Try being one of the people making a delivery to the site.  Driving along at 10mph (strictly enforced) in the middle of the night with the orange beacons flashing away and reflecting off the surrounding bushes is very surreal, especially when it’s a long way from the last junction to the site.  I once did J17-16 of the M4 like that, the site was just before the bridge over Brinksworth Road with both directions closed after a fatal accident.  Far, far spookier than during the pandemic, especially as you see the mix of yellow and blue flashing lights appear, drop off the delivery and then go back along the M4 in the wrong direction!

So if it says closed form 7pm, they’ll start putting cones out at say 6:30, which involves a few miles of pitting them diagonally across lanes 3 and 2 first to filter the traffic into one lane past the junction, then if they’re on schedule they close off lane 1 letting the last car through at 7:00.

That pretty much.  They’ll have those trucks with the giant crumple barriers protecting them while they do it, it’s a pretty dangerous operation due to morons not obeying or paying attention.  They can and will report anyone who tries to sneak round at the last second too, don’t even try it!

Smelly colleague issues.

0.4kg down for my first week, a good start as I normally take a bit of time for the results to start showing.

A  lot of lenders will flat-out refuse to lend on a house with this spray foam, it’s viewed as a severe risk as it hides any damage to the roof and also encourages rot issues.  A friend was looking at a house with it freshly installed and they couldn’t get any lender to approve it.  They did eventually buy that house but the owner had to get it all removed at a cost of £11k, a big hit considering it cost £6k to have installed!

The whole thing has the whiff of another PPI scandal about it.

Missed this last week, was wondering where it was too.  Will start a week late!

My experience of RF cranks is once they’ve come loose once they will never stay put properly again :-(

My Atlas ones came loose once mid-ride, tightened them up at a pub and they’ve not budged since.  I did replace the tightening bolt though as the threads on that looked a bit worn.

Check everything for damage, torque it correctly and monitor.  Both my RaceFace cranks have been solid.

I felt overbiked on a 120mm F/S the tow times I’ve done it, a hard tail would be perfect.  Can understand how it being wet could change things though as both times I did it I lucked out on perfect weather.

well going by that map, nowhere outside England :-/

British Cycling = England.  Always has done.

Guess that as it used to be a black one whose MOT runs out that one was PX’d for the blue one and the DVLA’s not caught up because the transfer’s in the post.

Smart ForTwo’s get their colour designation from the colour of the Tridian Safety Cell, almost all of the MkI’s were silver.  It’s due to the panels being clip-on plastic that can be changed to a different colour, although very few owners ever did.

Good luck to everyone and make sure the positive start doesn’t wane as the nights draw in!

I won’t be partaking this year as I have other things that are monopolizing my time right now but I will try to increase my exercise as the days tick along.  Just looking it the photos and stories we should motivate me to get out a few times.

Soak the nut in some decent penetrating oil every day for a few days with driving in between, the usage and constant soaking usually works it’s way in and loosens them off.  It’s surprising how much effort it can take though.

Yeah..pop steering wheel (often a t50) off, and straighten.

That can cause issues with the self-cancelling mechanism on the indicators (make your own joke…) and stability systems if the sensor is on the column.  Someone had done it to my mum’s Nissan Note to hide that it had been bumped up kerbs most of it’s life (alloys had been refurbed when she bought it) and it meant the stability system was not happy on occasions.  Noticed the self-cancelling was off to so reset the whole thing before getting an alignment done and all was fine afterwards.

Really enjoyed that.

You could tell it was a proper celebration of their time together, from running jokes (minus the bumping into each other) to redoing some of their previous things but properly this time.  Acknowledging all the ‘lasts’ was a great way to make it a bit more human too.  Finding the two original cars was the only contrived bit I spotted but that’s because their locations have been known for a few years now, DriveTribe even did a video about it, but I’m guessing that Clarkson and May weren’t aware they would be there as their reactions were obviously genuine.

I do know that all 3 of the cars used for this one are at The Smallest Cog and being worked on to restore them, wonder if the original two have found their way back to join Oliver?

I’m guessing it’s a slow news time, dig out the old reliable Cyclist stories.

