Nice idea and portable.Thank you.

Guess i need to choose the lights now!

I had some Metal Holbrook with every technology they have, bar X rays. Did excellent service for 3 years and over warranty. I enquired if I could purchase some new lenses to fit.

They asked for some photos, said these qualify for a replacement and sent me a new pair. I wonder if the right to repair law meant as they did not have the lenses in stock, they had to send out a new pair.

Perhaps it’s how one asks as well?

Thanks once again for your replies and advice.

The Gods must have been reading the forums as I found some Spesh 29x 2.35 Ground Control 2Bliss Ready T5’s at £16.99,  a £5 voucher and free delivery; good deals are still out there kids!

Thanks everyone for the ‘Fast’ replies. I rode the Maxxi’s in dry conditions a couple of years ago in NZ, on some pretty hairy routes; Fisher Track, Old Coach Road, Riverhead we were going to do the 42 Traverse but it was washed out. They did very well and have no punctures with tubeless set ups.

The Spesh range does look good, how they can keep prices lower than everyone else is good, how tyres are approaching £50 each is unfeasible.

Looks like it, I did think about getting the molegrips out, but thought better of it.

Cheers everyone so far, hopefully it will work with the Park Tool which is a great bit of kit.
Is this smaller size the standard or will they go back up again?

Both Butane tillydog, sorry

https://www.homebase.co.uk/flogas-butane-gas-cylinder-13kg/12883572.html

https://www.diy.com/departments/calor-butane-gas-cylinder-refill-only-15kg/107585_BQ.prd

I am off to dig out the sheddio, or scrape off the skylights so I can get some light in, a minor design fault in snow!

I was in Homebase today and they seem not to charge for the bottle, it was just a flat price. They were out of stock. I got Calorgas in B&Q for £49.99 opposed to the local camping store which was £53. Morrisons alst year was £50 plus.

Cheers everyone. The first part seemed so easy!

Cheers I meant the brake lever.
I am not confident about bleeding brakes, though.

Is she going to a Further Education college? At my one, we have tons of laptops and desktops for students, you are never more than 6ft from one. There is a strong desire to develop digital skills, so the kit is there. Laptops can be loaned out. All part of the aim to reduce digital poverty etc.

Most college provide college emails linked to Office 365, so students can access it via a web browser on any machine including personal ones or in case of Mac’s download the programmes, not sure about pc’s. So no need to buy Word etc. Stuff is stored on the One Drive.

You cant go wrong with a Dell, its what we have and can survive a kid using them. You may be able to get educational discount. Other than that iPads are quite reasonable now and they could blend that with using College machines for doing coursework

Agree with the bike and kit cleaning; having taken my bike there several times in the last 25 years. They are very welcoming if you are understanding of their position.

My wife and daughter are in NZ at the moment, the MIQ are a military operation and expect a rigour not found here in all aspects. The flight out had 15 people on it via Singapore, they stayed on the plane all the time. Hotels are varied, but run very well.

Have you had both vaccines? Take proof with you if so.

Thanks for the replies; helpful!

Its being really unsual going outside in daylight, not at the start or end of the day.

It wil come right. When it snowed we asked all our students to go out for a walk and photograph something and shwo it on Teams, other times we ended the session early and told them to go outside and look at the world.

Online teaching, the sooner its stopped the better!

Thanks everyone, it seems like it may help me carry beer back from the shop then do some lifting in the garden?

I was wrecked today after two 12 mile rides in two days; sleeping and teaching online in the same room for 10 weeks is clearly bad for me. This is from someone who in their 20,30,40’s rode regualrly to work; afer art college I did 3 years picking in a warehouse then 23 years and counting my feet teaching.

Any tips on a good recovery drink; I like SIS, but maybe time for homemade stuff?

Thanks for the replies, the Inbred is a 29 er, I have a Scandal 26 which now has drop bars on it.

Once the Inbred gets going it rolls really fast, but does feel a bit dead. It has non butted tubes, so it is stuff. I want something light and a bit of spring to it.

I like the look of the Ritchey frames as well.

Cheers, Are all Cateye brackets the same? Any way I could lash something up?

Well it came,kind of baselayer and very thin fleece type thing, very good construction, not tried it out on the bike yet.
Really warm, long back over my arse, great thumb hooks. Brand new for £24 what could possibly go wrong?

Thanks all, worth a go though, Can’t be any sweaty than a ProViz jacket

Anyone actually heard of them?

