Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: expr on December 26, 2010, 11:31:25 pm
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Do any of you have any hobbies other than cycling, I want to try and encourage the use of this part of the forum a little more, just to make it a little more interesting.
If you like to talk about your hobbies or interests then please join in.
Many thanks
Dave.
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I took up birdwatching in my teens about 50 years ago. I saved up money from a paper round for a year and bought a pair of 8x30 Zeizz Jena binoculars - still got them, they were a good buy.
I have seen a bittern in the depths of winter at Leighton Moss, only saw it because it thought I had seen it and it moved - I thought I was looking at a clump of dead reeds.
I recently saw a Waxwing in the centre of Dalkeith on the last tree with berries and just the other day I has a Brambling on the seed feeder in my garden, it is definitely winter time. I have not seen Waxwings or Bramblings for many years.
I feed the garden bird population, usually with suet pellets, peanuts and a seed mixture. In the recent bad weather I have acquired a local population of 20 - 30 blackbirds for the suet pellets. one of them will now come and look in the window to indicate it is time they were fed!
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That sounds great Julian, last year we had a robin nesting in a Lin bin container actually in the garage, it was so sad though as the mother left early leaving the eggs in the tub. I,m not sure if it was due to the fright of me going in and out of the garage daily although it did seem quite tame as long as you kept a distance.
do you use fixed or zoom binoculars.
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Do any of you have any hobbies other than cycling,
I love music: listening, playing, composing. My composition ideas get exceedingly strange. Here is an example:
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=7607461
I have almost no musical training - a few piano lessons in childhood, a couple guitar lessons in university days. I just like to have fun with it!
Jim
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expr,
sad that the robin deserted the nest, unusual if it was already used to your presence, maybe you had an animal visitor, fox etc.? I understand they evolved to follow animals like pigs rooting in the ground for food so like to follow humans gardening ;D
I find that the blackbirds nest in the daftest places in the garden and end up leaving the nest.
I use fixed 8x30 binoculars of a standard prismatic design. Anything bigger than 8 magnification will be difficult to hand hold steady enough for good vision of the feathered fraternity, anything bigger than 30 lens will be too heavy and expensive although better in low light.
I carry my binoculars and hand hold them, you will likely need something to support them on (fence, tripod) for bigger ones or the ones which zoom.
jim,
Unusual music there, not really my taste - I am into the more classical stuff, instrumental and orchestral, not too fond of vocal. My musical instrument is a CD player ;D, although I have 2 of my sons who play trombone in a local brass band.
julian.
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In November I decided to try to do some running / jogging in midweek / darkness to maintain a level of fitness, my wife was keen to do this (she isn't really a cyclist). It started off very well but I think I must have got over-ambitious - after a couple of weeks I was permanently stiff and sore. Then came the snow, lots of snow shovelling, pushing cars, and trekking distances of about 5 miles a day through snow to get to work for 2 weeks. Result being a couple of very sore muscles - calf in left leg and thigh in right leg, muscle strain I think.
I'm well on the mend now, but unsure if running is a good idea, however I will be under pressure from the other half to resume when the weather improves a little.
Any opinions of cyclists who run would be appreciated.
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I love music: listening, playing, composing. My composition ideas get exceedingly strange. Here is an example:
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=7607461
I have almost no musical training - a few piano lessons in childhood, a couple guitar lessons in university days. I just like to have fun with it!
Jim
Jim That's great, my brother is really in to music in a big way similar to yourself, he plays the guitar allot both acoustic and electric, i had a look at your web site and played some of the music, sounds good to me!, I had a keyboard when i was a teen and would play it for hours (no musical training) and i use to think I was jean Michelle jar when I got going but my parents thought otherwise.
Dave.
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Julk,
yes the robin seemed at first to be very brash almost Courageous in its voyage to set up home within the garage, I spend allot of time in the garage especially in summer so the door is open from dawn till dusk, So getting in and out was quite easy but with all the doors closed it had to use the small vents at the top of the roof, I'm not sure if it was struggling a little to get in and out?
Just on Christmas eve I was clearing the drive of ice and was being eagerly watched and followed by a robin...
I asked about the binoculars out of curiosity, I bought a pair a couple of years back sunagor with a ridiculous amount of zoom on something in the order of 20-150x - 70, absolutely amazing at pulling in information but terrible without a tripod the slightest amount of breathing was enough to loose sight of the target, also along with that the collimation troubles that I had were enough to make me send them back. Every time that the collimation was set up at a fixed zoom the moment that it was altered it lost it again which gave me terrible headaches from my eyes to compensate for the differing views being presented at the lenses.
