Out for a spin with my mate Jezzer yesterday evening. Planned a fair circuit but then just did a few miles, said sod it, and went back for some beer and curry. Oh well. Lacklustre mood probably reflected in some extremely lacklustre photos!

Er, a field. I suppose there is an electricity line with lots of crows on.

20210825_193315 by

Er, a gate. With a bike leaning against it. Obviously.

20210825_185745 by

Er, another gate. Actually this one's a bit more interesting. We approach it. It's a kissing gate (photo). Also has a five-bar jobby next to it. Jezzer reaches it first. Looks hard at the kissing gate, about to open it, walk through and hoik his bike over. Stops. Looks again. "There's a padlock on it Reg, it won't slide, can't open it". That's a bit weird, it's a well-used ROW (short cheeky footpath cut-through, sorry sorry...). Nope deffo padlocked. Jezzer struggles manfully to get his bike over the 5-bar instead. Falls off it. Laughs it off. Reg does the same. Gets his leg stuck in the bars. Jezzer helps with his bike. Reg climbs down the other side. Get our breath back. Just about to set off and Reg has a closer look at the padlock. It's certainly pretty stout. Stands back. Looks the whole gate slider and latch over carefully. Er, Jez.... <Reg points>......... Jezzer sighs and slaps his forehead.... . Getting old.

The gate - classic!

And it's got that hefty anti-tamper cage round the padlock as well - what's all that about? For a start it's just a short path connecting two bridleways. Then surely if you were desperate not to lift the latch but fancied breaking the padlock wouldn't you just saw the loop? With every alternative easier than smashing the padlock body why have they gone to such lengths to stop you?

More to this than meets the eye I fancy.

You find quite a lot like that TBH Reg. Mahoosive chain and padlock, except you can just lift the chain over the post. Or padlock and chain with the chain just hooked on a nail around the back. Tend to be just to discourage the casual onlooker.

There's a byway here where the land owner doesn't like people using it. It's got a hugh lock and chain on the gate, but closer inspection reveals it's not actually locking the gate shut.

I guess it's just a visual deterrent to stop the casual user

We've been starved of racing for so long, particularly MrsPB's discipline of Triathlon. When she found a local event based around the river Ebro, she entered immediately. A few weeks of swim training ensued together with some early morning runs and rides. The race was a 400m swim in the river, 13km gravel ride and 4km run so more of a sprint. A 20 minute drive saw us at the 8am sign on, the swim course was looking quite inviting.

There were about 60 entries with the usual smattering of relay teams. The swim was a bit chaotic with some course trimming then it was off on the bike. Most were using mountainbikes but she opted for the Dirty Disco that I built for the Turin Nice.

The transition to run was pretty smooth and the run through the town had plenty of people cheering them on. Into the finishing straight, it was close but MrsPB held on for the overall win of the women's race.

Oh, and could anyone reading this far hazard a guess what the entry fee was? It included full marshalling including motorbikes, safety boat, drinks stations and t shirt.

Well done, Mrs PB!
Looks like a nice day out that (apart from the running, and the being against the clock/other competitors). Dunno about entry fees, €20?

Set off yesterday teatime to reattempt my failed bivvy a few weeks back due to the bad back. Pedalled for a couple of hours last night and then a good ride home today. It all went fine with no further issues
The weather was too good, perfectly clear skies, no wind at all, millions of stars on show, but midgies this morning.
Some pics
20210827_195649 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210827_203945 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

The heather is stunning atm
IMG_20210828_130854_750 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

IMG_20210828_130854_741 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Llyn Cowlyd looking a little low as there're doing work on the pipes
IMG_20210828_130854_809 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210827_202355 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Lovely pics Jeff, Snowdonia is a beautiful place.
Landslide, entry fee was €7 I had to look twice, the average sprint event in the UK is about £50
The village hosting the event lies on a long distance cycleway or Via Verde which runs for about 100 miles from the sea to the medieval town of Alcaniz. A local company will transport you about 30 miles up the trail to cycle back then paddle down river to Tortosa which is about 10 miles down the Ebro. Seems a nice day out.

pistonbroke wrote: ↑Sat Aug 28, 2021 6:06 pm Lovely pics Jeff, Snowdonia is a beautiful place.