As far as I am aware the police can seize any uninsured motor vehicle being used on a road. It is then not released until a valid insurance certificate is produced. As these bikes are not insurable every seized bike is permanently off the roads.

It wouldn’t be long before the message got out.

The police tried a ‘sting’ operation once on City Road in Cardiff (basically one long road full of takeaways for non-locals) and within 5 minutes of the first one being stopped every rider/driver for all the apps was avoiding the area and refusing to do any pickups on that road.  By the time the police had dealt with the first one there was no one else to deal with!  The operation was setup as it was well-known that drugs were being delivered using them (it’s a perfect way to spend all evening doing deliveries and just blend in) so the illegal bike side was secondary but it showed just how up against it the police are in getting the resources to deal with the issue.

I did suggest to a PCSO that it would be easier to setup a team that waited at a delivery address for the riders to turn up and nick them then, I’m sure a few students would be willing if they got free food out of the deal so that the address wasn’t the same one all the time.

Leckwith woods is a no-go for trails, too overgrown and unkept.  It’s also a bad place to be solo as it has a reputation (more from the past admittedly) for being where stolen stuff is dumped, mopeds and the like.  The stuff by Castell Coch is the easiest to access if you’re in Leckwith, just link up with and go up the Taff Trail.

All my MTB’s are tubeless with Schwalbe tyres, Muc Off sealant and a Rimpact in the rear.  Last two issues in need of tubes were in 2018 at Chatel when a rock sliced open a new Magic Mary and in 2022 at BPW where the rim tape failed.  On the second one I had to go buy a tube from the shop as the one that was in my pack from the Chatel puncture has rotted!  Worked out it was 9 years old and had come fitted to my old computer bike so very much doubt it was decent quality.

The commuter bike is tubed with tough tyres (Kenda currently) and a small amount of sealant in each tube, never punctured it although it hasn’t had much outdoor use in the last few years as it’s my current Zwift bike and I don’t cycle to work as I don’t have a permanent one currently.

So – thoughts on needing discs too, or is pads on old discs on a low-performance car that barely gets up to 60 downhill, less if the aircon is on, a sensible compromise (safety is a consideration too, just that pads looks a piece of piss, pads and discs increase the jeopardy by 3 more bolts)

Modern discs and pads should always be replaced at the same time, they wear at similar rates by design.  Back when the pads were asbestos you could do 2-3 pads per disc but the new pads are a lot more aggressive.  Plus being your son’s car it’s a small price for piece of mind.

The C1 is probably the easiest modern car to do brake work on.  Single piston caliper that doesn’t require any special tools to wind back, simple hub where the disc is held on by the wheel (so no dismantling of hub to worry about) and silly cheap parts if you break anything.  Just take your time and refer to instructions/video as you go along.

That caught out a lot of the lads at my old job, think the transport manager had a big envelope with roughly 40 individual infringements (for 45 drivers at our base) land on his desk from Head Office one morning!  A few got 3, one got 5 in the time it took the tickets to go to Head Office, them find where the van was kept and forward it on.  There was only a few of us that didn’t get any.

It’s like that every summer, has been since I was a teenager (30 years ago!).  The farmer is meant to keep it passable but they can’t fit a tractor down it so they don’t bother.  It also suffers from bad erosion as the beginning turns into a stream whenever there’s run-off from the surrounding area, it diverts off the road straight down.  It’s not a bridleway or footpath so the Park Authority don’t worry about it.

People who can only talk about football.

As in their opening line in a social situation is ‘What team do you support then?’ and when I answer ‘None, I don’t follow football.’ just carry on talking about football.  Usually because they have nothing else to talk about in their pitiful lives.

Just had it for 20 mins until their partner appeared over his shoulder mouthing ‘Sorry…’ and dragging him away!

The thread about the Moke has relit a bit of fire in me.

With family events taking over a lot of my life poor Georgie has sat under her cover in the garage untouched for over a year.  I had a sort-of plan running in my mind earlier in the year to get her roadworthy ready for a car meet called Rustival, organized by a few YouTubers who celebrate the non-concours cars and their owners.  I have booked a place at the show already, with the idea that I can either take the Mini or my daily driver if things don’t work out (the show doesn’t discriminate, any car is welcome).  So this weekend I plan to give her a good looking over and see what’s required.

