look up Diane on here.
she’s wheels and deals in development stuff on the borders.

😉

Go on then, i’ll be there to motivate you all to do, ‘just one more descent’ 😉

Jim, would be great to abuse them, miss having my old arc.

Best i come and get them then, see the little un and no doubt get roped into some DIY 😉

Maybe next week when i take some time off. 😆

Six cycles usually have a Weds evening night ride posse, and i think there’s a large local group leaving LHCP on a Thursday evening at 6.30pm

I’m currently without lights so only ride during the days right now 🙁

cb=concrete block trail.

Oh, and if the OP does go to stowey for tea. Coming back up BC is ok apart from the boggy 100m or so you’ll have to wade along.

Best accessed from the top of ladies combe at the end of holford combe. Where there’s a clearing it the top with a tree in the middle of a grassy area, go through a gap in a bank and follow any single track down the hillside to the road. Cross the road and you’re into the BC descent, after about 120m there’s a fallen tree to hop over, with another one to jump over(there’s a soil ramp over it), just after that go left around a further fallen tree then rejoin the obvious path. Stick to all the left hand lines where you see them, staying out of the leafy ditch as much as possible but you will need to get in there on occasions.

At the end of one section of ditch as you graze past a holly tree, there’s a slight booster, just after that cut through the earth bank and drop into a dried up stream bed(by an old metal Safe(from a nearby PO robbed about 20 years back)Follow this stream bed along the valley floor in the direction whence you came, to get back up to the road crossing for the best way back up. Or to get to Stowey you can continue down the stream bed. Beware though as it becomes extremely boggy and probably unridable down there for a good way. My preferred route from there to get to stowey is as follows.

From the safe in the stream bed, continue down and under a fallen tree taking the next left hand gap in the earth bank back up onto the trail you’d come down on.(it’s not rideable up there for a section due to a hole on the trail and a low hanging tree) Follow the trail along and you’ll begin to climb again, after a hundred metres or so, and before you ride under some dense Rhoddies turn right on a very vague leafy single track traversing the hillside heading east. After some 50m or so, you’ll come to an area of dense holly bushes, here drop down the hill and slalom said bushes down the obvious lower track. There will be a gate to you left along the track. Go through it and follow it, at a crossing by a house continue straight on. After a muddy section you’ll see a stream to the right and steps on the left, you can ride them if committed and keeping to the left side of them. Follow path to the end and turn left at the road into Stowey.

Knottie. Yes i really like this trail and after doing i, i’d ride up and do CB after it gaining my and extra descent. BC descent and climb is only a 30minute max section so a nice inclusion to a loop. IMO 😉

Elf.

Seems i’m not quite in London. I’ll be in Felton this evening and most of tomorrow. Not sure whether i’ll even have any social time beyond 10pm.

Back at the end of September i got this one.
It’s nothing technically brilliant but the rarity of the subject makes i special to me and to others interested in Butterflies.

I’m also proud of the shot, because it’s the only recorded sighting of a Monarch Butterfly i the UK, this year. And if you know anything about them, you’ll know about just how remarkable they are and how much of a special treat, it was for me to see and photograph one.

I was mostly writing the begins of a book, got to 300,000 words by spring then didn’t write a stitch. Hopefully i can get back to it during the dark nights.

Also i seem to amass loads of photo’s through the year so get to sort and play about with them.

If the cash is there, i’ll have a few pints during some evenings so i get to converse with humans.

Dry eyes here, but then again i’m a cross between the grinch, scrooge and herman munsters pubic louse.

You’ve just not been riding as much as you’d normally do Ro, so more of an off day, is climbing that much of a big deal when the fun is on the other side.

You could always go for a lighter option that descents well and nips along where the Spicy feels sluggish, but i’m willing to say it’s the legs that were sluggish, knottie mentioned you slipped off for a bacon roll at the layby, sure you didn’t have a full english and some cake?

