so if i was looking at some v brake specific crossmax’s with ceramic rims whats the going rate?

2008 fox f100 rlcs here, love them, no issues yet and the best feeling fork i have owned.

the lock out is more fiddly than the rockshock tho, when you turn it with gloves on it difficult not to twist the compression adjustment at the same time.

Surely this is not a grey area?

I am a loving dog owner, but if they ever bit anyone they would be put down, and I would see it as a failing on my part as an owner.

The OP hadnt broken in to the farm buildings had he?

“on a bridleway that passes through a farmyard. The dogs there usually bark but today…

…it just sank its slavering jaws into my calf.”

It should be reported to the police, the dog should be destroyed and the farmer should get whatever the law decides he should get…

He wasnt in control.

oh, and “lady with the spinning head” anyone? bloody love that song off the one ep….

loved the unforgetable fire and for me the joshua tree is the best album i have ever heard.

still get the standy up neck hair when where the streets have no name comes on.

liked achtung baby very much, then slightly less so every album from then on.

indifferent about their current stuff, and i was a U2 obsessive….

would rather they stopped several albums ago if i am honest, bono laying on the audience on jonathon ross, was a bit cringeworthy also….

In my foolish youth i was quite into smoking, and on occassion drove….. yes I know this was not a good idea.

One dark night I drove my 1000cc peugeot 205 from Northampton back to Wellingborough. The engine was always horribly noisy so i used to drive everywhere with the crappy stereo up loud. This night was no exception, and I took my usual route along the dual carriageway, just about nudging 60/70 mph happily listening to the stereo.

About 7 miles into the journey, i begin to notice people driving past me flashing me.

I put this down to paranoia, until I smell burning. I do the usual checks, lights on, all mirrors ok, give the gear stick a little wiggle…….

oh, that feels wierd i think, and decide to turn down the stereo for a moment.

The noise my car was making then beccame more apparent.

It was a deafening shrill scream, clearly other motorists had noticed and had been trying to let me know.

I realise that the gear stick felt wierd because it was actually in second gear, and had been all the way, I try to change gear, and with a sound of rending metal my gear box decided enough was enough and I coasted to a halt, on the hard shoulder of the dual carriageway.

I walked to the local village and called a bunch of my mates who come to help me move the car onto the verge as I didnt want to leave it where it was.

We decide to put me on the driver side door holding the open door and the steering wheel, my mate on the passenger door, and “big tony” and couple of others behind.

We begin to push, and nothing happens for a second, as the front wheel was trying to mount the curb…..

Then it mounts the curb, and shoots forward taking us rather by surprise.

I let go, as do all my mates and big tony fell flat.

The car continued across the verge then dissappeared, into the gloom.

We hurriedly crossed the verge to find the unnoticed 30 foot ditch which my little car was plummeting down.. we had a couple of seconds to exhale, before the little cars bid for freedom was cut short by a large tree stump.

I spent the next several days getting quotations to winch/crane etc, the car out, which were all astronomical, apart from the local scrapyard guy, who offered to do it for nothing.

“dont worry mate, I’ll just take the car, you dont need to pay me, and i’ll sort out the paperwork”

6 months later I get a call from the police as someone had used my car as an innovative means of entry to the nearby Morrisons.

he is half of the “that mithcell and webb look” whihc wasnt so great, but also part of peepshow which was probably the funniest thing since fawlty towers imho

rudeboy (fred?) do you still have that tange frame i sold you? how goes it?

how i miss my anthem….

For some reason I get far more upset by news of violence or the mis treatment of animals than i do of humans tbh.

When i was young i caught a guy i went to school with having just swung a kitten by its tail into a wall as hard as he could, repeatedly, back and forth.

I lost it and luckily someone pulled me off him, but i wouldnt have stopped, complete unconscious rage.

ahhh the old nhs debate…..

I spend an awful lot of time in hospitals, in A+E and various wards with my wife who’s illness varies from longterm debilitating to lifethreateningohmygodpanicA+Etime.

I have seen a top consultant receive a call from his wife mid session with my wife, and run (yes, run) to the carpark to stop his daughter being admitted, as cdiff was so prevalent.