Dave.
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Relayer,
I found running the single most boring but productive thing that I have done in the past metaphorically speaking, I too when I first started to run set my goals way to big ,5mile , so I had to radically shorten the route to literally 1 mile to start with I did this for around a week until I felt comfortable with it and then slowly increased it up to 2 mile the next week up until I was doing around 4-5 mile, i found that it gets very addictive but the rewards that you see and feel are fantastic.
I think you may just need to start off a little slower and shorter, and this should with time get better. I also asked a few long time runners for advice who suggested running on grass to start with as this gives a softer ride and takes the jolt out of the knees a little.
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Relayer,
I found running the single most boring but productive thing that I have done in the past metaphorically speaking, I too when I first started to run set my goals way to big ,5mile , so I had to radically shorten the route to literally 1 mile to start with I did this for around a week until I felt comfortable with it and then slowly increased it up to 2 mile the next week up until I was doing around 4-5 mile, i found that it gets very addictive but the rewards that you see and feel are fantastic.
I think you may just need to start off a little slower and shorter, and this should with time get better. I also asked a few long time runners for advice who suggested running on grass to start with as this gives a softer ride and takes the jolt out of the knees a little.
Take a look at my blog and "Reasons to Run" on 30 Nov. Now I know some of these are interchangeable with cycling but they're very different.
http://doug-dougsramblings.blogspot.com/
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Doug,
I agree with allot of what you say, I had heard off a few people about the potential damage that can also occur due to the stresses that are being forced on the knee joints etc, is this true or can you expand on it a little more with what you have found.
What would you suggest to relayer as a means of getting in to running from the thoughts that he has given.
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Arthritis has restricted activities somewhat. Living in Canmore, Alberta offers lots of opportunities though:
-lots of biking. Hope to get into light touring.
- hiking
-kayaking
My wire haired dachshund joins me on most of these endeavours!
-downhill skiing
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Hi Bearbait,
my wife and I love hiking, this year we did snowdon again I think its my 8th time. Went up the miner track / pyg track where the summit can be seen relatively close to the start of the walk. I allways make a point now of taking my gas burner and a small frying pan to make us all a bacon butty at the top, it sure does taste nice at the top.
Snowdon summit is the highest in england / wales and have to say that on the right day the views are spectacular.
We Came back along the cryb y dysgl knife edge ridge which was fantastic for no rope tactical climbing but had to bail out of the cryb Goch part because I didn't want our young son 9 to try it just yet. The cryb Goch part of the snowdon horse shoe is thought to be one of the more challenging parts with its sheer drops to either side, there are some great videos of this on (you tube)
I first went up in scouts back in the 80s and have enjoyed it since with various people. We definitely found using the proper twin walking sticks a massive improvement even coming down as well as ascending.
I bet the surroundings in Alberta are fantastic, my friend has just gone over to calgory earlier on in the year and was telling me about the bow river and elbow falls etc.. The scenery when not white with snow looks great.
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I love music: listening, playing, composing. My composition ideas get exceedingly strange. Here is an example:
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=7607461
I have almost no musical training - a few piano lessons in childhood, a couple guitar lessons in university days. I just like to have fun with it!
Jim
Interesting stuff Jim - I've also done suff with little musical training, but haven't published online - I own various vintage synths and a 16 track mixer, now all sadly packed away due to lack of space and time.
I love pretty much anything to do with world music, reggae and electronica and also world cinema. Need to do more cycle tours though, haven't managed any this year - hopefully holidays will work out that I'm able to get 10 days away somewhere warm and suitably picturesque in 2011.
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I agree with allot of what you say, I had heard off a few people about the potential damage that can also occur due to the stresses that are being forced on the knee joints etc, is this true or can you expand on it a little more with what you have found.
What would you suggest to relayer as a means of getting in to running from the thoughts that he has given.
Thanks expr,
I can only speak for myself here about running. Just as soon as I was getting to like it, I almost gave up owing to knee problems. That was at an early stage when I had managed to run for maybe 1 or 2 miles. To cut a long story short, I went to a proper running shop where they carried out a Gait Analysis. This is where you're filmed on a treadmill from behind with the camera getting your knees and feet only. The idea then is to play it back in slow motion to see how your foot falls, rolls forward and pushes off. The shop was the runners version of a typical LBS so they had me trying on 5 different pairs of running shoes and filming me run in each one.
