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My local Yodel delivery driver seems to be OK - my last PX delivery was here within 24 hours or so, and in the past when I've been out they've managed redelivery the next day without a problem.

I've just jinxed myself, haven't I?

I suppose the questions I would ask are: what are the things about your job that are causing you grief? Many years ago I went on a training course where one of the exercises was thinking about what your core values/desires were: eg. security, autonomy, novelty, etc. The instructors' point was that if these core values were unmet or even contradicted in your daily life - whether at work or outside - then you were unlikely to be happy in the long term. I'd suggest trying to work out if anything about your job is contradicting what you might consider your core values, and if so what kind of job might be better aligned with them; this sounds a bit new-agey-bullshit, but I've found it helpful in thinking about what directions I'd like to explore.

(A few years ago I quit my job to become a stay-at-home dad and do bits of freelance writing; this was because we'd moved across the country for my OH's job, and​ so without paying for childcare we could manage on just her salary; while this is incredibly hard in its own way, I don't really miss my old career.)

That is lovely - (roughly) what age do you reckon it would suit?

What's the fit like on the Isobaa tops? I notice they've just reappeared on Sportpursuit. I'm 6'5", so short in the body's no good for me. The sizing chart makes them look like they come up tighter than other brands for the same size - are they snug or ok?

Have always had good service from them; as noted above, their wheels are popular with the touring and audax crowd.

Is this just as a hack? I'd sandpaper/wire brush it back and then - assuming no cracks or holes have revealed themselves - slap some hammerite or the like on.

Not weight training as such, but I found kettlebell classes massively improved my core strength and comfort on the bike for long rides. Probably didn't make me any faster, though.

Middle one for me.

Can I ask why cantis and not centrepulls (am I right that you've still got the Compass ones on your Oak)?

Rene Herse/Compass? Inner ring goes down to 24; retro looks, low q-factor, very lightweight, jewel-like finishing, square taper only, eye-wateringly expensive... Available from velo vitality in the UK.

Given the updated classic jerseys, bibs, softshell &c. I presume they're slowly overhauling all of the classic collection so a new one should be on the way?

Yeah, on actually checking the colours that frame above looks like royal blue (but enamel not flam or metallic) - I am an idiot with the memory of a goldfish. Have edited above.

Colour matching to web photos is a bit of a mug's game, but my frame is currently with Bob Jackson waiting for a respray, so I've spent some time looking at their colours. The frame in the picture above looks to me like it's been painted in their 'oxford royal blue' plain enamel with a white enamel head tube.

The colour swatches on the BJ website are rubbish; I found the best way to get a feel for what the colours looked like was to pick a colour from the swatches and do a Google image search for 'bob jackson [colour name]'.

Yeah, have had stock problems about 3 out of the last 4 times I've ordered from them. All of them have been in sales TBF, but for a premium online-only brand it's a bit of a poor show. I do think their merino polos are great, mind.

Ta - probably the wrong side of town for me, but looks like it would be worth dropping by if I'm over that way.

Any recommendations for somewhere to watch the Omloop this weekend Birmingham way?

Ta - material for the wistful one day dream there...

Is that for a UK build? What's the ballpark cost for one of those?

Looking at how stock on the archive sale page has gone up and down there must be an insane amount of returns going on. OTOH I agree a quick email to say 'we've received your returns parcel' would be nice.

Stacked the cargobike on a sweeping downhill turn - front wheel just went, not sure if diesel or other crap from the industrial estate. Thankfully was on way to pick up kids rather than heading home. Have taken paint down to the metal all down the side of the bike; road rash/10, would not recommend.

I'm told child-carrier cargo bikes hold their value pretty well - 75-80% or so. But then I've not tried selling mine yet...

Yeah, on grounds of faff I'm going for a sympathetic refurb - eg downtube bosses would add another £50 to the refurb costs. I'm happy enough to stick with the DT shifters and wheels I've got at the moment, and think about upgrading when they're worn out. A perverse bit of me is also wondering about going for a proper old-school 7-speed half-step-plus-granny gearing, but I'm sure that urge will pass.

Yes, currently it's running a 160mm threaded stem on a quill converter - again a legacy of the parts bin build. Nitto noodle or randonneur bars and a normal quill stem are the most likely replacement, though the VO randonneur bars are also cheap and have long reach, so I may go for those.

Hmm, ta; will bear that in mind.

What kind of teething problems? Was thinking of ordering one in the next month or two if I get some expected freelance gigs...

This is my main road bike; the only picture I can find of it built up is this one, on the 2014 Straight Outta Hackney 200: https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/113077474@N05/20257696882/

I bought this frame from a guy in Cambridge via the CTC forums. Eclipse were sold out of a shop on the Strand back in the mid-80s, and were pretty well regarded. Mine doesn't have cantis, so I think it is likely to have been an Eclipse Routier, which was more towards the fast tourer end of the spectrum. (The only info I've been able to find about them is this thread on the CTC forums - mine is the same colour & model as the one down the page: https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?t=37880 )

I think it's a 531ST frame - it takes a 26.4mm seatpin. The guy I bought it off built it up with parts from his bits box; he reset the rear end to 130mm and fitted 700c wheels - as far as I'm aware the Weinmann centrepulls are original. It's not the lightest frame, but rides really nicely. However the paint is rubbish - chips as soon as you look at it, and was in bad shape when I bought it, having been roughly touched up.

It's now been boxed up ready for me to ring Bob Jackson and book it in for a respray. I'm fond enough of it to spend a bit extra on a refurb, and was thinking of going classic British lightweight - racing green with an ivory head tube and maybe even a barbers pole. I was also thinking of getting some bottle bosses brazed on while the paint's being redone - I find band-on cages a bit of a faff.

Once it's back I'll have to think about how to build it up again. It's a big frame - 64cm or so - but the top tube is only 58 cm, which is a little short for me. I had a 160mm stem on it but relatively short-reach bars, so I think I'll try and get some longer-reach bars and a more normal stem.

The other question is what to do about the drive train; for some reason it's got an 8-from-9 cassette (13-32 I think) on a 7-speed hub, which all works fine, but I'm not sure whether I'll stick with that when it wears out.