Search found 283 matches

by NewRetroTom
Fri Feb 16, 2024 2:44 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Technique for Packing a Handlebar Roll
Replies: 5
Views: 243

Re: Technique for Packing a Handlebar Roll

What I do is just put sleeping bag and therm-a-rest inside my bivvy bag, then roll it all up. So when I want to deploy it I just unroll it, inflate the therm-a-rest and I'm ready to climb into bed.
by NewRetroTom
Fri Dec 29, 2023 10:59 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: HT550 - 2024
Replies: 30
Views: 9290

Re: HT550 - 2024

Yep, it's Andrew's fault I'm in! He emailed me on the morning that entries opened to remind me - otherwise I would have forgotten. Planning to use the ancient Shand (got it in April 2009, so it will be 15 years old by the time of the HT550), but not yet decided whether to use it SS again or geared (...
by NewRetroTom
Thu Dec 28, 2023 1:51 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: HT550 - 2024
Replies: 30
Views: 9290

Re: HT550 - 2024

Yep, as a couple have spotted up thread I'm in! Big excitement, as it's 10 years since my last attempt! I had a place for 2020 (we all know what happened then). That got transferred to 2021 but as I had a 6 month old son and a daughter on chemo I wasn't able to take up my place :sad: Let's hope the ...
by NewRetroTom
Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:07 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: OS maps on phone help
Replies: 7
Views: 465

Re: OS maps on phone help

Has anyone tried using Fatmap for navigating? I see that the "Explorer" version has OS maps as a layer (as well as lots of other national Topo maps like IGN). I've just signed up for the 7 day free trial, so will see how I get on. If it works well €30 per year seems like reasonable value.
by NewRetroTom
Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:42 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Audax. anyone ride em ?
Replies: 57
Views: 3161

Re: Audax. anyone ride em ?

I did a few in 2019 in order to qualify for PBP and then did that. I was kind of astonished how many folks are out there doing this kind of thing all the time and not making any fuss about it. Makes you realise that the old geezer who trundles past might be on a 600km ride rather than just a local 2...
by NewRetroTom
Wed Jun 29, 2022 7:35 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: The 2022 Tour Divide watchers thread.
Replies: 449
Views: 26640

Re: The 2022 Tour Divide watchers thread.

Great job Steve!
by NewRetroTom
Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:39 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: The 2022 Tour Divide watchers thread.
Replies: 449
Views: 26640

Re: The 2022 Tour Divide watchers thread.

Some sticky mud from the Old Bannack Road. There weren't even any trees to borrow sticks from to clean the bike - I ended up using a gnarled old bit of sage.

Image
by NewRetroTom
Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:03 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: FFS no one needs this.
Replies: 132
Views: 8525

Re: FFS no one needs this.

Invite her to write an article for the site on the legalities of wild camping?
by NewRetroTom
Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:02 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Happy new year
Replies: 10
Views: 986

Re: Happy new year

Happy new year!
My daughter's chemotherapy is due to finish this year (though not until October). It's going to be a better one than 2020 and 2021 I'm sure!
by NewRetroTom
Wed Nov 17, 2021 11:16 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Poggies for kids
Replies: 9
Views: 1118

Re: Poggies for kids

I have the same requirement for my daughter who I take to school on a mac ride.

I was planning to make a pair from an old softshell jacket by cutting the sleeves up and stitching some velcro on so they can easily be attached and removed. Haven't got round to it yet though... Will post pics when I do.
by NewRetroTom
Fri Nov 12, 2021 1:55 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Something on telly
Replies: 20
Views: 2019

Re: Something on telly

I wonder what that birch sap wine tastes like...

Did he say he had 60 gallons of it?!
by NewRetroTom
Tue Sep 28, 2021 9:29 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: hard-core JOGLE attempt
Replies: 19
Views: 2137

Re: hard-core JOGLE attempt

Some dude did Melbourne to Cairns by skateboard this year. 3,600km in couch surfing style. Good effort.

https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/skateb ... ause-62936
by NewRetroTom
Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:13 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Quite 'lumpy'.
Replies: 20
Views: 2276

Re: Quite 'lumpy'.

mattpage wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 1:12 pm
NewRetroTom wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:08 am Looks reasonably bumpy, but not too bad. I did a 230km race in July with 10,600m of climbing.
Probably not in the UK.
Correct. https://mb-race.com/en/mb-ultime-2/

Write-up here if anyone is interested. https://newretrotom.blogspot.com/2021/0 ... -race.html
by NewRetroTom
Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:08 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Quite 'lumpy'.
Replies: 20
Views: 2276

Re: Quite 'lumpy'.

