My spending spree continues. This week I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery of my new Montane Fireball Smock. It's an ultra light top that uses Primaloft insulation which is very warm, even when wet. Should be a valuable piece of kit to carry on my events. More when it arrives...
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Monday, 6 February 2012
Welsh Ride Thing 2012
I finally took the plunge and have signed up for the Welsh Ride Thing 2012 and I’m a little bit excited about it to say the least!
For anyone not familiar with the theme, it’s a self-sufficient mountain biking weekend where you carry all your kit with you, sleeping wild (if you wish) and collect as many checkpoints as you can.
The beauty of the event is that you decide the distance and what you want to do. The grid references are there really to guide you towards some good riding.
Even though it’s only January, I’ve already started compiling a kit list for the bits I’m planning on using. I now have even more opportunity to buy more kit!
I’ve even started listing what I have and respective weights so that I can try to stay as light as possible. I think that I am pretty much there with everything that I need. I have a few more items that I would like, such as some sort of lightweight down vest and a merino wool base layer.
Here is a list of what I have so far. I have a choice of two sleeping bags dependant on the weather (weight in grams):
Rab Storm Bivvy Bag 550
Alpkit Base 120 Mattress 525
Silnylon Tarp 200
Guy lines 75
Eurohike Down 500 Sleeping Bag 1100
Karrimor Global traveller 700 Sleeping Bag 750
Exped Pillow 75
MSR Pocket Rocket Stove (inc case) 100
125g Gas Canister 210
Lifeventure Ti Mug 75
Blacks Solo Pan Set (lid 90g) 200
Spork 5
Fire Steel 10
Mora Knife 100
Alpkit Gamma Head Torch 105
Alpkit 8L Airlok Dry Bag (Rear) 80
Alpkit 13L Airlok Dry Bag (Front) 100
Aluminium V Peg x 6 (5g each) 30
Leatherman (No case) 200
Multi Tool 150
Peter Storm Thermal Top 190
Peter Storm Thermal Bottoms 180
Base weight is around 4kg. There will obviously be more things to consider such as evening wear (tuxedo etc) and food (caviar, Moet etc).
As soon as the weather improves, the serious testing will begin……
For anyone not familiar with the theme, it’s a self-sufficient mountain biking weekend where you carry all your kit with you, sleeping wild (if you wish) and collect as many checkpoints as you can.
The beauty of the event is that you decide the distance and what you want to do. The grid references are there really to guide you towards some good riding.
Even though it’s only January, I’ve already started compiling a kit list for the bits I’m planning on using. I now have even more opportunity to buy more kit!
I’ve even started listing what I have and respective weights so that I can try to stay as light as possible. I think that I am pretty much there with everything that I need. I have a few more items that I would like, such as some sort of lightweight down vest and a merino wool base layer.
Here is a list of what I have so far. I have a choice of two sleeping bags dependant on the weather (weight in grams):
Rab Storm Bivvy Bag 550
Alpkit Base 120 Mattress 525
Silnylon Tarp 200
Guy lines 75
Eurohike Down 500 Sleeping Bag 1100
Karrimor Global traveller 700 Sleeping Bag 750
Exped Pillow 75
MSR Pocket Rocket Stove (inc case) 100
125g Gas Canister 210
Lifeventure Ti Mug 75
Blacks Solo Pan Set (lid 90g) 200
Spork 5
Fire Steel 10
Mora Knife 100
Alpkit Gamma Head Torch 105
Alpkit 8L Airlok Dry Bag (Rear) 80
Alpkit 13L Airlok Dry Bag (Front) 100
Aluminium V Peg x 6 (5g each) 30
Leatherman (No case) 200
Multi Tool 150
Peter Storm Thermal Top 190
Peter Storm Thermal Bottoms 180
Base weight is around 4kg. There will obviously be more things to consider such as evening wear (tuxedo etc) and food (caviar, Moet etc).
As soon as the weather improves, the serious testing will begin……
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Family time
Usually on a Sunday morning, I go out for a bike ride which gives me a bit of freedom and the rest of the family a chance to laze about.
At this time of year when pace slows slightly and summer drifts into a memory, we find ourselves having more time to spend alone as a family which is always a good thing. We enjoy camping and the outdoors so it's becoming a bit of a ritual that Sunday afternoons are spent wandering around together.
We're National Trust members which gives great opportunity for an inexpensive day out. Last week we headed out into Surrey and spent an enjoyable few hours walking through the woods at Winkworth Arboretum. It was really beautiful but a little cold so we were glad to find the shelter of the boathouse to have our lunch.
Also gave me the opportunity to try out my new MSR Pocket Rocket with a round of hot drinks. I was a bit of a hero with the kids when I whipped up a surprise hot chocolate!
Friday, 27 January 2012
I'm rubbish.
No really I am. I’m full of excuses too.
All my best laid plans haven’t really taken off! Christmas bivvy was cancelled (wimped out and went for a ride around Ladybower). To be fair I kind of didn’t see the point in sitting out in the cold and dark from 4.30pm just for the sake of doing it. I’m itching to get out but will wait until March when I can coax some friends out to join me.