T'is indeed


For anyone interested, here's my short film from my short trip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PafoSHaYyMk

Watched it this morning Jeff, nice

Should have been starting the Spanish Divide this weekend but postponed until nex May due to ongoing government dithering so I decided at the last minute to drive over to Soria and ride up to the SD's high point on Pico Urbion. This 2,200m mountain contains the source of the River Duero, the longest in Iberia and the 22km climb to the moonscape summit plateau runs through one of the few remaining habitats of the Iberian Wolf. Up was quite straightforward on good forest roads with spectacular views but down was a 3km push/swearfest which did my dodgy wrist no good at all. Thankfully this turned into perfectly smooth tarmac down to the valley at 1,200m.

The other day I took a notion to do a double century after reading Dave's 'The Year' again. And I did. Departed the house at 7 on a circuit I'd plotted to get as far north as possible. Across to Callander, up NCN7 to Killin (gravel-tastic), up glen Lochay and over the fearsome pubil road climb then down glen lyon, over to Rannoch, Schiehallion road followed by a lap of the loch, east to Pitlochry and then south in earnest. Home for 9.50, 202miles done.


On the bridge on NCN 7 near to Lochearnhead. Yet another Sustans scheme that caused me a massive amount of grief....

My entry into Shaffs 'straight line a month' competition.

Glen Ogle Viaduct, also on NCN 7.

Looking up Loch Rannoch, Glencoe hills in the distance.

The Straggler was ace and my 2:1 gear allowed for easy pedaling on the flat as well as the ability to get up the hills without having to push. The change in landscape as I progressed round the route was fab - lush lowland fields to the green hills of the Trossachs, wilder hills above Killin, the bare rock of Ben Alder and a brief glimpse of the Cairngorms. I saw one red squirrel but little else until dusk fell and then many bats followed me and fluttered in my light after the moths also attracted by it. Lots of frogs on the road on the last big climb made me smile.

250 miles next!

Oh and the thought of doing it again tomorrow (and the next day and the next?) err, no thanks.

For yesterday's ride, I felt like a leisurely bimble, just for the enjoyment of it, so the obvious choice was along the canal, which was looking especially pretty with lots of these purple flowers.
IMG_20210904_083558 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
I did however want to bag my last remaining GR from my virtual winter event, so just before Talybont I chucked a right and started heading uphill towards Talybont forest
IMG_20210904_093139 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
IMG_20210904_093514 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
It was beautiful, and nobody about up that side of the valley.
IMG_20210904_100657 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
This is where I thought was my GR; it was only back home in the evening that I realised I had got my valleys all mixed up, and this wasn't it! I hadn't exactly brought a map or GPS, other than my phone which was not too helpful in giving me my exact location.... Never mind eh, I'll just have to go back another time, won't I? Perfect winter playground for me anyway I thought...
2021-09-05_08-14-24 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
After partaking in refreshments at Talybont, it was back along the canal. It all had that lovely late summer feeling, in a very relaxed and friendly way, there were lots of people and their dogs about, on foot, by bike, on canal boats, SUPs, canoes, and it just felt like the whole world was out being happy and enjoying themselves. Really nice morning.
IMG_20210904_105623 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
IMG_20210904_110104 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

Following on from the weekend riding up Pico Urbion, this youtube vid shows the full grandeur and some of the challenge to getting back down again
https://youtu.be/KUgMiXiyv8E
I take no credit for the video or the descending skills.

It feels like there haven't been enough morning's like this one this year...


Flipping glorious...


I'd have considered bunking off work to make the most of it, but too many meetings needing my presence. :sighs:

Nice photos as usual KT. Some might say they're rather "samey" landscape-wise, but strangely for me therein lies the considerable appeal. It's all rather soothing. None of that hectic mountain peaks business. Taken to the extreme, the Fens themselves are the pinnacle of that genre, as mentioned in another recent thread. The ride I did from Shippea Hill station with Siboy a couple of years back - to Hilgay, Marshland Fen, Wisbech, Upwell etc - was incredibly atmospheric and interesting, quite the opposite of what people might think. Albeit rather moist throughout our selected weekend .

