Anyone can see the bid history, that’s fine.

Report him as a non-paying buyer and offer it to the next highest bidder as a second chance offer.

I’ve never heard a Sonos work for more than 20 mins without someone having to faff with it or constantly fiddling with a tablet to change some pointless setting.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=380745314975

Stupid cheap on eBay!

I love those headsets as you can get them dirt cheap on eBay and are really nice quality.

If you want to make fitting easier just use a hacksaw on the crown race to make it into a split one. Done it loads of times with no problems – as its a sealed bearing that sits on the top and there is another alloy bit as well it doesn’t make any difference if it’s split.

Oh the irony of someone asking for help with a decent hi-fi and being recommended a Sonos. :-/

I’m with Cougar on this one. Leave enough room and keep your eyes open and you won’t have any problems. However I seem to be in a minority nowadays when I keep to the speed limit and leave proper stopping room. I find it amusing that people get so irate when you do this though, tailgating, weaving around looking to overtake in increasingly dangerous places as their rage increases. I do a lot of miles and I bet one of those people have been one of the STW driving gods. 😉

Sounds like nearly all of these are the result of people not reading be instructions, or being hamfisted morons.

I’ve driven loads of different cars and they all have their own character, none of them perfect, just different. The only one I drove which was a genuine problem was the Audi A3 where you had to open the armrest top to put the handbrake on. Stupid!

I always find the best thing to do is when you get a new car (or if you’re thinking of buying a new one) is sit and read the instruction manual for 30mins. There is often stuff in there which is a revelation, especially with new electronics in cars. I found that my Astra did indeed have variable intermittent wash wipe even though there was no obvious control for it, you just used the stalk in a different way.

I’ve been really impressed with the Topeak luggage recently – ok it’s not a boutique brand but it is superbly made and works brilliantly. The MTX system is great for rack packs, I’m actually going to change my Altura one which I have on a Tortec rack for a full Topeak MTX setup as it looks fantastic.

I can to the same conclusions about the fold down panniers – if you need that amount of space then get more luggage I think – I did the C2C on road with just a bar bag and rack pack so I’d prefer the extra side pockets.

Next time I’m here with the bikes im riding way more natural stuff. Ridden the trail centres a fair bit and they are good but the natural stuff is just awesome.

Be aware that the weather on 1st March may be, ahem, inclement. We are staying in Rhyd Ddu this week and woke up to this.

This cup and cone BB fixed cup was stuck in my 1992 GT Tequesta. Original BB been in for 22 years and had been sitting outside a Cash Converters in the rain for weeks.

You used a 32mm headset spanner to remove it but the contact area of the spanner was tiny.

So I got some threaded bar and loads of repAir washers of various sizes to clamp the tool onto the cup.

After soaking in penetrating fluid and using some careful leverage the CRACK came and then it was slowly wound out. Success!

The main rule with this sort of thing is patience and decent tools. If something doesn’t work don’t go bashing on it angrily, you’re only going to break/strip something. Walk away, come back the next day and try something else. Eventually you’ll figure it out.

My record of never using heat or cutting a BB out is intact!

Another friend of mine supplies stuff to garages and it was him that got the penetrating fluid. I will ask him what it was cos it wasn’t one I’d seen before.

Sandwich – Member
A disappointingly small dead blow mallet there. But then it’s not the size…..

That was all that needed in the end. Because it was hitting the end of a lever effectively then it didn’t need as much of a blow to crack the rust bond. Might have needed a bigger one nearer the BB.

I tried leverage with a locking spanner on the tool and an extension like Ton did but it didn’t work even after soaking the BB in penetrating fluid and trying some freezing spray too.

So off down to Aspley Wharf Marina in hudds to see John who owns the place and is a good friend. He’s a professional marine engineer and used to be head engineer on very big ships and luxury boats.

And he has a big vice.

Clamped the BB tool and frame into the vice

Soaked it in some better penetrating stuff which he had which foamed up into the shell. Good stuff.

