I can do my own car repairs if that helps, just changed the box in the micra last week

I’m only going for the estate as it’s cheaper to buy and I don’t care if it’s a bit battered, just want something fast and cheap, bike duty isn’t really that important, I hardly ride (who does on here anyway 😉 )

Focus is a bit dull perhaps

I think it doesn’t help that with the start of a new year there’s that expectation that your life will be magically better, when really it’s exactly the same. At least that’s how I feel.

I’ve not been riding, it makes me feel guilty; when it’s something I choose to do for my enjoyment. I know I have a tendency to make what I enjoy into a chore. So if you’re just not feeling it, that’s fine – you are allowed to have feelings, you’re human after all, aren’t you?

I did my GSCEs seven (yeah I’m 23) years ago now, I ended up with nine of them in various subjects which nobody ever cared about. In hindsight I would have concentrated on getting the highest grades possible in my ‘core’ subjects – English, Maths and Science, since high grades in these subjects make all the difference for future career prospects… nobody cares about your A in french and foodtech if you failed your maths. Just take a look at the requirements of any college (for A levels) or apprenticeship.

I’d recommend doing the triple science, if she really doesn’t get on with physics and worst case fails it she still has two other science GCSEs at a higher level than they would be if she had done double science.

As for any other GCSEs the french is a no brainer as it is easy for her, knowing a language shows intelligence which is always good, any thing else just pick what is easy and fun for her, just to make up the numbers, last thing she needs is to be bogged down in a history GCSE when she should be putting all her effort behind those all important ‘core’ subjects.

Since this is what happened to me, I got Bs in graphic design, geography, religious education, I remember putting real effort into these subjects partly because I liked them and in a way I neglected my core subjects and came out with a C in Maths and English literature, in hindsight I would have rather failed geography for example and had an A in Maths.

Some of my friends did history at GCSE and found it rather difficult, it was a lot of effort for very little gain, PE at GSCE again a lot of my friends did that too and said it was also difficult due to it being very biology theory based.

Creating an effective, reliable public transport network will be significantly more effective in reducing pollution compared to upgrading vehicles to euro 6, or changing to petrol. But making it a requirement for euro 6 vehicles is cheap and easy for the government as its transport operators and you and me who pay for new vehicles. Investing in transport requires a lot of cold hard cash and thinking, planning and general effort – no one likes that.

*network being key

When I serviced my coil forks, I fitted the lowers and tightened the bottom bolts with the forks extended, this trapped the air inside the lowers at normal atmospheric pressure until the fork compressed creating a pressurised air chamber in my lowers, my forks ramped up as they progressed through their travel and I did not get full travel. I serviced the forks again this time I tightened the bottom bolts with the fork fully compressed, effectively creating a vacuum in the lowers when extended; but the force of the spring overcomes it. My forks are a lot better now.

To answer the op’s question working of the damping fluid during the ride causing it to foam up maybe, some new fluid could improve things.

bigdaddy –

If it dropped it’s coolant, why didn’t the low coolant warning go off, unless it didn’t work…. after it was just serviced?

Trail – rat

I appreciate that but I’d be very surprised that a modern car would allow the engine to get so hot that it would effectively destroy itself, I may be wrong. I’d just expect the maximum coolant temperature/engine shut down point to be lower with an ali head…

2011 model… surely the ecu would cut the engine if it overheated before any damage was done.

I work as a bus mechanic all too often buses overheat and drivers run them until they cut out, these buses are were made in 2007, we don’t fit new engines every week.

Why exactly is the engine **** as you say, does it run? No misfires, smoke, low on power?

If it just overheats and there are no leaks, it could be the cylinder head gasket (coolant system pressure test will help you determine the problem) which shouldn’t warrant a new engine just a new gasket, should be able to get a good price for the job from an indy garage, common car so should be able to to find a lot of garages willing to take up the work.

Toys in cereal packets

Is the tyre fouling on any part of the vehicle? If not then it will be ok. The wear is legal; you can check for yourself see the MOT inspection manual – this outlines the minimum criteria a vehicle has to be to be deemed roadworthy.

It may be a tracking issue as car tracking is independently adjusted per side, but looks more like an issue with your steering geometry i.e camber angle. Possibly caused by worn bushings, it may be worth getting it looked at to see if there is anything major.

Either way I doubt you will die, just don’t want to get stopped by the feds for having an unroadworthy vehicle.

Adventure bike?

vickypea – that is something I should do, go riding/exploring with other real people

Uplift

cookeaa – I’d agree with that, I expect people to post their riding online, people post what sandwich they are having for lunch so I’d definitely expect a bike ride. I don’t post because I can’t be arsed and who cares anyway… Glad to hear others have the same attitude.

I’ve just bought a new helmet one of it’s features is a go pro mount – sick! Let’s be realistic I’m not Sam Hill.

