Check out the Offshore Europe website and look at the Exhibitor-Directory for company names and what they do; its a huge list of companies involved in the Oil and Gas game… Linky.

With an electronics background you should be able to target your calls and CV to companies who use these skills.

It pays to research what the company does so you can target the letter and CV to stand out from other applicants.

“you were made as well as we could make you. The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, and you burned very, very brightly RoyX-King.”

I don’t think RQ’s are that draggy, not compared to Maxxis or other big 2.3/2.5 tyres anyway. I’m happy with some drag if I get some grip… Maxxis Aspens I had were great for drag but not great for grip when it was wet!!!

I do find the Conti sidewalls go before the tread does but considering the tread hardly shows any sign of wear perhaps thats not surprising.

Newer Conti tyres seem to have a thicker sidewall than a few years ago. My just recieved 2.4″ RQ’s are 1000g vs 900g 2 years ago so there seems to be a penalty for that extra rubber. Not as thick or heavy as the UST RQ which is 1150g and noticably reinforced at the sidewall (which makes it feel like a chunkier tyre when ridden and I prefer the “feel” of the non UST).

Good luck with them weight-weenie specials :mrgreen:

That was a tired 2.4″ Rubber Queen that I sliced on a particularly nasty rock doing something rather silly :lol:

why cant you help with the sidewalls? southerner with no rocks?

No…

I love the look of these. If I can break my Kona Explosif while these frames are available then one will be at the top of my shopping list.

Great stuff as usual.

I’ve nothing to show for my latest efforts but thats the whole point… ethernet cables now run throughout the house connecting all the gadgets via a router hidden away under the stairs. Wireless was struggling due to the thick walls and now everything is working as it should. Worth the effort and scraped knuckles.

Retaining wall in the garden for privacy hedging is the next project if the weather ever improves :|

I can’t help with the sidewalls :lol:

To help get the tyre up with a trackpump set it up the day before with a tube in it to form the tyre to the shape of a rim/wheel. I use an old slightly damaged rim for this so I can leave it for a few days if I’d rather be out riding than faffing in the shed. Usually goes up quickly after that… if that fails one of those fizzy-bottle things are supposed to work well. I have a compressor now which is ace :P

Previous thread on Hammerschmidts

Mine is currently off the big bike as I’m trying 1×9 on it having dropped the weight of the bike to 30lbs. I do miss the low gears of the HS and there are a few climbs I can usualy do which I can’t manage with the 1×9… very frustrating as I’m sure if I had the HS on I could spin up them. I would put the HS back on but I’m waiting for some XX1 bits… and there lies the death of the Hammerschmidt for AM/Enduro IMHO :wink: .

Hammerschmidt is a great tool but simply too heavy for how AM/Enduro is heading; especially now XX1 is on the go giving almost the same gear spread. I think Hammerschmidt still has a place on more “Freeride” orientated winch and drop type bikes… but riders who are interested in that (stormtrooper types) seem happy to push their bikes up the hills or rely purely on uplift (or get their dads to push there bikes up).

Not sure if I’ll sell or keep my Hammerschmidt… the only certainty is that I won’t be running a front mech on the bikes I ride hard offroad (unless I buy a 29er mince-machine or a CX bike :mrgreen: ).

Yep – meths, rubbing alcohol, IPA etc. You want to remove the residue from the “releasing agent” that was used to help free the tyre from the mold when it was made.

Quick wipe with meths and I’ve found any holes seal up really quickly with stans sealant. Before I heard about the meths trick it took days to get them to seal.

I’d rather drink beer, wine or whisky thanks 8)

That will be the bottom falling out of the secondhand Hammerschmidt market just as I’m thinking of selling mine… :roll: … although that price does not include shifter or bottom bracket :wink:

This is another one which looks “right” to me (pic courtesy of CTBM :wink: )

Wipe the inside with meths before putting together to remove whatever it is from the mold which stops the sealant from working. I’ve also heard you can give the inside a rub with sandpaper to help the sealant work although the meth has always worked for me.

Will it make you ride like Nico?

Old Konas generally always look good:

Unless they are mine :twisted:

Scary twitchy ditch-magnet b*&*ard of a thing to ride… “I will kill you!”

