Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: jags on June 11, 2015, 10:29:24 pm
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So anything happening with u lads ,yis are all gone very quiet these days.
anyone sell or going to sell bikes camping gear or planning any trips get married have kids rob a bank kill any cats.
as for me i can't plan anything these days my stomach is giving me jip, hospital cancelled my appointment until july typical ::)
but if all goes well i'll get out tomorrow on the road bike and saturday on the tandem ,
thank god the weather has picked up great for cycling the wee county of Louth .
CLASS.
anto
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This was my fourth day in the trot on the bike just 25 miles windy yet again, but had to turn for home my back was aching like never before ,at one stage i was seriously thinking of packing in cycling sure theres no enjoyment i n been in pain every time i go cycling.
but the strong wind had a lot to do with it i suppose bit like cycling up hill most of the time .
so yeah problem now is i promised my stoker Darragh i would go in the morning but I'm just not up to it.so should i tell him to look elsewhere for a new pilot,i don't like letting genuine people down and I'm sure he's really looking forward to getting out tomorrow.
what say you all.
on my own i can go at my own pace .
anto
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I went out for a ride yesterday with my partner's 21 yr old son. 22 miles with some good hills. Mostly beautiful quite roads. Ha, on the busier road which is still narrow, we got passed by a pair of trailer trucks loaded with half a house each. We were off the road on our bikes, squeezed up against a steep slope. The drivers with their half-houses had to thread between us and a car pulled over on the other side of the road, but not pulled very far over, since there were railings right along the road. There's a creek along one side of the road and a steep slope on the other side. A tight space!
He's been riding a Jamis Trail X mountain bike with moderate contentment. When we got home, we pulled out my old Trek 520 & put some pedals on it and raised the handlebars a touch. Plan is, he'll ride that now. The gears don't go down so low - it's a tough ride on these hills! But people don't want to hear the downsides of whatever vision they've got running through their heads! I guess we'll all get to see!
I've got to go help out with my parents for a few days... I think I'll toss the Brompton in the car so I can do some exploring while I'm there.
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I popped out for a very gentle 22 miler today. Reason for the gentle bit was I've been nursing a dodgy knee for a few weeks and am anxious not to make it worse. Without boring you with the details and diminishing your will to live: I reckon it was cleats and spds what did it! Of course it might be coincidence but I swopped my spds for an old pair of flats ( dmr v8s) and (touch wood) the knee and referred ache is gone. I oiled the pedals up before going out but the sound of rattling bearings was quite painful. On one of the pedals the grub screw for greasing has seized up ( tiny hex key ) so I'll have to think of a way to coax it out. Fire, ice wd40 brute force, sorcery and cussing: they're all in the tool kit today.
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Well jags, sounds suspiciously like wrong size or type (?) of bike!
Me? Well I cannot ride at present. Heart trouble causing very fat swollen left leg/knee (look it up on Google).
So, reading, enjoying Dorset sunshine and generally feeling rubbish.
This year so far........? Not so good.
Best regards,
John
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I seem to be joining others with an enforced cycling break, 6 weeks off due to a op this week, still I've got bits to do on me Mercury and picked up the Thorn exp off eBay, so that's going to be striped and referbished, Inc getting the frame re painted.
I'm hoping I can use the recumbent bike at the gym so I'll be ready to make use of the rest of the summer. I'll leave you to work out which bit of the plumbing needed a re bore!
John .. Certainly sounds like your having a difficult time of it, I hope things get better for you ..
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mark,
good luck with the op this week, hope it all goes well and wish you a speedy and full recovery.
I had my plumbing re-bored 5 years ago, great result, life changing for the better.
julian.
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knees/ heart /back/ stomach / my god we are all a bunch of crocks how the hell do we ever get to ride bikes ;D ;D ;D.
isn't it funny but u never hear women complain about there aches and pains on this forum ,i guess we lads are one up on them which does'nt happen very often. ;)
oh john me bike is grand neither to big nor to small its the back thats the problem ::)
anto.
