What is it like after the split going north? Suitable for loaded tourer?

For those of you who are doing it can you report back if the track over the Moor from where the route splits with the ‘massif’ heading North and the ‘mini massif’ heading south east to langdale end) will be okay on a Vaya loaded with touring kit, as I’m thinking of going this way in summer (Actually going up from langdale End to the Junction and then up to Whitby) or would I be better going Scarborough to Whitby up the cinder track (the ‘going south’ bit of the ‘massif’ ‘route).

Hope that makes sense. Cheers !

@Jerrys What are your concerns about having the panniers low? The only time I’ve had an issue with lowriders being too low was when we took a wrong turn down a rutted green lane and the panniers were grounding out. With the Blackburn Cargo I was able to lift them up a few inches to the next rail and carry on pushing!

The Pelago racks don’t look particularly suitable for front panniers.

Busta – I think I’ve got the (illogical) fear that I’ll ground the panniers, but in reality I won’t be anywhere near tracks which are really that bad.

Not sure if the link below works (it’s the Vaya builds thread on mtbr.com) but half way done page 86 of the thread it shows a vaya with a pelago rack and pannier attached.

I’m debating what fixing system for the front panniers I want to put on my Vaya.

To my eyes, tubus lowriders tend to put them a bit low, whereas the Racktime Topit tends to put them too high. The Blackburn outpost seems a possible solution as they can be mounted either high or low. I’ve also seen pictures of a Vaya or two fitted with a Pelago front rack which has mounts for panniers and looks like it puts the panniers where I think I want them. The rack itself comes in two sizes, huge or enormous, to strap even more stuff to :) .

Has anybody used a Pelago rack or know who has them in the UK?

Of course, I might be wrong about lowriders as lots of people here seem to use them !

Thanks. I’ll keep an eye on that. I’ve still got 3 months to get sorted.

Teetosugars – what mudguards do you have on the Vaya and what size tyre ?

cheers

That chippy is nearly a minutes walk from my house..

rezis – small world :). I haven’t been back to this part of the world for a few years. Last time was about 10 years ago when we were sorting out my dad’s will. Me and my brother went to the chippy and then drove out to the canal at Wansford – brought back lots of memories.

My plan is actually to start and finish my week’s tour in Naff. I’m aiming to either stay at the Nether Lane bunk barn, or camp (i think the farm with the Chuck Wagon does camping, or go posh and stay at the Star for a night), leaving my car near the church if possible.

Can I pick your brains offline sometime? My email is jerrysiddleatgmail.com.

cheers

I used to live in Nafferton. Best chippie in the world there !

If you remind me I’ll tell you this time in a couple of weeks. Doing the moors and shores adventure cross thingy which goes over the exact route you describe.

I’ll do that, thanks. Good luck with it !

As nobody has mentioned it and I have one, Yamaha TDM900 :)

My first bike tour was 1600 miles around Scotland on a Honda CD175. Then 5000 miles around europe on a CX500.

You can tour on anything, just some things are faster/more comfortable than others !

rezis – the route starts at Dalby Forest and follows the tarmaced Dalby Forest Drive from the Thornton le Dale end onto Bickley Gate and east towards Langdale End. It then goes north up West Side Road for a couple of miles until the tarmac ends and it becomes a forest track.It continues north over the moor to the east of RAF Fylingdales and eventually turns back into a tarmaced road (May Beck Farm trail) which then joins the B1416 a couple of miles south of Sneaton. I’ve recce’d bits of it using Google streetview and the tarmac bit is fine :), unfortunately the track isn’t covered.

As I said, it’s part of the Moors to Sea cycle route but not sure how good the gravel track is. I suppose I could contact the NYM authority and ask them.

A mid 80’s Karrimor Hot Route 55 ruc sac, 30+ years old and still going, from when Karrimor made decent kit.

Captain Flashheart was admiring my Karrimor Hot Ice only last week. It’s a toss up between that or my old 80’s Optimus Climber Mini petrol stove.