A slow start for me, about to leave to collect the bike then ride, but was asked to install a hack to make a DVD player region free. A 3 mile walk along the river and then canal side finally gathering my bike.
9 mile road ride, 6 of that up hill 😕 then cruised across the ridge looking at the fabulous colours and clear sky. Minced about up there for about 15 miles, before the final 1.5 mile single track descent in gloopy fun mud. Arrived int pub after 34 miles caked in mud. A lovely pint of the dark stuff, then 3 mile canal side ride back here. Bike cleaned and ready for a days guiding the Frome posse tomorrow(hence the easy ride today) Not a bad day at all.

Cheers, what about any decals i may fancy, is that a job i’d need to do after than lacquer over myself to protect?

This is all madness really, as i’m not that kind to my bike.

On tues and weds Elf. Not sure where and what free time i’ll get.
I’m in a church or Mosque helping fit a light/sound system, or something along those lines. Will let you know tomorrow more details, like where the heck i’m going.

Geo’ Ah yes, i remember, no doubt some wittering about long tailed ducks, Mergansers, goldcrests, yellowhammers, teals, golden eyes and other such new to findings whilst in and around Elgin.

I’m now back in Somerset, and as the weather turns(if i ever will, still 15-17 degs) the wetlands will fill up and provide a much needed home for migratory birds, it’s been a fantastic year for berries, so plenty of food about. A Great grey Shrike was spotted down this way a few weeks back, which birders got excited about. I however just like all wildlife and can’t get obsessive about just one group of animals.

I’ll no doubt do a end of year write up on my highlights of the year in the wilds.

Happy Birding Geo.

Or Shucks Geologist.

Birding ones? I can’t remember doing any of those’s, normally bugs i think. But yes is been a while.
I did do one a couple months ago after sighting a Monarch Butterfly. It turned out to be the only monarch reported in the UK this year. Anyway as the thread remained comment free, i guessed everyone was fed up with nice posts and only wanted things to argue about, so haven’t bothered since.

I’ve still been spending alot of time with my head either in the clouds or in a hedgerow someplace, so the year has so far been very rewarding in terms of wild encounters, big and small.

Todays highlights were a flock of migratory Yellow hammers and a beautiful Kingfisher, flying close to and over the canal, in full sunlight, i can still picture it and it’s refection over the flat mirror like surface. It perched for a while but not long enough for me to get the camera out. 🙁 I’m now thinking of getting the Bike powder coated in Kingfisher colours, vibrant blue, over orange..Hmmm..

Here’s the Monarch, Just for you.

Elf. I’m up in That London next week. Perhaps i’ll get THAT image on a bill board for you. 🙂

But still pi55ed most of the time 😉

THAT pic either predates the injury or was not long after it so shows little or no bentness.

Unless you mean the gold hot pants, gold boots and blonde wig photo, which shows total bentness.

GW, tried didn’t like it, felt like i was being assaulted.

Behind Torico in Sturminster Newton, near UKBP.

Or at least Ben used to have a little pump track there. 8)

All very impressive trout, but when am i going to see full production of the all singing all dancing helmet light as featured on here back in the summer, as modelled by me.

I’ll be more than happy to Trial and promote them across the SW and wherever else i wander.
I find myself without any lights this winter, so would love to adorn my helmet with one of your offerings. Even if is does look a little daft 😉

I hear different.

Where possible i always bridged the back of the hole with pieces of batten spanning beyond the hole, screwing though the existing plasterboard to pull it flush with the back of the board. Fit as many of these to suit the hole and pull in the screws into the board and not flush with the finishing skim.

Make the hole square to ease making the infill piece.

Score with a sharp knife the skim at least an inch back from the hole and remove the skim.

Cut a piece of new P board to fit in the hole(make sure it’s the same thickness as existing) and screw to the battens.

Get some skim tape and over lap the joints, this will help prevent cracking of the joints caused by movement or shrinkage.

Skim over new p board, or use easy fill which can be sanded easier than say one coat.

HTH

edit, need to type faster…

Chugg08, wreck penetration is very dangerous. i was married to one for 9 years, proved almost fatal to me.

