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epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
Steering problems on Pompino
I jumped on my Pompino to take a pootle through to the next village with coffee and cake on my mind.
But it seems cursed with a steering problem. I'd barely gone over a mile when it insisted on veering offroad.
I'm beginning to suspect this Pompino is really the bastard offspring of an Inbred. Before I realised what was happening I was ploughing uphill through slurries of cowshit and mud.
Fortunately we were soon past that.
I did not know where the track lead, but I could make a reasonable guess because I could see Ben Wyvis coming into view and I'd made a bit of height.
Eventually the top. Doesn't look that high, but I'd just climbed over 1,000 feet in less than 4 miles.
I recognised the trig point and knew there was track leading down to DIngwall. Jamie will recognise this view.
Then it was really steep downhill on sketchy surfaces, a bit testing with skinny tyres and cantis, and wonder of wonders, I got through the farm without being eaten by the dogs. Maybe I don't taste as good as Jamie, they love him.
What really pleased me was how well the bike handled on a lot of what is really mtb terrain, and also my gear problems of a few weeks ago are sorted because I certainly had to use the low gear on my 3 speed. I think this gears business may catch on...
Meanwhile I'll look for a cure for the steering problem.
I jumped on my Pompino to take a pootle through to the next village with coffee and cake on my mind.
But it seems cursed with a steering problem. I'd barely gone over a mile when it insisted on veering offroad.
I'm beginning to suspect this Pompino is really the bastard offspring of an Inbred. Before I realised what was happening I was ploughing uphill through slurries of cowshit and mud.
Fortunately we were soon past that.
I did not know where the track lead, but I could make a reasonable guess because I could see Ben Wyvis coming into view and I'd made a bit of height.
Eventually the top. Doesn't look that high, but I'd just climbed over 1,000 feet in less than 4 miles.
I recognised the trig point and knew there was track leading down to DIngwall. Jamie will recognise this view.
Then it was really steep downhill on sketchy surfaces, a bit testing with skinny tyres and cantis, and wonder of wonders, I got through the farm without being eaten by the dogs. Maybe I don't taste as good as Jamie, they love him.
What really pleased me was how well the bike handled on a lot of what is really mtb terrain, and also my gear problems of a few weeks ago are sorted because I certainly had to use the low gear on my 3 speed. I think this gears business may catch on...
Meanwhile I'll look for a cure for the steering problem.
Re: Steering problems on Pompino
When I was a youngster I had an old Land Rover with this same problem... nowadays I'd be far too worried about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere to risk anything like that on four wheels!
Just starting to get back into this mindset now that I have a working mountain bike on the go again, although judging from the pictures a lack of fat knobbly tyres doesn't seem to have stopped you...
epicyclo":3v50fswi said:Meanwhile I'll look for a cure for the steering problem.
When I was a youngster I had an old Land Rover with this same problem... nowadays I'd be far too worried about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere to risk anything like that on four wheels!
Just starting to get back into this mindset now that I have a working mountain bike on the go again, although judging from the pictures a lack of fat knobbly tyres doesn't seem to have stopped you...
Looks like a good ride and that is some seriously steep stuff on that track.
And that's right mate, most bikes will go anywhere if you ride to the conditions.
Hope you said hi to the dogs for me, well all of them except the black and tan one that bit me
Very wet up here today with very strong winds, the commute to work this morning was a long hard slog.
Jamie
And that's right mate, most bikes will go anywhere if you ride to the conditions.
Hope you said hi to the dogs for me, well all of them except the black and tan one that bit me
Very wet up here today with very strong winds, the commute to work this morning was a long hard slog.
Jamie
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
Spent too long doing useless stuff today, ie anything that doesn't involve the bike so decided to sneak a quick ride.
I've just bought a wee book "The Cyclist's Guide to Hillclimbs on Scottish Highland Roads" with the best climbs in the area. As it turns out I know quite a few of them and I intend to ride as many of them as possible over the next few months.
Anyhow it turns out there's a worthy one on my doorstep. Heights of Docharty (P40). Nice and short at 3kms and 228m of climb.
It starts off easily enough but quickly ramps up. When I was fitter I have ridden the first part ok on my singlespeed, so equipped with 3 speeds, it should have been a breeze. It wasn't. However that was more because of trying to put a bit of pace on to reach the passing places because cars coming down the hill didn't appear to possess brakes and the road is one lane wide with high banks.
