Today I put on 2 of everything, bamboo longjohns + boxers under the Singletracks; Embers merino base under the thicker merino jersey then a fleece jacket on top; thin merino socks under some thciker Woolie Boolies and for extra measure I attached some of Colins van-insulation over my shoes aling the toes. Some liner gloves under the thick Outdry (r*pha) ones. The plan was to try and follow as much of the NP100 route as I could and then head back. The side-plan was to not break my teeth of freeze to death and thankfully I fulfilled both.



About 2 miles in and the ice showed its scary teeth but the Chronicles made light work up the first few paths. I'd noted that my Singletrack (pants) appeared to be catching on my saddle. Got to the first bit of 'gnar' and assessed if it was a good idea to go down it. Seemed clean and dry enough, but only 200m down the ice brought me to an abrupt halt. Oh, I'd also doubled up on what was covering the water, with a down jacket over the bladder and some of the insulation over the pipe. Worked well and water stayed warm throughout.




Assessing the gnar and it was ice-free.


But just a moment later I perplexing on how to get across to the non-slippery side. Too slippery to walk across with the bike so I ended up chucking/sliding the bike across. Then, kinda on all fours - not using my bottom as it would've been a long slide down - I managed to get to safety.

Soon after I spoke to a couple of walkers to deter them from walking up, but they had a plan. They'dcome down earlier and rescued a 70 gear old lady who'd 'frozen' on the ice. Then at the bottom I warned a young family with a couple of toddlers (5 year old, is that toddler category!) that it might be wiser to just "take a look" then turn back.

Then a left and a right to capture the frozen duck pond.


Soon after I was riding up the first 'grovelly' bit with 1st gear firmly engaged. Slipped out (actually that's an exaggeration, I just couldn't pedal so gave in before wheelspinning) and caught my pants once again. It was here I realised why I'd been catching em... They were undone at the crotch seams

A good innings, so I took my last pics of the route and headed back.


Sadly I'd not even made it as far as the fallen tree. 4 miles in all, Boris'd not be proud!


Looking back, not much to look at.

Way back, I thought to explore the duck pond which I've never actually been up close to. Briefly considered trying to get the the centre for a pic of Stan but common sense won. So I just took a couple of pics with Stan on the safe side of the water. Did whack the water a bit and it was frozen solid.


Except for my plan of how to get back without any taxi drivers noting my ripped pants, the only other highlight was the 2 robins. Possibly the same one. At mile 1.5 I noticed a robin that seemed stuck for food with everything frozen. So i threw some of my Scottish oat biscuits around. Then at mile 1.6 another robin came past and acted like it was waiting for summat just 50m from me. I assumed word had got out about my Scottish 'gear' so I emptied a few more oat biscuits around here...

Survived and (Alhamdulillah) didn't break my head with a good excuse for not going beyond 4 miles too. No-one saw my bottom; got home in the light; didn't freeze to death ; water stayed warm; no muck flew onto my head and back without a rear mudguard cos of the Chronicle. A very successful ride indeed and look forward to another (one of these days)...

THE END

It's like Safety to Nome but less white

Are the Singletracks salvagable?

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sun Feb 14, 2021 12:16 am
Are the Singletracks salvagable?

You bet. I know a man, called Dan. He'll see this here post very soon and hopefully give me a quote. Dan, it's triple stitching I need please, mainly around the crotch area but you might as well relair around the ankles too (Colin did that)...

I've never before gone out for a bike ride purposefully to find a dead end and eat cake there, but today was perfect for it, what with both the weather and me being a little bit sub standard thanks to the wonderful messrs Pfizer and BionTech.
So thanks for you here to give me a ridiculous idea and some mojo to at least do something.

This one is very local, and a proper proper dead end. I have never actually gone to the end of it until today.

IMG_20210219_082457 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

It is just past the village of Fennifach, which is Welsh for small....erm... - not to be confused with the nearby mountain of Fan y Big

Past the village the tarmac turns into a track, which ends at a gate, which leads up to a wooded hill which actually has a roman fort in it somewhere, but it is private and the sign clearly says no access. As luck would have it, I bumped into a former work colleague of mine who lives in said village, out for a walk with her lovely labrador, who jumped up on me a few times as we were chatting, and nearly had me over and into a huge puddle a couple of times. I asked her to explain to me again what the deal is with access, as I now knew from last summers exploits that said private track over woody hilltop joins with a nice bridleway on the other side, making a nice circular walk or run or whatever. She said that she and the village folk do walk there, but that the owner guy is very much not happy for folk other than locals to walk there. She said that people do occasionally go there, but he's not happy, and some even take bikes !

