Spent the afternoon sat in Cambridge Ice Arena watching youngest in the Summer Gala, from 🥶 to 🥵 the moment we walked out the main entrance. Nearly ready to head out and start the trip to Oxford, so we'll find out the state of the towpath on Monday morning. Then on Thursday, we'll find out the state...

I've gone bivvy bag without a tarp every time I've used a bivvy bag, mainly as I don't own a tarp. Last August it was so warm over night, that I ended up shoving the bivvy bag half way down as I was melting. I'd rather one that has an integrated bug net over the face, but as we don't tend to suffer ...

Whanged the Scandal onto the bike stand and had a rummage through the parts box. Turns out I'd saved a load of old chainring bolts, off various bikes and chainsets, in various states of (dis)repair. I have no idea why I have four brand new in placcy bag chainring bolts, no idea what I bought them fo...

Was always keen on the 1120 setup, seems a cracking idea :-bd I was seriously tempted to get one a few years back, but for whatever reason I didn't. Sort of regret it, but then they brought out the Farley 9 * with all the same racks. 🤤 Shame you can't seem to get it over here though. * You need to ...

If they are chainring bolts, you can get a cheap pressed metal tool to engage the non-hex side. https://www.tweekscycles.com/park-tool-cnw2c-chainring-nut-wrench-madqkcnw2c/ I have one of those, I think the issue is part of the bolt, or nut, is just a smidge too long, so it knocks the spanner out o...

Ah... Are these just repurposed chainring bolts...!?!

I have a problem with the bolts that fix the non-drive side dropout plate on to my Scandal v2, these things: https://media.bobarnott.com/gravel/2025-06-03-scandal-drop-out-front.jpg Basically, one of them is not tight, but it's seized so I can't tighten nor loosen it. The other one is also not tight...

I quite like the look of it all after reading all the blurb. Might wait till it trickles down to XT or below though, as it's a bit spendy...

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 6:27 pm Hmm. Looks at map of posh golf courses in East Fife and thinks.....

Got to be somewhere on the Old Course you could sneak in to...

Got back yesterday evening, let's call it character building...

Currently sat at Perth station waiting for the Inverness train. If anyone fancies a bit more dot watching, I've got a Track Trail InReach on me for this trip.

https://track.trail.live/event/aviemore-to-dalgety-bay
Password: 1L1k3B33r

If you go down the hire route, Track Trail seem pretty good - £45 for a week I have a Track Trail InReach hired for four days next week and it's basically costing me £70. This includes the OS Maps upgrade so I can load GPX routes into the live tracking for my family to see, plus the (rather expensi...

A quick look on OS maps and the Oxford Canal Path north of Oxford all seems to be Public Footpath, so a No-No for cycling unless I have got something wrong ? If you look at the start of the path next to Hythe Bridge with Google Street View, there's a large sign that says: Take a walk, hop on a bike...

Thanks Mike. Turns out there's some limited coverage of bits of it on Google Street View and it looks narrow in places... Given that it would deposit me around 150m from the office near the station, it seems like a no brainer to avoid the city centre morning rush hour traffic. I initially considered...

I'm waiting for Specialized to do a Shimano version of the Chisel Comp EVO, mainly as I can't afford a Trek Supercaliber.

whitestone wrote: ↑Sun May 11, 2025 5:26 pm That were the plan. Currently at Chinnor nr Princes Risborough drying out some rather sore feet. Today has been really hot- not my cup of tea

I've sent you a DM...

First full day on the Old Chalk Way. Are you planning on doing the whole shebang up the Icknield Way and then Pedders Way to Holme next the Sea...? If so, just note that Suffolk Council have shut some of the byways it uses, see https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/public-rights-of-way-in-...

Has anyone ridden the towpath of the Oxford Canal, specifically lets say, the last 10 - 20KM or so into Oxford? Have to be present in the Oxford office for two days next month and am considering cycling there and back, with a couple of nights out in each direction. Was trying to think of nice ways t...

I've been using Castelli Arenberg mitts in the summer, for both on and off road duties. If found them fab when brand new, but they quickly lost their plushness and the stitching seems to fail relatively easily. They do (did?) make a full finger glove version, which I've been meaning to try, but neve...

Bar end plugs are actually called bar end plugs! https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/search/?term=bar%20end%20plugs or 10 for 3 quid for the placcy ones from AMZ. I was on SJS earlier looking and those Brooks one's look just like what I'm after, except for the price... 😱 Probably got some to give away chea...

Possibly to early to claim the mojo is back, but positive steps in the right direction over the weekend. Went out for a decent ride on Saturday: https://media.bobarnott.com/gravel/strava1226730960347442442.jpg Then went out on Sunday evening, slept near a ditch, then rode through a load of rain on M...

I'm in need of a pair of those cheapo bar end plugs that you put in before putting using soft slide on grips. The kind of thing that stops you getting core sampled in a crash . I've been using some SQlab 711 grips, but I've dropped the bike a couple of times and the bars have punched through the gri...

thenorthwind wrote: ↑Sun May 04, 2025 9:58 am 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)...

Happy for James to get dibs, as I'm not really in any position to be buying more stuff, at least for a few months.

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? I nearly asked on here last year if anyone had a folder going spare, as I fancied try...