Bicycle Quarterly if you’ve got a gravel bike/Touring/Audax itch it’s the one printed I bother with now..

Gave Rough Stuff ago and wasn’t keen.

Find a local powder coater, it should work out a chunk cheaper than the Stanton price and will last!

Yeah I seem to be moving to a beer desert in the Cotswolds so I’ve been tapping up the sales staff of East London breweries to get Key Kegs sent when I move, I’m not drinking the miserable nonsense from the local breweries with the exception of Deya!

I looked at one as soon as I get the chance when I move I’m going straight for a Lindr and just ordering key kegs from breweries!

I think the interesting thing from a lot of his videos has been the relative praise for some less expensive direct from factory frames Hong Fu/Deng Fu I totally get his despair that marketing/Branding are being used to justify poorer quality from what are perceived as higher quality manufacturers.

If your paying sale £3k for a carbon frame I’d say you’ve got a level of expectation that the QC you’re getting is better than one that comes direct from a factory for a fraction of the price.

If you’re not paying for quality and only branding/marketing I’d argue something is very wrong.

There was a great article I read a few years ago from I think Chris Cocalis at Pivot who talked about the premium you apparently got with big brands was QC at varying stage of the manufacturing life cycle.

If that isn’t happening there’s a problem I guess?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123428895162?var=423835216147&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=423835216147_123428895162&targetid=1055001932327&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9044936&poi=&campaignid=10204071303&mkgroupid=104953043274&rlsatarget=aud-629407027105:pla-1055001932327&abcId=1145987&merchantid=7308924&gclid=CjwKCAiAtK79BRAIEiwA4OskBh5fydmSU8QVkg6GrtaBBeQGgrIbQQmOjm-rvPLHqT-ib2YOA-HUexoCdlYQAvD_BwE

One of those could well be just the ticket

Had a Patagonia R2 for a year it’s great warm windproof just right, if anything too warm, have worn it round Amsterdam in the February storms this year with a shirt underneath and was comfortable.

Considering an R1 for winter riding

Yep probably not the mech to be fair…

Running Ultegra RX here with 11-42 cassette and no extra hanger thing it works like a charm, it maybe dropout geometry dependent I guess?

We’re big fans of the http://brewteacompany.co.uk they make little pots with a strainer in so loose leaf tea is easy.

They make the most delicious Earl Grey and I’d go far as saying that the Chai blend the do is as good as the Dishoom recipe without the faff.

Would reccomed

Nothing that Flevobike haven’t done already, on cycle lanes they’d be awesome no idea why anyone wouldn’t want more protection from the elements, faster cruising speeds and integrated luggage options for travelling?

https://www.flevobike.nl

Once you get away from the conceptuality of using a bicycle on a road and the silly nonsense upright rules these look an obvious choice, especially with e-assist it’s make a 40km commute from somewhere outside of a Dutch city into a city centre super easy.

How would flat allow lower gearing, I’ve no idea that handlebars effected cassette/chainring combination?

I’ve used both I’m a big fan of super wide shallow drop Ritchey bars they’re great bags of control, the shallow drop if you’ve got your positioning right lets you get a lot of use out of the drops everywhere.

Or have a look at something like an H Bar or the Ritchey super wide cruiser bars as a halfway house?

Shimano brakes are the only hydraulic brakes I’ve ever had that have worked, I’ve had Mini’s Mono M4 Juicy’c and since then Shimano, and cheap ones at that, that have just worked, worked and worked.

I still don’t like them as much as Paul Klampers though!

The bar end shifters are pretty agricultural in terms of feel to the Shimano bar end shifters I guess it’s a case of how desperate you are for gear range?

11speed Ultegra RX with Shimano bar ends works a dream for me over 11×42 with a 36t up front without a b link or anything else, the GRX cage is so much longer I could imagine you’d be able to comfortably get away with a much bigger cassette and a Shimano bar end shifter?

This thread need more use of Michael, Michael…

Sat on an air here I’ve been using my own machine as much as possible rather than the hateful antiquated HP PC work have given me to use.

My wife has one booked for a fortnights time she didn’t seem to have an issue

Sim Works Super Yummy is now available in 26″

Thanks for the Stayer love, it’s soo much fun rack off I get my “Tomac” on in Epping Forest, with 2.3 Schwalbe G One’s it’s a Partypace all rounder.

