Trekster: J has been looking at trying to get some kind of ‘biking arm’ but whilst there are things available, it’s fixing it to his body that’s causing the problem.
Some of the prosthetics you can get are amazing though, aren’t they?

Re: Phantom limb pain. J has actually found that it hurts less after he’s been out on the bike – not sure if it’s adrenalin or some other ‘happy hormone’ that does it, but it is another great excuse to go riding, eh?

Some extra pics, esp for Hetty:

More Redmires – Stanage:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1722646&l=08f3f9e13e&id=527320465

Putting his trust in strangers (SUCKER!) and getting that sinking feeling. 😉
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1812583&l=773ebb5fe0&id=527320465

And this is not a biking photo but I think you might like it…
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1395706&l=96510110af&id=527320465

(PS: He got an email this morning, via someone on here, from a guy with brachial-plexus injury. Thanks for passing the pics to your friend. I do hope it inspires him to get back on his bike too! J found the story about how the email came about quite funny…)

I’ve got a base layer which is great and their mozzarella is lovely (and a heck of a lot cheaper than most other places)
I only recently discovered Lidl and I am definitely hooked…

I thought I had a photo, colande, but I don’t. Will take one when I get home and post it at some point.
A friend had a spare grip shifter setup they were going to fit to see how he got on, but it didn’t fit. It’s something he has in mind but isn’t in any great rush for, which is cool.

I think if you are injured and recovering there’s pain there and I do think it’s not always wise to resume riding while there is pain, but with J there’s no limb so I think it’s a bit different.
(Althought there is the phantom limb and associated pain, which is utterly bizarre…)

eckinspain – the bike is a GT Avalanche 2.0 – the only ‘extra’ is a Hopey steering damper.
He currently has 3×7 gears with both changers on the right bar. He also has both brake levers stacked on the right bar so he can squeeze both at once, but because they are stacked the back is activated slightly before the front. This was a big help in stopping him going over the bars, as you can imagine.
It’s a bit crowded on the right bar but I think he’s actually thinking of sticking as it is for the time being.

iseeadarkness – I know, I know and you have no idea how much that helped us both! To be honest, I think my original thread was almost reassurance for me, as well as for him. 🙂

PieFace – the second one is Catty Lane, yes. My PC is going so slow so I haven’t opened the first link, but it’s the track that runs down to Ronksley Hall Farm, and in fact that is where you’d turn left, at the farm.
Like I said earlier, the usual ‘not very exciting’ disclaimers apply…
And watch out for pedestrians and dogs on Catty Lane.

Ooh, I love a good grade debate.
Is now the time to mention (shhhhh) Three Pebble Slab?
😉

Wharnecliff is a good venue for easy access grit that’s not too polished. You can easily spend a whole day there and often not see another party climbing there. It’s not as ‘pretty’ as some of the peak district venues and I think therefore not so popular either. One of my favourite places.

V8 flats, MrNutt.

Pieface, I think you’d be surprised what you can do when faced with it. Seriously. You have 2 choices – you sit and mope, or you get on with it. You’re allowed to do the first for a bit, but then hopefully you move on to the second option.
I emailed the surgeon the other day to fill him in on the past 8 months and he summed it up pretty well – he said “somehow I didn’t think Julian would be the kind of person to sit back and take it”

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=stannington%2C+sheffield&countryCode=GB#map=53.38855,-1.58573|17|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.38855:-1.58573:17|long%20lane,%20stannington|Long%20Lane,%20Stannington,%20Sheffield,%20South%20Yorkshire,%20England,%20S6%206

The second photo is taken on the bit of ‘unnamed road’ the carries on opposite Beeton Green – where that, Rod Side and Long lane meet is actualy a cross road junction. Go down that missing bitt, then turn left back along to Flash Lane and the on to Riggs High Road, head toward Stannington a bit and then drop down onto Catty Lane (the left turn between the first and second ‘Riggs High Road’ labels) and back out onto Stannigton Road.
It’s not exactly exciting but it’s a quick fix.

I have been office-bound all day but I had a proper mud-fest yesterday and have aching thighs, so I didn’t mind too much. My bike is also cleaner now that it has been for ages because I didn’t have to rush to clean it off because I was freezing.

I am looking forward to working from home at the end of the week when I can go out for a couple of hours before work. Really excited about that!

Hi

He will be doing so, that goes without saying, but he has only one hand and struggles on really rough terrain, loose rocky sections.
That was kind of what I was asking – are there any really rough bits on it? He rode up to Stanedge Pole from Rivelin, and has ridden some of Houndkirk, and regularly rides around Derwent/Howden reservoirs, but this is a bit of an unknown. Was just asking for advice really!

Thanks.