I've had this problem before too: I remember one particular night last summer or the summer before when I was careful to find a high exposed spot to avoid the midges, which would otherwise have been a fantastic quiet, flat spot with a great view on a beautiful warm night, but every time I dropped of...

Johnallan wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 7:14 pm A hummingbird hawk-moth in the garden

That reminds me, I saw this big bugger out in the hills Friday evening:


The ecologist friend I was with got very excited, but couldn't identify it. Google Lens suggests Driner moth.

Big ride in the northern Cheviots today. Sadly no golden eagles straying over the border, but plenty of all the usual summer characters: curlews, skylarks and lapwings on the moors, swifts and swallows lower down. Make the most of it. Also saw an adder, which slithered off the path just in front of...

Big ride in the northern Cheviots today. Sadly no golden eagles straying over the border, but plenty of all the usual summer characters: curlews, skylarks and lapwings on the moors, swifts and swallows lower down. Make the most of it. Also saw an adder, which slithered off the path just in front of ...

Will have to keep my eyes extra peeled:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62x408deppo
(Before they all "mysteriously disappear" )

Best of luck Valerio, Tim and everyone else doing it Shame I can't make it this year

Topical for me (but no use to the thread really)... A few years ago I bought a box of old OS and overseas maps with the intention of papering a wall in our sister bedroom, which at the time I was using as an office. I've finally got round to decorating that room (I've just painted the last wall this...

Actually looks like Rich started from the little car park at High Row, which is pretty much where I started. Only a few miles of road from there to Pooley B though. Not a bad start point if you're happy leaving a car in the middle of nowhere. More than likely to be campers keeping it company anyway....

Not sure it's been mentioned on here, but Rich Siepp is having a go ATM: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJWdEz_NA-N/?igsh=bWx6YjRwaGl5aWI0 Started at Pooley Bridge, which as Bob points out above is the start of one of the longer "dry" sections as far as services goes, so perhaps not a bad pla...

I won't feel hard done by given what I paid for it and some components that I swapped around, and happy if one of you lot get a bargain. But if I end up advertising elsewhere, maybe I'll ask a bit more! :cool: I couldn't find out much about the Pocket Tourist model, other than it doesn't exist anymo...

Got your message James - thought to be fair to Bob I'd just post more of an advert here (with apologies for the thread hijack)... Parts are a bit of a mish-mash - brief spec: 3x9 drivetrain - Deore shifters, Sora front mech, Ultegra rear, 105 chainset (see? :lol: ) Deore V-brakes with Tektro levers ...

Thanks, might give that ago. Figures that they'd be popular in London I suppose. One of the advantages of folders is they're not as expensive to post!

Wish I'd known, I've been wavering on the edge of advertising my Bike Friday for sale, since I'm not using it much. I even got as far as taking a load of photos, but haven't posted an advert. Any interest on here?

It took me just under 36 hours when I did it, and I don't consider myself a particularly fast rider. I stopped for a bivvy, maybe 8 hours inc. packing and unpacking, and two chip shop stops (Staveley and Coniston). I started in Matterdale End, because I could stay at my mate's hosue and get an early...

Off up to Inversnaid on Loch Lomond for a week to help with some native woodland restoration. And maybe nip up a few hills and do a bit of paddling

Not really "wildlife" but an interesting article on "veteranization" https://www.noemamag.com/how-to-build-a-thousand-year-old-tree/ , a different way to manage forests. Thanks for sharing that Bob, very interesting. I would generally say less human input would be preferable, bu...

Nice!! Great photos and write-up. Brought back good memories of getting similarly lucky with conditions a couple of years ago

No way I'm travelling to the States in the near future, having read some of the stories about people's experience with ICE recently. Not the just the people you expect to be targeted either - economic migrants and people who dare to have a different colour skin - but business people, academics, gap ...

I've always had niggling doubts about Komoot - the post above about marketing vs. development rings true. I seemed to always be being offered a free trial or a free region and sponsoring this or that and that always sets alarm bells ringing. I've written at length about this on here - there's a long...

Nice work Karl!

Anyone want my old Chilli Tech camera? Never really got into the habit of using it. Not the best or easiest to use, but it has two batteries, and at least one of them works because I recorded a video to test it. You'll need an SD card and a USB cable. Some bits and pieces with it, including a velcro...

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. The Loch Sunart crossing would be the most intimidating bit for me too.

Seems they come along every so often and then quietly disappear. The latest incarnation: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025 ... ss-britain

Struggling to see anything positive about this.

Is an R of 3.5 close enough? I might have a blue Alpkit Dirtbag available.

Friday-related cheeriness here... A couple of weeks ago when it was grey and windy and about 2°C, I went to work on Friday, which I don't usually. I took that time back yesterday when it was glorious all day and 15°C in the afternoon. I met my wife for coffee and cake after she'd been to the dentist...