Long white socks! What was he thinking!

So, G. You doing the DD with him? Doesn’t sound like an entirely sensible decision by the B in law. Good luck to him.

At least it’s not a solo ride 😉

Gotta love a Friday afternoon virtual argument 😀

Was certainly good fun reading this thread – Chears Cheesy and G et. al.

it sure was fun 😆

To a degree I agree with G. I’m always suprised how many ill prepared mountain bikers I see when out in the Lakes – no map, no 1st aid kit, and prob no idea how to use either even if they did. If these were walkers and somethig happened requiring mountain rescue – they’d get a right good ear bashing – and quite rightly so.

Its alright going out on your own on tame stuff, but anything tricky is worht taking a mate. Just cos you left an ETA and route, doesn’t mean you come a cropper 10 mins from home and lye unconcious for 8 hours until someone realises your not home. And if you go with a mate, hopefully he’ll have a camera to get some pics of you falling off like a tit!

The amount of unprepared walkers in the Lakes is truly staggering, whereas, away from Grizedale and Whinlatter, I have seldom seen any obviously poorly prepared and equipped MTR’s.

I love solo riding and have done lots of it around the country. Just follow some basic rules, map and route left with someone together with an anticipated time of completion and a method of calling in. Food, shelter and clothing together with tools, spares and a knowledge of how to use them. You cant be much more prepared than that.

Grizdale remote ?.

Drinking alcohol? Surely that can be hazardous? Your a drain on the NHS!

He wasn’t planning to drink alone tho! Has the missus (not drinking, i assume!) there in case he falls off sofa. heh.

So, G. You doing the DD with him? Doesn’t sound like an entirely sensible decision by the B in law. Good luck to him.

Yep and agreed regarding the sense of it, but then hes no mug and when he makes his mind up to do something he usually does it. I was doing the DD for my benefit, but his Mrs asked me to look out for him, so thats what I’m doing. And that’ll be the third year out of the last 4 where I’ve ended up looking after someone else damnit! 😕

I’ve arranged for the two wives to track us over the route as a backup, (NB: Not following the exact route, but a few minutes away) I am a first aider, and I have been going over all the cardiac stuff for a week or two now. I’ve plotted the A & E’s along the route, and if I think hes in trouble I’ll let his tyres down, because I’ve got the only pump!

Probably be riding a Charge Plug as on the back of boat over there -> and wearing an East Anglian Mountain Rescue Team shirt. Come over and say hi anyone whos about more than pleased to have the piss ripped.

G

PS :

foxyrider – Member
Was certainly good fun reading this thread – Chears Cheesy and G et. al.

thanks foxy, I enjoyed it too.

That was a quick bottle of wine!

On our second now…. bloody woman! Told her to stop drinking pints and that its not ladylike to beat your bloke at arm wrestling either.. 😉

Fair do’s.

Its Mrs G I feel sorry for!

I ride in the night on the moors on my own with no phone and I haven’t left an itinery with my wife or anyone else.

Oh and I’m not after anyone respect thanks.

i think G is from Essex, so he’s maybe never experienced “wilderness” and is just a bit scared of the idea of being outside a town or trail centre ! come on G bring it on.

Essex !! Cheeky bleeder

Full G’ness is acquired via a paternal parent from Jockland, Maternal from Cumbria. Currently resident in sunny old Suffolk, which is notable for its lack of wilderness, however, I have been venturing into the wilds From Dartmoor to Scotland since I was in my teens, sometime prior to the moon landings in the 60’s.

And you’re still not too big to go over my knee young allyp! Flaming Essex! Can’t you tell just from my accent?

Can someone tell me what advantage a basic first aid kit is going to offer on a solo ride in the lakes please.

I only ask because i have taken the decision to leave mine at home tbh despite two rather impressive offs recently this view hasnt changed. Both accidents involved lots of blood and a trip to casualty but tbh on both occasions the first aid kit was neighter use nor ornament.

Broken bone – Phone is more important than a bandage
Bad cut – Use a piece of clothing to stop bleeding or just let it bleed
Head impact – Well i would like to know who is going to use a first aid kit when they are solo and unconcieous

The only piece of kit in my 1st aid kit that makes sense is a foil blanket or similar as its the only thing that i couldnt really replicate or do without if i needed it (Maybe just some exra clothing)

I had this convo with a guy who travels he world solo riding his bike and he had exactly the same thoughts. He even had experience of getting off the trails with a broken collar bone and a broken arm.

