As I said money doesn’t look good but I don’t know whether there is much room for negotiation. Also says bonus depending on sales which I don’t know about. Another plus is the low cost of living around dumfries- you can still get a pint for under 2.50 around here. Travelling around dumfries even in rush hour is possible especially if you are used to English congestion.
Someone will fill this job I just thought it might be of interest to someone who might be looking for a change.

Offer is still there if you have any questions. Email in profile

Yep happened to my brother aswell- stole nearly 500 litres of oil. Thieving twits, could just rig it to explode if tampered with. They would soon get the idea/ not be around to try again!
With the explosion of oil prices it is going to become more common place unfortunately. Just got to try and take precautions.

Good to see the trail is recovering, although how long for?! It looks like more snow may arrive tonight which will make it interesting getting to the shop tomorrow. All part of the fun. This weather is great for riding, but all the shops that rely on people being able to get to these places are struggling with the lack of business!

Unfortunately midweek rides for me are finished 😥 as I have a job again 😀 starting Monday. Will still be working in the shop for the odd days to help them cover the days it is open over the weekends, so i am hoping that will still allow me to get out on the (very) few days I will not be working!

This is only a quick guide, so sorry if I have missed anything out! Written very simply to try and avoid confusion (sorry if it is very long-winded!)

Mobile Atlas Creator part
Download Mobile Atlas Creator from:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/trekbuddyatlasc/%5B/url%5D%5DMobile Atlas Creator link[/url]

Think you need to unzip it first, then go to wherever you have unzipped it to and click on the Mobile Atlas Creator icon.

You should get a screen similar to this:

but yours will be just showing a view of the world.

In the top left hand corner of the screen there is a list under the ‘Map Source’ button. It lists all the different open source maps available. For UK OS maps you want to select ‘Multimap UK OS Map’ from the dropdown list.

Next you want to scroll on the map to the area that you want to create a map for. To select an area left click and drag over an area. A red box will appear highlighting the area you are selecting. You select different scales (or zoom levels on your phone) by checking the boxes in the ‘Zoom Layer’ box. Lower numbers give you large areas at low resolution, higher numbers give the more detailed maps but obviously will increase the number of tiles downloaded, and therefore will be larger file sizes. Personally I use Zoom levels 14 and 15 which corresponds I think to 1:10000 and 1:25000 OS Maps. Layer 16 gives the same detail as 15 but zoomed in.

Leave the ‘Layersettings’ box as the default settings.

The ‘Atlas Content’ box is the name you will see the maps stored to. By default the name given to your atlas is ‘Unnamed Atlas’. Make it something recognisable (e.g. Sheffield). You can rename the atlas by pressing F2 or right clicking and selecting rename. The namebox is the name given to the individual layers (i.e. Sheffield 14, Sheffield 15), where the number correlates to the zoom layer (the numbers are added automatically, so for the above example I would put Sheffield in this box.
If you are happy with the area you have selected and the zoom levels, press the ‘Add Selection’ button and you will see your maps added to the atlas in the ‘Atlas Content’ box.

In the next box ‘Atlas Settings’, make sure TrekBuddy tared atlas is selected from the dropdown menu.

Finally press the ‘Create atlas’ button to create your maps. A dialog box will appear for a few seconds (longer for larger maps), and will tell you when completed successfully.

You now have your maps downloaded to your computer, now you need to send them to your phone and put them in the right folder.

Phone part
Connect your phone and mount as disk drive.

Open the Mobile Atlas folder on your PC. Look for the atlases folder which should be in the same place as the Mobile Atlas Creator launcher icon you used at the start. If you open the ‘atlases’ folder you should see your folder that contains the maps created a minute ago (e.g. Sheffield in my example).

In a new window on your PC find the folder on your phone for TrekBuddy stuff. It should be in your SD card folder, labelled ‘TrekBuddy.’ Go into this folder and you will find a ‘maps’ folder. Open this folder and copy across the maps folder you found for the step above.

The maps are now on your phone! Unmount your phone in the same way you would take out a USB stick, wait a few seconds for the phone to check the SD card and then open TrekBuddy. If you are wanting just one zoom layer you can use ‘Load Map’ from the menu and select just one of the zoom layers. Alternatively you can select ‘Load Atlas’ which will load all the zoom layers and allow you to quickly change between the zoom layers. You can do this by selecting your atlas and then selecting the file labelled ‘cr.tar’. If you can’t figure this out I can pull up some screenshots but think this post is already getting pretty long!

