sounds ok to me.

Make sure you unwind spokes gradually rather than wind one all the way out and then the next.

Make sure you align spokes in the same orientation on the hub (you’ll see indentations from the old lacing pattern)

Been there and felt the same – I’ve run two MTBs for a long time; one has stayed consisitent (although rigid/ sus, gears/ SS). the other has swapped about a lot. I’ve finally got them where i enjoy/ suck up the bad bits as much as to good bits.

Don’t stress about sus sucking the efficiancy out of a climb, drop a gear and winch up it. Don’;t worry about a HT rattling your teeth out – just grin with the stupidity.

Also a better suspension system will help ;)

And why do (some) roundabouts have 60mph/NSL signs just before them?

it would be chaos if people had different speed limits due to the road they entered from. The RB needs one speed limit. Locally that’s set by your tyres not the law 8O

I’v done it a few times. You need to be relativley fit; helps if your in a group of similar fitness. 2-4 optimum any more is likley to faff. I’m not adverse to 100 mile gravel rides but not the SDW; in the summer (when it’s fastest) some of the dry bits can be brutal on your wrists; it’s likely to be ~ 10 hrs of riding time. that’s tough on rigid by any measure.

event means you don;t need to worry so much about navigation, food or tap locations so much.

i wouldn’t worry too much about off road miles – just make sure your fit, light and get some off road in. might be worth adding core strength workouts.

dont be afraid of a car that needs a little work if it’s cheap enough.

When looking at mk1 TTs (the wifes choice) condition varied wildly, as did prices – the two not always matched.

We bought a very cheap one that needed some mechanical work, a cambelt plus oil changes. Spent almsot £2k at my independent VAG man. Still ended up cheaper than the sale price of nearly any other car we’d looked at (and they all needed something).

Don’t buy a mk1 TT for bangernomics though. too comlicated to fix & too many problems.

e39 BMW tourer has been bulletproof so far. uses a lot of fuel but otherwise cheap to run.

Honda CR-V would be my outside choice – I fancy one and never had a honda – I don’t know enouigh about them to commit though…

I’m fussy about stack height. most of my frames have slammed stems (for the insta love :lol:) so i don’t like tall front ends.

“get the best frame you can afford”

in a road bike context don’t get cheap alu, get a top end alu frame. don’t get cheap carbon get top end carbon. etc etc.

If theres an alu/ carbon choice then choice is more difffiuclt. There is a perception that ridley are beter than trek and storck are better than both (for example) although i think that’s 90% branding and heritage and 10% factual.

mountain bikes are a bit more complicated as suspension design is far more important than material quality imo.

I had one enquiry about postage to Russia (400 quid). But why would it be in demand out there?

weak sterling?

I was worried about turning 30 – I think i was aware and didn’t let ‘it’ happen. By the time i turned 31 i’d let my guard down. Then it happened; I bought a blazer.

Officially middle aged. 8O

just go and have some fun. doens’t need to be on the bike, or even off road. is it your only bike? just ride it somewhere.

Motivation comes and goes.

raised a chunk of charity money to boot.

+1

I milked my X-factor worthy sob story to raise several grand in aid of Anthony Nolan[/url]; blood cancer charity.

Thank you. :D

no towcaps in my collection. 8O

Sorry about your mum.

9 people trying to make one decision is taking forever and there have been a few arguments already

Above all try and stay civil. They are your family after all. Much easier said than done though.

What other options are out there, I’ve heard mention of people booking a pallet transfer/courier and the like but can’t remember the names

pallet shipping is surprisingly cheap ime. £80 for a set of wheels i’d guess.

Talbot frame works. Make some awesome bikes.

#Framebuilderfridays : Talbot Frameworks

I believe that what mcmoonter describes is compulsory for at least 18% of all users of the M27 and M3. Of those at least half must cross the hatchings during the manouevre.

The m27 split from the m3 is sure to show you the worst in driving.

depends on your age, your housing situation & were that house is.

early 30’s and our house definatly isn’t our ‘family home’ so to pay off the mortgage we have would be great but wouldn’t leave us mortgage free for life.

live in the SE so housing is silly money too. half a million would pay off our debts & buy us the house for life.

One of my collegues is mortgage free – doesn’t buy him an extravagent lifestyle but just a slightly different outlook on life. He takes the train places as it’s relaxing (I don’t becuase it’s cheaper to drive), and he eats out a lot – not in fancy places just local ones.

went cycling in Andalusia at Easter. Weather was great, cycling was great and the processions and floats are one of those memories never to be forgotten.

What about calling US?

Is there any mileage in completely de-tensioning it, getting it on a flat register of some kind and whacking the shit out of it trying to coax it a bit flatter before tensioning?

detension & retension. should result in a straight(er) wheel. wouldn’t be whacking it.

Having said that it, it doesn’t need to be perfectly straight – just straight enough you can’t feel it whilst riding.

brilliant.

