He dropped off a t-shirt and a mini bum bag for running since my other one is way too big for the distances I’m doing.

thenorthwind wrote: ↑Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:50 pm ...finally, with a pair of Deore 2x10 shifters to replace the ones on my Longitude which have indicators, with these that don't, so I can move them further inboard on my loop bars.

Posted second class last Monday. Just glad they weren't lost, and hope other things I'm waiting for are just delayed too.

Dave have the books arrived?

ledburner wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 12:03 pm Hi Reg, what a fine-t shirt, we did you purr-chase it from? Subsribe to etc.?

There's a whole thread about it round the corner

Big day...

A new (to me) saddle to replace the one on my Cube road bike. That is currently attached to my turbo trainer and the 12 year old saddle just isn't up the job when there is no frame wobble.

A new 18" fan - see above.

A new (to me) laptop for running Zwift in my (soon to be) paincave.

Alpkit Skyehigh 500 arrived today.

Last trip out impressed on me the need for a 3 season bag. Wanted down for light weight. Much snooping about online revealed that budget options were Aegismax off AliExpress or questionable offerings from OEX, Trespass etc.

I found that the cheapest you could get for a 3 season down bag without buying shadily sourced (live plucked) down, or taking a big risk on quality, was about £150 or so from Alpkit or Decathlon. At that price you're approaching Rab territory but still. I think £150 for a bag with comfort down to -3, weighing about 800g, and packing down to the size of my cheap summer synthetic Vango is a good deal.

Decathlon bag was heavier and much bigger packed, so Alpkit it was. Might give it a test run indoors tonight - did also get a mattress from Decathlon, so new sleep system all round!

Charliecres wrote: ↑Fri Mar 12, 2021 3:47 pm

RIP wrote: ↑Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:17 am Well that would certainly be a conversation starter/stopper in the pub .

I must admit I didn't explore further, did you hand craft that one yourself presumably?

Yes, it’s dead easy to knock something up [sic] using text.

Sorry to p!ss on ya chips, but..

I think youve no chance knockin' up 'owt' , wearing that shirt in the pub.

*owt, any thing /anyone

With a copy of Rough stuff cycling in the alps. Only part I know well is the Val d’ Anniviers, but it’s still really interesting.

Dave Barter wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 12:38 pm

thenorthwind wrote: ↑Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:50 pm ...finally, with a pair of Deore 2x10 shifters to replace the ones on my Longitude which have indicators, with these that don't, so I can move them further inboard on my loop bars.

Posted second class last Monday. Just glad they weren't lost, and hope other things I'm waiting for are just delayed too.

Dave have the books arrived?

Sadly not yet, but the arrival of these shifters has given me hope that the books are just delayed too and not lost.

If Hermes counts then New running trainers.

The postman did deliver though, UV filter for a Rollei 35 for a bit of retro photography and also tide time tables for N. Devon, Cornwall and Plymouth.

Must buy some bike things or at least a tee shirt!

My new Fivetennies Trailcross shoes (after the advice offered on here a couple of weeks ago). I can't actually have them yet as they're a birthday pressie from SWMBO and my birthday isn't for a couple of weeks. I tried them on for size though and the advice on here was bang on (go for the same size as other Fiveten shoes).

Not quite today but a day or two ago I received a Exped SynMat UL Lite M Sleeping Mat after asking for help in choosing a decent mat. Went for the 5cm instead of the 7cm partly due to availability and price. I'm not massive so I think I'll get away with this and still be comfortable. Seems decent.

Some carbon BB tent pegs and feet.

Ordered some tools tonight to take on trips.

Rapideye wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:12 am Not quite today but a day or two ago I received a Exped SynMat UL Lite M Sleeping Mat after asking for help in choosing a decent mat. Went for the 5cm instead of the 7cm partly due to availability and price. I'm not massive so I think I'll get away with this and still be comfortable. Seems decent.

Some carbon BB tent pegs and feet.

Ordered some tools tonight to take on trips.

Carbon feet blimey what an upgrade,
don't go down the, same path as Oscar Pissedoff-torius, his Prosthetic legs were guilty ma'lord.

Flask for Mrs-Voodoo but no instructions came with it. Anyone here know how to use one?

Flask for Mrs-Voodoo but no instructions came with it.

Are you sure they're not inside

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:34 pm

Flask for Mrs-Voodoo but no instructions came with it.

Are you sure they're not inside

If they are you can get them out by pummelling the flask against the head of a northerner

Carbon feet blimey what an upgrade, don't go down the, same path as Oscar Pissedoff-torius, his Prosthetic legs were guilty ma'lord.

lol You're right, it is a risk but the savings on socks over the years will be substantial and couldn't be ignored.

RSF book and a certain t-shirt

Well there we go - my second 'certain' shirt has arrived! Maybe I could wear two at once. Still waiting for the puddle though. Might have to make my own one.

Oh, and was half expecting another voucher since it took the same delivery time as the first one, but sadly not. I'm surfing on the edge of sanity with stuff like this going on.

Talking of sanity, I'd better get off up the road and do my bit at the 'toad crossing', our turn every Monday. Bit like helping old ladies across but you can pick these up and put them in a bucket. 620 last year but not many so far this year. Still a bit chilly.

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:17 pm
Talking of sanity, I'd better get off up the road and do my bit at the 'toad crossing', our turn every Monday. Bit like helping old ladies across but you can pick these up and put them in a bucket. 620 last year but not many so far this year. Still a bit chilly.

Oh, I'd love to do that. (not putting old ladies into buckets,)

I often see toads on a local road so stop to move them. One night there was one about a foot off the verge, right where a cars wheel would be. I picked him up and put him in the verge on the other side as he'd never had made it safely over.

As I rode off I looked back and he'd started across the road again I then realised I'd put him back where he'd started, I now pay more attention to which way they're pointing

Don't they all head out on the same night? I remember walking up the road to the school bus one year and there were dozens of squashed ones

sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:30 pm Don't they all head out on the same night? I remember walking up the road to the school bus one year and there were dozens of squashed ones

I have been riding the same trails for 20 years and do not remember seeing so many frogs as I did tonight.

sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:30 pm Don't they all head out on the same night?

Don't seem to. Ours spread out over several weeks. Although certain weather conditions encourage them. My record day last year was 123 - a quarter of the year's total. It was like the scene from 'Porterhouse Blue' where Skullion rushes madly round the college quad trying to collect hundreds of condoms after Zipser's chimney exploded due to being jammed with gas-filled prophylactics.

Bound to be something going on in your area somewhere Verena.

You're right Sean, it gets a bit complicated when some are returning from the pond to their woodland 'home' but others are stil turning up late to the party. You can indeed check their orientation but my method is to look out for the ones with a cross-eyed happy look - on their way back .

Sorry... postie....

...and looking rather cheerful he was too - probably because he's spent two weeks doing something more fun than delivering my parcels But he brought me some books from a certain Mr. D Fucking Barter Looking forward to reading these, thanks Dave!

Re: frogs.
A friend of mine has a blog. Amongst some of the more lewd accounts of life in a northern printworks, there's this gem:
https://generallucifer.wordpress.com/20 ... cold-snap/