So…..got along to the petrol station with adaptor in hand. Problem is both my local garages have those new air pumps where you pre-select the psi you want and it slowly inflates. Had absolutely no impact on a bike tyre in need of a sharp kick onto the rim. All I managed to do was snap my valves.

Anyone tried taping up the tyre and rim with masking tape? Mkight that create enough of a seal to get the tyre mounted?

Failing any other tips I think I’m going to have to buy a compressor. There’s zero chance its going to be used for any kind of DIY so with that in mind what should I get?

Seriously, Mr Porter.com is your friend, their sales are tremendous

We’re talking 70% off tremendous. And no I wouldnt buy a jumper for over a grand either ’cause i’m not a total muppet. But for shirts, polos, shoes, cords its a great site.

messiah, I actually don’t mind the old Geography teacher look. Cords are perfetcly comfortable, and a jacket and tie, worn in such a way so as not to be confused with a banker, looks quite good.

Scarily I’m a banker and this is exactly what I’m wearing.

The tie – go for a knitted wool or silk tie. It adds a youthful air of joie de vivre to a chap of any age.

Seriously, Mr Porter.com is your friend, their sales are tremendous. Just sort sort by the colour of whatever you are looking for. You never have to go near a shop again once you have a good idea of your size compared to them.

http://www.mrporter.com/

What the hell were you on about at Glasto a couple of years ago? Beyonce totally owned Queens of the Stone Age and you know it Zane! (Try saying Queens of the Stone Age in an aussie accent)

Get yourself to the Hawksmoor for dinner at least once

I’m going for lunch tomorrow…….slurp.

I always say this on these threads but if its nice weather get your comfortable shoes on and walk the length of South Bank from Borough Market to Waterloo. Loads going on, all the theatres, and amazing views of Victoria Embankment, Somerset House, all the way to Parliament. There’s a great foodie market behind the National, dont know if its open in the evenings right now. Do that then Boris bike back to Southark.

Southark…..make sure you have a bite and a couple of drinks in Borough Market. +1 Boris bike, its a beautiful city to ride in. A good wander round Soho is fun, loads to do.

Stans I can only see 25mm and I need 28mm. Is that WTB the right stuff?

I need to buy some pretty wide rim tape, is this WTB tape the right thing? The tape I have taken out is 28mm wide, the only one that wide I can find is this……

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=66624

Ioum, thanks…..

Rim Strip isnt what I have, the wheels came with yellow tape fitted, I just took the tyre off and washed out all the sealant and can see sealant sitting under the tape. Have removed it all and washed all the sealant out of the nipples with water. Presume I should get some fresh yellowtape on there and fit the valve nice and tight and have another go?

Yes was wondering whether I could just go round to the petrol station, will get an adaptor and do that.

Zippykona – I got them from Burls Bikes who put it together for me and built the frame. Drop Justin Burls a line he’ll sort something out am sure.

No sealant no, not until its up. Will try heating the tyre too and yes maybe need to super tighten the valve. I guess if its not tight the air can get under the tape and out through the nipples that way. They are very new wheels and come taped from the factory so might be that.

Valves – do you find you have to replace them regularly? Mine are feeling a bit clogged up already. I’ve tried spraying some gt85 in there to try and flush out the grime but might be they aren’t letting the air pass through efficiently.

Thing is I dont really have room for a compressor and I’d rather avoid the expense.

I’ve just fitted a pair of Maxxis Beaver yet no-one saying yay they’re great. Have I bought the wrong tyres? Racey XC/ all day type stuff is what I’m at.

I got a 29″ 15mm Reba from Merlin for abot £350…..you need more travel than that? Lovely fork.

My first was 4 weeks early and went into ICU for a week, he’s racing his first CX event next month at Alexandra Palace in the under-10s.

Many congrats.

Big wheelers are the new “right”

If you’re a KGB agent – legal

No more clown bike barbs, these are some nice looking bikes.

