As above, the plan was to visit the fabled Cave of Caer Bannog with daughter number one. She's outgrown her bike and won't fit my old hardtail (well, she probably would but she's not having it yet) so we rejigged her mum's old commuter with bigger tyres and a disk brake on the front at least. https:...

Live bivvi in progress, in the woods near Kenmore at the foot of Loch Tay. With daughter number one and we were hoping to make it to Tomnadashan Mine, aka the Cave of Caer Bannog from Monty Python but it proved a stretch too far. Back to Pitlochry tomorrow to catch the train home sticking to Nationa...

Puzzle Wood in the Forest of Dean, which thanks to a local artist now has kodama, a la Princess Mononoke.

Needs more Boudicca

Nah, I'd say you're fine. Travelling to areas one otherwise wouldn't is partly the point, and adding money to the local economy seems only fair. The rule only says that accommodation is not to be paid for, which you're not.

Thanks chaps. Shame it's necessary but I can see why. Good to hear that wild camping in our sense of the term is fine though, or at least not the target. Also good to have it confirmed that Loch Tay is fine as I have a jaunt that way in mind. Urban bivvies are great, though who's to say you can't ha...

A question regarding the rules: does forking out for a camping permit count as paid-for accommodation? Would not paying make it an illegal bivi? https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/things-to-do/camping/get-a-permit/ (It might be a moot point as Loch Tay doesn't appear to be affected, which I though...

A book that neither of us remember buying: (The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon), that has grabbed me just like Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow didn't, until the final third when it finally got good.

Gecko is currently leading the 'vicious wildlife encounter' category, and he was in the Pentlands!

Not even, well within the bypass. Urban foxes; got to watch out for 'em.

Wow! That looks absolutely amazing.

At one o'clock this morning a fox stole my shoe. Then it came back for me. The month wearing on and the weekends all taken up with other activities this was my first mid-week bivi. I'd had plans for a reservoir twenty or so miles out of town but that was in the wrong direction. Similarly the tides t...

That would have been a good trick. In the spirit of 'do what you can with what you have where you are' this solves the problem of RTTS at the end of the month, albeit it's a bit of a frankenbike. The Hoy came off gumtree about eight years ago and has done solid duty as a commuter. The hardest thing ...

It may live again. Maybe. I think I know what went wrong (that carbon tube not reaching the bottom bracket) and probably how to fix it, but to be honest I over-faffed with it and it was only a matter of time. If I'd left as it was originally built... https://i.postimg.cc/xdfp4FwN/20170417-145653.jpg...

Turned two bikes into one.





RIP bamboo bike. Died of the flex.

May by the skin of my teeth. Work being crazy, the weather being wet and wetter and weekends taken up with family type stuff, it had to be last night and not far from home so, having identified a spot inside the fence but outside the walls of the local castle, I approached quietly around 11 and imme...

Precisely the problem.

Excellent writing, very mindful. Got as far as, "it will end, if I just keep moving" and laughed. Know that feeling. Will read the rest later. Edit: Enjoyed The Rider by Tim Krabbe and enjoyed this very much too. Currently sat on the sofa thinking it's not going to be tonight, but maybe to...

Envious of the hammock. Any tips for bivvying when the ground is mostly water?

Yeah, there's a surprising amount of material in the wrap, as I found while sawing it off. Strong though. Could be made much lighter I reckon.

Good guess. You're only about 2kg out

Needs another coat or two of tung oil but I think we're back in business.

Remembered to weigh it too. Any guesses?

Quick ten miles before breakfast on tracks rough enough to indicate any problems and all good, apart from a slight dull clicking but I think that's the non drive side bottom bracket bearing, which was feeling rough. New one on order and fingers crossed all will be well. https://i.postimg.cc/Hk7JF3wg...

New frame hopefully not needed. Will find out for sure tomorrow. After stripping it all back, epoxy-ed in a section of broom handle to fill in the gap. https://i.postimg.cc/RCdWgdSH/PXL-20240515-200820781.jpg Added some epoxy filler to smooth the transitions. https://i.postimg.cc/mDNPfN7K/PXL-202405...

Crude but effective, with luck. It was fine for ages, until the cf tube de-bonded from the bamboo socket that was the remains of the cracked down tube, resulting in flex while pedalling. I reckon it'll polish out with a combination of epoxy and fibrefix (now fiberweld).

Good shouts all. Used to have a Genesis Day Zero as a commuter that was a lovely ride, if/because a bit flexy.