There are more options for customizing TrekBuddy such as using a CMS which gives a graphical output of your route in real time but this involves some more copying of files. For now the above will allow you to play around with TrekBuddy to see if you like it. There are other similar programs out there each with different views on what makes a good offline GPS program. Each has its advantages, discussed a few days ago:

Android GPS war

Let me know if you get stuck, but hopefully you shouldn’t! Again apologies if this is over-simplified but hopefully it will get you up and running! 😀

There is a much easier way. I will write up or send a link in a minute after Indiana Jones has finished!

Update on Monday (secondhand from the facebook page) was that it was pretty much all clear, just a little bit of ice on the fireroads. I don’t know if it has changed since then. There has been a bit of rain around Dumfries since then- it depends if it has been cold enough in Ae for it to snow.

Shop and cafe should be open this week, but after that only Fri-Sun for the rest of January due to the bad weather over the last few months. Opening hours may have been reduced from 10-4pm which is why you might not get through despite it saying Mon-Fri 9-5pm on the website. If it is iced up then Mabie is only 20minutes away and was running pretty good on Sunday.

Have you taken a look at the user guide?

Linky

Has a screenshot of how the buttons are positioned on touchscreen phones.
If you press the menu hard button on the phone, or press bottom left on your screen (there is no visible button but just press right in the corner) it brings up the menu. Press ‘Start’ to record a tracklog (gpx) of your routes. The info lists numbers as you would find them if the screen was a physical numberpad (i.e. 1 is top left, 3 is top right, 7 is bottom left, 9 is bottom right). Take a look at the link I have given and it should become much clearer!

[/quote]Is it me or is Trek Buddy useless on touchscreen phones?

Runs fine here on HTC legend. touchscreen is set out the same way it would be on a phone with a physical keyboard

Yep, sorry should have clarified that.
There are still the other benefits, but both programs will basically do the same if you are wanting offline GPS maps and location.

AlpineQuest is good, but TrekBuddy is effectively the same program and is completely free for the free version. Slightly nicer to use aswell, although it doesn’t have the ability to download maps on the go. AlpineQuest has the ability to download maps from a database on the go which can be useful if you have forgotten to put a map on your phone. Both programs are best used if the maps are downloaded via a PC using the Mobile Atlas Creator program (AlpineQuest uses a dedicated version of this program). As has been said it is a little bit of a faff and takes a few minutes to get used to for the first maps. The Mobile Atlas Program allows you to download maps at any scale. Not just OS Maps but other maps covering most of the world. All maps are free to download= good!

AlpineQuest comes in two version, free and full. When I used to use it you couldn’t track routes, and there was a limit of 3 maps stored on your SD card. This was the main reason I looked elsewhere. TrekBuddy is completely free and allows you to store routes in .gpx format for viewing later with no restrictions on the number of maps you can store. With a little bit of extra work you can add something called a CMS which is basically a graphical output of your route as you move:

If anybody is struggling finding the information to install a CMS let me know and I can try and help out (it’s a little fiddly but worth it!). There is also the only version of an off-road verbal directions I have found so far. It is very limited in that it will only give a direction based on following a previous route- if you go off route it doesn’t have the ability to re-route you, but shows what the program is capable of.

Have tried Maverick but didn’t like it, only looked at the other Android GPS programs out there.
These Android phones are great! 😀

04 attack trail here. Ridden it all over the UK and 4 weeks of alps. Only downside is the high bb height (15.5) but a great bike to ride. Think I prefer the look of the whytes now to the marins. Lifetime bearing guarantees and cheap to buy. Should be loads of them out there.

Just added another comment to the shed page to open on sunday. Can you not ask them for a key john? 😉

From yesterdays ride it sounded like there were quite a few different groups up for the ride at Mabie. I will try and bring a few more along to boost numbers.
I was thinking even if the cafe isn’t open, the hotel might let us in for post-ride drinks!?

See you all Sunday!

Just remember Dave that mechanical mishaps and knee/bar interface causing shortening of the ride is considered a crash and therefore you should be carrying the mascot (whatever it will be) at mabie!

Good ride today. Thanks for letting me tag onto the group. Need to go west more often!
Looking forward to mabie on the 2nd now. Can we petition for the cafe to open as it sounds like there may be a few of us?

Okay will send my mobile number over to you through your email.
Will see you at 9 tomorrow morning!

Fancying Kirry on Wed? Leave Dfs @ 9.

Yep can do. Havn’t been back there for just over a year. I can drive if you want, or fit in with whatever plans you have already. Takes me 15minutes to get to pretty much anywhere in Dumfries. Don’t think the roads will be too bad.
Do you have my number?

