Mississippi Bullfrog

They have physical shops in the real world as well as online magic pixies.

www.forl.co.uk

My father was the founder of the Friends of Real Lancashire, campaigning to reinstate the historic boundaries of the county palatine. We always have hot pot and a party on Lancashire Day. Sadly he died last Christmas so this was our first event without him.

Bikes' engine management systems can't adapt to E5 so you won't get any better performance. In fact it can be slightly worse. A petrochemical engineer explained to me that to enable E5 to boost performance and fuel economy in higher performance car engines it has a flame retardant so the ignition timing can be advanced. On bikes without adaptive ignition timing this can cause the engine to slightly lose power. It explained why I always felt my Bobber runs better on E10. Some say it lasts better over the winter if you don't ride as much but I've found E10 lasts fine. So I'm sticking with E10.

The Van Van is a hoot, but it's too long for you by 8 inches.

Hard to say without being able to see the battery connection. Is it the type with the captive nut - in which case is that spinning inside the housing?

That's what mine does. Bikesure were very good at sorting out business cover and NCD when I bought the Bobber in addition to my CBF. The premium for both is only slightly above what I was paying for one.

The Helite Turtle goes over my usual jacket. On hot days I wear a mesh jacket and the Helite still allows enough air to circulate. If it's torrential I wear a waterproof overjacket on top. I found my usual one fits over the vest no problem. I wouldn't wear a backpack whilst wearing an airvest. Before I got one I assumed they would be bulky but whilst it is heavy it is no problem once you put it on.

That's poor. I had a puncture recently in my front tyre and had to shop round to find anyone willing to repair a bike tyre. I took the wheel off and dropped it off with a bike specialist. They charged me £30 for a proper repair. It's been fine since.

I know others have had poor experiences with Oxford products, but my Rainseal kit has been superb. I mentioned on here a recent two 3 hour motorway journeys I had to make in appalling conditions, Oxford Rainseal jacket and Oxford Montreal trousers. I was bone dry on arrival apart from a slightly damp buff and the topmost my head where water had got into the vent. To be honest, having paid so little for the jacket I wasn't expecting great things from it, but in bad weather it is the one I know will keep me dry.

-4.2 here this morning. By the time I got up the hill it was a cheery -2.5. Living in a dip we get heavy frosts.

Yup, that's the one I have. I've found it comfortable to ride in.

Did he die when a mushroom plug failed?

Same here. My cheap Oxford Rainseal kit has constantly outperformed and outlasted my goretex kit.

I have a weekend off and a new boat to sail......so of course the forecast for Sunday is cold and no wind.

Last year due to a family crisis my Bobber was laid up from October to March with E10 in it. It fired no problem in March. Don't start the engine unless you're going for a ride. But it is worth turning the ignition on monthly just to cycle the fuel pump. Mine makes odd noises if left for too long. It always fires but the fuel pump makes a weird noise. Pump the tyres up and if possible raise the wheels off the ground. I usually change the oil annually and do it before the winter. That way there's less acidic combustion byproducts in the oil over the winter.

OK....so who is a big kid excited about celebrating Dr Who's 60th anniversary? I am majorly chuffed at the excellent David Tennant making a return.

For those who wish to display decorations, lights, Christmas trees, dancing reindeer etc for extended periods of time let it be known that whilst Christmas starts on 25th December and runs for 12 days until Epiphany on 6th January it is acceptable to extend the display of Christmas items until Candlemas which is on 2nd February. The habit of displaying Christmas items in November or early December is simply ignorant.

Depends where the rust is. Anywhere that is cosmetic needs to be tackled carefully. I use a small abrasive bit in a dremel. For less cosmetic parts I use the dremel, or a flap wheel, or power file. The key thing is to get back to clean metal.

The mild weather meant I could make some progress with a restoration project

I tried salt. It works but washing powder is quicker on moss.

Tip of the day.....if your drive slopes like mine and gets moss growing on it then you know the perils of riding a bike down a slippery slope. The cheapest way to kill moss quickly is bog standard washing powder. Sprinkle on the path and within a couple of days the moss is dead. That's one of my weekend jobs.

First outing with the heated gloves today. I'd spent the morning rigging a boat with wet lines so my hands were chilly even before setting off on the bike.

I think you mean complaints rather than compliments. I've already had a rant at them. It's iniquitous that our supplier has a standing charge that is higher than the price cap.

I thought I was being abducted by aliens this evening. I'd just sat down for my tea when our kitchen was lit up like full bank of photon torpedoes. Outside the garden was blinding white with orange streaks. A large vessel was approaching across the field lit up like the spaceship off Close Encounters. Things were vibrating all over the house. Multiple brilliant beams of light bore down on us accompanied by a crescendo of noise. At the last minute it veered off and started to plough back up the other side of the field.