I was on a training course and mentioned I do mountain biking the course tutor goes on to tell me about various trail centres and how good they are.

At the railway station with my bike buying a ticket and the bloke at the ticket desk tells me he’s just got into mtb and asks what trail centre I’m going to, I was going to Marsden to ride up to Black hill…

This and few other things I started to worry that I wasn’t gnarpooning my sled

All these new developments are all good I think they have their place, but I just feel that they seem to overshadow what mountain biking is fundamentally about for most (I hope hence the thread) people. With a heavy industry and media push on the next best thing wondered if we still do that boring old (fun) thing

My criticism if you will is that what is mtb for me anyway, seems to be dying out in a sense, it’s a little strange.

Whenever I tell people that I do mountain biking, people start asking what trail centres I’ve been to for example, that trail centres are the new normal if you are a mountain biker

I don’t get the criticism? I just get on my bike and ride towards a hill most of the time and see what happens? Isn’t that what it’s all about? Adventure, nature, finding new things, exploring, testing yourself fitness and skill wise?

I agree it’s the same for me, I’m not so much criticising to a great extent with this thread, I am also genuinely asking who else rides like I do that’s all

@thepurist actually laughing at your comment, I’ll never be able to look at turkish delight without a twisted smirk again

The batenburg ones!

The orange sandwich ones are the worst with brown a close second

This thread made me buy a bag,

When you ride your current bike, do you feel it limits you in any way for example: brakes are not powerful enough, feels unstable in the corners, not enough suspension travel for your riding…

Find out what is wrong with your current bike, will an upgrade fix it i.e. better brakes if yours are down on power, if an upgrade can’t fix it then it’s new bike time, however you will know what you are looking for to be better in that new bike, for example you may come to realise you need a bike with a low bb and really slack geometry you can then go and find a new bike that fits the bill and it could be anything: Santa cruz, Cotic whatever…

But just buying a new orange because it’s new, the changes may not suit you at all and it will be in the classifieds before you know it.

I’m 22 and don’t really drink, I don’t really enjoy it I’d rather spend my time and money doing something I enjoy more.

I don’t like musical theatre either, yet never seem to be given a hard time about that. People are different and like different things, but saying you don’t drink is just unacceptable for some reason…. which is what gets me.

If you like a drink – great, I’ll happily buy you a pint!

trail_rat – Member
all I will say is be careful.

no one company makes the best(or in somecase even a workable full range)of everything.

+1

As a bus mechanic I have just about every tool manufacturer under the sun in my tool box.

I love my fine tooth Snap on ratchets, but I also have some Snap on molegrips that are truly horrendous.

If you buy tools at a decent price from any of the major manufacturers eg: Teng, Facom, Stahwille, Mac, Bahco… They will all be decent tools that won’t break, explode, make children cry or make your parents no longer love you.

I have found it all comes down to the little things that is a mixture of personal prefference and some manufacturers just do get a certain tool more ‘right’ than others, for example knipex, I have yet to use a better pair of sidecuts (I had a pair of snap on ones that went blunt) they don’t get blunt the pivot never seizes and they feel comfortable to use – the latter being important too I had a set of snap on combi spanners, but I found them uncomfortable to use the edges dug into my soft girl hands when doing something up to FT and they were too long, I got some bahco spanners instead; cheaper yes, inferior quality? Maybe… but I prefer using them so that’s all that matters. Also on tool longevity… splashing the cash on a tool just because it will last 20 years – lets be honest you will probably lose it, run over it with something or throw it across the garage in a fit of rage and never see it again. Any tool will wear I think it’s better to replace a tool every 10 years and pay £5 for it, than pay £10 and replace it every 20 years, a new cheap tool will out perform an expensive old worn tool.

Edit: With regards to the Facom jet x modular thing: I’ll put it into bike terms for you… It’s like buying a complete bike from a bike shop with full Shimano spec, you’ll be happy at first then you’ll start to fancy some new hope brakes or some stiffer cranks, then you’ll try out your mates bike with the latest sram groupset and… you know the rest

I went for the interview for my current job in one. I’ve had my white non-iron one over a year, had stains in it, worn it at weekends and alsorts, it still looks brand new. The non-iron thing is what others have said, if you hang it up straight out of the washing machine it works a treat, the odd crease here and there can be easily ironed out and the shirt stays that way.

I also wore a black one when I worked in a cafe for a year, it got washed twice a week still looks good after all the icecream, cake and coffee stains.

I find lewin shirts baggy, CT ultra slim works for me.

Reutuers Headline: Iran troops to join Syria war, Russia bombs group trained by CIA

Americans training local “rebels” to fight, are perms in fashion again is it the 1980’s? Didn’t that sort of thing happened in Afganistan? That ended well didn’t it… with the taliban…

I may be wrong since I don’t pay too much attention to these things but just a thought.

medoramas – Member
…or do old people still wave their sticks at riders and curse them?

