Seconded for Acepac I've got both the large and medium and strangely the medium holds my phone better as it doesn't taper so much. It's this one https://www.bergfreunde.es/acepac-fuel-bag-alforja-para-bicicleta/?aid=7fc8ffc6db398848fd46ce9c750dfeb6&pid=10004&dsc=false&gclid=CjwKCAjwv4SaB...

This disused monastery is 8km from home, next to a mineral water bottling plant, also disused. Lots of lurid tales locally about it's history

The Via de la Plata is definitely on my list for next year, we were due to do it about now but my ongoing shoulder injury from falling off in June have scuppered multi day trips for now. I reckon 9 days riding should be about the right pace.

Philip, I've replied to your PM, good bedtime reading

160km is ambitious on this terrain, are you flying back on Saturday 29th? We did the whole original route in 61/2 days and it was quite tough. I had to bail on day 6 due to a cracked frame but have since ridden the Gudar section a couple of times, the rest of the group slept at the campsite at Alcal...

I've had CO2 confiscated from my bike bag flying Easyjet to Mallorca, tbh I'd had a cannister in my seat pack for ages and forgotten it was there. You'll definitely get CO2 in Decathlon and as you're going there to get cooking gas, seems not worth the hassle of breaking open your carefully packed bi...

Yes, I live about 3 hours from Teruel. Your best bet is to go from the airport to the Decathlon store at San Fernando de Henares which is about 10 minutes away. You will definitely not find anything in Zaorejas, in fact there will be bugger all until you get around to Valverde. I'd also stock up on ...

1)yes
2)no
3)no
4)definitely no
If you want me to sort 2,3 and 4 happy to do so. What day do you arrive? If Sunday, could be a problem but Decathlon do 2, bike shops do 3 and Chinese shops do 4

Thanks for the kind offer Phil, maybe more complicated than you think given my location in Cataluña, posting here has recently become a nightmare due to you know what. Maybe my durability requirements have been misinterpreted as simply needing waterproofness, actually that's not a major issue, I can...

Currently looking for a decent but simple compact digital camera to use while riding. Has to be robust and resistant to the elements so that carrying it in a bar bag or back pocket won't kill it, but mainly it needs to have big buttons or knobs that I can work with gloves and will allow one handed o...

Centre Parc and British Cycling's fuckwittery is better known as virtue signalling, standing in line for 30 hours is better known as respect. One of those terrorist vs freedom fighter conundrums.

Dibs on this please, I'll PM you with details of BiL address which avoids the hassle of posting to Spain. He's coming here next week so I'd be grateful if you could post it quickly.

. I recalled numerous conversations over the years with such people and while not indicative of everyone, there was a trait that a surprising (or maybe it isn't) number seemed, by their own admission to possess ... and it was hate. Not a hate of others or of things but of self. Bit surprised that t...

I’ll own up that I want a Garmin 1040 Solar. I lusted after one of those until I saw the price. I'd worked out that given my sunny personality, every time I looked at it, it would charge a little more. Must be the same for you Dave (Where the fkuk is the irony emogee? ) Now I'm after an Explore 2 p...

There are 2 hooks on the rack on the left that are unoccupied, trouble is we've another 7 to accommodate. We have a number of bikes that we hire out as part of our B&B Casa Rural thing, they're not ridden by us as they are a range of sizes.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, the four that immediately spring to mind are "I have a problem "

Here's my report, we rode the Tajo section this May on the way to Bilbao, it's still pretty deserted.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15981
The Spanish train network and timetable takes some understanding, if you want any help with transfers, let me know.

Here's all the info you'll ever need to ride the route. https://montanasvacias.com/ 20° c at the end of October is a bit optimistic for a route that goes up to 2,000m in several places and is mostly over 1,000m. A group from here rode it in early September 2019, yes it was 3 years ago, and nighttime...

No Shaf, he didn't miss it, it is on the route and is the only fixed crossing option at that point. There's a non- mechanical ferry just upstream which is available on demand and relies on the current to drift across. Otherwise it's a 20km diversion to the nearest bridge. He said he'd come across so...

Had some dealings with him in the late '90s when I recieved some sponsorship from his then employers Giant. They ran a cross country race team on their then cutting edge MCM carbon race bike. Unlike the 9 stone whippets that rode for 11/2 hours around a field, I was much harder on the equipment bein...

Back on the track now with 100 miles to the finish so should have it done tomorrow which will be an incredible 32 days after starting. The earlier detour was from the Spanish border for about 20km and is almost certainly a result of fire risk if not actual fires. Guessing such acts of God are allowe...

Met up with him last Tuesday for about 30km on my local trails, he seemed to be enjoying the riding saying it was much greener than he anticipated. It's actually been bone dry for nearly 3 months and was 36 degrees when we were riding. He's been putting in some long shifts in the days since, riding ...

According to his tracker, he's currently looking for a way across the river Ebro. Clearly he's discounted the narrow bridge that carries a live railway line that features a thigh high guard rail that is all that's separating you from plummeting 50ft into the wide river below. Those who have ridden t...

another 500 miles ticked off in double quick time, he crossed into Cataluña this morning and is climbing to 1,000m along a section of the Transpyr route that I rode some years ago with Blackhound and Gairy of this parish. The trail involves a steep twisty corrugated concrete road then a fairly rough...

Jilted John now known as John Shuttleworth periodically appears on Radio 4 in a spectacularly unfunny sitcom. Both were inventions of comedian Graham Fellows.