Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Arrange rides with other members.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9007
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by RIP »

:lol: :lol:
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Richard G »

Workout done, bags packed, clothes prepped, bike positioned ready to be wheeled out, car fuelled, cashpoint visited...

...pretty much guaranteed to have forgotten something important. :lol:

See y'all on the morrow.
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9007
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by RIP »

Rang the Met Office to see if they could do something about this rain they've got planned for the Chilterns. They said that the Welsh contingent had actually asked for some because that's what they're used to. So the deal we came to was the MO will keep the rain over Radnor today or at least this morning, which means it now shouldn't arrive at Wendover until midday Sunday just when we're, er, arriving back at Tring station. So it's sunglasses and knotted hankies back on again. I won't have a word said against the MO.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
User avatar
MuddyPete
Posts: 815
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 9:47 am
Location: Beds/Bucks border

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by MuddyPete »

What a great 24 hours. :-bd

Many thanks to Sam for his hospitality; Tim for organising everything and booking a quintessentially-Chilterns pub; Reg for planning the route; everyone for being great company and (of course) Stuart for coming up with the idea in the first place. :grin:
Pete

P.S. Santa is washed, dried, fully operational and back on display on the window sill. What a guy. :lol:
May you always have tail wind.
Old Aliens
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2016 9:43 am

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Old Aliens »

Thanks All for a great introduction to your world of bikepacking (even though my effort didn't really count as I slept in a 1.5 tonne set up) However it has really fired up some long lost enthusiasm for off road adventuring. I know I'll be bivi-ing under hedges before long.

Without wishing to blow smoke up anyones arse - you are all a sound bunch of guys and great company - also each and everyone of you would be welcome to crash at the field anytime you like.

See you again soon hopefully.

Sam.
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Richard G »

Cheers all for the very best of English hospitality for this Welsh boy!

I must admit, the surface isn't to my mountain biking tastes, but it was a great little trip and good to meet many of you for the first time (and see some old riding pals again). I'd definitely consider coming back... when it's warm. :P

(Maybe even take Sam up on his offer! Next time I'll bring the beers though ;) )
User avatar
BigdummySteve
Posts: 2974
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:16 pm
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by BigdummySteve »

Thanks all for a great weekend, conditions would have made stu proud.
Finally woke up much later than planned :-bd and managed to true and retension my rear wheel in the round house.
Currently removing about two kilograms of the chilterns finest gloop from all the kit.
We’re all individuals, except me.

I woke up this morning but I’m still in the dark
User avatar
Mike
Posts: 2989
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:36 am

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Mike »

No rain for us yesterday, we even has sunshine!
User avatar
TheBrownDog
Posts: 2107
Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:46 pm
Location: Chilterns

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by TheBrownDog »

Thanks all for a great weekend and for putting up with my laggardly performance on the bike. Next year you will be met by a thinner, fitter me on a bike that doesn't want to chuck me off every 30 seconds. That's the plan anyway.

I'm still uber gobsmacked by Dr Nick and Picker's journey to the pub via the length of the Ridgeway.

Hats off to Steve for his two-mile quick mark to and from the pub. And very pleased you got that wheel rolling again. Try not to give in to the temptation to see how far you can cram it up the mechanic who built it.

Till the next time.
I'm just going outside ...
User avatar
benp1
Posts: 4051
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:36 pm
Location: South Downs

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by benp1 »

Thanks all, it was a cracking trip. Good company, nice riding and good fun. Very muddy though, I hosed my bike, kit and clothes when I got home, it was grim. Some of the clag up in the chilterns is pretty special

I seem to have picked up a cough/cold though, I think it might have been the waiting around at a couple of points, got cold, particularly when we were in Sam's field before we left for the pub, I was shivering. Should have put 2 layers on rather than 1. Hoping to shake it before we go to Lapland

Sam, thanks for your hospitality. Fantastic once again and the improvements are ace. Reg (and Rich), thanks for the guiding. Tim, thanks for organising

We should definitely do one in the summer when it's dry, although we said that last year
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Richard G »

What on earth is the mud made of there? My entire drivetrain is bright orange from rust (I assume), including a good chunk of the cassette!
User avatar
BigdummySteve
Posts: 2974
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:16 pm
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by BigdummySteve »

benp1 wrote:
We should definitely do one in the summer when it's dry, although we said that last year
I really enjoyed the ride, especially the ‘ice gully of doom’ perhaps we could organise one near the summer solstice? A run down the ridgeway to Avebury then to honeystreet for nosh at the Barge inn?
We’re all individuals, except me.

