Details of this years Bontrager. Needs another parameter – depth of mud to cycle through.

4 SPAM pairs doing the 12hr plus a few others in teams or solo. First time for me, looking forward to it!

I'll mail you a map around Longleat – hopefully you'll be able to make something out of that – or get up there tonight if you're available; Black Canon Collective do a ride from the pub in East Woodlands at 7pm (I think they still do over the summer anyway)
Edit: Just looked – they're out on Tuesdays now.

The MoD came down a bit hard on us after Set2Rise – it is officially out of bounds to all – dog walkers, horses, moto-x, downhillers and us on MTB's; they are apparently going to be fencing off a large section.

The River Avon doesn't split in Bath – the Kennet & Avon canal spurs off at Widecombe but that's the otherside of town from the Bristol/Bath cycleway. The cycleway finishes and spits you out onto Brassmill Lane for about a mile (with marked bike lane)upto a tool-hire place right on the river where you pick-up the river path that takes you into the centre of town. You can either drop off left (at a signpost) and in front of you will be a green with Norfolk Crescent behind it and then follow streets into the town centre or carry on alongside the river to the bottom of Bath.

Edit: Lots of info there then – had that answer sat waiting whilst my boss was talking at me for a while!

I've had the good fortune to meet Foxy a few times (not Mate 1 or 2). I would just say thats he's a normal guy who enjoys his bikes…..
He's even stayed at our gaff and had the good manners to drink the £3.99 Asda vino calapsso that we would have served with dinner without complaining (how do you do smiley things?). Foxy,if you want to come and do the next SPAM event and crash over you're most welcome (just leave the board and lodging in an unmarked envelope as you leave!!)

I've got spares from both front & rear wheels (can't remember if they're all the same length). These spokes come from 2007 wheels that I've managed to ruin. If of interest send me a email and I can send you a few.

I'm afriad I don't have a proper gps log of the route, but have sketched it out on bikehike. The sketch is a bit simplified; I'm sure the lap was just over 7 miles when you take into account all the wiggly bits! But that gives the general idea of route distance and gradient.

Not quite the same this year, but the above gives the general idea. A bit different in the lower woods around the ponds. No road climb between mp5 & 6; instead we come up the singletrack then wiggle about and come out on a track at the edge of the fields/wood – not back through the middle as on map above. This gives a gentler climb up to mp11 instead of the short steep climb up to the road/track. Climb road/track to mp9 and then the nice grassy descent, but missing the woods to the right – quite a few reports of riders missing this section out last year hence leaving it out, before going into the woods again near mp8. Finally a little bit more new in the woods from mp10 before dropping back down to start/finish.
Looking forward to it!

I'm going to ignore metcheck for now and just just look at met office; things look OK according to them!
Hopefully the course will stay OK – it's so dry at the moment. One short section (which was, however, still damp last weekend) I imagine will turn into a bog if we have much rain and a number of riders going through it, but that doesn't last too long, and another off-camber climb that will get fun when nice and slippy.
Before the eternal what tyres question….Over winter I've used Bonty mud-x's (and if damp they'll be coming with me) but have been on Race Kings recently but a mate I ride with has used smb8's all winter/spring….

From the A36 above Limpley Stoke down to Midford. Slightly boulder strewn and had a stream running down it last time I went that way. I think I climbed through the hedge and rode down the edge of the field! Never attempted/contemplated going up it.

Hey, very nice looking!
Agree with the comment above ref the grips – something like below to get the 'collar and cuffs' to match. Got some of these on my FS.

Are you going to be at 24/12 this year? I'm doing the first 12hr. Need to get down your way for a trip around the moor soon.

Still riding very nice up there. HT will be my first choice; but taking the full sus' for a bit of comfort come 4am when things will probably have slowed down and it will be about surviving not racing!!
Not doing the short steep road climb this year (unless the route changes again), but you've still got to go up; nice singletrack climb instead. The other rough road/track climb is still in though.

We rode the route last weekend; very similar to last year, a few different bits – but a great lap. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us; it's riding very nicely at the moment. Here's to a good night!

I'm the fuzzy looking one.

Hey WBC – You might to like have a look at SPAM, often a few out from Trowbridge on a Thursday night. Either woods local to Trow' or up to Westbury White Horse or over to Erlestoke (hopefully over there this Thursday).

Could be that the mother ewe had run dry or was being treated for mastitus or something; intention being to try and orphan the lamb to the penned ewe (if her own lamb had died during birth etc). However, from my experience with my fathers flock – orphaning a lamb works best if the ewe/orphan are penned up pretty tight for a while (so she can't shove the lamb away) and the original mother is away so the lamb can't hear the maternal bleating call. Or maybe the farmer just got it wrong…

Don't know about riding but did plenty of walking on the north moor during school days; and agree about the 'big views'. Superb sunset from the tor closest to the camp road (West Mill Tor?), the one before Yes anyway. Was driving to Falmouth last night but took a detour and sat on a lump of granite for a while.

