Ha, the opposite of this for me –

Being hugely unfit and overweight and struggling to ride up anything approaching a decent hill until I realised that the 28:38:48 and an 11:28 cassette that my cheapo Carrera came with weren’t really helping

Being in my early mid 20’s and coming from a running background and road cycling (not competitive) I remember being able to get up anything all day long with that gearing, now I struggle with the wide range we have these days.

Riding rigid and and not feeling beat up (youth). Getting a Flexstem and thinking it was brilliant. Bar ends. Getting 2.1 tyres – ZMax’s and thinking they were huge. Spending ages trying to toe-in canti brakes so they didn’t squeal. Drooling over ‘trick’ bits in the local shop – Heffs in West Drayton. Waiting excitedly for the next issue of MBUK to hit the shops to see the latest kit. Getting Quadra 21R’s and thinking they were brilliant. Just riding all day, and the next day. Riding anywhere and nobody minded. Riding and not seeing many people let alone another MTBer – my local trails are rammed these days … happy days.

Interesting, I’m about to bin my 4th set of Shimano SLX brakes, well this 4th set (actually 3rd set but new calipers) and the rear has started squealing, that’s quite a bit of £’s down the drain so looking for something else now. I replaced on my other bikes with Deore M615 and they’ve been spot on, no problems but sure they were about £50 a set when I got those – front and rear. I’ve got an old pair of M525 that were on a 2004 Enduro and they’re still going strong, makes me wonder what Shimano have done with their new stuff to be so unreliable … anyway

So, where can you get these Clarks brakes? Looking for M4 and M2 and only places seem to be ebay, no M4s anywhere, anyone got any links?

Also, if the M2’s use shimano pads – which ones?

I’m also wondering if I can get some cheaper Shimano’s – M315, or similar, and just use the calipers from these and plug them straight into my SLX levers?

Bowglie – I can’t access my messages, I just get that old bloke drinking a beer saying oops nothing found, been going on for 2 days now! So if you have got back to me I’m not ignoring you, hopefully this will be sorted soon … is it just me as I don’t see any threads about this?

bowglie – I’ve messaged you, thanks.

I’ve only just got an emtb and it’s been an eye-opening fun experience.

Had it about a week and haven’t ridden a normal bike since but curious to see what it’ll be like getting back on a normal bike. I come from an era where it was all about cleaning the climbs, fully rigid bikes, poor gearing, canti-brakes and 2in tyres and I’m still in that mindset but the body disagrees – lower back problems, weak core, glutes, tight hamstrings, age, weight, etc.

So now I have a Trek Powerfly hardtail that I got discounted and through a cycle-to-work scheme. It’s amazing how well this thing works but also annoying at times….
Full power seems crazy, the speed I can go up a hill is mental. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be peddaling with the power off or above the assist level, but sometimes it’s also a pain above the assist level – who decided 15.5mph for the power to stop? It would be much better for the assistance to reduce as you go above 15.5mph as I can ride my normal bikes over that speed easily on flat-ish undulating trails. When on Turbo mode the stop in power is really noticable but seems to be a lot smoother in Eco and Tour – had a strong headwind yesterday so had it in Turbo but really noticed it when the power went and the wind becomes more relevant so I just put it into Tour. It’s bloody heavy, most noticable when I try to pop it around to close a bridle gate, but on the move it feels like a normal bike. I’m definately riding more and longer, looking for extra loops now, on my normal bikes I’d have to have a day or more off to recover as I’d be running at max hr a lot. Fitness wise my Polar HRM is still showing a good workout, but it’s over a longer duration, eg. 15 miles on an ordinary bike is about the same as 20 miles on the ebike (I’m running whatever assist helps, mostly Eco and Tour as I still want a decent workout) the difference being I can ride day after day now and up the power if I need it. hopefully my fitness will improve due to longer frequent rides to build up my base fitness rather than half kill myself and needing to recover, time will tell.

Another thing is it’s less important to worry about fancy components, wheels and tyres. I’m sure I’ll get through chains and casettes quicker so cheap one’s will do unlike my normal bikes where I’d be checking the weight of tyres, casettes etc. Anyone know of some cheap decent 2.3in or 2.4in 29er tyres (wanted to get some Bonty XR3 Comps but all sold out and new design looks like the old XR2), I’ve got a 2in tyre on the back and it’s a hardtail which I haven’t ridden off road for about 20 years so need a bit more cushioning – conversely it’s now the hardtail that’s irritating my back abit rather than the effort I put in on my normal bikes, relearning how to ride a hardtail!

