So, PX took away the track frame last week and delivered the correct frame today (after gentle reminder).

First question, having never had a plastic frame – PX advise there is no need to fit the lower crown race to the forks as it is integrated into the fork. However their tech support said grease everything as normal…

I have read that grease can affect carbon, and am wary of weakening the fork steerer – the bearing is greased internally, should I grease the bearing to fork crown interface or leave it dry?

Is there another suggested lube?
Obvs Carbon assembly paste is coarse and not the thing to use on a bearing?

Thanks in advance

Slight hijack – if setting up a childs pension, how does the tax relief work?

I understood that to be a major bonus of setting up an adult pension?

I get the compound interest over as long as possible.

And am also wary of not being able to access for years AND the buggers changing pension rules at will…

Its always interesting to see what appears from Planet X.

I ordered a road frame, and a track frame appeared!

Wonder what will appear next…

Great new bike day!

No time to fully unwrap, just pull back bubble wrap to see the shade of red.
Hmmmm not as deep red as above pics but I can’t complain.

But track ends?

Oh Planet X you’ve sent me a track frame, not the road frame shown on the packing slip….

now for the fun of trying to arrange a swap – odds on I end up somehow paying more?

Bollox

bottle cage

surely this will tick the boxes?
can get a double cage version if you need more capacity

Ooops, I bought a frame as a belated Christmas pressie to myself. How to explain the big delivery box to the wife..?

Will borrow spare wheels from another bike, raid the random old parts knocking about to keep costs down, and either buy a 105 group or build it up from different dealers if cheaper.

Stand by for annoying ‘what hose length/seatpost’ type questions, and listen for swearing as I learn to dismantle factory bled brakes, thred them through the frame and then have to re-bled etc.

Possible pics if is doesn’t end up looking awful (and if I can wash the lawn, grout the fence, paint the hedge etc)

Hi @ads678
Thanks for that. May I ask what size you have there?

I was looking at the red frame already (the pink is tempting but not pink enough….)

I’ve got wheels and seatpost/bars etc that I could build it up with, so am not sure the £920 for full build delivered vs £350 f&f and headset delivered is worth it (and I have never liked the look of SRAM hydro hoods).

If the rim bake frame was the cheaper one, I’d prob get that as then I could ride it without buying anything!

also the attachment behind the fork crown may rotate the front guard backwards a little more than designed.
i still get wet feet in heavy rain/riding in streams, but not much spray off the top of the front wheel

been running SKS Bluemels 700C 45 since the beginning of the year.

buckets of room with 30mm S-ones (Gone speed) and plenty of room with 35mm cross boss. Cope well with road, gravel and tame New Forest exploring with no issues…

Once set up, they are fit and forget (hence I have forgotten to mark and trim the guard stays, or fit the protective covers)

easy to remove and refit when bike needed for other reasons
beware front dropout bolts fouling the disc rotor lockring on refitting :(

Also if you want to be visible I think after decent lights, reflectives on moving parts really stand out – so reflective material on lower legs/pedals/overshoes really help.

Downside to all over retroreflective jackets (as above) is that they are dull grey in daylight…

Trespass

Like Pro-viz but cheaper. Uk high street shop so some comeback of it fails…

I’ve used it for bike commuting – a bit sweaty but very visible. The ‘breathability’ is from mesh arm pits and a vent across the back.

I’ve used it for night running, I will happily use it again to run in rain but I did get to the stage sweat was dripping down the inside of the sleeves (I am a bit sweaty when I run).

Edit- it’s £39.99 down from £79.99. It’s like a half price pot, never pay the full price! It’s almost always on sale

Pretty sure I have a couple of pairs of these kicking around at home. Will have look later….

Emergency drugs – minimal that will be fun

Such as?
Genuinely interested.
Epinephrine, atropine?

oxygen
aspirin
GTN – for angina – will give you a thumping headache
Glucose
Glucagon (injection releasing body’s supply of glucose for diabetic crisis)
adrenaline (epinephrine)
Salbutamol – maybe the intruder was a pro cyclist?

midazolam – as above could be used as a sedative, but normally only a very small amount in stock

so not much fun really!