My Arkose loaded up for a few days on the Way of the Roses

My plan, if it comes off, is a double coast to coast – The Way of the Roses, plus part of the Walney to Whitby route (in reverse) to make a circular tour (starting and finishing by my car :) )

Bring cakes if you’re in town on Saturday, by the way!

Any particular time, old chap?

Or just use the 28litre panniers he already has”

No need to spend money for the sake of it.

Sorry trailrat – I didn’t make myself clear. I haven’t got any panniers yet. I was debating on whether to get small or large, to go with the other luggage I could use.

Always liked this, but I think Heart trumps it.

Okay, looks like I don’t know how to link to youtube, but its Guns N Roses. Knockin’ on Heaven’s door.

I know it’s the far east, but

Road of Bones – the Seige of Kohima by Fergal Keane (the news reporter bloke) is a good read. My grandfather in law was there.

Aviation, closer to home but fiction – ‘Bomber’ by Len Deighton

there is a station in Wool about a mile from work.

Winfrith?

Monsters of Rock 1981

AC/DC
Whitesnake
Blue Öyster Cult
Slade
Blackfoot
More

Plumber – I was there too !!.

I was with a girlfriend and i’d left my motorbike on an estate close by. Went to get it afterwards and it wasn’t there. Bloke came out of his house, told us that he had put it in his garage as it was raining and would I like a cup of tea ! :)

Focus – Leeds Uni 1974 I was still at school). The next two would also have been at Leeds
Wishbone Ash 1976
Rory Gallagher 1977?

Last band ? UFO last year – still as good as the first time I saw them (Exeter Uni 1981)

My 105 triple front mech works fine with 26/39/50 and 105 STIs. (Crank was originally a 105 30/39/50)

I haven’t tried going to a 24T granny, so I don’t know about that.

What i want to know if 26/39/46 would work (I suspect it won’t without changing other bits)

Rusty – try Charlie the Bikemonger for the MS BS-M10s. They are on his website but say out of stock, but I got an email the other day that said they were back in.

Those vagabond shifters BS-M10s – they’re the ones designed to work with a 10 speed MTB mech in index mode aren’t they? (Compared with the BS-A10 ones, which are road bar ends and would need a 9s MTB rear mech to work in index mode – i fink).

I’m not getting on too well with the Cambium C17 my brother gave me. He hated it. I will persevere a bit longer.

I’ve been paragliding since 1987, back when canopies were essentially modified parachuting ones and harnesses were adapted climbing ones. Sport has changed considerably since then. Back then it was ‘go climb a big hill and fly to the bottom’, now it is ‘go to a small hill, climb to cloudbase and fly 100 miles’ (I wish !).

Currently taken a couple of years off due to family and other commitments, but this will be my comeback year :)

It takes a lot of commitment in this country (UK), due to weather – although some people can get lucky.

Modern kit is safe – if you buy the right wing for your experience level.

A few simple rules – get instruction from a recognised school (google ‘BHPA school’)

don’t buy kit off ebay unless you really know what you are doing – there is some real old tat out there.

Nothing wrong with modern second hand kit for learning or for the first few years being dragged around hills

If you get any flying on a paragliding holiday – it’s a bonus :) Choose somewhere you want to be if the weather isn’t suitable.

There are no rich paragliding instructors

If other people aren’t flying – there is usually a very good reason!

Most accidents are caused by people flying unsuitable wings in marginal collisions or due to collisions with other people or the ground.

Here endeth the lesson :)

Triumph T20 Tiger Cub
Honda Cd175
Yamaha RD250
Honda CB500T
Honda Cx500
Kwack GT750
Moto Guzzi Mille GT
Moto Guzzi V50
Honda Cd200
Yamaha XS650
Bandit600
Triumph Trident 900
BMW K75C
Yamaha TDM900 (still got)
BMW R100RS
Honda FireStorm

My last two were Alto and Stratus (‘cos they were grey).