I don’t think it will replace my nomal bikes, for now, it’s great fun but it’s still great fun to ride a light trail bike. Maybe in another 5 to 10 years when I might really need the assistance and hopefully be then they’ll be much lighter and efficient … and hopefully not have that rediculous 15.5mph limit. I don’t want to do 40mph but it could easily be mapped to run on Eco up to 25mph so it would feel like peddaling a normal bike?

I’ve still got the hdd from the old pc, read something about using the registry to get the old keys but not sure how many of the games I had on that pc.
Some games:
Soldier of fortune 2
COD modern warfare 2
IL2 sturmovic plus add-ons
HL2 orange box plus HL1 and others
Lock on
Wings over Europe
Gunman Chronicles
Far cry
Far cry 2

Haven’t played most for a while so thought it would be a bit of fun during lock down, some of those games were great fun, can probably get them cheap on download now but it’ll be a while before I can get a decent new pc.

Haven’t tried them yet to see if they install, might try that on the wife’s laptop then at least I’ll know, I’m sure it won’t be any good to play them as it’s very basic.

Yep, a large cd/DVD storage case thing, so all boxes cd cases gone!

9 speed – I’m sure people were adding a spacer or washers to the cable clamp when these ‘+’ mechs came out to tweak the leverage/cable pull

Signed. I wouldn’t of thought £5m would go far on road building!
Being in East Sussex I’m surprised any money gets spent on roads it’s terrible where I am, some of out main roads are like driving off-road they’re that bad.
Please sign.

Thanks for all the help. I haven’t tried anything else with it as I disconnected it from my back up hard drive unit, I’ve got a caddy on the way for the old hard drive then I’ll try it on a different pc.

Another (probably idiot) question as a non-IT person – as my software is already installed on the old hard drive is it not just as simple as running it from that on a newer PC, or is it more complicated than that?

Unlikely I’ll have the CD handy. There was quite a bit of dust in the machine as it’s been a while since I last cleaned it out, but I’ve decided it’s not worth trying to get it going, I’ve removed the hdd and have a caddy on it’s way so I can use it as an external drive when I get a new machine. There’s mixed opinions on getting some of the software I have running on newer machines, googling has some answers ideas and successes so I’ll just hope it’ll all work in the end … now where to get a new PC from?

Yeah, it’s the xp machine.

I have a folder ‘documents and settings’
and under that I have 3 folders: All Users, my name and Updatususer

I can access everything under all users, but there’s not much there, and it’s the other 2 I can’t access – but if I hover the pointer over those files it says folders empty which is a bit worrying.

I’ll try on another pc when I can and hope it’s the work laptop causing this. Just noticed the laptop antivirus scan has been running a while saying scan is running but doesn’t say if it’s scanning the hard disk, think it might be as that’s buzzing away too

I plugged in my portable hard drive before fitting the hard drive from the pc and that worked fine, came up with all my saved documents, what’s different on the hard drive from the pc – I still saved stuff to my docs on there but I don’t seem to have access to it?

Ah, just read your edit and replys, so it might be the work laptop causing issues as they tend to lock everything down, but I’d have thought I’m just trying to open a folder rather than trying to install anything? Might have to try it on the other halfs laptop … thanks.

Thanks Cougar, but I don’t know what you mean, what’s meant by legacy?? I never had a login on my old pc, it just started up. I don’t have a ‘users’ folder to open. How do I find where all my documents are? When I hover over my documents it says ‘folder empty’ – that’s the one I can’t open.

Thanks for all the replies.

It may well be more than 10 years old?

On start up I get the windows sound, so it does seem like the hd is ok, I get the start up thing and I can go to bios settings/screens but that’s it, no desktop stuff. But thinking maybe time to update to a new one but budget is a bit tight this time of year. I’ve got my documents, photos, music etc saved on a portable hd so that should all be ok. Suppose my main concern is running the old software and games, I have all the discs keys etc for them, although not sure about the premiere and vegas stuff as that was downloaded.

Googling some numbers on the graphics card comes up with GeForce 8400 256mb, but there also seems to be many versions of this. Going to see if my local shop has anything I could replace it with but if it’s too expensive I won’t bother.

Thanks for offers of old graphics cards, I’ll see what the shop has and go from there, and I’ll try to get a photo of mine up if I can work out how you do it on here.

Hi kiksy, don’t think it’s the monitor as I get a windows logo when I start it, it just doesn’t go to the normal desktop image just a black screen.
As long as I can access the hdd with a new pc that’d be great, not sure of the graphics card, nvidia something but don’t know the specs unless it’s written on it, I’d have to have a look. I’ve only got a small independent pc shop locally, going to pop in today and hopefully get some more info.

