Oh, I think that day might come but then I'll also have to weigh up the not insubstantial cost of an Ebike against my perception of "value" and, at the moment, that's something I just can't do. If

Yeah. So is the Scarp (without cross poles) but there are degrees of stability - I might be able to compromise. :| (back to Google...) Ha, Google brought me here… Did you ever get an answer? I’m wandering between the Robens Arrowhead and a Trekkerteent Phreeranger and loads in between. Something, s...

For me, cycling has one physical and two mental rewards. The physical one is obvious - it keeps me fit. The first mental reward is just enjoying being outdoors. I've remarked previously that I'm really a hillwalker with foot problems. The second mental reward is something to do with accomplishment. ...

Isn't that the same as a Google Lens reverse image search or is this something particular to flowers?

I'll happily share routes (I'm currently writing for a magazine) but also to let folk find their own nice bivvy spots. We don't all like the same things anyway. I love a riverside pitch but one of my mates can't sleep that close to running water or he loses bladder control. I have shared pitches pri...

You are not alone.

(well, not as much as you'd like to be)

Not exactly "dream" stuff, just things I'd like to try for a while;

Cannondale Fat CAAD
Cannondale Topstone Lefty
Salsa Bucksaw

Maybe an Albannach Toraggar as an "upgrade" to my Amazon but now it's just getting picky.

Billhooks?

I was just looking at the locations and thinking (1) East Lothian and (2) The Pentlands, but couldn't quite pin them down.

Yesterdays ride... ..was actually part 2 of a triathlon. I had a very, very scary moment on the water though. It was very choppy, with close-set waves and I couldn't get any breath. I think I inhaled water three times. I did all the usual stuff, like trying to calm down and roll over onto my back bu...

Oh hell yes. That looks brilliant.

Cock Bridge would be a possibility too.

If coming from the South, via Loch Builg, then there's an option either side of Culardoch.

Nice series of pics. Looks like a decent weather window too. Unlucky with the midge. I've not seen one yet this year! The Cairngorms Loop route now uses the old crossing of the Allt Garbhlach in Feshie. The estate have said they're not planning to fix the washout so I just avoid it now. I found FoA ...

Only two too. It's a bit weird as the nearest TPs are mostly north of me, not in the bigger mountains at all.

Yeah, it really looks like a spider crawling when you scroll around.

Or carry an external battery pack to recharge from.

I've never seen/used/owned a tracker, but wondered if the built in battery would be an issue, for those without a dynamo (or the cheap and lightweight 😉 solar panels) Just curious Same as the Inreach. It just means having to recharge from an external source. They quote 120 hours at minimal usage.

It would hardly be a decent ITT route if it didn't have any contrived detours*

(* Fealar Lodge, I'm looking at you).

There's a new tracker in town...

https://www.acrartex.com/products/bivy-stick/

Absolutely

To be fair, I don’t really like camping out

Yeah, we're all coming at this from different angles. I like camping out overnight and am happy to do so on foot, from the car or with the bike. I've a couple of run/walk type routes I'm keen to try too, going ultra-lightweight.

You'd also want to look at any previous finishes as we know some folk will only carry in if they can beat their own previous time. And I guess some folk will have a window of time available for work, family, logistical reasons.

whitestone wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 7:07 amFor the sake of an extra kilo for the first week why ruin the rest of your ride?

Because, for a certain subset of participants, if it can't be done fast then it's not worth doing.

I'll not deny I've had a few ups and downs with motivation. BAM has helped of course. It might be meaningless to most folk but keeping the streak going has often been just enough to tip me out of the door. I also try to reflect upon/recall some of the great nights out I've had, whether that's a spec...

Assuming the clean race was slower, folk would still cheat and lie.