The problem with traffic is Bristol is that it is so bloody variable. Due to all the schools and especially high number of private schools, people travel all over the city to get their kids to school. This means the traffic is so much better in the school holidays. But even then one day a road can be fast and clear and the next can be chocker for no real reason, That’s the bloody annoying bit about Bristol driving is that you just can’t predict how long it will take. Oh and one crash or roadworks anywhere near the centre and the whole road network grinds to halt. If you live in Bristol, commute by bike and you will save your sanity.

From a purely cycling point of view, Bath is better for road and Bristol is better for MTB. You can be out of Bath and onto country roads quickly. In Bristol it takes a lot longer to get onto quiet roads. Over the years I have know tons of people that live in Bristol and commute on the cycle path to Bath each day. 15 flat miles each way.

However taking cycling out of the equation I would probably choose Bristol unless I had to live in the endless northern outskirts. Bath is a lot smaller and has a completely different atmosphere. Bath is made up of the centre with it roman baths, cathedral and shops and then the rest of it is housing. Bristol has its centre and then loads of separate neighbourhoods all with their own shops and vibe.

The BT extenders I have are the wifi models, triple pack for £50 ish off Amazon. Work a treat. Sometimes my phone doesn’t pick up the nearest signal, but you just flick the phones wifi on and off and it is fine and dandy. So easy I haven’t bothered yet trying to work out if there is a setting that needs changing.

Post back the recently purchased Belkin WiFi extender. Buy a set of BT Powerline Wifi extenders. They work straight away out the box. I have tried numerous cheap and expensive wifi extenders and have wasted countless hours and days trying to get them to work or trying to get them to work again after they just stop working.

Had the BT ones about 6 months and up and running in seconds and no issues so far. Think of all those hours I could have been riding.

Remember if you Apple product starts playing up that they have like everything else a 6 year warranty. Its UK law. Just give Apple a ring and remind them of the fact: http://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/%5B/url%5D

This + the free support they give when you do a software OS or iOS update means you really never need their extended AppleCare cover. To be fair AppleCare does cover you for accidental cover as well.

6/7 hours does seem like a very very long time. As others have said make sure you have the latest iOS update.

Also make sure you have the right Apple charging plug. Some look the same but are actually different. It should not be a flat plug type that comes with the iPhone but one that sticks out and has the USB port on the front and not bottom. These are higher wattage so charge faster. Charging from a computer USB will also take longer.

Lastly you should have bought one of our cables, same price but much better than Apples and a lifetime warranty (blatant plug). https://www.woodforddesign.com/products/quickdraw-3-0-led-lightning-cable?variant=17734509381

Just do it. If you ask there will be always some official dick head who says your not allowed to do it. You don’t need to register when you put CCTV on your house. I used to be on a committee that looked after a local park. The local council’s answer when you ever asked them if you were allowed to do something, was don’t ask and then we can’t say no. Just get on and do it. e.g. can we change the broken slats on the park benches? The official response is: “No it must be a qualified contractor that have been vetted by the council, etc, etc. In reality it was just get on a and do it as whatever you do is going to be bloody safer than the rotten benches at the moment.

Totally agree that fly tipping boils my piss, had a rant to myself on the way to work just this morning.

North Face Base Camp duffel. Had one for years and years and still going strong. Wouldn’t really buy anything else as the backpack straps are so comfortable. Have tried other cheaper ones and they have just fallen apart.

The only issue with the massive ones is when full they are really heavy.

Front shifting Di2 is just amazing and complete game changer. Rear shifting is not really that different as rear shifting has always been good. If I was in your shoes I would go Ultegra Di2.

As someone who runs a small business you have to get insurance. It’s not if you screw up and someone sues you. It’s also if someone uses a no fee claim company to sue you and you just have to pay the legal fees even when you are not at fault.

@mickmcd

Go on show us some pictures?

To be honest it might be that you don’t put your bike away dirty. All that constant washing. Rarely wash my bikes unless filthy and never really had any issues, certainly never had to make a warranty claim on any part of a bike in over 20yrs. Actually I tell a lie, I did once have a cracked bottom bracket on a turner bike.

Let the dirt build up and things might last longer.

You have to wonder how long it will be until you can pay for a private GP service where you can just Skype or Facetime them.

I bet 90% of things could be sorted in minutes and are obvious what the issue is. i.e. I fell off my bike and twisted my ankle. Answer, go and see a private physio as it will be much easier and quicker and you wont have to wait 6 weeks for a referral to then see someone that say “Oh yes you have a problem and need to see a physic, we will book you an appointment in 4 weeks time” By this time your ankle is backed and needs twice as much work to sort it out.