FFS it popped up 3 times after posting this …. I’m off somewhere else as looking at this place is just shit

Disc brakes and suspension. I came to mtb from motorbikes in the early 90s and just wondered why off bikes didn’t have them. What a faff to set up canti brakes and how rubbish they were when covered in mud. Tubeless, brilliant, can’t remember the last time I had to fix a puncture, pulled a big bent nail out the tyre a week ago about 4mm diameter and it still sealed up.

Yep, I have a pile in the loft. Remember when onone sold loads of Scwhalbe cheap, something like 4 for the normal price of one, and crc would occasionally knock out good tyres for a tenner, we’ll I bought them up. So as well as a pile I sometimes find a box full of new boxed unused tyres. I don’t seem to get through them as quick as I thought I would!

I think it’s a scientific fact that women are colder. I came home yesterday to find the heating on and I’m still walking around in shorts and t-shirt. It was like walking into a sauna! She’s permanently cold, I’ll be siting around in shorts and t-shirt and she’ll be fully clothed under a blanket with a hat on and still cold … my gas bill has doubled since she moved in!

I think the stop start thing is just a gimmick by manufacturers. I could be wrong but doesn’t it use up more fuel stop starting an engine multiple times in a short distance, maybe different with modern cars but I’m sure that was the case when it first came out. Maybe a good thing if you just stop at a red light for a minute then go but on my commute I can see the lights half a mile away and maybe stop start 50 times before I get through them. Manufacturers, according to their ads, believe that there’s only ever one car on the road!

We lost our Border Terrier, Molly, 2 months ago. She got to just over 14 and it hit me harder than any relative, they really do get under your skin. Left a big hole in our lives, I couldn’t go into our garden for 2 weeks as it just felt a strange empty place and we still find that we just don’t know what to do with ourselves sometimes. They become a big part of your lives because you care for them, feed them, walk them, spend a lot of time with them. We miss her so much, it does get easier.

26 was murdered … and these forums were collateral damage

Thanks again everyone. Luckily our mortgage is small, our monthly bills, council tax, gas etc is more and shopping and everything else we could cut down on. You don’t get a fantastic wage working term time/support staff in a school anyway, it’s the holidays that make it for me but my boss is even messing around with those. I didn’t realise how grumpy and short tempered I’ve become, the boss has been off for a day this week and last and the wife has noticed a difference in my mood on those days.

I’ve decided to do it!

I work in a school so we got long summer holidays which will cover my notice period and I’ll be paid without having to go in. The new job I can start as soon as I’m on holiday, it’s actually driving a school minibus for a summer school and it can be as often as I like or when needed. It’s a couple of pounds an hour less than I get now but it’ll be soooo much less hassle and grief and it’s a 20 mins commute from my house. Hopefully they’ll be able to sort out a permanent position once they know what they need at the beginning of the next school year, otherwise I’ll have time to apply for anything else that comes up or even stack shelfs in the local supermarket as a stop gap to pay bills. It’s just not worth the stress, anger, hassle that I have at the moment for a few pounds more.

perchypanther just made me laugh, something I’m missing recently :o)

iolo – that’s sounds great!

Wife and someone at work say ‘just do it, it’ll get you out of your situation’. When I was offered the casual work it did feel like an enormous weight had been lifted, maybe it’s the right thing to do. I wouldn’t need to worry about money until the end of August so I’ll have a while and I can earn extra doing the casual work as and when over the summer and hope I get offered it permanent.

Thanks all.

It’s been dry for ages really, had a lot of rain in the last week but it’ll get soaked up quick and it usually only takes a few dry windy days to dry out again …. I’m the Brighton to Eastbourne end of the SDW

There’s always the dismantled railway track that goes up to Princetown for an all weather ride, nothing gnarly but good for stretching the legs, go from Burrator Reservoir and follow the track up to Princetown, there’s a great café up there that hires bikes, then cruise back down again.

Thanks all, always good to let off a bit of steam and get some advice on here. I think this is the 3rd time I’ve done this type of thread, it dies down and I tend to just get on with my job forget about it and avoid him. I think out policy was to report it to the line manager, that’s him, I’ll have a look tomorrow to read it again.

