I managed a second bivvy this month, with a trip to the coast at the weekend. A write up is in the Suffolk Coast thread.

TrepidExplorer wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 7:46 am Take the steel thing out, push it up something short and steep off road. Wear plus-fours and they'll let you in the Rough Stuff Fellowship too.



Don't forget the beard (essential).

Googling for this photo: I like the approach of "teas and coffees for own food". More of that please at the moment, cafes of the UK!

Plus 4s.. is that the same as 3 quarts if so then I can tick that box. Funny relationship with them I suppose. As it was many many yesrs ago a chap from RSF bought one of my bikes and left me a card. Twas interesting and then years later the story continued on here.

Have just organised a self supported 215 miler road ride this weekend just gone and I added 2 sections of light gravel and the worst cattle grid I've ever seen. Was about 6 miles total if that and I had warned the riders to be careful. There was a 50 percent 'fell off' rate... (not funny... roadies ).

Anyway... I've figured out what I'll be doing. Got the train booked for tomorrow to a demo outside the Chinese Embassy for their 100 years of Uigher Genocide under the communist party. It ends at about 2000 so will start heading back towards Bison Hill (somewhere near the Chilterns) and sleep somewhere there til morn and tick the July BAM.

Yes, I shall take that suggestion on board of finding somewhere to walk far away from the road. Twill be nice and I do wonder if I'll be able to ride it back

faustus wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:28 am Just make sure the road you leave is a fairly minor/quiet one, and a bit of walking should get you somewhere nice and BAM-able?

This is wat I'll do... somewhere near Bison Hill Chilterns. Wonder if I could make it 2 in a row of just quilt and mat.. hmmm

ImageOoft! by Jimmy G, on Flickr


Random thoughts on Covid:
Do you think the future is getting grumpy at folk - not for sharing their pics and locations of the best bivi spots but for outting eating establishment that are a)still open b) still serving food c) not so busy you have to book 2 months in advance?

Also, there's no work day better than slinking off to the spare room exhausted to sit amongst draipsed "drying" kit and much improved trying to stay awake at the desk in between skulking off to randomly lie on the floor and wiggle the mouse from time to time to look like you're still present on MS Teams.

Apologies to people with real working jobs who actually *have* to be present to get stuff done.

i would recognise that burger anywhere. Corrour Station. just ace.

Rules reminder please, does tonight count as June or July?

Tonight is June.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 10:01 pm Tonight is June.

Verena wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 10:15 pm

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 10:01 pm Tonight is June.

But if you pitch up after midnight its July

I thought you could claim either June or July, but not both?

Landslide wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 10:40 pm I thought you could claim either June or July, but not both?

Nope. You could do both in one long ride but it would mean 2 nights out... one night on the night of June... next night on the night of July (1st). Definitely so as I used to think the one night could get you both months

Reckon we should ban BaMs on the last day of the month to save all this angst every time .

Sorry, my bad....

RIP wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:30 am Reckon we should ban BaMs on the last day of the month to save all this angst every time .

That would spoil it for the last-minuteers!

RIP wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:30 am Reckon we should ban BaMs on the last day of the month to save all this angst every time .

No I look forward to our annual argument over this one. Look, its simple right, if you sleep in June then its a June BAM, if you sleep in July its a July BAM. If you start sleeping in June but are still sleeping in July then its still a June BAM. Simple

htrider wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:52 am

RIP wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:30 am Reckon we should ban BaMs on the last day of the month to save all this angst every time .

No I look forward to our annual argument over this one.

Annual? Shirley you mean daily?

Yeah I love last-minute cliffhangers too fear not.

I don't actually mind which month it is, I'd already done June, and there will many more opportunities in July...
I had planned on a much more exotic location, but motherly duties called (I haven't read the riding and kids thread, but I am assuming it involved the need to just be flexible and go along with the flow; and hoping that someone made the point that it doesn't stop when they hit 18 either...), so an (alcohol free) beer and a chat in the garden to put the world right turned into a drive up to the common (loaded bike and beer on board) to sit on the grass and continue the chat (escaping the noise of neighbours with visitors and kids playing in the street), which turned into me switching to a shorter ride and bivvy in the wood instead. When I got there the sun did the decent thing and at long last started to set and made the sky look pretty.

IMG_20210630_214729_609 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20210630_214729_655 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20210630_214729_678 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

I found myself a nice secluded spot among the trees.

IMG_20210630_214729_666 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20210630_213722 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

For once the usual fidgety near sleepless night was not due to being cold, but too warm and generally sticky, not to mention itchy and scratchy (I don't think we need worry about the decline in insects any more.... even had some full on mosquitos, not had those for years). The plentiful birdsong was replaced eventually by nighttime screeching of owls and very eerie sounding foxes. Oh and sheep, and nearby farm dogs. Highlight of the night: I got a slug caught in my hair!! Then the best bit, morning and the dawn chorus.
Coffee and then I rode about a bit for an hour before going home.

IMG_20210701_052215 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

Played the cow game on the way home, that made me even cheerier - you know, the one where you stand at a gate motionless, look almost the other way and pretend you're not in the slightest bit interested, and if you do it long enough they all come over... One very nearly made it, then lost interest, then I made the slightest movement and they all shot off

IMG_20210701_063954 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

Love my little cheeky school night adventures

I'm now idly musing how much energy we could generate if we were to strap you and KT1000 to an axle and suspend you both between a couple of cows.

