Todays ride

[ianfitz]

There's a lot of it going round, I've still not completely shifted what I had on the BB200...!

I think I got mine after the bb200. Nothing horrendous but given my history I’m just not prepared to risk a big effort with any sort of lurgy.

Been there. Came out the other side. Not keen to return.

[summittoppler]

Went out for a last minute bivvy yesterday so thought I'd tick off a spot I've had my eye on for a while. I rebuilt the stone walls by about 12inch's so I could sit up without my head touching the tarp. Worked out pretty good.

20171031_162908 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20171031_152803 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

I was happy, honest!
20171031_162828_001 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Its not always about dried food when bivvying, flame grilled lamb steak!
20171031_191524 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

[MuddyPete]

Flame-grilled lamb steak served on a slate platter... Will you be attending the Chilterns winter bivi, perchance?

[MuddyPete]

...well, last night's actually, started with a recconoitre of the country park with RIP to assess hospitality potential. "Reg's tree" seems promising, but I preferred the "upturned viking longboat hull"-themed shelter: like a tarp hewn from timber. Very cheeky, so no photos.

We cheekily meandered our way to a new hipster beer cafe in town, only to discover it had no tables, chairs and closed at 9pm . Obviously they don't don't like to attract customers who are allowed out late at night, or who like to sit down .

A short trundle brought us to "Ollie Vee's" (http://www.ollievees.co.uk/), Leighton Buzzard's premier Hawaiian-themed beer & coffee bar, complete with bamboo accessories and rubber shark head decoration. "Classic vinyl" seemed to be the theme for the evening, which gave Reg the excuse to lay the foundations for future "special friendships" . It was a joy to watch a master at work.

At a suitable interlude I made my excuses and left...
An evening of serendipitous opportunity .
26 miles for me: a bit less for Reg.

[RIP]

A lovely outing that was thanks Pete. Yes the "wooden tarp" idea opens up a whole new set of opportunities for the BBB Shop methinks . We're just the "blue skies" conceptual department though, hopefully the boffins'll come up with something that'll fly.

Photos? Oh dear, go on then..... we'll take the bikes and whatnot as read, and move on to the convivial aftermath...

Pete n me old fashioned? Surely not...



Obviously not approaching Dee's Famous Lemon Drizzle standards, but not a bad attempt & two slices were enjoyed....



Best to keep your fluids up when out for a ride... all that bamboo was a bit disorientating, nearly grabbed some to make my next set of baselayer...... oh, and did we mention the Cinnamon Swirl as well?.....



Yes, very pleasant proprietress.... some interesting Mexican tattoos she had.... I know I'm an old fuddy duddy but I do question the wisdom of placing a cactus tattoo where it was..... those spines can be terrible things...



"R"

[RIP]

On reflection, the composition of that last photo is, er, interesting Pete. I must admit my bottle was quite impressive though.

[MuddyPete]

That was the "suitable interlude" when I made my excuses and left...

[summittoppler]

....Will you be attending the Chilterns winter bivi, perchance?

I'm afraid not, I might be looking for more ruins to sleep in up this way. I quite like the idea of BAM taking in old ruins, should make it interesting.....

[ianfitz]

been keen to ride one of the longer ways home the past two nights. Nothing epic but haven't felt like doing that for a few months now.

[RIP]

At the risk of pushing the joke too far (wot me guv?), there's plenty of old ruins in the Chiltern sub-group, in fact I'd be the first to put my hand up .

[summittoppler]

Had a pootle around the Moel Tryfan quarry and the old tracks around it yesterday. There was a hint of winter in the air but overall the weather was good.
I just love riding around these old quarries, so historic....

20171104_150510 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Snowdon is hiding in the cloud
20171104_130637 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

no filters
20171104_125620 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20171104_125404 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20171104_132412 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

[RIP]

Stobbit, I'm just blinkin' jealous now 'Toppler . Haven't got any jobs going up there at all? "Reg, superannuated burned-out commuter, will turn his hand (and leg) to owt". I used to wander the quarries a fair bit in the 1970's (when I wasn't buffet-car stewarding on the Festiniog Railway but that's a different tale for the pub). A great memory is watching the "blondins" in the Pen-yr-Orsedd quarry just about still operating. The JIC Boyd books are excellent quarry records if you can get hold of copies....

