Thanks all for the help. Have gone with a set of the Bird black forks that I’ve been offered

Have dropped you a pm

Yes I’m taking sag into account.Current forks are 537.5mm axle to crown and 130mm travel, so 25% of that is 32.5mm giving me an ideal rigid axle to crown of 505mm.

Doesn’t seem to be much out there as most bikes that have a rigid fork option appear to have a longer head tube to account for a shorter rigid fork.

Was just hoping there was something that wasn’t eye wateringly expensive to have a play about with.

Can’t seem to find the Bird forks on their website, all links go to an Oops page, so guessing they don’t do them anymore?

Krampus/Karate Monkey forks are listed a 483mm so unless there’s a version I haven’t seen I think they’ll be too short.

As others have already said, a double glazed unit with differing thickness laminated glass panes to the outer and inner leaf will provide the best performance. To get the absolute best, use acoustic interlayers in the laminate, a larger than normal unit cavity (24mm rather than 16mm) and if you want to go all out, differing glass ply thicknesses in each laminate.

However, above a certain value, the loss through the window frame itself reduces the overall performance so you need to match a high acoustic performance glass to a high performance frame and also need to consider the interface around the frame. As above, a decent sealing detail around the frame will also help.

Of course then you’ll be told you need trickle vents in the window and it’ll all be for nothing as they’ll let the noise in 🙂 Then you’ll start looking at acoustic trickle vents 🙂

You could do worse than look at a timber composite window system as the mass of the timber frames tends to mean the frame losses are reasonable, pick a double laminate glazing unit, ideally with different pane thickness inside and out, and ensure they’re fitted with an external seal, internal membrane and something in-between (foam or dense mineral wool). Probably the best mid to upper range option before spending silly money.

Think the idea is that Red Bull put a load of development into the engine. Porsche/Audi/VAG provides cash and technological assistance but doesn’t initially have to go all in with manufacturing and personnel etc. Then in 4 years time they have a well funded engine manufacturing facility with 4 years of experience that is bought by or becomes a VAG facility for their full engine supply programme. The Honda IP is diluted or disappears in this time.

The other thing to factor in about the safety car and Mercs decision making was that only a week before they double stacked both cars under the SC, lost track position and then the race was red flagged giving Max a free tyre change and track position. I imagine they may have thought that if there would be anymore racing then there was a possibility it’d be a red flag and reset tyres type of event rather than a completely unknown break the rules and let them race for one lap type mess.

But I’m with you on making every effort to work it up the FIA

Posted 4 minutes ago

I assume in reality at some point in the regulations it will clarify that the term ‘the championship’ means ‘the F1 championship’ but as I say, ignoring everything else in the regs, as the FIA/stewards/race director have in their interpretation, then we have ‘the’ meaning ‘any’ championship, and applying further knowledge we have gained, we also know that ‘any’ doesn’t mean ‘all’. Confusing myself now 🙂

Article 6.6 of F1’s Sporting Regulations states: “The drivers finishing first, second and third in the Championship must be present at the annual FIA Prize Giving ceremony.”

Doesn’t say which Championship though 🙂 ‘The’ Championship could be any if you fail to apply any context to any previous statements, clauses, or decide to interpret the rules in a different manner to previously or consider the conduct of the past 50 previous iterations of the same event 🙂 Easy get out I would think, and I assume Merc would just say it’s a ‘misunderstanding’ by the FIA.

I think that most of us would be understandably aggrieved if we were following the rules, had previously been penalised for infraction of said rules, only for the rules to be broken/ignored/reinterpreted to engineer a different result to the one that was about to happen. I think that Mercedes and LH have every right to not be happy about the result in the same way I’m sure Red Bull would have been had the tables been reversed. If Masi had wanted to provide the spectators with a ‘motor race’ then it should have been a red flag, tyre changes for everyone and maybe 4-5 laps of racing. A one lap sprint finish with one car on old hard tyres and the other on brand new softs is not much of a race, more an inevitability.

If there’s rules then you need to stick to them. Simple as. People base their strategy and decisions on the rules. Red Bull had nothing to loose so their decisions were easy, just do the opposite of Merc and hope.

As for the ‘reinterpretation’ of what the rules say or intend to mean, where does that leave us now? 10 teams looking at all the previously accepted rules to see how they might reinterpret the meaning as it appears that their application for the past 20 years in a consistent manner means nothing.

I know this is actually what they all do in anyway, but now that the word ‘any’ can mean; any, all, some, none what leeway does that afford on any other rule or reg). ‘You can’t have any additional engines’ now could be interpreted that you can have some, as long as it’s not ‘all’ the additional ones you want 🙂

Wonder what algorithm the teams will use to factor random rule changes into their pit strategies next year.

I believe there is already a strategic tool for predicting such events

I don’t understand how a sport which applies the rules where an 0.2mm increase at one end of the rear wing DRS slot disqualifies someone from qualifying but then changes the rules on the fly to make a spectacle.

I’ve seen this before….playing games with my 4 year old daughter where the rules of the game are changed to suit if she was losing 🙂

Up until the ruling just now on the passing under SC I would have bet that MV would get a 5 second penalty for that but the stewards would relook into LH earlier move and apply a retrospective 5 second penalty for that too.

Team Principle of Mercedes would be big shoes to fill. Who could they hire to do that?!?