I woke up this morning but I’m still in the dark
User avatar
Rich3rd
Posts: 191
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:03 am
Location: Chilterns

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Rich3rd »

A couple of pics to sum up a spot on ice, sleet, mud fest fun trip Image
Image
Never knowingly under biked...
Pickers
Posts: 458
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Alcester

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Pickers »

Even though Dr Nick and I had our own agenda (101 miles along the Ridgeway), the Saturday night socialising was great - huge thanks to Tim and Sam for the time and effort put in.
We'd thank Reg as well for sorting out some excellent routes, but we didn't use them, so we won't :grin:
Some of my pics https://www.flickr.com/photos/107347896@N06/sets/

We’re gonna need snacks

#TakeLessBike
Dr Nick
Posts: 350
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:14 pm
Location: Hay-on-Wye

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Dr Nick »

Indeed. Seconding what Pickers just said :grin:
Not so much a gravel grinder.... more a gravel (mud and tarmac) groveller...
User avatar
BigdummySteve
Posts: 2974
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:16 pm
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by BigdummySteve »

Good effort on the ridgeway, must have been ‘fun’ this time of year
We’re all individuals, except me.

I woke up this morning but I’m still in the dark
Pickers
Posts: 458
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Alcester

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Pickers »

Cheers Steve. Overall not too bad, alot of the ground was frozen, a fair bit not though. Still had to shake ice off the tarp after three nights on the ground, some stunning mornings though.
Some of my pics https://www.flickr.com/photos/107347896@N06/sets/

We’re gonna need snacks

#TakeLessBike
User avatar
TheBrownDog
Posts: 2107
Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:46 pm
Location: Chilterns

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by TheBrownDog »

Image

Here's the only photo I have that's worth sharing ... Sam is presented with his birthday cake. Oh, happy memories :grin:
I'm just going outside ...
Old Aliens
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2016 9:43 am

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Old Aliens »

Haha, that cake was brighter than my lights...getting old.
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by Richard G »

Great photo. :)
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9007
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by RIP »

One for connoisseurs such as Rich3, bunged here to keep me away from the polite-society of the Postie's-Been thread ;) - Hail Sweary has finally turned up! Only had it for ten seconds and I'm already writhing on the floor. A lovely antidote to pleasant xmas table chit-chat. Might slip the odd nugget (and that's probably in there somewhere itself!) into the New Year's Eve conversational maelstrom and see if anyone notices ('did Reg just say what I thought he said'). Not for nothing did Terry Jones consider it to be comparable to Chaucer and Shakespeare as a crucible of the English language! Horse's handbrake indeed.

PS. Does anyone know where my garden shed key is please?
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
frogatthefarriers
Posts: 777
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:31 pm
Location: Wrexham

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by frogatthefarriers »

RIP wrote:PS. Does anyone know where my garden shed key is please?
Dunno, but it'll be in the last place you look :-)

Or you could try a prayer to St. Anthony.
Konia kują, żaba noge podstawia...
User avatar
MuddyPete
Posts: 815
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 9:47 am
Location: Beds/Bucks border

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by MuddyPete »

RIP wrote:P.S. Does anyone know where my garden shed key is please?
Lodged in your tea-towel holder? :shock:
May you always have tail wind.
User avatar
RIP
Posts: 9007
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
Contact:

Re: Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

Post by RIP »

Ace, thanks chaps - you were both right! 'Ooyah'. Can extract my bike now.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
Post Reply