Have you tried this?

http://www.swissstop.ch/silencer/

I ran a 10sp Ultegra long cage mech with an 11-36 cassette for about 6 months, shifting wasn’t perfect but was perfectly usable. I just tightened the B tension bolt all the way in and put a M5 nylock nut on the end of the bolt to give better contact with the tab on the hanger. It is quite particular about chain length to keep the guide pulley away from the cassette so you may have to play around a bit.

I’m now trying a 9sp XT mech and I’m undecided as yet if it’s any better!

Some brilliant shots on this page, I especially like:

The big puzzle by Matthew Hampshire, on Flickr

Here is a self portrait from this morning’s ride which I am proud of, mostly because the end result is pretty close to what I set out to achieve which is nice.

The second photo is how it was taken for anyone interested.

Self Portrait by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

20180108_120247 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

I can relate to pretty much everything you have said although I’m probably only slightly ahead of you in terms of ‘getting over it’ so I can’t give you some magic formula as much as I would like to!

I will say two things, one that talking to a professional is never going to be a bad thing (regardless of whether it is to do with relationships or something else entirely) so I would strongly recommend giving that a go.

Secondly another book recommendation, I have almost finished reading The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck, not all of it will be of relevance but quite a lot of it might be and it may well answer a few key questions. If nothing else will highlight the benefit of speaking to someone professional.

Genesis CDF for me, cheap, versatile, will do singletrack one day and 120km on the road the next.

DSCF0047 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF0043 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF3581-2 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF0344 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF3460 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

A few from a dander up Ben Lomond yesterday that I am pleased with.

Ben Lomond by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

Ben Lomond by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

Ben Lomond by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

Ben Lomond by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

Ben Lomond by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

First time riding at Glentress in probably a year, lots of good stuff if you know where to look.

DSCF3719 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF3744 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF3737 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF3776 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF3901 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

DSCF3805 by Euan Camlin[/url], on Flickr

These are the most popular lights we sell, have had very few back too so they seem pretty robust:

http://www.madison.co.uk/products/cycling/accessories/lighting/lava-super-bright-micro-usb-rear-light-with-qr-bracket-black-with-red-lens/%5B/url%5D

They have a clip on the back as well as the mount.

Sloppy ride in the Borders yesterday, climbed a tree mid way round too:

Gets used for both sporting and utilitarian needs!

Given how little success I have convincing people I know to let me take photos of them I can’t imagine going up to strangers but I like seeing yours Greg! I had a look through the rest and I love the one with the girl in the yellow.

Here are some of my recent shots I like:

I also have a few dead but with working clutch mechs so can send you the bits if you want/need them sooner than gravity-slave can post them, email in profile if necessary.

Not been on it long, mix of watch/still life/landscape photography plus some coffee and whatever takes my fancy but no cats or sunsets.
https://www.instagram.com/garysmithphoto/

I really like those first three!

Mine is mostly bicycle riding with some photography thrown in too:

https://www.instagram.com/euancamlin/%5B/url%5D

Thanks for the reply, I did not know about having to pay extra for bikes! Lots of good info there cheers, I may be in contact closer to the time when I have more planned!

Brilliant, thanks for sharing!

Myself and two others are flying into Oslo for eight days of bikepacking at the start of June, we are planning on doing it just by bike, potentially getting the train to Bergen and then making our way back to Oslo via as many good riding spots as we can manage, do you know is there much in the way of off road routes between places or will it be a case of a lot of road miles?

Kaupanger looks like a given, are there any areas in particular I should be looking at? We are not trying to see everything in one go so if there are and spots better than others that are easily accessible from Oslo it would be best.

Brilliant.

Beautiful day in southern Scotland yesterday, mostly dry trails too!

Really like that side-on panning shot Euan (I assume taken from another bike).

Thanks, yeah it makes panning quite easy when you are moving at the same speed!

It was taken using shutter priority so I could keep the shutter speed at 1/60 and let the camera do the rest while I worried about not riding off the road.

This trip was also the first time I have used the full auto mode and it actually seems quite good, especially when you don’t know what you will be shooting and need to be prepared for anything.

I came across this a while ago which may help anyone starting out using manual controls to remember which extreme is which:

Most things have been covered already, I am a fan of a lighter sleeping bag and then bringing extra insulation if is going to be colder, I don’t think there is any need to go out and spend £150 on a sleeping bag to start with unless you really want to.

I have an ex-army bivvy bag which is considerably bulkier than my friends hunka, and I have still woken up to the bottom of my sleeping bag damp after a soggy night so personally I think there is a long more to staying dry than emphatically stating one bag is more waterproof and another is not.

I also do not see the need to go and spend £40 on a tarp straight away. I use a camo tarp got from ebay for a couple of pounds and it does the job. By all means a proper tarp will be nicer but if you are just getting started you need to see what works for you and the geography of where you will be staying.