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isn't it funny but u never hear women complain about there aches and pains on this forum ,i guess we lads are one up on them which does'nt happen very often. ;)
That's because even though we still have the aches and pains, we don't whinge and whine about them ;)
Seriously though, sorry to hear about all these medical conditions that are preventing you guys from making the most of the summer months on the bikes we love. Hope things improve as much as is possible for you all soon.
Jackie
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Am keeping my fingers crossed for decent weather next weekend, as I have been given a day off on Friday for working loads of hours in my holidays. Will try and work out a route for a short 3 day trip, possibly around New Forest or in Purbecks.
Jackie
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;D Brilliant Jackie. Just what was needed to stop a whingefest ! How's that Sherpa of yours fairing?
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thanks julian, was done wed out Thursday, and would agree, even now .. Life's going to be a lot better
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lads lads don.t mind jackie complain all yis want i love an ould moan.
anto. ::)
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I've been able to get out every weekend the past few weeks, making the most of the sun for a change, with a nice 50 miles round the cheshire countryside planned for tomorrow.
Just hoping the good weather is here to stay for a month or 3
Carlos
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Hi in4. The Sherpa is just fine, but apart from commuting to work each day, I have not ridden it as much as I would like and when I have gone out I realise how much of the fitness I gained last year on my JOGLE, has now gone. I can still climb most of the hills around here, but I cannot do the distance I used to do, so I must make sure that next weekend I don't set my mileage targets too high or I will struggle on the loaded bike.
I have had the Sherpa just over a year now and covered around 3,200 miles. Can't tell exactly as my bike computer suddenly ran out of batteries and on replacing them found all the mileage had been reset. >:(
Carlos, hope you have a good ride tomorrow. I really enjoyed riding through Cheshire on my trip last summer. Was treated to a full cooked breakfast there by a local church group who were holding a coffee morning and offered me a bed for the night, but unfortunately I needed to get further on at the time so had to say no.
Jags you're right, everyone is entitled to a moan every now and then.
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aw ya the wife told me i was a moan a minute ,
tomorrow she's off to america for 2 weeks, who the hell am i gonna moan to now. :'(
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An interesting few days. I should be training for my trip from Aberdeen to Brighton and back, but just can't motivate myself to tackle the hideous weather we have had up in Shetland, including snow in May. The Tern, mounted on a turbo trainer is soul destroying. Cycling without any sort of view is beyond hideous. Firstly, a few days ago I bumped into an American riding a Surly LHT outside my local shop (in Voe). I talked to him about his bike and my Thorn. He mentioned that he had come across two guys riding Thorns with Surly forks within the past couple of days. As luck would have it the other half and I met them both in Lerwick's main street today. Both on Nomad's, one yellow and one black, both with Surly forks, which made them look really short wheelbase, but they reckoned they steered better than the originals. Their frames looked really small compared to my eXp. Lovely guys, but you would expect no less of Thorn riders (and Yorkshiremen)! The other half is now convinced more that ever that her Dawes Karakum must go to be replaced for a Nomad or a Raven. She is slooow at decision making though so I might still be saying this next year.
A couple more merino long sleeve baselayer t-shirts have been delivered. These are Peter Storm and £15 each. They don't look as good as the Alpkit one (£39), but testing will tell the whole story. There has also been a delivery of a couple of Craghoppers micro-fleeces and a new Rab jacket. I have spent so much on this tour so far that I could have probably had a couple of weeks in Australia for the same money (sans bike of course!).
I have decided that when I get back I will start saving for a new adventure. I want to do the Panamerican highway from Alaska down to the US/Mexico border. I will need a full suss bike to handle the corrugations of the road through Alaska. I don't want to be shaken to bits on the eXp. I am eyeing a Tout Terrain Panamericana, after reading about a guy and his wife riding one through South America (on crazyguyonabike.com). The price is horrendous, about 6,000 Euros, and I don't expect many come up used. It's only a dream at the moment, and one which I will need a to do list for so at least I can start checking things off to get there. I just need to persuade the other half to come with me. A good test for her potential new Thorn perhaps?
