Any question answered...

Grease or anti seize is fine unless you have actual slippage problems. One of my bikes needed crabon paste but it's the exception rather than the norm.

Bike shop recommendations:
super-speedy Bike build/parts swap, on Friday, with BB30 tools and skill ,in London
Or if anyone can help me do it and has the tools I will pay with beers/ coffee/ etc (as I can do it, just won't have tools with me....

Micycle have an open workshop you'd be able to use, as well as coffee and good chat, as do some of the places with Workshop or Kitchen in their name I think.

Grease or anti seize is fine unless you have actual slippage problems. One of my bikes needed crabon paste but it's the exception rather than the norm.

Learn something new every day. :)

Seatpost is definitely not slipping and I already smeared every surface in grease. I can feel a slight movement in the saddle when I accelerate or hit a bump, which is accompanied by the click. I'm fairly sure the round bit in this photo

is rocking back and forth. There are no serrated teeth. I think tightening the bolts helps but I'm nervous going any further as I have snapped bolts before.

The design is pretty shit IMO, but I have it and want to make it work.

Rough up the surfaces a bit or chuck some crabon paste on the round bit, then tighten it an extra quarter turn, it'll be fine.

I've just noticed that my stem is touching itself around the back of the steerer (oo-err missus). It's on a new OTP Giant TCX SLR 2. The bolts have not been over torqued (unless the guys in the shop did it and bent the stem). Will it survive, or should I resign myself to a certain snappy-stem based death?

Rough up the surfaces a bit or chuck some crabon paste on the round bit, then tighten it an extra quarter turn, it'll be fine.

Good idea, will give that a go. Cheers

Cover everything in grease and see if that helps.

That's your answer to everything.

I've just noticed that my stem is touching itself around the back of the steerer (oo-err missus). It's on a new OTP Giant TCX SLR 2. The bolts have not been over torqued (unless the guys in the shop did it and bent the stem). Will it survive, or should I resign myself to a certain snappy-stem based death?

To add to this; I just took the top cap off and loosened the stem and there was a significant amount of wobble, around a degree or two I'd say. So seems like the stem bore is slightly larger than 1 1/8 (or the steerer is small, but this seems less likely as the spacers are quite snug.

Here's a pic:

Yeah, crappy stem, bin it.

First rule of bicycle mechanics: If it turns, grease it.

Yeah, crappy stem, bin it.

Should I bin it, or try and get Giant to swap it? If its a manufacturing default, that should be covered under a warranty no?

I'd say take it back to the shop. It's surprising no-one there noticed how tight the bolts were and how dodgy it looked, and sounds a bit negligent.

Will hope pro2 evo sp hubs fit an 11speed casette (specifically SRAM or shimano) or a 10speed?
Thanks

First rule of bicycle mechanics: If it turns, grease it.

Here it's "1) If it's not made of rubber, grease it."

Probably one for tester, can I use a set of hollow tech cranks with a SRAM GXP bottom bracket?

This will probably turn out to be a really easy fix but I just can't do it so I need some PC help please;

My grand dad's laptop seems to have lost it's ability to connect to wifi. He rang me the other day saying it wasn't working properly so I've picked it up to have a look.

It's a relatively recent Toshiba Satellite running Windows 8 (which is horrible to use BTW), I know it used to connect to wifi fine because I've been on it before but it seems like either he or one of the million random bloatwares on his computer have managed to break it.

It doesn't have the wifi logo in the corner anymore and when I open properties the network controller has a little yellow "!" over it. I'm assuming this means the network driver has gone/broken. It doesn't have a physical wifi switch.

I've plugged it into my router now & it is managing the internet wired but when I've clicked "update driver" it's just sitting there not downloading anything.

Can someone tell me how to fix it please? I'm hoping I can download something to my computer then pass it across on a USB stick but can't find a driver for "network controller" online.

If anyone could help it's be really appreciated...

Thanks

Is there a fn+f1-12 button on the keyboard instead of a true hardware switch? What does it say if you look at the properties of the wifi controller in device manager?

Probably one for tester, can I use a set of hollow tech cranks with a SRAM GXP bottom bracket?

No

Bugger.

Can I use a 6800 chainset with a 5700 bottom bracket then?

Seatpost is definitely not slipping and I already smeared every surface in grease. I can feel a slight movement in the saddle when I accelerate or hit a bump, which is accompanied by the click. I'm fairly sure the round bit in this photo

is rocking back and forth. There are no serrated teeth. I think tightening the bolts helps but I'm nervous going any further as I have snapped bolts before.

The design is pretty shit IMO, but I have it and want to make it work.

I have this post, and also one of the original bolts is missing as with yours... you can buy replacements from pmp in italy for like 8 euros each but the fucking shipping is like 18 quid or something stupid. I very nicely wrote to them in italian asking if they could just chuck them in an envelope with a stamp on but they declined...
basically you need to file down the base of the bolt head where it would enter the recessed clamp hole to give it a curved profile, and then get a flat, thin alu washer, screw it tight so it gets pulled into the hole with the bolt head, and theoretically you won't die or get your ass impaled on a bit of sharp broken titanium.
edit

here they are 6 euros

http://www.pmpbike.net/pmp-bike-en/?product=vite-in-acciaio-per-reggisella-2-serie

Fucking minimum order of 40 euros and 18 euros shipping. bulllshiiiiiitttttttttttt....

Is there a fn+f1-12 button on the keyboard instead of a true hardware switch? What does it say if you look at the properties of the wifi controller in device manager?

F12 looks like the wifi logo but when I click it, it activates flight mode.

In device manger, Network adapter seem to just be ethernet. Below that is "Other Devices" which contains "Network Controller" which is the thing with the "!" over it.

Bugger.

Can I use a 6800 chainset with a 5700 bottom bracket then?

Yes

Anyone seen any shops stocking Giro Terraduro shoes?

I have this post, and also one of the original bolts is missing as with yours... you can buy replacements from pmp in italy for like 8 euros each but the fucking shipping is like 18 quid or something stupid. I very nicely wrote to them in italian asking if they could just chuck them in an envelope with a stamp on but they declined...
basically you need to file down the base of the bolt head where it would enter the recessed clamp hole to give it a curved profile, and then get a flat, thin alu washer, screw it tight so it gets pulled into the hole with the bolt head, and theoretically you won't die or get your ass impaled on a bit of sharp broken titanium.
edit

here they are 6 euros

http://www.pmpbike.net/pmp-bike-en/?product=vite-in-acciaio-per-reggisella-2-serie

Fucking minimum order of 40 euros and 18 euros shipping. bulllshiiiiiitttttttttttt....

Ouch. That is a sad tale, and pretty shitty customer service from Pmp. I should confess, that picture isn't of my post, but some other poor soul's I found when searching for a picture. Mine still has the original bolt intact.

Now that I know its more valuable than diamond, I'll guard it with my life.