Never done Burma Road but on my list. Which way did you do it? Heard that it’s best starting at the south end and finishing at Carrbridge?
And today I did......
- Thread starter kaiser
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Never done Burma Road but on my list. Which way did you do it? Heard that it’s best starting at the south end and finishing at Carrbridge?
yeah thats the way we did it.
Start at Aviemore, cross the A1 at Lunwig and up the barsteward of a climb. then down to carrbridge and back via Boat of garten for cake/pint stop and then speyside way to aviemore.
Could maybe plan in a weekend retro gathering in spring for this and some high burnside action !!
Start at Aviemore, cross the A1 at Lunwig and up the barsteward of a climb. then down to carrbridge and back via Boat of garten for cake/pint stop and then speyside way to aviemore.
Could maybe plan in a weekend retro gathering in spring for this and some high burnside action !!
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Today I built a modern bike, well 2014 frame and forks with usual mix and match junk from my shed. I have nearly submerged myself in the 21st century of mtb. I did this strange thing due to my first ill fated visit to Comrie Croft about 6 weeks back with my upstairs neighbour and his mates. A 20 plus year old mtb and its highly inefficient engine (me) are not meant for the Croft. That place is brutal and so technical but its a challenge I aim to have other goes at.
No pics of bike yet as I am still tinkering and currently it has 26er wheels when it should have 27.5's but cannot currently afford the upgrade.
The bike is a Forme Sterndale 2 with suntour xct forks which I know are not great but dead easy to service and spares are plentiful. Running 1 x 9 at moment with SRAM X0 and X5 bits but plant to change to 2 x 9 when I get 27.5 wheels.
First ride was weird in a good way as the long top tube short stem is totally alien to me. Bunny hops better than my old steeds, maybe because I am more centred in frame. Steep seat tube feels good, can climb seated which I prefer. Geometry though is still reasonably Conservative as its xc not modern progressive geometry, headtube seems no slacker at most than 70 degrees.
Might tinker some more then give it a wee airing at GT tomorrow.
Edit: project back on back burner, need to rebuild wheels due to couple of spoke failures. I usually use used spokes so the odd failure is expected but two on same wheel suggest tensioning issues. Think I rushed build too much. Need to set up a proper wheel building rig and do it sensibly and correct this time
No pics of bike yet as I am still tinkering and currently it has 26er wheels when it should have 27.5's but cannot currently afford the upgrade.
The bike is a Forme Sterndale 2 with suntour xct forks which I know are not great but dead easy to service and spares are plentiful. Running 1 x 9 at moment with SRAM X0 and X5 bits but plant to change to 2 x 9 when I get 27.5 wheels.
First ride was weird in a good way as the long top tube short stem is totally alien to me. Bunny hops better than my old steeds, maybe because I am more centred in frame. Steep seat tube feels good, can climb seated which I prefer. Geometry though is still reasonably Conservative as its xc not modern progressive geometry, headtube seems no slacker at most than 70 degrees.
Might tinker some more then give it a wee airing at GT tomorrow.
Edit: project back on back burner, need to rebuild wheels due to couple of spoke failures. I usually use used spokes so the odd failure is expected but two on same wheel suggest tensioning issues. Think I rushed build too much. Need to set up a proper wheel building rig and do it sensibly and correct this time
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It's been one of those weeks. Lovely weather on Monday but duties meant I couldn't go near a bike. Lovely day on Tuesday so quit early and headed out on the road bike - got half way round my loop and the rear end went decidedly wobbly, my first puncture in a year or two! I don't bother carrying pump, tools etc on rides within an hour or two of home so ended up driving back with the bike on the roof - incredibly frustrating as for the first time in months the wind was pushing me home.
Wednesday I set to work repairing the puncture at home... happened to glance at my mountain bike and noticed the rear caliper covered in oil - sure enough a squeeze of the lever gave no resistance at all. ARGH! That caliper was a replacement for an identical (Deore) that had failed in exactly the same way. Fixed the puncture on my road bike, managed to get out for a nice ride (though naturally the wind had reverted to headwind home.)
