Not used them but that looks like a solution in search of a problem.  If you’re carrying a ratchet, the relevant bits are hardly likely to cause issue.

I’d probably look at south Manchester to north Wales instead of Blackpool for gravel, plenty of nice bits or Laureen’s Ride into Cheshire, old Railway into Delamere, head for Chester on another old railway route, along the ship canal towards the coast and then into the hills rather than through the shellsuits of the coast.  Plenty of options for where to catch a train back from.

Direct and fairly regular service usually has the standard space for a couple of bikes without reservation and you’d be unlucky to not get it on.  Sit with it and enjoy telling the Blackpoolists to stop touching it.

Early start sunrise ride on Mull.

I use the Crank Bros drop bar lever which works from the hoods or the drops, sitting under the LH brake lever and I love it.

No.  I love the riding where I live (SE Manchester, on the Peak District boundary), great MTB and gravel riding from the door, it’s about 80 yards to the canal towpath for easy traffic free access and apparently there’s good road riding, if such a thing floats your boat.  My head needs the space more than I could comprehend somewhere dull.  Mrs FBJ’s family live around the Humber estuary area and I can see why all the local yoofs love boy racer cars and drugs as the landscape offers as much inspiration to do anything else as a padded cell.

That smile makes all his many struggles worthwhile and I don’t think he’s ever happier than on the back of a tandem.

I’ve been messing about building various kinds of gravel/adventure/touring bikes for decades and always comeback to the same conclusion that a reasonably light, short travel XC hardtail based build is the best for me.  Most of my riding is sub 2 hour rides to squeeze them in around a normal busy life though I manage a longer day out or couple of days bikepacking every couple of months, usually an A to B ride when I’m going away somewhere.  For the last 3 or 4 years I’ve had everything from fast gravel bikes, singlespeed gravel, flat bar hardtail with bar ends, more touring type wider tyre gravel bike, and a Rohloff adventure bike build.  Of the whole range, my go to bike for the majority of riding has been a steel 29er hardtail frame, 100mm Sid, 100mm dropper post, 50cm non flared drop bars and a 50mm rear gravel tyre with a light 2.1 XC tyre up front.  This set up has been used for all sorts of riding, pootling round with the family (I found the drop bars great for when the kids need a push as I can ride closer to them without poking the end of an MTB bar in their ear), fast local gravel, long distance multi day sustrans type rides and even the full loop of the Calder Divide.  The same bike with flat bars and bar ends works OK for most stuff but isn’t quite as road useful, is a pain through the many gap stiles on lots of my routes and I get achey wrists on long multi dayers.  My frame also means I can fit full guards and a rear rack when I need to which is a bonus.  Obviously it’s going to be different strokes for different folks but that just works really well for me.  A recent ride, heading up into the dales on what I thought would be ideal gravel bike territory actually turned out to be the final nail in the coffin of the light gravel bike for me and I sold the bike as I just found it too limiting where my drop bar 29er is really good fun.

4 of us in and one on the waiting list.  Not been to that neck of the woods in years and only ever found the old Keilder 100 too dull for the MTB so hoping it’s more involving on a gravel bike.  

So many trails come to mind but would probably have to go with Minton Batch as I’ve never not enjoyed it and done it in such different circumstances, everything from flat out mates racing to pootling down it with my then 12 year old daughter and she never stopped talking all the way down.

Well done and thank you.  Explorer section leader and Cub assistant leader here, yes as has been said above, some things are a pain in the whatever but watching young people overcome self doubt, learn, form life long friendships and apply skills you’ve helped them learn is priceless.  Seeing those young people being able to teach those skills to others makes me really proud.  We’re currently trying to recruit more leaders from our parent group and having no joy.

We have a winner, Ulrich’s dot is bouncing after 14 days, 3 hours and 23 minutes.  Chapeau sir, or whatever that is in German.  That was some time considering the conditions for much of the route.

Can Justinas find a pedal somewhere and keep ahead of Joe?

Mike’s record intact.  Ulrich has 60 miles to go and a very comfortable lead of 100 miles over the single pedal of Justinas.

Justinas Leveika and Ulrich Bartholmoes have just ticked over the 2000 mile mark, heading towards New Mexico.  Can’t believe how close to Mike’s record pace they are given the conditions this year and the 10 hours in a portaloo in the basin.

Current leader Justinas Leveika has just crossed the border into the USA at 265 miles in under 24 hours.

Nice video, nice idea, nice trails, nice bicycle and a nice seasonal feel. In summary, I’d have to say, nice.

Thanks for picking up the baton Crazylegs, 3 weeks of not too much actual work being done looks to be on the cards for you.

I’ve never been a fan of the aesthetics of a TT bike but even taking my own feelings into account, that BMC is one messed up looking machine.

