Tell us about your weekend ride

Durano cost half that and their 28mm would probably fit sub-30mm limit (they were normally bigger than spec on my wheels back when I used them on my TT bike in winter). They're most certainly not Marathons (which I've also used on my commuter and call 'tractor tyres'). Durano Plus are the halfway house.

I rode 225k yesterday on Turbo Cottons and didn't puncture but that's because I'd already binned the older tyre that copped its last flat from a staple the other day.

"We" did flat 3 times on a 100k audax two weeks ago in the pissing rain on flinty lanes but we're both running my very used ultra race tyres (GP4000s and pro4endurance 28mm) which also cost around £30ea

Hippy. Go ride your Bike.

Long time no see. waves

I was riding my bike though. I'm literally sat here on a work call in my knicks waiting for the chat to stop so I can shower.

See, it worked!
You are known for riding ALL THE DISTANCES so when are you coming to the flatlands of Bedfordshire to visit?

I don't really know where the borders of Beds is but we were kind of out that way the other weekend for a 100k audax: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44603930

Are you still doing a thing up there? You should PM me the address so we can stop by.

Ah yes, I've logged onto the twatter again and reminded myself of your thing. I didn't have it starred on my maps, which means it doesn't exist in my zero-storage-capacity brain. I've fixed that so if we're nearby... stock up.

Haha! Cool.

I had to go and pick up some plumbing fittings from screwfix this morning so I took the billboard. For course I didn’t ride straight there, I took the scenic route which involves a ford across a river. I didn’t think this through. When a farmer in a defender 90 tells you to turn around, it’s best to turn around. The ford is a way down the road in a big dip. Oh well.

1 Attachment

Haha can relate to this! I went through a similar looking one at 6am a few years back and didn’t see it as it was dark. The water fully submerged a son dynamo and rohloff hub as well as the BB but all seemed to survive to my amazement.

Did you make it right the way through? How high was the water and how did the bike fare?

That was where I turned round, the ford is normally 300mm or so deep this time of year, but there’s a foot bridge off to the side, that was fully submerged by at least the same today as well.

Oh right good call to turn around , sensible option!
We’re have mega amounts of rain at the moment, definitely a good case for getting sealed bearings so this reason as even some of the puddles submerge the pedals

True that! There’s an almost permanent puddle at the end of my road at this time of year, it’s a good 150mm deep at the minute, to avoid it is a 5 mile detour. Winter hey!

First Saturday of Dec '23 balancing out that warm Autumn. 15 miles to Windsor at Met Office 'feels like: -3C'

Frost, freezing fog and -1°c for me today. An hour and a half was enough of numb fingers and toes before heading to the pub for a 'mulled wine and cider' recovery plan.

First proper ride since October. -3 and sticking to frozen mud tracks. Probably the slowest 2hrs I have ever ridden. 8/10 would do it again

Now the wind has turned round to southerly, Sunday is forecast to reach 6C just as the afternoon rain arrives.

Ach jeez, I sorta feel bad about today now....

Diano Marina, Italian Riviera, 4200ft 23 miles. Trails: Mailai, San Rocco, Antenne. There was mud tbf.

4 Attachments

Lovely.

Touch chilly up at Peaslake today, but trails running well. The tops of the trees stayed frozen and looked incredible up on the Winterfold ridge.

1 Attachment

I was out for a couple of hours this morning when I had a rear wheel puncture (why is it always the rear that punctures in shitty weather?) in Halstead.

I got the new tube in, only to discover that my trusty mini pump, that I bought close to 20 years ago, had broken since I last used it. I was struggling to get any air into the new tube with it, when someone appears with a track pump in his hand and asked if I wanted to use it. 65 psi later I'm good to go, so return the pump to it's very kind owner, and head home, with my faith in humanity fully charged.

I had something very similar happen a few years ago; just as I was at my lowest point with broken pump in hand and about to google how long my walk was going to be, a car pulled up and offered a track pump. Genuinely felt like divine intervention! I've kept a track pump in the boot of my car since then but have yet to come to someone's rescue.

Some random snaps from our Costa Brava + Maestrazgo Loop ride

8 Attachments

Dry and sunny and croquetas aplenty, nice!

Last one of the year, wettest of the year 😄 straight home after some trappist beers while waiting for the sky to clear. It didn't.

1 Attachment

It was a great trip, yeah.