Nico seems to have an awful lot to say now he’s no longer having to prove himself on track. Maybe he could manage the team by live tweeting his input ?!

I’m pretty sure they will keep Grosjean. He gets on a lot better with the team and is well liked in the paddock generally.

I’m sure they love his dangerous weaving (but it was ok because it was less dangerous on a straight rather than a braking zone as self commentated by him at Monza), crashing into the barrier under the safety car and blaming someone for ramming him, or possibly his cat like reactions of flooring the throttle in the middle of the track during a spin to recreate a Days of Thunder scenario……

My kids moan less than him, give someone else a chance (although Gunther would have less to moan about)

I’ve got a Xiaomi Mi 9 for sale in the classifieds. It’s a bit smaller than the 2 you have mentioned and is a great phone. Much higher specs with a full HD screen (the A5 and A9 only have 720p screens and don’t appear to be upgradable to Android 10)

There do seem to be a decent number of E class saloons around, but all start at a reasonable mileage (circa 70k and up). I know that it used to be that a 100k car was towards the end of it’s life, but is that still the case these days?

Would I be a fool to buy a 10 year old car with 100k on the clock already (assuming fsh and decent condition), or does that buy me something that with regular servicing will go on for a lot longer without any big bills?

Well as an update I’ve had a chat with them and looking like 1 day a week in the office with another couple month as a compromise, so more like a 1.5 days a week average into the office. That drops the commute to 15k plus any business mileage after that.

More palatable and they’ve confirmed there’s no restrictions/stipulations on what car I can have so thinking more about something a bit older that has done a lot of depreciating and just adding miles on to it.

Days in the office would be flexible so no need to do 2 on the trot, although sometimes I would have to

They were doing the 29er bootzipper for £180 at one point

I missed that this was the commute. I would concur. That’s like 40 miles each way. Two words, second word “that.”

It’s actually 100 miles each way 2 days a week. Not sure that makes a huge distance but at least it’s not every day

It’s not ideal, but also not economical to just up sticks and move close to work every time you move jobs, particularly with a family in tow.

Can you not stick with the A3?

This is my current company car so will be going if I switch jobs

Honestly, I wouldn’t take the job. Or, if it really is a fantastic job then I’d look to move closer within a few months.

Before changing to my current job I worked somewhere that was 1.75-2hrs drive in the other direction. My current job involves a 2hr door to door commute into London a few days a week (admittedly by train) so a couple of days a week doesn’t worry me. Nature of my industry (construction).

Really something economical, safe and comfy is all I really need. Would love something fun/cool/luxury but doubt it will make much difference when sat on the motorway for a couple of hours in the rain/contraflow/middle lane 🙂 DAB radio and podcasts are what I tend to listen to so as long as it has those (or an aux in so I can connect my phone) and a comfortable seat, then that’s probably about the limit of my essentials.

I currently have an A3 saloon so am used to a small saloon and agree they aren’t the most desirable, bit it’s fine for its intended purpose of getting me about. I hadn’t considered a Jetta but will do now!

That’s basically my current thinking. I’d like something new but makes more sense to have a car that is mine and is effectively being paid for/off by the allowance.

I suddenly find myself looking at mpg figures quite carefully, and am struggling to look past a 1.6 diesel which seem to get circa 60+mpg on long runs so should be fairly economical.

Not sure it would be cheaper to move as it’d be further south so house prices would go up (ignoring the kids/wife aspect 🙂 )

I have looked at a lease and could get something reasonable, but as pointed out above am a little reticent to sign up to a large monthly outgoing just in case something doesn’t work out.

A class mercs do seem reasonable at the moment. I currently do a lot less miles but have an A3 saloon and that’s fine for long runs and better economy than my previous insignia estate.

Ermmmm, a second hand Model S is like £32k upwards?

Am i missing something? I had considered an electric car, but a lease on an e-niro is about £650/month (a lot too much). To get to and from the office is about 220 miles round trip (not every day)

I have asked about if there are any restrictions on car type/age/mileage etc. It’s a small company and one of the directors rides a motorbike so hoping that there’s no restrictions if I arrive in something that looks ‘ok’.

Have also asked about AMAP payments (is that the same as MAR?)

Do you ride with a pack? I find that even with a light pack it pulls On my shoulders. Much better with a hip pack

Those ones on Bike-components aren’t boost. It’s another £100 or so for boost versions

We have one. Noisy as hell, particularly with hard floors running throughout. Looked great in the show home and does make it nice and light, but would avoid in the next house

Problem is we don’t have any/few restrictions on movement. Just some advice from a criminal who no one trusts

Does anyone know what what is supposed to happen in 12 weeks? Our PM and senior scientific officer don’t seem to, despite telling the nation (well those of us who aren’t in the pub)

Genesis Tarn?

I had the same earlier when I listed my Kona Unit.

I selected the Bike category and got the error. Tried again and selected one of the sub categories in Bike (hardtail in my instance) and it then worked

Have tried/had Chromecast, firestick, Nvidia shield and Roku. The most ‘tv’ like experience is the Roku. Has all the catch up services as well as Netflix etc and the interface isn’t as in your face as the fire stick.

Can be had for a similar price and has a remote so doesn’t need a phone/tablet/laptop to cast from like a Chromecast.

Spotify

ITunes 2
Spotify 9

Christian Horner?

Can you get one of these for £500k?