The post man's been ...

[pistonbroke]

Getting things which have been posted or couriered here is more like a military exercise. We live exactly half way between 2 villages which are 20km apart. Rasquera is where our official post is delivered has an office within the ajuntament which is open weekdays between 10 and 10.30am and woe betide you arriving at 10.31 you won't get your post. We also have a PO box in El Perello which other letters and small packages can be sent. Dizzyingly, this is open until 11.30!
To receive anything by courier, we have to arrange to meet the van at a petrol station in Perello or rely on the goodwill of friends with addresses the van can find to take them.
So don't be grumpy when you see your postie, they are worth their weight.

[Richard G]

A "Customs Fee To Pay" card... rather than my shiny new Titanium Goat Bivvy.

[HaYWiRe]

After a painstakingly annoying process something finally arrived at my door

My first Adult Passport!

Roll on trips abroad




Though now we have to wait for my fiancés to arrive, which will be her first EVER passport


Roll on her first plane trip

[Owen]

An alpine camo Revelate Gas Tank turned up in the post this week just a shame that I'd actually ordered a large Ranger frame bag

[ianfitz]

An Igaro D1 USB interface. Good reviews and Shona at Keep Pedaling likes them

it looks good, solidly made, and looks very waterproof and is IP69 rated, so it should work under water. Its smaller than I was expecting too. Has very useful looking piggy back clips to attach to the SON hub while leaving chance to connect anther clip too. eg Revo cable.

[thenorthwind]

Courtesy Charlie the Bikemonger, one of these:

20170201_175850 by Dave W, on Flickr

Been meaning to get one for ages now I'm doing more urban "'cross" style riding in an effort to get more miles in, but held out because, well, £23 for a bell. Eventually I got bored of people asking me why I don't have a bell. First use on Thursday morning on a 13 mile extended commute to work with lots of shared use paths, and later to the pub and back on similar. Moderately positive so far. It could do with being louder to be heard over traffic noise, etc. but I guess it's designed for trail use, so can't really complain.

Also, a new X-Tools 2-24Nm 1/4 drive torque wrench, an SKS Shockboard front guard (again, finally), and a 30l dry bag I'm planning to make into a pannier.

And not via the postman, but a brand new Mountain Equipment mat replaced under warranty when the valve on my two year old one disintegrated.

Not a bad week.

[Ian]

Got one of the Timber! bells from Cyclorise last week when they had an offer on. Not ridden in anger yet, but trip-down-the-road test seemed promising.

[benp1]

The fail for me, which I would love to be told I'm wrong, is that you can't use it like a normal bell and just ding it? e.g. you're riding down a flat bit of tarmac'd path and it's shared use

Otherwise would be a great idea

[Pirahna]

You can't ding it like a normal bell. There is a toggle to turn it on and off, it's got a pleasant cowbell tinkle which gives ample warning to walkers etc. I like mine.

[JohnClimber]

You can't ding it like a normal bell. There is a toggle to turn it on and off, it's got a pleasant cowbell tinkle which gives ample warning to walkers etc. I like mine.

On smother gravel trails or tarmac (with Lauf forks) you have to pop a couple of wheelies to make my Timber bell that I got from Keep Peddling ring at times.

[19ninety]

I've got one, at low speed I have to wiggle the bars to make it ring, but with a bit more speed it works well. Works best of all off road, and is received much better by walkers than my old bell ... there are still the ignorant/deaf/wearing earphones walkers/runners who just get the surprise of me buzzing past.
I never got the earphones thing ... I don't wear them when I cycle, I'm outdoors cos I like th eoutdoors and not because I want to listen to music

EDIT:
Should really add what the postie brought me today, long over due hub servicing goodies! Looking forward to not having a wobbly back wheel anymore ... also need to flush and grease the bottom bracket.

[Dave Barter]

My Cordillera 2016 arrived today and will now probably make me think about maybe next year...even though I probably won't

[BigdummySteve]

And delivered my MSR pocket rocket 2, fits nice inside my TI mug with a jetboil support and 100g canister, compact brew kit complete

[RIP]

... with a cardboard tube from darkest Wales, containing a carbon pole. (Ta muchly Stu)

What actually happened was I opened the door and was just about to receive said package when a highspeed blur steamed out of the parlour(*), grabbed the parcel saying "I'll give that to your mother for your birthday", and disappeared into another room.

Does this happen to anybody else? Normally my mother says 'what would you like for your birthday?', I then decide and order it, Mrs Perrin confiscates it from the postie, gives it back to me a few days later to take to my mother's, I leave it there, we return for my birthday at a later date at which point I receive it back again. Seems a rum procedure to me but then I'm not a mother or a wife so what do I know.

I already have two 3-piece 110cm poles with elastic in them but they are a bit too long for my Koala as 'base stiffeners'. Without them a badly packed Koala gets pulled into a wierd kidney shape by the strap. The new pole will therefore double up as, well, er a pole as well as stiffeners. For maximum flexibility in both roles it's made up of 43 separate one-inch pieces without elastic, giving the added benefit of enforced meditative quality-time while joining them all up prior to deployment. Noooo I'm joking!! It's four pieces.

The only issue now is what to do with the pole it replaces. I'm thinking about using that as a flagpole next to my tarp, but all suggestions gratefully received, the more ridiculous the better obviously.

'Reg"

(*) next to the 'drawing room.

[metalheart]

And delivered my MSR pocket rocket 2

Where from and how much? I was looking for one of these just last night.....

[RIP]

https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk ... tove-p6483. They're pleasant people too.

Looks similar to the older Microrocket. Nice, but can't justify duplicating my Coleman F1

[burty]

A copy of the cordillera ,
and some paws and springs for ones hub .

[BigdummySteve]

And delivered my MSR pocket rocket 2

Where from and how much? I was looking for one of these just last night.....

£27 from amazon
MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N5O7551/ ... Lyb98MAZE1

[cloudnine]

Small revelate frame bag brand new off ebay £47.50.. it only just fits my 48cm frame
New alpkit Numo for £20, and a hunka bivvy for £20

Done well with bargain hunting this week..

[Dr Nick]

Mountain Equipment women's Titan wr425 down sleeping bag thanks to this here forum's bargain alert thread and discussion on another thread


Just over half price at Taunton leisure, and a perfect fit for my 5ft 6 1/2inch height! I was worried it might be a bit snug round the shoulders but it feels fine.

And the floor and door aren't as orange as they look in the pic!!

[metalheart]

Thanks for pocket rocket links

[godivatrailrider]

SMD Solo Lunar SE has turned up :) Gonna have to wait for better weather before I try and put it up but there's no rush :)

[Richard G]

Ti Goat Bivi arrived. I was amazed at how small it is compared to my beast of a Rab bivi.

[RIP]

... with my seven new bikes, hurrah!



Oh. We appear to have a minor problem of scale. Still, at least there's room for a seatpack, and the bike'll certainly fit under a tarp....



If all else fails I'll just have to use them for my "Balanceability" classes with those little cherubs in Year R

R

[PeterC]

Ti Goat Bivi arrived. I was amazed at how small it is compared to my beast of a Rab bivi.

Likewise, being new to the ultralight game I am impressed that with the Ti Goat, solo tarp poles etc that you can get a really good versatile shelter going for about 750g at a very reasonable cost.