Have got from tomorrow till Mon to get some riding in

Let me know if you want to try getting out over the next few days. And is there a plan for the 2nd January? All the snow around here has gone, but there is some serious ice lying in wait- with the slightly warmer temperatures I think it might be safe 😕 to venture out!

Got a new toy to try out

What you got then?
Looking out the window now and having been for a walk earlier the paths and roads are all lethal. I can’t imagine the trail centres are going to be worthy of a chance outing. I will wait a few mroe days until the weather has sorted itself out. Let me know how Mabie is.

Went for a play at ae this afternoon. The bits in the woods are great but in the open you are looking at 5-6 inches of snow. For most of the face climb it is a walk and beyond that bran burn bash is a powder slot. Edge is pretty sketchy. Very hard going today. would have taken pictures but camera died before first photo! It was -10 when I left the cafe just after 1pm so very cold. The forestry were clearing the car park but it looks like a sheet of ice!

I don’t like telling people to ride elsewhere but it just wasn’t enjoyable after the 10th mile of snow.
7stanes website is advising against riding ae mabie or dalbeattie for a while. Looks like kirroughtree has fared best. Don’t think I will be out again til after christmas now.

Great video. Anyone looking at skiing I’m not sure you can do much better than Banff- some of the most reliable snow I’ve seen. Bit expensive with the current exchange rate but definitely worth it!
For another good video (very long HD content!) from the cameraman’s perspective check out:

Cheers Andrew, had a few goes but nothing worked. Shall drop by the shop sometime for a training session

No longer working in the shop- winter has finally pushed me out. Have hopefully got something sorted from January onwards staying in Dumfries but waiting on Disclosure and references before I definitely have the job. Have also changed my email so the old shop one is no longer active. I will send out my new one to you in case you want company on any other adventures.

I’d be surprised if there was any snow left on the trails today, it must be near 10 degrees here today.

Done the same as Flicker here and blown one of my LEDs!

Troutie can I buy one of the LED on 20mm stars off you. I was playing with the reginas and must have shorted one of them out- have checked the other one is still working.

I’m gonna start charging for this service soon John!
Here you go:

Going by how the snow has disappeared on the other side of Dumfries there will be nothing left by tomorrow.

I need a word thats
short (around 5 letters)
easy to spell

implies fresh, creative, clean professional, caring, friendly, approachable

The word you are looking for is chode 😯 (Caveat: I wouldn’t google it if you are at work and unsure what that is)

I would 2nd the Fat Cat in Norwich. Its is one of the few places where you can still pick up a pint of decent real ale for £1.80 and the choice of ale/cyder/beers is second to none. It also has the added bonus of being opposite a rather good bike shop.

Yep, but think the prices have gone up, with the Fat Cat beers starting at £2. Guest ales can be anything between £2.30 and £3.20, with the really strong stuff going for about £4 a pint. Hardly cheap, but great beers. Very useful having a bike shop across the road, they helped me out quite a few times with some healthy discounts!

The Clachaig Inn just down the road from me does decent* ales

Firstly I am jealous if it is just down the road. I have a friend working in there who says it has been a bit quiet since the snow, with the car park being a sheet of black ice. It’s so quiet they have closed down the boots bar as it is too cold to sit in- oh, the irony!

Hi Trout- light was working perfectly until i decided to try and play with the LEDs with the battery still connected. Think I have blown one of the LEDs. Could you let me know how much a replacement would be to post out? Think I might be able to salvage the optic (it’s only attached with the sealant).
Lesson learned- if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!

Yeah, I stopped after Granny Green Luv and went back to the fiveways crossing and down the footpath to the green/blue back through the forest. It was my first night ride and the batteries on my light were starting to dim so didn’t want to chance it!

When are you free this week? I think I am free most days, but I broke my light so can’t do any evening rides until I get a new LED.

Here you go John:

Flickr have changed their usage rights or something so the ‘get link’ doesn’t work- you have to go to the Get BB Code link instead and in that there is a part that starts in http: but ends with .jpg. Just copy that to use pictures from Flickr.

