Was out on Sunday to my usual place to drop off some firewood for an upcoming bivvy (it's OK, the fire is in a fireplace)



I also got some paving done too!


Stash, that will hopefully still be there in a few weeks....


Looks like someone stumbled across my retreat and gave it some respect, cheers


Enjoy the view with a brew

You'll need to start paying second home council tax on that place soon matey .

When's the cocktail cabinet going in?

I thought one of the things the Welsh and myself (as an Islander) shared was our dislike of second homes

It's nice they left you a note and didn't damage anything, I'm guessing it's remote enough that the sort of people who might find it are 'outdoor' types so not likely to be doing any damage.

I found a part finished log cabin in the woods near me once. I'm guessing it turns out building one requires more time, effort and materials that the builder anticipated so they gave up

sean_iow wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:15 am I thought one of the things the Welsh and myself (as an Islander) shared was our dislike of second homes

to Jeff

Didn't take them long to give up Sean, didn't even finish the second layer!

They haven't given up. They've just logged out...

Youngest started school, so now have every other Monday back to myself again since first boy was born. Regular Monday rides from now on. Also pretty settled on the sus fork on the Titus, making even light off road stuff a bit faster and less clattery.

I did a fine ride around the Trossachs (again), picking up a couple of new trails along the way. The first I'd picked up from the 'Ten Peaks Trail' that Bikepacking put out last year - a riverside path of varying standards from Doune to Callander that provided a nice alternative to the back road route I normally use which is also used by the GBduro route. I threw in the Great Trossachs Trail route along the north side of Loch Venechar, noting a couple doing what I guess was the Badger Divide. Then Loch Katrine, loads of people and this nice view:



The whole West of Scotland was bathed in Sunshine yesterday, apparently, I just about rode into it at the end of the Loch, behind all was grey and misty. Beinns' Narnane, Ime and Vane in the distance. I'd like to climb these hills, but getting to them from my place is a PIA. Maybe I should do a combined bike and walk trip, staying in B&B's to save carrying too much stuff. *cough*

The return through QE Forest included a track I'd not done before, with grass growing up the middle and everything, unlike the usual motorways round here. It's on the 'Gravelfoyle' network... Progress was punctuated by yet another flaming puncture, on a track entirely devoid of thorns, glass, nails or anything else to cause a hole. It was tiny, so much so it took 10 minutes of frantic pumping and fiddling to find; but the sealant was just squirting out without sealing.... I am becoming absolutely scunnered by these punctures!!

Aberfoyle provided much needed food and I noted several other BD'ers coming through. Thereafter the usual route home via track, trail and back road. I was absolutely broken by the end (9 1/2 hrs), but the Stormchaser proved itself a worthy successor to the Stragg.

lovely pics -- getting quite autumnal looking -- Scotland always looks good this time of year I reckon.

cheers,

Keith

Just ~20 miles on a lovely sunny, cold, fresh autumnal morning on my lugged 631 old school road bike - which was something quite special after 6 weeks off the bike under doctor's orders. I think I'd got used to the positive effects of a nice early morning ride as I did it so often and maybe it just became normal, and now I realise just how good it can be. The low sun through the trees at 7am, cold crisp air, the colours in the trees, gliding along the lanes and seeing mist settled down into in the valley bottoms between here and the edge of the Marlborough Downs.. ahhhh.

My fitness and lungs feel trashed, I can barely get up a hill here in Z2 and I'm not sure when I'll be back to past form but right now I'm not so bothered. It's just nice to be out and that's most of what riding is. A good day.

Today's ride, sunny morning commute along the Lagan.

I must admit I'm mainly a lurker of the classifieds section, but having a read on this thread after today's last minute ride I thought I'd share.
I'm usually riding around the Sheffield edge of the Peak District but this week we're getting a house ready for sale up near Penrith. I brought 2 bikes with me, my mtb for a quick blast at Whinlatter and the plus bike for a bit of country lane exploring.
I decided last minute to have a crack at Great Dun Fell seeing as it literally stares down at our house and as the weather was so good. Not sure the plus bike loaded with water wearing a pair of Duro Crux 3.25 tyres was the best choice of steeds but it got there!

Must admit, I thought it would be bigger!!

trek1120plus wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:08 pm Not sure the plus bike loaded with water wearing a pair of Duro Crux 3.25 tyres was the best choice of steeds but it got there!

Ideal road tyres, I'd say

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 10:26 pm

trek1120plus wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:08 pm Not sure the plus bike loaded with water wearing a pair of Duro Crux 3.25 tyres was the best choice of steeds but it got there!

