Any question answered...

I want to take a phone to Japan and pop a Japanese sim in it when I get there. I want to take a phone that has a battery that lasts for ages.

Will a phone bought in the UK accept a Japanese sim, and will it be compatible with Japanese networks? And what would be a good phone to buy? Nothing fancy of course. Just one that can make and receive calls, and lasts a long time.

Cheers collective mind!

I got this for when I'm at festivals http://shop.o2.co.uk/mobile_phone/pay_and_go/init/Samsung/E1080 5 days standby or 3hrs talk time.

I want to take a phone to Japan and pop a Japanese sim in it when I get there. I want to take a phone that has a battery that lasts for ages.

Will a phone bought in the UK accept a Japanese sim, and will it be compatible with Japanese networks? And what would be a good phone to buy? Nothing fancy of course. Just one that can make and receive calls, and lasts a long time.

Cheers collective mind!

This is complicated. Japanese mobile operators tend to use a different frequency than anyone else for UMTS (the 3G network standard). You need a multi band 3G handset, ideally quad band, but even then there is no guarantee it'll work, in fact it's more likely it won't. It's probably best to buy a cheap phone when you're there, but you may not be able to find a phone that supports English.

Yes, the cables will be fine.

I've a pair of TRP Euro-X that I'm selling - yours for £40. They are mint, I used them on one ride I think. They normally retail for circa £100.

Great - can I pick them up from you at the hill climb? I'll bring cash.

Yes, no problem. I'll be easy to find, I'm the starter!

used 3 eggs, tasted ok

Can I replace a Campag 9-speed front derailler with a 10 speed one?

Anyone?

Yes.

i'd have thought so, as the front derailleur isn't indexed

Would I notice if I switched to 172.5mm cranks from 175mm?

This is for the road bike, and no, it's not because the 172.5mm would be fractionally lighter than the 175's.

Would I notice if I switched to 172.5mm cranks from 175mm?

No.

Is it just blind convention that 175mm cranks go on XL frames, or is there a rationale that makes sense, and that I will be flying in the face of?

With my grasp of physics, (which is reminiscant of, but worse than, a chimpanzee's grasp of the subject) it simply seems to be a case of longer lever for the bigger person, and the expectation that bigger=stronger.

Not just physics. Ergonomics. A bigger rider will (usually) be more comfortable with longer cranks and a shorter rider will (usually) be uncomfortable with longer cranks.

I have 165 on my track bike and 175 on my road bike, both feel fine.

Film industry puns. Hit me.

Is it just blind convention that 175mm cranks go on XL frames

Yes.

Longer cranks only work if you can move your knee over the required distance both comfortably and while making optimum power. To do that, you need either a long femur or a large range of hip flexion, or some mix of the two. Of course, long femurs usually go with tall riders, who usually go with large frames.

FWIW (i.e. nothing) I have 175 on my geared bikes and 170 on my singlespeed/fixed bikes, with the exception of my TT bike which has 175 at the moment and will have 177.5 soon. I can't say I ever notice any difference switching from 170 to 175 or vice versa

Yes, no problem. I'll be easy to find, I'm the starter!

Oh just fucking great.

"Nervous Damo?"
"I am now"

I have 175mm on two geared bikes and 165 on two fixed bikes, and cannot say I notice the difference.

Just checking that I wasn't (possibly) about to make a school-boy error.

even if you dont do the error, you still a school-boy

I've got 170s on the Banana Beater (Eric) and 165 on the Grupetto bike. I think they may be 170s on the Herety as well.
They all feel odd.

is there a way of finding out things about people from their email address alone?
i keep getting dodgy replies to my gumtree adverts..

What do you want to find out?

ip address so i can match it to a landline number (that they supplied), although this is probably asking too much

"zoom in"
"rescan"

CSI Talk right there.

Could you not try the traditional "I'll meet you by the Starbucks in London Bridge, bring cash money" approach, and get a mate to sit in Starbucks in case the proto-emptor shows fight?

I'm sure if you ask here you'll get some volunteers.