[RIP]

Sigh, now you've done it, I've gone all nostalgic now ("nostalgia - it ain't what it used to be", arf)...

Blondin hoists at Pen-yr-Orsedd (taken on an old Zenith-E!):



Croesor incline / Rhosydd desperate bog :



Gorseddau Tramway / Cwm Pennant ford (check out the white-walled tyres!) / Cwm Croesor & Rhosydd inclines:

[summittoppler]

Some fine pics there RIP, those tracks are still rideable. The Cwm Pennant/Gorseddau Tramway is a fine route especially with the cantilevered retaining wall.
It's great taking in all the old buildings etc because every year they decline into more of a pile of rubble. Shame cos in the next 20 years or so they'll be lost forever.

[ianfitz]

Today’s ride was a leisurely trip around hoyndkirk moor with both kids. Then a few laps of lady cannings

[RIP]

"fine pics there" - thank you. But admittedly terrible Harry Hill-style ultra-flared 1970's shirt collars

[whitestone]

We used to live in Llanrug (sort of halfway between Llanberis and Caernarfon for those not familiar with N. Wales), one of the old guys in the village used to work in the slate quarries, can't remember if it was the Llanberis or Bethesda ones. A really nice old bloke.

The Llanberis quarries were shut over a weekend without telling anyone. When the workers turned up on Monday morning they found they were locked out. All their jackets and tools were just left there. During the early years when climbers started exploring the quarries for new routes their kit was still there as if in a time warp. Over the years more and more of the stuff got taken and the buildings themselves started to fall in to disrepair.

It was always interesting wandering around some of the lesser known or more remote workings.

[summittoppler]

Yeah it's sad how they closed so quickly. I remember my dad telling me about 25 years ago when he was rambling around Dinorwig quarry there were helmets, hob nailed boots and jackets in the guys. Hopefully most of it is at the Llanberis slate museum.

[RIP]

"hoyndkirk moor" - Hi Ian, I often feel that a small shame re Sheffy/Peaks is there's a fair few O/R ways out from town up to the moor but no obvious O/R way down t'other side. EccyWoods/Blacka, Porter Brook/Houndkirk, Rivelin/Redmires are all nice exits, but seems the only vaguely interesting way "down" west is via Stanage/NetherHurst. Can't see anything round Grindleford, apart from "naughties". Perhaps a highspeed dash through the rail tunnel. Maybe I need a nice local guide next time I'm up .

[fatbikephil]

Great pics there must get to Wales next year.

Out in my local hills today to check out the snow situation - first ride for a while on the Ice Cream Truck but was just the job given the extreme boginess....
Barely a dusting of snow here at 725m but more higher up



Ben vorlich and stuc a chroin in the middle, just visible to the left of these are the munros near to Crianlarich and Tyndrum (Stobinnean, Ben More et al) with a reasonable dusting of snow. Roll on Winter

[fatbikephil]

Oops double post

[ianfitz]

"hoyndkirk moor" - Hi Ian, I often feel that a small shame re Sheffy/Peaks is there's a fair few O/R ways out from town up to the moor but no obvious O/R way down t'other side. EccyWoods/Blacka, Porter Brook/Houndkirk, Rivelin/Redmires are all nice exits, but seems the only vaguely interesting way "down" west is via Stanage/NetherHurst. Can't see anything round Grindleford, apart from "naughties". Perhaps a highspeed dash through the rail tunnel. Maybe I need a nice local guide next time I'm up .

Reg,

I’ve heard that there’s a few options round that way.

Please do let me know when you are heading up this way. I’m sure we can work something out

Best

Fitz

[slarge]

Short but cracking CX race today at an old quarry on top of Clee Hill (by Ludlow). Very slippery mud and grass, and a few good descents and climbs. Ideal for the mtb I had borrowed. Came 2nd to Tim Gould, who is quite a big hitter round these parts, even lead the race for the first 3 laps (although looking at the slicks Tim was riding on it is a wonder he finished at all). Very pleased with that, and means my race results are improving with every race.

[benp1]

I had a belting weekend in the Peak District with a mate. Blimey, what a place to ride in! It's amazing, I shall be back, it's a lovely part of the world and the climbing and descending was really good fun (the latter far more than the former though!)

[RIP]

Wot sort of route did you do Ben? Find a nice cafe? There's plenty of them