I felt happy with the shop's recommendation and when looking at the film I could see why they were more comfortable - my feet behaved completely differently and it was that shop visit that made all the difference towards running and giving up. From that point it was a case of building up the miles gradually, I tended to monitor my progress in terms of how long I'd run for, not the number of miles. It's very important to REST; even now I normally only run 3 days a week but try to cover about 20 miles each week. Getting the ergonomics right with running shoes is vital IMHO, just as it is vital on a cycle to get the right position, saddle etc. I've been lucky with very few injuries but the one that sticks in my mind was caused by doing too much too soon through not building the mileage up gradually enough. Running has helped me be far more "in tune" with my body which in turn helps understand what's going on when cycling.
Hope that helps expr and relayer. I believe that the hobbies of running and cycling complement each other beautifully - even for an uncompetitive person!
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I used to run .... and run .... and run.
I think the great thing about running is that you can do it any weather (in Australia, anyway) and if you have to travel for work it's easy to pack running shoes and gear so you don't have to miss out while you're away. In addition, it's very time effective fitness training compared with cycling.
I managed 3 marathons during the 80’s and about a dozen half marathons and in 1999 a group of 7 of us ran a non stop relay from Melbourne to Sydney to raise funds for spinal injury research.
Over the years I had meniscectomies on both knees, but the injuries weren’t solely caused by running. It was the running that exacerbated them to the point where they needed surgery, though. All my running was on hard surfaces.
I really enjoyed my running, but I think the difference between cycling and running is that while you can cycle home after a race or an Audax ride, not many people run home after a road running event.
To anyone thinking of taking up running, I echo Doug’s advice regarding appropriate shoes, starting slowly and building up distance. Also, try some duathlons if not triathlon events.
Mrs. and I now do a fair bit of walking and try to get to the UK every couple of years to walk there. Last year we did Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk and we’ve done a lot of short walks. Dartmoor is particularly good and we also enjoy walking in the Lakes, Wales, Scotland…. All of it really.
I can’t say that walking complements cycling as running can, but it’s very satisfying and is somewhat akin to cycle touring in that you have a goal to aim for and some mild adventure and a lot of fun on the way to achieving it. Compared to Australia, the UK is long distance walking heaven: Rights of Way, marked walking paths, towns closer than 100 km’s apart and even baggage services on the more popular routes. I thoroughly recommend it.
Cheers,
pj
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I make compost for the garden !
It's very calming and can get very physical at turnover time. :)
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Thanks expr, Doug and Peter for the advice.
I will get back to it very very soon, but will take it easier this time. I think my problem was I have a fair bit of cardio-vascular fitness from cycling which made me feel I could run more than I should have, but I think the impact of running on tarmac and perhaps some different pressures/impact on muscles and tendons caused the discomfort.
I note the advice about getting the right shoes, I will maybe look into that if I get settled into it better next time. However I got a pair of Livestrong shoes which seem to be very comfortable and make me feel I have contributed to a very worthwhile cause (and they look great too!).
The big attraction is it is something my wife and I can do together, and it isn't as time consuming as cycling. I will let you know how I get on sometime ...
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Go for it Relayer!
Expect to pay £70-80 for a decent pair of running shoes and not a bad idea to buy a pair of socks at the same time, about £10.
When I got my first pair the shop advised me to replace them after about 600 miles - which I thought was just sales talk. That was until my joints were starting to ache a few months later by which time I had run about 600 miles!
My first couple of shoes were Saucony and more recently I've tried Asics. Both very good indeed. Not much between them with price but I think I read Saucony have better credentials if ethical trading is important but I'm not completely sure on this.
Good luck!
Anyone else enjoying running alongside cycling?
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I enjoy running, but only as short sprints during a game of tennis.
I use Asics shoes and find them a quantum leap in comfort over previous generations of tennis shoes.
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ah running is not for me ,but i do like walking .other than that i love music folk mostly i play the guitar, im really brilliant how im not a star is beyond me ;D ;D only jokeing i'm crap really but what the hell i enjoy it.
you might find this a bit of the wall ,but i love well enjoy cleaning my bike to perfection and keeping it that way ,weirdo i guess ;D
anyway have a great cycling year folks enjoy it while you can .
cheers
jags
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Jags,
Yes, fettling bikes is great fun, shame the Thorns are so darn reliable, just have to keep cleaning mine as well ;D
Julian.
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expr,
sad that the robin deserted the nest, unusual if it was already used to your presence, maybe you had an animal visitor, fox etc.? I understand they evolved to follow animals like pigs rooting in the ground for food so like to follow humans gardening ;D
I find that the blackbirds nest in the daftest places in the garden and end up leaving the nest.
