What namastebuzz said ^^^

18th December? Bugger. Have done it for the last 4 years in the January. Will be in Dublin that weekend for the Bath game 😀 so will miss it 🙁

The Church. Loved them from the first hearing on the OGWT pick of the year in oh, god, 1981? , still innovating even today. Here’s one of many I could’ve chosen.

A little pootle around Ben Nevis 😉

Tour de Ben Nevis

Target archery is generally outdoors, we’re now moving back to indoors for practice during winter as the nights draw in and it’s too dark for after work. Field archery seems very sociable – kind of the cyclocross/roadie relationship.

As much as the split between field and target disciplines, there is a strong distinction between the longbow, recurve and compound bow ‘camps’. I tend to think of them as a bit like the differences between rigid singlespeed, hardtail and long travel full suss 🙂

The language and terminology is as specific and obscure as in biking. Being new to it I’m still struggling to get my head round it. And the handicapping system needs a degree in quantum physics!

A custom made longbow might well set you back as much as the latest full-on recurve (a grand or so). It is relatively cheap compared to biking though. Lots of similarities in that there’s shiny alloy and carbon so something to satisfy the gear freaks.

Japan seems to hate whales. 😐

Quite like it as it blows all the cobwebs away. But not when it’s got a driving gale behind it. Switch that round for walking though, love being out for a stroll when it’s blowy.

I think my favourite example of ‘disappointed’ was from a mate who was climbing at Stanage, on an HVS so not expecting a particularly technical route. He’d made about halfway up the climb with negligible gear placements 😐 and it looked from below that the next hold was a really big jug where he could hang out and place some good protection. When he went for it, it turned out to be a sloper 😯
In a broad North Yorkshire accent, and in a wonderfully understated way, he said “I was disappointed”. Location humour I guess, but it still has me cracking up whenever I think about it. 😀

Another vote here for the SC Superlight, does most things very well and suits the UK’s often foul conditions better than most – changed the bearings on mine last month after 4 years or so of frequent use, because I felt I ought to really, but they didn’t need to be.

@ rob2 – step AWAY from the Anthem X frame…

Great weekend. Tested out the newly-acquired and loaded-up Fargo by cycling from Trowbridge to Honeystreet on the Kennet’n’Avon Canal, then up to West Overton to join the Ridgeway, pootled along to Cholsey just in time to make closing time at The Four Teas (awesomely good cakes’n’coffee – pay it a visit!) and to stay over with rob2, beers were had 😀

Then back again in reverse on Sunday. Spectacularly lazy day today 8)

@andrewh – was that Tony Barton you were dealing with at Magura? He was excellent on the several occasions I needed things sorting at events, really first class guy.

Winstanleys used to be very poor but in the last 18 months or so have been superb, so well done to whoever has turned this around there.

CRC and Wiggle, on the (very) rare occasion something has not gone quite right they sort it straight off with no hassle.

Ant White at XCRacer shop, super friendly and efficient; likewise, the folk at Alpkit.

The team at Threshold Sports for unflagging enthusiasm, friendliness and positivity under trying conditions on the Ride Across Britain.

You might want to check out the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 here, for example. Roomy for a 3/4 season tent at 1.5kg, and gets excellent reviews (e.g. here). I have the one person version of this and it’s great – lots of space, is a doddle to put up, and it packs down tiny.

Clearly I need to take a few more days off sick, as a ‘regular’ cyclist takes 7.4 days off each year. Perhaps they should have included the phrase ‘on average’ in there… 😕

‘Third’ the Endura BaaBaa tech shirt, wore one for days on the (very sunny) Camino De Santiago and only washed it because it was rimed with salt rather than honking 😯 Lack of pockets is manageable with the odd frame/saddle bag (and I’d’ve though any merino shirt would just stretch absurdly even if it does have pockets!).

I love the Sugoi Wallaroo too (super fine wool) but more as a base layer / for messing around in.

“What the hell are we supposed to use man, harsh language?” (Frost in ‘Aliens’)

Aching like a mofo after yesterday’s little pootle around Longleat in the (unforecast 😕 ) deluge, but coffee is having its usual restorative effect. Once I’ve got some mud tyres on the Fargo, yup, out for a quick one to try out the freshly-fitted flipped Mary bars.

And I do believe that’s some blue sky breaking through too 😀

Some of us went on it about 5 years ago – great fun, even with a lack of skillz like me 🙂 although it does help to have some – there’s some technical stuff (rocky, steps, switchbacks) thrown in to keep you on your toes.

Long ups, long downs. Beautiful backdrop to the trails, really breathtaking (we had excellent weather).

Accommodation was generally good (at mountain hostels each night), as was the food during the day and at night.

There’s been talk of doing it again so I guess that tells you that we enjoyed it.