Tried leverage but it still didn’t work so we broke out the dead blow hammer and some wood to turn the frame in a quick shock to break the rust seal. A few blows later and CRACK the rust seal is broken.

Out it comes and I take the BB completely out using his lovely Facom spanners :drool:

Lots of gunk in there, stained by rust with a weird hard ring of crud which came out too.

Other side to compare

Gave Ton the good news, and set about sorting the rest of the frame out.

Update for anyone interested

I never use heat or cut a BB out, just use sound engineering and physics…

The causalty:

Signs of rust – I’m guessing used grease instead of copperslip and with the Yorkshire roads water has got in and washed the grease away.

Ive got a really nice Park BB tool and a Pedros adjustable bolt which bolts the tool onto the BB so it won’t slip.

The problem you have is tensioning the headset before installing the fork.

I am building a bike for a disabled guy and I needed a very high rise stem. I’ve gone for an adjustable one – BBB HighFix – but they do creak a bit sometimes.
Have a look at Humpert stuff – they do loads of stem of all types including ahead ones – maybe something like this on top of a long steerer – http://practicalcycles.com/products/242534–humpert-high-charisma-ahead-stem-1-18-inch.aspx

Nowt to do with austerity, someone’s got a chip on their shoulder. 🙄

It’s all about knowing your market and supplying to it, which I don’t think they did any more.

What size did you get?

I can’t help thinking your height makes you more suited to a smaller wheeled bike.

To be honest I’m not surprised. They were a great shop in their previous location, bikes for all budgets, loads of stock, friendly and just a great place to visit for a browse.

The new location – what happened? It was turned into a boutique place with no lower end stuff and they turned their nose up at me when I asked for a standard £20 seatpost and some other average price stuff.

I’m sad that they’ve closed – I bought a 1992 GT with one of their dealer stickers on so they’ve been around a while, but they changed their business too much in my eyes and have possibly suffered for it.

What you really need to do is man up a little and do it properly….

The problem with delivery companies is that their is a disconnect between the problems with delivery and the company themselves. Even with Yodel a majority of deliveries get though ok.

With the problem ones the customer only really deals with the delivery company, so most times it is resolved, and as long the customer gets the goods ok the retailer never knows. Out of that small proportion there may be some that the retailer gets to know about – where goods are damaged or lost – and I assume in those cases the delivery company pays up in some way (may depend on agreement with the retailer?) and the problem is resolved.

Only a very small amount of people complain to the retailer, and is that going to make much difference when changing a delivery company would involve changing expensive contracts they are probably tied into?

I’m not defending Yodel or the retailers at all, and it does seem with companies that are offering delivery options the tide is changing, but unless we complain direct to the retailers nothing will change. Hopefully they will listen!

I’d be surprised if anyone except for the person did the initial sending of the parcel got the blame.
I work for government department and we have to do training on data security regularly which is government wide so he/she is probably just ignoring that and will get the book thrown at him. If I’d done it I would be surprised if I kept my job.

It could have been repossessed by the dealers, owner threw his toys out of the pram because of this?
Buorcracy at the previous lease company holding it up?

I have 2 friends who have both. The 8sp one has been reliable on both road and off road bikes, just wearing out eventually but not failing after at least a couple of years constant use. Very good.

The 11sp one has had 3 replacments under warranty as its so bad it’s laughable. Spectacularly unreliable off road. I wouldn’t touch one, the supplying shop had offered to change it for an 8sp or a cost deal on a competely new bike (frame designed for hub gear) as they just don’t work for very long.

None of their chainsets are in 170mm, weird.

One thing I’ll never understand is why sales people get annoyed/angry when you are dealing with them. As soon as that happens I will mention it and if they don’t apologise immediately that means I walk.

If someone can’t control their emotions when selling a 20K car then I don’t want to deal with them, obviously the sale means more to them than a satisfied customer.

