Same here: got my 2005 5spot going again and I’ve enjoyed all three rides so far! Ordered some nice bits for it too 🙂

Another for secondary glazing. Repair whats’s there and get secondary glazing. As far as I am aware, no LBC is requited for the secondary glazing as you are keeping the widows already there – I’ve purposely not referred to them as the originals as they could have been replaced at any time in the past, not knowing the age of your building.
I really like secondary glazing that I have, as said thermally and acoustically it is way better than double glazing.

Really sad, but almost expected I s’pose. It’s the way nearly all nice little UK manufacturers go; if they don’t make it big and get bought out by the big boys 🙁
I’ve got Middleburns cranks on my three main bikes, and only bought a set earlier this year. True no bike shops appeared to stock their parts, but if you have a LBS that can be @rsed to order for you, it really was no problem getting hold of them. I’ve got some Royce stuff too, and the same applies there to ordering – although I have to say Cliff the owner can be an acquired taste!

That’s Robert Lindsey isn’t it? Playing ukulele on a bike….

Ukulele and single speeders – can lump them in the same bracket – weirdos! 😉

I built up a new 26 about three years ago – custom frame that I’d had on order for over a year. All the parts are available new even NOW; including 1/1/8th forks, UST tyres and rims – just that you have to order them. Fox emailed me just a few months back, and said they’ve no intention of stopping production of 1/18th forks, Mavic produce the latest 819 asymmetric rims in 26…and I could go on. It won’t get any easier to get the parts in the future unless, there is a renaissance? It could happen…….

Oh, and it’s my favourite bike and I rarely feel outdone by the smaller wheel! In fact I think it has the edge in a lot of situations.

mattsccm – no it’s not from Hereford. Glad you like it too! 🙂

Anything Shimano brings out seems to be obsolete within a few years – doesn’t sit comfortable with me!

Just to clarify a point. In my case the hub case bearings have been within tolerance according to Rohloff, it’s the driver bearings which seem to last a couple of years. These are much smaller and similar to normal Hope type bearings from what I can make out on the drawing. The problem being a fair bit of the gear mechanism has to be stripped down to access them.

Just send it back and deal with it from there is what I would do.

Apparently, Rohloff are bringing out a re-designed hub very soon, with a different chain line and subsequently a different hub casing. It could be lighter too……….just what I’ve heard from a chainset manufacturer.

Midnight, get woken at 4 am by neighbour – back to sleep a couple hours later, get up 9.30 isn. Feel shit mostly but coping with it more of late!

I think this is becoming the new ‘shit yourself fit’ craze on STW

Try one of those TV dinners type trays with a soft bean bag underside

Over 6 hours is enough for me in general, although another hour if I can get it puts me into supersonic/happy zone for the rest of the day

The more active I am the less I seem to sleep!

I can totally connect with what you’re feeling, today! I sometimes wonder myself if I’ll keep it up forever, getting kinda bored of places to ride within reasonable distance of my home – feel like I’ve explored every nook and cranny. Plus there doesn’t seem to be the buzz within the various fragmented groups that I ride with, compared to say five or so years ago. Perhaps I need to move and start all over again

Being a miserable sod and self employed I hate bank holidays!

I would have said the same a couple of years ago. I’ve started using them now (bottles and cages) for local couple hour blasts. It really is so much nicer hammering the single track without a back-pack.

I have to agree that they spoil the look of the bike though, but I only notice that when it’s parked up!

Rode it Saturday. Pretty good I would say, the top in good condition – gnarly! The first Telegraph section was excellent, the last bit was a bit splashy but all in all can’t grumble. When I say can’t grumble…..not sure if the climb up Llanberis would be something I’d do again – ticked off the list though!

The Mk2 oh that one! 😉

At least with the MK1 you could do interesting things with the engine, basically it’s the same as the guys were using in their Mexicos on the TV the other night. It would be a bit skippy/lively being front wheel drive though!

Have you ever heard of the Gartrack Escort? A company ‘Gartrack’ took a new XR3 and put a 2.8i Capri engine in it. Modded everything and made a rear wheel drive monster! I did have a brochure for it some where.

It would be interesting to see what the summer was like after a flood year? I think 1967 was a flooded winter in the South, so perhaps Summer ’68 could be interesting to add into the mix of hypothesis?

Tell your friend he is thinking too much, or drinking too much! 😉

Would you be happier to swap the apostrophe for a capital at the beginning of summer?

I thought this thread was about those sh1ty cars Ford produced after the rear wheel drive RS range. I drove both these XR models and thought they were complete shite compared to the older models – FWIW. 🙂

Nope, you are all wrong the XR2 and 3 were front wheel drive. The XR2 had the old pushrod crossflow engine with a SINGLE twin choke Webber and the XR3 the CVH engine with similar carb before they went fuel injection.

Tyres, no idea…….. 😉

2005 here too according to Ben’s year/part numbers list.

It could be worse for you njee20, they could be discussing Shand cycles as well! 😀

Never clean old furniture, or paint or varnish as already said. Some beeswax clear polish and that’s it.

It looks like your furniture is from the Arts and Crafts era, light Oak. It may be in the Eighteenth century style, but the carving is too crisp on the table’s freeze to be from that period. The smaller piece may not be English, or if so as I said from the Arts and Crafts movement or late Victorian Gothic revival period. Do you have any other items you wish to picture?

