Search found 692 matches

by pliptrot
25 Mar 2024, 1:53pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?
Replies: 103
Views: 2925

Re: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?

al_yrpal wrote: 24 Mar 2024, 3:07pm The only thing that will turn us around economically is successful private business. Such businesses are lead by hard working, driven entrepreneurs. These folk must be incentivised. Heavy taxation out of line with world norms incentivises them to take their ideas and businesses abroad elsewhere.

Al
you mean like the water and rail companies? Or the steel industry? Or the banks? Just what planet do you live on? We would all be better off if the people who run -"run", I use the term in irony- these outfits did leave. Add to that the people who destroyed the UK car industry (Rover) ( now disqualifed as company directors) et.al and a clear picture emerges. Their ideas have only been disastrous. Which is the history of private business in the UK. All steps ahead in technology and health have been funded from Government through universities and national institutions. To think that the private sector does anything other than suck wealth from the many for the few shows a staggering misunderstanding.
by pliptrot
23 Mar 2024, 5:10pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?
Replies: 103
Views: 2925

Re: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?

853 wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 1:32pm
pliptrot wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 10:29am How inflated salaries are not properly taxed is an obscenity given the dire state of British society in 2024.
The rate of tax for anyone earning over £125140 is 45 percent. What rate of tax do you propose, and what percentage of these people do you think would move to a different country with lower taxes if the 45 percent rate was increased?


https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates
I imagine very few would move because increases in tax. Possibly because those who prosper inordinately in the UK are mostly incompetent and drunk on their greed. They've got nowhere else to go. Would 80% tax rates make them move? If so, we'll help them pack their bags. Would any of the board of - say, Thames Water- choose to leave if their obscene remuneration was properly taxed? Look at their record -reducing investment and racking up ridiculous debts to pay shareholders, and bringing the water supply network that they run to a desperate condition- and tell me where they could go? the City of London, the privatised rail companies, et.al are all part of the plundering of the economy for the exclusive gain of those with power. Just how many children need to live in abject poverty for something to change? we are not Africa, but there are people in power who seek to benefit from making us just so. Think about what means. Norway took their oil and gas wealth into state hands. The UK -like African oil states-gave it away to the private sector. Of course, we think of Nigeria and Angola as hopelessly corrupt states, but the metric suggests Britain was -is- not much different.
by pliptrot
23 Mar 2024, 10:29am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?
Replies: 103
Views: 2925

Re: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?

al_yrpal wrote: 22 Mar 2024, 9:30am Many of these people work very hard and deserve high earnings.

Al
Typical Tory trope. The truth is rather more complex. Those who work the hardest are those who actually do anything (and they are not FTSE100 directors, to indicate some of the more egregious examples of snouts in the trough to the cost of so many others) such as nurses, dustmen, those in hospitality, care, etc.etc. etc. - and they invariably have low earnings. If you can explain how people can be worth paying them mulitples of a surgeon's salary I'd be delighted to hear it. How inflated salaries are not properly taxed is an obscenity given the dire state of British society in 2024.
by pliptrot
19 Mar 2024, 11:51am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?
Replies: 103
Views: 2925

Re: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?

We've had poor governance for decades. It is no good going back to 2010. From 1979 we had a mad woman in charge who normalised class warfare and was keen to see real, widespread poverty in the UK. You could go back to the industrial revolution to see our societal DNA - it was all about getting rich and retiring to the country. From the way it went, and how we abandoned our industries, you could safely say we have never been a modern industrial nation. We invented everything - the world looks like it does because of Britain- but we have always had disdain- contempt- for anyone who actually does anything. The ruling class are a product of a system set up to provide administrators for The Empire. That's at least a 100 years out of date. But it suits them as they continue to plunder the nations's wealth. What we need is a revolution. Not including having George Osbourne's head cut off (emotionally satisfying as that may be) but a fundamental complete revision of what the nation is about. Because the UK needs to be a society, not an economy.
by pliptrot
16 Mar 2024, 4:51pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Noisy freehub - quieten with grease?
Replies: 35
Views: 1513

Re: Noisy freehub - quieten with grease?

Having paid over the odds for Hope hubs I found that the front hub had play in it - a push together design with no adjustment possible- and the rear hub freehub kept slipping. Separate enquiries to Hope were met with dismissal. When a flange broke I was told it was down to corrosion, which is hilarious given that those hubs had only ever lived in Texas where salt is never used. I never even got them wet. I'd love to support the home side, but I'll never go near Hope again.
by pliptrot
14 Mar 2024, 4:49pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.
Replies: 195
Views: 24364

Re: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.

cycle tramp wrote: 14 Mar 2024, 2:15pm ..at this point if anyone said that the nicest people are from Taiwan and not Britain... or vice versa... the rest of the room would look at them like they were barking mad...

..to attempt to identify which country builds bikes of a better quality on a handful of anecdotes.. might be seen in the same view... and fails to take into account things like variances in quality control during and after construction, as well as environmental factors as to what metal finishes can be legally used in what country...
..and it would have to be viewed on a year by year basis and across price points.. perhaps even indexed to that countries cost of living

What? You're right: it really is time to go.
by pliptrot
14 Mar 2024, 11:05am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.
Replies: 195
Views: 24364

Re: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.