Ideal road tyres, I'd say

shame that when I needed my lowest gear the rear tyre was getting rubbed by the chain.... I really could've done with that 46T too at times.

Yesterday's ride really, but a lovely sunny day on Rathlin Island, bikes on the ferry over from Ballycastle with my son, on his 18th birthday, we pottered about, enjoyed the warm sunshine, it was a pleasant day out on the bikes:

Bit different to last weekend's weather, this time gusty and bright, around Tollymore Forest

...was lovely.
But yesterday's ride is the one I wanted to talk about...

So I'm in the beautiful Pyrenees again at the moment, third time as a cycling based trip.

Where I'm staying is in a valley, and the only way out in any direction really is up a Col. Pretty big mountains, so to go further is kind of a fairly big commitment, or at least in my head it is, because going down into the next valley, and then maybe up the next Col, means, always, another Col to get over to get home. For me, that's been a bit of a scary thing, and I had hoped this year to get over that, and venture a bit further...

With everything that's gone on this year for me, I've gained a few pounds, lost a bit of fitness (in my head at least, I don't actually think I was any fitter this time last year ), and most of all, I can feel that I've lost quite a bit of confidence.

So here I was, yesterday morning, or rather the night before, with somewhat mixed and autumnal weather, with an experienced and supportive friend, and the offer of a 4 Col ride, which he seemed to have every confidence in me being able to do - but I was still the one who had to say Yes or No.

I said Yes, we had a great day, and I was absolutely fine.

Just wanted to say a big Cheers to good friends, who believe in our abilities at times when we ourselves don't.

And wondering if any of you have had any similar experiences?

It's good to have that encouragement and support, sounds amazing too

My ride today was while my son was doing this

https://lakelander.co.uk/destination-it ... dog-route/

He did well

I pottered about nearby

Tractionman wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2024 9:53 pm It's good to have that encouragement and support, sounds amazing too

My ride today was while my son was doing this

https://lakelander.co.uk/destination-it ... dog-route/

He did well

I pottered about nearby

Screenshot_20241005-215208~2.png

Well done to your son , and of course another great example of encouragement and support, from your good self - and hopefully you enjoyed your ride as well

Verena wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2024 6:37 pm

Tractionman wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2024 9:53 pm It's good to have that encouragement and support, sounds amazing too

My ride today was while my son was doing this

https://lakelander.co.uk/destination-it ... dog-route/

He did well

I pottered about nearby

Screenshot_20241005-215208~2.png

Well done to your son , and of course another great example of encouragement and support, from your good self - and hopefully you enjoyed your ride as well

aw, thanks very much, yes I joked to him afterwards, he did the 50km 'Little Dog' ride and I did the 'Chihuahua' at 20km!

Little Dog is named after a rocky outcrop in the Fermanagh Geopark, I am really glad he did it, got a medal and a burger afterwards--just washed down the bike today, we're off on a bikey trip in the north of England at the end of the month too

Took the train to Pewsey with the intention of doing a nice loop home. Going well, but the two byways I used each cut the rear tyre. First one needed a plug, second one needed lots of time to seal and stick. Bit annoying as the byways were tame by local standards so clearly the tyres don't cope with flint, which is most of my local terrain! Decided not to risk another puncture so looped back to Bedwyn for the train home, as I couldn't miss school pick up. Still a nice ride, just a bit curtailed. Also now nervous of the terreno dry tyres I've been recommending, should have got the tnt versions I guess.

Weekend in the black mountains and Hay. Very enjoyable riding, pretty wet and boggy in places, especially bridleways in the valleys, but they were still good fun. First long rides on 'proper' terrain with the Cotic and it was very good, made any descending lots of fun, and coped admirably with all the climbing and HaBs

faustus wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2024 11:33 am Weekend in the black mountains and Hay. Very enjoyable riding, pretty wet and boggy in places, especially bridleways in the valleys, but they were still good fun. First long rides on 'proper' terrain with the Cotic and it was very good, made any descending lots of fun, and coped admirably with all the climbing and HaBs

Looks great , glad you enjoyed

Very enjoyable day out on the bike yesterday, a kind of a "back to it" Audax ride. It was the White Horses 200, lovely route from Bristol on the Bristol to Bath cycle route, then the Two Tunnels Greenway, which was good fun, over towards Marlborough via several, yep you guessed it, white horses, then looping back on lovely lanes through the Cotswolds, a beautiful sunset as the cherry on the top.
Even included a couple of easy gravel section, one near Devizes, and through Savernake Forest, which was gorgeous in the autumn colours.