Other (associated) interests?

[Solo]

Other than the riding and packing, what else do you enjoy while on your trips / journeys?

Wildlife spotting? Bird watching? Photography?

Just was wondering after a conversation with my dad today and his combining his rides with his rediscovered interest in photography.

[SteveM]

all three of those, if I'm "panniered" then I take binoculars as well as bigger cameras and lenses, if I'm "softbagged" then a compact camera and small pentax binoculars, being outside and able to look at birds and take photographs etc is important enough to me to make room for the stuff to do it

but, by far the best aspect of travelling on my bike is that I always take the time to stop and chat with folk I meet along the way, not something I do normally (being a grumpy antisocial sod normally!) being on a bike is a great conversation opener

[Bearbonesnorm]

I developed a bit of an interest in history, this has mainly come about through riding (stumbling across various sites, tracks, etc). I now use that interest to help me plan rides and routes ... at the moment I'm trying to figure out all the drove routes out of Pembrokeshire.
I've no 'specialist' area of interest, so it could be standing stones, Roman roads, burial sites, old farms or anything else that takes my fancy.

I do take more (poor show) photographs these days, in years gone by I never bothered with a camera. I don't really have any interest in photography though, just happy snapping to remind me of where I've been

[Ray Young]

Camera definatly, thought about binoculars but can't afford decent ones so never bought any. I don't specifically watch for wildlife but when I see it it's a bonus. Saw a badger right up on the tops of The Cheviots once, I always thought they were woodland animals.

[voodoo_simon]

On trips;
-Coffee shop hunting
-map (every 5 minutes or so!)
-photography but only if I can my SLR, otherwise I just try to get good memory shots
-I guess just taking the view in. I have a degree in geography, so I try to look out for anything unusual in the landscape (specialised in soils, so it's not often I'll see anything different without digging)

[Solo]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I do enjoy seeing wildlife myself. I'd mentioned in another post that my wife and daughter aren't the most confident riders and my daughters interest in mtbing has grown since I've shown her a variety of wildfire we can encounter (often taking a pic or vid if she isn't with me).

Just been ordering a few photgraphy bits for my father as he is planning for better weather!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Riding home on the BW that drops off the mountain road into the forest I very nearly skittled an otter, that's something I'll remember for a long time ... as I'm sure will the otter. At the time I was very surprised to have seen it but now we have them in the river by the house, not that you see them often.

[Ian]

Videography is something I've got into within the last 9 months. Having spent years doing still photography, video presents quite a different challenge that I enjoy.

I used to do birdwatching a fair bit, but now just usually know what's around me by call or sight, rather than actually taking time out "watching" it.

[composite]

I love seeing wildlife while I'm out riding. Here we don't get a huge amount but there is a badger I see quite often in one specific area. Plenty of rabbits and the odd fox. I still have the wonder of a child whenever a I see them and it always leaves me smiling.

[Nick]

I used to brew my own beer, anyone who has bumped into us on the Saturday night of the WRT thing will know just how closely associated beer is.

[Teetosugars]

Still just love long walks with the Mrs and my dogs..
Starting to get back running again, I'm not at the stage where I enjoy it yet tho.

[Ray Young]

I used to brew my own beer, anyone who has bumped into us on the Saturday night of the WRT thing will know just how closely associated beer is.

Are you one of the group of four who we bivi'd with in the pub garden last year. 4 people x two rounds = 8 pints , and I thought I was a drinker!

[Gari]

Love my photography, used to do a lot of Landscape stuff with Large Format gear, recently started getting into time-lapse. A couple of tries at film making recently too as I am stuck with a GoPro!! still struggling to feel the love though

[Solo]

I love seeing wildlife while I'm out riding. Here we don't get a huge amount but there is a badger I see quite often in one specific area. Plenty of rabbits and the odd fox. I still have the wonder of a child whenever a I see them and it always leaves me smiling.

A trail near us has been nicknamed (by me and group I ride with now and then) the Rabbit Path because not just do you see a fair few rabbits but some actually come out and run next to you along part of the trail.

I know that many view foxes as pests but I've always liked them and never cease to enjoy watching one.

Local woodpeckers are worth a look too.

[Nick]

Are you one of the group of four who we bivi'd with in the pub garden last year. 4 people x two rounds = 8 pints , and I thought I was a drinker!

[mountainbaker]

Plenty of rabbits

I shoot them, we have millions, and they love the veg garden.