This time next week I will be on the ferry from Shetland to Aberdeen, probably worrying about why I didn't practice cooking on my new MSR multi-fuel stove, and what the first batch of porage will turn out like. Probably black and needing burying.
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templogin,
what route are you riding south from Aberdeen?
julk.
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we pulled out my old Trek 520
went out today, my partner's son on the 520 & me on the Nomad, an easy 20 miles, to lunch and back. At the end he had no problem climbing that 11% grade up to our apartment. Looks like that bike is back on the road!
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happy days jim :)
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templogin,
what route are you riding south from Aberdeen?
julk.
I am going south, probably down the dual carriageway to Stonehaven, then Montrose, Arbroath, Dundee, St Andrews, Kirkaldy, Edinburgh, Selkirk, Hawick, Carlisle, then following Bikerta's hill avoiding route until I turn off for Telford. Then south until I go around the west side of the M25 and onto Horsham then 12 days at 5 Oaks with trips out to Worthing, Brighton, Henfield and Clapham.
My return trip is going to be via Peterborough, then hopefully up the east side of the country.
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Well my good woman is away for another 12 days im left doing for meself.
man this cooking is driving me mental ,i'm brilliant at cleaning the house and bikes but cooking NOOOOOOOOO. :'(
Just fryed up a steak awfull, broke the feckin egg and cooked way to many spuds .
man i sure hope the other half doesn't enjoy Sanfrancisco to much she might decide to go for a month next time :o
anto.
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Nothing wrong with a broken egg and too many spuds Anto. Save the spuds and fry them up tomorrow with some cabbage and you got yourself some bubble and squeak. Put another broken egg with it and lovely grub. You'll soon start to enjoy cooking exactly what you want.
Just sat having a pint of local brewed cider (strong enough to put hairs on your chest I think) which was a present given to me at school for my Birthday today. If the spelling starts to go astray then it's even stronger than I thought. ;)
Weather still looking ok for the weekend, so hopefully will be cycling down to the Purbecks this weekend.
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Still on the Sherpa, bikerta?? (Janice is it?) How are you finding it for general cycling now you did your big trip last year?
Lewis
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Hi Lewis,
It's Jackie and yes I am still on the Sherpa. Still love the bike and use it everyday to cycle to work (only 2 miles each way though) May try out some thinner tyres at some point (Marathon Supremes 1.6 for my everyday riding) but will keep to the Duremes for touring.
Had a fabulous trip last year and really miss the fact that I will not be doing it this summer holiday. I am hoping to do another trip this year, but it will be on a more relaxed basis and stop and take in the sights a little more. I covered 1,170 miles on my JOGLE in 23 days and will probably do no more than 500 miles this year. Not even sure where to go yet, whether to try Wales (bit hilly though) or to go East and see Norfolk/Suffolk as I do not know that part of the country at all. Derbyshire and Yorkshire Dales or maybe just a trip up to the Cotswolds - choices, choices. I have been to Wales many times but not cycling. I grew up in Shropshire and know how hilly it can be. Would love to return to Scotland again at some point and cover more of the West Coast and Islands, but not this year as I have to save the pennies at bit at the moment and that would involve train journeys.
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what about ireland jackie tis nice over here ya know..
oh yeah i have great plans for the lefty over mountain spuds ;)
anto.
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what about ireland jackie tis nice over here ya know.
I've heard there's the occasional light rain shower and gentle breeze and cloudy days. Something about a few little lumps called hills....
:D
All the best,
Dan.
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Rain here in Ireland no way Dan sun is always out.
hills are a plenty but nothing like your used to, good thing the roads are so wide you could drive 6 lorries side by side so loads of room to take your own line up the hills. :)
ah yeah great wee country for cycling theres no cars allow on the country roads from 6am to 9pm forgot to tell u that.
anto.