So there might possibly be an update to follow in the next few weeks.

Front seat passengers that put their feet up on the dashboard. Often barefoot.

Get your rank cheesy feet off the dash and windscreen, before, god forbid you have a crash and put your knee caps through your eye sockets as the airbag goes off.

I worked with someone who would hold the steering wheel with his right hand at 12 o’clock.  He had a small bump while driving in a queue and the airbag went off, he managed to knock himself out, break his nose, jaw and wrist.  He’d been warned multiple times but refused to change.

Was going to suggest getting in touch with the LSMOC (London and Surrey Mini Owners Club) as the car is in Southampton, they’re a great bunch and pretty much guaranteed someone will help you out.

Do we think its fair to say that the moke was Sir Alex’s worst design ever?

No, it met the brief for what was asked for but the military quickly realized they needed something with greater ground clearance and fewer bespoke parts in the running gear compared to their other equipment.  The biggest issue was that BMC went to the military with the idea rather than the military ask for a proposal, BMC were trying to piggyback on the sales of the Land Rover.  The Moke worked as a parachute-droppable vehicle at the time but the advancement in plane carrying capacities meant that the Land Rover was a viable option rendering the Moke pointless.

Isn’t Merthyr one of the cheapest areas of the country, or has that changed in the last few years?

The bad areas are still cheap but the areas you would actually want to live are reasonably expensive.

BPW seem to always underpay by at least 20% for comparable jobs in the outdoors industry let alone compared to similar roles elsewhere.  I did look into becoming an uplift driver during the pandemic at a few places (BPW, 417 and Dare Valley were looking) and BPW was a long way below the others for the hourly wage.  Think it was just above the NMW at the time whereas elsewhere was well above it.  They’d need to at least be comparable to attract people to live to the area but they struggle to hold on to locals!

Where is it located?  May be able to give you a hand.

I’ve been able to do a full 3D visualisation of stuff in my head every since I was 11 or so, exactly like basic 3D computer modelling.  I instinctively know where things line up on opposite sides and can visualize stuff from technical drawings easily.  I can also ‘see’ how mechanical stuff works in motion, hard to explain but it’s like I build the machine in my head then run an animation.  My spacial awareness is very good too, have done tests for it and came out in the top tier.

I also have an internal monologue going all the time, it’s like an internal friend!  But then I do have a history of bipolar in the family so could just be that.

Can’t play any instruments, crap at maths and socially inept.

Undecided on whether that’s a good mix to have or not!

Are you tightening down the nut on the negative valve once you’ve adjusted it?  I didn’t once and it allowed the two chambers to equalise and making it harsh (I run the negative 2-3 psi higher than the positive, makes a massive difference).  If the nut is loose after it goes harsh but you did nip it tight (finger tight is fine) then that’s your issue.

Oh and mine really responds well to servicing, even a lower service helps.  Seeing as you’ve been 2 years without them it needs doing anyway.

Canals are definitely not sealed bodies of water, it flows from the highest point to the lowest.  Streams join at various places and water moves through locks to make them work.  At the lowest point there will be an overflow to somewhere otherwise the canal would overflow.  This can all be at multiple points if the canal goes up and down via locks in various places as there will be multiple low points.  It’s all tightly controlled to maintain the water depth and a slow flow in one direction to stop stagnation and plant growth but there is always water flowing in and out somewhere.

There’s unsubstantiated rumours going round trucker’s groups that it was a delivery that went wrong.  Seems to be around a new driver hooking up to the wrong point and it dumping to a watercourse.

Either way whoever did cause it is in for a whole world of trouble when they’re found.

They’re not called EcoBooms for nothing.

To keep insurance costs reasonable look at the oddball options.  A Skoda Rapid estate with the 1.2 Tsi engine is surprisingly cheap to insure as it doesn’t attract the boy racers, easily cheaper that the equivalent Polo/Golf (it sits between the two for size).

Gone are the days when 100k miles meant the car was only good for the scrap heap.

