Any question answered...

My dad is thinking about getting an electric bike, I know nothing about the things, can someone recommend any?

What are his reasons/motivating factors?

Just something to help him up the hills, or does he want to tootle around everywhere with the twist of a wrist?

i.e. would he be better off with a moped?

he's got breathing problems which can come on quite quick, he's always cycled to work but when he's bad he can't. i think he'd like to have something than he can use when he's ok and can help him when he's struggling. He's tried a moped before and didn't get on with it.

Anyone have any experience with the Planet X Carbon carbon road bars? These:
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/HBPXSLC/planet-x-nanolight-ergo-drop-carbon-handlebar

I bought some fancy levers for the roadbike and want some flat top bars to finish it off. Seems a lot cheaper than the rest. Thoughts?

I've had two aluminium seat posts sieze in my steel frame - first through ignorance and then the second by riding my other bike for a month and not moving the post on my steel bike so it siezed again despite using copper slip.

Anyway I was wondering if fitting a carbon seat post would do the trick and stop my siezing issues? Is this a good or bad idea or can anyone recommend any other materials that might help?

Ive got a carbon seatpost in my lugged steel frame (shock/horror!!) and it works just fine. Doesn't seize and as of yet, doesnt snap. Give it a go, you can get them dirt cheap these days anyway.

http://www.companiesmadesimple.com/silver-company-formation.html

Is this going to be some scammy nonsense with hidden charges galore? Or is it, as it appears to my, possibly naive, mind - pay 50 quid up front and you've got yourself a Limited Company?

What about down the line?

In theory, if you used the Barclay's Business account that it comes with - (though you could just apply for your own) what happens if you don't have any clients - ever? What are the minimum payments you would have to make if the business venture didn't succeed?

Is it just a case of paying for services you use and interest you accrue? Or is it more like a subscription - pay* x* amount per year for banking with us? Cancellation fees if it goes tits up? (90% of small businesses don't get through the first year blah blah)

Their own site doesn't seem to say what happens after the year is up:

http://www.barclays.co.uk/Businessbankaccounts/BusinessAccounts/Startupbusinessaccounts/P1242558530035

Positives of the first link:
Apparently easy to set up
Companies House fee included
Necessary certification (It appears to include all the necessary ones)
Fancy EC1 postcode for a registered address for a year.

Negatives:

Hit me:

Anyone have any experience with the Planet X Carbon carbon road bars?.. Thoughts?

carbon bars = waste of money. get some nice stiff alu ones instead at half the price.

carbon bars = waste of money. get some nice stiff alu ones instead at half the price.

Yeah I'm inclined to believe you. Will have a look.

It doesn't answer your question, but my advice would be not to take shortcuts. If you're in London, go to a reputable language school like International House. No language learning 'mechanism' or 'method' can replace good teaching and having actual people to talk to. I'm sure you know this and have chosen to go via the on-line route for a reason, so this is probably completely redundant advice. Ultimately, going for a proper course will be a big time and frustration-saver for you, though.

this is a good idea, i've looked at international house and it looks good but they dont do swedish, any recommendations for one that does?

^^ turns out half the price doesn't get you very much. I have fsa wing pros on my Look that weigh 30g more than those carbon ones and I'm happy with them, but they don't cost much less. got the standard fsa wing on my normal road bike, which can be found for cheaper. which reminds me, I need to buy another set. and some more brake levers (anyone got a pair of s900s going cheap?), and some bar tape. hmm.

Anyone have any experience with the Planet X Carbon carbon road bars? These:
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/HBPXSLC/planet-x-nanolight-ergo-drop-carbon-handlebar

I bought some fancy levers for the roadbike and want some flat top bars to finish it off. Seems a lot cheaper than the rest. Thoughts?

I've got some lovely S-Works carbon bars sitting around. Nice except I've crashed them in l2p 2008 so they've got some rough bits on the outside right I think. The paranoid amongst us might've swapped 'em but I rode on them for another two years (only swapped them off before France trip this year as I wanted Compact bars). You want a look at 'em Hovis? Bit hard to tell but they are flat tops. Ergo bend.

You can try and break them and if you reckon they're strong enough you can have 'em.

ergo bend? >>>>

I used ergo bars for ever. Prefer compact now. The rest can bugger off.

I've got some lovely S-Works carbon bars sitting around. Nice except I've crashed them in l2p 2008 so they've got some rough bits on the outside right I think. The paranoid amongst us might've swapped 'em but I rode on them for another two years (only swapped them off before France trip this year as I wanted Compact bars). You want a look at 'em Hovis? Bit hard to tell but they are flat tops. Ergo bend.

You can try and break them and if you reckon they're strong enough you can have 'em.

And I was so close to checking out on some 3T bars i saw on wiggle. Fark it, they look nice and surely the tape will cover the damage. Plus, im skinny as fuck so I'd probably break myself before I did the bars. PM coming.

Why do people write f*ck and c*nt and so on? It's not as if anyone won't, when they read that, say fuck and cunt in their head. Seems like having your cake and eating it: not actually using the swear word - and therefore being 'sensitive' towards anyone who might take offence - but getting the effect of using one.

work internet filter avoidance?

...the cunts.

work internet filter avoidance?

...the cunts.

Does that apply to PMs? The number I get calling me f*cking c*nt suggests it does.

Why do people write f*ck and c*nt and so on? It's not as if anyone won't, when they read that, say fuck and cunt in their head. Seems like having your cake and eating it: not actually using the swear word - and therefore being 'sensitive' towards anyone who might take offence - but getting the effect of using one.

Its because they're watching us

would apply to anything st through a wk pc I suppose.

c*nting handedly.

carbon bars = waste of money. get some nice stiff alu ones instead at half the price.

Not true, my bike came with FSA Gossamer Pro's, noodle stiff.

Swapped to Carbon Ritchey bars= stiff as a stiff thing

Not true, my bike came with FSA Gossamer Pro's, noodle stiff.

Swapped to Carbon Ritchey bars= stiff as a stiff thing

FSA Gossamer bars are good enough for Stuey O'Grady. Perhaps your stem was the wheat product in this equation?

Stem stayed the same, only the bars changed.

I still have them- you are welcome to test them- first time I rode the bike I thought they were going to snap.

Main reason I shifted them was the flex- they are very light.

i noted in an interview with Mark Cavendish that he uses the aluminium ergonova pro bars as they are stiffer than the 2 carbon versions of the same bar and he felt the weight penalty was worth it.

Could a course of ciprofloxacin be causing my wrists to hurt, and should I be worried about this?

I feel like I've ridden 100 miles of pave every day for a week, when in fact I've barely touched the bike.