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Fantastic, Anto...in every sense of the word! ;D
All the best,
Dan. (...who can't wait to see it all for himself someday)
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Hi Jackie, and happy birthday!
you got yourself some bubble and squeak
Been ages since I heard that phrase -- barely heard in these parts, 'cept when I use it myself. (Amuses my family & the neighbours.) Glad your Sherpa is performing as advertised. Where are you going in the Purbecks? I came to consciousness, as it were, in Corfe, and still delight in visiting Dorset and the West Country more generally, when we visit Foggie Olde. Lovely countryside, though I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of cycling on either B roads or smaller A roads...
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Hello Jackie - I have had 1.6 Supremes on my Ripio for the last few months, very pleased with them. Fast, lively, and good grip on all the surfaces I have been on - not tried them on muddy trails, but I guess they would not be at their best there. No punctures. The only downside is that they are not as comfortable as fatter tyres, as to be expected, and I will be putting something else back on for my tour in France in August.
The only mishap I have had on the Supremes is when crossing a Sheffield Supertram track in wet weather, on a curving 45 degree line to then tracks - back end skidded out!! But I regained control and stayed upright as soon as the tyre hit tarmac / concrete again. In reality, wet tramlines (especially after a dry spell) are hopeless for grip, and I doubt if anything would have been secure - no curving lines in future!!
Lewis
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As you say Lewis, train/tram lines can be diabolical in the wet. A lady in my local riding group is nursing a broken shoulder from a very minor off whilst crossing wet rails at right angles.
Report from the Godzone: It's a bit unseasonably wet over here at the moment (east coast of NSW). Our winters tend to be dryer than summer, but this year, the really nice days have been few and far between. I've done one 80 km ride in the country in the last two weeks, and just some short, wet spins around town. We're planning a trip to Canberra in a few weeks - great cycling there, but it's COLD this time of year!
Plans for our Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) ride in October are proceeding apace. It'll be part of a five week sojourn in Yankeeland that I'm hoping includes a ride down to Key West from my brother's place in Boca Raton, weather (hurricanes) permitting. This is the trip that replaced my aborted plan to attend the Cycle Touring Festival in Clitheroe last month. Did anyone here attend?
Finally, I've just been asked to join another couple for the LeJoG in May/June 2016. I'm very keen to do this, so watch this space!
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Sam, your mention of rain twigged a reference I saw in crazyguy about wet weather & the Allegheny Gap/C & O route: It was described as a "mudfest" when the weather is rainy. Might be a good idea to factor in that possibility when you choose your tires and fenders. Where we are, well north of Ohio, Virginia & Maryland, we tend to get spring and autumn rains. Same may/may be true of that area as well: in late Sept 2011, I rode my airhead down through upstate NY, Northern & Central Pennsylvania, and then along the Shenandoah Nat'l Park/Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, en route to the coast at the S Carolina/Georgia line.
The northern section, Pennsylvania especially, was very wet -- in fact, in the wake of Hurricane Irene in mid-August, Pennsylvania had had its wettest six weeks on record. The "cricks", as they say, were full to overflowing as if it were March, and the Susquehanna River was right at the top of its banks. Further south, into the Carolinas, there was much less rain.
We're having a cool & wet early summer here in Eastern Ontario. The trees love it, touring cyclists not so much. (On the other hand, the black flies seem in retreat for once.) On my weeklong ride last week, it rained 3 days of four, only 1.5 days of sun. Weird. I've started thinking, maybe I have to get some waterproof panniers...
Cheers, J.
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Sorry to hear about your friend, Sam - broken shoulders can take a while to heal.
2 interesting things in your post -
Cycle Touring Festival
I went to this Festival - a very wet weekend, not many people got out on rides. A good weekend, some interesting talks about bike preparation, equipment etc., nothing really that has not cropped up on this forum before but interesting nevertheless. Lots of people planning major rides, some planning to the last detail, others adopting a 'get up and go' policy. Many people clearly very experienced riders and bike fixers, others learning the basics at the good maintenance / repair seminars.