The tarp I use is something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waterproof-Tarpaulin-Ground-Sheet-Lightweight-Camping-Cover-Extra-Value-Tarp-/231018276944?var=&hash=item35c9c32850:m:mHGbE5hlt_rnw3mOJ6dH-Dg

Here is the wee one I take if I’m going alone:

I also have a bigger one if I have company:

Last thing I’ll say, hands down the best bikepacking item I have bought is an Alpkit Numo, not only is it a very comfortable airbed when inflated but it is absolutely tiny when deflated and rolled up. It is the smallest, lightest and most comfortable sleeping mat I have used and compared to a thermarest it is cheap too.

For what it is worth, here is my Vito with bike garage and double bed, I can’t imagine there is much difference in room between this and a Vivaro. Personally I wouldn’t leave five grands worth of bikes on a rack if I was leaving it out of sight, having nothing to hint on the outside that the van is a camper is a big plus too when you are spending the night somewhere it could be frowned upon IMO.

Very much the cheap end of the spectrum at about £40 worth of wood and a £12 cooker but it does the job!

Load of photos here:

http://bit.ly/vitocamper

EDIT, wrong thread!

Thanks, a Sony RX100M3, doing the job nicely so far!

Thanks for the feedback all!

Bravo, they make Scotsman from tough stuff

We are actually both Northern Irish, don’t want to be giving the Scots more credit than they are due! 😉

Love the title, love the front page of the blog, love the menu section (with all the various trips).

The B&W photos could grace a Rapha brochure etc – truly stunning. Some of the colour ones are as good (the climb in the snow). I can’t decide if the more ‘human’ ones which make it more approachable and fun also lower the overall quality.

If the aim is truly to showcase your work then I’d say they probably do and you could edit more selectively.

Cheers, valid point, I guess I need to work out what the aim actually is, the blog side of it has been an afterthought in terms of the overall site so I’m still finding my feet!

That beach shot is beautiful colster!

I had mine out on it’s first trip this week, I had it on the top of my bar bag in the Peli case, it worked well, allowing me to get the camera in and out pretty easily while riding. It did pop open a few times but I’m fairly certain that was because it was bouncing and the catch was hitting the stem bolts.

I’m also pleased with how most of the shots came out:

A lot more can be found here if you haven’t seen the link in my other thread: http://bit.ly/thinbiking

I have taken the foam out of the lid of the Peli case as it was putting too much force on the lens/cover.

It is still nice and snug and does not move about so I’m not worried about having less protection.

You have to pull it really tight when applying.

Just joined the club with a RX100M3, first impressions are pretty good, especially given I was riding without a bag and just had it in the same size of Pelican case as shown previously in this thread in my back jersey pocket.

We rode from St Mary’s Loch towards Moffat. Riding wise it was nothing special, the Yair to St Mary’s Loch section is much better.

If anyone is interested I have written a short post about it here:

http://bit.ly/SUW2016

(The website is very much in progress so pointing out any bugs/typos/general constructive criticism is welcome)

Has anyone else got out yet this year?

We had an overnight doing part of the Southern Upland Way, to say it was cold and wet is a bit of an understatement!

I looked at inner tubes – but I slide the boat off sideways, and an inner tube is to much grip and lumps…

When cut in the middle so it is an open ended tube and then wrapped round the post like bar tape it shouldn’t move a bit?

Old inner tubes are perfect for this sort of thing.

Here is a Mk 1, printed to give the clip for the light the most strength which might mean the tabs for the strap are too weak, I’m also not convinced they will hook the strap enough but without it it is hard to tell.

I have given it a vapour bath to smooth it out somewhat which will also help the layers stick together.

Firstly I’ll echo what others have said, due to the layered nature of an additive style 3D printed part they have better mechanical properties in different planes and it will never be as strong as an injection moulded part.

However if it is designed properly (ie designed to be printed, not just designed and printed) and some care is taken to finish the part after printing I think it could work.

I’m currently studying Product Design Engineering and have a printer so if you want a second opinion/option let me know and I can send you some thoughts over the weekend.

New direct mount top guide:

Carbon top cap made using a 3D printed mould, it is just a proof of the theory really.

Thanks for all that. The reason I’m asking is that I’m in the middle of redesigning my own top guide and am just curious what issues everyone else has had.

I personally can’t get away with just a NW and Zee mech, I need a guide too.

Cheers, Euan

Assuming that the better the guide is at keeping the chain on means the harder it is to un-jam if it does come off (ie in a crash) does that mean you would want one that is simple/quick to remove to free the chain?

Slight jam when I came off but the load of mud/bush that was wedged in there was the cause of the grief.

What that debris caught in the plastic guide itself or just generally between the chainring and frame/backplate?

If you are after a 16″ my email is in my profile!

Just need to work out how to black out the windows now

http://www.purlfrost.com/coloured-vinyl-film_1/black/#.U8ORZpRdVAI

Something like this might be your best bet?