Was supposed to pop out for my January bivy last night, but on-off rain, a sore back and having to run a friend home at 23:45 put pay to that. Seeing as all my kit was laid out, I popped out this morning before work, slightly longer than the two rides earlier in the week. Had to pop into work meeting straight after, so haven't had a chance to do any stretching yet; which is the cause of the sore back, went too deep the other day. Beginning to wish I'd waited to go out now, as the sun's finally come out (occasionally).





Now aiming for last chance salon on Sunday or Monday night for my bivy.

An easy ride today, on lanes and towpath and two tunnels, to see a choo-choo train on a viaduct.

Pictures. Tunnel...


Train on viaduct...



He weren't half shiftin' (for a steam train) - took maybe ten seconds from first sighting to vanished.

Towpath...


It rained. I got wet...

A bit of an arduous one today - 74k, 2000m of climbing, 6 and a half hours and a generous helping of tussocks and bog. Covered some good ground though and much sunshine made it all worthwhile.



Winter is in the balance - could get mega snow or it could all disappear....

Went out in search of my mojo yesterday. It was a nice day to be out tbf. Dropped some wood off at my winter bivvy spot
Some pics...
20230128_122316 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230128_115319 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230128_130554 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230128_143536 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Had a great couple of nights at the '2nd home' this weekend. I really enjoyed sharing my 'back garden' with some folk from here.
Some pics:
20230205_153316 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_092627 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_094200 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_123906 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_124456 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_150141 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_153053 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_155449 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_160111 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_160545 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_190126 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_190742 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230204_203429 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

O dear!
20230204_224432 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230205_075517 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

DJI_0590 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

DJI_0592 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Nice pics as usual. Looks very sociable . Sure you had enough drinks and cake there?

I'm acting as proxy for our Verena here, who's on hols in foreign climes and can't post photos 'cos they're in a different language or something. So here they are! Make of that last one what you will. Ideal bivvy spot? She'll be along soon to explain everything!

RIP wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:49 pm Nice pics as usual. Looks very sociable . Sure you had enough drinks and cake there?

Wow, that's what I thought, looks like a proper party!!

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 6:40 pm I'm acting as proxy for our Verena here, who's on hols in foreign climes and can't post photos 'cos they're in a different language or something. So here they are! Make of that last one what you will. Ideal bivvy spot? She'll be along soon to explain everything!

No no no Reg, NOT THE LAST ONE!! That wasn't part of the ride, that was on a walk Saturday (I think the entrance to one of the wells of healing waters on the hillside above the spa town of Bagneres de Luchon), it's just that every time I see some crumbling obscure old ruin I think of you

Anyway, today's ride, was in a word, brilliant!!

I'm on a generic winter holiday with no fixed plan, so after I'd been on a couple of walks and seen how little snow there is, I thought it would be fun to hire a bike for the day.

I had thought about heading on the road up to the ski resort of Superbagneres, but the road was quite busy, so I changed tack and instead turned off and headed towards the Hospice de France. And found: Snow!!!

The going was quite pleasant to start with, as the road had been contacted by vehicles. That then became just some tyre tracks, and as the gradient got steeper, it became harder to get traction, and worse, to keep enough momentum to stay on something resembling a line.

So the HAB started, all very very pleasant, even though I was walking in the shade, it was just very picture postcard.
I had to choose between either my feet going in the deeper snow which was was hard work, and pushing the bike along the compacted tyre track. Or having easy walking but hard work pushing the bike through deeper snow. It occurred to me at least half an hour of hard pushing before I actually did it, that I could just as well leave the bike somewhere and walk on without it. It's not like there was anyone about, let alone someone likely to steal the bike...but I figured it was good exercise and all that... Then I gave in, ditched the bike, and carried on on foot.
Rewarded by the wonderful Hospice, bathed in glorious sunshine, views to die for, and I enjoyed a long lunch there.
Interesting experience trying to roll/ ride back down again, not as easy as I thought... definitely feet down, going very slowly, slip sliding away I went. Till it got less steep and I could just roll and enjoy myself.

After that I headed over to the Vallee du Lys, which I also really like. Even though the little cafe there was shut.

Rolled back into town, got cold, did another little loop just to warm up.

