Most recent activity
-
Last time I discussed the alpenbrevet with @peter_v and @Brommers in the weekend ride thread, back in 2015 when I did the gold edition starting in Meiringen, I expected to take care of the platinum the next year. Since then a lot of life and no training happened until I realized it could be now or never in 2023. I finally started training in January, did a much smaller amount than hoped, and nearly withdrew in August, when a ride over a couple of the passes seemed quite hard enough.
In the end I lined up, very nervous about the 5 minute-spaced, motorbike paced starting groups for the descent to Wassen, and how to beat the clock in Airolo (I.e. last group would be 1/2 an hour behind and won't all those obviously faster and more serious types just push me and my 15 year old bike to the back...)
After the passes were closed by snow earlier in the week, the day was cool and dry so no overlooking, I got in the first wave no trouble and attitudes were good all day. I made the checkpoint after three passes in time. What would happen after that remained to be seen but I just tried to patiently keep going forwards. Tried taking turns in a couple of groups down to Biasca but they were just too fast, very impressed by the power and descending of many other participants. Finally made the Oberalp pass at 9pm, came out of a well lit gallery into pitch black and realized my front light had died. I had a spare backlight and by total luck, a spare cable tie for the start number that I just stuffed in my pocket in the morning because I didn't know what else to do with it. Made it down very slowly and illegally but was not banned from future editions on the spot.
Total time was a few seconds under 15 hours, the finish was still open, on my terms, I made it! It was a really great day, very proud to have done it at last, don't think I need to/can do it again.
Most impressive participant: maybe an older guy not obviously 'built for climbing', in a 2023 Paris-Brest-Paris finishers jersey, what for a recovery ride!
-
These kids bikes have a mechanism that you might find interesting:
https://blackmountain.bike/products/skog
(Basically, the bike is expandable and when you make the frame bigger you also take off an outer part of the sprocket to make the gear bigger, then to tension the belt and extend the reach, the seat tube rotates a bit to move the bottom bracket forwards and the the seat back.)
-
International postage possible?
-
can post within uk
Thanks, I'm outside the UK though, drop me a line if you feel like posting further afield later on.
-
Would you post the groupset, maybe also the bars and bits (what saddle, how long is the stem?)?
-
Quite interested in this conundrum also as I guess converting to 650b will be the way to keep my 650a tandem on the road when the current wheels give up the ghost.
This implies shiny silver hubs with 40 or 48 holes, 140 mm OLD and drum brake threading are at least available:
https://www.tandems.co.uk/m17b0s90p900/JD-TANDEMS-rear-wheel-700c-40-hole-disc-or-drag-brake
Doesn't seem like it would be a big deal to get them built with 650b rims instead of 700c.
Can't comment on the quality/value of these.
-
Was feeding some friends chickens not long ago: I was surprised by how keen they were on dandelion leaves from the garden because I didn't really think of them as salad eaters, but their enclosure was pretty muddy so maybe that was what they were missing.
-
Alpkit actually is a B-corp.
Reminds me of (man drives digger into own pub after staff won't serve him):
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6582221.pub-bulldozed-owner/