I have seen a junior doctor under unbelievable strain and pressure who still had the decency to ask how I was and if i needed a cup of tea, instead of having his break he got me one.

A nurse who shouted at a senile elderly lady who was left in her own waste for over an hour….. on the floor.

In normal life shouting and screaming to get your own way is not acceptable, however having your family in danger under the care of others is not normal.

A few months back, my wife had cdiff from her previous stay in hospital, her isolation room was several hundred yards from the main doctors area in A+E. Because of this neither the dr on duty or any of the nurses “could” put a simple canular in to get her her vital meds…… for 8 hours… she was left to rot in her room, i got the distinct impression the nurses couldnt be arsed with scrubbing up every time they entered the room, so they left her.

come 3am after much tooing and froing and me sat at home on the phone, i offered to drive in and wheel her to A+E, the nurse on the ward laughed at me, and told me the door was locked, and she wouldnt let me in.

I can honestly say I would have lost it with her and probably strangled her, if she had have said that to my face, but I decided to point out my displeasure to the Dr in charge, they got the canular in within 20minutes.

My wife is alive because we have a free and often excellent NHS, however like any profession/vocation there are good people and bad.

sorry meant seat tube is sleeved, the sleeve ends a further 30mm below the seat POST…..

seat tube is sleeved, the sleeve ends a further 30mm below the seattube end, as it is set up above.

?

sooooooooo

dyer reckon mine would be ok with light use, and going to the trouble of swapping would be a bit pointless?

i have warranty so is it a case of if its going to crack it will do so anyway?

I dont do any silly jumping or drop off’s bigger than a foot, and to be fair i have a phenom (toupe type) saddle, so that would probably give way before the frame……

I have emailed van nic, but no reply as yet.

damn damn damn, i have just fitted the bloody thing, its brand spanking, fitted up to its minimum insertion point it is still 30mm shorter than internal sleeve.

i ordered a 350mm they (fatbirds) sent a 300mm in error without me noticing, whats the likelihood of them swapping it out, considering its now got hefty insertion marks below the minium line?

this is what it looks like

just wondering wether my new seattube is too short, in my lancaster frame….. bugger

if i have it at the perfect length, it is bang on the minimum insertion point, which is 80mm btw

it sits in the frame with the bottom of the tube about 5 mm below the top tube weld….. ie it clears the whole top tube by about 5mm

your thoughts?

Tweets by timdrayton

my little millie, luxating patela (dodgy elbow) and eye ulcers caused by allergies

£650 and counting, lovely little thing tho

oh is op the floral tribute geezer?

its all a windup then

ooooooh what an inflamatory post……

yes jade was an arse, and really annoyed lots of people, but she managed to make an awful lot of money doing it (even if she was maybe manipulated and used by big brother max clifford etc).

it seems to me that she acomplished this by putting herself in the press, and those annoying womens mags as much as she possibly could.

either way she is only doing this for cash, and fair play to her.

if she is dying then that is horrible, and certainly no one deserves that.

if she is just on the make and this is all a publicity stunt, then i say fairplay. she is taking a massive risk and her life will be over if she gets caught. her risk, she is not hurting anyone is she?

i bought one for very little money (with the big eccentric bottom bracket), cos it had a chris king headset and some other pimpy bits….

it was very very heavy, and it was awful, bobbed around ridiculously.

It was my drug of choice back in the day, I loved the buzz. I did lose 3 stone and ended up looking like a zombie however….

What follows is a cautionary tale of the foolishness of drug misuse:

I was always very, very affected by even the smallest amount of anything I took (a lightweight my mates said).

Me and my mates went to gatecrasher, there I had suplemented my usual speed with a couple of e’s and some coke. I had never taken e or coke before this, in retrospect was a bad idea.

Furthermore, the speed was “proper 100% base man” and was this grey putty like stuff, also a first for me, so me and a mate took the lot, along with some renne in case it was a bit acidic….

Come those frozen hours of the early morning (to which MRnutt refers) we had to prize my mate from behind a ciggarette machine at about 4 in the morning, he was convinced that he was about to be baseball batted to death, he remained the same paranoid wreck for 4 days.

