29th March 2020 - Brooks B67 for the Big Dummy

This weekend, being a little yesterday and then this afternoon managed to finally fit the B67 Brooks saddle to the Big Dummy and swap the bars back off the Pugsley. I had swapped the H bar off the Dummy to the Pugsley for the Puffer but as the Big Dummy may go to commuting duties soon I thought get it set back to how it should be, and it also suites and rides so much better with the H bar. The seat I have had for somewhere between 18 months and 2 years, just never getting round to it, I suppose if whats there works, then leave it :)  It was never really forgotten but just put back to a rainy day type job.
The seat just needed a bit of tensioning and the bars adjusted and after a quick sorte it was good to go. While there was nothing much up with the old SDG seat, the old Brooks felt instantly nice and comfortable.
Now I just have to get round to changing the front end back to a the more normal size and build my Dynamo hub wheels up. I have an SP hub for the front and use the existing Alfine for the rear laced onto a pair of Rigida Sputniks, heavy duty rims for sure. Hopefully will fit a pair of Surly ET tyres. This will make it roll better for doing some more tarmac miles with Caleb being on his own bike 99% of the time now. I was tempted to remove his stoker stem from the seatpost and his footpegs but decided to leave on for the time being, just in case.
Looking forward to when we can get back out and tour.
Anyway just thought I would share.
Hope everyone is doing OK, staying healthy and keeping sane.

Jamie

March 2020 - Long Haul Trucker commuting

Certainly the changing landscape of our world these last few weeks has turned life a bit upside down for many of us. For myself in my job I must keep going in each day, though the structure and logistics of it are very changed and on the other front my wife and son are on high lockdown so returning each evening is a long drawn out disinfecting process, but thankful I get to go home and grateful everyone is healthy.
I have been commuting to work on my Long Haul trucker and more than ever I am grateful for it on the ride home. The ride home tends to allow me to lose any of the stresses or worries from work and keep in perspective what matters to me most, my family. It allows me to arrive home in a good mood without any residual worry from work and allows me to be fresh and relaxed to hear what my son and wife have been doing with their days work.
It's also strange to commute with so few cars on the road. While we live in a quiet rural area and have nowhere near the traffic most would have living in more urban areas, it is still noticeable by it's absence.
I have also been fortunate with the weather most days.
Stay safe and take care where ever you may be.

Jamie

Sat 21st March 2020 - Jack Taylor Super Clubman - Local

A couple of hours out this afternoon on the Jack Taylor as had to head into town to pick up a couple of bits from the Bike Shop. Namely a longer BB for the Mercian build. Wasn't sure if it would be open but thought I better try and support my local shop. The way things are it is important to look after the shops that look after us.  Glad I did as got exactly what I needed and a bit more                      ( without hoarding ;)  )
Had to find a longer route home than my commuting one as now we have moved I am only about 1/2 hour ride to town/work and the bike shop a little bit closer. Before I was about an forty five minutes to an hour out of town.
Nice ride as it cannot be anything but on the JT, though not as sunny as a few days this week and still really cold with temp sitting around three degree or so. The strong southerly wind didn't help either. Home to the family and a nice warm fire, so was soon warmed up.
Hope everyone is keeping OK and looking after themselves and their families.
At least riding is still allowed and is a good way to stay healthy, get out and enjoy some fresh air and is still self isolating.
Stay safe everyone and look after each other, plenty of riding to be done once this is over.

Jamie

February 2nd 2020 - Jack Taylor Super Clubman local ride - normal service resumed

Well after the madness that is the Strathpuffer 24hour over and a winter spent relatively quiet bike wise, just doing shortish rides when the opportunity arose whilst moving and sorting a new house, some form of normal came back into view when I managed to get out for a nice quiet couple of hours ride round the coast this Sunday.
Still busy sorting stuff with the new house but nice to get a break in the weather to finally align with the weekend. So the plan was after lunch to get the Jack Taylor out and just go for a ride, nowhere in particular, just see where it goes. It was great to be back on the JT after what seems like ages but has really only been about two months, in which time the Pugsley has been getting a few good outings and a couple on the Trucker with Caleb.
So while I have moved house I haven't moved too far and so the same roads are still local with a few more options available for those days when you only have a few hours.
It was dry though still quite cold and with a breeze making it seem cool as well. There forecast, which has since come true was for gale force winds and heavy rain on Monday, so glad I made the effort when I could.
Anyway, the Super Clubman was a joy to ride as usual.
Hopefully some of you managed to get out in nice weather as well.

