Nice one, some lovely pictures there :smile: edit; How are you getting on with 'one bike for everything', not sure how I could cope! Sadly my catchy phrase "A Bike for Life" has often been understood to mean only having one bike. That is not how I intended it :-) For me it was about a bik...

scott of the woods wrote:Very good Dave it looks like it was a successful outing, I wish I could have made it but alas Friday nights weather changed everything as Saturday I spent trying to put my house back together

Ouch!

Hope the damage wasn't too bad!

Lucky you were around

I've written a Ford Fiesta blog post with pics (phone camera only) etc see Ford Fiesta Winter Bikepacking Event

Anyone want to share their writing, sound, video, full movie?

I'd like to add my thanks too. My first bikepacking event, my first wildcamping, my first night in a bivy (outside the back garden), my longest off road rides ever (by far) are among the highlights. Thanks Stu and Dee for organising, welcoming, encouraging, feeding etc I had a great time and will be...

The "need" (pushing it a bit to claim that) is that on the standard plan a SPOT device updates every 10 minutes. On a group ride in 2014 we used a smartphone tracker for a support team to find us and it made that very easy. With only 10 minute updates that gets harder as you could be seve...

...I wonder if it could handle 2 simultaneous devices. Phone for frequent updates and SPOT for filling in the coverage gaps. Apart from there would be no need especially if you have the SPOT and there coverage would appear to be better than mobile phones so just use SPOT ?, the spotwalla site does ...

Thanks for the clarification on the SPOT thingy Might be worth looking at https://spotwalla.com/help/devices.php you get a web tracking page that works with a wide variety of devices including smartphones and SPOT. just created an account and using the phone, so far it looks okay. PS sorry for the ...

Might be worth looking at https://spotwalla.com/help/devices.php you get a web tracking page that works with a wide variety of devices including smartphones and SPOT.

......... I decided a SPOT would give more peace of mind as it would not be restricted by phone battery or signal. Okay I get the spot thing has better battery life but do they not suffer from the same signal restrictions as a mobile phone? I'm not talking about the tracking function as that's GPS ...

I've been using Real Time GPS Tracker 2 (RTT2) on Android with great success for road cycling. See http://www.greenalp.com/RealTimeTracker/

However, for Ford Fiesta, WRT and my sabbatical I decided a SPOT would give more peace of mind as it would not be restricted by phone battery or signal.

These are convenient and nice to use http://www.trail42.co.uk/products/pack- ... h-grey-lid but they won't stay hot for a whole day. Good for maybe 3 hours in zero degrees if pre-warmed.

benp1 wrote:My stem cell worked well with my old bike, but my knees would hit it if I put it on my large Solaris and stand up to pedal

How many others hit theirs when standing?

Generally brush rather than hit. Might be different on a much steeper slope than I have used them on so far.

Rode with Steve as he passed by tonight, in great spirits despite a testing day in the rain and now misty cold. Lights would appear to be an issue already for him, one thing that surely is highly advanced compared to Tommy Godwin's attempt. I was very surprised to find he isn't using a dynamo to at...

I just use one. Not ridden much with both but no sign of any problem so far.

I've recently gone for a quilt. Got an http://astucas.com/en/products/sestrals-quilt with the APEX 200 filling. I use it with an Exped Synmat http://www.exped.com/uk-ireland/en/product-category/mats/synmat-ul-7-lw I've slept with them in my bivy bag down to -4 (according to my garmin 800 which was u...

Thanks for the very thoughtful and detailed responses!

Tonight I got stuck in the mud on a nearby bridleway. Both wheels clogged completely multiple times. They clogged even when pushing rather than riding. See route and photos at Stuck in the mud . This is 700c x 40 WTB Nano Comp tyres. The mud was not really gloopy but clumpy (I'm expecting to learn l...

I'm sure you'll be fine with the WTB's, it was mainly for my own interest that I looked :smile: I do love that bike, its like a MTB lite, if you know what I mean? I have been delighted with my Shand, done around 6,000 miles on it so far in everyday use plus touring. I think Steven and Russ at Shand...

For future reference, I've just found that schwalbe smart Sam's are available in 29x1.75, which should fit nicely :geek: Always the way, as soon as I couldn't find a tyre that size someone does :-) Be very interested if anyone has some experience with them, just reading some reviews and they are ve...

what tyres are you running on that? size please. I'm running WTB Nano Comp Cyclo Cross Tyre Black, 700c, 40c, Wire Bead which I got from Chain Reaction. I could fit up to a 47 or maybe even a 50 but didn't find much available in that size range. While it wasn't really deep mud yesterday I was pleas...

So my Shand Stoater is now ready for the Ford Fiesta :-) Pity about the rider, though! I wrote yesterday how I saved 3.6kg by removing all the general transport items from the bike (mudguards, racks, stand etc). Last night I fitted all the Bike packing bags and went for a ride in search of off road ...

I have Ergons on my Jones loop bar and also on my Bullitt cargobike and my wife has them on her utility bike.
Compared to the variety of other grips we have used they are more comfortable and outlast them all (not had to replace any yet).

Earlier someone recommended http tp://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm and I have found it excellent for looking up grid references and comparing map and satellite.

Went for a test ride this evening. http://42bikes.warnock.me.uk/2015/01/01/first-mountain-biking-mini-adventure-2015/ Was my first off road riding in a long time (not technical but quite muddy, dark and some heavy rain). Was riding my newly lightweight and off road Shand Stoater complete with all my...

I'm wondering much the same.

Been planning to wear my Shimano MW81 boots with insulated overshoes on top (sadly only space for thinish socks).

I'm considering trying to seal the sole around the cleat as that is hopeless on wet ground. Not sure what to use though.