I however felt fine!

For 3 more days, didnt sleep, but felt fine!

Then one evening I was having a bath at about 11 oclock (I lived with my (elderly and very christian) parents, i was about 19?) when I noticed some mild discomfort in my testicles.

They appeared to be swelling quite rapidly, concerned, I decided to run into to my parents bedroom completely starkers and clutching my pride and joy which now felt like a pair of oranges. I woke them up, and not wanting to worry them shouted “mum help! my testicles are the size of oranges” and kind of flapped them at her as if to emphasize my point.

They did not take kindly to this, and advised me to ring the doctor.

So I ran downstairs and sat explaining in graphic detail, my concerns to the emergency doctors receptionist, only to have to repeat the entire sordid tale to the doctor.

His advice was to get some sleep, and that as what I was describing was not anatomically possible, he was sure that it would feel better in the morning. No, I didnt need an ambulance.

All was indeed well in the morning testicle-wise, but I didnt sleep for a few more days, and didnt eat properly for about another week. I also had the comedown of a lifetime, but did give my best man some wonderful content for his recent speech.

Just say no kids!

get yerself some of these

http://www.ergon-bike.com/en/grips/gc2.html

awesome couple of different positions, good support, i love mine

eden lake, so very dark and unpleasant, really well done, just left me feeling a bit miserable to be honest….

thanks for the comments guys, but financially i am not in too bad a situation (or perhaps i am just used to it?)

I became a full time carer for my missus a couple of years ago, and so am forced to use the benefits system.

The credit crunch has not affected us too badly as we had already “crunched” as much as we could two years ago (well paid job to bare minimum).

I am looking at personal bankruptcy as this has been suggested by our creditors, they want to reduce their admin incurred by rearranging agreements every 6/12 months, as my situation is not going to change for the forseeable future. (well hopefully not!)

I really feel for those losing jobs with kids and houses to worry about, I know whats its like to live with worry and uncertainty, but its worth saying that material possesions arent the most important part of life.

muffin man, personal or business?

i am looking at personal bankruptcy, and am not happy at the prospect of losing my bike, what advice have you been given re personal property and what receivers consider worth taking?

my advice has varied from, “they’ll take everything”, to “they’ll take everything they can sell for £1000 or more”… big difference

and heres one that went on ebay for £600

(the ebay “completed items search” is your friend)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pace-RC200-F6-XTR-M900-Mavic-X-Lite-Hope_W0QQitemZ250356458642QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item250356458642&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A13%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

stick it on

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/

i have an airborne lancaster and love it, its designed for 80-100 mm forks.

currently running fox f100 rlcs

i bought it, re finished it with some scotch brite and applied some new stickers from van nicholas (much to the derision of the stw massive, as they are a bit low, and "fraudulent" etc but hey ho)

got some new forks for christmas and havent been able to use them yet, been off the bike for two and half months, properly doing my head in!

but i have to say that its the best frame i have ridden, (i’ve ridden a lot of varying quality alu hardtails) great feel, and theres a lot to be said for being able to polish out marks.

sold my full suss as i just didnt use it much.

some hastily taken pics

you got any 26" slick tyres?

if so pics and details to laura.pell1@ntlworld.com pls

mine is pitsford cycles, out by pitsford reservoir nr northampton.

nice blokes, do the little quick fiddly jobs i dont have the tools for (headset/bb removal etc), for a pack of biscuits or a donation into the charity pot.

sold me a set of brand spanking white 08 fox F100 RLC’s for £350 the other day, well chuffed!

whats your budget?

are you looking at new or used complete or building it from loads of bits….

woody, no experience of mobile internet tbh, if i was to do it, i’d have cable broadband and use a mobile for calls.

I hear mobile internet users still get issues with coverage, and download speeds etc, but its supposed to be inproving?

Regarding BT, if you are sitting comfortably then i’ll begin, sorry, please look away if you are not interested in my geeky little telecoms rant……..

Many years ago Ofcom decided that BT should let some other companies have a go.

So lots of little companies sprang up who essentially resold the calls already being provided perfectly well, if expensively, by BT.

