CurtisRider

Cheers Adam! Presumably this is the one to go for? https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VCV210.html I think we each plan on sticking with VAG cars for now so that should keep us going!

Long time no post... I've got 4 VAG vehicles here between us all (2012 golf 1.6tdi, 2010 golf 2.0tdi, 2008 a4 2.0 tdi, 2012 caddy 1.6tdi) and it's about time I sorted out VAG com again as I haven't had it for years and it would be pretty useful for when they each inevitably go wrong. I've researched it and I'm a bit lost about which cable to get (there's loads and I'm assuming they are hit/miss quality) and how to obtain VAG com without a fee, if that is still possible. I've seen more expensive options like Ross tech but I'm unsure whether I need to go that route.

I know this will have been covered a million times in the dark history of TF, but I have a stack of old parts and I fancied just putting together something to just mess about on, practicing small stuff and getting my balance good again after a long time off the bike. Not hugely interested in doing proper trials on it, just making my MTB skillset a bit better as I've become really crap. I had one of those disc mount adaptors spare and whacked it on an old Onza frame that I don't remember even having, there's so much old bike stuff in my shed! As it is I know it is not suitable and I'll end up on my bum and in discomfort but I wondered if anybody had any luck bracing the mount from the rim brake mounts before? I've seen those sorts of braces before and it's dead simple to make one, just not sure if they actually work well enough? Or am I better off just sacking off this idea? Brace sort of thing: Current bodgery:

Brilliant, thanks chaps! I'll go for the Rainsports as they are in budget and my wife doesn't thrash her car about so they should be more than capable! It's only a 2l diesel so it's not like it's a powerhouse

I'm after 4X 225-40-18 92Y tyres for my wife's Golf MK6 GT and wondered what you lot were happy with these days? She uses it for commuting 2 days a week so it doesn't cover much mileage, ideally really good wet grip and low noise would be good. Budget wise, hoping for £300 for a set (excluding fitting), happy to spend a bit more if really necessary. It's been ages since I ordered normal car tyres for myself and I'm not entirely sure whats good anymore! I bought a tyre changer and a balancer thingy a few months back so at least I can save some cost there, they have nearly paid themselves off fitting new tyres to my parents cars and my van! Currently she has 3 Continental tyres which are pretty old I think, and a 2 year old Nexen Nfera that we had to get fitted in an emergency, it has split massively on the inside so I'd like to avoid them! So far the Uniroyal Rainsport 5 hits the sweet spot for several factors as does the Goodyear Eagle F1. It's hard to gauge the value of some of the reviews as most people are happy as long as it's made of rubber and the car drives along.

Yet another 'gravel' build from me. My last frame was a bit too small and I was very kindly given this frame and fork combo for free! Recovering from a very unhappy achilles tendon but I'm loving riding this thing, its a cracking bike for how little it has cost me and suits my riding and local terrain perfectly. The Easton fork is superb, It soak ups small bumps yet remains plenty stiff enough, especially since I'm still on regular QR axles.

I was really chuffed that I had remembered that I had them, they are only about £15-20 on ebay new anyway!

After picking up a 'proper' gravel frameset, my Inbred frame was spare again so I chucked some parts at it. Bars are off a motocross bike I had and they have a decent amount of backsweep, inboard bar ends feel like riding in the hoods on my road/gravel bikes and the 650b wheels feel pretty good in a 26" frame. The carbon Toseek forks are like wet spaghetti, super comfy but I'm a bit worried they are just going to snap so I'll probably ditch them in favour of my kinesis aluminium fork. I took it out for a gentle spin with my father inlaw and it feels really good, I'm looking forward to taking it out on some of the local trails and seeing how it performs then, it feels like a big bmx and very playful

I'm chuffed with it but the problem is I'm limited on tyre clearance and I'd really like the option of a larger tyre for winter. I'm getting tempted to make my own frame again, it's just being realistic about finding the time to do it!

I swapped over to rigid forks, higher rise stem, lighter wheels, modified narrow wide ring to fit the XTR cranks, suspension seat post (genuinely impressed with it), 9 speed with wide ratio cassette and some fresh bar tape. This thing is a really comfy mile muncher now. I probably will get a proper gravel bike at some point but I'm in no rush

I've decided to just replace the master and slave as well as a rebleed for both the clutch and brakes of course, I really don't want this problem again! The parts are only £500 so it's a no brainer just for that reassurance that they are good. We had it valued and even with the faults it has currently it's worth more than we paid for it 14 years ago so once I've finished repairing and finished harvest I think we will look at moving her on for something with more paint than rust

Ha ha! Exactly that!

