I see off FatFace in about 6 months a pair… so thinking about it they do make sense!

He gave me a pair of Iron Hearts too, those things are like armour plating for your legs!!!!  The ones he got me were already second hand, and are so heavy I can only wear them in winter, but I suspect they will outlast me!

I have the same problem….

My brother gave me some Denham jeans a few years back… they are hideously expensive, but some are on a 50% off sale at the moment… anyway… try as I may, these things just WILL NOT DIE!

Debating getting another pair in the sale.  £75 is more than I would ever spend on jeans normally, but they are very, very good.

My most local of bridleways which I don’t bother with due to its swamp like conditions is currently bone dry!  I haven’t got around to riding it yet, but a wee walk last week made it look promising!

It may be one for the weekend :-)

The odd one is fine, but I was at Skara Brae a couple of weeks ago and pretty much the whole beach seemed to be filled with stacked rocks.

Kinda thought it spoiled the place tbh.  The odd one here and there doesn’t bother me, but when it starts looking like a city scape I think it has gone a bit far ;-)

How about the Genesis Vagabond…?

Loads of interesting, and in true STW stylee… conflicting info :-D

Ta

Going to peruse some of the suggestions later if my connection holds up (currently on Burray in Orkney).

Someone suggested I have never ridden a road bike up there.  Kinda true in that is was probably 30 years ago I last rode drops.  Someone pulled out on me, the bike was twitchy… and I wound up going head first into a drystone wall, which remodelled my face something terrific.  I kinda got the fear from that!

I was thinking of using my old non-plus Stache ht and converting it… but thought something designed for the job would be better.

I take it hydraulic brakes are a worthwhile upgrade?

Now I must admit – I would LOVE to live up on that north-west coast!  I have driven and ridden everywhere up there many times – last time on a motorbike I think, it has been a few years now though!

I think we are going to try and sneak a wee recce in up the Argyll  coast in a few weeks time, just to give my wife a bit more of an idea of the geography at this stage… Crinan to Fort Bill should probably see us right over 2 or 3 days then back to the Lakes.  She is a bit too pregnant at the moment to make it much more than a mini-road trip unfortunately!  I am wondering if I can sneak a trip in to the far north later in the year once the next mini person has made an appearance, but we shall see ;-)

Wild Country Blizzard 3 for me – it is fab!  Weighs around 3kg for a 3 man tent with a porch about the same size as the sleeping area.  I threw a footprint in too… it is great for motorbike touring (small pack size – fits in my top box), has been all over the place and been faultless.  I have a Lightwave T2 Trek XT too (I think… its the same size as the Blizzard) which is absolutely awesome, but goes up inner first and so can get a bit swampy inside.

Then there is The Mothership – an Alpkit Heska.  That is large, heavy and awesome :-D

I do need to get a little tent though… or a bivvy – but I am swaying more towards a tent.

Nobeer – is that comment in reference to Galloway?

I do like the south-west of Scotland to be fair, and very nearly moved that way 4 years ago with the intention of commuting down to the current job in the Lakes.  I just don’t think it is the right place for this kind of thing… or at least what I am trying to do with it!  Not to say it doesn’t have it’s own attractions mind!  Had a nice holiday there a few years back which set us off thinking about relocating (more the Kirkcudbright to Dumfries area to be honest – as going further would have made the commute even worse!)

Whomever it was who reccomended that Dougie Cunningham book, thanks – it has arrived and, blimey, it is quite some tome!  Fortunately we are off to Orkney in a few days so I now have something to read of an evening ;-)

lol @ Turnberry – I have always refused to go there with work back in the day… pre-Trump even!

Nice pic links Rene59, and I do agree that there are stunning coastal scenes on the east coast… but not many with added mountains ;-)  I do plan to work all over the country (and potentially beyond it too) but I need a core base and the dream has always involved the west.

Also my wife has vetoed the east now anyway :-D  We may take a spin by that way in the next 6 – 12 months though just to make sure.

I have spoken to yet more people over the weekend either in person (whilst at a motorbike rally… oddly enough) and on t’interweb and the “Oban-ish” area is looking most interesting at the moment.  We have slowly come to the realisation that Mull (which was the initial plan) is probably not the best option and sticking on the mainland is going to provide more flexibility as well as possibly being better suited to our family.