Other bikes?? A mixture - biggest single make was I think Surly LHTs - an Oxford Bike Works cycle, and I counted about 4 Thorns - RTs and RSTs. my Ripio was the only dérailleur Thorn. Some trade stands, one by a bike shop in Cumbria selling Surlys, kit etc. I was a bit concerned to hear some negative comments about Thorns - 'behind the times', and so on. Others complaining about the EBB as being crude and 'too basic'. I know they occasionally give trouble, bolts working loose etc., but the alternatives can look awful. I saw one Rohloff bike with a sliding dropout, with a tensioning screw at the back. This one also had a rear disc brake - and so a sliding mount for the caliper mounts. It looked complex, difficult to make and vulnerable. I no longer have a Rohloff bike, but the fixed dropout was a great bonus in my view.
I was left wondering if the strongly expressed views in some of Thorn's literature, however well argued, are sometimes perceived as negative? People also mentioned Thorn's 'opposition' to disc brakes - but again I think this case is well argued for and against, and several models can now be disc braked - no-one knew that. Personally, I'm happy with my rim brakes for my riding.
One guy rode my Ripio and seemed v impressed with it, he said he was anyway. So I did my best to keep the Bridgewater end up.
LEJOG
You mention that you might be doing this next May - June; good luck with the planning and so on! My wife is Trustee of a charity that will be doing a sponsored ride on that route at around that time; details still not worked out, Dilys not organising it, though she will probably be a support driver. The recent London to Paris was such a nightmare to organise (mainly relating to hired vehicles used abroad, ferry bookings for 3 vehicles etc) they are not doing it next year. The charity is Phase Worldwide, supporting remote Himalayan villages in Nepal - anyone interested in details when the planning gets going, pm me.
Lewis
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Lewis
I was a bit concerned to hear some negative comments about Thorns - 'behind the times', and so on. Others complaining about the EBB as being crude and 'too basic'.
In my experience with the Thorn Raven Tour I would say that 'behind the times' can be translated as 'tried and tested', and 'crude and too basic' as 'simple and reliable'. ;)
Some people are put off by the directness of the Thorn brochures, but I am sure Thorn is just giving their opinion based on their vast experience of producing and riding expedition touring bikes. If you can keep that in mind there is a lot of good info in their brochures - take it or leave it is my approach.
I was thinking of going to the Cycle Touring Festival but in the end did not make it. Sounds an interesting weekend though. Hopefully it will be an annual event.
Richard
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i missed out on the festival but by all accounts is was fantastic.
tandem ride tonight for this kid ,i just watched this video its very good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDYz1Uv4pmM#t=93
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I agree, Richard, and I have learnt that Thorn are right in a great deal of what they say.
But for others, directness and clarity seems to be interpreted as negativeitude (?? negativity??).
Shortly after this Festival, I was support driver / techie on a London to Paris group ride. Which bikes gave trouble? Not the 2 Thorns.
There was talk about the Festival being repeated, but nothing definite.
Lewis
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I would agree with Lewis the festival was very interesting, with a full schedule of talks / workshops. I really enjoyed the session's for various regions and the different perspective's this produced, but what most impressed me was the attitude of the people and the atmosphere that this created.
my Ripio was the only dérailleur Thorn
Nearly I was on my club tour, though 'parked up' under the shed on the campsite
Carlos
.....they are trying to make this an annual event, and the signup for 2016 is open
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OOPS! Sorry Carlos . . . . . If I had seen it I would have looked you out. I was in the blue VW campervan near the campsite gate. Drier than many people, but nearly got stuck in the wet grass!
Yes, I enjoyed the Festival and will go again if it is repeated.
Lewis
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VW blue campervan my dream car that and a martin hd 28 guitar. 8) 8) 8) 8)
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Hi Jackie, and happy birthday!
Been ages since I heard that phrase -- barely heard in these parts, 'cept when I use it myself. (Amuses my family & the neighbours.)
I was always led to believe that the squeak referred to the addition of bacon to the mix. Obviously I have been misinformed.
Mike
Born and bred in Sarf Efrica now resident in Melbourne Oz.
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Hi All!
8:43am...eating breakfast on the back patio and felt a "ripple" pass beneath my feet and the patio door screen shook. Earthquake.
