Your rants here.

jds_1981

Rick Chasey wrote:

Once upon a time if my bike broke I could take it to the nearest bike shop and they'd fix it the same day.

Earliest time I can get my bike looked at is Thursday.

F*ck cycling's popularity. It's just makes the whole thing more of a ballache.

Man test failure. Even if you don't have the tools you could get them delivered before then

itboffin

Rick you're taking your bike to change a SS freewheel?

rick_chasey

jds_1981 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Once upon a time if my bike broke I could take it to the nearest bike shop and they'd fix it the same day.

Earliest time I can get my bike looked at is Thursday.

F*ck cycling's popularity. It's just makes the whole thing more of a ballache.

Man test failure. Even if you don't have the tools you could get them delivered before then

You guys always assume I live somewhere where I have space for this kind of stuff.

rjsterry

Rick Chasey wrote:

jds_1981 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Once upon a time if my bike broke I could take it to the nearest bike shop and they'd fix it the same day.

Earliest time I can get my bike looked at is Thursday.

F*ck cycling's popularity. It's just makes the whole thing more of a ballache.

Man test failure. Even if you don't have the tools you could get them delivered before then

You guys always assume I live somewhere where I have space for this kind of stuff.

Alternatively, buy a spare wheel, tyre, tube and freehub then just drop off the wheel with the duff freehub. Also handy for those punctures you notice just as you are about to set off.

wolfsbane2k

Dropped gloves in puddle when left the office.
Spend 10 mins with them off, before decided to stick them on - bad move, even colder
So glad to get home to a warm brew!

awavey

Rick Chasey wrote:

Once upon a time if my bike broke I could take it to the nearest bike shop and they'd fix it the same day.

Earliest time I can get my bike looked at is Thursday.

F*ck cycling's popularity. It's just makes the whole thing more of a ballache.

that seems quick in comparison last time I wanted to get my bike fixed I was quoted more than two weeks, with the proviso they only took bookings up to two weeks...yeah I took the hint and went somewhere else, still took more than a week at the 2nd choice LBS, but at least they wanted the trade.

awavey

grr all the people who had the week off at halftime came back into the office with colds and the damn thing is spreading round the office again and now Im feeling all rubbish and head coldy again, just after Id got over the last nasty cold/chest infection too. Ive hardly ridden my bike at all this year so far as a result.

itboffin

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Dropped gloves in puddle when left the office.
Spend 10 mins with them off, before decided to stick them on - bad move, even colder
So glad to get home to a warm brew!

always carry at least one set of workshop gloves, then pop them on underneath it'll still be damn cold with windchill but not as bad

tangled_metal

I took the hint from one of my local bike shops. Over 2 weeks and the mechanic was now only working part time so they weren't taking bookings.

Another shop only had a mechanic 2 or 3 days a week but could fit my bike in end of the week.

A third shop would call me when parts came in and would get the work done in a day. Unfortunately the only way i could get the bike in and collected meant a week without it.

I went to a fourth lbs which my partner had bad experience with but he did it in 3 hours. The bike gears weren't set up, the rear derailleur cable was running over the top of the rear cable disc brake cable (that will cut it for sure). Plus other major safety issues. I even think it caused an accident but that could be paranoia.

So i think i win in the bike shops suck rants. Or rather i lose.
PS I'm fixing my own bike right now. Taking my time and making sure it's right. If not I'm going on holiday to fort William where there's a decent shop with decent mechanics. An 8 hour drive isn't extreme to get a same day repair job right?

rubertoe

Punctured on the way home last night, so much shoot on the disused railway path; need to ditch the gatorskins in favour of something more grippy;

Any recomendations for some light CX tyres?

itboffin

light tyres aren't going to offer much PF protection, if you want that plus grip its heavyweights

veronese68

Sick to phucking death of this bloody cough. I've had a cough since before Christmas, every time I try to ride a bit quicker and exert myself I have a coughing fit. Now I seem to have picked up another bug to join the old one so am fully bunged up again with even more coughing. I think I pulled a muscle in my back during a particularly heavy coughing fit in the night. Had to drive in because there is no way I could manage to ride in. Really have had enough of this now.

wolfsbane2k

itboffin wrote:

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Dropped gloves in puddle when left the office.
Spend 10 mins with them off, before decided to stick them on - bad move, even colder
So glad to get home to a warm brew!

always carry at least one set of workshop gloves, then pop them on underneath it'll still be damn cold with windchill but not as bad

Good suggestion, not sure why I didn't think of that. I carry some lightweight reusable nitrile ones, would have been better than nought, despite the meshed backs

slowbike

Veronese68 wrote:

Sick to phucking death of this bloody cough. I've had a cough since before Christmas, every time I try to ride a bit quicker and exert myself I have a coughing fit. Now I seem to have picked up another bug to join the old one so am fully bunged up again with even more coughing. I think I pulled a muscle in my back during a particularly heavy coughing fit in the night. Had to drive in because there is no way I could manage to ride in. Really have had enough of this now.

vicks vaporub on your feet ... it wont cure it but should alieviate the coughing

wolfsbane2k

Diesel or oil on the road. Jesus, hecking Christ. there can't have been much left in the vehicle this morning - it was all over the 2 meter wide bus lane for approx. 1 mile. Decided to give up trying to dodge it and took the main lane , which resulted in a very large amount of agro.

itboffin

Veronese68 wrote:

Sick to phucking death of this bloody cough. I've had a cough since before Christmas, every time I try to ride a bit quicker and exert myself I have a coughing fit. Now I seem to have picked up another bug to join the old one so am fully bunged up again with even more coughing. I think I pulled a muscle in my back during a particularly heavy coughing fit in the night. Had to drive in because there is no way I could manage to ride in. Really have had enough of this now.

