Search found 517 matches

by Retiredtester
Mon Oct 23, 2023 11:34 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Baselayer recommendations?
Replies: 23
Views: 4435

Re: Baselayer recommendations?

I know you're understandably opposed to the brynje vests on sartorial grounds, but speaking as another big, extremely sweaty (albeit reasonably hairless) unit, they really can't be beat. They're the only things I've worn that don't go cold and clammy when sodden and seem to do a pretty good job of m...
by Retiredtester
Thu Oct 12, 2023 9:52 pm
Forum: Classifieds
Topic: Wanted - hope pf41 bb
Replies: 2
Views: 158

Re: Wanted - hope pf41 bb

Ah, curses! Thank you very much for checking.
by Retiredtester
Thu Oct 12, 2023 7:04 pm
Forum: Classifieds
Topic: Wanted - hope pf41 bb
Replies: 2
Views: 158

Wanted - hope pf41 bb

The most extreme of extreme long shots, but before I pull the extortionate trigger on a new one of these, I just thought I'd ask on here first.... Needs to be of the 41mm variety and accomodating a 24mm axle. Ta!
by Retiredtester
Tue Oct 03, 2023 7:33 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Wahoo Elemnt Roam V1?
Replies: 10
Views: 455

Re: Wahoo Elemnt Roam V1?

+1 for the v1. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've done several 24hr plus rides and mine was fine. Great battery life and very intuitive to use.
by Retiredtester
Tue Sep 12, 2023 1:14 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Custom Frame Bags
Replies: 20
Views: 1193

Re: Custom Frame Bags

I got one here: https://bike-bag.co.uk/ Not particularly fancy (i.e. just plain black) but lovely bloke to deal with, quick turnaround and costs the same as or less than an off the peg one. I think I was about £55 for a full frame one? +1 on bike-bag. Mine has been brilliant +2 for bike-bag. Spot on
by Retiredtester
Thu Aug 31, 2023 1:15 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

What made it utterly unforgettable for me is the support and encouragement along the way - not just the big crowds at the controls like Villaines but the ones and twos by the roadside in the middle of nowhere, the kids offering to refill your water bottles, people cooking crepes in their front yard...
by Retiredtester
Thu Aug 24, 2023 8:41 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

Sorry, bit pissed and full of myself on the ferry home. Should also have said a huge congrats to my fellow boner finishers - kudos, as they say.
by Retiredtester
Thu Aug 24, 2023 8:34 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

That was pretty amazing! I had probably my best ever day on the bike on the first day and snuck off to get 4hrs blissful hours sleep at a retired mates house near Brest. Then started to feel progressively worse as I succumbed to the heat. Grabbed another 3hrs kip on a sports hall floor 300k from hom...
by Retiredtester
Tue Aug 22, 2023 10:45 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

Well, I've made it to Brest! Bonkers event and everything I was told it would be. Hope you're all getting on ok. Alors, a Paris!
by Retiredtester
Sun Aug 13, 2023 9:46 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

Good shout fellas. I guess I'll take the Rab jacket and some leg warmers, and I've got an emergency bivvy bag thing.
by Retiredtester
Sun Aug 13, 2023 2:27 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

PS I've got an excellent schedule planner thing on google sheets that I gratefully accepted from a Dutch bloke on FB. Saved me a lot of work - here if you want to use it.

And a link to a a google maps track with toilets, bakeries and supermarkets listed on it here
by Retiredtester
Sun Aug 13, 2023 2:17 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

Dyffers wrote: Sun Aug 13, 2023 10:49 am PXL_20230813_060932304-01.jpeg

A thing of beauty. Unlike mine.
by Retiredtester
Sat Aug 12, 2023 7:44 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

No sleeping kit; there's plenty of other places to sleep than controls, and I know by Monday night I'll be struggling to stay awake not sleep. And it's summer so it'll be dry. :wink: ChrisN and I did the 5am start in 2011 and slept at Loudeac which worked well enough. It was just the lack of occasi...
by Retiredtester
Sat Aug 12, 2023 6:43 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

Are either of you taking bivvy bags?. I'm contemplating taking a hunka and a very light sleeping bag, just so I can do my own thing without relying on the beds at controls. I've struggled to sleep in rooms full of farting, snoring blokes in previous audaxes and I like the idea of being able to sleep...
by Retiredtester
Fri Aug 11, 2023 11:33 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

Ps I think there is an option to track people by the times they pass though the controls for anyone who's genuinely got nothing better on!
by Retiredtester
Fri Aug 11, 2023 11:32 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: PBP - anyone planning on entering?
Replies: 116
Views: 7140

Re: PBP - anyone planning on entering?

