Any question answered...

I have a Chris king headset with overspray all over it...

How can I remove this without removing the ‘King’ print?

Hopefully it’s etched on and won’t come off with nail polish remover?

Start with acetone.

IIRC it's actually laser etched i.e laser is used to remove the anodization. So yeah acetone should be fine.

Thanks but not too comfortable with DIY, will pop by SeaBass to get it done.

Thanks for the answers!

What's the best/cheapest way to get a tandem from the edge of the Peak District (c.15 miles east of Manchester Piccadilly) down to Bedford (or London, at a push) , given that I don't drive?

I was toying with the idea of cycling to Manc and booking a slot on a Virgin train but I'm not entirely sure I trust the bike to be ridden that far without looking it over properly, and if it fails beyond a rudimentary repair I'm pretty much screwed. It's not exactly going to fit in a taxi...

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Hire a transit and get a friend/relative to drop you off at the station?

Train to Manchester from somewhere closer to pickup?

can anyone recommend a north london driving instructor?

Will I fit / be allowed a tandem on a local service though? I'm foreseeing difficulties...

Thanks. This might be the only realistic option apart from hiring a van for the day, I guess.

I bought my tandem off a bloke in Manchester, rode it to the station and brought it back to London on the train without a problem.

local service in the peaks, if it's the one between Manchester and Sheffield has recently changed. Used to be able to just turn up and get on it, but now I think you may need to book.

Also avoid this train around rush hour. It gets busy

Hire a transit

You don't actually need a Transit, a fully built tandem will go in a Berlingo or similar as long as it doesn't have a solid bulkhead.

Or an RS6 with the rear seats down.

Can repair patches or glue go bad over time?

I'm trying to repair 2 tubes and failed several times (spent about an hour and a half).
I first roughen the surface of the tube, apply glue, let it dry for a few seconds and put the patch on. That's how I do every time and it always worked. Am I still doing something fundamentally wrong?
I'm using Rema Tip Top stuff if that's of any importance.

Make sure you rub down any seams that are in the way until they're flat. Spread the solution very thin and let it dry for at least a couple of minutes. Press the patches on from centre to rim and peel off the plastic (if you want to) from centre to edge too. Don't pump it up if it's not in a tyre.

Or an RS6

I have a feeling the OP was looking for the cheapest way to shift a tandem, not the most expensive🙂

It's not the most expensive. Then again, it's not the cheapest, I'd agree. Even if you already have an RS6 it's probably still cheaper to hire a van for the day.

and peel off the plastic (if you want to) from centre to edge

How do you do that? I usually leave the plastic on because I don't want to pull on the patch unnecessarily.
I think I got the basics all right

Leaving it to dry properly is the bit most people miss,you can't really wait too long within reason.

There's no problem with leaving the plastic on, but if you prefer to take it off, some of them have a split down the centre. If you bend the patch the split will open up and you can peel each half of the plastic from centre to edge.

A tip I read that really sorted out my patch game was (after applying the rubber glue stuff)- if it smells like alcohol it’s not ready, and to wait until you can only smell rubber. Gets you high asf too

It'll also take longer to cure in the cold I think, so that might also be a factor this time of year

So it's definitely not the patch and glue I'm using? That's good to know so I can keep stocking patches without worries