Paul4Stones – surely the Ferrari keys are home/mistress’ house by burglar time?

Taxi25 – toothpaste samples seem to evaporate at our place… are you a patient of mine?

In my case an InBred which I had just switched from rigid singlespeed to rebas & 1×11. Had just hope brakes refurbed and barely ridden it :(

I thought work was more secure than a shed….

Intruder caused £1000s of damage,had to cancel patients for the day (inconvenience to them and loss to us). They had a good look in all the drawers and didn’t take anything else apart from the RNLI collection tin.

If they’d decided to wander off with an autoclave, they would be rather obvious walking down the road. Pretty much all the kit is expensive to buy but minimal resale value…

Anaesthetics ending in -caine – small amounts in liquid/gel form, no fun to be had from them
Emergency drugs – minimal that will be fun

As for Botox/fillers – – not my thing.

re the LOMO advice above – bought kids snorkels from them last year for kids on holiday.

Kids didn’t get on with them, leaked water through purge valve, clip to mask band broke. Kids ended up with my old TUSA with no issues and when I tried the Lomo snorkel it leaked too…

Masks seemed ok, but I’d rather try on in a shop.

If it’s for longterm use, buy a decent set from dive shop.
If not, try decathlon but try them on before you buy.

How do quilts work for taller folk?

Tempted by the aplkit cloud cover, but at 1.9m/6’3″ I’m wondering how much will not be covered/what to do with me head?

If my heads not covered, I think I may feel cold even if I’m not… or do you wear a hooded down jacket as well?

Ta

2 day course learning to fire up and drive a traction engine?

My dad loved it 5 yrs ago (but he loves traction engines) – his was at Museum of East anglian life, other locations were available

Anyone got stuff on this weekend?

Isle of Wight ultra.

Wondering if I have possibly bitten off more than I can chew, but hey, only one way to find out!

And at least navigation is easy – keep sea on left

And if you want a coffee on the crossing, get in the queue early or don’t bother!

Or get one before you board

The ferry from lymington looks like that if you get the sailing to arrive in Yarmouth before the sign on opens…
reckon the first few boats will all be busy.

But most people there don’t want their bike damaged either so are quite careful! Haven’t had a problem in the 3 times I’ve done it.

Just be careful where you leave it, and get back to it first do no-one moves it for you…

But if you are worried, take the winter bike and relax

Enjoy the ride!

Had not thought of hammies as well.
I’m sure they are tight too

Thanks for the advice so far.
I have tried the old lean on wall with one foot back which seems to feel good afterwards but tightens up again…
Same with standing on edge of a step.

How often/long should I do it for?

Have used a golf ball on my trapezius before to good effect, might have to dig that out for my calves.

assuming this is a subtle advert – where are you based, and how much are you looking for?

£330 million?

Pah, once we’ve left the EU, we’ll be able to build one  every week!

I know it’s too early to say, but any idea of how the change of ownership of Evans will affect Pinnacle?

I guess it’s unlikely to be spun off as an individual brand…

Best of luck to Jameso (is it time to take the leap and go independent? You’ve got the following on here!)

My concern is rugged up in green bivvy bag, if anyone notices a bright red bike ‘abandoned’ behind a hedge, I want it secured somehow (i am think SE england, not middle of highlands)

I guess wheel off/chain off will slow/deter most people.

Cable lock to my wrist might be the best plan – now I’m off to ask the wife where she put the fluffy handcuffs

flyingmonkeycorps – re the Z-lock. Smart idea but universal keys? so it stops a passer by borrowing the bike, but anyone else keen on taking it may well have the key already (and I bet a paperclip would do the same job as the key…)

Anything else too flimsy can just be pulled off (crimped brake cable, cafe locks etc). They always strike me as tokens so that the thief nicks your mates bike, not yours, from the cafe

Ps that’s not meant as a criticism of what’s been done so far…

also I’m south Hants way so sadly not much use for you.