Many of us have probably had more dices with death than we know of, not that car was out of control around that blind bend, etc.

I had one encounter with near death or at least a really painful time back when i was out running one evening.

The barriers dropped across the road as a high speed train was coming through, myself and a mate were jogging along the road and in a moment of thoughtlessness we decided to hurdle the barrier, run across the track, then hurdle the next barrier. The assumption was that it would be a long delay as was often experience when having to stop for trains.

However on this occasion it was not the case, as i cleared the first barrier, i checked left then right as i ran across the track. There to my right was the bright light from the train, closing real fast, as my trail leg cleared the next barrier the train whizzed past. yikes!

The only ever dice with death was 3 times early last year. Only i had a say in the matter one those 3 days. Those circumstances are the only time in my life when i will get to chose when i go. Not to keen now on living y the rules of others.

Stay safe and stay happy out there peeps.

I’ve never thought of trying to sell them, used to come across loads when i was full time in building and house renovating.
I can certainly see the appeal of having one(dormant) but how to safely package it, gawd knows, the insides are pretty stable, but the outer is so fragile.

Hmmmm!

As said, chop it down and give it too a school.

Such intricate structures, something that any designer or architect would appreciate and marvel in it’s prefect form.
All those arcing strips are chewed wood, mixed with wasp saliva and plastered on to form a nest.

The Queen will be hibernating, possibly under one of your roof tiles. She’ll come out in the spring and begin to build her nest, just a small one at first, she’ll then lay her first load of eggs, once they hatched and turned into adults, the females will build the nest bigger and bigger into what you have there, maybe bigger.

You’ll be fine!

Such a tragic incident, one which sadly i was close to less than an hour before it happened.

I was in nearby fields walking at around 8pm,, this was less than a mile away from the incident. At that time visibility was very poor, my head torch lit up the wall of fog like a white sheet in front of me. I could see at best 5 metres in front of me, my location was at the same level as the motorway so would assume it was as bad there.

I was away from that area at the time of the incident so can’t comment on the conditions over on the M5, but in town it was still extremely foggy.

At the time of the incident a nearby firework display was coming to a close, the display was very close to the M5.
My speculation based on conditions out there and the behaviour of people is thus.

Vision impaired on the M5 due to thick fog.
The nearby firework displays grand finale, is seen from the M5 through the mirk, as a bright flashing area, lots of colour, but only as a flashing colourful haze.

Drivers distracted by this haze, begin to bunch up, panic breaking ensues, lorries jack knife from heavy braking, inevitable carnage begins.

We all see the effects of rubber necking on the motorways, it’s stupidly dangerous during normal conditions, add poor viability and inappropriate speeds into the mix and this shit happens.

A friend just phoned me in shock as she’d just had to pull over after a driver in front of her, rubber necked at the news crews, etc, then panic braked as he’d crept up on the vehicle in front of him, the knock on affect was and maybe is a further accident..

Stay safe out there peeps, it’s full of crazy mindless drivers.

Thoughts are with all those involved, i hear of the horrific tales from the scene,children screaming, the heat from the flames being to intense for the first on the scene to be able to help. Them just standing helpless, hearing the panic and the pain.

The sound of the choppers and sirens through the night as the hero’s work tirelessly to do whatever they could. Amazing people.

And finally to those stuck in traffic, waiting for it to clear, no doubt moaning and cursing about having messed up their evenings due to the delay. Spare a thought you people, you night was nothing by comparison.

Sharki.

I’ve limited knowledge of music, so asked on another thread for suggestions..

This one got put forward just before the thread got pulled 🙁

Haven’t a clue what it is mind you as i can’t read.

😉

Flame me!

alp_girl.
Having only ridden the Gap road, Afan trails, gower, Brecfa, Snowdon and penmac, my welsh experience is limited.

A rides a ride an meeting new people is great, whether male of female.

Just male me an invite. 😉

It needs to be much more welcoming, imo.

I still need contacts in a wider variety of the UK to fill my boots with.