tell me about it, i had a 6" stream of fluro green slime hanging this morning

dhope

itboffin wrote:

tell me about it, i had a 6" stream of fluro green slime hanging this morning

You could probably sell that to DanB

veronese68

dhope wrote:

itboffin wrote:

tell me about it, i had a 6" stream of fluro green slime hanging this morning

You could probably sell that to DanB

Thanks, you just made me have another coughing fit. Read that, laughed and the promptly descended into a ridiculous coughing fit. :?

bendertherobot

Rapha returns. Approaching day 12 with no refund. It's arguably better to stick sale items on ebay. They may go quicker.

bendertherobot

Had a response. They're currently processing returns received on the 7th Feb. Incredible.

rjsterry

Veronese68 wrote:

Sick to phucking death of this bloody cough. I've had a cough since before Christmas, every time I try to ride a bit quicker and exert myself I have a coughing fit. Now I seem to have picked up another bug to join the old one so am fully bunged up again with even more coughing. I think I pulled a muscle in my back during a particularly heavy coughing fit in the night. Had to drive in because there is no way I could manage to ride in. Really have had enough of this now.

Assume you've had it checked out if it's been going on that long. If not, do so.

shycho

Fairly minor one, as living away from London I don't have much to rant about on my quiet journey in.
But today, climbing up a short hill (slowly, as i'm unfit and a useless cyclist) Taxi driver wants to pull out of a side road, turning right to join my lane.
Spots me, waits, hesitates, thinks about going, stops, waits hesitates some more and then just as i'm about to pass his side road he decides to pull out quickly, but then pull away up the road slowly.
Even at my trundling pace I had to slow down and lose momentum not to go in the back of him.
No doubt this is the same style of taxi driver who take roundabouts at 30mph even when the approach is blind.

I know not all taxi drivers are bad, but this week has been horrendous for them no matter what form of transport i've been in.

dinyull

Bus drivers are a bit thick, aren't they?

Had a punishment pass from one this morning, because just as he indicated to pull out of the stop I had started to overtake him. 10 seconds later and he passed close enough I could have tickled half of his passengers (top deck included).

The dozy f*cker had to pull into the next bus stop where I was able to unleash a verbal volley. Funnily enough he gave me plenty of room next pass.

For the first time I'm seriously thinking of reporting it to the bus company - made sure to remember location and bus number. I don't think it'll make a blind bit of difference though.

cruff

New wheels last night, took cassette off old rear, cleaned it up, put it on new rear, forgot spacer, couldn't index properly, took me 15 minutes to figure out why (spacer was under sofa). Reinstalled, all good. Took tyre and tube off old rear, inflated, went to bed. Woke up in the morning, tyre flat - valve f***ed.

If I won the lottery, I wouldn't buy a bike, I'd buy a mechanic

dinyull

Prices are going UP!!!

Noticed a few weeks back that the price of 105 pedals had shot up from £40+ to now over £60. Pro Lite Revo wheels have gone up to £450 from £350. And last night noticed a bit of play in one of my commuter pedals, so had a check of wiggle for cheapo Shimano R540 pedals which you used to be able to get for £20 - now £30. Up 33%, wtf?!

mattsaw

Dinyull wrote:

Prices are going UP!!!

Noticed a few weeks back that the price of 105 pedals had shot up from £40+ to now over £60. Pro Lite Revo wheels have gone up to £450 from £350. And last night noticed a bit of play in one of my commuter pedals, so had a check of wiggle for cheapo Shimano R540 pedals which you used to be able to get for £20 - now £30. Up 33%, wtf?!

Exchange rates and higher producer price index figures due falls in production in China.

PPI figures last month were up around 20%, not many manufactures can fully absorb that cost themselves.

I've got a keen eye on the opinion polls to see at what point Brexit stops being the will of the people ((c) Daily Mail) once they realise they're going to get royally screwed in her pockets.

rick_chasey

Dinyull wrote:

Prices are going UP!!!

Noticed a few weeks back that the price of 105 pedals had shot up from £40+ to now over £60. Pro Lite Revo wheels have gone up to £450 from £350. And last night noticed a bit of play in one of my commuter pedals, so had a check of wiggle for cheapo Shimano R540 pedals which you used to be able to get for £20 - now £30. Up 33%, wtf?!

Brexit innit.

veronese68

rjsterry wrote:

Assume you've had it checked out if it's been going on that long. If not, do so.

Been to a couple of GP appointments with my daughter (unrelated illness) and in conversation they have all said this year's bugs seem to be lingering more. But I agree, it has now been too long so phoned for an appointment the other day, they don't have anything until the 14th March and that is with a nurse as there are no appointments with a GP until even later. Seems daft to push for an emergency appointment for something that has been going on for 2 months, but over 2 weeks to get an appointment is a bit much.

shycho

Mattsaw wrote:

I've got a keen eye on the opinion polls to see at what point Brexit stops being the will of the people ((c) Daily Mail) once they realise they're going to get royally screwed in her pockets.

If people voted to leave the EU because they thought they'd be better off in the short term, then maybe we should do away with democracy.

veronese68

I think democracy has gone the way some are talking. There mustn't be a second referendum because that would be undemocratic. How does that work? If there were to be a second referendum and the vote went the other way surely the democratic vote would be to stay. It would seem some believe that democracy stopped with that vote the way they are carrying on. Lobbying and protesting is now seen as undemocratic.