Here are a few from a very lonely but enjoyable Saturday dusk/ night ride round Ae. No other tracks so either fresh snow had fallen during Saturday or only one other person had ridden it:

Photos only taken with a rubbish phone camera. Tried to take some video as well but can’t see muc of what was happening so havn’t bothered putting it online. It was cold at first but fine once moving. My gears didn’t work for the first few minutes (frozen) but had freed up by the time i got to the first climb. I was wearing shorts and a jumper as i had forgotten my riding jacket but was warm enough when i was moving. Car said -5 when i got back to the car park.
Snow was very grippy until you picked up some speed and then the front started to sway a bit. Was expecting the rocks underneath to be slippy but there was enough snow covering them to not be a problem. It was only when I hit one of the footpaths on the way back with all the roots that I started to slide around. I just couldn’t believe there was only one set of tracks at the start- might have been understandable at the start of the day, but I was out on the Saturday evening so either noone had been to Ae or there had been a dump of snow out in the forest duiring the day. Anyway, the lack of tracks added to my fun!

Looks like there might be more snow in Dumfries area tonight and/ or tomorrow so will need to check on snow levels after that as to whether a sledge might be more useable. At least we can still ride our bikes down here- Glentress area looks very unrideable at the moment.

Missed this the other day. I was at Ae on Saturday night and although there was a bit more snow than at Mabie, it was definitely rideable. Only one other set of tracks in the snow up the first climb, but only my tracks after that (the other person must have gone back early on).

Before it got dark after Rab’s climb

At the end of Granny Green Luv.
It was one of those great rides that reminded why I like riding MTB- noone else on a cold but great night. Got a chance to properly test out the homebuild light built from this forum and discovered my batteries are not quite up to it!

The fat cat in norwich. Winner of CAMERA pub of the year twice and has just been awarded good pub guide pub of the year. Currently 28 listed on tap but normally 20-25 on any night plus a good selection of bottled beers.
Maybe not in the best mtb location but one of the best beer pubs in the country. Unfortunately I am now 300 miles away.

Why did the monkey fall out the tree?
-It was dead
Why did the cat fall out the tree?
-It was stapled to the monkey
Why did the tree fall over?
-It thought it was a game

I was down the pub the other day and saw the wife chatting up the barman. So I tool her outside and gave her a Sepp Blatter or what is more commonly known as a backhander!

Made me giggle. But time to let it go and get on with proper news

Lot of the snow in dumfries has been melting this afternoon after more snow had fallen this afternoon. Might be a bit more left out in the country but should be good for riding. Going to ae myself tomorrow so hoping it will be fine.
Saying that it is now raining and it is close to freezing so tomorrow there could be more snow or water so ice on the roads depending on how cold and when it rains tonight.
Just get out and enjoy whatever challenge there is.

Try manning a chairlift in Banff (Alberta) when it’s -43.

Have you tried using them when its that cold? Think they turn them off at -30!
Think it is nearing -6 here in southern Scotland but sitting in front of a fire 🙂

I took mine to a garage and they told me they couldn’t find where the leak was, but that if i could find it then they would fix it.
So i stuck it in some soapy water and found where it was leaking air. Turned out to not be seated properly onto the rim so they took it off reapplied some glue and problem solved. Cost £9 and no problems since. If it’s a small hole puncture they can put a rubber bung in the tyre from the inside. Again only cost me £9 on another wheel at my local garage, 10 minute job.

I think the basic idea is that if you need to use your hands to either answer the call or continue the call then it is classified as not hands-free. Therefore the headphone/ mic combo can be classed as hands-free if auto-answer is enabled on the phone.

That being said, I don’t even have that in my car. I just don’t answer calls, or pull over if i need to call someone. Still distracting you even if using hands-free stuff. Up here though there are lots of people who go around in that sort of half-stroke position to try and disguise the fact they have the phone next to their ear when driving.
Sure someone will be along quoting guidelines…

No snow yet in Dumfries but a small amount forecast for tonight and Saturday morning. Shouldn’t stop the fun at any of the local centres, further west might be the best for staying clear (i.e. mabie/ dalbeattie). RAC Rally at Ae this Sunday so all trails are closed for the day.
I’d be surprised if the Lakes doesn’t get a decent amount of snow if it arrives here.

Going out hopefully on Sunday so am optimistic for a good day, snow or no snow!

Good editing, and some good riding. But was it just me that thought the trails didn’t look particularly inspiring? They had a step straight line near the start which seemed a waste and then quite a few shots of them on wide gravel paths interspersed with some technical riding. Not a bad video from the filming side, but the content should have been a bit better, there are plenty of better trails i’m sure in Italy?

Anyway, here is another video showing some people who can ride bikes. To make things different there is a lot of filmed technical climbs. Editing isn’t as clinical as in Jon’s video, maybe they should get together and make a cracking film?