Cheers, I’ll start with contacting Calor first, I would like it thoroughly checked over, or its a new one

Our rescued Jack Russell, Trigger had them and still can get them, or something similar. In his case its an auto immune issue and we treated him with steroids ( what a combination). We had to make the decision if they got worse that would be it, we did and do not have the money for it, having fluffed up insurance, going for a cheap option

The vet said, you can do all the tests you want, spend thousands and never really get to the end of it, in Triggers case he had only seen it twice in his career.

Anyhow they have receded over the years, hes 11 now and still as fit as a fiddle.
Here he is on a riding walk after 4 miles

https://vimeo.com/user12784146

Thanks everyone for your replies, it does sound good.
My issue is that we have a council house, which is really good, so that limits our moving choices. Buying or renting are our options, which is a big risk.

I guess the application process will sort that out. Its at the University, so that probably means someone is lined up for the job already…

The residents are cleaner than clean. The sound was similar to gunfire, I honestly thought someone had been shot, ie the a nasty neighbour. I was the first 999 call, then others were made after so my number got pushed own the list, so when I followed up they had to search.

Thanks everyone for the advice, going to have a go later.

Mums pretty tough and got lots to do; she brought a mountain bike in the 1995 and has ridden most of the Camino de Santiago on it. She only stopped riding 7 years ago as she went blind in one eye, she still game for it though.

Cheers everyone, any thoughts on tyres? a normal slick?

Cheers everyone so far, I have a great view from the garden. So weather permitting I will be outside. I’ll build a block from wood when I get it.

Do you have to have a smart trainer to use Zwift etc?
Any links to a training programme I can write down, print out, put on an iPad?

For those in education, Adobe have allowed access at home for students who use CC at school, college and university. The institution has to request it, then it should be okay. You can run it on a few machines in the house, including mobiles and tablets

Not sure if Mums and Dads are allowed to use it :) It will run out in provisionally May/June, but who knows!

I am using Teams on an iMac with Chrome and no problems at all, it is the latest one. I am lecturer so am uploading, moving stuff around. Could it be a privacy setting in the browser or in system preferences?

Do you not have trouble with fountain pen ink bleeding through with moleskins?

I use the sketchbook version,which has really good paper and takes a good kicking; I know what you mean though.

I teach and have used a Lamy pen for years, the students love it; teaching art we write lots of notes and feedback. Some staff use computers and cut and paste generic crap.

I use different coloured ink, red at the moment and its great when the new colour mixes with what’s in the nib.

Moleskines, thats another thread, always one on the go and I had an exhibition where I photocopied each page and hung them up; link below

http://schambers.co.uk/sketchbooks

http://schambers.co.uk/shows-and-exhibitions

Any ideas?

Tillydog, thanks for the advice. Water is great, but sometimes something else is needed. I only put water in my camelbak

On the said occasion I had been dropped off after 5 days riding in Ohakune, to ride to Te Aroha to ride to my overnight stay, I had rolled up camelbak to save space and just had the bottle never again….

True, but NZ is very very expensive now.
I do like a drop of Lion Red for old times sake

I have ridden in NZ over the last 25 years, amazing rides, great pies at local shop, shit beer, good wine, great water

Short bursts controlled by voice, don’t wear on your helmet; Michael Schumaker did that.

Thanks everyone,including the just water brigade!
We can all agree that lagerzade/beerozade is the ultimate one.

I am looking for homemade, for cheapness,but also for knocking up in a corner shop/ middle of nowhere for when I do the NZ ride, on another thread.

I have done two rides in NZ where I have been caught out for various reasons thinking a diary/corner shop was near; one was riding 20 miles on 500 ml of water and a gel; another not really getting the true meaning of a trail called Stoney Batter combined with a hangover

For those who don’t know it’s riding the length of New Zealand ideally in 30 days

Thanks everyone so far, water is lovely, I drink 3 litres a day to offset … anyhow thats enough about beer!

I remember when I started to teaching, a key advice was to keep drinking water as you spoke all day long and moved around. I have spent 23 years shouting for a living and my vocal cords are a bit knackered.

I only drink water on a ride, but want a good prep and post ride hydration regime and homemade stuff is always the best.

Can we have some serious recipies?

I fell asleep on a bike going to work for a 6 am start.

Also I have not learnt to drive at 51.

Thanks everyone,
I am going to try out one of these

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/products/gauges/351-smartgauge-d2

Will let you know!