Plenty of love to go around still.

Wanted lady cyclists in Wales, Yorkshire, Norfolk, Surrey and Shropshire. 😀

I’ve got a pick of a third time snapped one.
Nothing else to replace on it frame wise after it’s few years mincing around the flat SW.

By all accounts the Hemlocks are a very nice riding bike. Enjoy!

Come off on M5 junc 24, follow road into Bridgwater. At main set of lights turn left. Pass Morrisons(on left) pass B&Q, stay in left lane and go left at next set of lights onto West street. Follow signs to Spaxton, go through village and follow to the end, at junction just past the reservoir turn right. Say on this road, following signs for Nether Stowey. After passing drive through barn on left and lime washed cottage on right, look out for left turn on sharp right hander. Sign posted Cockercombe. Take that turning, staying left at vague junction. As you pass over a cattle grid, the road goes round to the right and climbs. Follow all the way to the top, there’s a car park at the end.

All the DH trails are on the left, there’s around 30 runs in there now. Either find the trail running parallel to the road you came up and drop in right off that, or find the barrier to the left of the top cattle grid ad follow the tyres tracks along there till you find the top and numerous runs from there.

All trails lead to a forest track, with a final forest track sitting in the bottom of the valley.

Trails north of that track are more open and flowy, to the south are steeper, rootier and more technical. If it’s wet it’ll be slick but not claggy.

There will be no uplifts at Triscombe this Friday.

Nick, steep? Try it on an orange 5, clipped in with the saddle a touch to high on a moist day…
I’ve had better ideas..lol

rubber ones.

After years of using all sorts of different makes of tyre, i’ve come to the conclusion that the best tyres cost money, so i settle for freebies that make my ass twitch and keep my reactions sharp. So long as the rear grips enough when i pedal.

They’re all good trails up there, armour just reflects confidence levels of the riders, especially if they are riding in a fast group and have a a bit of falling off alot, imo.

There’s a few roots than can catch you out and as said like the three bears and ankle cracker for example can bite if you get it wrong, fun in moist a couple weeks back, however the line onto the steeper run in seems vaguer than i remember it being a few months ago.

Mick took me along a trail(don’t know where) that had a few very poor kickers along the way, but nothing to nasty and all rollable.

I think RD, that you’ve probably done most if not all the Wyre trails, only your experience and ability doesn’t warrant confidence building armour.

Good to hear your weekends riding went well and that knottie provided you with a grand tour.

This weekend has been the usual of randomness.
Having stopped over at friends on Friday night I woke early and went to meet the BAD tri lot embark on a hill climb challenge on Belmont hill.
after that I rode back and did lap on AC then popped to temple quay to see Will in the tri shop.

It was getting close to mid day and I needed to start heading back to Taunton soon.

Back up cheltenham road to grab the trailer and panniers, some soup and bread then ride.

Bristol to Taunton via Well attempting to avoid busy roads was a fair trek, not ideal with knobbly tyres. Turned out to be a 53 mile trip, on top of the 20 miles I did in the morning.
Yesterday I went geocaching for the day, new to me and an interesting way to explore the outdoors.

yes, and tried to watch it too, that miffed the surgeon, who seemed to want to talk about football.
quite painless really apart from that strange feeling of having what feels like your insides being dragged out through your ball sack.
Oh and the smell of burning bag skin, not as nice as Bacon..
I gained a pair resembling a Victoria plum which were a touch tender for a few days, especially during rude stuff.

I happened to buy my first mtb 5mins after getting snipped.

I’ll be in bristol tonight and not as I said on the phone earlier, so a 40 mile spin down to stowey then we can go ride. Fancy a pm start?

If not ill play in Ashton court for a morning.

I can’t quite get there for sat morn 🙁
The cleave is fine in the wet, granite is grippy, only a bit of algae covered stuff may feel a little a slick, just pin the front in good and hard.

Only two trails get skittish due to the black rock, thats ‘black death’ and ‘B2F’ dropping in from water to the bridge.

All great fun on a moist bum way.