There have been some really interesting suggestions along the way both here and elsewhere though which have got me thinking though… and been incorporated into or “informed” the concept slightly!  A few more ideas for publications have developed too, which I am pretty excited by… and now I am studying OS maps and dreaming of mountain biking around some of these wee dotted lines I am seeing!

Any details of riding groups/clubs in that area, preferably of the more social leaning, would be really welcome.  I don’t do competitive… at the moment I don’t even slightly do fit either!

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions – it is really useful just throwing ideas around and seeing what comes back… even the East Kilbride Massive :-D

Its also what do people want to do on workshops.  The Trossachs, lovely as they are, don’t really fall into the remit (plus I have been photographing the Lakes for a decade and want something very different going forward.)

I have quite a few friends who are really quite qualified photographers who have been telling me where they want to photograph too (National Geographic Masters of Photography and such like) and that is having a big influence on locations…. partially because having them in board is damn good business advertising :-D

On the other hand I have a lot of friends on the Trossachs so I aint entirely against the idea!  A lot will depend om where my wife is happy to go to be honest :-D

Hi Poly, will get that book, ta.

The idea of doing ML is to offer a service that  isn’t currently available and give a USP to the overall idea. To be honest it isn’t really necessary but I thought it a nice idea :-)

I was looking at Glencoe a while back, but want to be closer to some good coastline than that really, but close enough to still make use of it.

Got a couple of years of planning yet,and to run some mini workshop test runs… if I could move tomorrow though I would.  I want out of the sewage industry and the Lakes ;-)

I was toying with Mountain Bike Leader too (eventually) :-D

Oooh, good call on the night stuff :-)

It was in the back of my mind, but something I keep forgetting about ;-)

Re people willing to pay for guided walks.  Yes – even more so as I was an archaeologist once :-)  Photo workshops even more so… plus freelance and fine art work.

I am on a pretty modest income at the moment too, and selling up in the Lakes… both of which help.

Shall look at the suggested areas too, cheers :-)

The Oban area is looking strong at the moment – been talking to family and it seems more popular with them than the islands perhaps.  Need to go and look a bit more I think!

Dumfries was an option a couple of years back, before the inception of this new idea!  I don’t think it would work so well though for what I am after now… Highlands work a lot better.

Hmmmm  – loads to think about :-)  Glad I have given myself a couple of years!!!!

Not for me – way too hipster.  My brother would probably like it mind, not that he rides!

The pictures are terrible though, as said above.  Looks like they were shot on a mobile and attacked with a rubbish instagram filter!

Had a wee holiday there once… it was somewhat spoiled by the ex wife actually coming along mind ;-)

Snowdonia and just south for the Dyfi Valley are good.  Spent a lot of time in Machynlleth (at hippy school) and enjoyed riding around that area.   Hippy School is worth a visit too come to mention it – most people call it the Centre for Alternative Technology, but that is way too much of a mouthful.

Climaxs Trail and the Mach trails were handy for not having to think too much riding.  It was a while back though so I don’t know what they are like now (or if they are gnarly enough for modern riding :-D )

Quite a lot of nice things to see and places to go around there too.

Yeah, there are some nice opportunities in Cairngorm.  It may be worth a bit more of a look, although it is a bit rubbish for the coast!  It would open up some other ideas though.

lol – I have been in Cumbria long enough to fake Yorkshire ;-)

kcal – whilst I do like the Moray Firth it hasn’t quite got the drama that I am looking for (going to be passing that way a week on Friday on the mahoosive drive to the homelands, but apparently Orkney is too far north….)

House prices shouldn’t be too much of a challenge since we will be selling in the Lake District National Park which is stupidly expensive in comparison.   I have half an eye on Arran, but I need to go for another visit with the business specifics in mind to see if it would work.

I am trying to keep within 2.5/3 hours of Glasgow if I can – partially to make airport transfers kinda reasonable (and because most of my social life is there these days!)

lol… I was expecting Cumbernauld…. ;-)

Should be relatively easy to test the validity of the “sun in my eyes” defence by taking a car to the same junction at the same time of day and seeing where the sun is in the sky and the effect it has on a drivers ability to see.  Take photographs too… there are apps that can show positions as well.

If this proves that the sun couldn’t have been in her eyes pass that onto the Police too – they may find such information enlightening.

This one is very much speaking to me at the moment.

Steve Earl very much my bag… also enjoying a lot of Jace Everett these days.  Going kinda bluegrass Gangstagrass for some epic hybridisation with rap, and Native Howl for a mix of bluegrass and thrash metal (it really works!).

Oh… and Cash, obviously.

And I am just a dirty goth usually ;-)

I used to be very anti-Country, but through a bit of exposure to it – even more so in Moab a few weeks back – it has grown on me!

It’s kinda fun trying to pull more from a phone cam file…

I like vignetting ;-)

Unless you actually need a pickup for doing pickupy things… I wouldn’t.

I have one.  It carrys stuff that smells bad and weighs a lot.  It goes offroad… if I didn’t I would have a more sensible and more efficient vehicle.  That is comfy.  And doesn’t make the kids car sick when it goes around a corner/sees a bump on the road/catches a side wind….

I honestly can’t help much, I just wanted to lend a bit of support.

I am going through something like this myself at the moment, except it is me that is the problem.   Life has taken so much of late and given so little back – I don’t know the root cause of your wife’s situation obviously… and I know I leave making any sign that things are bad until it is almost too late… but just letting her know people are thinking about her and all your family, that she isn’t alone and that a lot of people give a damn may help.  I have had so many messages of support the last week or two, and to be honest none of them know that I lined up the codine, cocodamol and nanoxoprene a few times over the last winter (I have enough to fell an army stashed away) and went at myself with a knife at one stage just to feel *something*.  The fact people care has made me reassess.

Good luck – I hope everyone comes out the other side of this.

It is passing within a mile of my house… think I will be taking the day off… and maybe sitting outside the pub at Lowick with a pint :-)

Landcruiser or Patrol for me – I drove the former across the Amazon and the later is popular in Oz for driving into and out of the outback ;-)

Landrover… nah….

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/fuel-ex/fuel-ex-5-27-5-plus/p/21790/?colorCode=grey

I just turned off the Aga (thank God) as we were melting having bought a multifunction microwave thingy and a plug in induction hob.  The former has been pretty good, the induction hob has been an absolute revelation!  Much better than the Aga, it boils water faster than a fast thing to make cups of tea!  The only downside has been it is so good that it has welded onion to the bottom of my cast iron pans (I wasn’t concentrating as the Aga doesn’t do this!)

When I redo the kitchen, or if/when we move, then an induction hob is going to be on the list of things to have!

All sorts of shiz.  Dials change everything from tempo, pitch, wave shape…. loadsa stuff.

But it is a bit dull to watch ;-)

And don’t use perforated, coiled and ribbed pipe.  It may be “made for the job” but it is rubbish.  Just use standard 110mm soil pipe and slot it with a grinder ;-)  And use fresh materials rather than the old stuff.

Basically dig it out and rebuild.

You probably want to do some porosity checks on the ground around the area first and see how it performs… best doing this in a wet spell to make sure it is going to cope – then size your soak away using the official guidelines for physical house size rather than how many people live in it to save any future headaches.

Most groundworkers should be able to do the work for you.  Porosity testing is a bit of an arse, but not overly complicated really and the calculations are pretty straight forward.

I have an oil Aga.

It makes me weep how much I spend to feed the thing!  When I can afford it I plan to change it for something that looks the same, cooks the same… but heats up fast so I can turn it off when not in use!

Ours doesn’t do the heating, other than in the kitchen, which is now rather toasty since winter has gone.   It was nice in winter mind – the kitchen is always warm….

EX8 – but I went 27.5+… and then threw some 29er hoops in which I use most of the time, but it is nice having both!

The Fox is nice – not had an issue with stiffness and I am on the larger side of things ;-)  I couldn’t justify the price increase to carbon, and wasn’t sure that I wanted it anyway.  I could use a lighter gear than the 1×11 GX for the hills around here, but may pop a 30 tooth oval chainring on and see if that helps things a bit!  I thought I had bought one a while back, but can’t see it anywhere so may just be confused!!!!