Any question answered...

Mole grips and a towel worked for me. Also thought I was going to break it and was sweating profusely.

Smashy smashy from the other side.

Well the mechanic in Soho Bikes can't shift them using his axle vice. What next?

n+1 obvs.

Smash!

Well the mechanic in Soho Bikes can't shift them using his axle vice.

Fire.

What next

Matt?

He is good at both smashing and fire I suppose

I won a set of Rotor 3D cranks off eBay where the NDS arm is damaged slightly. The thread for the binder bolt is stripped. Poking a biro in reveals confirms this. Would tapping it out to the next M-size up be a good enough solution?

I've never tapped a hole in my life.

Maybe a safer option would be a longer bolt with a lock nut. The bolt going through the existing stripped thread part of the arm.

It will depend how much material there is left as you would need to drill out the damaged threads to a size that is suitable to then tap the next m-size (there'll be a chart somewhere saying what size hole is needed for what threads). Then there's the other unthreaded hole that the bolt goes through first. This will have a shoulder in it to accept the head of the bolt. This may also need to be enlarged for the bigger bolt, which could remove any shoulder and putting that back in without a milling machine might be tricky. I wouldn't want to freehand drill a half depth hole to make a new shoulder in a crank arm.

Would tapping it out to the next M-size up be a good enough solution?

A Helicoil would be a better solution

And a time-sert better still.

I've just had a look at those options on the internet and I'm absolutely baffled by the choices and potential cost. Looks like you need some kind of tool to pre-load the coiled inserts?

Can somebody explain it to me like I'm five?

EDIT: this bloke has done it for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQHRB2ElZJ0

Freehand drilling cranks = absolutely no reason to worry

Have a holiday to the US and Canada coming up. I have an ESTA for going to the US, will I need something similar for going from the US to Canada?

I doubt it, we're still one of the colonies yeah?

Yep, they introduced it fairly recently http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta.asp

I find going through immigration at Canada much more hassle than the US, they're real awkward buggers.

Although I have a feeling it may not apply if you're not flying in.

No - they check it on coaches / trains as well.

Have to stump up for both. (And the Canadian one in particular is a massive PITA if you are a family of five).

That's terrible, I had no idea.
All I need for the EU or UK is my passport and attitude reassignment.

Fire.

Mario managed it when I wasn't there. I assume that stern persuasion may have been involved.

However- my DT Swiss 180 hub appears to be too venerable to accept 12mm end-caps, so the old ones had to go back on. This is annoying - what's the best way to sleeve this down to 12mm?

Any recommendations for cleaning helmet straps to avoid neck spots?

Online disposable contact lens suppliers?

My mate used to be head of product at Vision Direct.

http://www.visiondirect.co.uk

Cannot vouch for them - 6 years post Lasik and not a single regret

How much does burny burny eyeball zap cost these days? I have astigmatism in both eyes which while slight, is gradually getting worse (was not notable in my right eye until the last prescription update), do lasers sort that?

Also, how long do unopened disposables last? Is there a shelf life?