Afan didn’t happen this month either, just haven’t had the time to get away for a whole weekend. I am doing an Audax on Sunday though so it’s not as if I’m not riding! 65 miles at this time of year should be a nice test of fitness. I’m still feeling relatively strong although the pounds have crept on over Christmas.
The turbo trainer has been promoted from the garage to the dining room and occasionally gets glanced at. I’ve managed three sessions on it this week and I can see that picking up with time.
Purchases? The last couple couple of weeks have seen a few new additions. Firstly, I’ve revolutionised my whole shaving experience by switching to a DE safety razor which is a nice retro twin sided bladed approach to shaving. I started with a cheap Boots job but have since bought a Merkur 34c. I’m pretty impressed and have tweeted a few times about it. Shaving’s actually become more enjoyable and a lot closer. I feel more manly too. GGGRRRRRR.
Another blade in my household is a Mora knife which should see some outdoors action as the year goes on. I’ve also picked up an MSR Pocket Rocket because my meths stove leaked in my bag and I’ve just found it too messy to work with. I’ll take the weight penalty for the ease of use. I think that because of the convenience of gas the MSR will see more action.
Second Yoga lesson this week and I’m still enjoying it. I think Matt took it easy on our first session because this week I really ache. I’ll report back in due course as it’s still early days but I think it will have great benefits to my core strength.
All my best laid plans haven’t really taken off! Christmas bivvy was cancelled (wimped out and went for a ride around Ladybower). To be fair I kind of didn’t see the point in sitting out in the cold and dark from 4.30pm just for the sake of doing it. I’m itching to get out but will wait until March when I can coax some friends out to join me.
Afan didn’t happen this month either, just haven’t had the time to get away for a whole weekend. I am doing an Audax on Sunday though so it’s not as if I’m not riding! 65 miles at this time of year should be a nice test of fitness. I’m still feeling relatively strong although the pounds have crept on over Christmas.
The turbo trainer has been promoted from the garage to the dining room and occasionally gets glanced at. I’ve managed three sessions on it this week and I can see that picking up with time.
Purchases? The last couple couple of weeks have seen a few new additions. Firstly, I’ve revolutionised my whole shaving experience by switching to a DE safety razor which is a nice retro twin sided bladed approach to shaving. I started with a cheap Boots job but have since bought a Merkur 34c. I’m pretty impressed and have tweeted a few times about it. Shaving’s actually become more enjoyable and a lot closer. I feel more manly too. GGGRRRRRR.
Another blade in my household is a Mora knife which should see some outdoors action as the year goes on. I’ve also picked up an MSR Pocket Rocket because my meths stove leaked in my bag and I’ve just found it too messy to work with. I’ll take the weight penalty for the ease of use. I think that because of the convenience of gas the MSR will see more action.
Second Yoga lesson this week and I’m still enjoying it. I think Matt took it easy on our first session because this week I really ache. I’ll report back in due course as it’s still early days but I think it will have great benefits to my core strength.
Thursday, 19 January 2012
And breathe...
Every winter it's a struggle to out on the bike but in the last couple of weeks I've been a bit more motivated to invest in my cycling.
Unfortunately the weather has been pretty awful on my days off so I've not put in as many miles as I would like but I'm feeling optimistic about riding. No huge plans for any major events but I do have a few ideas.
I can't say that the cycle show in London last week was particularly exciting. All much of the same really so I won't bore you on the details. I'm just glad that I blagged a free ticket rather than paying for one!
The main reason for my positivity is that I had my first Yoga session last night and it's stimulated me to think more about my breathing and posture. It's early days but I'll give a more detailed post in the next few weeks.
Happy new year everybody.
Friday, 9 December 2011
What's cracking?
Thought i'd give you a bit of an update for where things are at the moment.
Riding has taken a dip lately, just struggling to find motivation if i'm honest. No real targets to train for and the dark nights aren't inspiring me to get out and ride. I bought a new light thinking that being able to see where I was going might help but i've only used it twice in the last couple of weeks and on the second time, a funny looking man lingering in the woods made my ride a little uneasy. I should really man up!
Now that my winter road bike is freshly serviced, i'll get out a bit more in the evenings to try not to turn into too much of a blimp. I need less days like yesterday where I sack off my ride after 4 miles and go for a Pizza Hut buffet. Didn't attempt the full record of 17 slices but put in a steady 14 with a side salad.
I've bought a few new pieces of bivvying kit. Mainly Alpkit stuff - a few dry bags and such like. Also got a cheap down sleeping bag from Millets in the sale which they reckon has a comfort rating of -4 degrees and an extreme rating of -21. Think this is very optimistic though as it is really thin. I'll give it a go though and if I freeze to death, i'll know who to blame.
One bonus of the cold weather is that i've been allowed one of my Christmas presents early - my lovely Alpkit Filo jacket. It's proper toasty and for the money, a bit of a bargain. I can see why the sleeping bags are so popular now and think that if I live through winter, i'll treat myself to one of their bags asap.