To back up Paul4stones, as another dentist I’d advise a second opinion.

What you need is a diagnosis, not to be sold a bridge or implant.

I see too many patients who have had treatment but no initial diagnosis, and then you end up with a new bridge/implant and still have pain/discomfort…

Proper examination plus X-rays/scan would be needed to check for remnants of tooth/bone, to check for sinus communication etc. Checking sensation to note areas of change of sensation would be good.

Dental teaching hospital would be good, local oral/maxillofacial surgeon could probably help too.

Tongue/cheek finding the gap is not uncommon but the discomfort needs investigating.

@surfer – you may be ‘old school’ but I’m ‘no school’ so any advice much appreciated!

Mentally I wanted to know I can be on my feet for a long time. I didn’t want to get to halfway, and realise that was as far as I had run and I still had another 15miles to go…

In the past I’ve done a couple of marathons and one iron distance triathlon. I’m limited on time, and also commute to work by bike 5 days a week so am short on running time/sessions and also have to watch out for overcoming my legs. I manage one 5-6miler at a faster pace midweek and a long run at weekends. As fitness builds the long run has got faster as well as longer. I don’t plan to run over 20miles again in training and after the 30mile race is out of the way in March, I will cut the distance and try to build the pace.

A 50-60 mile week or a 58min 10 miler isn’t going to happen any time soon.

@thecaptain – jelly babies never seem to work for me.

I had a pack  waiting in second transition of a triathlon once, and as I set out on the run I ate one, needed savoury not sweet, so gave them to a very confused child supporter who was trying to give them out to runners.

@ajf and mogrim – that’s kind of what I hoped for. Mix and match of sports stuff and normal food. I’ll just have to try to see what stays down/settled in training. Any excuse to eat pork pies is good with me!

@bikebuoy – that was my basic plan, I just wondered if there was anything different/more exciting out there…

and normal food is easier than a box of gels a month!

How are people on here fueling their long runs?

Currently running up to 22miles, 30 miler due in 6 weeks.

I find my legs fall off after about 13-15 miles if I run on just water. I’m not fast (3hours for 20miles) but don’t want to walk/run, or stop to fuel.

Energy drinks?

Gels – I am happy with isotonic gels, but one every 30mins for 5 hours means carrying 10… and using several gels every long training run seems a bit over the top.

Never tried or seen the need for salt tabs.

Do I just chuck some custard creams in my pockets?

The 30miler is 3 loops, so I can stash replacement bottles with gels for each lap, but the plan is a 60+miler later where that won’t be an option…

Any sugggestions?

Just looking back over Polar data – reckon the bike knew it was a 40min race, as the mech blew after 40mins… maybe the bike was more tired than me!

Garry_lager – I was guilty of pushing up the hills, I’ll know for next time! On the muddy flats it was much easier to shoulder it…

Thomthumb – I might lend you some X Ones! It’d be better than trashing another mech hanger (hoping the mech survives). Bailing out seems the better route now, the chap I was trying to beat was clearing mud as well as putting his chain back on, he obviously knew something I didn’t…

shame if Soton is routinely that filthy as it’s close to home

Reluctantwrinkly – to be fair, everyone was clogged up, discs or cantis! And there wasn’t much braking needed, I never got that fast…

HobNob – I was wondering if I could beg a jetwash of someone…

It was a friendly event, great apart from the mud!

Saw plenty of fallers on the off camber bends, at least the landings were soft. Don’t think anyone went home injured, just lots of broken bikes! I hate to think of what could happen to carbon chain stays, could be an expensive day out…

Didn’t see anyone injured though, but a couple of punctures and lots of gearless bikes.

Up until trashing the bike and DNFing, I actually enjoyed it, and if I learn how to hop on/off the bike without mincing, I could have been quicker too!

Is that Binners under that pile of stones in the second pic?

looking for similar, for camper and garage.

any links to suggested strips/suppliers, or do I just pick one at random off Ebay?

Ta