I have had 3 bikes made in Taiwan. All expensive. The top-of-the-range Marin bike had balls missing from the headset, a bottom bracket which was hugely out of spec. So creaked and groaned, and the nickel plating on the frame started flaking within 6 months. Our anecdotes will always be different , but mine are in favour of anything-other-than-Taiwan-or-China. These places maybe the centre of the bike industry, but they got there by cost of manufacturing. At the same time the retail industry pushed prices up relentlessly. The chickens are home to roost.
by pliptrot
14 Mar 2024, 9:07am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.
Replies: 195
Views: 24364

Re: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.

I think the phrase that fits is "killing the goose that laid the golden eggs." The bike industry - overtaken by their marketing departments - figured out that they could increase prices (hugely) disproportionately beyond costs, and make bicycles baubles of fashion to be updated annually. I guess they reached the end of their rope. If anyone can explain how a bicycle made in Taiwan is worth 10,000 quid I'd love to hear it.
by pliptrot
13 Mar 2024, 8:15am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Replacing fully concealed cables
Replies: 33
Views: 2705

Re: Replacing fully concealed cables

I have never had a stainless steel cable fail by fatigue, even on the bike I used to commute to work in Singapore (I.e. humid, with lots of rain, and it used to get a salt spray regularly on those tiny ferries between Indonesian islands). The brake and Ergopower cables on that bike did 10,000 miles a year and -given how Asians drive- were used a lot. I changed them only when moving bits between frames which was (about) every 2 years. I sometimes reused them. The only cable failure I ever had was the nipple coming off a brand new Mafac cable (properly installed in a Mafac lever), which caused a rather nasty accident. That was in Manchester (wet) but it was brand new.... Am I just lucky?
by pliptrot
13 Mar 2024, 8:02am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Noisy freehub - quieten with grease?
Replies: 35
Views: 1513

Re: Noisy freehub - quieten with grease?

The Superlube grease recommended above will do the trick. I've used it for years to keep freehubs quiet (and everything else on a bike).It does not dry out and is tenacious enough to do the job for some time. Those suggesting grease should not be used are talking about mineral grease, which is not really ideal for any of the applications on a bicycle.
by pliptrot
9 Mar 2024, 8:06am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Campag freehub failure
Replies: 17
Views: 1123

Re: Campag freehub failure

The Campagnolo freehub is a poor design. Anyone know why Campag chose to put the drive side bearing even further inboard than on a freewheel hub? How ironic. In his book Upgrading Your Bicycle (1988) Frank Berto enthused about the Shimano freehub. At that time Campag were still only making freewheel type hubs (they were late to the party as usual, or perhaps all tied up with the Delta brake debacle) but I imagine he would have been unimpressed with what they came up with as a freehub. I imagine he would have excoriated Campag for their current offerings - extremely ugly components and with things like 9 tooth sprockets. Ergo levers always felt clunky and difficult compared to STI levers, and my 1994 Record chainset was not even slightly polished on the back side of the cranks. How the mighty fell.........
by pliptrot
29 Feb 2024, 8:26am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: How does your garden grow?
Replies: 55
Views: 3039

Re: How does your garden grow?

briansnail wrote: 23 Feb 2024, 1:20pm
Our garden is in two parts, lower part which is traditional garden with paths, raised beds, borders, etc. Then a fence and the wild garden of Hazel, Holly, big copper beech, hawthorn self seeded like the Hazel and three huge leylandii specimens we've got on sentence of death. Waiting for an executioner, I mean tree surgeon who will actually turn up.
I was all set to take my pictures to post on the CTC site.Beautiful 8 room Georgian house.Amazing 0.5 acre garden.

Unfortunately the owner came out and for some unknown reason chased me off the ladder on his back wall.
Brilliant! I am so envious of what I have seen on this post. I can take a picture of my tiny flat and get it all in without a wide angle lens. City living has some real drawbacks, most notably no garden at all.
by pliptrot
16 Feb 2024, 7:55am
Forum: On the road
Topic: How do you carry big shopping?
Replies: 68
Views: 4517

Re: How do you carry big shopping?

Jdsk, thank you for putting that right. The Nihola lives outside - we have steps between us and the world and you would not be wanting to move that bike on those- but it's been remarkably resilient. The cloth cover developed mould and after a visit from my FiL he had soaked it in God knows what which destroyed the windows, so that will need replacing, but otherwise it's standing the test of time. Waxoyl is the next gift I'll give it. The Nexus 8 hub is still running well. The drum brakes on the front wheels are largely ornamental. I've seen Niholas around with disc brakes and I am envious.
by pliptrot
15 Feb 2024, 9:19am
Forum: On the road
Topic: How do you carry big shopping?
Replies: 68
Views: 4517

Re: How do you carry big shopping?

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by pliptrot
14 Feb 2024, 9:56am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Steel frame protection
Replies: 20
Views: 1436

Re: Steel frame protection

I spent many a freezing day spraying Waxoyl under cars, tractors, and on ploughshares, muckspreaders and goodness knows what else. I might have a bit of PTSD after all of that. Escaping from my former life I am amused that I may be back to activity I left behind a long, long time ago. :lol: