I think Johnny Cash wrote a song for you 🙂

Bit out of touch here.

Is that not bad, using GT85 on forks ? thought it was up there with using WD40….. i could be wrong.

Always used to smear 10wt on when i was racing to keep outer seals and legs slippery.
Then along came juice lubes fork juice.

If in doubt service proper like 🙂

Bookmarked for later.

Stein Inn is worth a vist, might book a room next time, Mrs Ace wasn’t impressed with my plan to get smashed through the whisky collection, have an evening meal (already had lunch) and sleep in the car in the car park.

Jan’s cafe/bistro/cake shop in Dunvegan, had venison stew and several cakes, well worth a vist as well.

Did camp out at Camasunary, you might get an RAF sortie in the middle of the night….. About an hours walk to the main road to Elgol and you can park up and walk in for night out.
As already hinted at, getting the boat from Elgol and walking round via the bad step to the bothy and beyond is a future little adventure i intend to do. Just need to check bus time’s, dump the car somewhere, get down to Elgol and away 🙂

Hmm chromed rims.

Near instant death with the slightest whiff of moisture in the air, and burnt out soles of shoes or bent forks from rear ending a car cos your shite brakes on chrome rims in the wet couldn’t slow you down.

How did we make it to this age ?

Thinking about it.
Pre Grifter was a roadster, sure it was single speed, odd imperial wheel size (close to 700c) used to push them up the biggest hill and cane them back down.

This might be why i can race a rigid Surly KM against Orange5’s and hold my own 🙂

Rear racks with sprung over latches for holding a can of coke and bag of crisps for adventures. The old banana seat extended back over the rear axle and used the rack mounting holes on the frame for the supports.

And the yanks reckon they invented mountain biking…. 🙂

Raleigh Choppers where cool until your first big crash, most likely going through the handle bars rather than over them, and if really bad you caught your sack on the T-bar gear shifter between your legs as you went through the handlebars.
Did think the modern Chopper was lacking in some areas.

Mate had cowhorns and banana seat, ace for backies, i got a Grifter, then BMX exploded and everyone else got BMXs.

Used to fold the Grifter mudflap back on themselves against the tyre so it sounded like a motorbike until the tyre burnt through the thick plastic 🙂 3 speed grip shifter too, shame they weighed about as much as a ford fiesta, the weight had an effect on getting air off kerbs and down the dirt track…..unlike BMXs

I started with mild discomfort, used a cushion, sorted it for a while then it got worse, if i stop for a walkabout every couple of hours on long drives then it’s manageable and not lasting.
Sitting on a hard/firm surface for hours on end could be inflaming things, wheelbarrow tyre inner tube makes a cheap donut cushion, might help your broken arse pain a bit 🙂

The constant pressure on my Coccyx from driving got me to the point of it’s now painkillers or change.
After changing lifestyle it took a few weeks to get back to normal, been alright, get the odd twinge now and then.

On a lighter note, also turned up years ago a variation of the problem known as “Jeep Bottom” 🙂 bought on by driving jeep’s across deserts, the constant battering gives similar symptoms, extreme cases reported a small hole appearing in the skin near the base of the spine, from constant rubbing.

Speak to a Doc. Also taking notes on other advice on here.

Step one, see a doctor get real advice, the doc may refer you on to someone else. Something “might” just need cracking back into it’s correct place.

Could be an issue with your rucksack, how it’s packed and how much weight. You should be able to “fit” it to your body, or get down to a proper outdoor equipment and get measured up for one that fits.
Walking poles might help you out as well in comfort and less strain on the lower back.

I belive i cracked my Coccyx, cartwheeled a bike, it landed on me, barend tip first, right up the ringer, battered me sack as well, took a few minutes to crawl to safety and try to sit up….. couple of months of discomfort, then ok.
Changed jobs and after a year of driving was getting pain in lower back and coccyx.
Went to docs. Got offered my pick of painkillers. Rather than live on painkillers i changed job.
From memory i think the condition is called Coccyxadenia or Coccyxaphenia. Doctor explained that a lot of nerve endings are tied up in the spine and Coccyx, so in short no one wants to open you up and do any work as it could do more damage. Choices are painkillers or adjust lifestyle to work around the condition.

I get lower pains if i sit on my arse too long, so being a desk jockey is out 🙂 long drives in the car can be a pain too.
I adjusted to work around it, haven’t needed painkillers, but discomfort passes soon. Hasn’t really affected me too much.

I was told that x-rays don’t always show up minor damage as there is a lot going on in that area so hairline cracks can be missed. Maybe x-ray technology has improved, or an MRI will highlight any issues.

If you stare at them long enough, the contour lines sort of appear to be in 3d, you see the map in 3d…..something that dosen’t happen to me with google earth.

Only got a couple but nice to compare OS against Harvey BMC maps, Harvey do some nice work too.

🙂

Drive into the ex-RAF married quarters by the airfield, you can park near the end of the runway and wave at pilots as they taxi past you back to the hangers 🙂

Brigg is a smallish market town and not very exciting. Hibaldstow down the road has parachute school, you might get lucky and have a busy day with tandam jumpers screaming there way down to earth 🙂 or competition jumpers trying to come down fast. Local saying of “one came down a bit quick” equates to a chute failure 🙁

Depending on which your going, maybe chop over to sherwood forest with a bike for a blast round.

If going up the M1 then you can vist Alpkit J26/27 or on-one further up, about 45mins from on-ones warehouse to Brigg

🙂 Beaver Fever has a ring to it.

Go on then, what is it ?

Wild guess is a bit like the rat wee nastyness we have over here.

What he said ^^ 🙂

Also done that.

Got ill last year, the time scale ruled out drinking of mountain water, even the doctors knew the area and said unlikely, but it was the only out of the ordinary thing i had done or been in contact with.

First time out in nearly a year, so erring on caution now 🙂

Bothies can be very hit and miss traffic wise.

Water front, i tend to boil. My inline filter will sort out high level water. If unsure i have to use puritabs in the bag, and the Aquamira should filter out the chemical taste.
Sawyer filters have dropped in price and worth looking into, my Aquamira was 1/2 the price and size of a Sawyer when i got it. I would go Sawyer next, or intergrated water bottler filter.

You might score lucky and get it to yourself……you might have people stumble in at midnight, wake you up, then cook them selves a meal.
I tend to pitch up nearby, and just vist the bothy.
The rule is never too turn anyone away, so it can get cramped in some, or you can use one as a base for 2-3 days and never see anyone else which would be bliss.

My last encounter was at sourlies, we never made it too the bothy for the night, but could look down on it from the mountain we got stuck on. I could see 2 people in yellow coats and a couple of dogs.
We got down there at 8.30am, i almost fell through the door after fording the swollen burn… this very striking blonde lady from Finland offered me a whisky….then Mrs Ace followed me in, i noticed Mr Finland and the instant fantasy died, but they had excess boiled water, would we like it, so instant hot drink after falling through the door 🙂
The couple we met where not the couple with dogs i had seen from the mountain, they left very early in the morning.
We sorted ourselves out, boiled off some water, repacked the rucksacks and set off for Inverie, as we left 2 canoes beached and became the current guardians of the bothy as we waved goodbye.

Inside you will find a log book, you can get some info on conditions in and out of the bothy area and the amount of traffic passing through. You may find part used gas cans, lighters, matches, cup-a-soups and instant hot drinks. If you have spares, maybe leave a little something, if your desperate maybe grab something. It was obvious that the RAF had been at Camoursaury bothy on Skye and left a stack of glowsticks, i swiped some glowsticks and left MOD drinks and packs of matches in return.
Don’t just drop crap, think more along the lines of….. i am heading out, back to civilisation, i don’t need these bit’s and pieces, it might be a life saver to someone that gets caught in bad weather (matches/half 3/4 used gas can and cup-a-soups) found loads of booze in one, part bottles of scotch, southern comfort, Gordons, Jack etc etc, excellent for getting smashed or emergency fire lighting.
You find some odd things in bothys 🙂
Bothy culture is ace, weekends will be busy with munro baggers, weekdays quiter. The people you meet will be outdoorisy types, the more remote the bothy the more hardcore the bothists 🙂

Check around for the mountain bothy association website, that will update on any closures or work teams.
Bothy near Ben Alder “Culra” is closed due to wear and tear and asbestos nature of the stucture, but that’s a pretty remote one, but it appears to be well used.

Some minor thoughts for you 🙂

The train service is well used to cyclists, so more routes open up with a short train trip.
Unsure on the buses and bikes. But the public transport network is pretty good up around Fort William.

Shouldn’t be too far away from water. Mountain rules apply of safer the closer to source you are. Many will argue over do or don’t just drink anything.
A small inline filter for a camelback hose or water bottle with intergrated filter is good, but maybe not needed, depends on weather, how far your going and how much water you want to carry.
I take a little Aquamira inline filter, but always have the time when walking to boil water.

Midges, really really really get at least head nets before you go up, expect around £5 each, all the camping shops (loads in fort william) sell them.
The moment you stop cycling…..you might have maybe a minute before they ravage you. Unless there’s a gentle breeze then they are grounded.
Light clothing, gloves, headnet, all skin covered and you might come back unmarked.

You can laugh now, but try going for a slash or wild poo and fend off a million squillon little vampires that are going to bite your sausage, and the several days of itching that follow are no fun either 🙂

If hunting for a B&B on the day, do it as early as possible, the later in the day you leave it the harder it gets to find one with rooms.

Camping shouldn’t be a problem.

Some nice links in this thread to follow up later on 🙂 it’s ace up there, you will enjoy it.

Oh one thing we got caught on, Kinlochleven, we went up to Blackwater, there is no footpath across the dam……unless you climb over a high gate/fence at both ends 🙂 we took the path up from the village then came down the access road, we walked down on the concrete water course from the dam.

Have used the McNett Gore-tex patches.

Easy to use and apply, fairly thin fabric so should bunch up ok.

Offset the cost of patches and DIY against total cost of sending off for repair, against value of jacket.

Used mine on some Berghaus trousers. Few years old about £90 new, 2 holes ripped through. £6.75 DIY fix a year ago, still ok no reported leakage.

Back from Corrour 🙂

Can’t directly post piccys on here so nothing to see.

Things to watch out for on the track, as per Theblackmount, a rail going landrover did zip across from Rannoch and onto Tulloch maybe more.

The loch ossian circular track is well maintained. There is the start of tracks to Kinlochleven/Tulloch/Roy Bridge/Fort William, they are excellent to start with, broken with singletrack boggy flooded sections, i assume the further you get the wilder the path gets. Did appear to have been lots of footpath work around the Corrour station.

Was tempted to walk out to the old corrour lodge and check the track, but driving rain and cloud cover so we stayed in the shelter of Ossian.

Had no desire to stray from any paths as going would be hard at the moment, very very wet and soft ground.
Although doable from Rannoch straight up to Corrour alongside the rail track, it will be very hard going. Have the OS map now and a longer footpath from Rannoch via the old corrour lodge, down to Loch Ossian is clearly marked. I bet it’s rough but easier. I would go with fatter CX tyres, or small 29″ tyres and go that way.

Irc 🙂 nice to hear your take on Tarbet Jetty to Sourlies. Took us over a day to cover it, i think we did all right.

Wildlife spotting.
1x Heron
1x Seagull
2x Ducks
lots of small sparrow sized birds
3x dead frogs (food for bear grylls types)
10x teenage girl guides on D Of E
3x worn out ladies looking after the guides
2x other Hikers, we guess came down from Ben Alder.

Didn’t spot any.
Midges
Red deer/Stags
Red Squirrels
Pine Martins
Wildcats

Surprisingly warm despite snow capped peaks around us when we could see them.
The small hut on Corrour station platform was fab for cooking dinner in as residents across the track in the station lodge kept twitching the curtains looking at us…… 🙂
Then the Guides turned up to catch the same train back and all had a singsong while moaning about frizzy hair, it’s good to get out to wild places init 🙂

Must be packed in the summer.

Coast Kid you awesome naughty boy 🙂

At about £50 each the Harry Potter train got stuffed off, took the bus instead only £11 for 2 of us from Mallaig back to the Fort 🙂

Iain and Ian then 🙂

Climb up was real easy at Glencoe 🙂

Did run the back wheel a bit further back in the dropouts for stability, the short DH stem kept weight back, this helped on fast plateau section, and helped in the rough moorland as so many hidden bog holes that would swallow a 29″ wheel up to the axle and pitch you over the bars.
With you on picking the front up and rolling through on the back wheel, quite an active ride as you really have to use your body weight to steer the bike. I kind of rode like a big bmx bike, worked for me, most engaging. Might do another DH race if i get disc ready wheels 🙂

Slightly confused…. do i know you Scotroutes ? or is 13thfloormonk called Ian as well ?

Iain acehtn 🙂

Had noted the drovers path as a possible walk for May, be a couple of days.

Going to have a look for the secret shed of Ossian, not the YHA, there is a forestry workers hut hidden about Ossian, found a ref to it and a photo of inside, but no clues…..and nothing to do with Alan Breck 🙂

Scotroutes.

I was a bit causal about Tarbet jetty to sourlies to Inverie. Nice little adventure, get boat over to Inverie and jump off at Tarbet jetty on it’s way back to Mallaig.

Post adventure research turned up 2 counts of others doing the walk.
1 caught the tide right, managed to beach walk and shimmy along some cliff ledges, did it in one long hard day.

2 blokes tried what i did, got bogged down, eaten alive by midges, stranded for about a day, caught the attention of the estate fish farmers by waving a 6 foot orange survival bag about…… they crossed the loch in their launch and ferried them back to Inverie.

The locals at Tarbet suggested going around the coast as far as possible, then straight up, straight across the top and drop down to Sourlies.
Really steep getting up, no paths, rough moorland which was really hard going being so wet. Hard going walking, would not have wanted a bike to drag along as not much was rideable.
Being super fit, with a very light fat bike and kit and it’s doable but be hard work.
Had food for 4 days, reckoned it was a casual 2 day walk. 3 day hard slog, with getting caught in a blizzard.

Not all things on the OS map are visable and extra lakes up top caused some confusion. There is a ruined building about halfway up the loch, if you can get there, the climb up is more gentle and more direct.
Sourlies to Inverie is easy to follow footpath, bit of a slog getting out of the valley, zig zagging up over the pass, but on a bike the descent to Inverie would be loverly and several miles 🙂

double posted 🙂

Yep ilegal to trespass on railway lines.

Obvious safety issue’s and possible delay to trains if drivers get warned people are on the track pushing bikes.

You thinking of from Rannoch station up to Corrour station ?
Corrour to Tulloch appears to be no direct path and rough moorland.
Corrour to Kinlochleven is mostly track, with a section of no track rough moorland.

Hopefully be there at the weekend for a stroll about Ossian. Research into that area has highlighted that some walkers “might” take “cheeky” shortcuts, the rail bridge at Fersit is one.

If in trouble, and needing to cover ground quickly to get off the moor i would use the track.
Not to many trains, sunday seems a quiet day, armed with a timetable it would be fairly easy to time it safely, but still be ilegal.

Going for a look see, getting off at Corrour, sticking to Ossian now as Culra Bothy is closed and Ossian has some shelter from bad weather. Rannoch station up to Corrour looked a bit hard work, got caught out last year walking round from Tarbet jetty/swordlands to Sourlies bothy and to Inverie, so little recce mission first this time out 🙂

Have a look here noltae.

http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/action-pics-rigids-technical-terrain-782274.html

Only a small 13 page thread, some nice action from across the pond, and some action from over here 🙂

Yea another rigid raider !

Fatter tyres, and air pressure can help. Being able to float the bike…..i hate to say this….being at one with the bike and the track… yes zen crap. Once you get your head round pushing the bike and what you can get away with, without the safety net of suspension to soak up bad form, you will get a bit faster. Probs feel faster than you are going 🙂

Hans Dampf 2.4 29″ started at 40psi to ward off pinch flats. Bike was just too skippy and hard to hold lines on. Think i got down to 30psi front and 35psi rear. With the extra volume of a 29″ i should have been able to go lower, but the tyre would squirm on the rim, a set of proper 29er wide rims would help a lot there.

Track type will effect speed as well, MacAvalanche GlenCoe is balls out wide open, get some speed up and start skimming, but be very sure where your going to touch the front wheel down, had a few tank slappers there, immense fun. Did burst the lower headset bearing jumping things.

Tried the WC track at Fort William, only from just above the big wallride, not overly techy, lumpy, very fast. Over whelmed the v-brakes, decided not to try and race that one 🙂 (Jesse did on a 26er rigid, it hurt)
Raced at Woodlandriders winter series down near Gawton. Immense fun, twisty track, more technical, found out in some of the steeper tighter sections that v-brakes can steer the wheel a bit, brushed a few trees. Really really need some disc ready wide rim 29er wheels, did eye up a 20mm axle cromoto fork.

Surly Karate Monkey, single speed, rigid, v-brakes, on-one track wheelset which is rather bombproof and easy to change bearings on, rims are scored up from scottish granite. Short stem & wide’ish bars.

Did the 2010 SSEC at the FOD 🙂 on a road bike with riser bars & 35mm CX tyres, scared the living daylights out of myself, 1980s budget road calipers really don’t work well, skinny frame was, ummmm comfy(bendy)

Saw some brilliant riding, got the Monkey later after seeing some being ragged around the forest.

I tend to smack the rear rim so run more air out back. I just kept letting air out the front until the tyre started squirming, then as i got a bit quicker had to add a bit more to stop smacking the rim.

Know anyone that shoots ?

12 bore cleaning rod with the bronze brush on is quite handy.

Or a bit of PVC pipe or smaller diameter seat post with fine wet and dry wrapped round the end to buff off any stuck particles.

Hang the bike upside down, post out, buff away, dry crap should just drop out.

Top gear did it in America, Clarkson moved Hammonds keyless car while he sat in the diner.

Do the new cars come with a small lead box to store the key in. Would that block the signal and thus allow the car to lock itself on the driveway of your house.

Nothing about Sharks on the Anusol packet 🙂

Active ingredients, Bismuth subgallate/zinc oxide/Balsam peru/Bismuth oxide.

Imagine jaws whipping your external rhoids off…..nasty

Maybe it will make me “fast as a shark” (Accept 80’s metal)
Maybe it will help me “jump the shark” like the Fonz

Welcome to club roider old chap.

Did mine about 25 years ago. I belive you can have surgery if you have a bunch of hanging grapes…..just whip em off.
You get used to it.

Did mine rock climbing.
Got so far up a cliff face and got stuck, the only foot hold to progress was occupied by one of my hands.
I managed to get my left foot up to my left hand. My left hand was around head height.
In one swift bounce and pull up and swing leg up and place foot where left hand was and then follow through with a left leg push up, i scaled the tricky cliff face.

I also ripped myself a new one, as i am not really ment to be that bendy/limber, had trouble walking for a few weeks…..followed by 25 years of on-off discomfort.

I went to the GP, i got checked out. A junior doctor was sitting in, my GP asked if he could examine as well…..the debate between them on how my internals felt like pebble dashing was surreal to say the least.

Once you get them, you have them, unless you get them real bad and have them chopped off, and hope you don’t get them again.

The brightside to this is no one can ever call you a “perfect asshole” anymore. People without piles/roids fall into the “perfect” group 🙂

Trail rat
things may differ up there, i got conflicting views down here.
Self fitted mine 5years ago, most happy with it. Chimneys in my place are well used, i think a lot of confusion comes from old buildings with unused chimneys being a bit leaky when pressed into use and conversions and new builds having to stick to building regs + any company offering a fitting service will cover themselves against being sued for a leaky chimney, wether it’s an old/new/conversion building it’s going in.

If i was to rent my flat i think i would need it certified as safe (as a gas boiler)
If i was to sell i would be taking it with me anyway on the basis i would move to somewhere with a big shed for it to live in 🙂

I think Guy Martin is doing a fair job of runner up

It’s the little pat on the bullet riddled fuel tank…. good go, we nearly made it.

About to try to jump the boarder……

Go on….

Trailrat
As i understand things…. with no offical bit of paper saying my installation meets building regs…..then if after i sell on and everyone pegs it from burner fumes, i could be sued because i fitted it.

Your example says it all. Regs may have changed, i don’t know, i self fitted.

I may have been subjected to scare mongering from those that want lots of money to fit one for me.

Also note worthy, i bought a set of drain rods and chimney brush, under £30 my neighbour had his chimney swept for £35 i have done mine several times and lent me rods to someone else 🙂
My chimney is too small to send a child up to sweep by hand, the good old days 🙂

Mate looked into doing his house.

Chimney had been prepped and lined a few years before he bought the house.
Was told it didn’t meet current building regs and thus relining was a requirement of the company doing the fitting, and the lining’s have a service life anyway.
Mate didn’t buy a woodburner.

I have 2 open fireplaces. I made a cover plate from 3mm plate steel for the opening, and have a short length of pipe going through and up the chimney. Easy to pull apart for cleaning, also got a gizmo to check for dangerous gases. Only a small burner.

As i understand things, to install by a fitter a woodburner it must meet all requirements of building regs. If you die in your sleep, any surviving family members can sue the fitters. So a fitter will follow the rules and building regs to the letter. Like only Corgi plumbers can fit gas boilers.

If you do it yourself, and everything checks out, go nuts, self install. You might have to remove it if you sell the property as you won’t have official paperwork to say it’s fitted in accordance with building regs.

I did it myself. If i ever sell my place i would have to remove the woodburner before sale. If the new owners wanted it, and fitted it back themselves then thats for them to arrange.

On tesco.net down south, never had a prob, never had to call customer services.

Up north on BT broadband, just the basic with the home hub router, nearly 5 years service.
Only problems occur when pikeys steal the actual phone cables for the copper (twice) knocking out several villages. Takes a few days for BT to re-thread and connect the underground cables.
First time we got told there was no line fault….few days later…yes it’s being dealt with…..takes a while to get through to help lines, apart from that been allright.

Ages ago there was a thread and someone knocked up a forum sticker. I was going to get a couple printed off.

Whiny cockbags rings a bell 🙂 did anyone save it ? the mock up disappeared from the thread when i went looking ages ago……

Sad news 🙁

Had the pleasure of meeting and racing alongside Messiah several times at Glencoe and Fort William.
Just like the photos, beaming smile and happy nature, a pleasure to be around him.

Ah, but it’s worth it…….

Bet it’s not as exciting as the Dragon races 🙂

Would like to revist the venue, see what’s been done, but what bike to take…. rigid raider or hardtail, or bouncer, if the tracks are well armoured then must be general purpose or low profile tyres

(we haven’t done what tyres yet 🙂 )

Another silver lining is not having to drop a load of silver into the coffers of the Toll bridges.

A joy we get from traveling up from down south……paying to get into Wales…. 🙂