We had an eagle of some description in the garden, eating a goose the other day. Well, that’s what I told the kids anyway.

The woman next door who knows about these things reckons it was a sparrowhawk with a pidgeon, but I think I know best.

Mugboo – you’ll be right with anything around £400. You’d be amazed just how good a BMX you get for that money these days.

As we walked past the fancy tap shop next to the post office yesterday I commented to my youngest on the ‘size of that CD rack’ (it was one of those funny towel warming things, which looked like a giant wire CD rack) she replied ‘Don’t be silly it’s for records’.

So apparently my ten year old knows what vinyl is, even though I don’t have any.

Hi-Ten frames opposed to cro-mo means lots of wall thickness needed for strength, ergo lots of weight on any cheap bike. It was the same bitd, but you were rarely exposed to high end street/ramp bikes then as everyone just made do. These days race bikes are still very light, high geared, similar to what they used to be. Street/jump/ramp bikes have evolved into quite similar machines, but as the riders progress the bikes need to be able to take more abuse so they get stronger and either more expensive or heavier. Flatland is slightly different, but the bikes more or less look the same and no one can do it anyway.

I know a guy with at least two pairs of those. Perhaps I should tell hm…

We stopped dealing with them because the Taiwanese were dragging their feet over warranty replacements, not because they broke more or less than anything else really.

I agree – if it didn’t have long chainstays it would be perfect.

They go down to 445mm, what do you consider to be not long Matt?

£499 frame only or an extra few quid for a matching rigid fork. Just about the nicest 29er I’ve ever come across that isn’t custom.

Not due for a while yet – the new Vaya is lovely though, are you sure you need all the Fargo offers?

As a guitarist he’s ok. He did wear a top hat though and that makes him great in my book.

If I could I’d wear a top hat and drive a Morgan and smoke a pipe and wear a quilted jacket at all times. Oh and a monocle.

I love the smell of creosote. Send ’em to me.

A full can of petrol back from the filling station to my car which had run out on the A56, 5 litres is bloody heavy in one hand for about 6 miles.

Saw a guy riding through Northwich yesterday carrying a Dyson up a hill on his road bike.

Cut the rope, Shazzam, Star Walk, TV Guide all fun and useful things.

Head tube needs facing. It’s just a lot more obvious with a King than most other headsets.

Unless your steerer is bent, but that’s very unlikely.

Both pairs sold – thanks Valleydaddy and JonT. Long may people with tiny feet and people with giant boats roam the earth!

We’ve got a couple of odd pairs left if they’re any use to anyone. Shimano Goretex SH MT90 in a size 42 and a pair of Specialized Waterproof Defrosters in a 46.

£60 Shimano and £50 for the Speccies.

Mail me if you likey.

It’s a marmite film. Oh, and definitely better if you’re drunk.

Someone period’d on my leg!

Nope. Plus they’re out of stock and discontinued due to the impending arrival of the >x<.

Jen Green.

Took my youngest for a few miles locally, she did an awesome over the bars and lie under your bike laughing about half way round. Apparently, she just puilled the front brake a bit hard!

No harm done though.

You’ve got your half link chain on backwards too…

Tim.

Older Middleburn rings were 1/8″, so try an old chain first, before shelling out for a new one.

Tim.

Chains don’t actually stretch, they do wear over time, but after the initial settling of a brand new chain, they’ll not make a significant difference.
Half link chains are all toss ime, fine for BMX’s when you’re grinding, but other than that they are a big old pile of ****. Just use a decent 8spd chain and all will be well.

EBB’s do need to be tight and if you can set it up so the BB is in between the junction of seat tube and down tube, then your weight will naturally try to make the chain tighter if the eccentric moves.

I lurk on here most days, but rarely post as everything has already been said most of the time 🙂

Tim.

Phil Wood will only work if your frame has set screws, not sure about the Fisher, but if it’s got an expandy wedge type thing then the answer is no.

Take it out, clean it up and smear a bit of grease here and there wvery now and again – they’re all much of a muchness.

Tim.

cynic-al – Member
Uh OK conventional ones are crap IME etc YMMV WTF OMG

I’d agree with you there. Plus Jones forks (and bikes) mostly look toss.

That bike up there is what’s great about bikes – perfect for the guy who owns it, 101 kinds of wrong for everyone else.

Long may it continue.

cynic-al – Member

takisawa2 – Member
I would have gone for a Ti fork also, if such a thing exists.

You’ve presumably never ridden one, they are crap.

I think Jeff Jones would disagree with you there.

In a restaurant owned or run by some french guys near Appletreewick. It was fabulous, but well over ten years ago…

I know of one. My wife is trying to convince me that we need it, but the last thing I need is another chuffing dog. Send me a mail (address in profile, probably) and I’ll see if she’ll give me the details.

Tim.

Bait it with peanut butter and if you go for a live trap, you need to decide what to do with 'it' once in there. If it's a squirrel and you want to let it go, it will go apeshit on you – wear a fencing mask if possible and the biggest thickest gloves you can find. Ideally, just drown it if you have no gun.

Oh, and make sure the bait is central and in a container – they'll eat it from outside and can easily empty a little nipper witout setting it off – persevere and don't handle a trap witout gloves your scent will make them wary.

I've had good success with live traps and Little Nippers. Poison means they go off in search of water to die, but the possibility of one rotting in a cavity is not something I'd like to deal with.

Bait the traps, but don't set them – let them get usesd to a new thing that provides food, before you trap them. Wear gloves to bait and set, leave them for at least three days before checking/re-setting.

Where there's one rat, there's more, so even after you catch one, keep up the routine.

Get it re-located properly and do what the physio tells you. Turbo for about a month, then road rides for a few more weeks if it goes well.

I dislocated mine years ago and it was not re-set properly, now it can't go back in without surgery, but it does pretty much everything I need it to.

My guess is a sniper took out the lock mechanism with a CheyTac Intervention M100. Are the Sons of Glendower on the rise again?

Seriously though, get the whole bike checked over properly – that's a much bigger impact than any part of it has been designed to cope with.

Loads of them if you start to look. Go for something hybridesque, avoid suspension forks (wibbly and heavy) and look at the tyre sizes – there's lots of flat bar road bikes with 25/28c tyres that are great on the road but a real handful off it. Look for a 32c plus for comfort and you'll be right.

Thats to suit old XTR.

How small are you? I'm selling my IF Planet X – it's a steel one and bloody lovely, but I'm skint and hardly ever ride it. You're welcome to come and take it for a spin sometime if you want to see what one feels like.

http://www.sidewayscycles.co.uk/i/00/10/81.jpg

Tim.

We had a marquee in the garden with caterers. All in cost was about £2000. It was 20 years ago though, but I wouldn't do it any differently today.

Who won the IF Courier bag that we chucked in and what did they win it for? Nothing performance related I hope 🙂

Be honest – the whole meeting is a big waste of time anyway isn't it? You could all just have a conference call from your own offices and get the same stuff done. Just go and have a nice drive and a couple of nights away – it'll be great.

Petrol?

Most four prong tools will fit, but check 'em first before you buy one. Also a good tip is to remove the lockring from the freewheel as it allows the (non White Industries) tools to sit further in the slots of the freewheel.

As for the cost of the White Industries tool – yes it's bonkers, but once you see how they fit is makes sense. $40 (when you add on the Duty and VAT) is actually the same price as they are in the UK.