I love night riding for the wildlife you encounter, and often, you can just see they eyes up ahead, but not what animal it is until you get up closer. Last night I saw loads of deer, a pair of badgers (near a huge set i often ride past in daylight), many voles darting across the road in front of me and the stoat that lives just down the road from me. I didn't see any people, which around here is a rarity. Sometimes ride past parked cars up in the woods. Doggers. I also saw two blokes lamping rabbits last night in a field just off the bridleway.

[mountainbaker]

Another favourite moment that happens regularly around here, is buzzards gliding along next to me when I'm riding.

Least favourite "wildlife" are pheasants, because they lurk in the hedge, then make an almighty bloody racket and fly out in front of you. I hate them. Birds for toffs to slaughter.

[TheBrownDog]

Anyone else like good old fashioned navigation? This year Im trying to do all my trips with maps and a compass without resorting to a GPS. I'm hopeless though and tend to take way longer to get anywhere complicated.

[Solo]

That's another my dad does.

Always taps his head and calls it his sat nav.

Not something I've inherited sadly, my son has to learn the fun of getting lost with me!

[Ray Young]

Well I'd be baffled by a GPS. The one I have only has topo maps and I mainly use it to record distance, speed etc.

[Pyro]

Anyone else like good old fashioned navigation? This year Im trying to do all my trips with maps and a compass without resorting to a GPS. I'm hopeless though and tend to take way longer to get anywhere complicated.

Yup. If all you're going to do is follow a breadcrumb trail, you may as well be at a trail centre. Sack off the GPS and enjoy the feeling of getting lost every now and again.

I do come from a background of orienteering, mountain marathon and adventure racing, though, so my nav's not too bad.

[voodoo_simon]

Dont use a GPS, or at least follow one. I keep one in my pack for backup on grid co ordinates but I don't ride following one. The only downside to this is that is a little slower (but it's a good excuse to rest and take in the view) and when people ask for your route, you then spend an hour typing grid references for them

[johnnystorm]

Anyone else like good old fashioned navigation? This year Im trying to do all my trips with maps and a compass without resorting to a GPS. I'm hopeless though and tend to take way longer to get anywhere complicated.

Yup. If all you're going to do is follow a breadcrumb trail, you may as well be at a trail centre. Sack off the GPS and enjoy the feeling of getting lost every now and again.

I can't say I agree with that.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I think it's horses for courses ... I enjoy going out with a map and no gps but it does slow everything down. That's not helped by my shocking short term memory, I check the map, first right, half a km then take the next left turn. I set off and 30 seconds later can't remember what I'm meant to be doing, so have to get the map out again

I think a gps really comes into its own once distances start to increase and / or the pace needs to quicken ... although possible, trying to do something like the BB 200 or God forbid, the Highland trail with just paper maps would be a very tiresome affair. I don't view a gps as a substitute for navigation skills at all, I see them as an aid.

[Pyro]

That's not helped by my shocking short term memory, I check the map, first right, half a km then take the next left turn. I set off and 30 seconds later can't remember what I'm meant to be doing, so have to get the map out again

Bar mounted map board? They're quite common these days. I use a Nordenmark board for MTB Orienteering. Reading while you're riding is an interesting skill to develop.

I don't view a gps as a substitute for navigation skills at all, I see them as an aid.

I think for too many people it's not an aid, though, it genuinely is a substitute. Same as we see with mountain rescue incidents, people are getting dependent on technology and are totally crocked when it fails on them.

I stand by my 'trail centre' comment - you're following an electronic trail rather than a set of markers, if it's a leisure ride you might as well be at a trail centre, if you're in a race/ITT, you might as well be at a long XC or marathon. It becomes a technology competition - who's got the best GPS, who's got the dyno hub to charge it - rather than a competition of body and brain. It favours those who can afford the best kit rather than those with the best combination of legs, lungs and mind.

I don't disagree about it being more useful at higher distance or pace, but isn't the point of the exercise using your abilities and judgement to the best possible outcome? It'd that combination of legs and brains again - you ride at the pace you're able to navigate at, you stop to sleep when you can't work out which way round the map goes. You run within or as close to the edge of your own physical limits as you can, without technology compensating for your limitations.

I'll back this up as well, so I don't come off as a keyboard hero. I'll enter the WRT this year, and I'll be doing it on maps alone. I won't 'win', I know. But I'll enjoy the view from my moral high-horse :)