I once read that the best safety feature for a car would be a 9 inch sharpened steel spike sticking out of the centre of the steering wheel. Drivers would make sure they didn’t hit anything with one of those fitted.

Lu ! Thanks for exploring ! I hope to God we don't do any of that stuff... :lol: So do I Eris, So do I! I've had a re-think with a lot less climbing (but still plenty). I'm still looking to do the Wayfarer from Llandrillo end, but starting with a lot of canal towpath and lanes to get there. The wor...

September BAM - done! 9 of 12 for 2020. A very (too) hard ride around the Berwyns to check out a route for the Pensioners Outing next month. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50341908728_c61d855b06_n.jpg Its worse than it looks - the last 8 miles was on canal towpath. I got back to the car a broke...

'S my birthday and I've just finished packing for my September BAM. Roll on tomorrow

Today. Locked bike to a lamp post outside the bank. Walked away to join the queue, then realised the Etrex still on the bars. Walked back to get it and found I’d lost the key for the lock. Searched ground around. Emptied pockets several times. Nothing. How can this be? Searched again and found it ba...

This chap was sitting on his log just by the bolt end of a gate we had to go through on the WRT on Saturday. Southern Hawker dragonfly. A beaut!

I posted a BAM for August earlier in the month so WRT bivvies are here. The scales of shame (in kilos) :oops: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50291392746_83bf844e7f_z.jpg Bivvies 1 & 2 Saturday... https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50291565197_616ed3b0ab_z.jpg Sunday... https://live.staticflick...

26.3 kg. 58 lb in old money. Disappointing! I’d thought I would be lighter this year

I love my Ding-Dong bell. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49394849987_a721a714fd_z.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275900201_347161bdc0_z.jpg Sure, few on here will like it 'coz of the size and weight, but it does give a very pleasing "Avon calling" ding-dong that has never got a grump...

Llandinam, between Caersws and Llanidloes. Google satellite maps show a decent car park. The only thing that worries me about my route (apart from weather, distance, height gained, availability of pub food) is that I'm expecting to be at the Towers on Monday afternoon and most of the cake will have ...

Lu - d’you think you’ll last till then ? Be great to see you :-bd :-bd :-bd And NO racing Yes, I'm still up for it. Just have to avoid my days in work . In October:- 4,5/12,13/20,21 and 28,29th I planned a possible route for this jaunt some time back - before my medical misfortunes. I don't know if...

I use safety specs from Amazon, £10 a shot with a small bifocal section to read Garmin and phone . https://www.amazon.co.uk/voltX-CONSTRUCTOR-BIFOCAL-Reading-certified/dp/B004VRL6O2/ref=sr_1_8?crid=O5IWW7FD066J&dchild=1&keywords=bifocal+safety+glasses&qid=1598026032&sprefix=Bifocal%2Caps%2C152&sr=8...

I don't know whether to call this one my August BAM or wait until after the WRT at he end of the month, so you can have both... After my rather traumatic 3 months (heart attack/stents and Covid-19) the family were a bit worried that I was determined to WRT, so one of my sons stepped up to the plate ...

Look at this baby... https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50248414123_e8bf2f7f07_z.jpg I had a shake-down bivvy with my son (who's never been bikepacking before) and saw this elephant hawk moth caterpillar in Newborough Forest, Anglesey. We also saw a fat rat trundling across the car park and a few g...

What about a Dyneema soft shackle Karabiner of the kind that DD Hammocks sell? good for loading of 125 kg. Or you could make your own if you've got the Dyneema.

I was at Coed y Brenin once. There was a family with a young-ish lad who were doing the Dragons Back. To help the kid on the steep bits, dad had fixed one end of a six foot length of water pipe to his seat tube vertically, so that it stood up rather like a fishing rod. It was curved and had a loop h...

frogatthefarriers wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:58 pm

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:55 pm

I've done some testing of Teravail tyres of late Lu and the 2.6" Honcho might fit the bill. Failing that, I've probably got a good Trailblazer hung up in the workshop.

Checking Teravail Honcho.....

All change. I’ve found a trailblazer while I was looking around. On eBay. £30. Thanks anyway..

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:55 pm

I've done some testing of Teravail tyres of late Lu and the 2.6" Honcho might fit the bill. Failing that, I've probably got a good Trailblazer hung up in the workshop.

Checking Teravail Honcho.....

I’ve punctured the sidewall on my WTB Trailblazer 27.5x2.8 on my Ramin 3b+. I can’t seem to find a like for like replacement. Can anyone suggest an alternative? With the chain in the lowest gear on the cassette there’s very little room between tyre and chain. I’m afraid that a wider tyre, even thoug...

One for me too. I've entered and I'll get one anyway, I know, but it would be nice to get one for my son/minder who's not entered, but coming with me to facilitate with the recovery of my body.

Same as me, XL ta. Lu Klimaszewski.

BAM July 2020. 7/12 A post somewhere here mentioned a Hoffmann kiln. It reminded me of one such near me, so for July's bivvy I puffed up to Minera quarry, the home of said kiln, a climb of 1000 ft in nine miles. Not far from home I noticed my back tyre was going flat and stopped to pump it up. Now i...

Got the email today. To my mind, the plan’s a good-un. Especially having Ceulan as a grid ref.

Bring it on

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 27, 2020 11:27 am

There’s good eating on one of them.

Main attractions for me with WRT are: the 'vagueness' of everything between when we leave and return, bumping into each other, the social bit in Y Star and your gaff at the start, popping in to local shops, caffs, pubs etc, lots of rain. I don't (naively?) see big problems away from your place - we...

Prepping for WRT. Stripped BBs on two bikes - both mine but one’s for my minder. He’s never been bikepacking before. We’ll have to have a shakedown ride before then, I think....