Friday 26 August 2011
Astrid's New Boots
Woo-hoo. Drove her home from work last night. Got her up to speed along the A31 and no wheel-wobble anywhere through the range! New tyres have made her a different car. She corners like she's on rails, too! This morning in heavy rain on the way to work....fantastic. No back end slip pulling out of Puttenham onto the Hogs Back. Result!!
Thursday 25 August 2011
Astrid Update
Decided to get the rear wheel balancing done today. The vibration at speed seemed to be getting worse. Lucky I did...
Just before I left for the garage, I ran my hand round the inner edge of the NSR tyre, to find a huge chunk of rubber missing, and a patch so worn out that the canvas was hanging out!! No wonder I had a bit of back-end vibration above 65mph! Although the tyre was obviously fine for the MOT last Wednesday (in as much as there was more than the legal minimum tread over 80% of the width of the tyre) the inner edge was obviously more worn. On Friday last, there was an 'incident' in Guildford where I had to brake very hard and take evasive action when a car pulled out of a side turning without looking and into my path. I did lock up the rears (no ABS on this puppy) and slide to a halt, so I must have seriously flat-spotted the tyre. Once you have the flat spot, the balance is shot and the worn patch can only get worse. Just 300 miles since the MOT and the tyre was worn through.
RT's Tip of the Day: Check your tyres regularly, folks!
Took her in to my local tyre place for a new tyre, and decided to get both rears and the spare done at the same time. Astrid is now sporting five new tyres all round as I had the fronts done just prior to the MOT. Thanks to Phil and the team at Black Swan Tyres, Wrecclesham for their usual excellent on-the-spot service and great prices. A small local business (don't you just love it when you find a handy local supplier rather than having to resort to a national franchise) but one I would have no hesitation recommending. I've added a linky to them in my Tour Support Links. If you ever need tyres around Farnham, Surrey, these are the boys!
Just before I left for the garage, I ran my hand round the inner edge of the NSR tyre, to find a huge chunk of rubber missing, and a patch so worn out that the canvas was hanging out!! No wonder I had a bit of back-end vibration above 65mph! Although the tyre was obviously fine for the MOT last Wednesday (in as much as there was more than the legal minimum tread over 80% of the width of the tyre) the inner edge was obviously more worn. On Friday last, there was an 'incident' in Guildford where I had to brake very hard and take evasive action when a car pulled out of a side turning without looking and into my path. I did lock up the rears (no ABS on this puppy) and slide to a halt, so I must have seriously flat-spotted the tyre. Once you have the flat spot, the balance is shot and the worn patch can only get worse. Just 300 miles since the MOT and the tyre was worn through.
RT's Tip of the Day: Check your tyres regularly, folks!
Took her in to my local tyre place for a new tyre, and decided to get both rears and the spare done at the same time. Astrid is now sporting five new tyres all round as I had the fronts done just prior to the MOT. Thanks to Phil and the team at Black Swan Tyres, Wrecclesham for their usual excellent on-the-spot service and great prices. A small local business (don't you just love it when you find a handy local supplier rather than having to resort to a national franchise) but one I would have no hesitation recommending. I've added a linky to them in my Tour Support Links. If you ever need tyres around Farnham, Surrey, these are the boys!
Wednesday 24 August 2011
So who is this RT fella, anyway?
RT - Wannabe Sub-Urban Homesteader, throwback to the 1980's and a big fan of LEGO
Twice married, twice divorced. They say third time lucky, and that's me alright. For the last five and a bit years I've been together with Mrs RT. Well, technically not Mrs (in the legal sense of the word ) RT...but my partner, work colleague, soul-mate and all-round best friend.
The difference between this relationship and my two previous ones is startlingly simple. I'm married to my job, and any 'significant other' has to work within that parameter. Fortunately Mrs RT is also 'married to the job' and as we both work for the same company and have been since God was a lad, that kind of makes it work for us. We're married to the same job, which to all intents and purposes means that we are sort of married to each other indirectly...well, you get the idea!
RT - The Good Bits
I'm friendly, sociable, gregarious (hang on, aren't they all the same thing?!) and generous to a fault. Will do pretty much anything for anyone if it's doable, even if I end up putting myself out. I like to think I'm a decent human being, reasonably 'green', kind to animals (I also keep chickens), tolerant and fairly impartial. Reasonably learned and pretty relaxed. Mostly house-trained.