Spent the next 24 hours agonising over whether to just buy a Clarks M3 brake set for <£100 or to support British engineering and manufacturing by spending more on a set of Hopes than I spent on the (second hand) bike a few years ago... the thought of being able to repair a leaking caliper rather than chucking yet another in the bin after a year swung it in the end.
Still feel queasy at having spent so much money on a set of brakes for a 21 year old bike, but I am fed up with disposable rubbish churned out in China and I do like being able to stop (ideally without splitting my eardrums or causing heart failure in every pedestrian within a mile radius.)
Wednesday I set to work repairing the puncture at home... happened to glance at my mountain bike and noticed the rear caliper covered in oil - sure enough a squeeze of the lever gave no resistance at all. ARGH! That caliper was a replacement for an identical (Deore) that had failed in exactly the same way. Fixed the puncture on my road bike, managed to get out for a nice ride (though naturally the wind had reverted to headwind home.)
Spent the next 24 hours agonising over whether to just buy a Clarks M3 brake set for <£100 or to support British engineering and manufacturing by spending more on a set of Hopes than I spent on the (second hand) bike a few years ago... the thought of being able to repair a leaking caliper rather than chucking yet another in the bin after a year swung it in the end.
Still feel queasy at having spent so much money on a set of brakes for a 21 year old bike, but I am fed up with disposable rubbish churned out in China and I do like being able to stop (ideally without splitting my eardrums or causing heart failure in every pedestrian within a mile radius.)
Thanks, that's what I was trying to tell myself as wellThink about it more as an investment. No more chucking the unfixables in the bin, anything goes wrong you can easily buy the bits and fix them. So its not just for your 21 yr old bike, its every bike from now on
Every cloud has a silver(or anodized in bright colours) lining.
I was too tight to pay the extra few quid for blue calipers to match the bike but justified that by telling myself I was leaving open my options for the next bike I transfer them to! (Also, the black/silver was easier to get hold of.)
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Stood on Lasswade Bridge today as the Tour of Britain shot past at breath taking speed
Then just past the Laird and Dog pub this kid in full lycra on a mini kids roadbike out sprinted the leading four riders up the hill out of Lasswade which is a tough old hill and got handed the water bottle of the lead rider. It was caught on film and some great photos. My god those riders can shift. That's the first time I have seen a full professional peleton go by in full race mode
Then just past the Laird and Dog pub this kid in full lycra on a mini kids roadbike out sprinted the leading four riders up the hill out of Lasswade which is a tough old hill and got handed the water bottle of the lead rider. It was caught on film and some great photos. My god those riders can shift. That's the first time I have seen a full professional peleton go by in full race mode
old_coyote_pedaller
MacRetro Rider
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Watched it this afternoon too, on telly though. The wee guy will remember that for a long time.
Funny you being there too, a mate of mine lives in house just before you cross bridge, he's a MTBer and climber, no sure if he's into road bike stuff.
Still if it's passing yer front door so close, why not watch?
Funny you being there too, a mate of mine lives in house just before you cross bridge, he's a MTBer and climber, no sure if he's into road bike stuff.
Still if it's passing yer front door so close, why not watch?
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Must've seen your mate then as I was just across the road from him. I am from Bonnyrigg and Lasswade. Now I live in Loanhead which means I pass through Lasswade every time I visit my parents as I was doing on Saturday. A memorable day for that wee lad indeed.
old_coyote_pedaller
MacRetro Rider
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It got even better for him, the wee guy is from Bonnyrigg, the Tour sponsors gave him VIP tickets for the stage into Aberdeen.
Pascal Eenkhoorn, the rider that gave him the bottle, took him on a tour of the Jumbo-Visma Team bus and he went on the stage with them.
He also met Wout van Aert, Mark Cavendish and other riders.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-58503012
Pascal Eenkhoorn, the rider that gave him the bottle, took him on a tour of the Jumbo-Visma Team bus and he went on the stage with them.
He also met Wout van Aert, Mark Cavendish and other riders.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-58503012