GPs surgeries are private businesses that in most places have a complete monopoly so they have no incentive to improve. There is no central coordination as how could they ever coordinate and create more private companies. Personally I have no problem with private businesses being part of the NHS but they must be centrally controlled and monitored. I appreciate the NHS is complicated but for the life of me I can not understand why it is structured the way it is. The only benefit I can see is that politicians in westminster can pass the buck when something goes wrong as they can say power has been devolved to the local area.

Write direct to the CEO and complain on Twitter. It seems nowadays this is the only way to get companies to actually get things sorted. We had this with BT about 6 months ago. Email to CEO, same day response form him, his complaints teams on the case next day and all sorted within a week with daily phone calls from them to me, instead of the other way around.

Got an HP printer with Instant Ink. I think we pay £1.99 a month and we always have genuine ink. Got sick of constantly replacing fake ink cartridges and they never seem to work when you are in a hurry and really need them. It might cost a little bit more but far far less hassle for maybe £10 – £15 more a year. Oh and it prints direct from my iPhone, every time with out any issues. Bloody brilliant. Wish I had bough one years ago as all those printer hassles have gone completely. Far to much of my life has been wasted trying to get printers to work.

Polzeath is only about 25 minutes drive. The beaches around Rock are also very nice if you can get on them. The car parks get proper rammed.

But most other countries don’t need them so why do WE. Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Australuia, etc. What makes us any different? They are all fine nations wanting a peaceful world.

Regarding The Falklands didn’t the US give us tons of logistical support on the quiet.

I can’t really see anytime when we would use them. We would be killing millions of innocent people and even if IS had a bomb would we really wipe out half of Syria? Even if there was a time I can’t see why we can’t keep the capability and parts moth balled and ready to go if every needed. It’s not like wars just suddenly happen. There are usually months and years of increasing tensions. I agree that we need flexibility but us riding ourselves of nuclear weapons would make a far bigger and far reaching statement about this country than anything else. 99% of other countries seem perfectly happy and safe without them so why do we need them. And if we think they are so important to our security why are we not helping our friends to be protected by them as well. Even South Korea doesn’t have them and there capital is near miles away from the biggest nut job of a country that is proactively developing nuclear weapons.

I just think a referendum would be really good chance to discuss the options and reasons in both sides. The thing that was great about the eu referendum was everyone was talking about it and was engaged in politics, irrelevant of the outcome. This engagement needs to be encouraged.

I agree there app is very flaky but just been updated for Touch ID and I can now get in every time. We have switched to Natwest because you can get cash back in your utility bills. Bit of free money for doing nothing. What a massive difference when you try and phone. Natwest are awful and you are in a queue for at least 10 minutes every time. Makes you realise how good the FD phone service is.

We have one of the Decathlon Base Seconds mentioned above. We initially had a standard awning that fitted the van but it took ages to put up which seemed stupid when you have a camper van. I tune we used not twice before giving up. I think the Decathlon tent is probably the best thing I have ever bought. It really does take seconds to put up and take down. So you really can rock up at a campsite and be sitting with a beer in 5 minutes. If we are going away for more than a weekend we just take a normal family frame tent but usually the popup gets used as well as a store for the bikes and kids car seats, etc.

Not sure what the value of the unpaid debt is but you could use one of the companies that you sell your unpaid invoice to. They then chase for payment and pay you a certain % up front. A number of smaller manufacturing companies we use, follow this route and we then just pay the credit company

http://www.mycreditcontrollers.co.uk/overdue_invoice_business_debt_collection_service_CreditXS.html?gclid=CIfh89C74c0CFRSeGwodobUBEw

https://www.marketinvoice.com/financing/invoice-financing-c?campaignid=227401645&keyword=%2Bsell%20%2Bunpaid%20%2Binvoice&matchtype=b&gclid=CIqV5JO84c0CFRUW0wode_IFsA

You make good point that there are very many legal technicalities that need to be thought about and worked through. As we know there are many criminals that have claimed it would be against their human rights to be deported as they have built a family life in the UK. Can not every EU citizen currently here in the UK use the same argument if they are not given a right to stay after we leave? I assume all the expats in Spain could use the same argument in the Spanish courts. Love to see how the home office would round up and deport all the EU citizens if they just refused to leave, it s not like they wouldn’t have 50% of the population supplying them.

I bet there are many solicitors that deal with these types of issues, rubbing their hands with glee.

I have a 2006 T5 and wanted to get just a bog standard VW stereo after one was stolen. Bought it on eBay, but would it fit. Of course not as all the wiring was different. Went around loads of car stereo places and turns out all the wiring is different on new models. The long and the short was that I bought a sony stereo from Halfords with bluetooth. If you want to stick to VW then go and see someone as it all turned out far to complicated than it should have been.

You shouldn’t need to update the dash as stereo sizing is generally standard I thought.

