Thanks to Halfords.

[[email protected]]

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

Simon Mason

 

[elyob]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 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.

 

[[email protected]]

elyob wrote:

> 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..................



........ Continental Four Seasons.

 

[David Martin]

elyob wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > 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.

...d

 

[Josey]

<[email protected]> wrote in message

>> 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.

Jc.

 

[Paul Boyd]

On 21/09/2006 21:52, Josey said,

> 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.

Not good...

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Rod King]

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 protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > 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.
>
>

 

[scott135]

Rod King wrote:
> "...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.

Safe driving...

 

[sothach]

[email protected] wrote:

> ....... 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.

 

[David Martin]

scott135 wrote:
> Rod King wrote:
> > "...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..

...d

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Rod King
('[email protected]') wrote:

> 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.

Now that /is/ genius!

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

'graveyards are full of indispensable people'

 

[Paul Boyd]

scott135 said the following on 22/09/2006 08:14:

> The speed limit isn't a target, it's a limit designed for the safety of
> all road users, car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

<Snip>

I think Rod's post was tongue-in-cheek

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>
scott135 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Rod King wrote:
> > "...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.
>
> Safe driving...
>
>
-=#WHOOSH#=-

 

[Mark]

On 22 Sep 2006 00:14:38 -0700, "scott135" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>Rod King wrote:
>> "...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.

Mark

 

[Paul Boyd]

Mark said the following on 22/09/2006 12:33:

> 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!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Dave Larrington]

Mark wrote:

> 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.

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
Bandersnatch? I would never have guessed.

 

[rola]

> 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.

Just like socks + sandals = beard.

 

[Eddie]

"rola" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Just like socks + sandals = beard.

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.

I do have hair long though.....

E

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Mark
('[email protected]') wrote:

> On 22 Sep 2006 00:14:38 -0700, "scott135" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Rod King wrote:
>>> "...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.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; When all else fails, read the distractions.

 

[Simon Mason]

"sothach" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>> ....... 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.


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net