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32 mph is the highest I have measured accurately (GPS). Whitechapel Road miraculously free of traffic, geared road bike, needed a pee rather urgently.

On country rides sans GPS, I've fairly regularly been able to set off those "slow down, you mad fool!" speed-sensitive 30mph signs one gets in the villages of Essex while on the road bike. On the (48x15) Fuji, I've got to what felt like a rather quick cadence on a few late night rides across town, which given that gearing was probably touching 30 - certainly no bugger was overtaking.

Blimey! Nice one, Blue Quinn. One for the bookmarks - they seem to make something very reminiscent of a Kool Stop salmon pad for less money too.

Given that it's a brake shoe that bolts through the arm of the brake, might it be easiest to fit the whole shoe and pad assembly from a modern brake as an interim measure? The going rate seems to be less than a tenner online: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=2954

Went in there earlier today. It's a classy-looking setup - very far removed from the trad bikeshop. The frames look very nice too - the fillet-brazed jobs are very neatly done, in Columbus CrMo, SL and SLX and one in Reynolds 631. There are new lugged frames too and some vintagey ones on top of a cabinet at the rear left of the shop. Looks bloody promising over all.

Just as a contrary view, I've just come back from a swift ride round town on my not-used-enough-recently "best" bike, which has Veloflex 700x22s on it. After months of the late lamented Fuji's crap stock 28s and my second-string road bike's 23 Gatorskins, the amount of grip was a surprise and a great delight. I was very conscious of being able to do mid-corner direction changes I'd have avoided on the other bikes ithout any drama.

I think what I'm saying is don't fret about 22/23/25/28ness too much, but buy the best quality you can afford in whatever width suits. (NB Veloflex is not a recommended London tyre, being about as thick as clingfilm).

huge relieved sigh

goes back to tense wait for new Fuji

I'm just going to eat the ridiculous weight and use my Almax all the time, I think.

I'm a bit of a bigot on this point, but the fact that they do fillet brazed frames delights me a great deal. My favourite form of construction by several barns.

Balki: locking to itself rather than to an immovable object. A daft idea on the street, but probably pretty routine in a bike-storage room unless the freeholder has gone to the trouble of providing lots of racks or anchors.

In chronological order:

Early 60s Claud Butler five-speed road bike inherited from my dad (all the original bits too). Crashed horribly and wrecked the wheels and cranks. Now very rusty and resident in my dad's shed awaiting rebuilding.

Crap Carrera MTB (nicked)

Long bikeless gap.

Dahon Helios SL - Still have it, but it really needs a new rear wheel as the delicate Rolf is on its way out.

Flanders aluminium road bike with mixed Campag kit - eBay bargain, basically brand new from an MTB rider who'd bought it as a trainer but never really used it. Horribly over-stiff, so frame disposed of and all the kit put on new frame.

Orbit Photon steel audax frame bought for peanuts when Orbit went bust - built up with bits from the Flanders. Fairly quickly got lovely, lovely Campag Proton wheels: http://velospace.org/node/4236

Dave Yates course. Built a relaxed road bike in fillet-brazed 631 (audaxy geometry but without mudguard braze-ons and all that stuff): http://velospace.org/node/11956

Fuji Track (nicked). Fantastic thing for the money, I thought. All the money's in the frame where it should be.

Fuji Track #2 on way from Biddle providing they haven't vanished.

I tried to report one of the more obvious gumtree thieves earlier on today via the Met's "non-emergency" line. (I'm keeping an eye on gumtree in case my stolen bike turns up there). They hung up on me. No word of a lie.

Fortunately I have a mate in CID, so I've dropped them a message to find out if there's anyone I can speak to directly who might actually be interested.

Gah. I think I've found the one I was thinking of. Not actually the same guy.

ISTR seeing some other sites linked from the OTP list thread that resembled Biddle pretty closely (very similar stock and running OSCommerce). Perhaps it'd be worth having a poke around one of them?

I do hope they're not defunct, since I'm waiting for a Fuji Track from them to replace my nicked one. Good work that man for buying them the .com BTW!

Belatedly found this thread. And so my debut post chiz chiz. (I was the guy with the 'tache and hunting pink waistcoat at the tweed ride if anyone wants to put a face to me).

Between 7 and 9.30 last Tuesday evening while I was in The Gunmakers (highly recommended for quality beer BTW) my Fuji Track was nicked from Clerkenwell Road (the racks just outside the Duke).

Size 56cm. Original tyres miraculously unpunctured, original rubbish saddle, cross stop lever on right bar, front Tiagra brake, mount for Cat Eye rear light, grey Crank Bros Smarty pedals (yes, I know).

Not the crime of the century, but extremely irritating. No doubt long gone now, but if anyone does spot it...