Willow and Poplar – not wonder it was free 😉

Just stack them leaving the ends exposed if possible. Probably best for winter 2015 but you may get some dry enough for a burner this coming winter, although you’ll risk tarring up your liner/flue. IMO of course.

I burnt some Poplar one year, it was a pig and produced a bitter eye watering smoke, but that was an open inglenook fire so you maybe ok with a stove.

I use a metal braided outer brake cable – available from CRC, and xtr inner gear wires. I find this combo the most durable (18mtns-2years) and the smoothest.

I run the hub on a Thorn 853 Enduro hard tail, and the whole thing comes in at 30 pounds or a fraction under. I have had it about 28 but it wasn’t durable. It has a place in the winter mainly, and also the summer – I used to run it all year round. But, my geared (xtr) hard tail is so much quicker, or I think so after a winter of riding the Thorn I always feel I have a few months fitness advantage from doing so. FWIW I can’t recall ever being dropped on a climb riding the Rohloff’d Thorn – maybe my memory is bad or I ride with slow people..

First was a very minor oil leak through the Q/R and I was keen to get it sorted as it was just outside warranty.

Second, was some wheel movement side to side which although didn’t affect anything I was again keen to get sorted as it cost so much. New driver bearings, oil seals etc fitted free of charge including return carriage.

Third, was two years later I did get some intermittent gear slippage. Again returned it, they re-shimmed the gears after the amount of use I put through it. Fitted new driver bearings and oil seals again free of charge and carriage. Main hub bearings are in tolerance although I have suspicions they will need replacing at some point.

Basically, it goes back every two/three years for an overhaul/adjust and at £60 insured carriage one way I think it is a bargain.

I change the cables every 18 months or so, and I still get caught out 50% of the time and get them around the wrong way – easy enough to correct just another 15 minutes of your time.

I’ve been using one for over 8 years on my winter (now) hard tail. I used it as a main all year bike until a few years ago. You get used to the weight concentration on the rear wheel (a bit harder to bunny hop but still doable). The perceived drag is something you get used to too, horses for courses in my opinion as gear 11 is direct drive and more efficient than a normal geared system – get the timing right and out sprint your mates – well that may say more about me than anything else! ;0)

I’m so glad I’ve got one, in the winter it shifts silky smooth no matter what. I’ve raced it (done ok if I don’t mind saying myself), jumped and single tracked it mainly.

There are negatives, weight and cost mainly. In over 8 years and I do ride a lot! it has been back to Rohloff three times all outside warranty – all it cost me was the carriage out there.

Gearing 38 x 16 (sprockets reversible)

I would say they are great but not perfect and judging by the amount of comments against, not for everybody. Do your research and make sure it’s for you.

I had the same budget end of last year and went for the Pro. I didn’t need the transportability of the air – it is a lot lighter. I liked the extra spec of the Pro and the disc drive that was convenient. I don’t have any regrets yet…

unovolo, I suspect it’s pretty much the same engine as the one they put into the show/program car. The standard Mexcio engine was pretty dull to be frank, around 88bhp IRC. With the modding and twin 40 carbs you can easily get that up to 140-150bhp perhaps slightly more. So, if you think of the difference almost double, that would produce the time gap between the two cars head to head.

I had various engines in mine, several cross flows and a rather expensive and disappointing BDA. The best was one I built using a Swaymar cylinder head, went exceptionally well much better than the BDA until a conrod broke and destroyed an expensive engine. I noticed on the rebuild, that the Harris’s used a steel conrod as opposed to the original cast iron – these cost about a grand a set alone!

I would hazard a guess that you could spend 4-5K on a standard engine to bring it up to the above spec. It’s so much cheaper to modify engines these days – a few hundred for re-mapping!

One day I’ll scan a pic of my boy racer Mexico and post it up – need a working scanner first!

Great call OP I really enjoyed that. My conclusion, is that nothing has changed other than the drivers are older, much older – about my age! 😉

I had one, NYW 233L if anyone knows of it’s survival……

feel for you! I’ve been there, and like your cat, mine had a good innings which is consoling at some time later.

All the best and enjoy the memories

That is good! Did you get planning permission……just asking ?

I had the use of one in the 80’s, my cousin had one in his garage that we all helped dig. My Uncle fitted a water pump which did make it very usable. Yep, you need to think about water seepage – a fantastic bit of kit though for classic cars. A pit feels safer to work in than under a ramped/hoisted car for some reason. If you can do it, do it!

I would have had some from you if I were nearer – much nearer (Sussex). For furniture restoration. Too good to burn, Ebay will see it go to a good home, lots of folk sell fresh cut Yew in log form, have a look under Yew Timber- doesn’t make a fortune perhaps a tenner a log if the end grain looks workable.

Don’t burn it if you can possibly avoid it, such a waste!

DT is under both compression and tension. Imagine how the load would change under heavy braking – the forks are trying to tuck under the frame. Tension whilst riding on the flat – no braking.

having had food poisoning from off chicken, I really really suggest you bin it

Oh you already have!

Do not ride it. The down tube is the most stressed tube on a bike frame, and at it’s weakest in the centre where you have two ripped out holes.

Warranty, if that fails bin it.