RIP wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:57 pm

Verena wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 10:43 pm Love that blue sky Jeff

It's that oh-so-cool blue water that's even more inviting just right now

Had that earlier today... don't know how to upload a photo from my phone...will head over to CF and tell you all about it there...

Not today's, but Saturday.
My friend has a brand new shiny gravel bike, and Llaneglwys forest I always think is perfect for a bit of gravelling, so not deterred by the very hot temperatures forecast, that is exactly where we headed - during the hottest part of the day, naturally
Nice view as we turned off the tarmac and into the start of the woods, but sorry no pictures of the forest itself as we were just too busy having fun riding around.
IMG_20220813_192906 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Exploring new territory for me, we rode on through to the far side of the forest and popped out onto some lovely open high ground.
IMG_20220813_200616 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
IMG_20220813_145257 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
By now it was very hot and I found myself floundering a bit, so we took shelter for a bit under a tree in a little hollow which was actually dried up stream bed. It was lovely lying down in the shade, it was all so dry hot and sunny, it may as well have been an olive tree we were looking up at.
IMG_20220813_142437 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Refreshed, we went onwards, and eventually the road started to turn downhill for a lovely descent to the main road.
IMG_20220813_185609 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Short hop to our true destination, the wonderful Welsh Lavender Farm, which had a Makers Market on in aid of Ukraine all weekend. We filled ourselves up with cold drinks, ice cream and pizza, all in a good cause , bought a few nicnacs, then cooled off with a dip in their lovely pond.
IMG-20220813-WA0017 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
IMG-20220813-WA0016 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
After a bit more sunbathing to dry off, and another round of drinks and ice cream, we parted ways and I headed home the main road way, and even that was gorgeous in the slightly cooler early evening air.
IMG_20220813_175248 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Perfect day out

Like that T shirt missus!

You've been having way too much fun recently . Going to have to put you on ignore like I do with Jeff .

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:03 pm Like that T shirt missus!

You've been having way too much fun recently . Going to have to put you on ignore like I do with Jeff .

Audax, 230km, mostly A-roads. Clucking awful experience.

Back to the new normal.
Todays ride started in blistering heat.
I didn't notice it clouding over until I reached the top of the Fire Beacon Hill where I paused for breath and a drink.
It was suddenly cooler.
On through the Beech wood where it was like autumn with leaves constantly falling.
I noticed a lot of green small acorns on the ground as well.
Bit of a bimble then a long descent left me feeling cold.
Tried to work up some heat down to the seafront but it was a head wind straight off the sea.
By the time I got home it was just starting to rain and I was glad to get inside for a cup of tea and cake.
Sunny Devon eh?

edit: now discovered five horsefly bites. More than I have had all year.

Probably one of the last rides with my eldest in the trailer since I’ve just about run out of strap adjustment. There’s more fat on a greasy chip so the weight has been fine and he’s happy tucking his legs in but his body is finally too long. The end of an era. Now I just need to work out what to replace it with.

PaulB2 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 3:27 pm Probably one of the last rides with my eldest in the trailer since I’ve just about run out of strap adjustment. There’s more fat on a greasy chip so the weight has been fine and he’s happy tucking his legs in but his body is finally too long. The end of an era. Now I just need to work out what to replace it with.

Tag-a- long kit, I've got one in the shed looking for a new home. PM me if interested (I'm just looking to cover postage...but donations welcome..) Just add a child's bikem. (I'm sure Reg collects them on his travels.).
* Tag-a- long kit convert child's bike into a tag along bike and secure, but are easily & tool free releaseable...

The last day of my summer holidays saw me head to Newborough for a seaside ride. Shame the weather forgot it was summer!
20220822_123024 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20220822_121658 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

ledburner wrote: ↑Mon Aug 22, 2022 4:43 pm

PaulB2 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 3:27 pm Probably one of the last rides with my eldest in the trailer since I’ve just about run out of strap adjustment. There’s more fat on a greasy chip so the weight has been fine and he’s happy tucking his legs in but his body is finally too long. The end of an era. Now I just need to work out what to replace it with.

Tag-a- long kit, I've got one in the shed looking for a new home. PM me if interested (I'm just looking to cover postage...but donations welcome..) Just add a child's bikem. (I'm sure Reg collects them on his travels.).
* Tag-a- long kit convert child's bike into a tag along bike and secure, but are easily & tool free releaseable...

I've actually got a tag-a-long / third wheel but the one time I used it he got off when I coasted to a stop at the end of our road and just headed to the local park. I should try it again before considering the much pricier options.

Managed to pop out on Sunday for a gentle pootle. Spent most of it thinking about my bars and grips, and what I could do to alleviate the previously mentioned issues I'd been having before I went on holiday. As I didn't go far, I didn't have any issues, but I figured I'd over rotated the bars in a misguided effort to avoid wrist pain. Once back at the house, I adjusted the bars, then the brake and gear levers, then bunged the bike in the shed.