I am big fan of Coldplay but first to admit that most of their songs are utter terrible. I would say from each album they have 2 or 3 good songs but the rest are dreadful. The ones that are good however are bloody brilliant.

Most people who are into music slag off Coldplay because they are popular. Coldplay are like Crank Brothers, there are loads of lover and tons of haters. Most products are rubbish but a couple are amazing.

To be honest most MPs that want to be leader are as bad as each other. They are all power hungry and will do and say a thing to win. Boris will have a plan. At least he might shake politics up a bit. Just look are Corbyn, we all thought he would be a new light but again is obsessed with his own importance than having a credible option to hold the government to account. Otherwise he would find someone with similar views that the MPs dont hate. To be honest the SNP seem to be the only credible party that isn’t up its own arse trying to sort out party arguments.

Of course it is a catalogue frame but why does that matter. If they had to cut their own moulds then it would be say £10k per mould per size. Probably £100k investment. We all know we can buy super cheap frames from China but many of us are concerned about the quality, safety, being ripped off and whether it will ride like a dog. This way Shand have covered all these bases + giving you warranty backup, better colours, no customs duties and delivery within a few day.

Yes it would be great if they had their own design but this isn’t really economically possible. Also remember that most steel frames are just made up of catalogue tubes where all the dimensions and spec is predefined by Reynolds, etc. All the frame builder is doing is sticking the tubes together. I know it is a bit more than that and there are more variables but there also are with getting carbon frames made.

I think there is a massive differences between an On One catalogue frame and a Shand.

The reason why a second referendum would be good is that all the IN supporters like me would get off are arses this time and campaign locally as to why the EU is good and how locally people will loose out if we leave. Both Cornwall and Yorkshire councils are asking government to confirm they will still get the same level of funding as they did from the EU. There is a reason they needed EU funding in the first place and the south east doesn’t. Central government doesn’t care about you and never has, so why do you thiink they will now give you tons of money now. This is the sad fact that the poorest areas voted out but they probably get the most funding out of the EU.

How about things like CERN and Interpol?

Yes I know NATO isn’t a European institution but it is based here and generally viewed as a European and North American organisation.

Yes we live in a democracy. I don’t like the result but thats life. Our politicians should have done a better job at explaining the benefits of being in the EU and not just banging on about the economy and business all the time.

I think we should have more referendum e.g. Assisted suicide, Trident

Is it really that surprising a result when so many people voted the tories in at the last election and far exceeding what the polls and general public thought was going to happen.

The Remain campaign should have concentrated on publishing the benefits of the EU that effect people every day, cheap flights, mobile phone roaming, flight delay compensation, animal welfare, funding of mountain bike trails, consumer protection, toy safety, etc Without this all of these benefits will disappear. Do we really think the UK government would ever bring in these types of consumer benefits. Not a bloody chance as there is not enough parliamentary time as it is so god knows how they would also get this legislation through.

Prices should come down as there are large import tariffs on bike parts to protect the bike industry in Holland, up to 50%. Also speaking to a number of small machine shops they think metal prices will drop as say aluminium all comes from Australia.

Is the EU really going to give up £10bn. Even when half of that comes back to us are they really going to give up £5bn and not try and keep us in in some way. £5bn pays for a lot of french farmers.

In reality I bet we don’t leave the the EU anyway. We might in name but in practice I bet very little change and we continue to be members of various EU bodies. It will end up as some hybrid membership as there is no way that all the MPs are going to give up on the EU idea when so many wanted to remain in.

Molgrips

It’s stupid to ask people a question on a subject about which they know nothing. And then spend three months lying to them to try and get them to do what you want. And even more stupid to gamble a country’s financial security on it.

But no one knows what will happen in the future even the experts on either side. Look at all the economists that screwed up during the financial crisis. Also being in or out of the EU isn’t all just about trade and business.

Immigration won as successive governments have done nothing about the rise in the population and the concerns people have. Rightly or wrongly you have to address and deal with people concerns, not just say it is very complicated and sweep it under the carpet. If they had built enough schools, doctors surgeries, dentists, houses, this wouldn’t have happened.I don’t actually believe 50% of the population don’t like Europeans.

Why is it stupid to call a referendum? We live in a democracy. If anything we should have more of them. Just because you don’t like the result doesn’t mean it is a bad idea. Not calling one is undemocratic.

Remember people we have left Europe but just the EU. Nothing’s says we will be closing borders and becoming isolated. I would put a very large amount on us not actually leaving the EU. We might by name but not in practice. There will be a new hybrid membership.

Just swapped from HSBC to Natwest and very easy. However trying to switch our joint account from First Direct to Natwest and the service has been terrible. Filled in the forms online twice as the website kept crashing and they have confirmed they have our application but still no information or confirmation that Natwest are doing anything. When I transferred my personal account just a week before I got tons of texts and emails, so god knows whats going on.