Any thoughts on the French Divide route bike-wise?

Yep, there was everything from CX bikes clad in file treads to fat bikes.

I reckon an MTB with a fastish rolling tyre.

Gear and a warning.

http://minipips.blogspot.com/2016/09/tdf-gear-and-cautionary-few-words.html

There’ll be an epilogue at some stage, but I’m done for now. :)

http://minipips.blogspot.com/2016/08/tour-de-france-heading-south-west.html

http://minipips.blogspot.com/2016/08/tour-de-france-heading-north.html

What do people do for accommodation on the French divide?

We camped in campsites, and wild camped. Others bivvied, and some people took regular advantage of hotels, though you’d have to do plenty of homework if you were going to rely on hotels.

The next installments….

http://minipips.blogspot.com/2016/08/french-divide-to-reims.html

http://minipips.blogspot.com/2016/08/french-divide-to-toulon-sur-arroux.html

http://minipips.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/french-divide-auvergne.html

@kimbers he was still in nappies then. I think his sister had just learned to ride her bike.

He was only asking me the other day as to when he’d be old enough to do the Mega. ;)

Why’s everyone so obnoxious to each other?

‘cos they think they’re much better than they are.

Big bikes, not so big ability.

I quite enjoyed it when I did it. I’ll go back with my boy in a couple of years I reckon.

A great day.

Always good to catch up with mates and talk about bike rides whilst swilling beer.

Had a new laptop a few months here with it.

Move on, nothing to see here.

A bump for the evening crowd. ;)

We are looking forward to being a part of this. :)

Yep the Alpkit one is spot on.

We’ve done over a 1000 miles on this one now.

This one is alloy, but I understand a Ti one will appear shortly.

Waiting list for solo – what are my chances?

I know of a couple who just missed out on getting an entry, but ended up riding last year and the year before.

If you’ve got your head round 17 hours of darkness, being wet, muddy and cold then you’ll be fine.

It isn’t like summer events where you can do a few laps then sit around and enjoy the atmosphere.

I think it’s just traditional to make them from canvas. It’s also flame retardant normally so quite a few people fit stoves or fires to them as well for warmth.

Ours is cotton and I assure you the canvas lights easily unless you coat it with a (heavy) fire retardant coating. I did a test with the bit I removed for its chimney. BTW a canvas one weighs ~35Kg, and as said above is a nightmare to dry properly. After Strathpuffer this year, ours spent a fortnight drying in the living room. ;)

You wear your bibs over your shirt?

I quite like it. It’s not all rideable though, and it’ll be very wet tomorrow.

It’s been a good few years now, but I was very close to the edge, hospitalised for 3 months at High Royds. No real reason for being on a downer, though in retrospect, a lot of little things, some of which were not worth worrying about anyway.

Whilst in crisis EVERYONE said I can’t believe that YOU are depressed. Me, much as I am now, someone who is usually smiling.

It happens to all sorts.

It was hard getting through it.

I guess it’s 15 years gone now and I have pulled through. There are times when it threatens to come back, and I have to say I do not want to go back there.

The only reason I think I might get rid of our B+O CRT is that I struggle to read subtitles now. I think subtitles have been shrunk since they presume most folk have enormous screens.

Fell off on that super steep blip on the slate not long before the 135km bail point.

That was quite spectacular!

Say Hi to Tom who’ll be riding a Sonder Camino Ti. ;)

Bikepacking with a frame bag, bar bag and seatpack will give you ~25 litres of storage.

Conventional F+R panniers and a bar bag could give you ~100 litres.

You should have gone to the Adventure Cafe ;)

A bump for the evening crowd. :)

We’re fit being doing plenty on the bike plus some running and big walks.

June is looking unlikely for us now, more likely we’ll set off in August.

Long term weather forecast suggests that it isn’t going to be an excuse.

Presuming we don’t get timed out, we’re doing the whole thing.

Did I see you two grinding up the riverbed descent at Grizedale on the tandem the other weekend? Please tell me you dabbed at least once…

We were in Grizedale on Good Friday. Not sure if we dabbed or not, though there was plenty of bike pushing on that day. :)

We were being filmed today with a Phantom, and the footage was good, though the operator does this for a living. He was also shooting with a much more expensive drone that shoots with a 4/3 camera. He says both have there benefits.

I’m 50 mostly ride bikes with my 11 yo, my daughter is 14 tmw and frowns at my childishness often.

Being grown up or old will be a shock.

@mick_r Good to meet you. Glad to hear your lad is keen for the TD.
Just the excuse you need eh? ;)

Taking the tandem to Llandegla for a few laps.

Gonna be a wet one. :)

Blog.

http://minipips.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/24-hours-of-strathpuffer-mud.html

See you next year Brian. :)

Minipips won youngest solo rider trophy, riding 13 laps and finishing in 58th place.

Then we drove 8 hours home.

Currently drinking whisky (me not him).

Thanks downhilldave.

So are we all raring to go?

Forecast is looking like maybe this maybe that. ;)

In the greater scheme of things “close”.

“saving them” really?

What’s the back story with the Hit and Run?

It appears he was drunk.

Here’s our blog.

Contains some drama.

http://minipips.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/rapha-festive-500-2015.html

Had a lovely day today round London. Minipips was just outside the top 500 finishers.

Blog to follow when we get home.

Sorted now. Thanks guys.