Popped out for a pre-work ride this morning and totally forgot how far I can ride in a few hours. Missed the first meeting of the day and was late for the second; to be honest, I'd rather be riding my bike, so no big loss. Also took lots of noticed of how my hands and wrists were getting on with the newly rotated bars, they seemed to cope quite well. The grips were cheap, and I'm sure are not helping, plus my mitts are knackered, so I'm imagining things might improve more with some better grips and mitts. There was one point, on a spectacularly bumpy bridleway, when I thought things were going pear shaped, but both hands and fingers feel OK, can't tell yet if there'll be a cumulative issue that will rear its head over the next couple of weeks though. First impressions are positive though...

Rode to east Lothian to meet up with parents at their holiday cottage. Went via Edinburgh- first time I've ridden through the smoke since 2015 and that was at 5am! Far too many people and cyclist congestion in places! Will take a longer route home I think

GregMay wrote: ↑Wed Aug 17, 2022 11:07 pm Audax, 230km, mostly A-roads. Clucking awful experience.

Sounds very unlike traditional Audax routes which tend to go for the quieter and more scenic roads. Why A roads?

Not today but Friday. Went for one of my local steady loops which is mostly along the canal, it's the only flat riding around here

A week or two ago we happened to watch a programme on some lad in his canal boat on the Leeds Liverpool canal. The episode just happened to be local to us and at one point he remarked on "this boat coming up is a bit of a legend on the canal". Well I rode past it:



Apparently the guy moves it by hand This is presumably why whenever I've seen it it's been in the same place for a few weeks, no doubt while he gets his breath back.

A week or two ago we happened to watch a programme on some lad in his canal boat on the Leeds Liverpool canal.

Is it the shed one ? No engine .self built*- forget his name but met him at a festival years ago and my sons and his are mates

* as i understand he is stuck as no one will tow him down the rivers or through the tunnels as no one trusts it - bene on it think its basically a very big raft

EDIT: forgot my ride building up to a proper Lakeland ride after my big injury so out in the peak district today - finally not just a passenger on a bike as I trundle downhill ; hoping to get out and do some proper big mountain descending before summer ends [ still not very strong on that arm though but looks like i can abandon the roads and return to the off road]

The best way of describing it would be the Beverly HillBillies go canal boating It does look like a floating shed with porches, etc. Search for "shack like barge on leeds liverpool canal" and you'll get more photos.

Pretty sure its him and its rather bobby when you get onboard - you can see the plastic barrels its lashed to - at least 4 years i think since i was on it

this is the guy i know [ well met him three times so hardly a close personal friend ]
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... ool-582137


he is moving the piano to London iirc EDIT - it says this in the article as well- he is not in a rush seeing as he set off in 2012
there was also this one he had panels and all sorts on the inside of his Uboat canal
Many many weird people on the canal

There is a boat on the canal near us with "Captain Nemo" referred to as the Nautilus - it is a converted off shore lifeboat!

Like this - but painted white:

Went out for the forth morning in a row. A beautiful start to the day, if a bit wet with all the dew.



It was all going swimmingly, until it wasn't. Heading along a byway I've ridden countless time before, I hit a rut, the front wheel snapped to the side, and down I went into the bottom of a fen drainage ditch. I instantly knew this was a bad one, partly from the force that my glasses were rammed into my face, but also from the instantaneous pain in my back. I managed to crawl out of the ditch and assumed the recovery position until I had my breath back. I slowly managed to get to my feet over the next few minutes and took stock of my situation, my mind casting back to the last time this happened.

I walked slowly off the byway to the nearest tarmac and slowly cycled to the nearest village. Barely able to get off my bike at a busy junction, in all sorts of agony, I debated phoning my wife for a pickup. I should've really, and she sternly told me that much when she got home from work. Instead I suffered a multitude of close passes while slowly making my way home on the tarmac. A quick wash, then coffee, then it was off to A&E to see what the actual damage was.



After being poked and prodded, a x-ray on the right wrist, more poking and prodding which induced some choice swearing, I was sent home with some Naproxen. A severely sprained right wrist, that the Doc wasn't 100% sure it wasn't fractured. Most likely a fractured rib in my back, plus deep bruising to back muscles and a couple of vertebrae. Contusions to my left knee and the right of my face and head; got a nice shiner blooming.

Looks like that's another life used up. Might have to revisit that Automatic Crash Reporting thread.

Got off lightly I think...

Oof defo Ouch of the week award there Boab. Remember when you used to have a crash and then you'd instantly get back up before anyone noticed. Now, as you did, it takes a while...

Looks and sounds painful Boab, hope you recover soon. Agree that crashes take a bit more getting over as you get older, last off for me involved some shouting in pain and lying on the spot for a bit.

Nice rid out for lunch at a posh pub/cafe in Inkpen yesterday. Really nice mix of paths, tracks, towpath and quiet back lanes. I do live in a truly great area for mixed terrain riding and southern valleys and downland. Pretty expensive lunch for a panini, but not surprising when you see the cars in the car park!

Aye commiserations Bob

Ouch Boab!! Heal soon!

Heal up soon Bob.