Verena wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:18 pm
No no no Reg, NOT THE LAST ONE!! That wasn't part of the ride, that was on a walk Saturday (I think the entrance to one of the wells of healing waters on the hillside above the spa town of Bagneres de Luchon), it's just that every time I see some crumbling obscure old ruin I think of you

It's a fair cop

I know that pic wasn't part of the ride but it looked most intriguing.

This 'un would be a BaM, but there'll be another one from the Peaks soon, so here goes.

A ride from home. I've bivvied in nettles, in wild garlic (phew!), in violets, in primroses, in bluebells and in wood anemones. Todays' aim was to sleep in snowdrops. The ride was mostly on tarmac or towpath, - no need for knobbly tyres, so skippy shopper was called in. (Skippy, because that's where I got 'im from). I just chucked stuff into the panniers and headed out into the night, passing through Llangollen for a couple of pints with my daughter and grandson.

I found this place last year, with RIP and Eric . It was one of the bivvy options for our pensioners outing last year. This is the Snowdrop Bivvy.



View from bed..






I couldn't hang around in the morning because the church opens at 9 o'clock and I didn't want to be rumbled. Packed up quickly as soon as the photos were taken and decamped to a picnic bench for tea and a breakfast bar. It wouldn't be a bivvy without a cooked breakfast (or at least a bacon and egg bap) so I repaired to Llangollen for said breccy before pedalling home in time for elevenses.

Brilliant! I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Amazing number of snowdrops. Did you sample the tap that we found? Lovely little spot. In fact 'type of flora slept on' would be a good theme for a year's worth of BaMs. Not that I'm encouraging rare plant squashing . Wild garlic, ah yes, done that. Reeked for three days after doing so.

A short one from home to check out a potential bivi spot.



Fully furnished


Shooting may be in progress; hopefully not this evening.

gecko76 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 4:53 pm Fully furnished

. Looks perfect.

Found a hipster tyre lever on today's ride

My 8 year old couldn't ride a bike 3 weeks ago but buying his brother a new bike was a catalyst for wanting to ride properly by summer. He's nothing if not determined so after a couple weeks of practice runs initially just on our street and then laps around our local park we went out on our first real bike ride this morning. Just a couple of miles out and back on our local rail trail followed by a few laps of the pump track conveniently at the end of it but it was really nice. He had one minor off partially into a bramble bush after he oversteered around a dog and he keeps on forgetting to use his brakes so he would have slammed into a gate if my friend didn't catch him but all in all it went well. I also now know I can fit the two bikes in the car with the front wheel off if I stick him in the front seat. This bodes well for the summer. In other news, I finally got to ride my new bike - the handlebars feel *so* wide and it's my first 1x bike too but I'll get used to that. Its not a light bike and I've not done any climbing on yet but on the flat it seems pretty responsive. Completely selfishly, I'm looking forward to riding more in the summer now I've got an excuse

May as well do something useful on a ride rather than just toddle round. Took a small axe and de-ivy'ed eight oak trees being slowly strangled up by the railway. Of course it's possible some birds nest in ivy so it's swings and roundabouts but on balance I'll side with the trees in this case.

And I thought that you'd only meet up with a madman bearing an axe while in the woods in the horror movies. Be careful out there, Guys.

Spent the night in 'my place' last night. Was good to use up the stash of wood and coal that I had stashed up there over the last 3 months.
Wasn't that cold tbf, although there was some snow a few hundred feet higher up the mountain.
A few pics...
20230304_065612 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230304_073519 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230303_175300 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Proper food!
20230303_194930 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230303_195901 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Welsh cakes
20230303_213806 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230303_192124 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Carry on like that and you'll be excluded from the BAM when there as it's your posh holiday home

Very nice and not a little envious of your pad

Moder-dye wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 6:57 pm Carry on like that and you'll be excluded from the BAM when there as it's your posh holiday home

Very nice and not a little envious of your pad

Thank you. Unfortunately I'm already out of the BAM but I'm sure I'll be getting out when I can. Yes it's the 'holiday home' and I'm very happy with the referb that I've done.
Tbh I can't stomach them hydrated meals and cooking normal food passes the time.

summittoppler wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 8:14 pm

Moder-dye wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 6:57 pm Carry on like that and you'll be excluded from the BAM when there as it's your posh holiday home

Very nice and not a little envious of your pad

Thank you. Unfortunately I'm already out of the BAM but I'm sure I'll be getting out when I can. Yes it's the 'holiday home' and I'm very happy with the referb that I've done.
Tbh I can't stomach them hydrated meals and cooking normal food passes the time.

