Any question answered...

I bathed my hands in Dettol, which seems to have masked the stink

Probably a more accurate description.

Thanks, will try.

Salt.

I used to work on a burger van (of an evening) and chopped many kilos of onions, the smell of which was cause for comment in the office the next day.

Only once I'd earned my burger-spurs, did Fat Tony tip me the wink.

nah, I reckon it was at least partly stinky bacteria which have been killed off.
doesn't seem to be an easy smell to mask - you just end up smelling both, which is odd.

Re. my mech - I've been put riding on it all day and we noticed that the derailleur bolt thing had come very loose. So that was definitely a factor. It's still not shifting perfectly though.

@dancing james yeah, it won't shift when I'm in the big ring. If I shift from lowest gear up one nothing happens until I shift up a second one. If I shift from 3rd lowest to 2nd lowest nothing happens until I shift to the lowest. So it's not something that the barrell adjuster will fix.

@carson it's 50/34, 11-36 (don't judge me, it's windy and hilly up in Scotland!). X9 2.1 long cage mech.

It's rideable - I never ride in 50/36 obviously - but like I say I'm wondering if something is bent somewhere. I'll take another look at it and see if I can figure it out.

Probably a Miche dual pivot jobby so a bit modern for me..... I was hoping you were going to say Weinmann lol

did Fat Tony tip me the wink.

Euph?

Don't ask for the double egg burger...

it's 50/34, 11-36 (don't judge me, it's windy and hilly up in Scotland!). X9 2.1 long cage mech.

assuming compatibility of indexing etc if using different groups those ratios should work fine together

If I shift from lowest gear up one nothing happens until I shift up a second one. If I shift from 3rd lowest to 2nd lowest nothing happens until I shift to the lowest. So it's not something that the barrell adjuster will fix.

sometimes cables that are not moving smoothly through cable housing (old - corroded or catching for whatever reason) can cause cable tension like issues -

equally if something is bent that would throw it off and not unusual for issues to be more apparent when changing from one sprocket than another - the fact that issue only arises when in big ring makes me wonder if its chainline issue maybe causing the problem...

Cables should be fine as they're new-ish. I'll measure the chainline and do a bit a bit more investigating tomorrow though. Too tired tonight...

Sounds like the inverse of parents letting children get to school unaccompanied?
Got a mate, known to your father, who can help you with the heights?

How do I convince him to pay someone else to do such jobs

Why would you want to? He'll stop when he doesn't want to do it any more. My dad didn't quit ladder work until he was past 80, but he made the decision for himself.

I'd rather he avoided an entirely avoidable death

Actuaries, assemble! Do people die sooner because they keep doing stuff which seems age-inappropriate, or because they rapidly enter a terminal decline when other people stop them from doing stuff?

It'll be fine as long as he doesn't step back to admire his work.

Put him before your self and get over your “dislike” of heights to offer a hand?

Pressure washers. No outside tap. Don't want to run off kitchen tap out window, it'll come off I'm sure. Don't want hand pump one.

Is there one that runs off a tank rather than avtap?
Ta

you in a non-ground-floor flat - i am, and wondering if something like this exists....

Where in the statement "you are right, ultimately it is his decision and if he insists on doing it my guilt will be minimised if something does happen" do you get the impression I will be telling him what to do?

It wasn't in that post, it was in your earlier one "How do I convince him to pay someone else to do such jobs?", but I was making a wider point.

would seriously consider shooting my father if it was a straight choice between that and going up a ladder

Hyperbole aside, you probably want to look at your problem before worrying too much about your dad. Either that or you can pay somebody to do the jobs you don't want your dad to do :)

Do manufacturers measure frame stack icluding external headset? If not, does that mean headset will add 1-2 cm to the stack height?

Karcher ones (or at least mine) can be rigged to draw from a water butt or reservoir with a particular hose

https://www.amazon.co.uk/K%C3%A4rcher-4-440-238-Suction-Check-Valve/dp/B000BFJ7F8

My Karcher will run from a water butt or even a bucket on a chair - admittedly at much lower delivery pressure than from a mains supply. The trick seems to be having the bucket higher than the washer and filling the hose etc. by siphoning before switching on - it's not very good at priming by sucking water up from a low level, and air locks cause alarming noises.

Are there any with their own reservoir/tank?

I've used a hand pump sprayer affair and they just can't get spds clear of mud.

Mobii or whatever they are called these days?

We've got one of these:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mobi-v-17-portable-bike-pressure-washer/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=100281997&kpid=100281997&utm_source=google&utm_term&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Accessories&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mckv%7csbUxTjjTi_dc%7cmcrid%7c67090793342%7cmkw%7c%7cmmt%7c%7cmrd%7c100281997uk%7cmslid%7c%7c&mkwid=sbUxTjjTi_dc&pcrid=67090793342&prd=100281997uk&pgrid=17507339942&ptaid=aud-131236049102:pla-353919117116

They struggle to take the skin off a rice pudding though.