Cafe Racer GR are GO.

[samcallard]

Had a look at the map the other day and looking forward to it. Trying not to look at the forecast so I can maintain my childish excitement a little longer...

[RIP]

"overambitious" - yes it is a serious problem. There's at least ten boozers on our route, gawd knows how we'll manage after the first eight or so .

[Bearbonesnorm]

There's at least ten boozers on our route

Ten or ten dozen, it'll likely matter not as it's mid-Wales and they're bound to be shut

[BigdummySteve]

Over ambitious routes planned out and back

You on the single speed Andy?

[Roobell7]

Over ambitious routes planned out and back

You on the single speed Andy?

And with fat tyres

[BigdummySteve]

Over ambitious routes planned out and back

You on the single speed Andy?

And with fat tyres

See you at the star? I seem to remember it’s your round

[RIP]

Poor old Roo, that's right cheeky our Steve, there'll be at least 20 of us I would think . Yer man'll be on gruel and water for the rest of the weekend after that.

[whitestone]

We'll be stopping in Oswestry on the way down - saves racing trying to get to The Star in time to get something to eat. Got half-price at the Travelodge on some deal they sent me. It's only a steady hour and a bit in the morning to get from there (Oswestry) to Llanbrynmair.

[Roobell7]

Poor old Roo, that's right cheeky our Steve, there'll be at least 20 of us I would think . Yer man'll be on gruel and water for the rest of the weekend after that.

Not sure I can make the Star on Friday night. Work of course

[RIP]

For some bizarre reason I'm already packed and ready to go <twiddles thumbs aimlessly>.

Bit bored earlier so had a nice email natter with Belinda The Cafe who said she's making TEN cakes and 'gallons' of soup, so Stuart must have warned her about our infamous prodigious flour-based-confectionery-products consumption levels. So that's the first ten arrivals catered for, just crumbs left for the rest of us slowcoaches.

Borrowed our old-fashioned kitchen scales and had a pre-ride weigh-in, although doesn't seem to vary much these days. Full winter bedroom on the bars: 2.28kg ( 2 x 8L Alpkit airlok-extra + U/L S2S straps ); Kitchen&breakfast + bathroom + 1st aid + workshop + extra socks/base-top + 2 maps out back: 2.09kg (Alpkit koala + rear light); 500ml water in gaffertape 'stemcell': 525g; steripen + milkpot + E-lite + lock + sundries in Alpkit stemcell: 390g; worn clothes inc boots, Rab smock, helmet, headlight, phone: 3.2kg; Total kit & clothes: 8.84kg. Reg: 61.5kg; Orange P7: 11.6kg.

Think I've at last finalised my "Russian doll" breakfast kitchen in 650ml Ti mug:

[nedrapier]

Well, the forecast's looking a bit better! All over the place with storms fronts coming through, so who knows?

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/W ... /long.html

http://magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-Surf ... spot_id=84

RIP, you've caught me at a bad time. Just been weighing up my winter bedroom bar bag and it's close to double yours. Hammock and OTT/heavy for it's warmth winter bag. But I'm going to be comfy, dammit!

I was thinking about spending on a new bag to save a kilo, but decided I'll just nick the double chainset from the little hardtail.

And toughen up, obvs.

Princess.

[RIP]

Hi Ned, I'll probably be the first stiffie (frozen body man, frozen body ) you'll come across out there on the bare mountain, so I wouldn't worry about your weight - I sound like a slimming aid advertisement! Sounds like you have a fair sense of humour there, which I think is one of the most important items to carry and it luckily weighs bu££er all so make sure you chuck that overboard last of all . 'Double' my weights at 8kg or whatever you have is pretty damn light anyway. As you say, a lot of the fun of this game is fiddling about with and honing your gear - I just sadly got a bit obsessed . Many would say 'comfy' isn't synonymous with 'soft' (whatever either means anyway), there's plenty of other stuff to test one's resolve out there

[Bearbonesnorm]

As you say, a lot of the fun of this game is fiddling about with and honing your gear - I just sadly got a bit obsessed

I'm of the same mind Reg. It's obviously a very broard church but personally, I enjoy the challenge of trying to reduce what I carry while still carrying enough to remain functional / safe. I derive a certain satisfaction from it, especially if savings can be made via a process of thought and experimentation rather than simply shopping for something lighter.

