Cheap Brother laser. So much better than the Canon Inkjet one I had before. It’s mono, but was only £70 after cashback (£90 from John Lewis, cashback landed in my account directly from Brother a week later). They do a toner subscription but the numbers didn’t stack up for my infrequent use. Can’t fault it.  Good reviews. Initial set up was easy. Easy to print from laptop, phone, tablet via WiFi. It just works.

I’d take a wild guess the OP is with Virgin Media. I’ve got 200+meg VM. Every other alternative is about 4mbps. I always haggle but don’t get it near new customer levels. I can see the OP’s point tbf.

I bought an old a Mini that came with refurbed 17″ split rim alloys on it, secured with 4 locking wheel nuts… per wheel… Why??!!

The key snapped 3 bolts in when I was trying to swap the wheels round. Had to get the local garage to swap them all out for me for standard ones.

There’s a reason so my many taxi drivers have them…

My dad just got the CHR with the same engine/drivetrain. It’s a bit reverse TARDIS and not the quickest, but seems really well specced/made and is very economical.

Converted campervan (not VW). Insurance renewal quote came through and went down £70 so I have just left it to auto renew 🤯🤷

I was expecting a ~50% increase!

Keep an eye on HUKD for Lux Protein Flapjacks, they appear fairly regularly with a discount code. I’ve paid £13 for 24 bars delivered quite a few times. They are full of sweetener (Stevia) rather than sugar though, so maybe not what you’re after. They taste a bit meh, so the temptation to snack on them isn’t great (unless you microwave them for 15 second, then they’re actually pretty good). They’re not suitable for vegetarians either if that’s an issue.

👆Just noticed this. I wanted to looked to see where my order is, but there’s no way to look at the tracking now🙄

I love my Anker Soundcore P3i

Paid £35 so wasn’t expecting too much. The ANC is great, good sound quality and very comfy/secure. They do bud type ones too.  I’ve had them 6 months and would replace with identical ones tomorrow if I lost them.

Just looked -Currently £50 on Amazon but £35 direct from Anker

Try a local carpet place (unless you’re totally set on that carpet). The one I used doesn’t charge for all the extras (grippers etc.) and the carpet fitters they arrange are paid directly. The cost seems so low I’d never consider fitting one myself.

I’d never go to a chain place.

I’ve got a rebadged version of the Expert converted for camper van duties. I’ve got proper all season van tyres on mine, Falken Euro Allseasons. Came recommended, been good in the 2 years since I had them fitted.

Just looked – 103 rated

 she started it in the mid-70s and did not retire until 2016 aged 72

😳

Would a Paramo jacket be warm enough? They’re roughly like a normal waterproof plus a microfleece. Too warm for MTBing unless it’s literally freezing

This isn’t a bad call. I had a Paramo Aspira jacket (bought cheap off Sports Pursuits). It was far too warm for summer or mild Autumn/Spring. It was a great jacket but ultimately didn’t quite fit right so I sold it on Vinted. I’d definitely have another (in the correct size next time).  Might be worth looking here depending on budget https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/paramoseconds

I’m not sure why anyone would ever buy a conservatory… Proper extension or don’t bother IMHO. Anyway…

I probably get a quote for the tiles, though I can see it being prohibitively expensive. I might look at some of the alternatives above.  It doesn’t help that the previous owner removed the door between the dining room and the conservatory, so it acts like a heat sink in the winter. 

The Vitus gravel bike I got from Wiggle was great VFM, it would be a shame if they went under.

Last month I almost pulled the trigger on a Vitus eMTB that was down to £2300 from £3300, all OOS now.   Can’t decide whether I missed out or dodged a bullet. 

As above. Wind and ANC headphones don’t mix.

I have some Aftershokz bone conducting headphones, mainly bought for running but have used them for cycling. It’s a weird sensation at first, like listening to a radio no one else can hear. They won’t block out the wind but they might offer some distraction whilst still enabling you hear cars approaching

Soundcore by Anker are very good.

Q20 or Q30

This^

I bought my son some Soundcore Q30s for his birthday. I was/am really impressed.  My headphones are Bose QC35s, which are obviously better, but were also an order of magnitude more expensive. The Q30s were £54 and an absolute bargain IMHO. The ANC exceeded my expectations and was way better than my old Sony ANC headphones.

On the back of that I got some cheap in ear Soundcore P3i (£35) NC bud type for when I don’t want to carry the Bose. I’m also really impressed with them.

It’s worth keeping and eye out for any clearance sales of previous generation Joysticks. Mine cost me £80 and was only 50 lumen down on the most recent version.

