https://i.imgur.com/ntQheeG.jpg One side I'd had my bike pushing against to keep it closer to ground but this bad-boy thought it's an invite to crawl up n get me. So after my first 1h45 of sleep I tackled him (maybe a her... didn't think to check) to the ground. Slugs are hermaphrodites Shaf, so "h...

The lovely pushing and carrying gets you to some even lovelier riding. My bold !! I did suggest to Stu when he was planning the Offas Byke an alternative lower level route taking out the "climb" from Capel-y-Ffin Monastery up to the ridge and the subsequent nadgery into and out of Gwrynne Fawr but ...

substandard wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 24, 2020 1:02 pm

Haven’t found anything I’d say was truely hard on the road in the uk.

I have. Anything steeper than 1:5 is tough for me but then I'm not a grimpeur

In Bearbones land, the little lane starting out from Arthog up past Daran is a bit of an eye-popper at first

Interesting reading. Much has been covered but I'm going to make a few observations! One thing that always amuses me (maybe the wrong word but meant in a good way) is that people always come to the subject from their own particular interest group. Having said that, there are posters on here taking a...

A lot of coastal riding UK = steep climbs unless you're somewhere like Lincolnshire or Norfolk. Generally speaking

Richard G wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 09, 2020 5:31 pm

The plan will be morning rides from a single starting point (rented house or something).

Unless you're talking maybe just 1 or 2 days I would suggest North Devon in The Minehead to Lynton area. Good coastal riding and some good loops out and around Exmoor. Handy for The Quantocks too.

Sh1t Dave. I knew I was going to hear this news sooner or later but it doesn't make it any easier.
Thoughts with you mate. Peter.

RIP wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:21 pm

I think I know what went wrong now. I'm sure Stevo would love to go back for another try .

I admit I was wondering a bit when you said the water was ankle deep and yet it was at least knee deep when Kev and I visited...

Great read that Reg. You are so right about it being the event for views :-bd ; the weather conditions were just right with brightness but no haze. A good time to have been up in the hills and, for me and Kev, every wrong track we took seemed to lead to even more impressive viewpoints, usually at th...

Catrike16 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:58 am

I use a Jones loop bar on my current bike as it gives lots of hand positions

Welcome aboard

Just out of curiosity, what is your existing bike upon which the Jones bars rest? Just to evaluate it's suitability for bikepacking (although we all need more bikes).

But it's about reality vs. perception. Slightly off topic but we had a situation local to me a few years back. There was a proposal to put in a shared-use path using old railway lines from Chepstow through the Lower Wye Valley to Monmouth via Tintern and the village of Brockweir. Grants were availa...

... it was packed in a padded envelope which split as I opened it and showered the whole room with a cloud of shredded grey paper. Satisfyingly Mrs P went into orbit and is still there as far as I'm aware. Ooops :oops: please send my apologies (keeping a straight face) to your good lady when she re...

I know that's not a comprehensive test but (to me) it's interesting that the results seem to reflect the peg lengths as much as shape or material - the further into the ground the more secure which of course makes sense.

The tarp can actually be a sacrificial vapour barrier under certain circumstances; by providing a surface for condensation to form on it can stop it forming on the surface of your sleeping bag. As ht says, just be careful not to brush against it. If there's a temperature differential and a source of...

Not sure which is better, the functionality of the product or the professionalism of the model showing it off. Can't help feeling it may double up as a comfortable pillow too (the gilet, not the model )
Got to worth crowd-funding to get it into production....

Whilst I would like to see similar to Scotland here in England and Wales I can only imagine the number of people that would line up at the moment to object to such a scheme given the 'Covid Trippers' currently at large in the countryside :sad: The amount of tabloid-style ammunition currently availab...

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 18, 2020 6:56 pm

That is very sad news. It also saddens me that keeping a secret or quiet about something, even when it's for the greater good, is something many people seem to struggle with these days ... had the eagle not featured on telly, would it still be alive?

I do wonder this too.

The body has been recovered so no doubt an autopsy will be carried out the results of which will hopefully be made public. I don't know what the usual lifespan of a golden eagle is or what age this particular one was; look forward to more details.

I am sad to say that there are reports out today that the eagle has been found dead

Just so long as Stu doesn't start singing Men of Harlech...

I am not an engineer and do not know the science but... the only ti that I have had fail was a component. The frames I have (and have had) have never let me down or failed. A ti handlebar (flat MTB) did however fail - it cracked and sheared at the stem clamp, a potential weak spot between a rigid cl...

Fascinating

Which side does sir dress - oooh, suits you.

I bet your common snail feels a right dick head ....

I'd be tempted to try a light, packable primaloft-style gilet instead of the fleece layer. I rarely find I need equal insulation on my arms as my body... I'm a big fan of gilets, really useful bit of kit (and I probably have far too many of them!) - great for layering up the core without impeding t...

I'd say you're pretty much on the button there (oh, and welcome to the forum!). Usual stuff; baselayer, midlayer, top layer dependent on weather/season/terrain. If it works for you (as per your last paragraph) then it's good By long journey if you mean overnighting then you'll be carrying some kind ...

I've so much to learn. And indeed that remains the case throughout your life; you will become wiser but should never stop learning! I love the idea of just jumping on the bike without a moments faff and riding into the sunset. Of course, that is the dream, not the reality. A greater or lesser degre...