Cheery here - the start of my last week off work of the year. Off tomorrow for a whistle stop tour of Argyll and points west, hopefully in sunshine. I'd be out longer but need to give Mother morale support in view of Dad's continued health challenges.

Good effort in those conditions

trek1120plus wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:08 pm Not sure the plus bike loaded with water wearing a pair of Duro Crux 3.25 tyres was the best choice of steeds but it got there!

Ideal road tyres, I'd say

That's very kind of you Laz, consider that a provisional booking.
My bruv lives at Northwich so I could probably also utilise his gaff.

That would be a good excuse to go down to that part of the world. I've never made it to SSUK since I did the one up here in '19....
Time to start ruminating on travel options!

It was Alpinum who convinced me so we can blame him

To be fair I've ridden a lot of rocky trails since I fitted these rims and apart from lots of scratches they have been fine despite many, many rock / rim strikes...

https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... start=1075

Disappointingly no use of a spoon Oh contraire - I was ruminating on what to use to dab the resin into the sheet and found an old disposable plastic spoon in the draw - this worked a treat as well as for dribbling resin over the next layer :-bd It'll be fine Shaff, hence the huge patch over a small...

The 20" wheels would appeal to me, if I needed a folding bike A hint of the Moulton ATB there!

Fixing own gear, rather than making it.... So after my jaunt the other week, my mate noted a large gouge in the back rim. On closer inspection there was a rough hole about 3mm across punched through the rim wall, in the middle of the gouge. I've no idea what caused this - I certainly wasn't aware of...

Hmm Reg, I would say those figures regarding insurance premiums and claims are a lot of tosh. We've had 20's all over the place up here for years (plus we made them self enforcing so non of this 'speeds reduced by 6-7mph' stuff, people actually do 20mph, more or less), and I'm entirely unaware of an...

Dave B's winter passage of the Bealach Dubh remains one of the more horrendous experiences related on these pages, far worse than Steve Bates winter HT attempt! I've never done the climb out the back of Ben Alder cottage, as it's always been horrible weather when I've aimed for it - the descent is ...

Dave B's winter passage of the Bealach Dubh remains one of the more horrendous experiences related on these pages, far worse than Steve Bates winter HT attempt! I've never done the climb out the back of Ben Alder cottage, as it's always been horrible weather when I've aimed for it - the descent is m...

Was defo real fried bacon from the Firestation cafe I've had in the last few years

Mudguards - wise, I'm liking my Stonglights - https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m19b2s80p0/Mudguards/STRONGLIGHT/Mudguards 48mm gives coverage for up to 45mm tyres. If you need bigger then 53mm SKS (or 60's even) are the way to go. Those Velo Oranges look good but are well spendy, heavy and will self dest...

The Pine Martin is still a good 'un and the outside seating very welcome! Whilst we are on the subject of C/L re-supply, the firestation cafe in Tomintoul is my go to. Braemar is a bit more tricky - there is a wee cafe, but the chippy come biker hangout is a bit rubbish - I tend to default to the Co...

Surely, they get used as arm warmers?
I read this and immediately though of an old Berghaus down jacket I have which is too bulky for bikepacking and not really warm enough anyway. Then realised it doesn't have a hood...

A bit more intel here - https://philsbikepacking.blogspot.com/2019/09/ben-alder-bike-rides.html I'm pretty familiar with the area so happy to give further route advice. I'd go with Bealach Dubh / Cumhahn over the Ericht shore path, even with a gravel bike as most of it goes pretty easy, apart from t...

CF, made a very quick recovery from what I think is the latest round of COVID, and have made it to the start of my holidays, a girls boating week on the Norfolk Broads with my friend and Hermione. Never been to this part of the world before, weather forecast is good, looking forward to it :cool: A ...

jameso wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2024 6:48 pm

any details?

https://bikepacking.com/plog/vedangi-ku ... the-world/

ooh missed that when it came out - cheers

campsites..... with a clubhouse, chippy, swimming pool and shop. Eh? When did these come in? Why weren't we told? Where do we sign up?? I recall camping in the Aberfeldy Municipal campsite on the last night of a tour done in 2010 - all the pitches were the same size and every other tent in the plac...

Good effort I see the article on bikepacking.com has degenerated into the usual bun fight over the validity of the record, being not that self supported compared to Jenny Grahams....

Dave Barter wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2024 8:28 am She may not hold it for long…

I'd heard someone else was having a go - any details?

Marvelous stuff there Frog, a tour of people dancing with horns on, and pubs. Not much like that goes on up here and further north it's all Highland Games where the local toffs lord it over the peasants.... BaM 2024 - September - Done. Caught a train to Stafford (Avanti West Coast, with probably the...

Cheery Wednesday - just checked on the Midge forecast, given lots of low temps across Scotland last night, and they have shut it down for the season = no more midges! On balance, despite a very mild winter and lots of warmth and dampness, it's been a good year for us, less so for the midges.... Time...

Can't see much benefit over one of those cheapo Lixar fire stoves....
220gs = a BB meths stove and enough meths for a weeks worth of brews