[whitestone]

I've this mental image of Reg sat at home all week twiddling his thumbs waiting for the off

Sort of got a route worked out, a couple actually depending on weather, phase of moon, etc. Might firm things up a bit tonight. The bike's in one piece but that's as far as packing's gone.

Quite a bit of working out what to take depends on knowing how you deal with particular conditions - for a weekender you aren't going to get caught out with something unexpected, if the forecast is for frost through to the following week then you aren't going to have to deal with a warm wet front moving through for example. Having said that, my "winter" bivy gear is pretty standardised now and it's just the minor peripheral items that get tweaked.

[RIP]

'Mental image' - . I've got 'jiggly leg' to go with it now, so as you say I'm basically just a big kid waiting to go on holiday.

Good point Stu re spending one's way to lightweight nirvana, I'm fairly guilty of that although mainly in the bedroom department (ooer). I'm not particularly creative on the gizmo front although I reckon my gaffertape stemcell is a first . My BP stuff is like a black hole to our family finances - the rest of my life makes us look like Bob Cratchit's place. I gently rib people's obsessions with distance, speed etc but I'm well aware I'm far worse with my individual grammes .

I can't believe I used the words 'out back' earlier. At least I forewent the heinous word-crime of 'in back'.

[Mike]

Anyone else not have a route or idea where they r riding still

[whitestone]

Anyone else not have a route or idea where they r riding still

If things are really boggy (see psling's Welsh translations in the other Cafe Racer thread) then we'll look at more road based options. If things are icy then we'll look at more off-road. There's quite a bit of: "Oh! We rode that bit on the BB200 or getting to Bearstock" so trying to find trails that we've not done before while trying to avoid the death marches

[Richard G]

I'm of the same mind Reg. It's obviously a very broard church but personally, I enjoy the challenge of trying to reduce what I carry while still carrying enough to remain functional / safe. I derive a certain satisfaction from it, especially if savings can be made via a process of thought and experimentation rather than simply shopping for something lighter.

I go completely the other way on the winter ones. I tend to try and carry as much as possible so that I'm comfortable, but still able to actually cycle.

[nedrapier]

I tend to try and carry as much as possible so that I'm comfortable, but still able to actually cycle.

That's what I decided when I was briefly considering the lightweight sleeping bag plus liner and down jacket. It's a long time dark this time of year, and I'd rather spend that time sleeping well in the snuggly warmth of seven hundred and fifty geese rather than intermittently dozing and shivering, waiting for it to get light.

And if I don't need to warm up in the morning, I can leave the cook pot at home and get breakfast and a coffee at the next shop/cafe. I can call it a "fasted ride" and pretend to myself it's part of a training regime, rather than just laziness.

[BigdummySteve]

Borrowed our old-fashioned kitchen scales and had a pre-ride weigh-in,

I’ve just loaded up the Fargo with everything and weighed in at 19.05 Kg all in there’s a couple of odds and sods to go in yet such as a woolly hat and a dried meal ect so perhaps an additional 500g

Quite happy with that considering my old RAB bag weighs over 1kg, this includes a tent, wide exped mat, cooking kit (taking a tiny gas stove+winter gas this time) tools and spares.

Hopefully in the summer I can loose another 1Kg and finally break the 40lb barrier

[Richard G]

Bloody hell people, how on earth do you find yourself ready so early? I don't even have a bike I can use at this point, let alone being packed.

[BigdummySteve]

Bloody hell people, how on earth do you find yourself ready so early? I don't even have a bike I can use at this point, let alone being packed.

Being made redundant just before Christmas helps

Also my kit is stored in a hell hole of outdoor kit and bike parts, it can take a considerable amount of time to find stuff, occasionally I find interesting stuff hidden in the bottom of this hole and get distracted...hence planning ahead

[NorwayCalling]

Anyone else not have a route or idea where they r riding still

Not even looked at the GR's yet, let alone a route!

[Richard G]

Being made redundant just before Christmas helps

Ouch, sorry fella.

Yeah, I think I'd take being rushed all the time over that.

[NorwayCalling]

Quick question: where is the community center in relation to the school (as the school was used before) I cant find it on google maps. Is it part of the school or elsewhere?