Hopefully not a case of the old ‘Chinese’ lumen.

I just searched my emails, my old Solar Storm was ‘6600 lumen’ apparently, yet isn’t a patch on the Halfords light (It was only £20 though). What’s laughable now is if you search ‘Solar Storm Bike light’ the new ones are claiming to be 20,000 lumen😂. Though that might be measure of the brightness when the battery pack explodes during charging (there’s a reason I only ever charged mine in the garage…)

For that money I’d be going with a moon meteor storm pro. Solid bit of kit. Same replaceable batteries. Comes with a handlebar mounted remote to change lighting mode

I don’t regret my purchase (just!), but that does look pretty good tbf. The beam looks narrower, but the remote is a definite bonus.  I’m amazed what £50-60 will get you now from actual brands (as opposed to exaggerated  lumen generic lights powered by repackaged old laptop batteries). But I still remember the days of massive waterbottle shaped batteries and 10w halogen bulbs…

Condenser, especially when the temperature drops. At least the waste heat stays in the house rather than warming up outside.

In winter I put mine on delay so it warms the kitchen in time for getting up. I’ll still replace it with a heat pump one when it dies though (which it probably will soon because it’s a Hotpoint)

Admiral have a tick box for campervan conversion. Though with their price rises this year they were almost the same as Brentacre for my DIY campervan.  I’ll probably swap back next year

Thought I’d give some feedback on the Halfords light in case anyone else was looking to buy as I bought the unit and spare batteries.

The batteries are a bit odd as both terminals are at one end, so you can’t just use some cells you have laying around.

There loads of brackets which come in the box, I used the bolt-on bracket and had no issues with light becoming loose or moving.

I was really impressed with the spread and throw of the light. I didn’t need the spare batteries during my ride as it was nowhere near empty (but I was switching through the modes) .

The only negative I found is to cycle through the modes it goes from full , then through 3 flashing modes until you get back to lowest setting. There’s 5 constant brightness setting. So having to cycle through them all is a PITA when off-road and transition from fast downhill to climbing. The display also has a battery indication on it, which is useful, but it would be better if also showed you which mode you’re in too as a few times I wasn’t sure if I was in 4 or 5 and ended up going through all the settings just to get back to the brightest for a fast downhill. Think I’ll just leave it on full next time and swap the batteries if necessary.

TL:DR For the price it’s great. I’d definitely recommend

Thanks @squirrelking , that’s very useful. I’m going to order. The long charge time isn’t a concern and it’s USB anyway so way more convenient (and at least I’ll dare charge them in the house, unlike my old cheap lights that stay firmly in the garage💥🙈)

I’ve got the 1800 and have used it with the screw on mount without any issues. It is a heavy light and if you are just using flashes I would probably get a cheaper one. It takes a bloody age to charge. it is not my prefered light

How does it perform off-road? (In terms of light spread).

The 1800 has replacement cell(s) option too

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-lights/halfords-adv-1800lm-spare-batteries-747798.html

I had one and returned it (after also having 1600lumen previous model). The quarter turn mount is not strong enough, so the light fell off a few times, especially if upside down on a go pro mount. Also it was impossible to buy the correct batteries for it. Halfords didn’t sell them and you literally couldn’t get them anywhere; I can’t remember exact problem but something about +ve/-ve positions.

The spare battery seem to be in stock and available for £15 now. The falling off bit is a concern though (but mine wouldn’t be mounted upside down)

if you add together what you’d spent on these could you have just bought one good light that lasts?

Yeah thanks for that, I’ll just jump in my time machine and buy something else instead…

In all seriousness. One was bought many many years ago when the first P7 lights came out. The other were cheap T6 based lights where it was cheaper to buy them getting spare battery packs or lost chargers ( ~£20). So we’re not talking anywhere near Exposure cost outlay. They still all work, but I find the separate battery pack and wires a total faff.

I bought a 2014 CRV when it was 3 years old. The ex still has it. Utterly reliable, comfy, decent spec, massive boot and was pretty economical considering it was 2 litre NA petrol and AWD. It is boring but I’d have another

I found the Vandemoniun channel on YouTube really helpful.
Here’s the link to the insulation bit Linky
There was another video I used for insulation too, l have a look later. Just be careful if you use the self adhesive metal spike things to attach the foam panels, they’re great but it’s a perfect way to give yourself a lobotomy if you stand up in the wrong place during fitting 😂
I got everything from DIY shops where possible, but did buy the carpet and adhesive from a specialist place.