I’m waiting for an XX1 cassette to complete my groupset. I’ve been running 32×11-34 on my hardtail for a few years and the same on my full suss for the last couple of months. On the hardtail its fine and I don’t see a need for a lower gear but on the big-bike which I take up the bigger hills (Mountains) I’d like a lower gear. Its not the steepness that gets me so much as the rough/looseness. To get through really rough/loose sections my trick is to get into a low gear and hit the rough spinning fast and pinballing through. Running the 1×9 does not give me a low enough gear for this style of riding and I find I’m simply not able to get through some of the tough bits I can usually ride… which is dissapointing and frustrating as I know I can ride them. Once stalled it’s also very difficult to get going again with the 1×9 on the steep and rough, if I had a lower gear I could start to ride from where I stop more often… again frustrating as the challenge is to ride as much as you can, or have in the past (or you might as well walk all of the climb IMHO etc etc)

1×9 was great for Glentress a few weeks ago… although I’ve ridden all that on a 33×18 singlespeed so no surprises there :mrgreen:

End of the willy waving. I hate front mechs and would not go back to one if I can at all help it (even on my road bike I find it a PITA)…

I think the 11 speed XX1 and derivatives are a game changer. People started running 1×9/10 because it worked better and gave them the gearing they needed, but there is a compromise at either end of the ratios IMHO. XX1 (etc) takes a good step to fix that compromise. Well done SRAM for listening and reacting… smell the coffee Shimano.

I’m surprised Shand didn’t show the Pink Stooshie they posted on Facebook the other day…

*swoon*

Interesting. Thanks for the replies… my OJ habit seems to be the problem which is what I was thinking.

Will try a little toast or muesli only tomorrow. Coffee on an empty stomach would have me sitting in the corner gibbering like a paranoid junkie… and the fag would have me spewing my ring Binners :wink:

Leave house at 5.30 to be in before 7.30… so I can head home at 4.00 :D

Which brings up an interesting question about breakfast before an early commute. Off to start another thread.

Chainset…

Other than that I think it looks ace

Ive run Barons tubeless for over a year with no problems. Wipe the inside of conti’s with meths before attempting tubeless.

LWB definetly better inside when full of bikes… I commented about wife calling the shots but for my house the LBW would have to be touching the garage to stop the arse nearly poking onto the pavement.

LWB not as easy to U-turn on a busy road or park at Tesco though :|

Do you really want/need a LWB? The one you linked to is a LWB.

I thought I did and my friend who does moto-enduro does to get the motorbike in; but I ended up going for a SWB as my wife said NO to a LWB (Private ambulance according to her).

With the SWB the bikes have to go in the back at an angle but I can see no reason why four cannot go in easy. Its worth making sure you have the 2/1 split rear Kombi seats (usually are) so you can whip out the single and fit in long things or even more bikes.

With tinted glass I wouldn’t bother about the bulkhead as its difficult to see in – I throw a blanket over everything in the back which makes it impossible to see whats under. Or fit some kind of curtain arrangement if it really bothers you. Without the bulkhead its possible to climb through and get changed out of the wind/rain/viewers.

Closest shop to my house is an emporium of fine wines, excellent beers and wonderful spirits. Its run by a very enthusiastic and knowledgable young chap and I’m more than happy to support the business (and my wife used to work there and they still give us her discount which is great).

Wife is an only and I’m one of two. We wanted two but one would have been fine. Our first took a while to happen and required a little help so we assumed the second would be the same. Lucky for us No2 was 18 months behind No1 and it was hard work having them so close at the start; but as soon as they were a little older it became great, they are frequently assumed to be twins. If No2 had not come along so quickly I would not have tried too hard as one was what we wanted, going through IVF or whatever for a second would have felt cheeky. Having the pair so close in age works brilliantly as they tend to play together and get on very well with each others friends. We stuck at two and I’m very happy with that decision.

My brother and I are 18 months apart and I can see the similarities and it makes me smile.

Good.

Looking forward to seeing what Shimano come up with in response…

… and this ^^^

I wouldn’t look only at coil forks. 36 Floats are way better than Revelations due to the stiffness and the internals… and lighter than Coil Pikes (mine were anyway).

More of a risk us ruining the ride by bunging on an over long fork or making the bike too heavy. You will enjoy the alps on any bike set up in anyway… descent tyres and a few obvious spares are all you really need (go for the wider bars and shorter stem etc if you fancy doing it anyway but its not just for the Alps IMHO etc).

Spare shock is a good call. I bought a CCDB a couple of years ago for big stuff and while I liked it I never really loved it. They have a certain feel to them; and its possible to really mess the bike up by faffing. Good use for a CCDB is for a faffer to learn about what all the adjustments do, and then put back to how CC/TFT advised as that is how it works best :roll: .

My 2p. If you fancy a new shock anyway buy a custom tuned one and use your current shock as the spare shock.

PS – if your running Rev’s up front you won’t need a better rear shock than a RP23 anyway :wink:

Total left field choice – My Avalanche Tuned DHX Air is the best shock I have ever used. Lighter than a CCDBAir and cheaper… I bought the shock on ebay USA and sent it to Avy for the mods. Probably overkill but its an amazing piece of kit.

Having recently bought a VW van here are my thoughts.

