3rd January 2026 - New Year ride on Pugsley.

 Happy New Year! 

I was hoping to get a ride out on the 1st or 2nd day of the New Year but with rain and gale force winds it just wasn't happening. 

After getting some snow on the afternoon of the 3rd and the wind abating a bit I decided to get the Pugsley out and head down the local trails to the beach and coastal tracks.  While the wind was still fairly strong I thought the lower beach track and hedges may offer some respite from it. It was also a full moon so tried to capture it on my way home but a bit too dark for my phone and struggled to hold still in the 50mph winds. 

Not much snow but in the following four days there has been quite a bit with these trails now being covered by about 6 inches in the fields with the track being about a foot deep due to the drifts. Unfortunately I am back at work and unable to get out on the Pugsley, but hopefully this weekend. 

A slightly later start but it's always good to start the year riding. 

Jamie 

Sat 6th December 2025 - Global FatBike Day 2025 - Strathpeffer

 Having realised I haven't posted to the blog for a while I thought I better bring it slightly up to date with some of the rides done lately. 

Saturday 6th December seen Global Fatbike day roll around once again. We haven't missed a ride out for many years as it is always a good excuse to get out with friends and enjoy a sociable ride on our Fatbikes, which is what it was always intended to do. 

We were a bit worried the week before as Brian had not been well recently and we had our fingers crossed he would be fit for the ride, especially as I have done most of the GFBD rides with Brian, this combined with the constant rain and flooding meant picking a route was a bit of a juggling act. As it turned out Brian was good to ride but could only take it relatively easy due to some ongoing health issues so it meant finding an easyish flat course for the ride. Had to keep his heart rate well in check. We decided on a simple route from Dingwall to Strathpeffer for lunch taking the long winding route there and a straightforward route back. 

So it was just myself on my Pugsley, Caleb, my son, on his Karate Monkey and Brian on his Pugsley. 

We were very lucky with the weather as Caleb and I drove the couple of hours south in very heavy rain, only easing/stopping just before we arrived at Brians. It stayed relatively dry, just the odd spots here and there before reverting back to heavy rain once we left Brians.  

It was good to be out on the Pugsley and while it was a very sedate ride just riding along easy tracks and pathways it was good to be out with Brian and Caleb. We were both pleased to have Brian join us and knew it was an effort for him so we just enjoyed rolling along, thankful and enjoying being out and in each others company. 

Jamie   

Sat 13th September 2025 Pugsley Loch More Loop

 I was out and about on the Pugsley around Loch More on the weekend.

I was out with a friend just exploring the back loops and logging roads so nothing too strenuous, just a relaxing way to spend the afternoon in some great scenery. Also got to try out the Surly frame bag I got Caleb for his Karate Monkey. Worked great and for once I didn't need my backpack to carry my stuff. I may be borrowing it more often ;)

The Pugsley is still a great riding bike, built it up from frame about 12 or 13 years ago now and still enjoy it as much as ever. It's had a few changes over the years and the last couple of years seems to get a slight makeover before the Autumn/Winter to keep things a bit different and fresh.  Biggest change a couple of winters back was the addition of a rear derailleur and cassette after 10 years of single speed, then last year a change from the tried and trusted Jones style bars to the Sim Works Little Nick bars, which I am still really loving using. So for this year,  I am finally going to build a new set of wheels next month for it as the rear hub is shot so picked up some Holy Darylls and will get a couple of rear XT hubs. These should come in a bit lighter than the Large Marges.  
Hopefully will get them done in the next month as the Pugs always see's more use once the weather turns.

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

Saturday 30th March 2024 - Aviemore ride out on the Pugsley

 I hope everyone is doing OK and managing to get a few rides in here and there despite the rubbish weather conditions lately here in the UK.

I spent Easter down in Aviemore visiting with family and friends who came up so we could all spend the weekend together. We had a big static caravan. It was a very nice weekend away. Now they aren't bike people but they also aren't the best morning people either. So that meant I slipped the Pugsley and the Jack Taylor into the van. As in previous years get togethers, in Callender and in Helensbrough that meant I would get up early, go for a ride for a few hours and return to head out to breakfast and the day together.
We arrived Friday afternoon. Saturday morning was sunny and I was on the track for Loch Morlich by about 7.30 on the Pugsley. It was nice but had a few spits of rain. Just spent my time following the all weather path to Glenmore and then exploring the tracks heading south on the other side of the road. Great fun. It was good to be back out on the Pugsley, now sporting a 1 x 9 gear setup. While I have ridden this area quite often over many years on the Pugsley, this is the first time with gears. While only a couple of hours and on the easier paths and trails, it was a great way to start the day.  

The rest of Saturday was spent dodging rain showers so certainly had the nicest weather for the ride.

Jamie