04/08/2026
Yesterday evening I set out on my 1972 ‘Cyclo Grandini’ made by Youngs of Lewisham and heard a crunchy sound, I was horrified to look down and see my classic Zefal HPX 3 had somehow slipped and the pump head was getting mangled in the chainring. I was clipped in and came to an emergency stop on a narrow road in St Paul’s. It really looked mangled and really thought it was a gonner :-( until I had a bright idea! This was a job for Sugru! I managed to get the head off its retaining thread, remove and clean all the interfacing parts in isopropyl alcohol then created a Sugru ‘washer’ and was able to ram the thread down to the business end of the pump and reconnect it with the head. Sugru is very malleable when it comes out the packet, but then begins to lose its plasticity as soon as it comes into contact with air. Sugru comes in black of course by I only had white. In 24hrs when the Sugru has ‘gone off’ - becoming a strong elastomer - I will find out if the fix works and will last? Fingers crossed anyroad.
28/07/2026
Thanks to .bristol this morning for Makita UK advice and for a 2/2.5/3/4/5/6mm mini set of these rather beautiful Bondhus UK T handle Hex drivers https://bondhus.co.uk/collections/t-handles
01/07/2026
I know Bristol has a reputation for bike theft (like any City), so I've been researching 'theft deterrent locks' and this one: "Hiplock Z lok combo" has a 5* rating in a review on Cycling Weekly.
A lock that fits in your pocket and is enough to deter an opportunistic thief
The Hiplock Z lok combo bike lock is basically a reinforced cable-tie - and we all know how hard they are to unlock
30/06/2026
It’s transparently obvious that some owners fly to Bristol Airport to get their Brompton serviced by i?
I’m excited to announce my new ‘Brompton Service Bristol’ page https://www.ilovesmybike.co.uk/home/brompton-service-bristol so if you live in Bristol, you are welcome to book your Brompton in for a full service with optional Home Collection & Return.
18/06/2026
I rather want to try this puncture hack, although I am now running tubeless
Fix a puncture with no repair kit #cycling #cycletips #roadcycling
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
18/06/2026
I have been doing call-out repair jobs on Tern GSD's for a few years, so am excited to announce my Tern Service + Emergency Puncture Repair Bristol page as I think the need for a responsive call-out service is growing due to the numbers of people I have seen riding these cargo bikes? https://www.ilovesmybike.co.uk/home/Tern-GSD-HSD-Quick-Haul-Service-Bristol
If you live in Bristol, you are welcome to book your Tern in for a clean and full service or even an emergency puncture repair using that link above (not here).
#2026
13/06/2026
I’ve been working hard re-writing my website pages this week, whilst fitting in mobile call-outs and producing quotations. Please take a look at https://www.ilovesmybike.co.uk and get in touch, if your bike needs my undivided attention for 3hrs or so to remind you how joyful it once was to ride?
07/06/2026
iLMB Bulletin!
I am excited to announce my new ‘Brompton Service Bristol’ page https://www.ilovesmybike.co.uk/home/brompton-service-bristol so if you live in Bristol, you are welcome to book your Brompton in for a full service with optional Home Collection & Return. #2026