Any question answered...

Having said that, it doesn't really reduce rub, it just damps the rattle of hard cables against your tubes so you don't hear your paint being eroded. For actual paint protection, use helicopter tape on the frame.

Lube with water to make sliding it into position easier

mkay

Having said that, it doesn't really reduce rub, it just damps the rattle

aha

Ideal. Thanks!

don't hear your paint being eroded

Splendid

I use Novus plastic polish on carbon parts

Personally I'd recommend USB wireless rather than bluetooth wireless for plugging into a laptop and working. Seem to be much more stable and showing up as an extra soundcard can make some stuff easier.

Went for Bluetooth as they may occasionally get used elsewhere away from a laptop (e.g. connecting to a phone).

Yes, USB on phones is a bit of a faff for sound. I picked up these cheap on Amazon Warehouse which have Bluetooth and USB. Very much office use though.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FY619K

I have to index a bike on a TacX Neo 2 smart trainer. Is there an adjustment setting I’m unaware of, or what’s the best way to do this so I don’t have to work against the resistance? I’ve googled without luck, called TacX who didn’t really help and weren’t aware of an adjustment/no friction mode, and resorted to pedalling it manually…. (which saved me a gym workout but didn’t work for indexing)

Can’t you set the resistance in the tacx app to, say, 25W?
That’s what I’ve done with the Kickr.

Tacx Training app looks like it has an erg mode

Belongs to a customer, I don’t have a smart trainer so didn’t know what I didn’t know. Will ask them to adjust 👍

Whats the forum approved slim flat mtb pedal? something that looks decent and not too intense.

A mate of mine has sheared two cheapo pedal cages recently. Hes about 185cm tall and well built so needs to be strong please

Thanks

Will any Shimano/sram long cage, 10 speed, derailleur, do the job of a broken shimano deore m6000 10sp rear derailleur long cage?

A SRAM one won't without a SRAM shifter.

I heard good things about DMR pedals, the V12 is the better version, but I think the V8 should do well , too

Any recommendations for personalised hoodies (one mid-size image on the front)? Small order so not looking for scale and more interested in quality than price. Lots that I can see look like the actual clothing items themselves are the cheapest they can put their hands on, would like something that would actually be pleasant to wear and likely to last!

Cheers

As Snotbag said, SRAM one will need a SRAM shifter due to the different cable pull. I think you can only use any Shimano 10-speed mtb derailleur, but not a 10-speed road one because the pull ratio is different. 9-speed had the old backwards-compatible pull ratio and I think 11-speed and up is different again.

Ah, the band's long-awaited 'urban' rebranding can't be too far off, then. :)

Ha! We did have plans for some embers branded tea-towels but that rather stalled.

These hoodies are for something else entirely...

No idea if these guys are any good but I stumbled across them recently and they seem to care about the right sort of things. I dress myself.

Cheers. Deore is looking expensive for am all-round, commuter/occasional off roader.

@snottyotter thanks also.

Edit: 10 speed is only catered for from Deore and up. D'oh.

Yeah, you can use the tacx app and put it in slope mode. Set it to a negative gradient, so it's simulating a downhill and that will remove the resistance

This is probably the most comprehensive of the compatibility lists. Just checked in case I was wrong about 11-sp mtb: http://blog.artscyclery.com/science-behind-the-magic/science-behind-the-magic-drivetrain-compatibility/

Surely secondhand 10-speed derailleurs are within budget? [edit: ok, I see what you mean…]

If it’s single colour graphic, I might be able to help you out. I just made some vinyl heatpress logo t’s for a guy in the studio next door. You can order any quantity/size/colour from Earth Positive (Continental’s eco line, organic cotton, ‘carbon neutral’, worker certified factories) and I could help with the rest.