I use fixed 8x30 binoculars of a standard prismatic design. Anything bigger than 8 magnification will be difficult to hand hold steady enough for good vision of the feathered fraternity, anything bigger than 30 lens will be too heavy and expensive although better in low light.
I carry my binoculars and hand hold them, you will likely need something to support them on (fence, tripod) for bigger ones or the ones which zoom.
Julk, just to let you know the robins came back this year and around three weeks ago 3 little eggs appeared, she sat on them this time ans stayed even though i was coming and going in the garage. She has used the same storage bin in the garage to nest as well. even better around a week ago 5 little robins have come out, the mum and dad have been feeding them frantically since and they are now quite big with tiny feathers appearing. its been great following their progress.
Dave.
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t i love music
I am fascinated by the mathematics of music, or at least I explore to see what I can do, e.g.:
http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=7607461&q=lo&newref=1
Here is a long explanation:
http://interdependentscience.blogspot.com/2011/01/twisted-arpeggios.html
Enjoy!
Jim
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Dave,
Good to hear that your robins are back and successful.
I had one following me recently as I dug the veg patch, it must be nesting in the next garden as it kept flying over there with beakfuls of grubs.
Julian.
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Whilst walking round my local RSPB reserve (Pulbrough Brooks), I noticed a robin following me, and remembered that they used to follow wild cattle/hogs around the forest, looking for worms that had been uncovered. I started kicking the dirt around, and straight away the robin was by my feet looking for worms. I then found a worm and it took it out of my hand with very little encouragement! I'm sure it is very tame because of all the visitors to the reserve, but still a nice thing to happen :)
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You mean there's something other than cycling?!? :D
To answer the question...lots!
For fun (which hobbies are supposed to be), I maintain a network of 22 computers, most running as virtual machines with various operating systems. I truly enjoy photography, mostly of the landscape variety. I'm a hobbyist framebuilder and bike painter, and I enjoy auto mechanics and repair (which I used to do for money, but only practice for myself these days). Don't write for pleasure so much these days, but do enjoy it.
Geocaching has caught my fancy this last year.. I'm rubbish at finding 'caches, but much better at hiding them and dreaming up clever hints and clues and hides and building camouflaged containers for others to locate and then getting their reports by email. I maintain a string of 25 in a little "trapline" I check and maintain on my daily 5-mile walks. Orienteering by compass and GPS is all part of that and so is photography; lots of outdoorsy pursuits.
I also enjoy travel in general and trip-planning in particular, usually spending ~3 months in advance researching my bigger tours and learning about the places I'll see. Pleasure reading figures in there and of course, online research, which I dearly love. I'm also a committed DIY'er and enjoy making much of my own camping gear and equipment. Despite owning what must be the heaviest Thorn Sherpa ever to hit the road, I particularly like ultralight gear.
I enjoy listening to music and have far-ranging tastes from Tuvan throat-singing to the latest pop, but alas, have no talent to make it myself; all I can play is the radio. No language skills beyond English, but I love the lilt of spoken French and collect accents in my head. Don't run 'less something larger is after me. Enjoy a lively email correspondence with friends across the globe.
C'mon! Let's hear from other Forum members and give a little new life to this thread; lots of new members since the last post...
Best,
Dan.
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In the springtime one of my greatest joys is it combine cycling with a spot of birdwatching. My 'banana break' turns into a wonderful bird-watching session when all the migrating birds have arrived and are warbling away to their hearts content. This is one of my favourite places: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=burton+point+neston
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I realize it isn't UK-specific and most of the birders here are, but you might still enjoy the photos posted on http://www.birdpix.nl/ , showing birds in The Netherlands. I've never seen so many birders "out and about" in one place as when I toured there; it seems to be a national pastime. And, of course, they're all equipped with cameras and the results posted on the birdpix site are spectacular.
There's a nesting pair of Anna's hummingbirds in my backyard (western Oregon) as I write this, and they're feeding now. Remarkable little things, they seem attracted to red Ortliebs, as much as the feeder.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi,
I enjoy mixing cycling with seeing wildlife and bird life. Living where we do I am very lucky that the lanes are quiet and encourage wildlife.
I also love the mountains and have done so since a youngster. For many years I was involved in Mountain Rescue and trained and worked mountain rescue dogs for over 20yrs. I still get out regularly, mainly in Wales with the odd journey to Scotland and the Alps.
I have had a love of dogs for many years and am still involved with them now. We also have dogs of our own and love walking them in the forests.
Gardening is a hobby I share with my wife, with her doing the growing and me doing the grafting.
Winters evenings are spent reading, anything of interest or on the internet sitting by the log burner with the dogs at my feet.
