Enlightened quilt with DHL, who are demanding a customs bill, plus admin charge to be paid first. Seems a bit steep, but I expect I'll just have to take it with a grateful smile on my face...

ZeroDarkBivi wrote:Enlightened quilt with DHL, who are demanding a customs bill, plus admin charge to be paid first. Seems a bit steep, but I expect I'll just have to take it with a grateful smile on my face...

What I like about Import Duty, which is a tax, is that you get to pay VAT on it as well, so you actually get to pay a tax on a tax...

atk wrote:It says Vapour Carbon and traffic orange on the box... but given the trend in oversize packaging these days, it's probably a headset spacer.

Close, a set of wheels:

XM481's on Boost Pro4's by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

I can't bur I recognise the tape

Well, I did count your testimontial (along with that I'm pretty sure Cy said they've had wheels built for them by 18bikes) as one of the reasons for going with them. Should be worth a pint I'd say...

A TI Goat Kestrel - thanks Nick.

Hopefully get a chance to try it out next week but it'll likely mean an alternative tarp pitching strategy.

metalheart wrote:

atk wrote:It says Vapour Carbon and traffic orange on the box... but given the trend in oversize packaging these days, it's probably a headset spacer.

Close, a set of wheels:

XM481's on Boost Pro4's by Metalheart-UK, on Flickr

I can't bur I recognise the tape

Well, I did count your testimontial (along with that I'm pretty sure Cy said they've had wheels built for them by 18bikes) as one of the reasons for going with them. Should be worth a pint I'd say...

Excellent. Hope you enjoy many happy miles together

Vango Force 10 Helium UL 1. Wanted something more weatherproof than my mini DD tarp & quick to put up. Weighs 1150g all in, poles pack down to 400mm, fly sheet pitched 1st and takes ~7-8 mins to pitch. I can sit up in it and its very stable. Far less p!ssing around than my cheapo Chinese tent. £170 ish online.

Columbia Outdry waterproof (£55 from Sportpursuit), bought as an experiment following my recent thread. Some reviews say they are too warm but I'm really after something to do the business for cold and wet weather, so fingers crossed.

Charliecres wrote:Columbia Outdry waterproof (£55 from Sportpursuit), bought as an experiment following my recent thread. Some reviews say they are too warm but I'm really after something to do the business for cold and wet weather, so fingers crossed.

Pleased with mine so far. Does seem warm but then it's not exactly cold at the moment despite the lack of summer. Pit zips help air flow.
Rain just runs off it, no signs of wetting out at all.

I've got one too ... so far it's proved useless at keeping me dry but that's mainly because I keep forgetting to remove it from the bag and actually wear it

Bearbonesnorm wrote:I've got one too ... so far it's proved useless at keeping me dry but that's mainly because I keep forgetting to remove it from the bag and actually wear it

Yup, that would do it

Lomo frame bag.

Not as heavy as it maybe looked, should offer me some small amount of additional storage space for a project or two.

the postman came and brought a hope carbon seat post for vivs stooge ,
cant be arsed taking a picture , so imagine a seat post that looks like carbon

burty wrote:the postman came and brought a hope carbon seat post for vivs stooge ,
cant be arsed taking a picture , so imagine a seat post that looks like carbon

Lazy

not lazy jay ,
me and technology don't get on , then I break it when it doesn't do what I want it to ,
anyway get that tagalong on your bike , I have yet to see you out with a screaming child on the back yet

...and delivered a tiny stove.

Hi Pete, good to see all safety precautions being observed with that stove - bloke has his helmet, HiVis and safety goggles on. Most commendable. Too many corners being cut these days. Then again, no steel toecap boots so a point deducted for that. In fact he's barefoot, what on earth does he think he's doing?

Am up for a "cheeky local one-night-stand" at some point convenient to your good self. Bereft of ideas though. In a silly moment (well, all of my moments are silly obviously) I'd thought about biviiing in each one of MK's "village blocks" as a series. Gone a bit lukewarm on that idea for some reason.

Not the postie but a trip to the local Waitrose. My normal coffee brew is now available in bags

First cup wasn't the best as the bag split in my pot. Still at 5:30 I wasn't going to boil another one and I managed to drink it without getting a mouthful of dregs

burty wrote:not lazy jay ,
me and technology don't get on , then I break it when it doesn't do what I want it to ,
anyway get that tagalong on your bike , I have yet to see you out with a screaming child on the back yet

Out with it 2day she loves it. I made her pedal up all the hills

Arrived Friday, another Salsa Anything cage bag off eBay complete with cage,
That makes a nice matching pair now

Pletscher map holder arrived while I was away, fitted to top of steerer with a few spacers and a longer bolt.
Thanks for the tip off

A rather large box containing a Salsa Spearfish frame courtesy of Ianpv of this parish.

Not quite the postman

On hols at MiL's place in France.

Treated myself to a Triban 100 gravel, I mean road(-ish) bike, from the local-ish decathlon, to keep here as a holiday bike.

Just back from my first ride: it's brill. Basic but brill!!

No pics but spec here

https://www.btwin.com/en/road-bikes/spo ... -bike.html

With a change of saddle I'd ride it all day long. Slowly and maybe walking up the bigger hills!

Exposure Strada for commuting. I had two nice lights on the bike which got nicked, was going to go the dynamo route but the Strada should do the job just fine

Was back in the 'Deen over the weekend. So I was the postie really...

Picked up a new Rab rain jacket, Marmot waterproof breeks, an osprey (small) toiletry bag and a travel towel from Craigdon. All for my impending Hebridean outting.

After stupidly adding the wrong house number to my order delivery details (not fault of Andy’s) and fannying about with Parcel2Go and Parcelforce for 2 days to chase down the goods… a thing of beauty lands.


Safe at last


Unboxed


Chosen colour scheme

Can’t wait to start the build. Will tease out more pics soon.

Thanks to Andy at Stooge Cycles for some bang-on customer service and keeping me from losing my s**t when the goods went awry after my monumental f**k up.