Sunday 16th March 2025 - Late afternoon ride on the Merckx Corsa Extra - Spring is here?

 In honour of what is starting to feel like spring and the start of the spring classic races I thought as I had a couple of hours spare that, I am well past due to get the Merckx out of winter hibernation, stretch my back into shape, resume the racer pose and put some quick miles in on this fast machine. 

It didn't disappoint either. After buying this from the factory nearly 14 years ago now, it still never fails to make me smile and appreciate just how nice it is to ride. Even by modern standards it is a racy feel but ever so rock steady and compliant, comfortable all day in the saddle. Plus after all this time, it doesn't matter how long since I last rode it, it fits like a glove and just feels so natural fitting back on it. 

Love it. 

Jamie  

Sunday 2nd March 2025 - Back out on the Bullitt - Local inland ride - Caithness

 Out again today on the Bullitt.  

I needed to see someone so what better way than travel than in the Bullitt. This time on the way back I took a much more meandering backroads detour. Enjoying just being out riding. Finding roads to head down purely to keep the ride going.  

Jamie 

Never far from the sea

01 March 2025 - Coastal ride Home from Thurso on the Larry Vs Harry Bullitt.

 Caleb was operating his stall selling plants at one of the local markets here in Caithness on a very nice Saturday morning. It certainly made a change from the wet and windy February we have had where any riding was mainly confined to commuting or the odd brief ride just to keep the legs spinning.

So after joining Caleb and the family for lunch which took me pretty much a direct route into town, I decided to take a few detours and tracks around the coast on the way back home. 

I picked up a few bits and pieces in town but to be honest I could have got the family to take these home as it didn't warrant the cargo bike, but I really just love riding the big Bullitt. It's just a sweet ride and by it's nature there is no pressure to go fast or to race, so if you don't want to high tail it, it's equally at home  taking it steady and enjoying it. When I am riding to work then I am steady and trying to go quickly so a weekend ride is cruising and enjoying the scenery. ;) 

A really pleasant few hours to spend re exploring some of the dirt tracks and small back roads. 

The Bullitt was it's usual reliable, enjoyable self, taking it all in it's stride. 

The only issue I have had is with the front disc wheel which is the hub motor. I have had it go out of true slightly and very hard to force back into true. Have to use leverage in small adjustments die to the fact that the hub us attached to the rim by the aluminium disks. These themselves seem to be pop rivetted to the hub and the rim, leaving no mechanical means to adjust the trueing. I will have to fully dismantle and get some very short spokes cut to replace the disks. It will be fine for spring and then in the summer I will sort it. 

Jamie 

January 19th 2025 - Calebs Karate Monkey winter shakedown ride with the Pugsley.

 A bite late posting this update but better late than never. 

We finally had a break with the weather and managed to get out so Caleb could have a more off road ride on his Christmas Karate Monkey. 

The weather still wasn't the best but it was looking like the rain may hold off for a few hours and the sun may even show itself. It was still very cold when we loaded the KM and the Pugsley and headed out to Loch More to see how we went. 

It was still a bit wet and the estate roads were slick in places but it gave us a chance to adjust the fit and dial everything in. It wasn't too far but it gave him a chance to get used to it and you could see his enthusiasm growing for it. The fit is spot on and still a fair margin to expand as he grows, which at this rate is pretty rapid. 

Jamie 

25th December 2024 - Christmas Bike for Caleb

 I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and managed to spend time with family or friends.

We had a very lovely relaxed Christmas with the three of us and the pets.

This year I built Caleb up a new/old bike. He has been growing like a weed the last year and while he still uses his Hardrock for going about I noticed he isn't riding it as much, then noticed he is getting a lot taller. When he has gone mtb riding with his friends he takes my Pugsley or the 1X1. 