Went to his tabernacle in Memphis once

I made a late Saturday night plan to do this the next morning. Unfortunately I was on Beale street & 10 pints down, the next morning there was no way I was going to church. Apparently I did dance around the hotel room to Love & Happiness; although i have no memory of that. :lol:

i’ve bought two bikes recently; one new one second hand (both drop bars)

On the new one the cabling was poor, the levers needed moving & i didn’t like the bar shape. I’m going to have to spend out to replace cables & bar tape.

On the second hand one the cabling was poor, the levers needed moving and I didn’t like the bar shape. I’m going to have to spend out to replace cables & bar tape.

Moral of this story is buy a frame not a bike. ;)

Specialized Crappy System

I enjoyed the irony of my gear cable prize from sponsor Clarks for making it onto the singlespeed podium at Sleepless in the Saddle one year.

I won stancion spray and a chain cleaner using a rigid singlespeed. Both got used/ but not on that bike! 8O

veggie burger: bit of lettuce and a slice of tomato in a brioche bun. 8O

julie sahni’s vegetarian indian book was my bible whilst veggie. Still my go to indian reference.

Lentil Dal is awesome and easy.

only issue i’ve ever had is lockout not working for 10 minutes after the bike comes off the wall. If brakes have air in it can also cause probelems or help, depending on geo/ cabling.

Frames that don’t work for left hand rear brake can do one! :x

Space Chicken from On-one

its a chinese catalogue frame. plenty of other colours available direct. thread on LFGSS about it.

rio is a lot bigger than an i10 isn’t it?

Not sure you’d get a bike in an i10 easily; rio no problem (seats down, fr wheel off.)

collegue has a rio – been no trouble at all. comforatble ride as a passenger; pulls ok. Haven’t driven it myself…

I’ve had 26 inbred, 29 scandal, 26 456, 29 inbred in that order. Scandal is my favourite & still got it – the others all long gone.

The 2012 (29) inbred was a lot stiffer than the 2008 (26) version. similar to the 456; you could see that the 456 & later inbred had the same size DT/ TT whereas the earlier inbred had a smaller dia TT.

Scandal is stiff and responsive, whereas the stiffer inbreds were stiff and heavy.

TLDR: buy an early inbred or a scandal. Avoid the later inbreds with the fat top tube.

drive to work day where all the usual bike commuters hit the road in their cars at 7.30 to 8.00.

Major towns and cities would be bloody chaos, it would serve to highlight just what a general social benefit cycle commuters are!

Would it highlight the social benefit, or would it reinforce the belief that we’re all tossers? We’d be causing trouble [as per usual]. Just imagine how the daily mail would report it.

It wouldn’t be the reflective ‘look how much traffic chaos cyclists save on a daily basis’ but ‘cyclists causing chaos again’.

We really need a public shift of opinon though. My wife & SiL both have some wildly incorrect views of cyclists; both the BiL & I commute by bike more than car. The wife for example talks about cyclists jumping red lights – but doesn’t believe me that i see cars do it most days.

25p isn’t going to change my habits.

50% of the time I buy a coffee it’s unplanned – in town & fancy it – i won;t have a cup. Biodegradable would work.

The other 50% is motorway services – so might work although I often stop and use a proper cup as a break on a longer journey.

Can I just confirm: there are no third party 68mm cranks that take a N/W?

all (external) road is 68. any crank will take a NW – assuming you can get a chainring.

i bought a SRAM force chainset (BB30) and ditched the rings.

get a test ride – on something even if you can;t get on the exact bike you want. Try something slacker.

I don;t have a modern hardtail otherwise i’d offer. Where are you based? i’m sure someone local will let you have a spin on something more modern than your current bike.

my parents always reccomend radio city apartments. Know a few people who have stayed there & been happy. not sure it has outside space.

some track hubs aren’t very wheel sealed – no need for the velodrome.

Goldtec rear and a ‘proper’ road wheel on the front is the nicest combo i’ve used.

Although on one track hubs and CXP33s, are light enough, stiff enough and spin nicely. the rear hub is on the original bearings and almost 10 years old. 8O

Surly hubs are very similar.

Miche road hubs are very nice – similar to hope – don’t know about there fixed wheels.

Hope also do track hubs.

Queen Elizabeth Country Park is close to peters field. It’s on the SDW. So you could even extend it.

http://road.cc/content/feature/216681-it-okay-use-your-bike-turbo-trainer

Interviewer comes out with lots of concerned questions along the lines of “you don’t mention any skills in X” “your CV doesn’t list any experience with Y or Z”.

I respond “Yes I’ve done plenty of X…”

“I can do Y Z etc etc, I tailored my CV to the job description but it never mentioned X,Y or Z”.

Interview fumbles some paperwork and awkwadly says “The job description has been re-written since the advert was published” 8O

Luckily the job actually suited me better, I got it and i’m still here.

I don;t get why people don’t like it? texture.

First had it with my first posh girlfriend, age 15.

the only thing I suffered from was caffeine withdrawal

you’re a harder man than me; my hands were so painful i could barely hold the bars by the end. my knuckles ached for a week after. 8O

Having said that my tip would be to do some core work…