Not dissing being prepared but i find it hard to see the major importance of a first aid kit as ‘being prepared’. All the other basics of leaving a trail route and estimated time of arrival make sense. Unless you have the situation like me where your chosen ‘friend’ forgets about you and when you call 3hrs later thinking Mountain rescue may be looking for you, he just laughs 🙁

Ask my mate Goot who recently had a nasty solo expereince in the Peaks, a simple step over the bars, resulted in a brake lever tangling in his groin area and ripping his sack open. The twins popped out to check the world out, and he was left in a situation where he was alone, bleeding heavily, unable to describe his location precisely, and had to get himself to a common point that could be found before he could get help. By the time he got there he was in shock and potantially in real trouble.

I do have picutres, but they are probably not suitable for this forum.

Prior to that incident he would have said the same as you. Now he is very literally less cocky!

TheLittlestHobo, you haven’t read the thread properly. 🙄

It is the carrying of a 1st aid kit and KNOWING HOW TO USE IT PROPERLY. So if you know how to apply that sticking plaster, you can deal with anything from concussion to multiple fractures!!

Forget your phone, you’ll be able to walk out of the forest like John Rambo, IF you have a basic 1st aid kit.

G – Member
Ask my mate Goot who recently had a nasty solo expereince in the Peaks, a simple step over the bars, resulted in a brake lever tangling in his groin area and ripping his sack open. The twins popped out to check the world out, and he was left in a situation where he was alone, bleeding heavily, unable to describe his location precisely, and had to get himself to a common point that could be found before he could get help. By the time he got there he was in shock and potantially in real trouble.

A staple gun would be more useful than a 1st aid kit then?

a simple step over the bars, resulted in a brake lever tangling in his groin area and ripping his sack open

That’ll teach him not to ride naked with sharpened brake levers. I’m sure you’ll understand that I don’t plan to tailor my ride safety considerations around some freakish and implausible accident I’ve read about on an internet forum though.

The point being johnners is that no one actually plans to have an accident. You know this may shock you, but people don’t actually get up in the morning and say “I’m off for a ride dear, I’m planning on ripping my sack open so don’t worry if I’m late back”. Thus the necessity for some simple and basic safety precautions against the unexpected.

However, if you feel it improves your manliness to ride the wilds on a saddleless unicycle carrying only a Bowie Knife clenched between your teeth and wearing nowt but a pair of clogs and a set of nipple clamps (Explanation of this comment for the hard of thought : Thats hopping all the steps from carrying basic kit and taking basic precautions, through no first aid kit, phone, helmet etc), please be my guest it simply proves my original assertion, and to be honest I don’t care. Just please keep away from me as I don’t want he responsibility of mopping you up once the inevitable occurs.

A staple gun would be more useful than a 1st aid kit then?

No but some sterile dressings and something to close the wound and prevent further blood loss would have been nice.

No but some sterile dressings and something to close the wound and prevent further blood loss would have been nice.

Do you get those in a basic MIllets 1st aid kit?

Tell us, G, if your balls had fallen out, how would you propose to sort that out with a standard kit?

Small enough to keep in your pocket or pack, this kit contains a first aid primary care guide, antiseptic cleansing wipes, a fabric dressing strip, antiseptic cream, scissors, a woven bandage and safety pins. It is packed in a ripstop case measuring 12 x 8 x 4cm, with waterproof zips and a belt attachment. The whole thing weighs only 115g.

I think you’re talking bollox again?

<gets hat>

Actually looking at the description of that 1st aid kit, Goot would have been better off putting his balls in the ripstop case and keeping them in his camelbak til he got home.

I don’t use the stuff you get in Xmas crackers either jon 🙄

G – Member
I don’t use the stuff you get in Xmas crackers either jon

But if you are telling people that they SHOULD take 1st aid kits with them, then this is the sort of thing they’ll take – a small, compact kit from their local camping shop. And also completely useless in terms of the majority of riding incidents.

I carry a small first aid kit to make little injuries more comfortable for the rest of the ride.

And some F – off strong pain killers for if I break something big and may be waiting a while for help.

Also, remember Alan Hinkes (mountaineer) – few years ago he grazed his arm scrambling in the Peak, didn’t bother to clean the wound and nearly lost his arm due to cellulitis and septicemia.

Quick wash and dressing may have prevented it – according to him and the docs, not me.

dangerousbeans – Member

Also, remember Alan Hinkes (mountaineer) – few years ago he grazed his arm scrambling in the Peak, didn’t bother to clean the wound and nearly lost his arm due to cellulitis and septicemia.

Quick wash and dressing may have prevented it – according to him and the docs, not me.

Go on, live dangerously. Graze your arm when you are out riding – and don’t clean it for ooooh at least an hour. I’ll bet your arm will drop off by the time you get home.

Jeez, did you grow to adulthood having never grazed your own arm or do you just take the most extreme view possible?

Someone will come along soon and say how you should always cut those nasty sharp crusts off your sandwiches as well!

IdleJon,

Don’t be such a ****, I was merely giving an extreme example, I have managed to break my sternum and collarbone and walked out, had concussion, whiplash, broke both my thumbs and various other injuries. Also hit my pedals on my shin last year at SITS (extreme riding or what) and actually got cellulitis necessitating antibiotics at 4mg per day for 2 weeks (can you say shit through the eye of a needle), and nearly missed a weeks riding in Scotland.

Have been to proper remote mountainous regions and met loads of mountaineers and experienced mountain folk.

Suprisingly, none of them say ‘just take a mobile phone and let someone else sort it out if it goes wrong’

Lack of personal responsibility really pisses me off.

Dickheads in the hills with **** all kit always wanting someone else to sort it out get on my nerves.

Sick of posting on here with all the tossers, cept for the classifieds I think I’ll be giving it a miss from now on.

And the tramadol really helped for the walk outs too.

Crikey, time of the month for some?

G – you simply do not get it at all. solo riding is perfectly appropriate. first aid kits are fairly useless – knowledge is what you need.

How old are you? I have been going into the hills for 35 yrs on my own.

Its knowledge skills and attitude that are important and certainly not relying on equipment. The most important bit of safety equipment is what is between your ears.

TJ

please be my guest it simply proves my original assertion, and to be honest I don’t care. Just please keep away from me as I don’t want he responsibility of mopping you up once the inevitable occurs.

How old are you? I have been going into the hills for 35 yrs on my own

I started out door pursuits in 1965, have been at very levels in various things, but obviously hadn’t realised until now that I’m a complete cock and have no idea whatsoever what I’m talking about, so lets just leave it that way.

Anyway on a brighter note, I’ve just woken up having had a kip post Dunwich Dynamo. What a great event that is, great vibe right throughout the night, and a constant stream of cyclists quietly rolling through the night with great banter and comaraderie being shared.

Should anyone be interested, my Brother in law made it to Dunwich at 8:30am after a 12 1/2 hour ride, completely buggered but deeply chuffed with himself, as he should be. During the night he managed two fairly major offs, one, a wheel against kerb interface resulted in a full face plant onto the kerb at speed, but he got himself sorted and carried on. Not bad for a 62 year old non cyclist whose longest previous ride had been 30 miles, especially bearing in mind he has had three heart attacks!

Anyone who was on the Dun Run, the two middle aged women in the middle of Sudbury telling you to go right were his and my Mrs, they had a great night too, thanks everyone who returned their banter.

cheers

G

PS : At the end of the day, it just goes to show that all sorts of things are achievable with a bit of forethought and planning. 😉

G – I was interested to know how old you were simply because it seemed to me from your posts that you did not have much experience. I can now accept that you have. I still believe you are very wrong about going out on your own. I have plenty of experience in the outdoors as well and tho I don’t go out on my own very often I still do on occasion. Basic safety is simply telling someone your route and when you are due back and being a bit more cautious. I don’t go on the high mountains in winter on my own for example neither would I do such things as Carn Mor Ban on my own.

G
Unless of course its some plank who has gone out solo, ignoring even the most basic of safety practices like not riding alone in an islolated area for example, because then it actually makes MTB riders look like a bunch of tits who deserve no respect whatsoever.

You were the one who was saying that going out on your own was foolish and being rather offensive about it and I simply don’t agree.

ignoring even the most basic of safety practices like not riding alone in an islolated area for example,

i.e. one of a number of things one might do to minimise risk dependant on experience, local knowledge etc etc ad infinitum

followed by the caveat

May well not be the case, but the short description does tend to slant it in that direction a tad.

If instead of picking merely those bits you want to take from a post you read the whole thing and took it in context your blood pressure may well stay lower buddy. Personally speaking as someone who really wants MTB to continue to grow and flourish I shudder when these sort of ambulance chaser TV shows focus on someone who is demonstrably unprepared for what they are doing, it does MTB no credit. Pretty much the same as the majority of the above thread doesn’t. If I had a £1 for every minute I’d spent with the Forestry Commission trying to avoid the jobsworth, PC, safety madness from being applied “unnecessarily” due to some idiot mangling himself simply through an excess of testosterone over wit and ability, I would be spending my days at my “MTB centre in the Sierra Nevada” (dream on!) or somewhere instead of getting soaked on a poxy road ride in July!

G – I ain’t the one getting het up about this.

And I suspect you ain’t the one who has to sit in front of the FC as described either!

PS : short fuse excuse… Up at 6:30 am yesterday, bed at midday today, up at 4:00 again , knees hurt and proper tired 😉

I am confused now. was i slated for suggesting not bothering with a 1st aid kit or was it deemed that there is no point in taking a 1st aid kit unless you know how to use it?

I ride alone in remote areas all the time. My first aid kit consists of a roll of PVC tape.

Re 1st Aid kits, I think is it was Drac off here (and he should know) that said you can sort most things out with a sanitary towel and some gaffer tape. Anything more and the pro’s need calling.