Show us what you did today, thread

[epicyclo]

It does look like a dead end, but takes you a fair way in.

I always like to check because I have learned not to believe OS maps.

 

[clubby]

I have learned not to believe OS maps.

I wouldn't believe me either. Checked maps when I got home and that track actually goes all the way over to the north shore of Loch Rannoch.
It's the ones further towards Dalwhinnie that dead end.

Gonna have to try that Dalnaspidal track right through. Long way back round though. Maybe need to be a wife drop off job.

 

[Jamiedyer]

The loch at Dalnaspidal is very low in water at the moment, lowest I have seen it for many years.

Jamie

 

[clubby]

Billy no mates again as everyone too busy to go riding. Headed out up Glen Esk again for the second time this week, to check out a trail I'd seen coming back down the glen on Tuesday. Lovely looking track heading down the Shank of Inchgrundle. Found a nice track leading up to the plateau from Glen Effock and following a couple of summits, but wasn't sure if I could link it into the Shank. No track on my old map, but there's been so much estate work recently I was hoping there'd be a way to link in. Unfortunately not. Could have done it, but I reckon it would have been a 2-3 hour drag though heather moorland, and even after the dry summer there's still some pretty big pools up there. Climb/push up was 1.5 hours but the view was totally worth it.

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr


Summit track was nice fast rocky twin singletrack. The kind of stuff a landcover could get up but isn't really a doubletrack. Pity I was on my own as it would have made some great Scalextric style racing. As it started to head down it got less and less distinct before disappearing altogether into the heather.

Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr


Was fairly obvious where I had to head, and after 5 minutes of heather hopping I picked the track up again just by a fantastic multilevel waterfall level.


Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr


From there it was onto another good track, rocky but not too steep, which shot me out at the end of Loch Lee for a nice easy ride back to the car.


Untitled by Steven Clubb, on Flickr


Track come round the top of the hill on the left and down the wee notch you can see in the middle. The Shank trail goes up to the right of the photo, and I think it's one for an out and back another day.

 

[Jamiedyer]

That looks a really beautiful place to ride Clubby. Sounds like a good ride though even if you were on your own. Sometimes they are the best times for just riding and exploring freely.
Macretro ride maybe? I would certainly be up for riding there.

For me today, pretty quiet as needed to get a few things done around home and also had to go into town at lunch to meet up with some friends and have lunch with the family but this afternoon am cutting out the base to the sidecar and getting plans into action for that. Hopefully out for a ride but the weather has been really wet and rainy here today. Tomorrows meant to be good so out then.

Jamie

 

[clubby]

Aye, was a good morning out. Lots to explore there. Really quiet away from the car park vicinity, most people parking there are heading for Mt Keen.
Would love to do a group ride there. Unfortunately it’s not a place to go in dodgy weather, so have been tending to do spur of the moment rides when it’s been good. Not ideal for getting a group together when everyone’s lives are so busy.
Still time this year though, as ground conditions are bone dry in general.

 

[ajm]

Not quite as impressive as Clubby's ride, just an hour or so out on the roadster before tea as the sun had come out.

The perfect bike for the occasion though, leisurely Saturday afternoon along the back roads without much more than a breeze.

Very different weather to Thursday's ride when I had to call on the services of my new but retro cape (as recommended on Retrobike!) for the first time since I bought it a few months ago... quite a strange experience but I'm mostly convinced and glad to know it's in the saddlebag should the weather turn when I'm miles from home...

 

[Jamiedyer]

Good to know somebody got a ride in this afternoon.
I had lunch in town after getting some stuff sorted and then thought I would get the base for the sidecar on and then go for a ride on the Jack Taylor. Well the base took a bit longer to sort than I thought it would, mainly due to my jigsaw blade twisting due to a fitting coming loose but really took a while to make sure all the fitting holes were in the right place on the template. Certainly could have done with Andys expertise there.
Anyway all sorted and fitted to the frame but then the heavens opened, bugger! Anyway I have also been sorting spoke size for the wheels I am building for the Dummy, well the front first at least, putting it back to almost standard size for doing some longer miles on it. I have had a SP PD8 Dyno hub and a pair of Ryde Sputniks in 36 hole waiting since before Christmas. Thought I better double check my measurements as it was so long ago I measured them. The front I will most likely fit a Surly ET in 2.5 size. Even though the hub is disc the rims are for rim brake as well so I can always use it for the Trucker as well.
Hopefully out early to get a few miles in on the sidecar and get used to it before I put the dog on. If the base is fine I will sand then varnish it this week. Then to look at what sort of box/body to put on it.

Jamie

DSC_0222 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSC_0284 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSC_0285 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSC_0219 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

 

[Jamiedyer]

Well, finally this afternoon I managed to get out and put a few shakedown miles on the sidecar now that it has the base on it, and see what I've let myself in for.
It's been a few years since I last rode a motorcycle sidecar but how hard could it be? Well harder than I remember that's for sure, rigid with the sidecar locked made it feel just like riding the old K100 chair, lots of effort one side minimal wide berth the other Setting it with a little bit of float made it so much easier as you can lean to turn which makes it ride just like, or near enough normal but also as near as symmetrical. Rode with Caleb again this afternoon and then took Caleb for a mile or so round the block as he really wanted a shot. He just had to use his footrest as a handle to hold and keep his left hand well away from the wheel, no matter what. He had a blast and was laughing all the way though I did have to remind him it's for the dog.
Now we have it set up with the mounts marked to where they need to be, it just two bolts to detach it. The two quill stem bolts.
All good fun

Jamie

DSC_0290 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN5280 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSC_0295 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSC_0297 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN5289 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN5288 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN5290 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

 

[The History Man]

Looks like a sidewinder. We used to have one to get around motorcycle licensing rules.