Any question answered...

The guy's local to me, and said £60 cash in hand... what's the verdict [on the bike]?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252124101229

You live really far away.

Sorry.... what's the verdict on the bike, not my current out-of-london situation.

Still a bit steep.

Where can I get a salsa cowbell handlebar, 42/44cm? Or, why are all Europe retailers out of stock with unknown delivery?

Prepared to pay over the odds for 'I need it now' and someone else's idea of 'ready to ride'? £90 is a joke - £60 is still on the steep side.

I suspect in a few weeks time you'd be working on it and replacing parts to make it more acceptable - if that is the case, I'd look for a lower priced starting point.

£20 maybe. I would wait for a Raleigh (BSA etc) 20, Dawes Kingpin and even Halfords made a Twenty if you're willing to spend over £50. They're the sort of bikes that come up on Freecycle quite regularly too. If you're in no rush wait until the new year then the prices on ebay are lower (fewer bikes but lower prices).

Seven-speed cassette options for a Shimano 105 FH-1051… is this old thing Uniglide only, or Hyperglide compatible?

Does not look like it is uniglide ( no external thread). Hyperglide only by the looks of it.

That's HG, the clues are a: the thin spline and b: the female thread for a lock ring. Uniglide have a male thread to take the top sprocket which also acts as a lock ring and all the splines are the same width. There are some transitional hubs with both threads and the HG spline which will take UG or HG cassettes. There's a good article here with pictures.

To me that looks like a wide groove rather than a wide spline :-)

^ and ^^ excellent, thanks.

Thanks @Emyr @MrE and @Constable_Savage pretty much how I felt, needed support of the mob not to throw money at the only available option.

There's a Salvation Army bike co-op that I'd never bothered with, out back they have literally piles of bikes, and apparently a basement of parts too.

Under the massive pile of bikes was a whole stack of folders, mostly crap. I pulled out one of the Hercules, which looked much nicer, but the back wheel was shot, and some levers non-moving. There was a non-folding Raleigh 20 too. Loads of stuff. Anyway I liked the look of the Mayfair the best, it's dodgy old metal. Definitely gambling with my life on this thing.

I spent nearly 2 hours faffing with the Mayfair until I bought it. Immediately replaced the brake pads before leaving, and got the tyres pumped and checked, etc. We freed up the seat post and stem with penetrating lube, checked cables were safe-enough.

Happy paying £30 for an old mare.

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Okay real question, be it 'secondary lock' quality, what's the current best value(/quality) mini U-lock? This folder isn't worth enough to carry the Abus Granit. Preferably small enough for belt storage, or on the rack. Would be used as secondary on the real bikes.

Krypto Evolution would do the trick.

Cheapest place to get Crank Brothers Cleats?

Where is this magic bike pile?

Can't believ you passed up the Twenty. Although yours looks nice enough.

Google Fu suggests this one:
http://www.recycles-swindon.co.uk/about-recycles.php

I'll check it if I'm ever in the area (not likely).

About 100 miles outside of London!

I know, I know. But I need/want a folding bike, and the R20 they have isn't.

There's still hope. I don't think anyone has an idea about what's in the piles. Here's the start of it, the ones they've been working through to sell. There's about the same x5. I will take some pics some other day if I go back.

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Might have to brave the dive that is Swindon next time I'm down to see the dive that is my sister.

Ha... well let me know. I can check the opening times, or see you there if I'm free.

Be warned though.... I had a look and saw no track bieks.

I don't head that way too often so I'll likely forget.

tattoo it on your face or something

Anyone heard of Sun? Specifically this UFO GRAND rim?

I bought it on a whim, and I have probably paid too much after postage. If they're shit no worries - I need a spare front for the bike on the turbo.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UFO-18-bladed-spoke-clicher-front-wheel-700c-/201447764588?

Ok, so I bought the hangar - but the 10 spd cassette jams against the hangar's bolt - assume that's what you were getting at when you told me to run it as an 8 speed? i.e. an 8 speed has enough clearance for that bolt?
So to add complication - the wheel has a campag freehub. I've never done it, but there's no issues swopping a shimano freehub in there, is there?

the wheel has a campag freehub. I've never done it, but there's no issues swopping a shimano freehub in there, is there?

Which wheel? Some are an easy (albeit often expensive) swap, some are never going to happen.