They have upgraded few levels up. Expect fireball punches, bicycle-kick combos and spinning takedowns. Some have the ability to reduce your live-level to 20%.
You’ve been warned.

I hope there have been gold stars left out on the trail to make me temporarily invincible and some extra life mushrooms…

Simon – Member
That trail we started building at St Ives was never finished. Turns out the Friends of St Ives aren’t that friendly!

I’m surprised you remember me 😮

At what stage was it left, it’s a shame

I quite fancy doing night riding, I’m not sure the trail coming alive would be such a good thing in that scenario…

Have there been any advancements in footpath laws and such, or do old people still wave their sticks at riders and curse them?

Wow, that’s given me a lot to think about, some of it hit a nerve. Thank you all very much

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I think I’ll start with riding my bike, it’s been 2 years…

I look younger by a few years,

Do something interesting? Work and mountain biking are all full of men, as is the gym. I have no time for anything else 🙁

I’ve worked on trucks, sadly Guy Martin is a lost reference on girls my age.

I’d be more than happy to date older women but they aren’t interested in me because I’m younger.

My attitude to women? I’d like a genuinie relationship, the one night stands I’ve had weren’t really what I wanted but it was there, so I wasn’t going to say no. None of them could have been relationships.

I am starting to feel that my honesty and want to be genuine is wasted and that I need work in self interest more, I don’t like thinking like that.

I am essentially saying is; what is the point in being genuine when I should be learing to lie as it will get me further in life.

Age IMO isn’t important here.

How you behave is.

Say for example I am 20 and wear formal shirts and slim jeans (not skinny), as wearing a t shirt, hoodie and skinny jeans doesn’t match my somewhat serious and some say prim and proper personality.

So likewise if you don’t behave like a stereotypical 40 year old, then they may well be quite fine for you to wear.

on a side note: for the record I wear converse to add a bit of youth to my attire, since I would look like I’m trying to hard to act older if I wore more formal shoes say.

IMO so long as you aren’t exceeding them. In a high mileage engine a sort of sludge builds up, so any new oil becomes contaminated as soon as you pour it in, but there is ofcourse a case of diminishing returns here with regards to servicing more frequently.

Good quality filters are worth the money however.

I worked at a bus garage where vehicles where overdue oil changes by up to 2 years. The same oil was used for all makes of vehicles also. Never had any engine wear related problems, most vehicles being 10-20 years old.

So the potential difference (if there actually is any bar the price) in reduced engine wear will be so negligible that the car will most likely be in a scrap yard before any adverse effects start.

The only advantage is that if you have owned the car from the start and have always serviced it using Castrol Edge 5W30 and can prove you did so, it may be an advantage when it comes to selling it. Otherwise in my eyes as a commercial vehicle mechanic there is no point at all.

edit:

Car has done 137k, but needs to last me at least another 2 or 3 years, so I’m on for looking after it properly, but I’m not looking to waste cash needlessly either!

If you want to look after it, it’s better to change the oil more frequently, as contaminants will have built up inside the engine due to high mileage. Changing with cheap oil more frequently will have a greater impact on engine life than, filling up with “super fancy” oil once in a blue moon.

Divinyls – I Touch Myself

Yes it was an ikea pax thing

I’m an apprentice:

I’m currently learning how to fix double decker buses and coaches.

Most of the time I spend doing services (pouring out 20 litres of engine oil and another 15 litres of gearbox oil and refilling – on old J reg Scania’s)

I get paid jack

I enjoy it, also people at work are sorted.

Don’t bother I’ve torn a hole in my second pair already 😥

Megandeth

sirtomsmith – Member
I’m 17 and just started a job and I’m at college I used to ride nearly every day but now my only spare time is Saturday afternoon and Sunday all day I race enduro
and plan on having the day of for weekends away my boss is laid back but it’s the little rides I like the most and I’m knackered come Saturday it’s my first week so should get in a routine but just wondering how people stay stoked I don’t want grow up haha

First thing, quit. Quit the job. You’re 17 you’ve got the rest of your life to work, or at the very least take days of to go riding, since things only get worse from here on in.

I’m 19 and I started mtb at 17 when I was at college. I’ve got a 9-6 manual job now, I get home at 7 but I need to make myself food and get ready for the next day, so evening rides are out of the window. Also come the weekend I simply don’t have the energy to ride. One other thing is that since I only ride on the weekends my riding skill has diminished, so when I do ride I don’t have as much fun. Also any injuries will put me out of work, If I had an office job I could still come in and be useful with a broken leg say.

I can only suggest going straight to bed after work and getting up at 5 the next day, morning rides are ace and the trails are dead so you can really pin it (do people still pin it on the trail – or is there a new term for you 27.5ers).

As for me I don’t ride at the moment so i’ll either quit MTB all together or get a CX bike and pootle about.