Thanks…..anyone have a Garmin route for a long spin around Woburn and the surrounding area that takes in the best bits? Something 40-50km be ideal.

I’m going to have to get Breaking Bad, havent seen it.

+1 Bodies, an absolute masterpiece, by miles the best UK drama of the last 10yrs. Dark and twisted and very very naughty.

Yeh I might go have a spin round Woburn. Is there enough there for the XC types among us? My wheels arent leaving the ground thanks vm.

Burls Ti 29er

I’ve just ordered another Beaver to match the one on the back. Was going to try and keep a Ron on the front but seems little point.

Spooks and Downton Abbey. British TV is so much to be proud of.

Mad Men

Thing is…..I’m at work in London, and I’ve got to say, there really arent many fat people around. Some chubby folk, maybe one or two that you would consider seriously fat. But other than that pretty much 85-90% of people are a healthy weight. Thats a professional office environment and might not be totally representative of the whole city…….but if 2/3 of adults are overweight nationaly, there must be some places where almost EVERYONE is fat right?

It looks more like the Chinese are reaping the rewards of 60 years of their own hard work and long term planning

That is quite a take on 20th Century Chinese history. All that shooting and starvation during the Cultural Revolution was just a culmination of the big plan. Yet they couldnt throw communism out fast enough once the dust had settled and get down to doing business.

Nothing makes me more grateful to have been born in the West than what happened in China and Russia and the Eastern block during my lifetime.

“Two thirds of adults in the UK are now classified as overweight, so our perception of what we consider the average size to be has changed,” says Gately.

It’s nothing to do with being thick, we’ve gradually slid to the point that it’s normal to be fat. The medical types here, do doctors and health workers have straight-to-the-point talks with people about weight or is there pressure not to “judge”?

Talking of brain dead socialists

It was more to do with the western markets ending their political dogma led trade sanctions than any internal changes in those countries.

Course it was…..I mean the Chinese economy hasnt been revolutionised in the last 25years. Nope, nothing new in the way Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia operate their economies.

Vietnam remains faithful to the true creed of Marxism and is still a total basket case.

And if we really wanted to help these countries we would have a grown up approach to foreign students who want to come here. Genuine students who pay a healthy sume for the privilage, the very best of whom get leave to remain if they land jobs that cant be filled by domestic uni leavers. Most of them will eventually return to Asia or Africa with one can hope strong business and personal connections that can only benefit Britain.

I’m definatly not talking about opening the doors to the world’s huddled masses, I’m saying we ought to be exporting our liberal culture through the next generation of business leaders.

Oh and remember those aims of reducing child poverty and lifting xxxx million people out of absolute poverty that the aid industry used to shout about back in the 1990s? Well they have been reached and them some, and it was nothing to do with foreign aid, and everything to do with China and India throwing off decades of brain-dead state socialism and embracing liberal free markets.

We ought to be dropping trade barriers to Thirld World exporters, not spraying the aid industry with cash that pays for Western NGO workers houses in the Kenyan sunshine.

The Alex rims I have are 24mm, only 0.4mm narrower than Crests…..should be fine.

Wheels I have are Shimano M475 hubs…..think thats 135mm?

And a pair of 29er wheels will fit on crosser frame right?

This is going to take some beating, some Big-Hitters been properly snared. Someone print this off and stick in the scrap-book.

Have to say, this thread is a neat little piece of trolling. Not bad for a newbie. And that other thread on ghetto panniers was a work of genius, about the most obscure, dreary topic you could pose a question about. Hats off.

At no point on the drive to the Channel did he think “Maybe this isnt such a great idea”?

I don’t care how many extra hours he puts in, he isn’t getting a pay rise.

Another one for Shimano MW80s – at the very top of my all time bike kit that I’d buy again without hesitation. Warm, dry and very comfortable.

Yeh that looks just the job. Maybe I can slide a £20 inside the back cover for proper emergencies.