Search results for:

That will save you a lot of import duties. Nice to see people taking their nipples seriously!

I've been using the shaker and Sapim's "gripper" for a couple of years and they are now indispensable.

Looks like you might have a bob or two to spare...

https://www.wheelfanatyk.com/store/wheel-fanatyk-nipple-shuffler/

You can use a sharpened old spoke to "stab" yer nipps or buy the special tool from Sapim or others.

Jeez, those spokes are WAAAAAY too short. The first few mm of the nipple is just bare shank - no threads at all so you'll be lucky if you have more than a thread or two actually engaged inside the nipple. Longer nipples are not the answer. I wouldn't be surprised if you could yank those spokes out by hand.
New spokes, sorry.
(Edit. I presume you do have some tension in those spokes?)

Hi Arup, Roger Musson has a good description of the straight pull calculation and his own calculator is now compatible too. £9 well spent anyway.

Big organisations prefer to buy from big organisations Somewhere up the procurement chain will be someone covering his/her arse with piles (no pun intended) of beuraucratic waste paper that as time goes on, only larger companies are able to vomit up on demand. Bikeability now favours this environment and I predict that what we will see is a relentless progression to near monopolies. The signs are already there as mentioned above.

Noticably the recent update to Bikeability went nowhere near pay and conditions which to me is as much a part of quality standards as everything else. Companies are of course independent but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be set decent standards for "their" instructors.

There are still a few small companies who put their instructors front and centre of their business. They care about them. There are other companies who rely on an easy supply of instructors eager to pay for their own training, some of whom don't care about the money or don't even need it. One or two big companies will swallow up the little guys or simply syphon off their clients until they fold. What they've already done to Bikeability they are now doing to the Safe Urban Driving. Such a shame as it's the kids and customers who lose in the end.

I am saddened by it all.

Dibs on the chrome TS-2.2 etc.. How do you want to be paid? PayPal?
Thanks

You could try Sapim double-square nipples (DSNs). They usually need around 2mm longer compared to standard nipples. Bonus is a few more threads engaged above the usual nipple head. Washers under the nipple head can also take up another 0.5/0.75mm. No need to relace, just change nipples.

Hi moocher. Sorry I messed up my reply to your pm. Can you contact me again on wheels@dalynchi.com as I'm keen to go ahead.
Thanks

Anyone interested in turning me a wood stool seat approx 40cm dia x 7cm/8cm in thickness (subject to stock availability). Doesn’t need to be particularly fancy wood just something with a bit of pattern and able to take a durable finish. PMs welcome.

They list their phone number on the contacts page. Might be worth giving them a call. I've bought just spokes from them before.

https://dcrwheels.co.uk/products/rims/

https://carbonbikerepair.co.uk/wp/

Not quite London but a good rep.

Can anyone please recommend for me a suitable brand / supplier of clear coat / top coat / varnishes for carbon fibre. Sorry about the terminology, I have absolutely no background in this stuff. I'm not at all artistic, my interest is in touching up and repairing minor scuffs and scratches. I'd particularly like to blend in satin and matte finishes. Do I need thinners?

I've been all over looking at airbrush supplies and seen model maker sites, cake decorating, auto repairs, make-up etc and all that's done is left me even more confused. I have taken the plunge on a Sparmax SP-35 Double Action Gravity Feed Airbrush with a 0.35mm Nozzle which seems to be a reasonable starter option. I don't yet want to get a compressor as I think I'll be spending more time cleaning the airbrush than spraying with it. So canned propellant is what I'll start with - although I'm wondering if one of the new air reservoirs for quickly inflating tubeless tyres might be an option?

Many thanks

How good are your existing spoke lengths and at what tension? Both factors can sometimes provide a bit of leeway.

T is for biscuits

We at ... are upscaling our... delivery and would be keen to work with you to deliver this, but require you to go through an on-boarding process. In addition, we will need you to evidence the ... delivery competencies...
I dispair.

The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986
F AVOIDANCE OF DANGER
105.  No person shall open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person.

