KonMari 2018 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Slinky

Sorry to hear about your bike GQ, we were reminded only this week about my sibiling having his bike stolen from our shed many years ago. He'd saved for ages for a racing bike from his paper round. Some s)ds broke in overnight and stole it, moving mine out of the way to get to his. We were reminded a couple of days ago when the house opposite him was broken into (rocks used to break first floor windows).


My neighbour who knows the people was relieved that the dogs weren't hurt! Considering these are large dogs, it would appear that having big dogs is no deterrent against burglars, and is in fact a help since it's hard to have a burglar alarm and big dogs as being incompatible. (We have cats and a pet sensor alarm, doesn't work if you have 70kg+ pets).

GreyQueen

VJsmum wrote: »

Ooh I used to have one of those. Great little bike.

Trouble is modern bikes have so much better suspension and gearing...

I've never understood the modern fixation with full suspension since most folk are only pedalling around on tarmac. I've never suffered discomfort riding a conventional bike whose only suspension is a few springs built into the saddle, and I have biked over 100 miles a day on one.

Yeah, if you ride your bike on hilly off-road tracks, I can see the point, but most of the world, including the 3rd world bikeing on unmade roads, still favours old-style bikes for their reliability and ease of repair.

I was once riding up a long incline in this city with a male friend following on his bike. I could hear multiple clicking as the various gears on his derailleur gearwheel clicked in, but he was still struggling to keep up with the very modest pace I was setting.

GQ How many gears has that thing got, anyway?
Pal. Twenty-one, but I only use five.
GQ (grinning) I have three but only use two.

I can see that if you were living in a very hilly area, fancy gearing might be of interest, but if you don't, three speeds is more than adequate, imo. I typically ride in 2nd gear but use first for a faster takeoff from junctions and traffic lights. Even an ageing not-particularly-fit wumman like me can leave a car standing in those circs, just due to the physics of overcoming inertia on self + a few kilos of metal vs the energy expended in getting a car to roll.

In cleaning the grease of ages off the rear hub, I was able to read the full date of 90 12, which Sturmey Archer put on their hubs, meaning this particular one was manufactured in Dec 1990. Probably didn't get into a bike until 1991, and thus is a year younger than intially thought - winning!:rotfl:

Going to do a bit more titivating of bike today then will take it for a spin. Guys, be sure to ride your pushbikes with a hi viz waistcoat (£land normally do them) and a helmet. Never ever ever buy one of the latter secondhand.

[Deleted User]

I love cycling around where I live, its a great way to stay heart-healthy and get the energy/feelgood uplift. I have three bikes. The one I use most on these temporarily muddy lanes and to the allotment. It cost me about £300 years ago when they used to sell them in the uk. I have replaced brake blocks and both inners and tyres. It is filthy but can cope with it

https://kettler-alu-rad.de/gb/en/index/bike-detail.html?sku=KB778-242_KETTLALU

I have an electric bike from back when I used to go out with my husband who was a county cycling champion when he was young. We used to do over 40 miles and take a picnic. Many happy happy times. I am keeping this bike as it will have its day again as I get older or want to go further afield. Again 8 gears

My third bike is a top notch folder. I splashed out, haven`t been on holiday for 2 years and the money was well spent on that bike. It is light enough to lift into my boot and light enough for me to add several miles onto my current max on the kettler, which is 10 miles. That has 6 gears and runs like a dream

In fact cycling has become so important to my life, not lycra type cycling just keep fit/fresh air cycling. I looked at a perfect house online, perfect for me but buildings and fast roads all around, so no thanks. I wait until I find that place from which I can just put my helmet on and go, in safety. I tend to always use gears from 1 through to 6 but do go through them as needed

GQ I am really really sorry that a scumbag took your bike, I also would be gutted. My dd had her bike stolen when locked up in salisbury, while she was working

Cycling however is not an all round exercise. Core and upper body need work as does impact exercise. I hate exercise and would never frequent a gym

grunnie

GQ sorry to hear of your bike hope you get it back some day. I had a Raleigh back in the 60s little wheels think big girl and it was green and I loved it. Still live in the same town but not fit now to cope with the hills. Would need to get a ski lift fitted to the main street:rotfl:
My shed was broken into last week they took off a whole panel where the lock is. Found the door just swinging in the wind. I was hoping they would come back the next night and tidy it haha. I just nailed the section back on and added some wood filler and will paint it when the snow goes away. I think they might have been looking for a door key but hope no one hides their keys in a shed or under a flowerpot etc as the crooks know them all.
My kitchen is all back to normal again after new vinyl and looking good with a smaller table and chairs. My kitchen chairs were getting too heavy for me to shift to was the floor so now all sorted and looking good.

Karmacat

Slinky and grunnie also wrote about security issues - never occurred to me that someone would actually throw stones at a window to commit a robbery ... and as for breaking down a whole section of a shed ... oh my word. I think I've been a bit over-confident about my brick shed, I still haven't actually used the lock ...

wort

Karmacat - my nephew had a rock thrown through his double glazed patio doors!! He had a kitten at the time, and we my Bil went to feed him he couldn't find it. But when my nephew came home from work it came out from under the stairs when he heard his voice. They'd thrown it so hard it dented the radiator at the back of the room!, luckily a neighbour heard them and chased them off.

GreyQueen

Righty, pushbike is now stabled in the bike shed (wrapped up in a nest of chains and padlocks and behind two door locks) and I have cleaned and restored my hall to living space rather than a bike workshop, which is what it has been for the past 48 hrs. Hooray!

I was having A Thought recently, just the one, don't like to overtax the little grey cells. About how some of the clutter in my life is donations of Stuff from kindly friends and relations, and this keeps on happening even if I manage to keep myself away from shops etc.

I'm going to have to tactfully break certain people of this habit or this flat will have to have an expansion gusset set into the walls. Or I shall have to tunnel through into next door and live in their flat at the same time.

Actually, if I did double my floorspace, this would still be a very small flat, but it is at is, and I need to work within my boundaries, not get consumed by cupboard-envy.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to resume freegling and shed a few items, as I have decided I don't want to do any more of a particular craft, but someone else might like the makings.

Fen1

What's the best way of washing and re-proof my long raincoat? The collar is getting a wee bit grubby ( how??? I invariably wear a scarf, and I do wash, yer know.)
It really needs reproofing as my back is getting soggy.

The instructions say hand wash. Could I put it on a delicates wash in the machine? I have TechWash detergent ( gets rid of muck but doesn't coat fibres), then wash with TechWash reproofer?

What could go wrong?????

greent

I've washed 'wetcoats' (various brands) in the wm over the years - when I remember it's been on a handwash setting, otherwise normal! (I'd go for handwash/ delicates/ wool over 'normal', though!) I've airdried and then sprayed with re-proofing (in the garage because of the fumes), left to dry again and sprayed again x

Bluegreen143

Hope I’m OK to join in

I read the KM book last week and have been busy happily decluttering my wardrobe, make-up/cosmetics and jewellery. I was already a big declutterer so I’m shocked and amazed at how much more I’m simplifying using the KM method. I think before I was more looking for things to throw away (“ah, I have three black skirts, which are the tattiest/least comfy and I’ll keep the best”) instead of really questioning it and keeping only that which brings me joy (“do I need any black skirts? I don’t actually wear them?”).

I did discover last night that I’d accidentally KM’d the spare bedsheet for our bed, so we just have the one on the bed now and none to rotate on when it’s in the wash :rotfl: I did declutter a bunch of un-joy-giving bedding so it must have got mixed up in there. I don’t have a tumble dryer so I think buying a new sheet is justified and it’ll teach me a lesson to be more careful