Reminds me of the fact that Sony engineers were tasked with reducing the size of the first portable transistor radios so they would fit in their uniform shirt pockets. They couldn’t quite do it so they just made their pockets a bit bigger…

I am using a company laptop so I wonder if it is a security/firewall issue…

Millstone is a small brewery near me in Mossley. They have a beer called Tiger Rut which is lovely if you ever see it locally

@ fifeandy Almost definitely 😳

@ perchypanther I’m sure the wife would vouch for that 😆

Seems I can post on my own thread though?!

25% of all the world’s hazelnuts end up in Nutella

Anyone use the Park Tool DH-1 dummy hub (or equivalent)? I like to remove the wheels when cleaning the bike for better access and this would allow me to still clean the chain on the bike. Worth spending £18 quid on or just clean the chain before removing the rear wheel? Or remove the chain and clean off the bike?

Try http://www.thistothat.com/ for all your “what glue to stick X to Y” queries

Should we send a search party out?

Camping near Coed Y Brenin

A glitch in the matrix at Nant Y Arian this weekend

(that’s my mate appearing twice in the same photo)

Tell me about it!

I’m taking it into a shop tomorrow which is both a Giant and DT Swiss dealer so I’ll see what they say…

Thanks for the suggestions Onzadog and wwaswas, I’ll look into that…

otsdr – not sure if I’m mis-understanding you post. The whole handle unscrewed (without pressing the red cap). See below if it helps:

Whichever you end up going for just make sure you wash it out thoroughly before you use it for the first time. I won’t make that mistake again… 😳

I’ve been looking at this…

Best of both worlds?

Thanks for that link @Rob_Hilton 8)

Summer job on a production line in a frozen foods factory sprinkling cheese on lasagnes. I don’t even like cheese 😐

Hobgoblin Gold for me too at the minute

Ive got a 54cm Paddy Wagon for sale at the moment if you’re interested Click here

My 11yr old lad (he was 10yrs in the pic) on a XS Curtis Super X we built up together. The frame was from eBay, the back wheel was an Alfine 8 I had hanging round (less controls to worry about) and the rest was mostly from spare parts

It’s a bit heavy but he can still climb like a mountain goat. Upgrades will probably be 1×10 and suspension forks as his skills progress but but he loves it for now

The brake cables have since been shortened…

Just genuinely lolled at:

Seatpost came from the wifes Nicolai split

I’m 41 and should grow up.

Not saying ‘lolled’ would be a start…

They are flat, so I might try again with the risers. Or I might just lop 10 or 20mm off each end.

Just make sure you don’t cut 20mm off the same end twice (see “Don’t know my own strength and/or stupidity…” thread)

+1 for merino tops for avoiding stinking out the office

Bike-discount.de and Merlin were the best places I found recently for 26″ wheels

@danti if giddyrob doesn’t take you up on your offer I’ll happily take those pads off you hands…

Bigbloke – I have a Mobi V-15 which I bought for £70 in Jan 2012 but have never used. It’s still in it’s original box (but I seem to have mislaid the instructions). I was planning on sticking it on the classifieds for £50 collected from Manchester if that is any good for you?

Rich

My commute is all on well-lit busy roads. I have one of those Topeak helmet lights above which I set to flashing, a Solar Storm on one side of the bars set to constant (on low setting) and an Aldi mini LED on the other side of the bars set to flashing.

On the rear I have a ‘holy hand grenade’ set to one row constant and one row flashing as well as a rear light on the mudguard which I set to flashing.

I will also be digging out the flashing reflective armbands and spoke reflectors this weekend as well for the full ‘Christmas tree’ effect 8)

Cheers Hora

@Ahwiles – I like your chameleon bike 🙂

I’ve seen VA91 NAL near where I live in Manchester. Perhaps he/she is a gynecologist?
No you’ve not, that’s not around for about 30 years! Nobby’s VA61 NAL works though

Oh yeah! 😳 That must have been it then, I only saw it briefly

I’ve seen VA91 NAL near where I live in Manchester. Perhaps he/she is a gynecologist?

As long as your route isn’t too hilly single speed is the way to go IMO. I commute 11 miles each way through the centre of Manchester an a Kona Paddy Wagon and love it to bits. It has SKS Chromoplastics fitted and would take a rack if I needed it to. I got my 2010 model in ‘as new’ condition for just over £200 on eBay. I have since changed the bars from drop bars to bullhorn bars as I found I wasn’t using the drops and have changed the wheels to a pimper hand-built set but apart from that it is stock and it is perfect for my needs.

Blazin-saddles – are they these ones?:

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/WPWEIDP18/weinmann_dp18_on_fixed_free_miche_pr1mato_track_wheelset

If so they look ideal, if a little over what I really wanted to pay…

I have also seen this wheelset (Weinmann rims on Quando hubs) on ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLACK-Road-Fixed-Fixie-Single-Speed-700c-Wheels-PAIR-/370727715666?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item5651180352

Are Miche hubs that much better than Quando hubs?

That Pack Animal looks ideal (apart from access to the headphone socket but I guess you can’t have that and it be completely waterproof).

Cheers pebblebeach – I’ll be ordering one of those 🙂

Mine:

Had it a few years now and is my non-work watch of choice.

Bouncy castles

Lighting fireworks (not long now…)

Roller coasters/log flumes

Water pistol/snowball/water bomb fights

I loved the house and didn’t think it stood out as much as it could have. I couldn’t believe how narrow-minded were the neighbours were as well. I laughed out loud when one of them said “I hope it floods on ’em”.

So jealous of all you guys above with nice commutes. Mine is 11 miles each way from Ashton to Salford Quays through the centre of Manchester battling with the rush hour traffic, but I still love it. Like someone said above, it wakes you up in the morning and de-stresses you on the way home. My route is also slightly downhill on the way in to work and uphill on the way back (who’d have thought it), which is nice. At the moment it is taking me about 50mins on the way in and an hour on the way back (stop-start due to traffic lights/busses/people stepping out in front of me/cars blocking the cycle lanes etc etc) on a singlespeed road bike.

I can highly recommend Halstead Barn in Bentham N.Yorks (in fact we’ve just booked another weekend in November). It is near to the Way of the Roses C2C route so they are used to bikers, lovely hosts, great food, great views and a hot tub outside. It only has three rooms though so you may be too late to book for New Year.

http://www.halsteadsbarn.co.uk

I have been looking at puncture-resistant tyres – has anyone used these Vittoria Randonneur City Tyres, currently £16.79 at cyclesportsuk.co.uk:

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5942

Also, my standard 28c tyres just about fit under my mudguards currently – would I need to replace with 25c puncture-resistant tyres or do they generally measure-up the same (I’m thinking they may be taller due to the extra puncture-resistant material)?