Actually he’s accused me of undermining him too, don’t know where that came from. He’s complained I sit at the pc, then I’ve asked what he wants me to do and he shrugs his shoulders and says he can’t think of anything. There’s not a lot for me to do at the moment, so I can sense he’ll kick off again soon.
Not sure a private chat somewhere would be good as I’d probably end up punching him 😠

He’s not liked in the department, we’re all hoping he’ll leave. One person left about 2 years ago that he had a lot of arguments with. I think the others just keep their head down. I made a complaint to HR a year or more ago and since then he’s given me a bad appraisal, nit picked every little thing, threatened my job, complained to HR about little things, said others had complained about me in the department not doing my job properly when they hadn’t – I asked them. He’s just moaned about something again and copied in HR, which I think is unnecessary and intimidating. I don’t think our HR gives a hoot to be honest but why would someone you work with in a small department be like that. He just seems to have a hissy fit every now and then and go on a power trip.

Friston will be very different to what you knew 10 years ago, there’s many more trails now – google friston forest mtb routes and you’ll find some maps of the trails. There used to be a ‘red’ xc route sign posted going through the forest but I’m not sure if that is still there but I think there’s a more family type route still sign posted. If you’re based in Brighton you could go up to the SDW and follow it to Friston, do some trails and then come back. There’s a train station in Seaford if you’ve got tired legs to get back to Brighton, or do it the other way round? Not sure where you’d hire bikes though, but there are a few bike shops in Brighton so worth calling.

Funny, I was about to post a similar question. The RAC increased my premium by about 70%, I complained and they were supposed to refund me to the same cost as the previous year, 4 months later and no refund, after another call I’m told it was rejected but no reason why and no one bothered to let me know, was then told someone would get back to me, but again nothing so I raised a complaint which can take another 20 days to get an answer! So won’t be using RAC again, I’ll be looking at some of those other ones mentioned thanks.

Sad. Memories of bombing along in my old VW camper in the 90s on the way to Santa Pod and Run To The Sun with their music so load the engine could’ve blown up and all the wheels fallen off and we wouldn’t have known about it until we came to a stop.

Thanks, how,? I tried every link there was?

Who loves ya baby!

Surely one of these will work??

https://gph.is/1Qgj0nj

https://media.giphy.com/media/MWMRtBHjQPvZS/giphy.gif

https://giphy.com/gifs/MWMRtBHjQPvZS/html5

https://media.giphy.com/media/MWMRtBHjQPvZS/giphy.gif

https://media.giphy.com/media/MWMRtBHjQPvZS/giphy-downsized.gif

Nope, not happening for me

Thanks again all.

My commute is a mix of half drive half bike, takes an hour door to door as there’s only one road to where I work and it’s usually gridlocked. Sometimes I get the bus, like the last 4 months due to a back problem and again that’s an hour door to door. I’ve been on the lookout for something nearer for a while as I realise it’s not good.

Not sure if HR will do anything from previous experience so might not be worth the hassle, but if they get in touch with me about his complaint I’ll pursue it. He said others in the department had complained, there’s only 4 of us and the others have never said anything and we all get on really well, so I’m going to ask them when I get a chance to see if he’s lying or not. if he is I’ll be getting on to my union to see what they say about that as I’ve got a recording of him saying it.

Otherwise, I’m going to think and do positive things, try not to let this get me down and just take every day as it comes, whilst looking for another job, anything that’s interesting.

I think age has something to do with it a bit, i find as I get older I’m less tolerant of things but get frustrated that I don’t think I’m able to change anything or have the energy to do anything about it.

Nearly 20 years ago I used to run a coffee newspaper shop on a train station, inbetween the mad rushes of commuters I used to read the papers and found myself getting depressed and wound up by them, I vowed never to buy a paper again. But as mentioned now we get all the stuff on the internet and news channels, best avoided!

I also find that when I’m feeling down, like now due to work problems, I tend to seek or find out more nihilistic things which just seems to help the downward spiral. I think recognising that and making an effort to reverse it is key.

Ride a bike, sunshine, walk dog, talk about positive things to loved ones, get stuff off your chest if possible, drop the alcohol (unless it’s a nice pint with some mates that make you laugh), watch comedy, listen to music that makes you feel good – when I listen to old U2, War, Under a Blood Red Sky I feel like I’m 20 again, see the good in your life.

Funny you should mention about breaking him, I was just thinking of that today. I’ve lent out 2 pieces of equipment recently, nothing special, think of it as a screwdriver and spanner and he complained that I shouldn’t have done, should have asked him first. He also complained I was seen sitting at the computer, now there’s not much going on at the moment, I’m up to date with anything I have to do, I’m twiddling my thumbs a bit but for most of the year we’re run off our feet, so he says I need to come and ask him for things to do – did this Friday and he asked me to do something that took me about 2 hours so I emailed the results and heard nothing back. So now I’m thinking that if anyone asks for anything I’ll direct them to him, and I’ll ask what he wants me to do, do it, then ask what he wants me to do, do it, ask again etc. all day long.