On the 1400 - 2200 shift yesterday and at around 1800 the lab phone rings. It's my gaffer asking me if that's my Trek parked on the fence in the car park. Expecting someting like "get it shifted" he told me that the back tyre was flat. After fixing the puncture, the pump I had with me was one that came with a bike I bought on ebay and I hadn't used it in anger.
Turned out it was made of the finest Camembert as the seal fell to bits. Since all the gaffers had gone home, I took the site van and drove to the Halfords (it was now 1930) about 6 miles away, got them to pump it up with their track pump and bought a new Top Peak pump to see me home at 2200. Thank heavens, once again, for their late night opening :-)
<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Turned out it was made of the finest Camembert as the seal fell to bits. Since all the gaffers had gone home, I took the site van and drove to the Halfords (it was now 1930) about 6 miles away, got them to pump it up with their track pump and bought a new Top Peak pump to see me home at 2200. Thank heavens, once again, for their late night opening :-)
There's a lot of knocking Halfords on here, and I always feel its unjustified. I know I would rarely buy anything from them, but that's because there's two or three decent bike shops in the area. (However, not including Evans). I bought a couple of tools from Halfords the other day because I knew they'd do the cheap multi purpose ones I wanted. Although I was looking to buy lube from them, I refrained as it was their unbranded one ... well, I just don't know. Anyway, for emergencies etc, then they're fine, just my last choice.
There's a lot of knocking Halfords on here, and I always feel its unjustified. I know I would rarely buy anything from them, but that's because there's two or three decent bike shops in the area. (However, not including Evans). I bought a couple of tools from Halfords the other day because I knew they'd do the cheap multi purpose ones I wanted. Although I was looking to buy lube from them, I refrained as it was their unbranded one .. well, I just don't know. Anyway, for emergencies etc, then they're fine, just my last choice.
I was able to buy a gallon of motor oil as well, but I wouldn't trust them to work on my bike. Pumping up tyres is OK though ;-)
Forgot so say that the tyre was a Bontrager Racelight, which means that the *only* tyre I've had (except for the Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my hybrid) that has never punctured is..................
<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Turned out it was made of the finest Camembert as the seal fell to bits. Since all the gaffers had gone home, I took the site van and drove to the Halfords (it was now 1930) about 6 miles away, got them to pump it up with their track pump and bought a new Top Peak pump to see me home at 2200. Thank heavens, once again, for their late night opening :-)
There's a lot of knocking Halfords on here, and I always feel its unjustified. I know I would rarely buy anything from them, but that's because there's two or three decent bike shops in the area. (However, not including Evans). I bought a couple of tools from Halfords the other day because I knew they'd do the cheap multi purpose ones I wanted. Although I was looking to buy lube from them, I refrained as it was their unbranded one .. well, I just don't know. Anyway, for emergencies etc, then they're fine, just my last choice.
My current wheels on the commuter were handbuilt by one of the chaps at the local Halfords. I think we have a realtively good one in that some of the staff in the bike section (about 1/3 the floor area on a special mezzanine level) are competent and knowledgeable. I have since changed the rim on one of the wheels but they went two years needing barely a tweak. Only issue was that he put the valve hole between two crossing spokes rather than two parallel ones. And he did it for the special price of the prebuilt ones that were no longer in stock, after chasing the database around the country to find a pair. I think it was 85 quid the pair for LX hubs on Mavic 519 rims, stainless butted spokes.
There's a lot of knocking Halfords on here, and I always feel its unjustified. I know I would rarely buy anything from them, but that's because there's two or three decent bike shops in the area. (However, not including Evans).
Our Halfords doesn't have any bike racks, in fact there is nothing to lock a bike too except one tree very close to the "carpark motorway" or a sign in the middle of a garden, hence I don't go there too often.
Our Halfords doesn't have any bike racks, in fact there is nothing to lock a bike too except one tree very close to the "carpark motorway" or a sign in the middle of a garden, hence I don't go there too often.
My local Halfords does have a bike rack. On a 3ft path. Adjacent to a parking bay. So unless your bike is less than 3ft long, you either can't get it in the rack because a car is parked there, or your bike will be 3ft long by the time you get back when a car parks there whilst you're in the shop.
Halfords is an excellent establishment. Last week I bought a device from them to warn me where all the speed traps were. Its excellent. I can now drive safely above the speed limit without having to worry because it tells me where the danger bits of road are.
I think they can also sell the same thing for a bicycle. These warn the cyclist where all the dangerous bits of road are. Ie the rest of the road network where prats like me are driving above the speed limit.
Take Care
Rod King
"elyob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Turned out it was made of the finest Camembert as the seal fell to bits. Since all the gaffers had gone home, I took the site van and drove to the Halfords (it was now 1930) about 6 miles away, got them to pump it up with their track pump and bought a new Top Peak pump to see me home at 2200. Thank heavens, once again, for their late night opening :-)
There's a lot of knocking Halfords on here, and I always feel its unjustified. I know I would rarely buy anything from them, but that's because there's two or three decent bike shops in the area. (However, not including Evans). I bought a couple of tools from Halfords the other day because I knew they'd do the cheap multi purpose ones I wanted. Although I was looking to buy lube from them, I refrained as it was their unbranded
one
Quoted message said:
.. well, I just don't know. Anyway, for emergencies etc, then they're
"...I can now drive safely above the speed limit without having to worry because it tells me where the danger bits of road are..."
