Any question answered...

To space out the skewer so you could easily slot your wheel in.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/skewers.html

OK. That makes sense.

Follow up question: why do the Halo hex key skewers only have one conical spring?

Does one of the ends have a little hook which slots in the drop out to stop that side spinning as you tighten it?

I assume they’ve left out the spring to help this slot in to the drop out easier... that or you’ve got one with a spring missing.

@Tenderloin
Are they definitely against using a phone app? I used to drive all over Europe for a living and Waze for the UK and Google Maps for the mainland (Waze gets a bit weird with border crossings for some reason) were so much better than any dedicated sat nav I ever used. Apps just seem to be able to predict traffic much better.
The main issue I found was keeping the phone charged, a cigarette lighter adaptor doesn't always charge a phone faster than a maps app and music etc drain it. If you get a decent power bank thing for battery emergencies and a decent holder thing to keep your phone stuck to the windscreen, I can't see any downsides!

Edit: if they are set on a separate sat nav, I used to use various Tom Tom sat navs and they more or less got the job done. I'd say just go for a big brand like that because they're more likely to be able to be able to keep their traffic updates up to date.

They are security skewers and work by keeping the hex bit flush so you can't simply unscrew it by hand

So that the little pokey outy bit on the end without the allen key stays in the dropout slot while you tighten up the allen key on the other end.

Thanks and yes I totally agree with you, they both have iPhones and this should be simple.

But they're used to using a satnav and want one. The challenge is finding one which supports chinese language (spoken and read) which seems super odd to me but none of the TomTom ones support it. I've asked a friend in HK if he can have a look at ones over there for me

How do I tell whether my Sram Force 1 mech is medium or long cage?

By the length of the cage

Nope. Cage length is the same.

Are metal toothpicks a bad idea?

Can't see the enamel on your teeth thanking you for that.

After a long period of being ignored the crown on my carbon forks seems to have the consistency of Edinburgh Rock. Time to replace?

Depends on the metal. I'd steer clear of Beryllium 🙂

After a long period of being ignored the crown on my carbon forks seems to have the consistency of Edinburgh Rock. Time to replace?

Was thinking about something softer like brass or copper. Don’t always have time to brush or floss at work and was thinking I could make a reusable one.

Was thinking about something softer like brass or copper

Copper and silver are the obvious picks for their anti-microbial properties. You only need about £3 worth of sterling silver wire to make a tooth pick, which is better than paying £20 for a fancy one made by somebody else.

I have an oldish Ritchie mtb hub with play in the freehub.. I’ve removed the axle - anyone know what size Allen key to remove the freehub body?

My googling says either 11mm or 12mm but when i look ‘down the hole’ it’s not even obvious that there are the flattened sides of an Allen fitting.

when i look ‘down the hole’ it’s not even obvious that there are the flattened sides of an Allen fitting.

It's often a bihexagon, so what you see is a 12 pointed star

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That’s what I was thinking, though will have to check for a local silver source, maybe a jeweler.

will have to check for a local silver source, maybe a jeweler.

#tester_approved Cookson Gold sell it online, that's where I got the price

Thanks, will look for something local.

Fantastic .. further inspection bears this out - thanks

Has anyone got any tried and tested tips or tricks to get a stubborn clincher on a rim? A pal is struggling to get a set of tyres on his new (to him) wheels!