Normal food? That's haute cuisine mate

Headed out on the start of the Rydd Ddu track up Snowdon this morning. Surprisingly there wasn't much snow on the western slopes as compared to just a few miles away on the coast. Went up to Bwlch Cwm Llan where I've bivvied before. Obviously it was a bit chilly and the snow was frozen solid.
20230311_102153-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230311_102843-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230311_102823-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230311_113605-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230311_114132-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Looking down on the Watkin path
20230311_111410 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230311_111656-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Good job the front wheel went over it!!
20230311_111148 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Popped out for a ride this morning. Waited until the frost on the grass started to melt away, then headed out. There was still plenty of ice patches on the roads, but they were thawing rapidly. I started off all wrapped up for a chilly ride, the forecast was for something like 4°C, but it ended up more like 9°C. Off came the new lobster gloves and skull cap, swapped for lighter options. A while later the wind jacket went into the back pocket. I finished the ride with my winter jacket half open, wishing I'd worn lighter weight clothing. You canny win!



All the drains were full, and there was still lots of standing water in places. I did have to skirt a flooded corner by wandering around a field edge at one point. Someone obviously though they could drive through this ford, even though there's plenty of signage saying not to do it. Oopsie...



Hopefully get out tomorrow morning for another spin, by for the next storm rolls in over night...

Bit of a character building ride today. Locally it wasn't too cold but the in laws live more north-west which is where its higher and colder. Inspired by Phil the fat biker and many others who regularly get out in the snow, I'd hoped if I found enough elevation then I'll find lots of snow too. Almost all of our local snow had melted by this afternoon.

Armed with 2 merino jerseys (one a base layer with chopped arms); winter merino jacket; thick merino hat; bamboo longjohns and some riding trousers; thick wooly socks with a thin set underneath; primaloft hiking boots; under gloves and some thick Outdry deep winter gloves I was kindof setup for the riding. No space for me ME downpour type jacket so I'd wear the windproof Paramo Tim had kindly sold me and would take some ME waterproof trousers in my pack.

Packed the framebag with 3L of water, some noodles, coffee and amongst other things the bigger of the canisters. Sadly due to the hefty pump, I struggled getting my pots in along with the waterproof pants, so left the trousers behind. On hindsight I should have just worn em for the drive to Bradford to drop the family!

3L water for a short 9 mile ride I hear you wonder... Well, I'm trying to build character and hopefully be prepared when the Bb200 comes around. No riding for almost 5 weeks has caught up with me.


Most of the pics condensed into a collage so they're much small mb file and hopefully now issues in loacing into the threadpost. Snowy riding is bloomin hard and when I arrived at Ogden I was still feeling a bit cold. So I grabbed the spare merino jersey in the boot and whacked it on by sitting in the back of the car. I also had some fleece arm warmers which wrre already on.

Departing out on the ride and initially it was almost all unrideable. I thought of Karl after I'd contemplated my stupid decision of leaving behind the proofed trousers. It was snowing and every so often I'd get caught almost knee deep in some snow during the hike.

I spied a bird that was smaller than a robin so I eventually pulled out the binoculars (bins!?) as it kept teasing me. Every few metres it would pop out from the wall, fly another 10 metres and sit and (maybe) stare. Couldn't quite spot it with the bins as she/he was too fast for me.

The will to live was strong so after realising the fresh snowfall might end up wetting out my legs, I decided to reduce the 9 miles to just 3.5. That's 1 percent of the ITI in tribute to what Karl just did. but eventually the lay of the route - was kind of an out and back with just 2 circular sections - and common sense prevailed. Thankfully I headed back just before the snow became a bit more deadly and started taking out my eyes.

No spectacles sadly as my last BAM had me lose em. Probably when I was packing up the framebag. Got back with 2.5 miles in my legs and 700 calories dumped. It was bloomin cold but no icicles thankfully (in my beard).

Oh... and after the first fifteen minutes of what was trying to ride, slipping, sliding then walking. I eventually succumbed to tyre pressures and remember how Bob had dropped his pressures dramatically on the Roveinami (I think that's how it's spelt). So I stopped (wasn't hard to) and dropped 5 seconds each from the semi fat tires which were last pressure tested at 11 and 9psi. That helped significantly and now I was able to ride 5% of the sections