I been having that conversation with family and friends (mainly the oldies) about my current car for a few years now, a 2013 Fabia 1.2 12v.  I’ve owned it from new so I know exactly how it’s been treated, what’s been done servicing-wise etc.  Ever since it clicked over 100k they’ve been predicting impending doom, catastrophic engine failure and me being stranded in the middle of nowhere.  This just got worse as I passed 150k and to shock when I ticked over 200k a few months ago.  Up until last Thursday I hadn’t had a single failure of anything, just normal service parts (front brakes twice and rear drums once, new shocks all-round, fluids and tyres).  It took until 104k for the first bulb to blow!  The alternator died on Thursday evening but didn’t leave me stranded, the battery got me home easily and even to work and back again Friday (3 miles in total).  Changed the alternator Friday evening and it’s back to 100% again for just over £200.  That’s £0.0015 per mile of unforeseen costs, less than 1 monthly payment, in over a decade.

Your Golf should easily be good for another 5+ years if you look after it.

You don’t see anywhere near as many cars broken down on the side of the road as 20 years ago.

You do but it’s mostly punctures these days, either due to no spare tyre on that car or the driver would rather get the AA/RAC bod to do it as they don’t know how to/can’t be arsed.

Coed Y Brenin and Nant yr Arian are so much more than just MTB centres, they were purposely developed that way.  NYA has the Red Kite breeding/feeding/protection scheme that has been a roaring success and CYB has morphed into an Events Hub and Community space.  A lot of this was possible due to EU funding, both for the setup costs and the expansion in recent years.  Both the Pump Track at NYA and the new bike shop and open space above only happened thanks to EU Objective 1 and 2 funding.  These were promised to be matched by Johnson and Co upon us leaving but it never happened, hence the big shortfalls now occurring.

I don’t have any answers about how both centres can survive in their current guises but whatever happens they need to continue in some capacity that supports the local economies, whether that’s on a monetary level or just as places for exercise and relaxation.  Neither have the capacity to become something like the centre at FOD though, they just don’t have the population density around them to make it work.  Pedalabikeaway really does thrive on locals using it regularly through the week and on the late evenings they do, the weekend traffic is more of a bonus (although a stressful one!).  If they expanded to cater for the weekend footfall comfortably then they would end up facing the high running costs that NYA and CYB have too.  FOD is able to sustain a massive offering running from former railway loops to uplifted DH tracks, multiple walking trails and even a Heritage Railway due to it’s location.  North Wales just doesn’t have all of that in such a small area, it’s all spread out separated by a patchwork road network.  The comments above about ‘Knowing the phe price of everything but the value of nothing’ really does ring true in the current situation NRW find themselves in.

It’s only the main car park that is closed at night and that’s only if they remember!  As marksnook says, the rest is open 24/7 as to close it off they would have to close access to the Highways site too.  Have done many a night ride parked there and usually not the only nutter doing so!  The parking machine up by the  uplift point is/was cash only but the other machines are on all the time so you can walk to those if you pay by card (press the green button to wake it up).

Parts of my family are a delight to be with, others are a complete nightmare.  Sadly it’s rather hard to keep the two groups separate so even seeing the ones I like can be a burden.  If not could keep my family interactions to just my mum and my sister (plus her little family) it would make things a lot more pleasant!

Just north of Cardiff:

A very old-world style of printers, ancient machines with old inks all over them.

Happier than I have in a while, looking forward to a sense of stability in our government and (for the first time in a decade) a sense that the country is going to start improving sometime soon.

The last 24 hours have been a game-changer!

Still a regular listen for me on long night drives, takes me back to my youth without fail.

Pretty happy with the results so far, especially JRM losing.  Worried about the rise of Reform and Farage though.

Dare we start to dream of better times in the not too distant future?  It’s going to take a lot to undo the damage of the last 14 years but we have to start somewhere.

Dare to hope.

Voted after work, the polling booth is in the local Tesco so hard to tell how busy it is!  They did say they’d had a good turnout so far and we’re waiting on the rush after 5pm.  About to go to bed so I can be up around 3am to watch the results unfold.