[Bones McCoy]

All this talk of clocks reminds me of simpler days when the great national crisis was a clock that wouldn't chime.

[davidjay]

Still sniffling, another hour on the garden post-lunch will probably make it worse but it has to be done. I might have my fortnightly shave after that. Life is one heady round of excitement.

[WTF?]

All this talk of clocks reminds me of simpler days when the great national crisis was a clock that wouldn't chime.

The good old days.

[Boiler]

Damn.

I thought I'd look at the bicycle. Unfortunately, the box with some of the bits of 3-speed in it has been used as a mouse nest over winter and as a result, some of the ball bearings are rusted thanks to mouse wee

Oh well, I was going to buy new balls for it anyway; what's the best sort for a bicycle?

[The Rationalist]

Cut my own hair for the first time today with some newly acquired clippers. I was impressed - Mrs A and the brats less so! Quality Assurance reveals a slightly idiosyncratic style and a pleasingly uneven length! Will be claiming bandwidth issues on this week's video calls!

[Cyclist]

It took me nearly five years of embarrassing practice before I'd become proficient enough to be able to walk outside without a hat on, and not have people pointing and laughing.

Good luck.

[youngian]

Cut my own hair for the first time today with some newly acquired clippers. I was impressed - Mrs A and the brats less so! Quality Assurance reveals a slightly idiosyncratic style and a pleasingly uneven length! Will be claiming bandwidth issues on this week's video calls!

I’ve been putting off a haircut and was intending to have a suave snip last Saturday to mark Corbyn’s departure. Now I’m going to have to look like Dave St Hubbins until June.

[WTF?]

Cut my own hair for the first time today with some newly acquired clippers. I was impressed - Mrs A and the brats less so! Quality Assurance reveals a slightly idiosyncratic style and a pleasingly uneven length! Will be claiming bandwidth issues on this week's video calls!

I’ve been putting off a haircut and was intending to have a suave snip last Saturday to mark Corbyn’s departure. Now I’m going to have to look like Dave St Hubbins until June.

I have no such concerns. Hair is for women, children and Americano Led Zeppelin trbute acts. Baldies of the world say man up and get rid of it!

[Snowflake]

Cut my own hair for the first time today with some newly acquired clippers. I was impressed - Mrs A and the brats less so! Quality Assurance reveals a slightly idiosyncratic style and a pleasingly uneven length! Will be claiming bandwidth issues on this week's video calls!

By a strangely ironic twist of fate, I had a number 3 done the week before lockdown which see me OK for a month or so. Still have the BaByliss set in cupboard though ready for next time.

[bluebellnutter]

It's a brave man / woman / child who laughs at someone cutting their own hair this early in the crisis unless they have full intent to style themselves on Cousin It.

[MisterMuncher]

Damn.

I thought I'd look at the bicycle. Unfortunately, the box with some of the bits of 3-speed in it has been used as a mouse nest over winter and as a result, some of the ball bearings are rusted thanks to mouse wee

Oh well, I was going to buy new balls for it anyway; what's the best sort for a bicycle?

Depends where they are, I suppose, but steel in general. I assume you're using loose balls rather than cartridge bearings on something that age. For cartridge bearings, I ignore bike-rebranded stuff and just buy SKF or FAG bearings for the local machine works.

Spoke to a guy at a race last year, who spoke very highly of the ceramic hybrid bearings he'd had fitted in his headset. A rather expensive option for a bearing that, unless something very bad indeed happens, will never complete a full revolution. A case of nodding politely and waking away.

[MisterMuncher]

It's a brave man / woman / child who laughs at someone cutting their own hair this early in the crisis unless they have full intent to style themselves on Cousin It.

I'm genuinely seeing how far I can take my beard at this stage. It was already heading towards "a bit much" before lockdown. Billy Gibbons is in reach.

[spoonman]

Speaking of bikes, One of my cousins is a store manager at a branch of Halfords in NI. She's been saying that in the past month they're been selling bicycles and bike accessories at around five times more than they usually would at this time of year.

[Boiler]

Damn.

I thought I'd look at the bicycle. Unfortunately, the box with some of the bits of 3-speed in it has been used as a mouse nest over winter and as a result, some of the ball bearings are rusted thanks to mouse wee

Oh well, I was going to buy new balls for it anyway; what's the best sort for a bicycle?

Depends where they are, I suppose, but steel in general. I assume you're using loose balls rather than cartridge bearings on something that age. For cartridge bearings, I ignore bike-rebranded stuff and just buy SKF or FAG bearings for the local machine works.

Spoke to a guy at a race last year, who spoke very highly of the ceramic hybrid bearings he'd had fitted in his headset. A rather expensive option for a bearing that, unless something very bad indeed happens, will never complete a full revolution. A case of nodding politely and waking away.

Ta for that, MM. I did a bit of research in between having an anxiety attack over the mouse nest and having to sift through the now-shredded but dry tissue to retrieve a number of components with a magnet on a stick. Basically, I need 24 3/16" chrome steel balls. I'll order some tomorrow, along with a replacement indicator assembly. A bit of me really wants to stick the four-speed hub assembly I have in there but I will leave that for now: it's level ground around here so the two lower gears it offers may not be necessary.

[MisterMuncher]

Speaking of bikes, One of my cousins is a store manager at a branch of Halfords in NI. She's been saying that in the past month they're been selling bicycles and bike accessories at around five times more than they usually would at this time of year.

Sounds about right. There's always a big jump in the fair weather crowd at this time of year, but it's rather silly at the minute. At least, on the 10-15 miles of flat there is around here. Not dangerous or illegal, nor breaking social distancing guidelines, just a lot of fairly wobbly folk pootling about. Not too many up round the hills, which is probably for the best in terms of safety.