Welcome to you W00dster . "25 minute tube ride" - time for that Brompton investment . Similar journey to you for 10 years; Eus > City area took exactly 16 minutes give or take a few seconds. Even got to learn some of the traffic light settings! Oh ok, you're probably right, instead of a Brommie, the N Wales investment might be more appealing .

On my way towards Settle this morning I noticed a chap with video camera and big microphone standing on a bridge. "Must be a steam train due" me thinks. A little while later just outside Long Preston there was a group looking at the railway line. "Hmm. Wonder what's coming?"

I got to Settle by-pass and I could see a column of smoke in the distance so pulled up and a few minutes later ...



Loco 35018 on its first mainline excursion pulling carriages for, get this, 53 years.

I think it went Carnforth - Leeds - Carlisle - Carnforth as when I rode across the West Coast mainline there was a couple there waiting for it.

2nd breakfast, Chiltern style ....

Good to see that cappucino there Rich, nice to see people maintaining our wussy SE standards

I rode 'The Hills' yesterday, it was the last event of the Isle of Wight Cycle Fest. They had two distances to chose from, Standard at 26 miles and Epic at 52 miles - 2 laps of the course. Obviously as a BBer I chose the Epic. The organiser didn't seem confident I'd get round on the singlespeed I was second back, out of only 2 finishers. There were 8 entries at that distance but the conditions made it hard going so the 6 behind me were pulled out after the first lap as they'd of finished too late. I'm going to say I finished 2nd but I'm sure my mates will say I came last



I even stopped to take my windproof off before getting back to the finish to make sure my BB jersey was in the picture Bit sore today, mainly as I came off twice on the smooth wet chalk which is like ice to ride on. Oh, and I left my car at a mates house on the way there so then rode another 14 hilly miles back to his. A total for the day fo 66 miles and 7900ft. I think I'll make that the last big ride before the BB200 and start my taper now

Rode to our next-nearest town and delivered an advanced Bikeability course for the local constabulary, who are now officially 'Mounties' and will thereby be able to apprehend our miscreants and ne'er-do-wells rather more speedily and stealthily than now. Bit easier to get an MTB down our labyrinth of alleyways than a souped-up(*) Vectra.

Not helped by knackering my back the other day. When this happens, past experience shows that having someone walk up and down on it in stillettos is the most efficacious cure. Volunteers gratefully received.

(*) surely this should be 'suped-up' as in supercharged but apparently Dictionary Corner claims not so there we go.

RIP wrote:Not helped by knackering my back the other day. When this happens, past experience shows that having someone walk up and down on it in stillettos is the most efficacious cure. Volunteers gratefully received.

You've just been to see the police. I'd have thought they'd have been happy to oblige You might have needed "special" branch with the stillettos though.

....or vice squad, so I've been told .

^^^^

Must admit this wasn't quiiite what I had in mind..........

Lap of Llandegla red+black haven't been to a trail center for ages really enjoyed it just not the 3 pinch flats I had in the last 2ish miles.

Friday - train to Oxenholme; rode to Garsdale, Hawes, descended Buttertubs (47mph! ), Tan Hill Inn. Beer, food, chat (40 miles) & bivvied in a "mini-cave".
Saturday - to Kirkby Stephen, Sedbergh, Oxenholme & train home (37 miles).
All on the road; fast & smooth.

Managed to slope off for a razz over Shropshire's Long Mynd on Friday. About 20 miles or so, with plenty of ups and downs. First 'proper' ride of the Sherpa and it's everso exciting.

Went for a pootle around Dinorwic quarry this morning. The plan was to summit Elidir Bach & Elidir Fawr but the cloud was well low and thick. So it was a bit of a mooch around the different levels of the quarry. So atmospheric with thick mist around the ruins, the mist lifted for a bit near the end...
Plenty of bivvy spots though

20171008_105720 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

IMG_20171008_155443_435 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20171008_103404 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20171008_121328 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20171008_115247 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Love that place. As you say very atmospheric and a slate lovers paradise. Trouble is you need plenty of spare tyres wrapped round your neck - had my biggest blowout barrelling down a track somewhere near the old "C" inclines once, 2" slate-slash in the tyre and came to a very abrupt halt. Saved by gaffertape in that instance. Every time I'm there I expect to be joined by John Cleese, I mean "Tim" (although that was in Scotland of course)......

TBH I take it easy when riding there but its always in my mind that them slates will lash out!

Bit quiet on this thread again, so may as well chip in. Just a 1.5 mile evening toddle up to MuddyPete's house for a natter. And the unexpected pleasure of home-made apple splodge and custard. I haven't had custard for well over 50 years I reckon - normally an ice-cream afficionado - so that was jolly.

I hope Pete'll forgive me for telling one of his little stories on his behalf, but he's thinking of doing a ride with some club outfit in Essex. So far so normal. But the best bit is they've got an official Fire Safety Officer That's my type of bike club. Might put myself up for election in the BBB Baby Panda Cuddler position. Well the Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre have got one. $32k a year as well!

Thankfully there was no need for a fire safety officer on my ride today
Wife took the kids visiting today so I Rode out of town to my usual playground of Raywell and brantingham, then carried on to some previously unexplored footpaths around Newbald.
A fun if uneventful ride I covered 55km, climbed a mighty 728m and a lofty maximum elevation of 159m.
No fear of a flat planet round here, you'd be constantly petrified with this terrain on your doorstep.

RIP wrote: Baby Panda Cuddler position. Well the Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre have got one. $32k.

Possibly the world's least stressful job, judging by the way she's dozed off...zzzz.

Exploring footpaths around our new house

2017-10-15_08-11-18 by David Scott, on Flickr

Some left a little to be desired (hint, path is between the fence and the nettles)

2017-10-15_08-18-29 by David Scott, on Flickr

And these were the other side of the fence (which I found a bit random as I live just north of Northampton, rather than the highlands, which you can probably tell based on the landscape

2017-10-15_08-20-10 by David Scott, on Flickr

My feet were quite moist by time I got to the stile....
20171022_113648 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

A 10-mile pootle around the woods with a mate on his first knight-ride confirmed he needn't be afraid of the dark: until his Chinese mega-searchlight ran out of juice .
So we swapped bikes & bimbled home for a cuppa tea.

Enjoyed the sunshine in the Dales today. We went for a spin from Feizor up to Horton to join the Pennine Bridleway back over Sulber Nick to Wharfe and then the lanes back to Feizor.

The very fancy bridge made to take the Pennine Bridleway across the river Ribble between Horton and Ribblehead.


This is a permanent puddle on the way to get onto the open land above Selside


On the Clapper bridge above Wharfe

(Yes)today’s ride was a 45 minute lurgy fuelled trundle from Hope.

I picked my freshly serviced bike up from 18 and had a steady peddle in the sun.

Was meant to be racing Relentless this weekend but ended up doing a ride 23 hours and 15 minutes less due to illness.

ianfitz wrote:(Yes)today’s ride was a 45 minute lurgy fuelled trundle from Hope.

I picked my freshly serviced bike up from 18 and had a steady peddle in the sun.

Was meant to be racing Relentless this weekend but ended up doing a ride 23 hours and 15 minutes less due to illness.

I wondered what your Strava comment was about. Makes sense now. Get well soon!

There's a lot of it going round, I've still not completely shifted what I had on the BB200...!