Any question answered...

Your licence is still valid, however, you could be fined up to £1000 if you are asked to produce it for having an out of date photo.

You can arrange to get it sorted quickly by going to your post office if you have both the photo-card and counterpart licence and, of course, by paying a little more.

Ah, thanks - good to know I haven't been inadvertently breaking the law!! The DVLA wrote to me a while ago telling me I had to update my photo but I put it on my list of things to do, and haven’t got round to doing it. Looks like it’s a job for this weekend.

£1000 fine... sheesh.

They will fine you as well, as I learnt to my cost a couple of years ago.

The post office in Hoxton has an instant photo machine thing.
As do a lot of others:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/counter-services/licences-vehicle-tax/dvla-photocard-renewal/branches#s113200850

Don't driving licenses, even the photocard part, have an expiry of 50+ years?

You have to update the photo every 10 years, (4b on your photocard) but the licence itself is valid for 50 (10+11 on the reverse of the photocard)

I dont have either of them on at the moment, the 2 derailleurs i have basically came free with the cheap brifters i got,

i have an ultegra front mech that is the front size clamp

and a black rear mech that matches the brifters,

might just be easier to get a black front than get a new front and rear, but not sure black will go with the build!

Cheers DJames I'll have a think..

Black 105 brifters as well? If so sell them to me and go single speed :)

Don't driving licenses, even the photocard part, have an expiry of 50+ years?

No, the photocard is only 10 years.

Argh, too slow. Bobbo beat me to it.

Black 105 brifters as well? If so sell them to me and go single speed :)

yeah, and no ;) this is to go from fixed to geared on my bob jackson, fixed is going to a track frame

Why put that much ugly on a bike unless you actually have to?

The new levers, for once is goddamn comfortable simply for not having moving part inside (apart from the brake).

if they sell it as a singlespeed levers without the pads, I'm sold.

Got a couple of issues with a bike I'm building for my daughter and hope the collective minds of the forum can assist.

Crappy old Raleigh Caprice that I picked up from the local dump - rusty but solid except the front forks.

So I bought a new set of forks from Bankrupt Surplus on eBay. Went for 700's as I wanted to use bigger wheels. Got a nice set of 700 wheels off this here forum. Purchased some Swlabe 35mm tyres from the web.

The problem I have is the clearance between the tyres and the bottom of the fork - there isn't any!

I took a file to the forks and made enough space so that when the axle is snug in the drop outs the tyre doesn't foul the forks - job done, or so I thought.

Go to put on the front brake and this is now fouling with the tyre!

One solution is that I don't get the axle snug in the drop outs - if I "hang" the axle mid way in the drop outs then everything fits (just)

So, how safe, or otherwise is this? Am I likely to kill my daughter?

Is there some kind of fillet or plug I can put into the drop outs to fill the space and "push" the axle down a couple of mill? Quite deep drop outs.

Or do I bite the bullet and buy shallower tyres which would resolve my problem but I'm building this on a budget.

The second issue is with the crown race - it just wont fit onto the forks - its too tight. I'm using a Shimano 105 head set, everything else fits on the forks, just not the crown race. I've got a piece of plastic pipe to knock the race on with but it just won't seat on the forks. I tried warming the crown race and used loads of grease but still no dice.

Is it just a case of removing some of the powder coat on the forks? Am I missing some kind of trick? I UTFS but didn't find an answer to my question, other than ISO & JLS issues (its not JLS is it!)

Or, do I sheepishly take it to the LBS and ask them not to take the piss?

Thanks in advance

the crown race, go to the LBS and ask nicely to get it done, if you are lucky you may not have to pay. Without correct tools can be a bitch to set up

Brighton Guzzi, use a smaller tyre.

Use smaller tyre. Cant believe you would file your fork down over getting a different tyre. Get a Zaffiro or something, dirt cheap.

Thanks for the replies so far.

Ed, I'm hoping that I don't have to buy a new tyre, the ones I have are a lovely cream colour that really suit the monochrome look of the build.

But a smaller tyre would solve all my clearance issues!

You know anywhere I can get a cream coloured 700 tyre?

Thanks

I know the tyres you have are Delta Cruiser and they only come in cream with 35c sadly.

The only white (not cream) one I know is Vittoria Randonneur that come in 28c (but more like 25c).

Other option is a gumwall tyres that can look rather classy.

This is obviously completely theoretical.

If Britain decided that we should fall in line with the rest of the civilised world and drive on the right, how would it be done?

Would there be a certain time at which everyone suddenly had to change lanes (like in Wee Britain), or would they close all roads for a day, or would they do it region by region?

I love the idea of huge, sweeping changes like that. I can't wait for the queen to die so suddenly all our coins are out of date.

You can't do it region by region.

They'd have to close the roads for at least a week for all the road signs to be moved. All the roundabouts and sliproads would have to be checked as they've been designed to be used in a certain way

It would be an absolute logistical nightmare, I'd love for someone to suggest it.

How much would it cost?

they've done it in other places: Sweden went from left to right in 1967, Samoa went from right to left in 2009

On September 3, 1967, at 04.50 in the morning, the traffic everywhere in Sweden was directed over to the right side of the road and stopped. Everything stood absolutely still for 10 minutes, and at 05.00, when it started again, all road users in Sweden from heavy trucks to cyclists were already on the right side of the road, and they have stayed there since.

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/history/driving_on_right.shtml

Looking at the amount of money we've wasted on the olympics I don't want to even think about the amount

Trillions upon trillions of pounds. All sliproads would be on the wrong sides, all signs would be wrong even road markings would be out of touch. It'd be hell.

This is obviously completely theoretical.

If Britain decided that we should fall in line with the rest of the civilised world and drive on the right, how would it be done?

Would there be a certain time at which everyone suddenly had to change lanes (like in Wee Britain), or would they close all roads for a day, or would they do it region by region?

I love the idea of huge, sweeping changes like that. I can't wait for the queen to die so suddenly all our coins are out of date.

The right hand/left hand drive split by world population is approximately 66%/34% so we're not as out of line as you'd think.

I remember having coins with the last King's head on when I was a kid.

Wasn't that before decimalization?

they've done it in other places: Sweden went from left to right in 1967, Samoa went from right to left in 2009

Looking at the amount of money we've wasted on the olympics I don't want to even think about the amount

Trillions upon trillions of pounds. All sliproads would be on the wrong sides, all signs would be wrong even road markings would be out of touch. It'd be hell.

Luckily my dirty harry lever has a hinged clamp so i could swap it over without having to replace the bar tape. Money saved!