Cycling UK Forum

I have an Orbit Twin tandem which has not been used for some years, having re-married I now wish to use it more frequently however the local cycle shop "Evans" which is all there is now in Crawley are unable to obtain parts for the Akai drag brake. The rim also needs replacement. Can anyone advise where the drag brake could be serviced?
The rear cassette is a 7 speed Shimano STX non-indexed and I would not be adverse to upgrading this to an alfine and disc brake if necessary.

Have a look at the forty plus local section, rides on Tuesdays, some Wednesdays and Fridays at http://www.fortypluscc.co.uk/surreysuss ... index.html

Does anyone know if anything has happened to this site? I keep getting cannot connect to server on my PC and am puzzled.

Really? I have an 11-34 cassette with an ultegra rear mech on my Airnimal and it works well, has done for a couple of years now.

I have been trying since last Saturday to obtain tickets and a cycle reservation for next week to the Lake District. Being Virgin one has to ring up for a cycle reservation but I wonder if the people answering the phone know what a cycle reervation is since when I first tried to book the agent said I should take the tube between London stations. Anyway after 5 days the tickets failed to arrive so I rang again this morning - there had been a technical fault in processing payment ring again in two hours time, at this point I was given a supposed ticket reference to pick them up at the staion, went along to station - no such reference on the customer database. Ring them up again, at 10p per minute with a long time on hold again- I must have spent about £6 speaking to different people in India about these tickets - agent suggests I undertake the journey by buying tickets at the station. Then I point out to him I would have done but the station cannot reserve cycles on Virgin Trains which is why I rang Virgin in the first place. All this is a huge contrast with East Coast with whom I booked via the web for this weekend and collected without difficulty at the station.

Any ideas how I get a cycle reservation and tickets to Oxenholme or do I use East Coast and the Settle carlisle line to Kirkby Stephen thus avoiding any taint of virgin, who in the meantime have my money!!!

Where is the problem, I have a long arm Ultegra RD on an 11-34 without issue, works a treat up hills on an Airnimal Chameleon folder. So it can be done.

And the result of that is that often individual travellers cannot even get into the hostel as a result of block bookings. I have tried to book Ilam Hall on a number of occasions and unless you book well in advance then there is little chance of there being room.

I am afraid that this is so typical of the way the YHA now seems to lack interest in individual travellers and prefers school and other groups who arrive by coach or minibus rather than under their own steam.

I wonder if anyone has considered the consequences of charitable status for political campaigning for cycling, charitable status will prevent any such campaigning in future which is a good reason for a No vote. I was surprised to receive an e-mail from Richard Bates the SE councillor since it was the first time I have had any communication from anyone in the SE Region or even the local DA. I did ask for clarification on what had been said in the e-mail and that has not been forthcoming.

The lobbying from the CTC makes me suspicious of the purpose of any such decision and on the information I have so far I shall be voting very firmly NO.i

For the last 18 months or so I have been happily using Pedro's Ice wax, now the local cycle shop tells me this is not available and have sold me another product by muc-off which has all the consistency of white water. What do thers use for wet winter riding conditions?

There are now fast trains through France and into Spain so flying is not the only alternative, look at "Spain" in The Man in seat 61

I joined in Derbyshire over 11 years ago, moved to West Sussex in 1998 and heard nothing about local member groups in either place - I do wonder if I'm on anybody's list now or ever have been?

Just tried their website- no sign of any. My last lot were from Spa Cycles who also appear no longer to have them. This could get desperate! It might mean not using my airnimal!!

Anyone know of where these might be in stock, have tried googling the usual places and where I bought from last time, but there seem to be none to be found.