They just did so slightly cheaper, by bulking buying minutes from BT, doing some fiddly routing on international calls via cheaper networks, and basically making up the difference in inflated rates to international mobiles.

They did this by using a really stupidly simple process. You make the call, BT know it is "special" (ie not to be billed by them)call. BT know this because it has a prefix added to it (either manually or automatically), BT then route the call over the middleman network (of varying quality) to bill the call, middleman then sends the call back to BT (or the foreign/mobile network) to complete the call.

Middlemen companies are called Indirect Service Providers, they exist to reduce the cost to the customer, unfortunately this was made possible by adding on an inefficient, illogical, cheap to (cheap to BT anyway!) implement process….

I used to work for an indirect service provider (a biggish one) who provided broadband, IDA (prefix before each call), Wholesale line rental, and Carrier Pre Selection. I managed the relationship between us and BT, had the unhappy task of writing processes which integrated our systems with those of BT to make the whole swap over happen.

it wasnt a happy time, my favourite teething problem was our billing/routing of calls to a contentious area of Israel and itemising it on peoples bills as Palestine.

It hasnt changed much. BT still own and upkeep the entire landline network in the uk (bar a little bit in London and Virgins cable network obviously). So any other company offering landline calls and line rental, is adding on a process to one that BT can do already perfectly efficiently.

Its a bit like wiring up your high end amp and speakers, biwired with some cheap £2 a meter cable from maplins, using coathangers as connectors….

You dont really notice it too much on a normal call, but there will be lots of little niggles if you know what your looking for, and if something breaks or you get a billing problem…..

Bottom line is yes, BT are a big company and can be inept at stuff like billing and customer services, but if you think you are sticking it to the man by using anyone other than virgin, you are really just lining BTs pockets.

Even worse BT get paid for the call, but dont have to worry about billing costs or admin…

yawn……. back to come dine with me

yer think BT is difficult to deal with, move to Ireland and try giving Eircom a ring…..

as wwaswas says unless you use cable (virgin media) you will be paying your line rental indirectly (ie through a middleman like sky, talktalk etc) to BT anyway, via a process called wholesale line rental.

this process is horribly complicated for the middlemen companies to bill you correctly and administrate line faults etc.

The line quality they (and you) receive is often degraded, and add on services like caller divert, 1471 etc work, but if they go wrong its a nightmare.

From someone who used to deal with BT for one of the middlemen, avoid these products!

another vote for the just mobile and broadband here!

cheers all

it went for more than i had to pay anyway…

i would’ve worried about it so best to wait for 1 thats ideal to come along (27.2 inline ie no layback at all!!! in case anyones got one? ideally a van nicholas…)

the frames a hardtail ti, as are my saddle rails, and its now my only bike so i want it to be as comfy yet quick as possible, the frame is amzingly different to an alu frame, so i assume a seatpost will be too

to clarify if you have a gas meter with m on it, and a conversion rate on your bill of 3.XXX then you are being overcharged…..

interesting thing on watchdog last night about incorrect charging on gas meters

evidently it is possible to be overcharged if your gas meter is metric (M) but the provider thinks its imperial (KM), if your gas meter has an M written on it its metric, and your gas bill should reflect this, with a conversion rate of 1.something, if it has km its imperial, and the conversion rate should be 3.something.

the problem happens when you change gas provider, they put in a metric meter, you change again, and you end up being charged 3 times the right amount.

another top (albeit anal) tip, take your own dvd player and standard scart lead and a dvd you know really well around the shops with you.

Comet for instance uses a stupidly long cable to connect all the tvs and the picture depends on the connection and where in the loop it is.

They also give the higher end (sony for instance) tvs a dedicated hd signal, so it looks mint.

this will make sure the set you are gonna go for doesnt just look good on HD telly, or bluray (hence the scart lead)…

you’ll probly be using it mainly for standard definition if you are just watching the telly most of the time?

I really rate LGs but its annoying, they give each chain a specific part code for each otherwise identical set, so you cant price match (and take it to john lewis)

richer sounds ended up being the most expensive for an lg 42lg5020, I got it for £570 from curry i think?

wonderfull picture