[jfw]

it's the wheeled equivalent of mono ski!

[Norton Sharley]

I was told that you can use a Karcher or other similarly low pressure high pressure jet as long as you don't point the jet at the bottom bracket, rear mech etc.

how you going to clean the bike then if you can't point the LPHP jet at it? 

Being from Yorkshire I suggest you ignore all that expensive proprietery jet washers and grease remover rubbish such as "muck off" and use this simple Blue Peter trick instead. 
Get an old squirty thing (like the muck off sprayer!), ask yer missus she's bound not to mind if you nick one such as the plant spayer, fill it half full of water then, and only then, add a quarter full of washing up liquid.  Make sure your hands are clean first though or you'll give the game away when you put back the plant sprayer later and it looks like CID's been round doing finger print tests.

Squirt on your bike, give it a little rub with a soft brush, dustpan brushes are great just don't tell the missus again, and then simply hose off, not LPHP just standard water mains pressure.  Do the oily bits with a seperate stiffer brush like your washing up one for example.

Replace all brushes in the house where you found them.  Do not put them somewhere vaguely near where you found them, she'll notice.

Your bike is now all spangly and new looking, except for the shagged chain, cables, grips etc.

Then wander why your old lady goes mad when she next does the washing up, well I ain't doing it, and the pots come out more oily than if they'd been at a tuna tea party!

Happy cleaning.

[Norton Sharley]

P.S. If you do own a LPHP jet washer don't lend it to Bubbs, he breaks them!

[SA Chris]

You can get LP washers that plug  into a car cigarette lighter now. Reasonable enough pressure to get crap off, and can hold enough water for 2 bikes.

[webbo]

one of the best things for getting the greasy shit of your bike is paraffin.it cleans the dirt off and then leaves an oily film so the parts don't dry out or go rusty after you've blasted it with the power hose.it does stink tho and the missus might object to you ponging out the drive.
another tip is when stripping your bike down.you can clean the parts in the dishwasher.this will definitely cause marital discord if one gets caught.

[Percy B]

Still can't work out how to put a picture on here, so here's a link to a picture of the Colnago now its fixed up so I can break it over the winter. The picture is currently on the Scarpa website, as its onbe of the few places I know how to upload my pictures - hope they don't mind random bicycle shots on there!

http://www.scarpa.co.uk/team/gallery.asp?TeamID=11&Year=2006&Month=12

The frame is still pretty grotty (rust spots on the chrome and a few other places) but fundamently sound. Had to put on some different wheels - the Mavic M40's on Campag hubs were fucked much to my disappointment. It also needed new cables, front mech, brakes and a saddle, but the rest is as was. Its quite nice riding a steel framed bike again after a few years on a carbon one - I'd forgotten just how much more comfortable the ride is! Keep trying to shift on the brake levers though - the whole shifter on the down tube thing needs a little adjusting to again....

[Yossarian]

that is very cool.

i am jealous...

[Dolly]

Cool as anything.
Is that a 52 43 on the front ?

BTW, what's the problem you're in the main shot of you on rock ?

[Dolly]

BTW, what's the problem you're in the main shot of you on rock ?

Sorry scratch that - its the Green traverse doh !

[Percy B]

52 - 42 on the front. The original Colnago engraved campag chainrings and cranks too. Very nice! The original 19 - 13 6 speed block on the back has gone though - fuck trying to cycle anywhere in the peak with that set of ratios. Froggatt hill on 42 - 19 anybody?

[soapy]

verrry tasty percy

[Norton Sharley]

ok, let's consider where the boys of the Works are spending all our hard earned cash?

Percy - new bike every week !

Sam - Evo xx

Graeme - ladyboys in Thailand


Reckon they should drop the prices mesen 

[Percy B]

Easy now.... The Colnago was given to me gratis by a mate who's given up cycling due to piss-pipe-problems, Graeme drives a knackered Rover Metro, and Sam drives an Evo........

Graemes off the ladyboys, anyway. Not with his sciatica!

[Norton Sharley]

that'll explain why he's not rung me in a while then 

[fatdoc]

oh dear, horrid image or what...

[saltbeef]

right, i'm currently in pot, and am considering a way to rehab my beadle leg in the new year. was considring a cheap exercise bike but then thought i could always get a turbo. would this be too difficult for my withered limb or are the easiest resistance settings sufficiently low for my sparrow leg to cope with?
also which would you recommend, i don't wanna spend too much dollar.

[Yossarian]

i used a turbo after having smashed heel. my right leg would've made kate moss jealous. i quite literally cycled before i could walk, as alan partridge might've said. anyway, it did a world of good.

i have a elite magnetic one, but i think i might upgrade to a cycelops fluid trainer sometime soon. i tried one out and it was a lot more road-like.

[Jim]

Its true, saltbeef does have a withered leg, but alas it is his 3rd leg that is withered

[webbo]

you could start without any resistance at all to start.i've heard of people who had to start using it with out a chain as even that was too great a resistance for their injury.

[saltbeef]

jesus i hope that isn't the case!

[webbo]

re the fluid ones.the only one of these i've used had quite a high resistance.i would get one where you raise the roller to the wheel by screwing it up,rather than one that rests on the wheel by a spring mechanism.

[Fatleg]

I've been freezing my arse off commuting the past two mornings. Need some poncy tights. Anyone got any suggestions to keep me warm.

[saltbeef]

I got some nike ones they were cheap and do the job.
cheers webbo, yosser, also just looked at the minoura website, i'm considering getting a hypermag. they say you need a completely slick tyre, is this the case?

[webbo]

i just use what ever tyres are on my bike.i did try it once with the nobblies on my mountainbike. other than causing my fillings to fall out and possibly having some use as a sex aid it was not a great success.

[SA Chris]

I've been freezing my arse off commuting the past two mornings. Need some poncy tights. Anyone got any suggestions to keep me warm.

Nip into Decathlon. Loads of cheap semi decent cycling kit in there.