At present I am updating my website during these dark winter evenings
www.conwy-valley.org.uk
I cannot sit around doing nothing and do not find much to interest me on the television.
I also enjoy reading the postings on here
That'
Al the best for the new year
John
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Terrific website, John, and well worth a look. I particularly enjoyed the animal stories and seeing your Thorn by the waterfall.
Pics on the gallery, please! :D
Best,
Dan.
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Hi Dan,
Thanks, I have only had the Thorn for a short time and have only done about 200miles on it but what a great bike!!!!!
If the weather is better than the forecast this weekend (high winds and heavy rain) hope to get out on it and will take some pics.
Will pm you tomorrow evening
kind regards
John
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Like some others on here I do do some running. Especially this time of year when the roads are icy and the air temp is well into the minus figures.
I dont want to disagree with those on here advising expensive footwear for running but I am in the camp that the better the footwear you wear the more the percieved cushioning you get and the heavier you run and the more damage you do.
Last year (2010) I read a very good book - born to run which is an excellent read whether you run or not and has some interesting information on the subject.
Apart from the cycling and the running I spend a lot of my time on DIY. I semi retired about 5 years ago at the rip old age of 33 and bought an old school that I am rebuilding which has been a massive task.
The rest of my leisure time is shared among reading (books), watching films ( i am a big fan of dvd's both in terms of films and especially serieses) and looking after my animals. I have 4 dogs and run a adhoc cat rescue. It is very busy this time of year and currently have 43 cats.
That is all about I have time for
Regards
Andy
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Andy,
A bit OT, but this is a Muppets thread, so...
I wish you could help me with my neighbors' hobby. The one next door has a rotating stock of 19 cats, and one kitty-corner (sorry) from my backyard has a collection of about half that.
I dearly love cats, and my closest pal for 16 wonderful years was RKitty, but this is too much, seeing as how I am midway between and currently catless. The owner of the 19 can't seem to identify the genders, and swears all the multi-colored ones are males, but that doesn't seem to prevent them getting pregnant! Sadly, being in the middle-ground, so to speak, I am a bit overrun and talking has done no good. Their home looks like an episode of _Animal Hoarders_ and by all indications a fresh batch of kittens is on the way. The birds I had formerly enjoyed with such delight are now gone (except the Anna's hummingbirds; they're feisty and swift enough to so far evade death) and the red squirrels are having a tough time of it. The car is muddied and scratched, and I have had to erect orange construction fencing around the place where I pitch and test my tent lest I suffer a repeat of last summer's uh, cat "decoration" of the flysheet.
So far, I've spent close to $200 on various natural repellents, including fox urine, all to no avail, and I won't consider options that could harm or hurt them. The only thing with a glimmer of effectiveness has been the ultrasonic wave-emitter that has reduced use of the front garden as a toilet and the car as playground equipment. Unfortunately, the region where I live is so economically depressed, no effort by the local SPCA or other groups is financially possible. A roundup and neutering of the more feral examples by volunteer veterinarians took place a couple years ago, but the group's philosophy was to return the cats to their "home" for business as usual, sans breeding. The kitties appear unhappy and unwell due to extremely close-crowding at their "home".
Any ideas for a reasonable solution?
Hopefully!
Dan.
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Dan
Not an easy solution. Fortunatly we are in the middle of nowhere so do not have any issues with neighbours.
There are no hard and fast rules about the colour of cats and their sex. The only one I know of is that most (but not all) ginger cats are toms.
Adult male cats are easy to tell as they do display there tackle. When young they are difficult to tell but possible with practice.
We neuter all our cats and find that the most important thing to do is neuter the females as other males from the area can be a problem otherwise.
There are places that will neuter for free for low income or needy families which may be a minor soultion for your neighbour?
The other thing worth noting is that it is much easier to tempt the cats somewhere than to stop them going elsewhere.
Cats love to go to the toilet in either loose soil or sand. If your neighbour is mot prepared to have a sand pit consider having one yourself in an out of the place area. Just dig a hole and half fill with sand - top up as required and then dig another hole.
The other consideration is talk to your neighbours and find out why they have so many cats? Maybe they would welcome some help rehoming some of them - with your it skills. Or maybe if you offer you can help to make their garden more homely for the cats rather than them straying ito yours.
Not an easy solution but worth trying
Andy
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Thanks so much, Andy...