47

Anyway, enough of past exploits. Today, just a toddle on the road. Carried on tweaking the new saddle arrangements. Done of couple of rides now and it hasn't felt quite right. Tried various adjustments fore and aft, and tilt. Finally tried the height. What a schoolboy error. Of course it was the height. The rails are the same as normal but I'd forgotten that the seat part is quite a lot higher than a "normal" saddle. An inch lower, slide aft a bit, tilt back a little, push the two halves apart 1/2 inch, and we're finally sorted.

This perch, combined with adopting Stu's patent commando approach, seems to be doing the trick vis a vis undercarriage preservation.

Fraser and I have been riding various trails, Faultline Trail, Great North Trail, An Turas Mor and 2nd City Divide, ticking off sections at a time. We were missing a section of Faultline Trail down the Forth and Clyde canal from Glasgow to Clydebank. Youngest son was having riding lessons nearby so grabbed the chance to fill in the gap and pick up some VV tiles. Nice easy ride down the canal then back to the City Centre on NCN7.

Just back from a weekend bimbling and jazz-riding around The Lakes with 5 ex-colleagues. Coniston & Little Langdale. Loads of pubs: excellent fun.

Highlight for me was Saturday's nocturnal race to the pub, razzing through the woods for a mile with Matt on my tail, like a pair of Harrier jump jets carving, jinking & twisting between the trees and skimming the fords.
Neil said it was absorbing watching our lights gradually disappear ahead of him, urging him to ride faster.
Matt's relentless pressure forced me to misjudge the approach to one ford, skidding over the bridge as he shot past me through the water.
I caught him at the top of the next climb, as he decided to "stop to admire the view" (in the dark?) whilst I pressed on downhill, converting "sticky-toffee pudding energy" into fun!
That earlier pudding did the job as I was first to the Yewdale Inn; beating even the chaps who took the road.
Marvellous stuff!

Thanks to Matt for setting the pace and keeping us airborne; Col' for sorting the route; Alistair for his gazebo hospitality & breakfast bap generousity; Neil for his thought-provoking philosophies on life and Cool Runnings Craig (the army bobsled viking) for some intriguing glimpses of a life in the shadows .

Slightly O/T: it's a pity my 26" Orange P7 doesn't attract as much attention from "the ladies", as it does from middle-aged blokes... .
One chap even said it "looked sick", which was a little concerning, as I considered it perfectly acceptable .

But (all-in-all): a most agreeable weekend all round .

I got back yesterday from a 4 day bimble along the Great Western Cycleway from Bristol to London doing 40-50 miles per day. All great until I managed to crash along the thames cycleway and have lots of gravel rash and a broken light mount. It really felt good to be on the bike for multiple days in a row.

Edit: What's not so good is that I've come back to a plague ridden house since the missus and both boys took positive LFR tests so we've all just had to do a PCR test. I guess I've got that to look forward to in a couple of days.

MuddyPete wrote: ↑Sun Sep 12, 2021 10:02 pm my 26" Orange P7 doesn't attract as much attention from "the ladies"

Mine does - must be something else you're [not] doing Pete .

Sounds a good laff weekend though!

Just call me Loretta wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:44 pm

MuddyPete wrote: ↑Sun Sep 12, 2021 10:02 pm my 26" Orange P7 doesn't attract as much attention from "the ladies"

Mine does - must be something else you're [not] doing Pete .

Sounds a good laff weekend though!

Perhaps I just need to "Be More Reg" .

Or Loretta .

This was from Friday on the commute home. Found I'm pretty good at herding swans...

Rapideye wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:09 pm This was from Friday on the commute home. Found I'm pretty good at herding swans...

I see the swans are observing the Byway code
all on single file, keeping to the track.
I guess they were tempted to pull over on the left, to let you pass, but it's taped off!
Being so obedient, they must be European swans!
That's why the last on has reverted to waddling on the right!