Any question answered...

I'll drop one off at your office, I go past most days.

Blue jeans are out, everyone knows it, so I'm dying a pair black.
The instructions on the pack do not say whether or not I should machine wash them afterwards or hand wash, and if I machine wash should I wash with normal washing machine powder etc.
Anyone have experience with fabric dye?

I want to go from this:

http://www.denimblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/80s-denim1.jpg

To this:

http://stuffflypeoplelike.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/http-http://www.upscalehype.com201112a-close-up-look-at-kanye-wests-nike-air-yeezy-2-blackpink-sneakers-14.jpg

If you're starting with pale jeans, you'll have to dye three or four times. Just buy some second hand black jeans.

Any suggestions for how to remove silicone grip from the leg hem of bibs? It's the sort which is printed onto the elastic in a pattern, rather than a whole strip sewn on.
Hot iron and kitchen towel? Some kind of solvent? Don't want to destroy the bibs in the process.
My skin reacts badly to it so another solution could be to cover it with something to reduce contact.

^^ Could also try stonewashing them with the dye for some hipster effects

where can i get exra long finger gloves?
i randomly found some North Face ones a few years back - they changed my life - but since lost them.

Mavic's fit me, and I have fairly long digits.

Any suggestions for how to remove silicon grip from the leg hem of bibs? It's the sort which is printed onto the elastic in a pattern, rather than a whole strip sewn on.
Hot iron and kitchen towel? Some kind of solvent? Don't want to destroy the bibs in the process.
My skin reacts badly to it so another solution could be to cover it with something to reduce contact.

Have you looked at howies bibs- I seem to remember they make them in Merino and don't use grippers.

Short term solution, while it's still chilly - wear some knee warmers which will sit between your skin and the bib grip. Again merino ones might be the way forward - try planet x.

Yep the howies ones look good - currently out of stock.
These are dhb bibs which are otherwise great. I was thinking maybe just a thin strip of jersey sewn over the top - they're warm weather bibs so leg warmers not so compatible. Tempted to just pick at it with various solvents, but it could go a bit wrong...

where can i get exra long finger gloves?
i randomly found some North Face ones a few years back - they changed my life - but since lost them.

I have long fingers... to give you an idea, 22cm from base of palm to tip of middle finger...

So far I've found that Campagnolo, TLD and Specialized XXXL fit perfectly

^^ Just turn them up?

Yes that's what I currently do. It works I guess, just wondering about something more permanent.

I have long fingers... to give you an idea, 22cm from base of palm to tip of middle finger...

PM'd

One for the MTB'ers... Trying to remove some Race Face Evolve XC cranks. Removal is from crank side. Taken the 10mm cap off but can't seem to get the 8mm bolt to move. Am I missing something?

Self extracting bolt? Leave the 10mm on and undoing the 8mm will pull the crank off.

For what?

I used to use it but now I know it's too high for me to use on the streets.

It's too big, choose a bigger cog JSSR.

One for the MTB'ers... Trying to remove some Race Face Evolve XC cranks. Removal is from crank side. Taken the 10mm cap off but can't seem to get the 8mm bolt to move. Am I missing something?

Self extracting bolt? Leave the 10mm on and undoing the 8mm will pull the crank off.

This, iirc one of them has a left handed thread. so that the don't both loosen when you're trying to remove the cranks

I always think that and it seems sensible but you can fit them to any old cranks so they must have normal threads.

Now, I'm no expert on carbon forks but I suspect that large chip through which whitish crumbly material visible is not good. Is it reparable not good, probably about time to get some new forks not good, or stop riding your bike now STOP! not good?

It's just by where the brake bolt goes in (cue crappy camera phone pic)

Sure it's not an aluminium crown?

Errr, could be? I'm 99.9% sure it is not aluminium visible through the chip (I have a large number of other chips to compare it to and this is white / yellow and not metal)

Odd

I have some broken carbon forks in front of me and all that's visible is splintered fibre, no crumbly white bits.

My only guess, if it's not aluminium would be that your forks have a foam core and this chip is all the way down to that.

Is the steerer tube carbon or alumnium?

Edit: might be more simple to just ask what model the forks are?

With carbon, I'd prefer to err on the side of caution.

Definitely with Ed there, fork failures aren't fun.

^^Me too.

They're the ones that came with my 2007 Langster. Tbh, I'd be in the market for new forks as a means of justifying a bit of an overhaul - but I I won't manage it for a few weeks and don't really want to have to commute on my titanium road bike and all the locking-up fear that entails.