As for this thread, I’m puzzled as to why, where Tom_W says he and his wife find the use of the word slope highly offensive because of her race, that people are taking the piss out of him.

Because people didn’t agree with his pov he called them racists. I’d wager his wife didn’t find Clarkson’s use of the word “slope” offensive. I’m asian, couldn’t GAF.

Christ on a bike. They’re words.

Are people getting their knickers in a bunch because they were directly offended or because somebody else might be?

Frankly, even though 1 of these “insults” was aimed my way I couldn’t GAS. Get thicker skin.

having trouble getting sentences out, struggling to find words, not remembering stuff

I’ve been like that for years![/quote]

When I was looking for something the other week I forgot what it was I was looking for. I quickly realised i’ve always done that. However, just yesterday my work’s canteen phoned me up to say I had written my name down for the item I had taken for lunch. That’s a new one.

Update – A&E referred to Minor Injuries, got checked over, doc reckons mild post-concussion so nothing to really worry about. Have instructions to go to GP and see about an MRI if it doesn’t improve over the next couple of weeks.

Thought i’d share my recent experience as I got a bit worried when the doctor wasn’t all that reassuring. Hope it improves for you like mine recently has (not out of the woods yet).

Almost 3 weeks ago I got knocked out at BPW and took the big yellow taxi to A&E. I was out for ~3minutes and broke my carbon Troy Lee. After the 1st hour (vomiting, headache) I thought I was OK apart from some knackered ribs and bruises/grazes, although I did get vertigo when moving in bed (i put it down to the rib pain).
36hrs later at work I became constantly lightheaded/dizzy, generally felt stupid, headache like i’d had a couple pints too many the night before, my eyes were hard to focus on things and I became incredibly sensitive to sound. Doctor said it was normal for a head injury and basically prescribed me a MTFU (exaggeration) and stay off the bike. I went to the Hospital a week later to get a CT scan when they were (supposedly) quiet but left after 2hrs as the noise in there was making my head spin. At least I got a diagnosis in triage which was post-concussion syndrome.

Now, most of the “out of it” sensation has gone, I sometimes get dizzy during the day however I have yet to exert myself or walk more than 100m.

Weird thing head injuries; I had no headache before all the other symptoms except after the initial crash.

Boy, everyone is stupid except me.

I am so smart! S-M-R-T… I mean S-M-A-R-T

I’ve realised i’ve got my years all mixed up. Prost was already in the Ferrari in ’90. Senna’s coward remark was in reference to Prost’s move to Williams. 😳

I’m not sure you could say it was an inferior car

FW14B/FW15C

I have nothing to base this on, but that sounds… A bit dodge to me. He was laughing in 1990, Prost had left, Berger had come in, he had the whole team around him and the best car – why would he be looking to move to a team that hadn’t at that time won a title since 79? There’s a popular belief that Senna wanted to end his career at Ferrari, and I can believe he might have spoken to them but signing a letter of intent? Seriously?

Look up on youtube where Senna calls Prost a coward. He makes it known he was looking for a ride at Ferrari. The ’93 McLaren was inferior and was powered by a Ford v8 which was 80hp down on the Williams Renault and 35Hp down on the Ford V8 the Benetton had.

And when Senna went to Lotus )breaking his contract with Toleman, at the end of his first season in F1), he vetoed Derek Warwick (I think) as a team mate, because he didn’t think the team could run two cars at their best spec.

and when he was trying to get a contract with Ferrari he wanted the fastes available driver to know he was getting the best from the car…

http://www.gocar.gr/races/f1/12562,Ayrton_Senna_at_Ferrari_A_deal_that_was_.html

Except he wasn’t. Even if you don’t like Prost, to say Senna was a country mile better than him is simply balls.

Donington 93. With Senna in a 3rd rate car he pulls over 2 seconds a lap.

I done a bit of motocross back in the day, and that sport has been devastated by this issue – tracks, even long-standing, well established tracks, have been shut down all over the shop. The pity of it is, they don’t normally get massive amounts of use (I’m hazy on this but think there’s a 12 day annual limit on using the land for that kind of thing, I dunno, without planning permission or something).

I’ve taken up Enduro/hares and one thing that strikes me as odd is the disregard to noise by some people who turn up. There are time-limits when engines can be turned on yet quite a few take no notice of it and get warming up their engines on the limiter the moment they arrive. It’s not like these courses are dedicated racetracks, they’re private estates and farms.

I’ve also heard that noise wasn’t really an issue until 4t became the norm; i’ll take a lungful of 2t smoke over an earful of 450 4t fart-cannons any day.

Let’s not forget the sanctimonious Sting. Who complained about the noise of planes flying out of boscombe. The RAF had been there long before him.