I just put those (RL520’s) on my drop bar 1992 Kona Fire Mountain. Seem okay.

My 700cc ‘tourer’ currently has road BB7s, 5703 shifters and front mech, a 105 crank with a 26T ring replacing the 30 (so 50/39/26), an XT 9s rear mech with a 11-34 cassette. I suspect that with a load on I’ll never use the 50T big ring so could go smaller, but that might bring problems with shifting.

Rusty, what brake levers are you using?

A quick question about bar end shifters if i may.

Shimano 9s ones can be used in friction mode for the rear, rather than index. Shimano 10s bar ends only do index at the rear. is it possible for a 9s bar end shifter coupled with a 9s MTB rear mech shift a 10s rear cassette in friction mode?

I believe that some Microshift bar ends can be used in friction mode at the rear, but they don’t seem to be readily available in the UK. I think the road BS-A09 and BS-A10 models are rear index only, whereas the road BS-T09 and BS-T10 can be used in both. can’t find anywhere in UK selling T09 or T10 ones.

The Microsoft MTB BS-M10s can be used friction at the rear, but will this only work with a 10s rear mech. My head hurts at this point !

Not sure on prices, seem to vary a lot looking on ebay motors or autotrader.

I don’t buy cars very often, I tend to keep them until they fall to bits, so not sure what a reasonable price for a 10 year old (ish) car is. – especially if bought from dealer rather than private.

Not got a particular one in my sights yet, but as late as possible (2004 ish). Looking to spend £2.5k ish

Torch and screwdriver to be added to essential car buying tools :)

Thanks.

Much appreciated.

Neil Young – Rust never sleeps
Bruce Springsteen – The River
Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell
Scorpions – Gold ballads
Tom Petty – Damn the Torpedoes
Wishbone Ash – Live Dates

aaarrgghhh !!! Jambalaya

I now can’t get Barbie Girl out of my head

Deep Purple – Soldier of Fortune

Try cutting your steerer down. It’ll make that speed hump feel less like Everest.

Happy Christmas, and a happy new year, Jerry!

And to you, CFH :).

I finally did the deed the other month with the Kaffenback steerer. I’ve kept the cut off bit for the next time we meet.

Weirdly triple is not a guarantee of a low gear. The road triple is an odd beast sod with a 30 tooth inner ring. Although I believe you ca swap to a smaller inner. But the middle is limited to a smallest ring of 39

The Trek Cross Rip is a triple but has a 28 sprocket at the back so not that low gearing from stock

I do find it odd that more of these versatile bikes don’t come with a sub 30″ gear. I know its not trendy but it certainly makes things more versatile. Good to see Genesis with 34 teeth rear blocks this year I don’t see that as wall climbing like they claim. If 34 34 is all you need why does the vagabond get 28 36 and the Tour De fer 24 34? Maybe they can ride up overhangs

As of this afternoon, my Vaya now has 26 34. Just need the weather to improve so i can find a suitable cliff to try riding up.

We used to play Pub Monopoly at Uni, many years ago.

The streets were replaced by pubs, the idea was that the boardmaster would keep the board in the ‘home’ pub, players were in teams of three and would throw the dice and go and have a pint in the pub on which they landed, then return to the ‘home’ pub to throw (the dice!) again. First team around the board was the winner. The Chance cards were also dodgy – the worst being ‘Go to the Red Cow and have two pints of scrumpy’ – not many people survived that one.

It used to get very messy, very quickly.

I wanted to like the Jorvik museum (I remember the dig at Coppergate when it was happening) but was unimpressed. Overpriced for what it was.

The Castle Museum was much better value (adult tickets were valid for as many times you wanted in a year, and kids were free when we were there 2 years ago). The kids loved the Victorian street – they said it reminded them of Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

The Railway Museum was even better value (free).

Each to his own though.

According to the blurb, the road link doesn’t work with triples, unfortunately.