Looks reasonably bumpy, but not too bad. I did a 230km race in July with 10,600m of climbing.
by NewRetroTom
Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:09 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Going straight
Replies: 16
Views: 1906

Re: Going straight

arkay wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:21 am Nice of them to quote it to the nearest micrometre - I had no idea the OS were that accurate!
{pedant mode} accurate vs precise.

They were very precise, but wildly inaccurate - as ScotRoutes says they were a few km out based on the definition of a paved road being one with tarmac on it.
by NewRetroTom
Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:51 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Going straight
Replies: 16
Views: 1906

Re: Going straight

arkay wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2021 8:22 am Inspired by Geowizard’s YouTube videos?
Seems to have been inspired by a blog post on the Ordnance Survey website:
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/newsro ... ing-a-road
by NewRetroTom
Mon Aug 16, 2021 1:11 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Lael Tour Divide FKT
Replies: 40
Views: 3569

Re: Lael Tour Divide FKT

Interesting - Mike Hall had major breathing issues in 2013 when he finished in 14 days 12 hours. There is definitely something going on with ultra racing affecting the body's ability to repair the lungs. Josh Kato has also complained of this. From a 2016 interview with Mike Hall: In the past, you ha...
by NewRetroTom
Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:01 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Lael Tour Divide FKT
Replies: 40
Views: 3569

Re: Lael Tour Divide FKT

She seems to be behind her own record pace now and quite a way off Mike's pace. Will she keep going once it's clear any chance of a record is gone?
by NewRetroTom
Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:23 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Lael Tour Divide FKT
Replies: 40
Views: 3569

Re: Lael Tour Divide FKT

Stopped again at the post office in Whitefish. Let's hope she has posted herself some new batteries for the tracker.
by NewRetroTom
Wed Aug 11, 2021 9:07 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: European Divide Trail
Replies: 9
Views: 1151

Re: European Divide Trail

However a number of routes are springing up with the Divide tag which don't seem to follow this requirement. They should really call them "Diagonals" instead of Divides. It's an established concept here in France (joining the corners of the hexagone) where they already have their own orga...
by NewRetroTom
Fri Jul 23, 2021 2:35 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Cycling in Germany - Anywhere Good?
Replies: 25
Views: 1620

Re: Cycling in Germany - Anywhere Good?

There is a guidebook I believe - published over 120 years ago, so might be a bit out of date now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Men_on_the_Bummel
by NewRetroTom
Fri Jul 09, 2021 11:11 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Bear kills cyclist in the US
Replies: 31
Views: 3263

Re: Bear kills cyclist in the US

It's certainly sad that the bear has to be killed, but I wouldn't say ridiculous. Once it has become habituated to raiding chicken coops and trying to get into peoples tents the bear is always going to be dangerous irrespective of if it has hurt or killed anyone. If everyone carried out best practic...
by NewRetroTom
Fri Jul 09, 2021 9:58 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Bear kills cyclist in the US
Replies: 31
Views: 3263

Re: Bear kills cyclist in the US

I think the fact that they were in town may have meant that they let their guard down (one of the news articles states "She and her party were camped near the town’s post office and museum").
by NewRetroTom
Thu Jul 08, 2021 8:27 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Bear kills cyclist in the US
Replies: 31
Views: 3263

Re: Bear kills cyclist in the US

Absolutely dreadful. That was in Ovando which is on the Tour Divide route and notorious because of the friendly shopkeeper who takes and upoads photos of pretty much all the racers who come through.
by NewRetroTom
Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:54 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: TD 2021
Replies: 6
Views: 966

Re: TD 2021

So far Brendan has had more sleeping time but has been moving a bit faster. Jay's stopped time is 1d 21h 4m vs Brendan's 2d 3h 11m. So Brendan has covered the same distance in 6 hours less riding time. I don't know anything about Brendan's ability to keep up that kind of sleep pattern. Jay is certai...