Sorry to hear about your travails John and hope your luck returns next week. I'm feeling pretty good after a shitty cold and the bike seems alright. I'm getting a ferry from Newhaven on Saturday for a (hopefully) leisurely ride down and an 0545 start on Monday. What time are you guys starting?
by Retiredtester
Thu Aug 10, 2023 12:19 pm
Forum: Your Trips & Adventures
Topic: Bivvy a month 2023.
Replies: 1037
Views: 182389

Re: Bivvy a month 2023.

Verena wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2023 10:51 pm
Retiredtester wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2023 10:45 pm Cheers all. Got PBP next week, so I've got a feeling there will be some ditch sleeping on the menu.
Ohhh, good luck!!
Thanks! 🤞🤞🤞
by Retiredtester
Wed Aug 09, 2023 10:45 pm
Forum: Your Trips & Adventures
Topic: Bivvy a month 2023.
Replies: 1037
Views: 182389

Re: Bivvy a month 2023.

Cheers all. Got PBP next week, so I've got a feeling there will be some ditch sleeping on the menu.
by Retiredtester
Wed Aug 09, 2023 9:06 pm
Forum: Your Trips & Adventures
Topic: Bivvy a month 2023.
Replies: 1037
Views: 182389

Re: Bivvy a month 2023.

Ah, that's great to hear👍I haven't ruled out a few more trips this year, but first I've got to school him in the art of packing his own f**king bike!
by Retiredtester
Wed Aug 09, 2023 9:02 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Lake District guide coming soon
Replies: 19
Views: 1256

Re: Lake District guide coming soon

Copied from one of Ed's FB posts - *Hi there, sharing with admin approval! My name is Ed and I've written a new bikepacking guidebook for the lovely people at Cicerone Press. It's called Bikepacking in the Lake District, is suitable for mountain bikes and covers 8 challenging rides of 2-5 days, incl...
by Retiredtester
Wed Aug 09, 2023 9:00 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Lake District guide coming soon
Replies: 19
Views: 1256

Re: Lake District guide coming soon

The bloke who wrote this is a very good mate of mine and I was lucky enough to accompany him on a scouting mission last year. I can't pretend to remember where we rode, but it was all very beautiful and ed promised to scrub some of the more mental boulder field/hike a bike sections from the finished...
by Retiredtester
Wed Aug 09, 2023 6:51 am
Forum: Your Trips & Adventures
Topic: Bivvy a month 2023.
Replies: 1037
Views: 182389

Re: Bivvy a month 2023.

Sadly, a failure to report for me and pip. A combination of work and family stuff meant we didn't get a chance to get out in July, so that's that. It doesn't sound that hard to achieve (especially after ticking off Jan and Feb!), but I found it takes a lot to keep on getting out - congrats to all wh...
by Retiredtester
Thu Jul 27, 2023 9:19 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: What spectacles?
Replies: 16
Views: 885

Re: What spectacles?

A couple of weeks ago Lidl had three designs of bike glasses on sale in their middle at lidl section All £5.99 and some if not all of them are are photochromatic, My local Lidl had plenty of pairs of each type left today. I bought a pair of these (another 20% off with Lidl plus card!) and they seem...
by Retiredtester
Sun Jul 16, 2023 4:23 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Audax. anyone ride em ?
Replies: 57
Views: 3161

Re: Audax. anyone ride em ?

You get used to it very quickly shaf. I'm commuting on the bike I'll use for PBP and spend a good 80% of the 35k ride on the tri bars now. Makes a noticeable difference to average speed too, so win win!
by Retiredtester
Sat Jul 15, 2023 3:40 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Audax. anyone ride em ?
Replies: 57
Views: 3161

Re: Audax. anyone ride em ?

A set of cheap Tri bars have been a revelation for me. Obviously no good for group riding, but great for taking the pressure off the hands.