I have a bivvy trip lined up for the Christmas break (if I don't squeeze one in before). I'm meeting up with a friend who's also keen to give it a go and we're heading out into the Peak District. Should be a good laugh. I've bought a hip flask for the occasion so I can drink myself to sleep. I'll post pictures and a full on kit list when it happens so keep your eyes peeled.
Not much else going on. Still considering the Mach n Back but will wait to see how this first trip goes. I think at the least, i'll be heading to Afan in January for some trail centre riding.
Riding has taken a dip lately, just struggling to find motivation if i'm honest. No real targets to train for and the dark nights aren't inspiring me to get out and ride. I bought a new light thinking that being able to see where I was going might help but i've only used it twice in the last couple of weeks and on the second time, a funny looking man lingering in the woods made my ride a little uneasy. I should really man up!
Now that my winter road bike is freshly serviced, i'll get out a bit more in the evenings to try not to turn into too much of a blimp. I need less days like yesterday where I sack off my ride after 4 miles and go for a Pizza Hut buffet. Didn't attempt the full record of 17 slices but put in a steady 14 with a side salad.
I've bought a few new pieces of bivvying kit. Mainly Alpkit stuff - a few dry bags and such like. Also got a cheap down sleeping bag from Millets in the sale which they reckon has a comfort rating of -4 degrees and an extreme rating of -21. Think this is very optimistic though as it is really thin. I'll give it a go though and if I freeze to death, i'll know who to blame.
One bonus of the cold weather is that i've been allowed one of my Christmas presents early - my lovely Alpkit Filo jacket. It's proper toasty and for the money, a bit of a bargain. I can see why the sleeping bags are so popular now and think that if I live through winter, i'll treat myself to one of their bags asap.
I have a bivvy trip lined up for the Christmas break (if I don't squeeze one in before). I'm meeting up with a friend who's also keen to give it a go and we're heading out into the Peak District. Should be a good laugh. I've bought a hip flask for the occasion so I can drink myself to sleep. I'll post pictures and a full on kit list when it happens so keep your eyes peeled.
Not much else going on. Still considering the Mach n Back but will wait to see how this first trip goes. I think at the least, i'll be heading to Afan in January for some trail centre riding.
Customer Service?
I took my Allez in last week for a service at Bike Plus. Ordinarily I use GB Cycles but Bike Plus is a sister company and it was easier for me to park on my way to visit some friends.
The gears weren’t shifting well and the bike hasn’t been serviced professionally since I got it. I’ve generally worked on it myself but I thought a full service would do it some good heading into winter. I must have picked up a puncture in the morning, prior to dropping the bike off as the front tyre was flat when I put it on the car.
I dropped the bike in and agreed to the £120 full service, explaining that I’d punctured that morning and would like a new tube put in whilst the bike was being worked on.
I collected the bike yesterday and all seemed well so I decided to go for a ride. I got 2 miles down the road before the front was flat again and so had to change the tube. I was so annoyed, I just returned straight home. It was my only real chance of a decent ride this week so I was even more fed up.
I called Bike Plus to see if they’d changed the tube to be told the mechanic put air in it and it seemed to stay up so they thought they’d save me a few pounds by not changing the tube. Now, I’m no mechanic but in all the years I’ve been puncturing tyres, I’ve never seen air repair a tyre. Generally, when a tube gets a puncture, it needs to be repaired or replaced. I wouldn’t have minded so much if I had been told this when I collected the bike as I’d have changed the tube myself, prior to going out or even if the shop had said “you know what, we screwed up.” Instead, I get a shrug of the shoulders and a “not bothered” attitude.
I won’t be using them for a service again……
The gears weren’t shifting well and the bike hasn’t been serviced professionally since I got it. I’ve generally worked on it myself but I thought a full service would do it some good heading into winter. I must have picked up a puncture in the morning, prior to dropping the bike off as the front tyre was flat when I put it on the car.
I dropped the bike in and agreed to the £120 full service, explaining that I’d punctured that morning and would like a new tube put in whilst the bike was being worked on.
I collected the bike yesterday and all seemed well so I decided to go for a ride. I got 2 miles down the road before the front was flat again and so had to change the tube. I was so annoyed, I just returned straight home. It was my only real chance of a decent ride this week so I was even more fed up.
I called Bike Plus to see if they’d changed the tube to be told the mechanic put air in it and it seemed to stay up so they thought they’d save me a few pounds by not changing the tube. Now, I’m no mechanic but in all the years I’ve been puncturing tyres, I’ve never seen air repair a tyre. Generally, when a tube gets a puncture, it needs to be repaired or replaced. I wouldn’t have minded so much if I had been told this when I collected the bike as I’d have changed the tube myself, prior to going out or even if the shop had said “you know what, we screwed up.” Instead, I get a shrug of the shoulders and a “not bothered” attitude.
I won’t be using them for a service again……
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