Show us what you did today, thread

And then a 3rd and N+1, I'll do this first, then dither about getting ready, till it's "ah feck it, it's too late, it'll be dark in an hour....." I can't get out of that rut. Even with Benarty right outside my door...
Didn't really have this feeling during first lockdown and summer, a new bike and braw weather meant it was great to get out there.

My wife had her first vaccination a couple of weeks ago as she is a speech therapist working with elderly stroke patients. Hopefully we all eventually get it done before too long.

It’s always best to get out first thing, but that’s easier said than done with a toddler about (never mind his mother).

Glad to see people are still getting out and about. As much for the head as the legs.
For me I am still at work as normal for the weekdays and so while I can't go too far I am desperate to ride by the time the weekend comes especially this time of year when it is difficult to commute. More so this year with lockdown and also with no Puffer to spur on the motivation and push you out to do night riding, it makes the weekends rides more important.
Well for the most part it has either been solid ice up here or pishing rain, neither great for getting out and about, with the exception of the Pugsley.
This afternoon, after a morning of hail and heavy rain there was a period where the sun came out and things were looking brighter. So I thought I better take the opportunity while there and get out for a ride round the coast on the Trucker. I decided on the Trucker as it is perfectly set up for the wet weather and is always a joy to ride, regardless of conditions. I also wanted to play about with my tyre pressure for a bit and really evaluate my tyres. I have run Schwalbe Marathon Duremes (26x 2.0) since I built it about 10 years or so ago and have kept using them as they are great tyres. I have thought about changing them over to the Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass 26 x 2.5 which are supple sidewall high volume + tyres. They have been getting good reviews and thought it might be good for a change. The tyre plans come about as I am in the process of swapping out the front end and hence the tyres on the Big Dummy which is getting a set of Surly ET 2.5s when I finish building the wheels, hopefully this week. Just need either Brian or maybe Sam in the shop in town to double check the Alfine when I am done. This will take the Big Dummy back from a Fat bike to almost a +plus size which hopefully will give me the best of both worlds. This will make it more usable I hope and let me find it's new place in the fleet now that Caleb is either on the tandem or his own bike as it is no longer the child hauler it has been built and used for.
Anyway here are a few photos of my enjoyable ride round the coast, just pootling for a couple of hours enjoying just being out and riding. Like most in this lockdown as time goes on it is getting harder to vary the close routes to home and to try and keep it fresh. So apologies if they all start to look the same

Jamie

Track once again flooded
IMG_4703 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Bridge out!
IMG_4712 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4727 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4732 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4734 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

End of the trail
IMG_4740 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4747 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4754 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Nice pics Jamie, apart from the flooded track!

I feel the same about weekends, me and shona both mental busy at work during the week and with working from home, makes the weekends even more important to get out of the house for a walk or ride.

Today we had a long lie then I got a couple of hours out whilst shona did some work, then a ride into town for a takeaway brisket birdie out our favourite cafe and a simple burl round the urban cycle paths, nowt fancy or challenging but good to clear the head.

I know what you mean about the weekends and I think it's more about getting out for the head. Clears it enough to get through the next week Nobody is doing big miles so I think the legs can get fitter when it's easier to do and also when needed. More important at this point to keep the head in a good place.
To be fair though I don't have anything to complain about as I am at work as usual and while it is much busier due to various factors, it is home that needs more management as Heather is back shielding and Caleb is home schooling. Both doing great but it is wearing thin.
Take care and stay safe.
Jamie

Tsk tsk! Jamie, if Brian had been there you'd have been going down that flooded track

Keith, same here, busy in the week so set off for a short ride on the bike, then a walk this afternoon.
Local paths and trails mental busy with folk, even a bit further afield the car parks are rammed!
Trails still icy and unrideable too.

I was looking forward to getting out on the bike a bit more in this most recent lockdown, now I can't wait for it to be over and folk to feck off back to work!

Jamie, they only look the same to you, to us they're different and interesting. Braw photies too.

I had a wee bit time to myself today so I threw my mrs old kikapu back together (she stole my p7 so this is technically mine lol) 1x10 slx and Deore brake upgrades work well on it

Hi all
No riding for me as super busy at work but have a couple of projects on the go and one of those is finally to pull the Fat front and back off the Big Dummy and put together the wheels that have sat waiting to be built for a couple of years. Not really been the need but now that Caleb is on the tandem and his own bike then the Dummy needed to be re assessed to see whether there was still a useful place for it in the fleet. We all think there is but obviously like this summer onwards it's use has been solo and very utilitarian. So to make it more practical I am taking the Fat off and putting the new wheels on with Surly ETs in the large 26 x 2.5 high volume jobs.
For rims I have a new set of Rigida Sputniks in 36 hole laced to, front SP D8 Dyno hub and the rear I will lace to the Alfine 8 that is currently on it. Hopefully get the front built tonight or tomorrow night after work.
The hub and rims have been sitting in the loft for a long time and after riding it the week before last on a commute I thought I need it to be more efficient and so looked for how I would want it set up. This I think will geive me the absolute best of both worlds for on and off road of the type of riding I do. Ordered the tyres from the guys at Bikemonger the other day and then was glad I did as when I looked around everyone else was sold out. They arrived today and I am now even more enthused to get them built and get out on it. The tyres are the grey sidewall, tubeless ready version though I wont be going tubeless on the cargo bike, but they look nice. They also came wrapped in a couple of Surly junk straps which again is nice.

Jamie

IMG_4765 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4763 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

IMG_4756 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Much were the tyres Jamie, im in need of some knobbly 2.5".
Seems bitd knobbly worked to a different grade of inches I've some at 2.3 and they are seriously narrow compared to whats available now.

I think you were spot on Jim. Mantles taking longer than expected, but that said some jobs are a nightmare when you can only do a little each day due to needing glue to dry.



Aye, that would be nice. Think im getting central heating throat

More of the same. do a little bit, rest, a little more ,rest. Get there eventually im sure.
These are the main columns, I decided the inlaid stringing was the way to go, but hell, a job and a half in A. making the stringing at 60 degrees, then gluing in, then wait,wait,wait, plane down, and sand sand sand
Both columns have taken about 40 or so hours to make total.
Pic A is the second one in its final stage before finishing, Pic B is the first about complete, well I say complete, but thats just sanded to 80 grit, still got 120gt,180,and 240 grit sanding stages to get through, so should only add another day or so before I can get the Osmo oil/wax finish on as a first coat(of 3,maybe 4)