Really?! Sod all used to fly out when I lived/worked their.

Croft Race Circuit has had to dramatically reduce it’s number of race days and track days because of newcomers to the area complaining about noise. They move next to a race circuit – what do they expect?!

It’s not as simple as that.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4076123.Croft_Circuit_loses_noise_appeal/

The objection by the Watsons and Mrs Wilson was not to car and motorbike racing events, which take place on the track on about 45-50 days-a-year, but to “vehicle testing days” and “track days”, when members of the public drive cars around the track all day long at high speed.

Same issue over at Mallory park

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=42&t=1356798&nmt=RE%3A+New+operator+for+Mallory+Park

Read the comments from the dyed-in the wool petrol-heads. A lot are with the “Nimbys”.

Upgrading to lighter components & carbon won’t make you faster
Bottom line… Fitness is what makes you faster along with rider skill. Rest is a tiny percentage

The other option is to lose weight yourself.

My “XC” hardtail bike weighs 34lbs. Most of that is in the forks and wheels. I started to look for lighter replacements around christmas and realised I didn’t want to spend the money. I lost 11 lbs instead and put even heavier wheels on (D321).

36 up front is ideal

I’m going back to 36t with 12t smallest (if I can find it). Although 34×11 is a lower ratio it feels harder to turn over yet not fast enough going down the hills, if that makes any sense.

Also, has anyone considered going 1 x 9 or that just ridiculous?

I run 1×8.

I had 36 with 12-23 for years. Although that caused near cardiac arrest going up the hills. When I switched to 34t & 11-30 I did what I did with the old cassette; use only a couple gears either end of the cassette. Made no difference to how far I could get up one of steepish slogs in the Quantocks.

Outer cable too short?

You can practically use what you want for 8/9spd with anything as long as you stay within manufacturer (do what you want with chains).

I’m still running 8spd on my all-mountain bike: hg51 cassette, 9spd chain (sram PC951), 10spd mech (zee), some unknown/vintage shimano 8spd shifter, works component n/w ring (renthal SR4 in the past which are supposedly 9spd only), deore m590 cranks.

I use the same, alphanum salt for all passwords followed by the site (fulllength or acronym). I got fed up of forgetting passwords, master passwords and losing notes.

i.e.

z123aBc0stw
z123aBc0google

However, as soon as one is compromised it won’t take a rocket scientist to work out the others. Oh well.

a)they’re flush as

You don’t get rich by spending your own money.[/quote]

I didn’t get rich by writing a lot of cheques

TBF, for the racebike (enduro, not nearly as expensive as track) a fair bit of the money can be put on “logistics”.

I finished uni years ago yet the moment my paycheck arrives “food or bits for the motorbikes?” always pops through my mind. I was disgusted to find the Sainsbury basics instant noodles have gone up to 20p recently.

Bought the bits for my bike back in 2006(ish) and some parts were hand me downs. Since then, 2 cranks (1 free), pads, tyres, seat, wheels (hand me downs) and other minor wear& tear items. I reckon ~1000 all in.

Used it a fair bit for a few years, then I didn’t for a few, then a lot for the last 2. I’d estimate my bike costs me close to a £5 per ride now.

My motorbikes? Err, that’s at the other end of the scale. Especially the race bike.

I work in software and in some places working overtime is expected. On my 1st week I noticed I was arriving late and leaving before/after others, despite doing my allotted hours. Just to test the waters I stuck to my hours. Nobody has mentioned a thing yet.

Now, if they gave me a development machine less than 10yrs old I might actually get something done at work and maybe go home earlier.

http://xkcd.com/303/

I can confirm that drilling a zee shortcage works really well. I eyeballed from this guy’s experiment and put a 2.5mm hole on the the “correct” side. I had a spare 8speed shimano shifter. Worked nicely despite using an oldish 8speed cassette and new chain.

I’ve got no issue with them. I rarely buy bike stuff from them and it was all fine.

I’m usually in their for motorbike & car related sundries.

Top-tip: their Halford Pro socket sets are great value and quality.

Never had an issue with them apart from when they said they had Argon bottles in stock and didn’t when I turned up.

Plumes of white smoke briefly and noise is what the early 2.0 TDIs tended to do when the cylinder heads cracked and slowly leaked water into a cylinder.

White smoke: water
Black/grey: fuel
Blue: oil

However, yours is the 1.9 and usually bombproof. Check under the oil cap for milkshake in case the cylinder head gasket is going.

Otherwise it’s probably injectors. Go for an Italian tune up.

I’m quite keen on the Kenda Small block 8s. I’ve been using 2.35″ folding over the summer and winter and they’ve been great apart from in seriously claggy mud up on the Mendips.