The speed limit isn't a target, it's a limit designed for the safety of all road users, car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. If you feel you need a device to stop you worrying if you are going over the speed limit then maybe you need to go on an Institute of Advanced Motorists course and be helped to realise that, sometimes, even travelling less than the speed limit is too fast under certain circumstances.
Are these tyres any good in the wetter of the four seasons? I'm looking for something in a 700x28 for the fixie over the comiing months (already had a greasy-roundabout scare once this week), and would like something a bit lighter/faster running than a Marathon.
"...I can now drive safely above the speed limit without having to worry because it tells me where the danger bits of road are..."
The speed limit isn't a target, it's a limit designed for the safety of all road users, car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. If you feel you need a device to stop you worrying if you are going over the speed limit then maybe you need to go on an Institute of Advanced Motorists course and be helped to realise that, sometimes, even travelling less than the speed limit is too fast under certain circumstances.
Did you read his post? It was in now way anaemicy..
Halfords is an excellent establishment. Last week I bought a device from them to warn me where all the speed traps were. Its excellent. I can now drive safely above the speed limit without having to worry because it tells me where the danger bits of road are.
I think they can also sell the same thing for a bicycle. These warn the cyclist where all the dangerous bits of road are. Ie the rest of the road network where prats like me are driving above the speed limit.
"...I can now drive safely above the speed limit without having to worry because it tells me where the danger bits of road are..."
The speed limit isn't a target, it's a limit designed for the safety of all road users, car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. If you feel you need a device to stop you worrying if you are going over the speed limit then maybe you need to go on an Institute of Advanced Motorists course and be helped to realise that, sometimes, even travelling less than the speed limit is too fast under certain circumstances.
On 22 Sep 2006 00:14:38 -0700, "scott135" <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Rod King said:
"...I can now drive safely above the speed limit without having to worry because it tells me where the danger bits of road are..."
The speed limit isn't a target, it's a limit designed for the safety of all road users, car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. If you feel you need a device to stop you worrying if you are going over the speed limit then maybe you need to go on an Institute of Advanced Motorists course and be helped to realise that, sometimes, even travelling less than the speed limit is too fast under certain circumstances.
I agree with all of this except for one minor point. Speed limits were not originally designed for safety but to reduce fuel consumption during the fuel shortages. Nowadays they seem to have been turned into the sole form of road safety - and I disagree with that. There's a lot more to driving safely than keeping to a speed limit.
There's a lot more to driving safely than keeping to a speed limit.
Witness old duffer seen recently going all the way around a busy dual carriageway roundabout at peak time, in the left hand lane, with no indication of where he was going, and his wife apparently pointing out the interesting scenery.
He was going slowly though :-) Oh, and he was driving a Nissan Micra. In the old days it would have been a beige Metro!
I agree with all of this except for one minor point. Speed limits were not originally designed for safety but to reduce fuel consumption during the fuel shortages.
?? The 30 mph speed limit for urban areas was reintroduced in 1935. There was a 20 mph night-time speed limit during World War 2 - in order to reduce an accident rate which was having more effect on BRITONS that the activities of the Wehrmacht - and the 70 mph NSL and 50 mph limits on some trunk roads came in 1965.
He was going slowly though :-) Oh, and he was driving a Nissan Micra. In the old days it would have been a beige Metro!
Immediately thought of my uncle who was a stereotypical "Sunday" driver back circa '75-'82. Knitted driving gloves, dark brown car-coat, tartan thermos always at arm's reach, along with driving cap finished an ensemble that completed his Sunday driver look.
He must have been candidate for most unsafe slow driver [don't think he knew about the 5th gear], and to do his ponderous driving he equipped himself with a Morris Maxi (http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?ado14storyf.htm) in Burgandy colour [I think].
I can't remember if all Maxi drivers were like him, but whenever I see one on the road these days it immediately takes me right back, and the imaginery triangular warning sign appears over the car.
Don't mean to put drivers in particular buckets, just a memory based perception that has stuck with me.
No it doesn't. I use Shimano SD-60 sandals, and on the 'bent they're superb with bare feet, most of the time. For those days when it's a bit nippier, a pair of light socks is sufficient to bring a warm glow to my tootsies. And I do not possess a jowl-jowl carpet, or facial fungus of any description.
On 22 Sep 2006 00:14:38 -0700, "scott135" <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Rod King said:
"...I can now drive safely above the speed limit without having to worry because it tells me where the danger bits of road are..."
The speed limit isn't a target, it's a limit designed for the safety of all road users, car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. If you feel you need a device to stop you worrying if you are going over the speed limit then maybe you need to go on an Institute of Advanced Motorists course and be helped to realise that, sometimes, even travelling less than the speed limit is too fast under certain circumstances.
I agree with all of this except for one minor point. Speed limits were not originally designed for safety but to reduce fuel consumption during the fuel shortages.
Bollocks. Speed limits were /originally/ designed for safety, and applied in built up areas only. In the 1970s additional speed limits were imposed to save energy, and applied nationally. These were found to save a lot of lives, and were retained - for safety reasons.
"sothach" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
....... Continental Four Seasons.
Are these tyres any good in the wetter of the four seasons? I'm looking for something in a 700x28 for the fixie over the comiing months (already had a greasy-roundabout scare once this week), and would like something a bit lighter/faster running than a Marathon.
I haven't ridden them in the wet yet, but as someone will point out, bicycle tyres do not aquaplane, so the tread on them is of minimal value anyway. My only crash was on a greasy roundabout and that was with a Marathon Plus on the back, although it was the Continental Contact on the front that slid out first.