This is mine

We’ve had a struggle to find something Stroud way good properties priced right were just flying out before we could get a viewing.

We’ve got somewhere now it was right ready to move into, proper off street parking so we paid asking.

Price is probably the issue there’s some crazy optimistic pricing from local agents Andrews were probably the most out…

Rene Herse Bon Jon Pass are super quick super comfy but certainly not cheap. I’ve loved every one of their tyres I’ve used just magic.

I’m a big fan of Swrve they’re the closest thing you can get to Hypnotic Design Hanksters which are sadly no longer available, or Swobo which made some incredible wool ones that were fabulous…

They’re lovely on and off the bike, the shorts are great too!

Swrve UK customer service is great as well

Not had a frame but have had wheels from China, I wouldn’t worry about it, Weight Weenies usually has a a relatively up to date topic on who’s good, although that maybe a more gravel road focus.

Typically Hong Fu and Deng Fu come with really strong recommendations as mentioned above.

The wheels I had the customer service was excellent and the shipping great I even got to prepay duty which worked like a dream.

Just be prepared to get bumped if somebody needs 100 frames and your is going to make up the order then…

But genuinely don’t stress about buying from China it’s no different to anywhere else in the world.

Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass are lovely would entirely recommend now they’re doing a tougher casing!

There’s loads of riding in Epping the really nice thing is if you’re East it’s very much rideable from the door. You can pick up trails in Forest Gate all the way through the forest, very much a case of just following your nose. Some great bits around Chingford and Highhams park. If it doesn’t rain too much in the next few days it’ll still be running nicely or will be very soon.

I’d be tempted to hang on a bit before travelling.

If you are travelling an early start makes a day in the Peaks completely doable on the train, with the advantage of getting a nice carry out at Sheffield before sitting on the train home!

I’d say watch this space, the UCAS deadline for decisions has been put back until June for accepting offers so there’s no need to be rushed into anything.

The vast majority of of institutions that are any good should have plans for the coming year in place by then I’d have thought.

Scottish institutions are massively reliant on English students for fee income so I can imagine subtle pressure being made for them to avoid deferrals.

I’d say kick the can down the road for a month and don’t feel pressured as long as a response is made by the UCAS deadline and the offer is met then it’s all legally binding.

I expect a lot of exam board finegling so that students aren’t disadvantaged as it going wrong looks massively bad, that was the case with the first year of the non Linear A Levels.

Have a look at Farsports they were great to deal with, I’ll be ordering again

Think I paid £630 for DT 350 hubs Farsports rims and Sapim CX Ray’s delivered and duty which seemed like excellent value.

Farsports were great, excellent service, great wheels what I paid online is what they cost, would and almost certainly will buy from them again. They have a duty paid option.

The handbuilt pair of wheels that I was looking at in the UK with similar hubs and spokes and alloy rims would have cost a bit more than I paid delivered from China.

Can’t fault them so far

They’re G One Speed in 29×2.35 they’re terrifyingly light for such massive tyres

The Stayer is great, lots and lots of fun it’s just lovely for cruising round Epping Forest and from tap room to tap room! Just got a new pair of wheels with Schwalbe Beach Racing tyres the initial prognosis is they’re going to be super quick!

Of course if you want fast and lovely on the road just buy Rene Here tyres, don’t mess about with WTB!

Just fitted some G-Ones to some wheels from Farsports they’re mental quick!

Yep 29×2.8 it’s ace ride it all over London!

Not getting it in Safari!

They look ace, and Surly’s are ace have a look on the Radavist and the Blue Lug Flickr if you have any doubts, way nicer looking than Genesis, on and you can fit proper fat tyres with massive clearance.

Having had a short ride on my new 700×45 Specialized Fat Boy Sports today I can vouch for how much nicer a fat tyre is, just floaty and swooshy and fun!

Rick Hunter is your man!

I’d argue that destination on graduation is probably a better test of Independent Schools, than actual grades, if you’ve got an entrance exam and an intensive learning environment then A’s and A*’s probably say less than the destination of the students!

I visit a lot of boarding schools for work, United World College seems a pretty likeable set up from what I’ve seen!

Oops they’re IB of course but it’s arguably a better qualification although not quite as open to wrote learning and cramming so it’s not as popular in the UK.

Certainly check out the demographic of the cohort I’ve visited many schools that have a very strong ethnic bias, whether this is right for you is something you’ll need to decide on.