with a copy of Storm In A Teacup. Many thanks Andy! (and Dave).

I particularly liked the Life Cover For The Over 50s hidden inside, nice touch .

Can't remember who was next?

Some Velo Orange Crazy Bars from In Reverse to have a go on.

...and brought a pair of RAF (because I can't quite bring myself to wear camo) GoreTex overtrousers. £27 off a certain auction site. Plenty of room, as you'd expect from OVERtrousers but fit well enough and the legs are long enough, which is the main thing. Winter is... no, I'm not saying it... on the way.

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:21 am Can't remember who was next?

(please)

and dropped off a wildcat lioness pouch, a sitmat, merino socks and a hat. The last 3 are for hiking but at 40g the sitmat will probably be useful for bikepacking too, just need to work out where I'd pack it.

Latest Lost Lanes book and patch, to complete the lost lanes library (so far)...

Some skinny strong string
A clip to fix something to a bike
2 tee shirts
From some bloke in mid Wales

PaulB2 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 12:15 pm the sitmat will probably be useful for bikepacking too, just need to work out where I'd pack it.

Down the back of your shorts - instant deployment when you want A Nice Cup Of Tea And A Sit Down

...and brought the village copy of Storm in a Teacup. Thanks Reg, and Dave.

If you want to read it after me, form an orderly queue.

A bag of random bits from the Alpkit sale, namely a pair of ankle gaiters, running gloves with flappy windcover bit, three pairs of socks and another frame bag

A little while back, I was harping on to Mrs Frog about the Camino and how I’d love to have an adventure like that - a last hurrah before it’s too late, sort of thing. I almost poked my eye out with a dinner fork (we were eating at the time) when she said,

“I think you should do it”


Oh ‘eck! Now I’ll have to get out of my comfort zone and actually do it…

Today the postie brought “Cycling the Ruta Via de la Plata” by John Hayes. I don’t know if that’s the one I’ll do yet, but I’m drawn to it because it’s not as busy as the French one…

Cue lots of questions to come. I’m sure some of you will have been there…

The Via de la Plata is definitely on my list for next year, we were due to do it about now but my ongoing shoulder injury from falling off in June have scuppered multi day trips for now. I reckon 9 days riding should be about the right pace.

pistonbroke wrote: ↑Thu Sep 29, 2022 8:50 pm The Via de la Plata is definitely on my list for next year, we were due to do it about now but my ongoing shoulder injury from falling off in June have scuppered multi day trips for now. I reckon 9 days riding should be about the right pace.

9 days? I was thinking two weeks at least 'cos I ain’t no racing whippet. I’m not altogether sure I can do it in that.

Not sure this is quite the Royal Mail's responsibility, but is anyone in mid-Wales expecting a parcel or several any time soon?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63108124

Can anyone point me to a Dummies Guide... to suspension forks...?

...and dropped off a Ridefarr aero bolt on handlebar thingy, after someone mentioned their warehouse sale:
https://ridefarr.co.uk/products/pre-ord ... t-on-alloy

Not sure about it to be honest. Well made and light, but won't sit nice with a Garmin out in front mount, or a light bracket which does limit its application for me. Might have a play with moving things about on the bars but options look to be limited so may just return it. Knew I should have gone for some of their Nitto extra wide bars instead

L2R24 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 5:45 pm ...and dropped off a Ridefarr aero bolt on handlebar thingy, after someone mentioned their warehouse sale:
https://ridefarr.co.uk/products/pre-ord ... t-on-alloy

Not sure about it to be honest. Well made and light, but won't sit nice with a Garmin out in front mount, or a light bracket which does limit its application for me. Might have a play with moving things about on the bars but options look to be limited so may just return it. Knew I should have gone for some of their Nitto extra wide bars instead

I nearly bought one for the Straggler but came to the same conclusion - it would get in the way of light and GPS but you wouldn't be able to fit them on it..... Be interested to see how you get on.

For me was a pair of 29+ Chupacabras (Swinnerton cycles if you want some) on the basis that it's one pair out on the bike so one pair in!

Wasn't it 18 or so years in the making?

A pair of Stu's carbon Poles for my Skyscape tent. Very nice they are too.

Boab wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 12:32 pm Can anyone point me to a Dummies Guide... to suspension forks...?

You didn't mess about getting a fork. Ultimate SIDs look lovely.

https://enduro-mtb.com/en/setup-guide-mtb-suspension/

This should explain, in case you fancied a guide. When it talks about volume adjustment, you have bottomless tokens in the left leg, these can be added or removed easily. I think it's a 24mm socket. (Don't quote me on that).

Edit.
I'm not familiar with the SL so of you have that one, check if you have bottomless stuff on there in the manual.

Boab wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 12:32 pm Can anyone point me to a Dummies Guide... to suspension forks...?

I use the Rockshox Trailhead app, just enter your serial number, riding style and weight and it gives you the air pressure and initial settings. Seems to work well as a starting point.

FLV wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:46 am You didn't mess about getting a fork. Ultimate SIDs look lovely.

One was being sold, I had a birthday, etc, etc... Going to cost a fortune, as I now need a new front wheel, tyre, shock pump, etc, etc, etc...

FLV wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:46 am https://enduro-mtb.com/en/setup-guide-mtb-suspension/

This should explain, in case you fancied a guide. When it talks about volume adjustment, you have bottomless tokens in the left leg, these can be added or removed easily. I think it's a 24mm socket. (Don't quote me on that).

Looks pretty comprehensive. Along with that Trailhead one Sean mentioned, I've also been pointed at Sagly, so should give enough reading, and app fiddling, to figure something out.

Crankbrothers Candy pedals via Amazon (no where locally sells them!)

and from an actually shop this week, fresh pads and disc brake cleaner, new Lezyne pump and some ION summer long finger gloves as I’ve finally realised mitts are no good for overgrown trails

...with a complete box-set of Futurama and the first four books of the Earthsea series by Ursula Le Guin in one volume. Should help me stay (relatively) sane through the coming winter/financial meltdowm/nuclear war.

With some BB bearings. And having found the bearings cheap at Sigma Sports, I thought I might as well have a look if they had anything else I needed. They didn't, and I know I should have stopped there, but I thought I might as well have a look in the clearance section

I ended up buying a rather nice Morvelo casual windproof for £23 (21 if you consider that I saved the cost of postage). They only had one left, in small, and the reviews said size down, so I was skeptical if it would fit, but it's spot on - it even has long enough arms, which is a rarity for me.

A nice new Anker power bank thanks to the wisdom of the masses.