As we recently finally finished putting his Wester Ross road bike together I decided to build him up a Surly Karate Monkey 29'er. Only this Christmas give him the complete finished bike. 
He rides my Pugsley when we go mtb riding as he doesn't have a proper off roader as his Hardrock is set up for touring and he loves all the Surlys about the house so even though the frame for this was second hand I wanted it to be for him and not one of my hand me downs. So I bought a frame a couple of months ago and hid it in the loft and then slowly put the parts aside. Then the week before Christmas I started putting it together.
It's a really nice 2006 Metallic Skid Mark brown Karate Monkey.
It's set up 1 x 9 as is my Pugsley as he likes that, it's fitted with Mary bars as he loves those on his Hardrock and the back of the tandem, BB7 brakes as simple, effective and easily adjusted and some really nice wheels that Brian built up, XT hubs with Kris Holm 40mm 29'er unicycle rims, double walled and holed to which I fitted a night sky rim tape. A massive thank you to Brian for building these.
Came up really nice and he was shocked to see a bike under the tree, to say he was pleased was an understatement.
Hope everyone has had a nice one.

Jamie

Saturday December 7th 2024 - Global Fatbike day 2024 - Strathpeffer with Brian - Pugsleys day out!

 Last Saturday, (7th) was Global fatbike day.

Pretty poor weather all day but managed to get down to Brians at Dingwall and we headed out to Strathpeffer way for a ride for a few hours before hitting the cafe at the old Strathpeffer station and getting warmed and dried while eating soup, cakes and drinking coffee.
Fairly sedate riding an some pathways and some single track, before heading back to Brians to sort some wheel builds for a couple of projects I have on the go. Both of us were on our ever reliable Pugsleys. Mine was fitted with some new bars just to change things up, some Simworks Nick bars, first real test other than down to the beach at home. They are really comfortable and fall to hand nicely. After being on Geoff bars and Titec Jones bars for so long I was surprised how quickly I adapted and how natural they felt. They are very similar in bend to the 1X1 Torsion bars I ran on it a few years ago, 2016 I think from the Puffer onwards, though these are a good bit wider. I had the perfect stem as well, the old polished Race Face that was still sitting on the Torsion bars in the loft. A purchase from my old friend Kaiser, if I remember rightly.
A very wet day as it was raining when I left home and headed south and I don't think it stopped much all day before I drove home in the rain. The ride was just a bit of drizzle so quite lucky on that front. We managed to miss the heavy bits.
Great to ride with Brian as usual and on the Pugs. Couldn't be anything but a good day.

Jamie

Saturday 16th November - Pugsley gets new bars!!!

 With winter fast approaching thoughts recently have turned towards the off road side of my cycling and with Global Fatbike Day fast approaching, meaning recent plans for the Pugsley needed to get put into action.  The first of these was the fitting of my new handlebars that arrived this week. 

After having H bars and Geoff bars fitted for the last couple of years, actually I think it was 2016 I last used straight flat type bars, my Surly Torsion bars, at the Strathpuffer 24. So to shake things up a bit and change it round after 13 or so years on the Pugsley I purchased a bar very similar to the Torsion bar but a bit wider. This being a Sim Works Nick bar, again like the Torsion bar, it too is made by Nitto for Sim Works. Slightly different bend but as can be seen by the photos it is very similar. I even used the same Race Face Deus stem that I used to use on the Torsion bar, As the Torsion bar is a Surly 1x1 Torsion bar it will eventually make it's way back onto the 1x1. 

Everything swapped over easily and the stem was perfect as I had bought the 25.4 clamp version of the bar to suite. Due to 45mph winds and rain I only managed a quick ride round the yard but initial impression was nice. Similar to the Torsion bar, though everything fell back easily to hand even after a long time on the swept back Jones type bars. The width felt comfortable as well, so all good. Really looking forward to trying them out properly on a much longer ride. 

I have also recently picked up a pair of the grey Rolling Daryll rims that I am looking forward to building up. Will most likely use XT 756 rear hubs, one singlespeed and one geared. Hoping to get those sorted in the coming weeks. The Pugs will feel like a new bike. 

Jamie  

In the photo below you can see the similarities in the bars with the Torsion bar being the one with the stem still attached