You've offered some brilliant solutions, and I think at least several are definitely worth a try. Your expertise really shows through in some "out-of-box" thinking that hadn't occurred to me and has real potential for solving the problems to the satisfaction of all -- including those poor little kitties that frankly don't seem too happy. Truth-tell, I'm having to overcome the impulse to adopt the "extras" myself but can't 'cos I feel one really must make a lifelong commitment to an animal and I cannot do that properly with travel on the horizon. It's hard when I've rescued and placed in loving homes myself so many strays in the past; plus, all the kittens and many of the cats have had Cute Lessons; it's easier with the feral ones that growl and hiss on sight.
Grateful,
Dan.
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Dan
Best of luck with the cats. Where and when is the travel planned? Is this a cycling adventure in the planning?
Andy
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Hi Andy,
A Cycling Adventure is definitely in the works. I usually spend 3-4 months planning my longer solo tours, so I'm right on-schedule for the Spring season, aiming toward a mid-June departure. I'm half-scared to mention plans or the Weather Imps will hear and cause me grief. Last year was so frustrating, as I spent the summer all dressed up with no place to go, thanks to some really unusual weather-related problems throughout my planned route (heavy snowfall that closed passes, then high temperatures caused a quick-melt that resulted in flooding closures).
I used the downtime productively to order-up and equip a Sherpa. ;D
This year, I have two possibilities so there will be a failsafe. The choice is between doing last year's aborted trip (Great Basin incl. Oregon-Idaho-Utah-Nevada-California with mods, if needed) and something different (all in Oregon's remote regions). The new trip would be a mix of mountain ranges and passes (Cascade, Ochoco, Wallowa and Steens here in Oregon) and some desert (an Alvord crossing, rather than Black Rock as in 2010).
We'll see how it goes. So far, the predicted heavy December-January snowfalls are largely absent. The ODOT webcam pic below shows my favorite Cascade riding pass, Tombstone, with just a light snowfall when usual for this time would be halfway up the plow markers. It is 0C here as I write this, but my crocuses are budding, the sap was way up in the crabapple tree when I trimmed the runners yesterday, and the neighbor kitties are a-courting (more on the way; Yaaah! :o). Should hit 10C after the fog burns off. Crazy; it's like spring out there, though the temps have been dipping into -5C or so on some nights. We may get lots of snow in February-March and that will determine my route later. Shoulder-season tours in the mountainous American West can be unpredictable. I can make it through snow a couple inches deep if it's fresh powder or packed hard, but if wet or deeper, much beyond that bogs me down and takes away some of the fun.
This will be the first big tour with the Sherpa, and I plan to take some short shakedown runs in Oregon's Coast Range to make sure the new bike and assorted gear works as expected, particularly the battery-charging system.
Fingers crossed in hopefulness,
Dan.
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It is amazing how much of a problem the weather can be. We have a dramatic climit here too in Bulgaria with the range between +40C in the summer and -40C in the winter with up to a couple meters of snow. The temerature usually jumps from - to plus 15 to 20 over night so quick snow melt and flooding is a real danger here.
The tour sounds fantastic and I am sure the sherpa will be a faithfull friend. Up untill last year I was a strong racing bike devote and it has only been the last year I have given up the skinny tyres and sub 6kg bikes for something more robust.
I managed a couple of short tours on a Kona dew and although a very good bike for the money I found it dead and uninspiring.
Not sure what touring I will get into in the coming year but certainly will get some miles under the wheels.
Best of luck on the weather and planning - I think you need a dedicated post - keep us informed
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great pic Dan looks like ireland last winter hopefully we wont get that weather again .nothing moved for two months :o
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Photography, which has overtaken cycling for the meantime, though I aim to amalgamate the two ultimately!
Photoblog here, which includes various cycle-tour shots of yesteryear!
http://fred.shutterchance.com/archive/theme/1-all-themes/
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Fred,
Your shots are just outstanding, and I found myself returning several times today because I enjoyed them so much. They're all so well done, but some of what appear to be HDR shots are just magnificent -- they transcend reality.
For anyone wondering if the link is worth it, I give a hearty "Yes; go visit Fred's photos soonest!" as an endorsement. Well done, Fred!
Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Dan.
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i agree dan photos are excellent well done fred love the cemetry picture creepy. 8)
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Cheers Dan & Jags, very kind & much appreciated and as surreal as it seems to be saying it to someone who's posted 291 times, welcome to the forum Dan - that's some serious enthusiasm you have there! :) Jags, you must be close to being the most senior member now!
PS - For general viewing, the link below will always go to the latest photo - just click on the photo itself and it will go through to the previous blog entry in sequential date order. I update roughly every other day....
http://fred.shutterchance.com/
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hi Fred yeah i top the list in a few forums right enough guess I'm just a nosey bugger
well done on the photos though you have a great eye and a lot of talent ,i always take my wee camera whenever i'm on the sherpa but i'm totally useless at taking pic's ;D ;Danyway each to there own.