I’m no lawyer but it looks to me as if a driver opens a door (or one of his passengers does so) he/she would be liable for a fine of up to £1000 and three points on his licence.

Notice that the regulation does not require the passing cyclist to actually be hit. Simply causing the danger is enough.

As a consequence of this regulation the Highway Code has a “Must” -

Rule 239
you MUST ensure you do not hit anyone when you open your door. Check for cyclists or other traffic

This rule also states “do not park facing against the traffic flow”. This practice is endemic and one of my particular gripes.

Maybe time to revive a thread from way back. How about switching from cartridge or disposable razors to using a safety razor or straight edge instead. (Beards being sooo 2017 after all... ). Zippos rather than plastic lighters too.

Sorry but I don't really want to split the bikes up that way. As Pashley still sell the same bike as the Pashley Pronto you may be able to get one (in black) from http://www.traditionalcycleshop.co.uk/

I’m restoring a couple of them but don’t hold your breath as I’m in no hurry to finish them. They’re just a kind of background project that I’m never going to make anything from other than the experience.

If you’re viewing a prospective purchase, check the kickstand mounting bracket for cracks. can pm you a pic if you want. The damage is probably due to constant over-loading. I don’t think it affects the integrity of the frame but I wouldn’t want to reattach a kickstand to it. I also have a couple of the metal straps/cross-members broken or missing from the rear rack.

On the plus side I do have two unbroken front racks and black plastic boxes. Apparently these too fail quite often due to overloading.

I don’t anticipate having them for sale yet, although there are a couple of people who’ve registered an interest. pm me if you’re interested in taking a look. (TW11) One will be rideable soon. I trial ride might well put her off!

Eric's of Clapton

I took part in the London New Year’s day Parade (Google LNYDP) on Sunday and have just about dried out. It was fun despite being cold and wet but what I found surprising was how little represented was London cycling. I was in a small group of 25 riders mostly from Hounslow Cycle Campaign and, maybe because we were pretty much at the tail end of the parade, I didn’t see any other groups to do with cycling. Given that a pretty good crowd can be persuaded to join Critical Mass rides I wondered if next year something could be done under the LFGSS banner.

I think it would have to be something a bit more “official” than Critical Mass and I mean no offence by that. The application asks how many participants and how much space you’d need so it wouldn’t be a simple as just having loads of cyclists turn up (although maybe they wouldn’t mind them following at the end of the parade)

Something that shows how important cycling is to London was missing, not just the numbers but the variety - commuters of course but also messengers/couriers, polo etc, and why not a group of fixies track-standing during the stops (and there are plenty of those!). This is a creative community with plenty of time to come up with ideas.

Wocha think?

A few further thoughts with my first coffee…

TAXONOMY - How are the media assets to be described.
This will open you up to a never ending world of indecision. Nail down as good a structure as early as you can and at least threaten to charge for subsequent alterations.

MEDIA LOCATION
Store the media files inside your database and the database size grows very quickly (speed/backup issues). Store only paths to the files and you have to be very careful about moving them around.

MEDIA FORMATS
Don’t choose anything too proprietary. For eventual display on-line you may need to repurpose source (archive quality) files.

DRIFT
Lock down what data can be entered as much as possible. Even free text fields should have guidance as to the scope of the language that can be used. Otherwise the accuracy of the records WILL drift over time.

D.A.M.
Digital Asset Management is the general term for this stuff. Certainly the package I referenced earlier is mature but I’ve no current idea of costs. As a FileMaker user for my own needs I would be inclined to tackle the taxonomy first in that, charging this issue as a separate consultancy. Once this is largely settled SQL tables can be set up on-line (which, incidentally FileMaker can also use locally) and the PHP/HTML started.

I wrote a very simple “getting started” article for a client recently, pm me if you would like a copy.

Ian

Have you looked at something like Canto's Cumulus?

Apparently something called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis and sepsis, thought to be a reaction to the drugs he was being given in hospital.