I had two objectives: to finish and to have fun (in that order of priority). My plan was to ride to Brest reasonably briskly and arrive with enough time in hand to ride back a bit slower as I knew I'd be riding into the unknown, having only done a 600km once before, and had all kinds of fears of bad...

All set, though I think I'm pointed in the wrong direction. Looks like it's going to be dry but hot. Bon courage à tous.

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 slee...

In addition to what others have said, there may be some guidance from 'microadventures / S42O' thinking. I'd echo jameso's suggestion of a local route, either a day ride or an overnight. Make it something pleasurable & manageable, not a test of extreme endurance. Then get your kit organised and ...

Bill Houston
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKfNKNxntY0

Last summer I did two nights at YHA Port Eynon in a family room that sleeps up to six (double bed, two sets of bunks). The hostel is the old lifeboat station and the room had a big picture window overlooking the bay. No en-suite but not a big hostel so never a problem. £86 a night. Not dirt cheap bu...

Sad to see. I'll probably cancel my yearly sub soon depending on how the story pans out... I'm more 'stay and fight'. But again, possibly misguided. I don't expect they're selling them off for fun, must be financial pressure. All that time closed or lower occupancy during Covid. I remember after fo...

Story here: https://independenthostels.co.uk/latest-yha-hostel-sale-present-a-golden-opportunity/ YHA Hostels for sale June 2023: Haworth 950K Streatley on Thames 850K Holmbury St Marys 800K Eyam 650K Patterdale 650K Minehead 600K Poppit Sands 550K Boswinger 550K Cheddar 550K Hathersage 500K Dufton ...

At the risk of revealing my ignorance, aren't OS Landranger (1:50k) and Explorer (1:25k) products *only* available as raster/image format, not vector. The OS makes vector products at those scales, but the cartography is quite different.

Some have questioned whether they are legit or not, I guess we just don't know for sure. I am pretty sure we all know the answer to that one I know it's more a moral defence than a legal one, but I already have two paid-for OS maps subscriptions: one a grandfathered Viewranger purchase via Outdoors...

Many thanks for the replies - really helpful!

A bit of a niche question, but as has been discussed on here, there are OS topo maps available on eBay for about £40. They come on a microSD card. Some have questioned whether they are legit or not, I guess we just don't know for sure. My question is more practical - is it possible to load this prod...

Did my 600 over the weekend so am all set. Re saddle, am currently on a Brooks Cambium C17 carved, but wondering if it's a little firm as I'm a bit tender on the sit bones today. Trouble is, I don't do many 15+ hour rides which is the only real way to find out what remains comfortable with extended ...

^^^^ this - mine were charged off a dyno when needed to be at the TDR and other races. During 24s they get a piggy back battery. The whole beauty is that they don't need replaceable batteries. Shed load less waste and a lot less to go wrong. Though, I have had a Diablo die on me - which was fixed u...

*looks at Mk1 Joystick* Still works fine. *looks at Mk1 Race* Still works fine.. There is a reason some of us have spent money on our Exposure lights. Buy once. Buy well. No doubt for what they do they're unsurpassed. But they are pricey and they don't have replaceable batteries, which may be a fac...

https://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/budget-bikepacker-lumitact-g700/ Sounds like once the battery had been replaced, the main shortcoming was the weight. This £68 Fenix model comes in at 115g, so still 20g more than a Joystick, with the same 3500mAh battery. https://www.myfenix.co.uk/product/fen...

Anyone using a Fenix torch?

Quite a few of them run on a replaceable rechargeable 18650 battery, which makes sense for long durations, compared to a built in battery that requires recharging. Have often wondered how the beam pattern of these torches differs from the much beloved Exposure Joystick.

I recently wrote a big 'cheap but good' feature for Cycle, the magazine of Cycling UK (online here https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazine/can-you-buy-quality-cycling-gear-less ) The one area where I concluded it really wasn't possible to be cheap and good was sleeping bags, unless you find them in...

I think the NCN was created in the 80's / 90's on a wing and a prayer mainly because the director/founder of Sustran's wanted it to exist. True dat. Sustrans does / has done some amazing stuff, but the proposition of the NCN is an awkward compromise between urban/suburban utility routes and rural t...

I'd be inclined to skirt via the north of May Hill to Monmouth, James, taking in the Peregrine Trail beside the River Wye. It's gravel so not fast, but a nice off-road interlude mid-route. (B4215 from Gloucester to Newent is one of the more unpleasant B-roads round here so I'd avoid that) Then the '...

I’m planning on it. 19h45 start in 90h group. Still have the 600 qualifier to do (A Pair of Kirtons). Not really my type of cycling (ultra distance and organised fun have never much appealed to me) so probably a large helping of mid-life crisis, now or never and all that. Last year a couple of old s...

Thanks - very useful info. Polartec Alpha seems no longer widely used, wonder why? Macpac Nitro only available in a women's version. Am looking for something to boost warmth while riding overnight on long audaxes, down to 3-5 degrees. I have an Endura insulated gilet which is great in many ways bein...

Has anyone used OMM Core clothing? It's a layer of very lightweight woven insulation (Primaloft Next) without the usual nylon lining and outer. A sandwich without the bread. As most of us already carry some kind of waterproof/windproof outer garment, it would seem to be a sensible way of adding insu...

My point .... I live in a very Welsh area. Welsh is first language and as p1ss poor as I am at it, I try my best and certainly don't resent doing so;o) However, as much as this exercise is well meant, I tend to think that it's largely futile as most people will simply continue to refer to the area ...

this smacks of a woke exercise in re-branding I don't think calling a place in Wales by its( or a ) Welsh name rather than an English ( imperialist ?) one is woke unless you think England gets to name the world. I don't see what the problem is tbh. Apparently the English snowflakes don't seem to li...