RT - The Bad Bits
I smoke....shame on me. Desperately trying to cut down and eventually cut out, perhaps just resorting to the occasional puff on me pipe down in the Shed. I work too hard, don't shave as often as Mrs RT would like me to, I'm an untidy bugger at times and have a tendency to start something (like the kitchen!) and not finish it for ages because something else more interesting crops up...like a project in the Shed or the garden. Mostly housetrained, but 'room for improvement' Mrs RT would say. Could try harder!
RT - The Ugly Bits
Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I never profess to be beautiful or handsome. A face like a badly-dropped bag o'spanners, I was once described as. A good face for radio, as they say. Anyway...not my place to judge. You take me as you find me if that's ok with you, and I'll do the same with you
Picture of me sat at the computer in the office. Taken 24/8/11 so as up-to-date as it comes.
RT - The Stats
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 11stone, ish.
Eyes: Blue (when not bloodshot)
Hair: All my own (mostly brown but a bit of grey sprouting here and there)
Build: Slim to average
Job: Electronics engineer and IT Manager for a Training and Simulation company in Surrey
Home: The Toolshed, RT Mansions, Surrey Hills, UK
Children: One of each, at secondary school. Mrs RT's two lads live with us
Chickens: 3. Henrietta, Rosemary and Omelette (RIP Brenda, 25/8/11)
Sheds: 2. Shed 1 - RT's Toolshed. Shed 2 - HQ of RTGen - The Power of Tomorrow
Trolls: 1 (Troll-fella, a.k.a. Ignatious Cummins)
Yes, GLF Bar-peeps. The little green beer-brewing, Absinthe and Lapphy pipe-tending, order-taking, stoup-refilling, pointy-eared chap is part of Team RT. I'd be lost without him. He's the better-looking member of the Bar staff, wouldn't you say?!
Twice married, twice divorced. They say third time lucky, and that's me alright. For the last five and a bit years I've been together with Mrs RT. Well, technically not Mrs (in the legal sense of the word ) RT...but my partner, work colleague, soul-mate and all-round best friend.
The difference between this relationship and my two previous ones is startlingly simple. I'm married to my job, and any 'significant other' has to work within that parameter. Fortunately Mrs RT is also 'married to the job' and as we both work for the same company and have been since God was a lad, that kind of makes it work for us. We're married to the same job, which to all intents and purposes means that we are sort of married to each other indirectly...well, you get the idea!
RT - The Good Bits
I'm friendly, sociable, gregarious (hang on, aren't they all the same thing?!) and generous to a fault. Will do pretty much anything for anyone if it's doable, even if I end up putting myself out. I like to think I'm a decent human being, reasonably 'green', kind to animals (I also keep chickens), tolerant and fairly impartial. Reasonably learned and pretty relaxed. Mostly house-trained.
RT - The Bad Bits
I smoke....shame on me. Desperately trying to cut down and eventually cut out, perhaps just resorting to the occasional puff on me pipe down in the Shed. I work too hard, don't shave as often as Mrs RT would like me to, I'm an untidy bugger at times and have a tendency to start something (like the kitchen!) and not finish it for ages because something else more interesting crops up...like a project in the Shed or the garden. Mostly housetrained, but 'room for improvement' Mrs RT would say. Could try harder!
RT - The Ugly Bits
Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I never profess to be beautiful or handsome. A face like a badly-dropped bag o'spanners, I was once described as. A good face for radio, as they say. Anyway...not my place to judge. You take me as you find me if that's ok with you, and I'll do the same with you
RT - The Stats
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 11stone, ish.
Eyes: Blue (when not bloodshot)
Hair: All my own (mostly brown but a bit of grey sprouting here and there)
Build: Slim to average
Job: Electronics engineer and IT Manager for a Training and Simulation company in Surrey
Home: The Toolshed, RT Mansions, Surrey Hills, UK
Children: One of each, at secondary school. Mrs RT's two lads live with us
Chickens: 3. Henrietta, Rosemary and Omelette (RIP Brenda, 25/8/11)
Sheds: 2. Shed 1 - RT's Toolshed. Shed 2 - HQ of RTGen - The Power of Tomorrow
Trolls: 1 (Troll-fella, a.k.a. Ignatious Cummins)
Yes, GLF Bar-peeps. The little green beer-brewing, Absinthe and Lapphy pipe-tending, order-taking, stoup-refilling, pointy-eared chap is part of Team RT. I'd be lost without him. He's the better-looking member of the Bar staff, wouldn't you say?!
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