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welcome to the forum Dan - that's some serious enthusiasm you have there!
Thanks for the very kind welcome, Fred; much appreciated. Everyone has been very kind and generous in their interactions with me, and I hope I have made some contributions to help others along the way. Yes, I surely enjoy my Thorn, and am enthused about it (pics very soon; it is now done and just as I want it). What a great forum; Stutho does a fine job as administrator and members present their views with tolerance and helpfulness. Long may it continue.
Cheers to you, guys!
Best,
Dan.
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yes Dan sorry if i didn't welcome you i wanted you to be well settled in before i start bending your ear on my sherpa ;Dbut i'll wait until you have ridden yours for a while loaded and unloaded.
ok listen i'll give you my thoughts on it . i went from hating it to loving it just could not make my mind up on this bike .i come from a racing background as in i trained for years with guys that raced still do every now and then ::) anyway basically all my bikes are lightweight, so getting on the sherpa was a major shock especially when climbing. but then i came to realize :-[ hang on here man this is a different beast altogether i have got to relax and enjoy the ride slow down, and thats exactly what i done and now its a pure joy getting on the sherpa (except for hills).
but having said all that i still want to lighted the bike ,different wheels/maybe carbon forks lighter tubes and tires. .well every bit helps so after you ha ve ridden your bike for a while please let me know your thoughts on it .
but besides all that FRed welcome. ;)
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i wanted you to be well settled in before i start bending your ear on my sherpa
Sure jags; looking forward to it.
Like you, I'm an old roadie, so my Sherpa looks more like a super-duty randonneur rather than having a "trekking-bike" orientation. It has the widest tires I've ever owned, and it is proving quite a treat to go off-road on something wider than 32mm (or the 23mm I used back in the day on bad gravel fire trails when my philosophy was speed=floatation or I did the 'cross bike thing with a quick off-and-snatch remount through the worst of things). So far, the Sherpa has been surprisingly fast on-road with its 2.0 Duremes at 50/55psi. We'll see how it goes on the longer, faster day rides I have planned for him amidst the heavily-loaded tours. Poor little fellow doesn't know what's ahead!
Best,
Dan.
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I have always been lucky in having a variety of interests and sports that keep me passionate, recently as I have been getting older and thicker (round the waist)
some of those are becoming less acceptable as I find I cant compete as well, with this in mind I decided to get on a bike and try to incorporate fishing which I regard as a hobby and see if I could remain fit but passionate at the same time..
After having come back from Saudi where I was very lazy, i bought a Specialized road bike and some very cool mobile spining tackle and jumped on the bike to go to the lake district to fish.
The plan was to cycle up to a B&B the first day, get up the next day and fish around the lakes then cycle back on day 3.
I jumped on the bike having not cycled for 4/5 Years and rode for about 8 hours in really crappy weather, I arrived around 6pm at my destination, sunk into a hot bath with a cold beer (Words can not do justice to how that felt) and told myself how great I was at cycling such a way under such conditions, I was undoubtledy a superman...
The next day I awoke to a strange sensation, in my bed just below my waist were 2 lumps of concrete, I had no idea how they got there and could do nothing to move them, I managed a small squeek from my lips and waited until mid morning before the concrete turned to heavy lead, after a full morning of getting down to reception and packing the bike, I walked to the nearest rail station and took the train home..
Superman my ass....
Next time I will think first, ride later.
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ian brilliant post i know that feeling only to well ;D ;D
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As for me ... it is hard to really say because somehow I feel like I'm at the early stage of some major transitions. I hope cycling continues to be a hobby for me. I was re-bitten after more than a twenty year hiatus but now I'm interested in long slow rides rather than any kind of racing which I used to do in college.
I'd normally say photography is a hobby, but even that seems to be like stale bread in my mouth. I know for sure I'm sick to death of digital in any form. I hate most of what I see in the way I hate harlequin romances next to literature but I have recently built a darkroom and find that a nice blend of challenging and relaxing.
Gee. Reading this post and thinking about it ... I must be in trouble! :D I'm too old to chase girls ... in fact I'm too old to even have the energy to think about it. I no longer read much (though I am half way through Umberto Echo's "Prague Cemetery" which is so far pretty darn absorbing. I don't sit around in cafes any more. Shopping has become boring. I can't think well enough to play chess and I don't have enough money to travel! Yep, if this Thorn thing does not turn out to be my new passion I do believe I will not be able to find a pulse in a few weeks.
