Show us what you did today, thread

Well Brian and I will hopefully get our ride to Altnabreac later in the week.
Meanwhile Caleb and I spent an enjoyable afternoon out on the Flying Scot tandem. Still work to be done to suite us and most of that will be over the winter when it will get stripped down and fully serviced. For now our major problem of the front derailleur rapidly losing the ability to move was down to an outer cable falling apart at a cable guide. Next up is bars and brake levers.
We now had gears back and that made it easier to head up the hill behind the house and up off the coast to slowly meander through the farm roads and tracks out towards Dunnet before heading back to the coast and taking a few of the dirt tracks to see if we could get anywhere on them. Some were good and some either didn't go anywhere or were flooded due to the weeks rain.
We stopped at Castletown harbour and had some brownie that Caleb had cooked with Heather yesterday and I had snuck into the trunk bag. Weather was dry but definitely cool, winter will soon be here.
It was a great few hours and Caleb loved it, he is a natural on the tandem as we never have any problem with being out of sync or thinking we are about to do something we aren't, it's just very easy and natural.
Anyway, hope it was dry with everyone else and maybe we all had a ride.

Jamie

IMG_4100 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4104 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4105 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4110 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4112 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4115 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4119 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4120 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4122 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4125 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

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I spy brownie
Looks like a nice ride Jamie, you taking more brownies along fit next week's ride?

The lad is definitely a chip of the old block.

You'll be on the back of that tandem one day soon...

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jimo746":2rk0zst4 said:

I spy brownie
Looks like a nice ride Jamie, you taking more brownies along fit next week's ride?

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That sandwich box of brownies was for the postponed ride with Brian. We just couldn't wait.
There is more, but whether it will last until later in the week

Jamie

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jimo746":i9lnvd9t said:

Tell me more about your Puffer lights Jamie, if it goes ahead in January I'll be needing some decent lights!

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jimo and Jamie, and anybody else, just received an email from Planet X about their offers. One of the offers is this light,
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPXBBBPR ... 080987a289

I bought one about a month ago for same price, £25 instead of £49.99, in one of their "sales". I had been on the point of buying a spare battery for my helmet light that I had bought from MTB Batteries, https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/mountain-bike-lights/ last year when they had a deal on. I got the Lumen 800 and Lumenator as a pair. The battery that comes with the Planet X Burn Baby Burn PRO Dual Front Light is a 10,000mAh 8.4V whereas the standard version of light only has a 4800mAh, 8.4v battery.

Thought I'd take a chance since the higher capacity batteries from MTB Batteries and Torchy are getting into the high £40s for a 10,000mAH battery. Assumed that Planet X would at least guarantee a decent-ish battery, plus there's the light too for your £25. The light is a little heavier than similar shaped LED lights I have that I've used on my bars.
Not used it yet but will use the battery with my new Lumenator soon as it uses the same connector.

You might need to use the code, LEVIP2609, in case the discount isn't applied automatically like when I added the light to my basket earlier.

Thanks mate, I did see that earlier tonight actually.
It's good to hear someone say something about them, I thought they sounded pretty good value too.
I don't really need anymore lights but another couldn't hurt could it? back up and all that
I am actually building up a dynamo wheel for my Trucker so even commuting won't be an issue soon.

Jamie

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Cheers OCP, I've seen the Planet-X lights crop up on my Facebook feed over the last few days, and had a good look at them the other day ,very nearly pulled the trigger on one too.
But, I've bought one of the 650 lumen lights from Torchy here...https://www.torchy.co.uk/product/torchy ... ont-light/
and our very own Mr-mac did a review of it here... http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... ;p=3037446.

One reason is that it's pretty simple to change the batteries over for fresh ones, so on longer night rides (eg Puffer) it should be pretty straightforward to extend the runtime of the light.

I'm not sure how bright it'll actually be in use, I'm thinking I might like a helmet light too, but I'll be doing a night ride tomorrow, so should have a better idea after that.
Although for £25? Those PX lights look good value, even if only for backup.

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Jamie, like you I didn't "need" any more lights but to get a 10,000mAH battery for £25 was a bargain. One big battery on bike instead of carrying a spare "just in case" one. The plastic battery case looks similar to the 10,500mAH 6 cell battery (£49.99) on Torchy's site but with moulded loops for a velcro strap. As I said ain't used it yet.

jimo, I'm wondering if this light https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPXSMH2W ... 080987a289 on Planet X can have it's batteries changed like your one. Only 200 lumens instead of 600 though. Still you get an action camera Go Pro type helmet mount too. £14.99 with offer price.
You'll probably find having a helmet light too is preferable to just the one on bars.

Think these deals finish on Sunday. Will have to peruse the site again for some other stuff I don't need and get it to offset the £3.99 postage.

I did go back and have another look today at Planet X and the lights as I seen the Merino socks for £2.50 and I could do with another set of B136 Nitto bars but when I clicked on the email for the lights that said shop now it said the page couldn't be found so I assume they have all sold out. Not that I was buying, just having a second look

Today up here the rain of the past two weeks finally stopped and this afternoon the sun even came out.
So making the most of my time off I adjusted a few little things on the tandem and told the little man to suite up as we were off for a ride. No need to ask him as he is always asking to go for a ride on it.
We didn't have too much time but we got about an hour and a half scooting round the hills to the south east this time. It was a glorious afternoon but it was also very cold on the way back. As soon as the sun even looked like it was starting to drop the temperature went with it. Still a nice ride out.
The tandem is going well and more importantly the little man is loving it, not only that but he has adapted to it with no problems at all. It is a bit different to riding solo and the fact that you are inexplicably linked and need to work in...tandem makes it a much more conscious thing, such as saying when you need to freewheel, change gears, brake, put the inside pedal up when cornering quickly etc but we just seem to do it and it is only now and again with the gears where I need to even say anything. So very pleased with how it's going.
One thing I am finding though is that because I have put his bars across from the Big Dummy where I had the Jones bars so they were very similar in width, I now notice how much leverage he has with them now I am on very narrow drop bars, also the fact they are higher. It's not deliberate from him but the input from him maybe turning round and then pulling himself back on one ide etc is really felt especially at any sort of speed. We are still on 28c width tyres too. I was thinking when riding back that maybe if I put some touring bars on it like butterfly bars or such then our postures would also be the same both in being upright and also more relaxed for myself. I was already going to see about slightly wider tyres, maybe 30's if they would fit and also some Randonneur bars. Will see how it feels over the next few days before making any decisions.
Anyway here's a couple of photos as usual.

Jamie

IMG_4126 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4145 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4147 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4148 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4149 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

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Weather looks cracking Jamie

This morning for me started with a torrential downpour, I was in at work early and a few roads around town were impassable.
At lunchtime I headed over to Banchory to pick up a bike, but yet again the road by the River Dee was flooded, but I noticed a "road" on Google Maps that got me to my destination, so off I went.... only it turned out to be one of Brian's "roads" ie an overgrown, muddy, farm track, wholly unsuitable for a motor vehicle, let alone a van, but once I started down the track there was no going back! :shock:
I did wonder if I got stuck, how the hell was I going to explain getting my work van bogged in on a remote farm track... fortunately , and more by luck than skill, I emerged onto a proper road at the end of the track.

On the way back I passed the Falls of Feugh, so stopped off for a quick photo opportunity of the river in full flow.

After all that fun I thought I'd better unwind with my first night ride in..... aaaages. Tested out the new Torchy BK650 light, which was adequate, but I do think a similar power head torch would be of benefit when going around corners.