14.5st and 205’s front and back. Used to go with 180 on the back but when I bought a whole new setup I thought why bother going smaller to save a few grams? I’ve had fade with 180’s so I may as well go bigger.

If you want a bike that can do a bit of everything then a CDF is a good bet BUT won’t be great at everything. I really want a touring bike so I am going for a Tour De Fer soon. It’ll be great for touring and ok for road bike use too – maybe a bit slow and long for CX though (especially when I want a kickstand!!).

Touring tends to add a bit more specialism requirement on a bike, less so than road/CX so probably best to really think exactly what you want the bike for before choosing.

This will be emptied in a landfill and all the contents crushed up by a big machine with spikey steel wheels…. ha ha.

No it won’t be. It’ll go to a specialist hazardous waste landfill and it certainly won’t be crushed up, at least not in the open air. Lots and lots of controls about this sort of thing.

I suppose if you have the frame designed correctly for you and the stem/bar combo is just right then you shouldn’t need any spacers – it probably does look the best this way – but some stem/headset manufacturers say you have to use one spacer at least.

I’m with you though, always leave the forks around 200mm to leave my options open in the future, but I do like my bars quite high anyway so it’s not a problem.

Everything I’ve got from CRC recently has been retail boxed too. I know it’s not strictly necessary but it is rather nice for a change!!

No.

But then again I don’t have to drink to have a good time so never felt the need to hang around in a pub destroying my brain cells. 😉

Sounds like the OP was happy with the licensing hours, if they are kept to then no problem. But in his case they aren’t being adhered to so it’s quite a genuine complaint.

And as far as the “it’s a recession/dry Jan/smoking ban so lay off them if they break the law they are just trying to survive” argument – are you serious? I’m a bit skint, I’ll pinch your bike and sell it, use the cash for bills, ok? You shouldn’t complain because I need the cash, just trying to keep my head above water, ok?? 🙄

Brand new Focus 1.6tdci 95bhp estate. Average MPG is exactly 50.41 since it was first on the road. Mixture of motorway and town driving (50/50) driving carefully in West Yorks. Would get more if I lived somewhere flatter!!

Bikes on a tow bar rack? I measure MPG very carefully using an iPhone app and I can’t detect any difference in using a tow bar rack at all. If there is any difference then it’s maybe 1-2mpg at most and hidden by other variables.

I once had a full Thule roof rack setup – never again for all the faff and for the plummeting MPG, it really made a huge difference.

My brother did some calculations based on real world experience of MPG with bike on and inside his Vectra estate and found that on a trip from the South up to the Scots border area (7 stanes) it would actually be cheaper at the time to post a couple of bikes there than pay for the extra fuel that was needed for them being on the roof of the car!!!! So long trips they went inside the car.

I was sort of in the same boat when I got my wife a tablet. As she has an iPhone and isn’t great with tech the iPad was a no-brainer.

I got the non-cellular one but with 64gb of memory – the 16gb seems very small and the 64gb would allow her to store presentations on it if no wi-fi. I also got the Air2 as it has the most up to date processor in it which will means it will last longer with iOS upgrades and not slow down.

Yes expensive but you get it back when you sell it to upgrade later – easily. It’s like my iPhone – bought my 3 for £100 on contract and have always sold it and subsequent iPhones for more than the new one cost me.

DON’T USE HEAT. It isn’t that effective unless you really heat it up a lot and by that time your paint is wrecked.

Ton – I work in leeds and I can do this for you. I renovate old MTB frames and have never failed to get one out yet.

I don’t mind taking it and sorting it for you for nowt.

I suppose it’s up to them what work they take on or not.

Maybe go back in another day and say less??

It’s all scripted and it’s not really about the cars anymore.

So?

This forum isn’t about cycling anymore either…. 😉

Basically the lower the emissions the lower the tax for the same list price.

However whatever tax you have to pay for the car will be a small proportion of the tax you have to pay for the fuel you’ll get for free, that’s a big taxable benefit.

I pay £32 a month tax for my Ford Focus 1.6tdci Econetic estate.