Our 4 yr old is similar, just pedals backwards – again after using a balance bike. Neighbours gave us a smaller kids bike with stabalisers & fixed gear – she got on and surprisingly just pedalled away (forwards!). She's getting there on the proper bike but now just prefers to dap about on the bike with stabalisers all the time.

These fellas might help[/url]

Griffon Hovercraft might be have vessel that needs some sea trials….on your other post ref the aircraft carry; I know of a vessel with a helipad that might be after a new home??

You could try one of the below – although I guess it'll be an M6 clearance hole, so the bush won't be a tight fit but will get rid of some of the 'slack' if thats all that is needed.

Igus Bush

I've sent you a route based near Corsham that should show you a bit of Wiltshire including a quick play in Box woods. However, as I said in the mail – I'd be tempted to jump straight in your car and head for the Quantocks!

Cheers

Well, that's a good looking shop in a nice building. A familar face behind the counter for those used to going into John's. Didn't buy anything…this time. All the best to them.

Cadence; only 5 mins walk from the office and I didn't even notice it appearing. Will have to pop up at lunchtime.

….and SPAM Biking[/url]. SPAM arrange local and away rides; we had a good ride around Longleat a couple of weeks back and off to the Quantocks in early Feb'. Plus a few of us in Trowbridge area head over towards Erlestoke and Salisbury Plain, or Westbury or something local for night rides.

Or you've got the Black Canon Collective[/url] who do regular weekly night rides around Longleat amongst their other styles of riding….which are out of my league!

In theory, yes….and costs seem daft – £25 for a hefty lump of a disc and £12 for a little ring. My discs were totally shot and I didn't want that Saturday afternoon feeling of gloom when all is not not going to plan…. So, I got new and got our local mechanic to fit them to the disc hubs.

My old RXC frame with a cracked seat tube / top tube weld put into commuting service. Must change that yellow conti' dust cap.

Another local to probably join in the 'fun'.

Hi – brief hello, hope you had a good ride! Hey, I'm nowhere near that knowledgable of Longleats finest; I (along with 19 others – big SPAM outing) were being led and dragged by a cycling humanoid for almost 30 miles around tracks that I had no idea existed. He did provide good cake at the end tho'!

Hopefully a few SPAM fella's out around Longleat on Sunday; so may see you out.

Sunset over Salisbury Plain. Up near Westbury White Horse looking over towards Warminster

If you need an event before Mayhem, put SPAM's Set2Rise in your diary – about a month before Mayhem; 29th May.
The course won't be like the Winter Challenge, there'll be lots of good singletrack!

Thanks to all that bought and ate cake from the Dorothy House stand. They've counted up their takings and made about £475, which they are obviously pleased with.
….but, you left enough for us to pig-out on whilst tidying up!

Hi Walla or others – any chance of forwarding on some of those cross Dartmoor routes. A Devon offroad coast to coast ride is in the planning for sometime in the spring.

Todays SPAM Winter Challenge course pre ride. Not too much snow over the Plain, but a good crisp chilly ride.

Just got a ZX1; arrived from Amazon today – so not much use yet, just a quick play. I was going for a TZ7 but fancied something smaller but still with a zoom. Switch on time is very impressive, stabilasation works well and 8x zoom very suffucient for my use. Haven't printed anything from it but to my unskilled eye images look great. It will be wrapped now until Christmas!

Take that rusty pile of gas pipes to these fellas and ask them to paint it!

You want it in orange???[/url]

See you later, if orange is your thing – drinking Tango tonight??

A bit like this set-up on the Devon south coat for running:

Endurance Life news article

I couldn't see anything on their web, so no idea if it's still going.

Cirenceter Offroad Duathlon

You've just missed the Autumn Cirencester Offroad Duathlon; one in the spring.

Reminded me of this book:

Photo not that great – but if you can't spot them, he's wearing wellies!

I've got both Gores. The Tool is very warm and only comes out when the temp gets down very low. I'd have been better off buying a couple of good merino layers to use when neccessary under the Phantom. Both great jackets, but the Phantom is far more versatile and gets used far more by me in all but the wetest and coldest conditions.

I've used grangers with Ron Hill Bikesters. I wear them regular for the commute and I guess after the 3rd wash they were back to getting soggy. Worked well though after 1st application; but I wouldn't do it again on something that's going through the wash a couple times a week.