If they do take Remco and he takes yellow, is he wise enough to let it go or flog himself to keep it and let the team’s other targets suffer?

There are 11 UK riders on the trackleaders list but as someone has mentioned above, at least another one who is riding as part of a pair so doesn’t show up. Danny Green has finished first Brit in 16days, 3 hours and 47 minutes.

Gutted, I didn’t know he was coming to Buxton. My mum is a very regular attendee of the Opera House and is usually very good at giving me a heads up on anything she thinks would interest me. Must have words with mother.

Sofiane has reached Antelope Wells in 14 days 16 hours 36 minutes. To get within a day of the record time given the conditions this year is amazing. Chapeau Sofiane. Manu in second place looks like he’s refueling at a 24 hour Denny’s in Silver City before his last 127 mile stretch to the finish.

My Divide watching always leaves me wanting to have a go myself in a few years but I don’t envy anyone doing this years ride with what the weather has thrown at them. Really humbling to see what they’re all putting themselves through.

First team of 8 have just finished in 5 days, 2 hours and 47 minutes.

It looks like New Mexico mud is playing havoc with the sharp end of the race, only Sofiane made it via this years route before detours were put in and miles were added for everyone else. The Trackleaders site is showing all sorts of weird distances for riders but all the top end seem to be still on the move.

Sensible choice but I bet he spent some time coming to it. Hope he recovers quickly.

Meanwhile, Sofiane has reached Brush Mountain Lodge. Their warnings on Facebook about 20-30,000 hippies on the road sound ominous.

Sofiane still some way out front but the rest of the sharp end are swapping positions as they go over half distance. Still lots of miles to ride so can anyone get close to catching the flying Frenchman?

Some lead indeed, if you look at his history page he’s only had one proper stop of any length after about 65 hours. Just mind boggling.

So, after Sofiane took a little detour and had to backtrack this morning, things have got a little closer again with only about 35 miles between the top 4. The difference in amounts of stopped time must come into play at some point unless our French friend is not human. Even a Parisian courier must need sleep from time to time.

He’s here, http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide22i.php?name=Theo_Kelsey

Looks like Josh has just got going again after a (very) few hours kip at a shade over 200 miles. Sofiane is about 30 miles ahead but hasn’t stopped yet, is he aiming for another massive first leg as per his last attempt?

Steve for PM. Embrace the diversity of characters in your life.

Thursday to Sunday we’re on a family camping trip with about 40 other families, heading into North Wales for lots of kiddy activities and a jubilee party. Then from Sunday PM until Wednesday, youngest FBJ and I are meandering home on the loaded tandem via as many ice cream farms and play parks are necessary to keep him spinning the cranks, 3 nights wild camping in the hammocks plus the occasional pint for me. Can’t wait.

Can’t answer who the chap was but they were things of beauty. I remember one in the Singletrack exhibition show type thing at Townley Hall from some years back and it was a real head turner.

Oxenhope was looking likely on the original 3 day ride but now we’re on 2 days with the first being about 70 miles, I’m sticking with a less climby route to save the wee man’s legs from to much pedalling up hill. The other suggestion of Bank Newton is now on the plan. I hope the cafe in Gargrave has plenty of hot chocolate and cake as we may need a decent refuel by then.

Brilliant, that’s pretty much exactly what I hoped to read. Thanks very much indeed.

So, after checking out the suggestions above and plotting out what looks like a suitable route, our accommodation for night one is now off the cards. My nephew has just had a positive covid test so staying with my sister and family is off the cards. Thankfully he’s not feeling unwell but, bummer for our trip.

The boy still wants to ride so it looks like 70 ish miles from home to Malham on day one and I’ll be spending this evening reworking the route to see just how easy I can make it while still retaining an offroad flavour.

Any opinions of following the Leeds Liverpool Canal from Burnley to Gargrave? Reasonable route or will I spend a few hours picking broken glass and hawthorns out of the tyres like other canal stretches elsewhere?

Thanks johnx2, the Dales Hwy looked like a good idea although it looks like a varied surface on Google Maps but you have probably just finished our route for us.

Unless anyone else has a better idea…

Cheers NBT. “Good MTB ride up”, as in, it would be good on a mountain bike but might see tears for a small boy while his dad pushes the tandem?

Thanks for that, Midgehole looked the likely way, then over Baby House Hill Lane which looks like a gravel track on Google Maps.

I’m glad I didn’t make a folding one. Unless your t’lad is a whole lot less daft than my t’lad, he’d not go to the bother of folding it a just drag it about causing the hinged/clippy bits to go sloppy. Ours has been dragged up and down the drive and the street so much that the corners are all wearing off.

Yes Schmiken, my first thought too. The disappearance of that hub from the classifieds has had a negative effect on the balance and harmony of the universe.