Any question answered...

Pair of pads for one brake, front OR rear

Out of interest, why are you buying non-cartridge pads? Once you've paid the extra pound for the cartridge pads are much cheaper, the come with replacement screws too.

What age do people in the UK start uni? And also what way do your A-Levels work for uni, are you offered a place and then you have to get the grades to fill the requirements or do you get your grades first then get your place?

Our system's so flawed and frustrating.

Out of interest, why are you buying non-cartridge pads? Once you've paid the extra pound for the cartridge pads are much cheaper, the come with replacement screws too.

Is it that much cheaper? plus slightly more rubber on non-cartridge pads.

I was just looking at straight replacements, didn't think about it! Pads are cross compatible then?

Edit: In fact, while I'm on the subject, is there a way of increasing the reach of my rear brake? Front one seems fine, but the rear is looking like at current it will only contact the top half of the braking surface on the rim. They're not fully fitted yet so it's hard to be sure but it can only be an extra 5-6mm reach I need.

Yeah, I bulk buy 20 Clarks pads and it ends up about £2:50 a pair. Pads are standard, you get the mtb size (70something) and the road size of 52mm.
Imo pad replacement this way is much easier. And you don't get that much more rubber to use with non-cartridge pads. You're meant to change them before you get anywhere near that stage though, not that anyone ever does.

That seems logical, cheers.

I do. where you based?

NW. But I work in Fitzrovia. Ta.

What age do people in the UK start uni? And also what way do your A-Levels work for uni, are you offered a place and then you have to get the grades to fill the requirements or do you get your grades first then get your place?

Our system's so flawed and frustrating.

Things may have changed, but you do your mock a levels, apply with your predicted grades and they make you an offer. If you get the grades they want you get your place. If you don't you go through clearing.

You can go at 18, after a levels. These days people seem to want a GapYah, where they fuck off on a round the world jolly and call it charity work. Christ knows why.

Alternatively you can wait and go as a mature student. I went at 24. If you do this A levels are irrelevant. I just did an access course for a year and got in.

Things may have changed, but you do your mock a levels, apply with your predicted grades and they make you an offer. If you get the grades they want you get your place. If you don't you go through clearing.

You can go at 18, after a levels. These days people seem to want a GapYah, where they fuck off on a round the world jolly and call it charity work. Christ knows why.

Alternatively you can wait and go as a mature student. I went at 24. She. You do this A levels are irrelevant. I just did an access course for a year and got in.

So if you don't get your predicted grades you can do an interview or whatever to try and get in?

Way it works in Ireland is that you sit your equivalent of the A levels and there's grades like A1 90-100%, A2 85-90%, B1 80-85%, B2 75-80%, B3 70-75% and so on until you get to D3 which is 40%. Each grade is given a points system, A1 is 100 points and a D3 is 40 and so on, and you add up the points of your top 6 subjects. You can only get a place in the course you want if you get more points than the lowest person who was accepted.

This means it's totally fucked if loads of people apply for a course. For example, Computer Science has gone up by 150 points in the last 3 years.
I get my results on Wednesday and I'm absolutely shitting it and looking in to going to London to study in case.

We have a points system over here as each grade does carry a number of points, but Unis normally just make an offer based on grades.

If you don't get the grades they want you can still be accepted though and there's always your insurance option

How much is a replacement race licence and how do I get one?
Struggling to find it on British Cycling

Nope. Expert in da house.
Mock A-levels don't exist.

You apply for your courses in your AS year. The unis then either accept or reject your applications based on your AS results in about October, and tell you what grades they want you to achieve. You then have to choose two of your accepted unis offers to accept. One as a firm choice (your favourite) and one as an insurance choice. You then get you results for your A2s (on Thursday - ffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuu) and then either continue to go to your firm choice (if they accept your grades - you can go there if you contact them and they are willing to offer you a place on the grades you DID achieve) or your insurance choice (if you didn't get acceptance from your first choice, and met there requirements). If you don't get into either of your two choices you go into clearing (if you wish to, and not always) where Unis that have spare places offer them up with (normally) lower grades than they did to start with. Some places will ask you to change course or recommend another choice if you don't meet their entry requirements (from BA Architecture to BA Interior Design, for example)

How much is a replacement race licence and how do I get one?
Struggling to find it on British Cycling

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/mem-st-Racing-Licence-Prices-0-Need-a-Racing-Licence--0

Any good?

There's nothing there about lost ones, I'll just call the 'Membership Team'

Where have you applied to Tenners?

UCA Canterbury (CSA)
Greenwich as my insurance.

So you'll be moving out :(

I'm goon oop Norf

You're all moving away :(
Where will I get bike fits?
Where will I get gels?
Where will I get rides abandoned half way because I'm tired?

Will miss you guys xxxxxxx

There's a high chance I won't get in and work in a bike shop for the rest of my life

So if you don't get your predicted grades you can do an interview or whatever to try and get in?

Way it works in Ireland is that you sit your equivalent of the A levels and there's grades like A1 90-100%, A2 85-90%, B1 80-85%, B2 75-80%, B3 70-75% and so on until you get to D3 which is 40%. Each grade is given a points system, A1 is 100 points and a D3 is 40 and so on, and you add up the points of your top 6 subjects. You can only get a place in the course you want if you get more points than the lowest person who was accepted.

This means it's totally fucked if loads of people apply for a course. For example, Computer Science has gone up by 150 points in the last 3 years.
I get my results on Wednesday and I'm absolutely shitting it and looking in to going to London to study in case.

It's fine, you can always do the course at a shit uni.

uni and its a joke anyway. The 3rd year is the only one that really matters and it lasts about 6 months. most of the dudes on the course just got other people to do their work anyway. You'd be better off teaching yourself what you want to know and picking up your own jobs along the way to add to your resume.

But of course you'd be missing out on the fun of uni, which can be had on a lot of courses even if its not your chosen one. Go for a course you;d like to learn about that will have the most likelyhood of chick in, same with choosing societys to join. If I knew back then what I know now.

Nope. Expert in da house.
Mock A-levels don't exist.

You apply for your courses in your AS year. The unis then either accept or reject your applications based on your AS results in about October, and tell you what grades they want you to achieve. You then have to choose two of your accepted unis offers to accept. One as a firm choice (your favourite) and one as an insurance choice. You then get you results for your A2s (on Thursday - ffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuu) and then either continue to go to your firm choice (if they accept your grades - you can go there if you contact them and they are willing to offer you a place on the grades you DID achieve) or your insurance choice (if you didn't get acceptance from your first choice, and met there requirements). If you don't get into either of your two choices you go into clearing (if you wish to, and not always) where Unis that have spare places offer them up with (normally) lower grades than they did to start with. Some places will ask you to change course or recommend another choice if you don't meet their entry requirements (from BA Architecture to BA Interior Design, for example)

AS-levels will be gone next year, so maybe mocks will be back. Thanks Gove!

Nope. Expert in da house.
Mock A-levels don't exist.

You apply for your courses in your AS year.

AS levels didn't exist (or if they did nobody did them) when I went to Uni (last millenium)! Back then degrees (well, sensible ones from proper universities) were actually worth something, there were no tuition fees and you got a grant to go. We thought we had it bad because student loans had just come in, and grants had reduced by 50%. Turns out we had it easy. And our parents had the easiest life ever.

There's a high chance I won't get in and work in a bike shop for the rest of my life

^this

AS-levels will be gone next year, so maybe mocks will be back. Thanks Gove!

I met Michael Gove. He's as much of an elitist, self-righteous, Eton prick as you'd think. and then he also has some serious halitosis.