I was in no mood to annoy people, and anyway I actually wanted a dead end, so this was perfect for a cuppa and a slab of cake in the rain.

IMG_20210219_084627 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20210219_084634 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

Whilst rummaging in my bag for the cake and coffee I found, and remembered I had bought, a packet of "mug shot", a packet of ryvita, and a can of something like crazy gravity IPA, all of which I had bought at some point on some random shop, in preparation/ hope for my next BAM. That thought was cheery, and I hoped that the waterproof bag was indeed waterproof (thinking of that Ryvita in particular).

Cheered up, belly full of cake far too soon after having a hearty bowl of porridge for breakfast, I headed home, sodden but happy.

Perfect ingredients for a perfect ride, Verena .

. Like the pannier-rack-cum-picnic-table!

Anyone spot the weird bit of electric wire, randomly wrapped around the gate with no purpose? Had exposed wires and looked somehow menacing, which I guess might have been the purpose...

Yes the "table" was a bit precarious to be fair...

Verena wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:49 pm Anyone spot the weird bit of electric wire, randomly wrapped around the gate with no purpose? Had exposed wires and looked somehow menacing, which I guess might have been the purpose...

Was it connected to anything? Or was it perhaps just an offcut that held a sign stating "Free cake this way..."?

Springwatch...once more my life has purpose

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLgpXKiFpTp ... db3p8566uz

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56137041

Today's ride is....so not happening!!

Verena wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 12:46 pm https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56137041

Today's ride is....so not happening!!

Yeah just seen that - packraft time! Or maybe you could go and have another look at that Usk ford .

RIP wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 2:34 pm

Verena wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 12:46 pm https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56137041

Today's ride is....so not happening!!

Yeah just seen that - packraft time! Or maybe you could go and have another look at that Usk ford .

Now that really would earn me some serious brownie points

Inspired by Verena's description of her soggy ride here's a brief description of my ride to and from work yesterday.
I've not ridden to work since 10th December last year due to the consistently cold weather and the possibility of crashing on unseen ice in the dark but now that the thaw's set in I decided to get back to it. It was an opportunity to try my fat bike with it's alternative 29er wheelset in the new role of commuter (a role previously fulfilled by my gravel bike or bikepacking bike). The ride in was great, a bit of rain but not much by our usual standards and the fatnotfat bike was a joy to ride on the road, forest track and singletrack that I'm lucky enough to call my commute.
I knew that the post night shift ride home would be worse (there was a yellow warning for wind and rain in force) but nothing could prepare me for the maelstrom that I actually encountered. I've not felt the pain of rain drops pelting me in the face like that since I used to ride my KTM 690 with a Motocross lid and goggles back in the day! Happily I made it home soaked, frozen and starving but satisfied to have got another R2W under my belt.
Here's a pic of the pleasant ride in before things turned grim on the way home.
Ride to work, the calm before the storm. by Jurassic690, on Flickr

That looks very very nice for a commute

Any time now it'll be spring...sunny and warm and lighter mornings and evenings... we've just got o hang in there a little bit longer

I'm glad you Had da good R2W, but an too much type 2. 5 fun on return.

The bike looks good.
The rear disks, are they small,
or is that Cassette /sprocketHuge


Ps. It may be the angle the piccy was taken, but consider raising the rear light so the rear guard doesn't obscure it.
Keep it up & Keep safe...

ledburner wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 6:29 am I'm glad you Had da good R2W, but an too much type 2. 5 fun on return.

The bike looks good.
The rear disks, are they small,
or is that Cassette /sprocketHuge


Ps. It may be the angle the piccy was taken, but consider raising the rear light so the rear guard doesn't obscure it.
Keep it up & Keep safe...