Biggest draw of the Sportline is the looks which make it look less works van like. The same effect can almost be had by sticking on bigger wheels, spoiler and side bars to a Highline/Trendline. The Sportlines are lowered by 40mm which can be a good/bad thing depending on your planned usage; my friend bought a lowered T5 but had it raised back to normal because he found the ride a bit crashy on back roads and he wants to not worry when accessing forest car parks and fields for bike and Enduro motorcycle events. With 18″ wheels the normal suspension feels great and I’m not going to lower mine.
There is no doubting that Sportlines look better and you do get a leather interior… although that can always be added later (at a cost). The Trendline or Highline spec has most of what you want anyway. Trendline get the double din stereo which gets the four speakers, cruise, parking sensors, and Tasamo darker cloth interior which are a must (IMHO). Trendline additionally gets the important AIR-CON, fog lights and leather steering wheel. I realy wanted sliding doors both sides for ease of getting the kids out… or getting yourself out if the space is tight; this may only work if you get the two “captains chairs” up front as you can walk through the back easy. If you go for the bench up front its not so easy. I orignaly wanted the bench to take 6 folk but my my wife wanted two captains chairs which makes it a 5 seater; and I think she made the right choice as having the single chairs and being able to move around the cabin easy is a luxury (and I’m not that likely to carry six people).
I wanted a 4Motion which means no Sportline unless I went almost full custom. 4Motions are pretty rare and all the second hand ones I found were already sold or not much cheaper than new.

Some useful resources.

T4/T5 forums are great Linky[/url]

Edward Davies at Leeway Van Centre was good for information although unable to help me in the end, huge stock of second hand non 4Motions Linky[/url]

Swiss Vans if your considering new Linky[/url]. My local dealer was pretty useless saying nothing available and 6-9 months for delivery although no guarantee’s as 4Motions are not built often. Swiss Vans found my unicorn and made the whole process simple including modifications and delivery in just over a week (if you do buy from them tell them I sent you as they do a referal thing – email in profile :mrgreen: )

Custom Vanz… just to drool at *drool*[/url]

My kids love the Van. Its named “Gunter” after the Penguin in Adventure Time.

He constantly plays with his sisters so I think he thinks he older and then gets frustrated when he can’t do what they are doing. He interacts really well with other kids of his own age.

My youngest was like this and was a ball of tantrums/frustration to such an extent that we wondered what was going to happen to him when he went to nursery/school. In the end nursery and own age peers has turned him into the sweetest little child imaginable… but he handed the frustration baton back to his older brother who is now the PITA.

That’s pretty flat – look harder. I live in the south, and a ‘hilly’ ride is around 100ft climbing/mile IMO.

Hmmm, just put the route through map my ride and its got 3 Cat 5 climbs on it? I’m not a roady so that means nothing to me other than those section correlate well with the segments where it was uphill and hard work.

First time in a few years yesterday. I took my road bike (which I bought in 1998 and have not used for a long time) and went in search of climbs for training… so it was 28 miles with over 1000ft of gain. It took me 1 hour 45 mins but I’ve no idea if that was good or bad but it sure hurt (in a good way). The train took the strain for the way home. I plan to do the same tomorrow and make it a twice a week thing so I can still ride hard for pleasure on other days.

I don’t understand why picup’s are popular. Unpleasant to drive and not really even safe to store stuff in the back of.

@geordiemick00: I had the same experience with local VW van dealer who were helpful enough but were clueless as to what I wanted and how long it might take to get one. I then spoke to Swiss Vans who found what I wanted and delivered it the following week 8)

I put some oil in mine and it makes them much quieter for a few months; and repeat.

From Dialled Bikes via Facebook

Alpine colours update.

OK, I’ve been decisive and selected the following 2 colours for the new Alpine Mk3 frames: WHITE & ORANGE.

I chose these colours as they’re both tried, tested and popular colours in other Dialled Bikes frames, but I’ve never released Alpines in this colour. In the end, I didn’t feel comfortable using the greens and blues I was considering, as I hadn’t sampled them yet, and I’m a bit fussy like that.

The custom colour (within reason) option will still be available through Superbike Dan at PWS for an extra £50.

Hopefully, the colour choices won’t disappoint too many folk. At the end of the day, it’s about how the bike rides rather than what colour it is (hopefully they will all get thrashed to within an inch of their lives and be covered in dirt and battle scars most of the time anyway!).

Colour was never a primary consideration of many anyway so it don’t bother me 8)

Ace.

Latitude and northern light are good Pale Ales, as is the Cairngorm Tradewinds mentioned already. If you like that style there are heaps to try, including Brewdog Dead Pony Club. American style pale ales tend to be hoppier and I really like that.

Badger Golden Glory and Golden Champion are lovely light summery beers that are quite lager like… interesting flavours and worth a try.

There is no excuse for drinking Coors :evil:

Venison
Brewdog Libertine Black Ale
The Good Wife

If you like the ride of the bike then buy it. If the worst happens while your away you can always fit a different shock or fork to get through, but chances are stuff won’t… and Bos will eventually get surf-sales sorted (surely to god).