I haven’t been to the Birthday Rides for a while but there used to be a guy (I think from Yorkshire) who put a different rear wheel in his bike and towed it, using a bit of a Heath Robinson attachment, to the event behind a Harley. No doubt a motorcycle could be used to do the same thing.

I wouldn’t like to think of the effect on the cycle of all the bouncing about at funny angles even though it would not affect the motorcycle.

Peek polish – seems to be as near as you can get now to Belgom Alu. Effective and non-abrasive. At my local shoe repair shop.

The valve won’t rattle around. People go on about stopping the valve moving but the valve does not move, the tube moves and takes the valve with it so you don’t want to lock the valve down (unless you really like replacing tubes where the valve has torn out). It is a normal mod on a trials motorcycle running tubes to elongate the valve hole so that any tube movement can be accommodated and seen before damage occurs. I’ve always applied the same principle to any bike.

Bender Fender – just looked it up. If it works then OK but a washing up liquid bottle could be cut to the same shape.

Elbow Grease from Semi Chem at 99p will remove the stains and clean the bike too.

The advantage of Altberg is that they are easy to get to (not in Italy) so you can take the boots back for refurb as required. They reduced a pair half a size for me as I had bought to take thick socks but they were so warm I didn’t need the thick socks.

I didn’t realise there were so many bike shops in Harrogate, Spa Cycles being the only one I was aware of (which may be a bit of a niche) but they have a loyal following I think.

Remember Essel you’ll end up with no cycling time.

I assume you want to pack then in to a particular container. Any tyre lever can be cut down to 90mm length? I never use the spoke hook.

I’m sure the 3 or 4 speed hub with a two speed derailleur was not uncommon in the Fifties (from the pictures I have seen).

“People tend to make the mistake of overbiking. As the saying goes, “Add lightness and simplicate”.”

“Bow to such wisdom… “

Not my saying, I’ve known it used a few times, usually in relation to the smaller Guzzis. But I’ve witnessed the overbiking often enough.

Don’t think I could feel relaxed on anything doing only 40 to the gallon (MCN figure for CB 1000 GT). In 40,000 plus miles the SV has averaged 56 (best 64, worst 45). I would hope for similar from a CB 500.

If I didn’t already have an SV 650 then I’d be perfectly happy with a “modern” 500 twin such as the GS 500 developing 50 odd bhp.

Let’s put it in to context. Probably the greatest 500 racer for the ordinary man was the Manx Norton, beating many multi-cylinder bikes in the right circumstances and it developed 47 bhp. OK the GS 500 won’t handle as well (but will probably stop better) or do 140 mph but who wants to do that anyway.

It’s in the riding. About two years ago I came up behind a gaggle of sports bikes dithering about on a twisty road and passed the lot of them but had to use possibly threequarters of the 18 bhp available from the small two stroke I was on.

People tend to make the mistake of overbiking. As the saying goes, “Add lightness and simplicate”.

“They were decent (but I live in Lancashire so I’m spoiled for chip shops)”

I used to go to a cracker in Lancs but could never figure out why they shut on a Sunday. There’d be a riot in Scotland if that caught on.

Try the Tandem Club website for sale and general forums.

I can’t believe you NRT – a bike has lasted 3 years in a stair?

The Council is currently looking at bike storage in tenements etc and, while I haven’t looked at the proposals too closely, they seem to be expecting folk to park their pride and joy in a cage on the street where everyone can see just what it is and when it’s there. Don’t think it’ll catch on.

I would second TJ’s route. Everyone is going in the way and such traffic as is going out leaves you the bus lane to yourself. There is some sort of crossing arrangement at the Gogar roundabout – or cross to the RHS of road and use the cycle path then cross back at the bridge.

If you want whiskey then is it not Ireland you need to be going to?

Come on man, it’s whisky. 🙂

I can’t remember the name, and my organiser has recently gone pop so I can’t refer to that, but there’s one on the main road in Currie who sorted a dodgy knee for me a few years ago.

Can’t remember the film name but the playover was Roll Away the Stone by Mott the Hoople. If Werewolves of London was at the intro of a Paul Newman film then I’d go for that (was it a sequel to the Hustler?).

“bell founding? Not many bell founders left in England – run by a master founder”

What about driftline hook bating – run by a master ba………….Ok we’ll leave that one.

Don’t expect too much, St Andrews offer first aid – remember that first aid is first aid.