Intrigued to see what you guys might make of this as asking on a farming forum has been pointless... I have a combine harvester with a manual gearbox, everything about it works just like any other hydraulic clutch system, it's just like a car one on steroids. I had an incident yesterday where I pressed the clutch pedal and it didn't disengage the clutch, it felt like the pedal was light and not connected anymore. This happened a few times and unfortunately I was at the edge of a field and hit a tree before I could get the engine turned off, not great! The clutch now works as normal, there isn't any sign of leaks, the reservoir has not needed topping up in the 15 years I've owned it, the oil has not been replaced in my ownership, the brakes use the same oil and function perfectly. The linkages are all fine, there isn't any play in anything. What the heck happened? What could possibly cause this situation? i know the system should have been re-bled twice during ownership but regardless the oil is there and it's functioning again as if there wasn't a problem.

I have swapped the cranks over and modified a Hope bash to cover the chainring/ultra large spider on the XTR cranks. Now waiting for a 13t rear cog to get the gearing just right and that should mean a far shorter chain too

Ha ha, that autocorrect can stay! I had a sprung tensioner and i kept getting chain slip as the chain had to be a bit long with that gearing, I'm fitting some different cranks soon so I may get away with a tighter chain and a sprung tensioner with the new ratio. Dropper isn't really necessary round here in East Anglia, it's pretty flat here!

I've grown tired of dull slack trail bikes and road riding I find difficult to enjoy for long as some knob always seems to want to kill me which has really taken the enjoyment out of riding for me, I miss the days of nervous twitchy bikes that are simple and I'm not having to spend silly money on for repairs. I've always liked the idea of trying a cyclocross/gravel bike out after taking my road bike off road a few times but I didn't really want to spend too much money incase I don't enjoy it. I have an abundance of old bike crap in my sheds so I figured it would be nice to use some of it to make something fun... and here it is: I have absolutely loved riding this thing. it's got a 90's MTB feel to it and its surprisingly agile. I'm now enjoying riding again for the first time in ages, hopefully i'll lose some of my lockdown podge now. On-One Inbred 26" frame resprayed sidehop hydra air (2000) Novatech singlespeed rear hub, not sure what the rims are! 700x32 Schwalbe cx tyres BB5R calipers with tektro levers Flared Ritchey bars Chris King Headset KMC Kool chain Total cost £80 I'm hoping to find a rigid fork for it although I'm warming towards the mega flexy sidehops!

I have some 150mm rockshox sectors with a 1 1/8 straight steerer, 26" if they are of any interest

I know most of you with classic minis have upgraded your engines but hopefully you may be able to help anyway. I have a BMC mini 916 tractor with an A series diesel in it (largely the same as an A series petrol block), it uses the same Lucas C40 dynamo as most minis (from what I can decipher). Unfortunately the original dynamo is long gone, and with it was the fan and pulley assembly. Have any of you any idea where I can buy a regular (non uprated fancy thing) pulley and fan (15mm ID with keyway) for a mini? I don't mind having to modify it in some way and if any of you happen to have one for sale then even better! The closest I've found is: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lucas-Acr-Alternator-Fan-And-Pulley-A115-A133-23Acr-15mm-Shaft-Mure-Acrxitassy/171569929919?hash=item27f25d5ebf:g:eHoAAOSwLSxes8UH But that is 65mm OD which is a bit small but would probably do for now, I know they made a larger one around 78mm (original is 92mm) which is preferable as it's a very low revving engine compared to the petrol!

I've got a Nikon 3100 and a Canon 550D that I use for video, an odd combination but the Nikon was a cheap one i bought several years ago and the Canon was free. The 3100 kit lens has stopped autofocusing which is annoying (it was slowly getting worse, the motor/mech has become really notchy). I've had it apart and it appears to be a fault with the motor so its not worth repairing but is still useable as a manual focus only lens. Has anybody got a working AF-S lens for sale? 18-55 is fine for my needs, wider the better really! Not after anything too special, just functional

Property and car/machinery maintenance alongside my farm seem to keep me rather well occupied!

Another Vote for the Markus, I bought mine 7 years ago when I slipped a disc but needed to keep doing uni work and it's still spot on comfort wise now. I know a few other people with them and they rave about them too!

I've got the white ones on my BMX, they are bloody brilliant!

Awesome stuff Dan!

The Raptor paint on my trailer has chipped way too much considering what its intended for, certainly not the be all end all of paint finishes!

@forteh check out paintless dent removal kits, worked for my minor dents on the van