It was a 4.2 magnitude quake, 7km deep centered in Springfield (Eugene's sister-city just across the river, so pretty much all one town). See: http://earthquaketrack.com/p/united-states/oregon/recent
It made the bikes sway on their stands.
Not such a common thing here as in California. I live on the edge of the Pacific "Rim of Fire" (Cascadia earthquake subduction zone where one major continental plate is trying to slide under the other) and we're way overdue for something truly horrendous in the way of a major earthquake. If it happens, life here will be decades in recovering, as there isn't much in infrastructure and if a major highway gets cut, there'd be no way in or out of an area except by air. The bikes and camp-touring gear would come n real handy.
Screenshot below, taken from: http://earthquaketrack.com/p/united-states/oregon/recent The one that just happened is the big orange circle. You can see there have been other, lesser ones recently.
All the Oregon Cascade Mountain Range is comprised of dormant volcanoes. I was touring Washington State's San Juan Islands by bicycle when Mt. St Helens blew. Heck of a mess.
All the best,
Dan.
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I guess/hope that the "little ones" let off a bit of pressure, Dan? Or is that just a microscopic shift, foreshadowing The Big One?
We live in apocalyptic times, eh? Maybe we should all lay in a supply of Marathon Tour Plus tires...
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Thorns - out of date, behind the times etc but still a good, nay, excellent ride ! :) :) :) :) :)
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'Just spent the last 90 minutes rendering first-response aid till an ambulance arrived and then doing witness duties to police after a bike accident unfolded before me in a sickening tableau while on my daily walk.
The 5-lane arterial at the end of my street is being resurfaced and northbound traffic was down to one narrow lane with cars having to operate on the bike path, a flagger at the entry to my street. In watching the construction, I saw a well-equipped commuting cyclist riding northbound on the sidewalk, the path being unavailable. Just as he reached the corner, a Subaru driven by a neighbor turned right into his path and things went bad quickly.
He locked up his front brake and rotated around the wheel before catching the corner of the curb with his right eyebrow, splitting it open and causing a lot of neck torsion. The car did not actually strike him, but the rear tire of his bike rotated around and left a clean mark on her car's rear quarter panel. The car's right-rear tire missed rolling over his head by about 8cm.
He popped up and started shaking until I could get him to sit. He refused to lie down so his neck could be stabilized and refused my offer to call an ambulance. Fortunately, the construction safety supervisor called for one while I was tending to him. The driver did all required of a motorist, stopping immediately, offering aid, giving me her contact information and remaining -- as I did -- well after he was transported by ambulance to the hospital. The paramedics kindly took his bike with him in the same truck.
I told the officers neither party seemed clearly at fault. The cyclist was riding responsibly at about 10mph while the driver was going about 8-10mph as she turned, and used her indicator to signal. It seemed to be one of those tragic instances where two parties reached the same point at the same time and discovered each other at once. The cyclist said he held her harmless and it was in no way her fault. She said she glanced at the flagger in the middle of my street just as she turned. If anything, the prime contributor seemed to be the construction and all the distractions it presented for all parties as bike traffic was rerouted to the sidewalk and the remaining narrow lane carried perhaps 6 times its usual traffic with lots of noise, heavy equipment, flaggers, and metal road plates adding to the mess.
Now the part I found particularly interesting and will take to heart: The officer said the driver was not at fault and if anything, the cyclist would receive a citation. Why? With road construction taking the on-street bike path, the cyclist was proper to use the sidewalk, but at no more than walking speed. By my estimation I had reported he was traveling about 10mph, thus faster than walking speed and placing him at fault. The officer said the accident was as good a lesson as a citation and the cyclist had already paid the price, so he thought he'd let things stay as they were and not issue a ticket. Seems reasonable given how it played out.
I sure feel sorry for both parties. He is going to need some stitches and will be very sore tomorrow. She quietly sobbed till I think she ran out of tears. I hope they'll both be okay.
Best,
Dan.
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glad he's OK fair play to you Dan for sticking around and helping out most people would have left the scene in case they had to go as a witness ;)
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Terrible summer we ae having that's me moan for the day. :o
anto.
