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Heh. Did that myself some years back up on Hampstead Heath. Richard Ballantine (as in Richard’s bicycle book) had bought along a Trek mtb fitted with Magura hydraulic rim brakes, we’d never seen them before. I took a spin on it, barrelled down a hill and grabbed a handful of back brake for impressive skidz. The front wheel locked instantly and I wiped out big time.

Much embarrassment.

Well the first thing is to get the legal people on board. It’s dead easy tbh, I used a bunch based in Liverpool and they did most of the legwork, altho I chased plod up when they dragged their heels on the cctv footage.
In the end they took so long that LT had wiped the footage but I got sworn statements from two coppers who attended the scene and viewed the footage while at the station.

But yeah, get things moving on that front.

You have to make notes of all this kinda thing. Keep a tally of all your expenses and costs incurred due to your injuries, taxis to the hospital for check-ups, things like that.
After my last big stack I had facial and neck injuries and had to sleep sitting up for a couple of weeks. I claimed for the cost of a pile of good quality pillows so I could sleep.

In the end I got about £4.5k for my injuries and expenses. I wasn’t going to go for that much but the cunt claimed I rode off the pavement in front of him, when in fact I was riding down the cycle lane and he turned left across me and I went over his bonnet and face planted. That’s when I thought fuck it and got the solicitors involved.

That’s how insurance works, it seems. You can claim it all back but you’re out of pocket til they cough up. I was hit by a driver outside Walthamstow Central station, in front of cctv, and was witnessed by an off-duty copper. It still took over a year to be settled. Be prepared for the long haul, I’m afraid.

I hate lower back pain. Tried to laugh it off for about 8 days now but have finally conceded and am laid up laying flat in bed with naproxen. Last night was so sore my balls were aching. Next stop - sciatica. Yay.

Saw a guy around Islington the other week, fixed brakeless, flat pedals, no straps. He didn’t skid once. The lights changed ahead of us and even at a moderate speed he was flexing all over the shop trying to slow down. Why?

Without wanting to sound like a proper old git, I rode and raced fixed for years, and commuted daily on one. I wouldn’t dream of riding one without a front brake.

Frankly, in a country where even saying the word ‘military’ gives the average voter a boner, how is he even managing to ride this out?

Not in London, mate...

The rear triangle hinge replacement is about £60, the two frame hinges are about £30 so that’s £120 before you even think about paint. For a fade paint job you’d be looking at a minimum of £300 for a decent job. Cheap it ain’t.

I lost my cat Popeye to an RTA on the first anniversary of the death of a good friend, so you can imagine I wasn’t in a great state of mind. I had to carry him home and bury him in the garden in the rain, and I was in bits.

It took me 5 years to get myself another cat because I took it so badly, but I’m glad I did. Of course it’ll come to it again some time, but it’s all part of having a pet. It still hurts tho.

Woman on a train recently - “I literally thought my head was going to explode!!!!”

Idiot.

I can’t find it right now, but there’s a story of a guy who wanted a tattoo in either Japanese or Chinese (can’t remember which) and he did it properly, got a good friend to translate it properly and had it checked out beforehand. It translates as “I have no idea what this says”.

From that I take it you mean slow, as in the formation of stalagmites slow?

Anyone who does a brake check is prime candidate for a d-lock around the head. It’s a cunt’s trick and should be treated as such.

It is correct, yes - Sram chains are not directional.

Correct - unfortunately all I get is the HD attempting to fire up, whirring sounds etc and then it shuts down again, and then repeats this cycle continuously.

Cheers, I shall look into that. I’ve no idea what you’re talking about re Ubuntu but I can only try :)

Cool, it’s prob easier to get the whole unit together tbh, @maynardeames will be along shortly to tell you the part number etc. Think they’re £20 retail and it’s a 5 minute job to fit

As I recall they just pop off in one unit, with pawls and the spring attached and they’re pretty straightforward (I’ve got one at work but I’m not in today)

Mind you, if the bike is new that would be a warranty issue, no?

It is, but I’m rather fond of it and would like to get it back. I’m also an utter spaz when it comes to This Kind Of Thing, hence me rather leaving it to a pro

Laptop not PC I know, but I have a Sony Vaio, bought it about 2013, which has died. It powers up, faffs about for about 10 seconds or less and then shuts down and tries again and again until the battery runs out. The screen remains blank.

I know it’s old but it was a lot of the wife’s old uni research on it so it’s worth resurrecting just for that. So to that end, can anyone recommend a way of getting it back up and running, or somewhere to take it for repair? I’m in South London or N16. Ta!

BLB do a range of shiny alu fenders in different finishes and styles. Dunno about a chain guard tho

This morning’s commute has been relegated to going from the bedroom to the kitchen and back for tea due to lower back pain being bad enough to finally call in sick after trying to ignore it/necking codeine for three days. Supposed to be going to a gig tonight too. Arses.

Really? I can’t ride anything more than about 5 or 6 miles at a decent pace without padded shorts, jeans just cut into me. I wear stretch jeans on the bike if I’m going somewhere, but if I’m commuting (26 miles a day) then it’s full bike kit. It’s just functional.

Yup, just along from the old Wandsworth builders polytechnic, sorry, the South Bank University Faculty of the Built Environment...