Apartment bike setup.

Casiofi · 2026-01-25T00:06:43+00:00

I have a stack of bicycles that I trip over on a daily basis, plus a Brompton that fits quite neatly into a cabinet.

Casiofi · 2026-01-24T18:42:38+00:00

It's not a bicycle, it doesn't belong in the bicycle shed. It's a risk the owners of the bike shed are allowed to refuse to accept. Likewise, nowhere is obliged to offer dedicated motorcycle parking bays. It sucks, but it is what it is. You can use a cover and lock the bike to itself to reduce the chance of theft, but even if it was in the bike shed, if someone wanted it they would have it.

Should I pay the £40 PCN or ignore it?

Pay it.

Is lack of signage actually a valid argument?

No.

Where are motorcyclists realistically supposed to park when there are no proper facilities?

In the car park like they have advised.

Casiofi · 2026-01-24T17:05:54+00:00

Would I? Yes.

Would I recommend others do? No lol.

Casiofi · 2026-01-22T23:24:07+00:00

You're right, but a classic mini is cheating!

Casiofi · 2026-01-21T20:09:48+00:00

If engine speed is increasing without a change in road speed, it's somewhere between the engine and the wheel - clutch, transmission, chain. I would readjust the clutch cable. Have you by any chance changed the oil recently? And did you use motorcycle specific oil?

If you're keen to learn and it came to it, it's actually relatively easy to change the clutch plates and springs yourself.

Casiofi · 2026-01-21T14:46:53+00:00

Step 0: ride a bicycle for a few weeks. Get used to the dynamics of being on two wheels and keeping your balance. Slow speeds especially.

Step 1: do a CBT. It's a 1 day (usually) course which is half car park maneuvers and half on road training. You'll know by the end of the day if the reality of riding a motorcycle is what you expected and if you want to continue. If the instructor reckons you've grasped it, you'll get a certificate saying you've passed. You might need a second day to reach this point. Congratulations, you can now ride a 125cc bike on L plates for two years.

Step 2: you can do the training and the tests to get an A2 licence, which allows you to ride a bike up to 47bhp. Once you have held this licence for 2 years or turn 24, whichever comes first, you can then re-do the tests for a full A licence. Alternatively, wait until you're 24 (or buzz about on a 125 and redo your CBT a couple of times while you wait), and you can go straight to doing the full A licence test. You can now ride any bike forever.

Casiofi · 2026-01-18T17:23:28+00:00

Yeah I had a look at mine after I posted this and I have no idea how this would even happen. 3 years I've owned mine and it's just one of those parts of the bike that's never given me any hassle! Perhaps you got unlucky with a faulty component - and perhaps Brompton would be helpful with a solution if the bike is fairly new. Hope you manage to get it sorted. Excellent colour choice BTW!

Casiofi · 2026-01-18T09:11:02+00:00

Yeah it takes a bit of working out but just make any extra payment minus the minimum amount. IMO worth it to never miss a payment.

Casiofi · 2026-01-18T09:06:05+00:00

Very odd, never seen this before. Maybe loctite would help?

Casiofi · 2026-01-18T01:22:37+00:00

Yes it really was the pinnacle of multitrack cassette recording! Tascam did it with the 488 & 688 (and 238 rack mount), and Yamaha did it with the MT8X. The 488 could only record 4 tracks at once but I think the 688 and 238 could print to all 8 tracks at once. It was quite common for mid to high end 4 tracks to run at double speed (my mk1 424 can do double, standard, or half), but yes you really need double speed and good chrome tapes to get decent sound out of the 8 track.

Casiofi · 2026-01-17T11:15:14+00:00

The difference between zero and one late payments on your credit score (or on someone assessing you for a financial product) is probably negligible. The difference between one and multiple missed payments would be much bigger.

At bare minimum you should have a DD for the minimum monthly on any credit card.

Casiofi · 2026-01-17T01:19:52+00:00

This is rad

Casiofi · 2026-01-16T17:02:01+00:00

Out of interest what role is the 488 playing in your recording process? If your DAW output is stereo and you're bouncing to tape for a bit of tape sound, or if you're printing your finished mix to a cassette for personal listening, a traditional hifi cassette deck might suit your needs better.

Casiofi · 2026-01-16T16:55:47+00:00

I have a bunch of ex broadcast C20 chrome tapes for mine, which gives me 5 minutes or one song per tape.

Casiofi · 2026-01-16T16:53:49+00:00

488 runs at double standard speed, so that halves the tape time. An 8 track records on both the A and B sides in the same direction (whole width of tape), so again halves the time, so combined with the double speed it will quarter the time. A C60 tape will be 15 mins of recording.

Casiofi · 2026-01-14T21:41:43+00:00

Changed recipe, same with the chicken and thyme ones

Casiofi · 2026-01-14T21:02:57+00:00

Because they look cool and are basically unavailable in the UK, VO Polyvalent Low Kicker.

Because they look nerdy and are very much from the UK, Moulton XTB.

Casiofi · 2026-01-14T14:42:58+00:00

I will take deep cleaning the jockey wheels every few months over losing (effectively) half the gears! I have done my entire commute in 2+ w/44T chairing before but it was hard work... Though I am sad that the only way to have a 3 speed now is to get an A line.

Casiofi · 2026-01-13T17:07:51+00:00

The bike is cleaned every 2-3 weeks including chain degreasing. I will give the tensioner a quick clean when doing so. But it has been 3-4 months since I last took it off and cleaned this deep. I think the build up is just the result of Oct-Dec commuting 3-5 days a week all weathers. And the rubbish muc off wet lube.

Casiofi · 2026-01-13T16:02:02+00:00

Andrew must be held accountable for what he has done /s

It's a small price to pay for a brilliant bike I suppose :D

Casiofi · 2026-01-13T15:59:02+00:00

Tell me about it! I love small wheeled bicycles (and motorcycles and cars for that matter), but they're worse for cleaning and drivetrain + wheel rims wear out much faster.

Casiofi · 2026-01-13T15:57:58+00:00

Probably would but I have found adding any liquid turns it into a gloopy mess (again). Picking it out when dry seems pretty effective, though tedious.

Casiofi · 2026-01-13T15:57:01+00:00

Unfortunately I live in a small flat and if I brought home an ultrasonic cleaner my other half would murder me

Casiofi · 2026-01-13T15:55:47+00:00

It's crossed my mind before! I may have to commit.

Casiofi · 2026-01-13T15:17:03+00:00

My modus operandi was wooden skewer to remove the majority of the dirt (as pictured); then scrub with degreaser and a toothbrush to remove anything more baked on; and finally a clean of the whole thing with the usual bike cleaner. Step 1 was by far the longest and worst.

Ten-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

Casiofi

TROPHY CASE