YouTube is your friend. Don’t underestimate the time and cost to properly insulate it. I I went for noise deadening rubber self adhesive mats (no idea if they were worth it, tbh), 50mm kingspan, vapor barrier (that aluminium bubble wrap stuff), then ply and then 4 way stretch carpet. Where the kingspan wouldn’t fit it has the recycled plastic insulation (like non-itchy rockwool)
I did pay to join that self build camper van forum, but never really used it.
I’ll dig out some links later.
I still have some of the insulation left

Worth keeping an eye on Amazon. I got my Gore-tex MOAB mid boots for £65 not too long ago.  The prices fluctuate worse than the stock market, so worth a🐪 🐪🐪 reminder of anyone is not in a rush. They’re super comfy and easily pass the wet grass test on the dog walk. I don’t expect them to last as long as my old Berghaus Explorers, but they’re way nicer to wear so I can live with that for price.

but the conclusion i have come to is Out of the Box comfort comes at the cost of durability/life.

EDIT: Same experience I had with some of their non – Gore-tex walking shoes. The sole wore away and they fell to bits. They also weren’t waterproof. They were pretty cheap and very comfy though.

Thanks @Futureboy77. I’ve messaged him. I like the watch so if that’s the ballpark price I’d go for it.
Then I get to choose a new strap…

have a Seiko Prospex with a knackered 4R35B movement. It’s a Japan made watch, but I can only assume the QC was a bit off as there is dust/lume under the glass. The watch was pretty cheap grey import from Creation (which may explain the previous sentence). Seiko prices have shot up since I got it, so I’m considering whether it’s worth bringing it back to life and swapping the strap. I CBA (and would probably mess up) replacing the movement myself . I’d also want the watch face cleaning and if possible a new glass (upgraded to sapphire if poss). Any idea on if this is possible and where/how much?

I’ve got a L road bike in the classifieds. Recommended ride height is 5’11” to 6’2″ (I’m 6’1″ and it’s fine).
It’s over budget but I’d let it go for £150 if you were able to collect.
/Stealth add

EDIT:
The add on STW might have expired. So if interested
Gumtree Link

I think the issue I’ve found is that the ‘trail’ shoes I’ve used are barely any better than road shoes in wet mud, no different on grass/dried mud, and obviously worse on the road. I’m not bothered about lugs wearing down quickly, I won’t be doing big miles (or running quickly). I would like some cushioning though, which I guess probably discounts proper fell running shoes (I also won’t be doing anything akin to fell running in them). The More Mile Cheviots I had were amazing in mud, but awful everywhere else due to having zero cushioning. They were also far too narrow, which probably rules out Salomon based on experience.
I’ll have a look at some of the other recommendations above though👍.

I got the ‘your price is increasing by £7/month from 1 May’ email a while ago, with today as the last day to cancel without cancellation fees.

If you’re not sure whether you can be bothered to do anything, when I did it just now there was an automated phoneline option to get a £3.50/month discount with no increase in contract length. Just had to phone 03454541111 and select the ‘thinking of leaving us’ options to get offered that

Thanks for this👍. I literally just did the same thing. Took 2 minutes and now paying £3.50/ month less then I would have been paying for the next 6 months of my contract. Unfortunately where I live the option is either 120+mb Virgin or 4mb super slow. There’s nothing in between, so I’m stuck with Virgin – at least until the Non-Virgin super super fast system gets rolled out (if ever).

Seller is in the wrong, but move on (neg feedback if you CBA). It doesn’t help that eBay charges a fortune for adding a reserve price. I’m selling a keyboard at the moment and just put the starting bid at what would have been the reserve price (remains to be seen if this puts people off) – surprisingly it seems to be free listing.

It’s a shame Vinted doesn’t expand into other markets. Compared to eBay/Gumtree/FB it’s a breath of fresh air.

“Sorry we can’t make it, would love to arrange something with you guys soon though” – job dun.

This doesn’t fulfill the jokey remit, but is probably the best suggestion.

I joined as a digital member yesterday. Mainly as I thought I’d give the rest of website a bit of a go (I’ve been Forum user only since 2009) and to give something back after making a few £100 on the classifieds last year and am about to list a couple of bikes. I’m still seeing adverts and showing as a ‘free member’ though. Does the membership have to wait until office hours to be manually updated?

[Mod] we seem to be having a few glitches unfortunately but we can certainly check for you tomorrow. Apologies for the inconvenience.

My Strava Premium is free with my Gympass membership. Be interesting to see if it’s still included after the price hike (personally I wouldn’t pay for it, I’d just use Garmin Connect more)