Mrs 512 is off to see Little mix with her pals and the bairns are away caravanning with their Gran and Grandad , that means I've got an evening free to do absolutely nowt! Having a few pints, a takeaway and then passing out on the couch, pukka Friday night

Sorry for being a day late but my tale relates to yesterday.
Just returned from a few days at the TdF which was a good excuse for doing some riding in the Pyrenees. Based ourselves near St Lary Soulan which meant we watched the "sprint" stage on Wednesday at the 2,200m summit, nice to see Quintana make a bit of a comeback. Yesterday I'd hatched a plan to ride 50km along the stage over the Col dAspin and try to get as far as possible up the Tourmalet. Set off at 8am in misty conditions going straight up to 1,500m where I broke through the cloud and realised I'd massively overdressed but quickly dropped back to 700m where it was still chilly, the joys of mountain riding. Then started up the 18km climb of the Tourmalet. There were dozens of riders doing the climb and given I was wearing my local club kit, a Catalan chap soon joined me and started chatting, he was clearly confused with my frame and bar bag and that I was spinning along in big ring as he asked whether I was on an electric bike. Cheered up by this I kept plugging away and amazingly got to the top non stop. It was pandemonium up at 2,100m so I took the obligatory pic of the statue and came back down a bit to find somewhere to sit. The speed the pros came up was amazing apart from Peter Sagan who was clearly knackered and wobbling all over the road when he passed me. Once the excitement was over there followed a hair raising slalom down the mountain and climb back over the Aspin where I was nearly knocked over the edge into oblivion by a berk in a UK reg VW camper with bike on the back. Just got to the top to watch the last 10km on a big screen that had been set up. Stats were 93km and 3,012m of ascent, a grand day out
Tourmalet TdF https://imgur.com/gallery/ARrMyJE

I am in the Pyrenees in a UK reg VW camper van. Wasn’t me though as I would not have missed

Annoyingly it was the only close pass I experienced in 6 hours of riding on fairly narrow mountain roads, suppose I should have expected it from a pimped white T5 with orange body kit and massive alloys but seeing the matching road bike on the carrier was a bit of a shock, seems getting behind the wheel transforms you from cyclist to prick.
Anyway Dave, what are you doing so close without coming to see us? It's a bit warmer than when Chicken Legs called in.

Next year Duncan. This was a long standing meet up with some Irish friends that had got a bit messy in both cycling and alcohol terms.

Early to bed and off canoeing on the Obra river in Poland tomorrow with my daughter, her partner and two grandsons.

Sat overlooking the beach at Bray Dunes nr Dunkirk supping a Leffe Blonde

It is somewhere north of 30 C though

And I'm off work, been for a yomp across the Humber Bridge with the kiddies. Now relaxing in the garden with a beer. Soon be time to sort out camping kit for my weekend away with the twins

It's feckin' hot here, so I'm off to a packrafting training for two days on/in a glacial river. Can't wait and will train many wet exits

Just had my bi-annual visit from Terry Jones. Happy to report that he doesn't look bad, also met his daughter for the first time and the same applies to her

was he lucky enough to be treated to lemon drizzle?

No, sadly I'm just polished off the last scone in the house.

Holidaying in Chamonix, enough said

Yay - it turns out it's Friday again!

This week I built up my old KHS Montana Pro using XT 2x11 (good prices from Madison on bundles atm if anyone is looking to build up and for hustling their IBD) .
I'd forgotten how nicely it rides as a full flesh mtb. It's going to be her bike to see if she likes this bikepacking malarky, to whit we're off for a night in the Surrey Hills on Sat.
Looking forward to seeing how she fairs - she's pretty bloody minded and has more grit than she gives herself credit for so other so I think she'll do really well - hope she enjoys it.

A visit to the Colombian sushi place over the road awaits, followed by whisky. Oh yes.

Another chaotic week at work, got to do a BAM and the forecast is sh*te

voodoo_simon wrote:Holidaying in Chamonix, enough said

Feck! I’m back home

Can’t believe that was a week ago.

Anyways, met my Nephew for the second time today, yesterday being the first as he was born whilst I was away. Great way to end the week

Well it was Friday and still is Friday related...
Finally finished the house renovation on Friday after 10 months of serious hard labour and a few sheds full of money.
Estate agent valued it and said he had someone who may be interested (marketing ploy I thought). Anyway, today before it hit the open market received an offer at full asking price from the first viewing
Short rest and possibly a bike related holiday ( ) before I start again on the next one.
Off to open a beer or two now.

rufus don't forget to leave a forwarding address.

So I managed to turn a strictly no bikes holiday in Tuscany into a bikes holiday. Whilst strolling through the back streets of Firenze we stumbled across a cycle hire shop with a selection of very nice old steel road bikes. Lots of drooling, a few days of pondering and persauding, and I am now the owner of a very very nice Colnago Master from 1994. It is mint.

https://italiansteelbike.com/colnago-ma ... chorus-8v/

The shop owner is posting it back for me, so I now can't wait to get home!

Yay, here's to Italy, lovely bikes, a willing better half, and wine!

My, that's a thing of beauty. Nice find (and I can understand why you had to have it!).

Well, after several weeks of complete indecision by company management (inebriated party in a brewery comes to mind), today is my last day at work* . The whole office is closing so it's nothing personal. Just on five years at this place so not a bad innings.

*Actually we are in on Monday but that's just to hand keys and stuff over.

What you got lined up next Bob?

The missus is off out on the lash and she's even arranged a babysitter so I can go for a ride - now I just need to work out where I'm going and what bike to use for a 3-4 hour window.

Off up to Mallaig on the train tomorrow morning for a weekend cycling back to Ft William via a bothy or 2. Doing an OBT course organised through my work next week so it's like an extra weeks holiday for free, just have to survive today!