Now that's an image to conjure with

Played the cow game on the way home, that made me even cheerier - you know, the one where you stand at a gate motionless, look almost the other way and pretend you're not in the slightest bit interested, and if you do it long enough they all come over... One very nearly made it, then lost interest, then I made the slightest movement and they all shot off

You should come to the Peaks (well, just before Stone... is that still 'The Peaks' ) Verena. Last months BAM I was route building/checking. Just to ensure I got enough gravel section for this weekends charity ride for my roadie mates (215 miles, 24H, £7k raised for Yemen/Syria orphans and hungry). Just before the first gravel section I decided to carry out my BAM so jumped the gate. Pitch black (almost) and all the little cows cane over to check up on me. Managed to scare em off by doing (almost) a Javi (pick up bike and charge but I only did a gentle stroll so as to not attract attention).

All the little cows moved off (teenagers I'd say) and I thought, 'yay'... Thanks Javi. Whilst I gathered my thoughts about how to set myself up for praying/sleeping, they went and told their mums. Next minute all the cows cane on up to tell me off. Didn't fancy arguing with them so quickly made an escape with the teenagers running about between their 'backup'.

Good game yours... I might try it next time

Right Second quarter tally, made slightly more complicated by my 'puter crashing and me losing all my files from this year, including my bam tally(!) and also by me agreeing to count late starters......

So I have as January starters the following:-
Sean_iow
Redefined Cycles
jimmy G
RIP
Shutuplegs
Frogatthefarriers
Trepidexplorer
Htrider
Benp1
Scotroutes
K1100T
Landslide
CharlieCres
Verena
Alan 63
Raggedstone
Jose McTavish

Just Kumquat to confirm June bivvy

Late starters are:-
Robbie (April)
Leerowe (May)
Whitestone (April)
Borderers (May)

Bob did you do BYB's for January to April?

Any more additions let me know

Thanks very much Phil. Am enroute to my 7th consecutive one. The China 100 years of terror and genocide on the Uigher community demonstration came up in London. Giving me the ideal opportunity to flop work again (zero contract as for my regular work I'm only contracted to a few hours) and go ride my bike etc...

Told the missus about the demo and visa firmly secured. Scoured the 'trainline' app and a £23 ticket straight to Lings Cross bought. I've packed light (enoigh) with a waterproof, shell, arm/head warmers and autumn glives. No bivy bag but a quilt and Thermarest mat. Full length trousers.

After the demo I shall go and grab some food then ride straight up towards Bison Hill. Sleep somewhere around there (the Chilterns) and then make my way up north towards Birmingham. A stop at Ladypool Cycles and maybe some food. Then a 30ish mile ride to Barton on Trent for my next bargainstastic ticket of only £12 tomorrow night. A short ride home and I'll have done my July BAM.

Will report back with some pics later. Will also try to get urinated on by any chinese military (that's one of the many terroristic reports at the tribunal being led by the same QC who ran the Slobodan Milosovic trials) or raped (what dogs!).

Weather is looking amazing and I feel like i could have left my waterproof behind. My 'Yorkshire' (west) mentality refuses to let me out without weatherproofing sadly. The journey start pic here... Thanks again all, its been amazing going for this lovely challenge with you all

Landslide wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 2:48 pm I'm now idly musing how much energy we could generate if we were to strap you and KT1000 to an axle and suspend you both between a couple of cows.

It could be the new green energy revolution - build back better

htrider wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 4:09 pm Right Second quarter tally, made slightly more complicated by my 'puter crashing and me losing all my files from this year, including my bam tally(!) and also by me agreeing to count late starters......

So I have as January starters the following:-
Sean_iow
Redefined Cycles
jimmy G
RIP
Shutuplegs
Frogatthefarriers
Trepidexplorer
Htrider
Benp1
Scotroutes
K1100T
Landslide
CharlieCres
Verena

Possibly waiting on Raggedstone, Kumquat and Alan 63 for write ups.

Late starters are:-
Robbie (April)
Leerowe (May)
Whitestone (April)

Bob did you do BYB's for January to April?

Any more additions let me know

Hi Phil. Fraser and I went 6 for 6 last night. We spent the night at the hobbit huts at Whitelee windfarm. No pics worth showing unless you want to see miles of turbines.

I bivvied in the garden last night no stove. a flyweight ground sheet, inflated mat, 3mm half pad klymat pillow and synthetic sleeping bag. I went out about 10:30pm. and didn't drop off u till past midnight.
Golly Gosh neighbour are noise, going out to bins flushing toilets &emptying baths. constant noise from taxi and distant ring road 1/2 mile lower down hill. I heard a few bird and cat 'stand offs or fights.at least no drunks! I should have gone in the local woods it' would' ave been quieter...
no bike involved so doesn't count as Bam.?

Alan63 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 8:00 pm Hi Phil. Fraser and I went 6 for 6 last night. We spent the night at the hobbit huts at Whitelee windfarm. No pics worth showing unless you want to see miles of turbines.