Jamie

7th December 2019 - Global fat Bike Day (GFBD) - Loch More/Alnabreac Loop

Well, that time of year again for the annual GFBD ride.
The annual GFBD ride is held on the first Saturday in December and has been running since about 2012. I am pretty sure Brian and I have had a fatbike ride on most of these with myself missing an organised ride last year due to being in  Australia for a family funeral. Though I did get a local ride out on my Pugsley as soon as I got home. I think it was the following Saturday.
Anyway this year Brian decided to head up this way and the plan was to do the Loch More/Altnabreac loop in the flow country up here in the north of Scotland.
There are rides taking place all over the world so we did post this one up though we didn't really think anyone would show up but it made us committed to it regardless of what the weather would be. Well the weather didn't let us down. It has rained solidly up here for the past week and things looked little better this morning.
After Brian arrived at mine and had a warming cuppa it was time to load the bikes into my van for the short drive out to the start of our ride.
I was on my Pugsley with Brian riding his nice carbon framed fatbike with carbon rims, very nice and very light. Brian though has had a few hassles with punctures on these carbon rims when running tubeless so had fitted tubes to see if that made the difference. Thankful to say we had no punctures today so all seems good with them now.
We unpacked and quickly got going as the rain was light but steady and there was a stiffening breeze from the south west. Thankfully we were pretty well wrapped for it but it's still a pain in the backside and of course, would rather ride in the dry.
The wide open nature of the flow country lets you see what's coming from a good distance away and it didn't look like the day would get better judging but the limited view we had of the cloudy, rainy horizon.
Still, we had a great ride and once in the protected area where there were trees it was a bit easier going, though the road was littered with big filled puddles.
Due to the weather we didn't complete the loop, instead spending time taking detours and exploring trails we hadn't been down before and generally staying in the more forested areas rather than out into the exposed open flow land.
As the afternoon progressed the wind had picked up along with the rain getting steadily heavier.
I think we made the right decision not to go out into the south western section where we would be exposed completely to the wind as when we headed back the way we came we had a good few miles of very strong headwind along with heavy rain.
The Pugsley as usual was a joy to ride but I must do more maintenance when I haven't been riding it as much over the summer as not long into the ride I had the back brake start slowing my down and bringing me to a stop only to have a pad backing plate drop out and onto the ground with no pad material attached. They had some how separated and it had allowed to baking plate to drop out. Luckily no big hills out here so just rode with the front brake. Must check better next time rather than a casual glance for thickness :)
Thanks once again must go to Brian for his company and heading up this way.
Whether Fatbike or not I hope anyone reading this managed to get a ride in where ever  you may be.

Jamie

29 October 2019 - Midweek ride with Brian on Long Haul Trucker - Black isle

Seeing as the forecast was reasonable for once , especially after the rainy sleety weekend we have just had, I decided to take the day off work and head south as Brian said he had an idea for a road ride.
Perfect I thought!
So after being up early and dropping a visitor to the Dyer household into Thurso for the train at 8.30 I kept heading south to Brians at Dingwall.
After a warming coffee we headed out into the nice autumnal day that was slowly becoming overcast. While it was sunny in places, the heat had definitely gone for the year as it was very cold. This was not helped by snow on Ben Wyvis and snow clearly visible on the high ground to the west.
I was on the trusty Long Haul Trucker while Brian was on his Alfine equipped Voodoo.
We headed out over sections of the Black Isle to North Kessock where we dined in style at Harry Gows   :lol:  (It was fuel)
It was not pretty and it wasn't healthy but it was warming as I was really freezing despite having several jerseys on. I put my jacket on just after this and that really helped but I had made the mistake of not packing my Buff. I knew from the ride on the weekend that it was colder the last few weeks but didn't expect it to be this biting so early on.
We then rode back through North Kessock, Redcar along the shoreline before turning up the quiet single lane farm roads to zigzag our way cross country before turning back up onto the main road to Dingwall all the while taking small detours to explore. Some paved and of course, some dirt/gravel 'short cuts'. One of these was through a local woods on some singletrack that while the usual nice treelined detour it was definitely boggy in places from the recent rain. Discretion won out and we cut this section short for now, either until it freezes, dries out or we come back with the fatbikes.
A cold ride but as usual a good ride and it seems that winter has returned quite quickly. It has taken the heat and the daylight out of the day making it a bit colder and darker, the low light being quite noticeable especially since the clocks went back on the weekend. 
A good laugh and despite the cold it was a really nice ride. Good to have my riding buddy back from Oz as well.

Jamie

13/10/2019 - Local Coast Ride - Jack Taylor Super Clubman

After a really busy month where I have been away from home more than I have been there at weekends, it was nice to be back home for a Sunday where I awoke to a nice sunny day.
I had some work to do first thing and then the plan in my head was to just get out for a cruise on the Jack Taylor.  I had to sort the front wheel that had become a bit rattley after the Jack Taylor weekend and thankfully it was as expected, that the cones had slackened in the hub slightly after the last service. I had replaced the bearings so I either didn't tighten them properly or they just bedded in slightly, either way it was just a small job to readjust them and then hit the road.
No real destination in mind other than to cruise leisurely around the coast.
I rode the back roads and then after Castletown Harbour headed back through the old estate track which was still wet and boggy after the rains last week but no problem at the speeds I was going :)
Got in around 5pm just as the temperature was beginning to drop and you could really feel the difference. Summer is well and truly behind us now.
Good to be back out and clearing the head. Hopefully everyone else has had a good weekend with maybe a ride or two thrown in.

Jamie