Cassette is an 11-50 so yeah pretty big (rear disc is 180). Unfortunately the light won't go any higher because of the dropper but don't worry it's easily visible from there and it's very bright (Bontrager Flare R).
The type 2 return hasn't put me off, I'm just about to set off to ride in tonight as well (forescast's good for both ways this time).

I did about a third of Shafs (redefine_cycles) North Peak 100. Unfortunely 2 mechanical issues put an end to Mr Shafs ride, the said cycles was truly Shaf(T)ed. single speed conversion out in the field/or wild. It also included a reminder why we should carry spare cable ties. And how undoing them is so much fun with the wrong tools. Shafs frame is a Sonder Transmitter special edition Carbon Rift. Cracking reviews! He can explain. It also included a Impromptu master class in

Later in the ride I had an unscheduled bike wash & immersion up to the axles. The innocuous puddle wanted to be a pond!

I think a strip of XT hub, Xt Hollowtech bracket and a Rohloff hub are urgently required [/i].

Any advise is politely requested and will be graciously accepted and appreciated. This is of course besides the obvious
'Don't do it again' flavour.


Top (clockwise) Wesseden reservoirs; The Pond, Mother of all puddles. ;wet shoes, dry socks, save the day; The most mangled Mech.


Food an refreshments were hard to come by.



Top (clockwise) The only chip show closed until further notice; The wooden shed has fallen down ;The only available snack, but others got there first.

Did an oft used (last summer) circuit through various woods and hills today, given that the monster snow of last week was largely gone.



The two hills in the distance were solid white the week before last. I've skied these a lot on the last couple of years and had some great runs. I also road the fat bike across the two slopes shown over frozen consolidated snow - a real ride where you want situation. Totally knackered now with just the remains of the bigger drifts.

I encountered a few patches in various hollows but the unpleasant surprise was the amount of snow still lurking in the woods, even at quite low levels (well 250m). One section just after I took this shot was the worst - about a mile of wet snow between a foot and three feet deep leading to much pushing and post-holing. Fortunately the descent on the south facing slope was clear.

Took the skinny bike out for a 50 miler around Snowdonia. I did struggle at times as I'm not use to this sort of mileage anymore and the beer intake has increased in recent weeks!
No offroad antics today, I stayed on the lovely quiet roads of the A470 and the A5. That's the benefit off a lockdown I suppose.
Some pics:
20210221_103549 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_113126 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_121145 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_123250 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_125326 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_125315 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_130920 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_131231 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_132325 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_134257 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210221_144852 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

I commuted to work! I actually rode outside! I liked it. A lot. I didn't feel as week as a kitty kat either, which I thought I would. I got rained on. I liked it. I can't wait to get outside for real with mountains on my mountain bike...

Todays ride was going oh so well. Woke up bright and early at 0520 and the thought occured to me that maybe I have a flu headache and I should text Dan to say how I couldn't make it as I wasn't well. ManFlu, not me, not today as I wasn't gonna be like all them other lads - my elder brother - who'd stood me up over the years. So I turned round and went back to sleep. Calm my nerves and straighten my spine.

Next I'm frantically trying to have weetabix, hydrate properly, some other stuff and message Dan that I'd be at the rendevous (where he'd just hop along, no support, honest) at about 0830, all at the same time. He was roaring to go and seemed a bit miffed that he'd have to wait for this full on adventure. We were gonna go and do the NorthPeaks100 and enjoy every minute of it.

Meet Dan at mile 7 or so and carry on adventuring. He was loving it and I was trying to keep the pace on without winding him up too much. He wanted to talk his way up the hills so I explained that I 'was listening, honest' but I didn't have as much youthful energy to climb and tqlk simultaneously.


Then I took this picture and wqs well pleased with myself. Dan suggested that he hoped I wouldn't leave the bricks loitering in the path. So I considered for a moment and realised I was trail building and left em carefully placed.


Then a gnarly steep section came which I've not managed to ride up with Egen on the past few occassions. But not so with 'aaar Stan'. So I got to the top and watched Dan make light work of it with his Franky bike.


Then I asked Dan joyously to not step in the poo and have some food. It was eqrlier that he'd tried to force feed me his hot cross buns to disqualify my NP100 effort. But I was smart and stayed strong, even when he tried to sell em me for my oat biscuits. They were too dry for his posh mouth and apparently made it too dry. So I knew he was just having a laff pretending to make swaps.