The job of a first aider is to stabilise a casualty and keep him alive until the ambulance/doctor arrives (a first aider should ensure these are summoned as necessary). Recovery from an awkward location is not a first aider’s duty.

You might find that leaning the bike over while remaining more upright your self helps with this type of bike.

Jacket seems OK but last night’s gale on The Pents has abated so can’t test the windproofing tonight.

Unintentional repost

Honda Izy replica was £80 from B&Q – it even refers you to the Honda workshop manual. Normally I’m not a fan of Chinese motors but……..

Obviously nowhere near the quality though has done two years with no problem.

“Equally to blame is friggin Norman Baker, Minister with responsibility for road safety, who has recently broken silence since he became a ConDem minister (he was previously a very vocal LibDem) by spouting his absurd views about the libertarian right of cyclists not to wear helmets………..the irony being particularly marked, because in the 6 Counties of Northern Ireland, where the dead Anglesey cyclist came from, they have just voted to make the wearing of bike helmets compulsory. “

Poor form. I would not use this sort of news to bang a personal drum – there is absolutely nothing in either report to indicate that head injury either occurred or was the cause of death.

It’s never been right since William Woolard left!

A bit far out but the Inchree bunkhouse has cracking food in the bar next door. Closed Wednesday nights though as I found when taking the GF there.

The parking’s gone up to £4. Our punishment for not letting them sell the forests.

“200k fixed…? Not sure if you deserve sympathy or admiration. Well done though”

Pah! Remember Steve Abraham? “The points record, set in 2007, is 405 by Steve Abraham. Yes, that is 40,500km completed in Audax events between November 2006, the start of the Audax calendar, and October 2007. He did much of it on fixed wheel too.”

He did a diary article in the AUK magazine about that year, incredible reading. Don’t know what he does but I always thought the only job he could possibly have was a tester in a bed factory.

There’s a very good sit-in chippy just off the High St and a cafe (Rambler’s Cafe?) tacked on to a kitchen equipment shop in Greenside which does excellent scones etc (the chef is a cyclist).

I’ve only been up Corstorphine Hill in the snow, what I’ve seen means it’s hardly worthwhile otherwise but maybe I’m just more concerned about exactly where I go and haven’t found the good stuff.

I had an old guy walking his dog tell me off for cycling on the Cammo estate during the winter. I was very polite and asked where it said I could not do so. “In there” said he, pointing to the (locked) Ranger building. I pointed out that I had a perfect right to cycle there under the 2003 Act. Unfortunately I was too late in realising that it was actually he who was breaking the law as he was not controlling his dog in the manner required by the Act, or I would have dropped that in to the conversation.

I would suggest that 6(1)(d) of the Act means that access rights do not apply to the Royal Park at Arthur’s Seat.

Failsafe.

Years ago, in the days of the old “rattle valve” pressure control, a pal got home to find that his wife had been out to the garage and stuck a large socket on top of the valve. After rapidly making the situation safe he (politely) enquired just what was she thinking. “I was fed up listening to the rattling noise”. Nothing is human proof.

But the modern ones are better, having more safety controls.

I’ve never had to leave anything for anywhere near an hour – what were you cooking- a brick?

New presure cookers tend to operate at 12 psi max but you can still get 15 psi I think. The old ones, such as you describe, could go up to 18psi.

But they can take a while to release all pressure using the method you did. You could try running it under the cold tap instead, or leaving it to reduce once off the heat.

Lots of pressure cooking advice/recipes on the web.

I happened upon a Halfords in Assen recently, much to my surprise, and it was way ahead of those here. Smaller, but everything seemed to be fully assembled and ready to roll and the staff were keen enough.

Thanks sc, I’ll link to that when I get home. I was privileged (no pun intended) to see the man perform live a few times.

The sidewind on a forward quarter was so strong a couple of years ago on a grassy climb in the Dales that we had to walk and by lifting the bars a bit the bike could be floated like a kite.

But a Kangoo “car” can take more than a van as it does not have the bulkhead (from my experience with the two versions of the Berlingo).

I was there a good few years ago and an ex-pat Englishman I had met on a tour of the Dales took me out on the local club midweek run up Tam, which may still take place so worth enquiring. I just missed seeing a mountain lion apparently.

As I didn’t have a bike he kindly lent me his old one which turned out to be one of the Joe Breeze originals, carrying the ID number from the first batch. The handling was far superior to my Diamond Back of the time. The younger local riders couldn’t figure out what this wierd skinny bike was though.

B&Q have a range of sizes