Superb! And long may he continue 🙂

Beautiful – absolutely. Acting? Nah… If you watch her in No Way Out it’s painful…

There wasn’t much ambiguity in Philip K Dick’s book as to whether Deckard is a replicant.

Was never a fan of Sean Young, I’m afraid. Classic film though.

Prometheus sounds amazing!

Dahon Flo – Reynolds 631 though. Great bike, love mine; very versatile.

I had to really thwack the pivot axle out of my Superlight to get it to come out, rather than a ‘gentle tap’. Likewise the bearings.

They’d been in there for 4 years though with no servicing, riding in all weathers / Ridgeway lakes, and were still ok, only marginally notchy, but I felt like giving the bike a treat and put a new set in 🙂 So, a thumbs up for the Superlight SC bearings from me.

@bauchlebastart – while the bearings on my Model Bs held up very well (still super smooth), my rear one developed a bulge on one side of the rear rim after about 500 miles. Like your experience, the Planet X guys just didn’t want to know, saying that it was me dinging it. Well, possibly, 50/50, but that seems odd to me that it would only be on one side – it would more likely be on both if a pothole – and to dismiss it out of hand left a bad taste.

If Planet X sold them separately I’d’ve probably bought a replacement rear, but as it was they only do wheelsets or front ones 😕 so I ended up getting some Pro Lites with which I’m very happy after doing JOGLE on them. Not quite as light, but stiffer. Got them from Ribble on a good deal.

Liking Cyclemeter, had it for nearly a year now and use it pretty much every ride. It gets excellent reviews form other users too. Seems to be much more frugal on power consumption than the apps some mates use.

Have read the whole LOTR and Silmarillion about 8 or 9 times, and various of The Lost Tales. The Hobbit was too twee/kiddy for me at 10 and only read it the once. The Fellowship of the Ring (vol 1 of LOTR) is heavy going / scene setting and the Tom Bombadil sequence very weak (no surprises Jackson dropped it from the film!). Silmarillion is IMO a lot better – wish it was filmed, it’d be epic.

Got caught in a vicious storm doing the Camino de Santiago earlier this year, on the heights heading towards Burgos. On a steel bike 😕 Possible quote of the trip – “let’s MTFU and get to Burgos!”.

The descent on the polished limestone which had become a streambed was quite character building too… 😯

A friend has put one on his old Kona and is loving it.

Hmmm… the real me comes up 1st and 5th on the google images (in Singletrack pink camo! 😉 ), and 2nd on the google web offerings. Could be worse!

Dammit, Rob. Salivating now!

Loving mine! Got the 2011 frame from Charlie, and built it up. Great advice from him, as ever.

I’ve run it both rigid and hardtail so far, handles really well either way on singletrack – although I’ve not got previous 29er experience to compare to, it’s close enough to my various 26ers, can’t ask for more. Clearance is hee-yooj, even with a 2.4″ Racing Ralph rear / 2.4″ Mountain King front.

Even though it’s not a light build, it’s putting in times as fast as my best efforts on 26ers I’ve spent a lot more time on, so it bodes well for pace. Not really got it for speed though, more as the basis for some big rides planned for the next year and beyond.

Presently it’s set up with flat bars (Salsa Pro Motos with the sweep pointing down) and the usual MTB levers, while I try to track down a good deal on road BB7s, but in no hurry as this seems to work too!

Yet to run it with slicks but may give it a whirl on the Way of the Roses in September.

***paging Thurman Merman*** (he knows a thing or two about CX racing!)

Superb video, and a great adventure. Thanks for lifting us out of the humdrum and confirming my intention to do a big trip next year!

Just finished building up my new 2011 Salsa Fargo frame at the weekend 🙂

Still a few tweaks to be made but they can wait ’til I find some more cash – it’s an absolute hoot to ride. Some big rides planned…

I’ve only been using it on my road bike but FWIW it does seem to attract a lot of muck, so you might be better off with a dry lube like Squirt (which I like a lot, use on my MTBs and will probably revert to once I’ve got through this tube on the road bike).

Ditto Northwind and andyl – no problems with KMC chainlinks. Did manage to bust a SRAM PC 991 one though – but that was probably due to my pish shifting 😳

If concerned, you could always sub the one they provide with a SRAM powerlink.

X9 SLs on my bikes now, replacing the SRAM PC 991s which I used to run. No troubles with them to date despite a lot of miles / dubious conditions. Merlin does seem to be the best deal around at the moment AFAIK.

Or just cross your fingers, clearly! 😉

Drying slo-o-o-o-o-o-owly seems to be the key, nothing too intense.

My muvi camera went through the wash. Tried the rice option for a couple of days but no joy. Hung it above our boiler where we do all our clothes drying if it’s bad weather, so effectively like an airing cupboard, and after about a week it started working again.

The rice might have worked in that timescale too, who knows.

Fingers crossed!

Hehe – escape to the Qs would’ve been A Smart Move! 😉