He managed to not let his 2.4 Vittoria tyre elope with said poo. I took another pic of this glorious local Peak that sometimes trys to kill you and we continued on.

I was feeling strong and knew that today I'd complete this dirty route. Wasn't looking forward to the muddy sections further on and I shared that with Dan, just to keep his 'passion for the ride' on point. We continued merrily on over towards Wessenden Head and at one point he pointed that I was about to lay an egg. Up the first cobbled climb it was and I'd need to be more careful for future.

Second cobbled climb came and went, no eggs laid and nor any cobbles fully climbed. Then came the third and I knew I was gonna make it this time. I had my brother Stan (the Sonder) and we had two years of partenership between us. So I went for it, not letting out a 'laying an egg sound' and instead putting everything into the pedals.


The mech broke so Dan talked me through how to use my Park Tools tiny tool. I'd not used it ever and was a bit figety and 'crusty'. Meanwhile I had to tell Dan to 'shut it' cos my single mind couldn't concentrate on linking a chain and managing his complex story all at the same time.


Brother Dan didn't mind my dyslexia (or plain thickness) and was instead rather happy with the handy work he'd talked me through. Onwards and upwards, life was good and away we went.

But summat wasn't quite right. But it was only after using up Dans Gorilla tape to tension the chain, and then our collective effort of 3 recycled and wornout zipties, that we realiwed the problem and why the bike kept making a whining noise. The rear bridge between the chainstay and seatstay - an unusual design concept and one I always wondered of its strength - hadn't done well with the torque I'd managed to put through it. It'd fractured and I'm gonna blame Colins Singletrack (alive qnd kicking) trousers for it.

We said our goodbyes as Dan went to have yet more fun on the actual route. I stood and felt sorry for myself, ate my 'make me feel happy' sarnies and most of everything else. Called my mate Ali to come get me, made ablution, did my prayers... and took this here amazing pic. Alhamdulillah we all made it out happily ever after...

Another Alhamdulillah that my frame was built by Alpkit and not Arcteryx so discussing options shouldn't be so complex and litigative... Rest in Peace my Stan (the Sonder), you've been a loyal and loving companion indeed.



Thanks Dan and thanks for putting up with me

Shaf, Thanks for the adventure.
I see you don't let the truth taint a good story!

ledburner wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 10:43 pm I see you don't let the truth taint a good story!

Just to clarify. Dan didn't mean I lied, but rather might have withheld some minor sections of info that stay on the trail Can't wait for our next ride and thanks to the Mary Townley Loop we found you

Finally went out for a ride, I've not been on the bike for various reasons for nearly 2 week. Motivation was lacking but I thought I should add to the thread so it did motivate me to get out No cake for me but I did ride to a dead end, albeit it's only a dead end in a car as there's a bridleway that continues on. Stopped on the way to read the Royal Marines commemorative plaque, 46 Commando were stationed here during the war, my Grandad being one of them and hence why my family moved over here.



Whist I was stopped 2 of the local road team went by on their way to the road climb up ahead, luckily for them I was stopped or no doubt their egos would have required racing me to the top It's only 360 feet to the top from where they passed me but it's a consistent 10% or steeper. Once at the top of the road climb I turned off road for another 250 feet of climbing, I'd clearly not thought this through The track has deteriorated in the recent heavy rain and has washed out to the point that's it's unrideable in places, plus there's now a tree down across it that's on the backs either side so there's a 3 feet gap under it. Once at the top it was along the ridge to the former RAF Ventnor.



These were the look-outs from the war. Some people wrongly call them pillboxes but there were only lookouts, there was a pillbox on the site, just the one, and it looked towards the access road. They didn't need any in the other directions as the area around the site was mined. It is reputed that German special forces landed on the Isle of Wight for a raid on the radar station but I don't know if there's any evidence of this, it was reputably covered up by the government as it's not good PR to have had German troops invade.

From here it was (mainly) all down hill to home, except the mud made it harder going riding down that it had been riding up on the road/track the other side

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 12:12 am didn't mean I lied, but rather might have withheld some minor sections of info

That's cracking - I'm going to use that line when Mrs P next tells me off for fibbing about something!