Keep the hobby ideas comming please. I need some ideas! ???
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After carefully considering your situation and using my long years of counselling experience Pavel I can only summarise,
You should kill yourself...
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I know what you're up to Ian .... you just want your Thorn further up in the que! Hah! Wait your turn! :)
I guess you had a low repeat rate as a counselor!
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Keep the hobby ideas comming please. I need some ideas!
Pavel,
If I can offer a suggestion, it would be to rediscover the simple joy of Play. Play as a kid would, with no specific deadline or product or result in mind, but just reveling in the journey and sense of discovery. Do that, and there's a good chance you'll find your next passion.
Give this touring thing a try, and see how it goes. We all do this in our own way, and I'm guessing you'll find a method that reawakens the New in it for you -- and may even make your other hobbies like photography new again. You're getting the bike of a lifetime, now go back to the Stone Age with a camera and make it work. Buy a toy camera ( http://www.toycamera.com/ ; amazing photo galleries here http://www.flickr.com/groups/toycameracom/ ) and take it with you. Make a touring version of the pinhole camera. Challenge yourself with Play. It'll come fresh again. It is a strategy that has worked for me -- challenging myself to learn and grow, and see how others approach things so I can learn even more. When a hobby grows stale and it seems I might outgrow it, I go back to basics and see if I can do more with less (stuff, that is), and substitute my skills. Makes it new all over again, and it is even better when the results don't matter 'cos they don't have to; it's the process that matters, the play. Too often, life beats the play out of us and we have to take a little sabbatical from it and go back to learn how.
Try setting yourself a mission, and make it a little bit absurd. Challenge yourself to a photo a day even when you can't think of a shot to capture. Dedicate yourself to documenting your journey (getting a Thorn is just the beginning, you know, not an end in itself). If you're not a Writer (could've fooled me), pretend you are one, and keep a journal or start a novel. Laugh at yourself. Laugh at the absurdity of life, and with it for all the beauty it holds. There's a lot of both out there, and they keep things fresh.
As for bikes...there really are no bad rides be they long or short, fast or slow. Think about the sheer wonder of the thing. If you saw it the first time in a circus, you'd applaud; it can't stand up on its own, carries a hundred times its own weight without complaint, doesn't eat a thing except the occasional drib and drab of oil and grease, yet it can take us around the block or around the world. Pretty amazing, that; Adventure in a Box. And.you're.getting.one. Yours, to make of it what you will and use as you wish. The whole world lies before you, man, and we can't wait to see where it takes you. Full reports due, of course. With pictures! Maybe...just maybe...from a toy camera? ;)
Best,
Dan.
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I love the idea of a toy camera Dan, thats really thinking outside the box ;)
One of the great revelations of the internet is that whatever we decide to do or no matter how absurd it seems to us or the people closest to us, your never alone....
So if you decide to take a picture each day with a Toy camera Pavel or just want to be shot out of a submarine torpedoe tube with a parachute on there will be someone to share the experience with (As long as you tell us of course)
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Thanks Dan & Jags for the Facebook likes :)
Just to pre-empt any need for on-track moderation on the trouser thread, my Photography Facebook site can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/FredAdamsPhotography (https://www.facebook.com/FredAdamsPhotography)
Please click the like button if you like what you see and you'll get my latest posts as and when I make them.
Cheers
Fred
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I did this sort of winter motorcycling (ich bin ein winterfahrer) thing a few times, mainly in the pre (before I knew about it) internet days:
Austria http://motorang.com/tauerntreffen2007/eng_sat1.htm (this was actually a year we attended).
Norway http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xtwQETIYPQ&feature=related
Germany http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1J_s5rWL5g&feature=related
Chilly for sure
Ian
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I did this sort of winter motorcycling...
Oh! What a marvelous pursuit! Absolutely the sort of thing I enjoy, and it makes me want to go out and purchase a used (motor)bike and bundle up just so I can take part.
What terrific fun!
Thanks so much for sharing these links, Ian.
All the best,
Dan.
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Pavel,
If I can offer a suggestion, it would be to rediscover the simple joy of Play. Play as a kid would, with no specific deadline or product or result in mind, but just reveling in the journey and sense of discovery. Do that, and there's a good chance you'll find your next passion.Best,
Dan.
Here here,
sound advice, and this does actually work... to often do we get caught up in the mundane tasks of day to day business that hopbbies just become a blur, sometimes you just have to act like a kid again to relive the moment or make it so much more interesting. I have found that simple things like climbing trees and running through fields with the dog can make such a difference to the way in which we look at things. well said dan.....