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Terrible summer we ae having that's me moan for the day. :o
anto.
Shocker here too jags, wet and cold, could easily be October this week. Looking forward to three weeks in France in September.
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yeah never seen so much rain and this bloody wind driving me crazy.
france sounds cool enjoy, take a camera ;)
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Seriously wet & cold in Atlantic Canada this summer, too: 9 degrees in St John's (Nfld) the other day, barely above 8 in Iqualuit, on Baffin Island. Our daughter's flatmate is an opera singer, and takes a small company around rural Canada by bicycle (google 'Bicycle Opera'). This "summer", they're in Nova Scotia & Cape Breton, normally a treat, but I haven't had the heart to ask how they're managing.
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Iquauit! Do you know anyone up there? One of my friends just flew out of there after a three month stay.
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Novel way to get to a gig by bike fair play to them,i'd be more a bob dylan man meself don't understand that opera stuff :-[
anto.
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Iqaluit! Do you know anyone up there?
I don't, Jim; just following the weather news. I used to play rec hockey with a guy from further N & W than Iqaluit. The town has a lot of longterm temp workers from the South.
Novel way to get to a gig by bike
I was tickled to learn of their cycling opera project, Anto. It's pretty much self-supported: they're four singers & three instrumentalists who have "regular" work during the winter, and they get a small grant from the Gvt of Ontario. They work with composers who help with arrangements for a scaled-down cast. One of their scores has half-a-dozen bicycle bells in it, and the composer was scouring bike shops, checking the pitch of the various offerings.
Last year, they were plying their trade in SW Ontario. Easier cycling, for sure, but Cape Breton has a very strong musical culture (Celtic, y'know) and I think they'll get a warm welcome wherever they go, to keep away the damp.
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I'd love to be able to sing it's a great gift to have.you hear people saying sure everyone can sing, you know and i know thats not the case most of the guys i know who think they can sing CAN@T bloody crows ;D ;D
i was at a session one night this guy who just starting playing the guitar decided he wanted to sing Desparado on his own he reckoned he had it of to a T :o (he murdered it)
when he finished Seanie old time hippy kinda guy said its great man to hear a different version of that song ;D ;D we fell about the place .anyway fair play to those girls i bet they get a great buzz out of it.
anto
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great 20 miler hilly spin this morning might head out tonight on the tandem but i'll give meself an hour before i decide on that one ,little body might have different ideas (bed)
so any of you lads get a spin done this morning.
anto.
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Not this morning, though I walked 8km starting at 6am to beat the heat and probably will do so again come evening. Temperatures are supposed to hit 103°F here today, 102° tomorrow, and 101° the day after before falling to "only" 98°F. In metric terms, the highest tops out at 39.4°C, so feels a bit like one of my desert tours. My house was built (1962) in the days before such extreme temperatures hit the US' Pacific Northwest, so no air-conditioning. It is 81°F/27.2°C on the wall thermometer next to me and should read about 87°F/30.5°C by evening. The strategy is to open all the windows and back doors at night and blow in cool air, then close everything up as soon as it starts to warm up again around 7am. Works better than leaving everything open but is not ideal. Builds character.
Trying to walk about 8km minimun everyday to keep the bones healthy. I was astounded to find I had become osteopoenic a few years back with an estimated 28% risk of hip fracture, mostly the result of so much time spent on the bike, which is not considered weight-bearing exercise. So, it is the Shoe Leather Express for me at least once a day, mixed with riding (when the heat subsides just a bit more at week's end).
All the best,
Dan. (...who mourns that feet cannot coast)
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Dan. (...who mourns that feet cannot coast)
Roller skates? ;D
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Good idea!
All the best,
Dan.
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Wow Dan that's sure hot weather i would melp in those temperatures :o.im a fine one to give advice but get yourself a skipping rope best exercise of the lot .
when June visited Frank last month they went to stanford uni to see maryann place of work ,they spent most of the day in the cafe because outside was in the high 30's june was quiet happy in the cool air conditioned room ;D ;D