Then there's a short flat bit which allows a bit of speed for momentum up the next bit. I got all of 3 or 4 metres past my usual point of failure when I had to get off and walk. I simply could not turn the pedals and after a stop I could not get enough momentum for a restart. It's so steep that the bike was sliding backwards with a locked front wheel if I didn't keep the pressure on. So that was about a 250 metre push until It got sensible again.
Conclusion - Fail. Must try harder next time. I think I'll do it when it's quieter when I can use a slow steady pace. Having to sprint uphill to the passing places probably burnt me out.
There was a bonus though. Once I got to the top I reached a track...
Should have brought a mountain bike.
That water is deeper and faster than it looks. I was going to simple wade across but thought better of it when I remembered I wasn't wearing my sandals.
I headed along the track because there were a couple of features I wanted to check. On Google Earth the left hand one of these looks completely circular. Considering it is very close to the remains of Neolithic hut circles I wanted to check if it was a chambered cairn. I couldn't see any definite signs that it was, and it is not marked on OS maps or RCAHMS, but I still wonder.
I've just bought a wee book "The Cyclist's Guide to Hillclimbs on Scottish Highland Roads" with the best climbs in the area. As it turns out I know quite a few of them and I intend to ride as many of them as possible over the next few months.
Anyhow it turns out there's a worthy one on my doorstep. Heights of Docharty (P40). Nice and short at 3kms and 228m of climb.
It starts off easily enough but quickly ramps up. When I was fitter I have ridden the first part ok on my singlespeed, so equipped with 3 speeds, it should have been a breeze. It wasn't. However that was more because of trying to put a bit of pace on to reach the passing places because cars coming down the hill didn't appear to possess brakes and the road is one lane wide with high banks.
Then there's a short flat bit which allows a bit of speed for momentum up the next bit. I got all of 3 or 4 metres past my usual point of failure when I had to get off and walk. I simply could not turn the pedals and after a stop I could not get enough momentum for a restart. It's so steep that the bike was sliding backwards with a locked front wheel if I didn't keep the pressure on. So that was about a 250 metre push until It got sensible again.
Conclusion - Fail. Must try harder next time. I think I'll do it when it's quieter when I can use a slow steady pace. Having to sprint uphill to the passing places probably burnt me out.
There was a bonus though. Once I got to the top I reached a track...
Should have brought a mountain bike.
That water is deeper and faster than it looks. I was going to simple wade across but thought better of it when I remembered I wasn't wearing my sandals.
I headed along the track because there were a couple of features I wanted to check. On Google Earth the left hand one of these looks completely circular. Considering it is very close to the remains of Neolithic hut circles I wanted to check if it was a chambered cairn. I couldn't see any definite signs that it was, and it is not marked on OS maps or RCAHMS, but I still wonder.
Re:
Apologies for the non bikey content.... hill walking instead.
Best laid plans and all that. We had a originally set off with the intent of walking up Cioch na h-Oighe and walking along to Goat Fell, but one of the group was distinctly not keen on the look of it. As seems to be our fashion a detour was devised. Climbing up Mullach Buidhe instead to complete the walk did give a fantastic bonus of amazing views of the Cioch ridge. After the yomp up Mullach it was easy enough to find the path that we originally had planned to take and with the weather as it was it made for one of the best days we have had on Arran.
20170918_214037-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
20170918_214637-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
20170918_214844-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
20170918_214912-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
20170918_213341-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
20170918_213004-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
20170918_212921-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
20170918_212535-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
Apologies for the non bikey content.... hill walking instead.
Best laid plans and all that. We had a originally set off with the intent of walking up Cioch na h-Oighe and walking along to Goat Fell, but one of the group was distinctly not keen on the look of it. As seems to be our fashion a detour was devised. Climbing up Mullach Buidhe instead to complete the walk did give a fantastic bonus of amazing views of the Cioch ridge. After the yomp up Mullach it was easy enough to find the path that we originally had planned to take and with the weather as it was it made for one of the best days we have had on Arran.
20170918_214037-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr20170918_214637-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr20170918_214844-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr20170918_214912-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr20170918_213341-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr20170918_213004-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr20170918_212921-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr20170918_212535-01 by Bigbroondug, on Flickr
Re:
Cioch nose is ok - you just need to have a steady wotsit - in fact its a decent scramble given the views
However some folk just ain't into that, which is fair enough. Try Cir Mhor in winter if there's decent snow/ice - tis a nice hill
Not been to Arran much over the last few years due to demise of inlaws who stayed there. Nice island though and dead handy if you stay in Ardrossan!
Cioch nose is ok - you just need to have a steady wotsit - in fact its a decent scramble given the views
However some folk just ain't into that, which is fair enough. Try Cir Mhor in winter if there's decent snow/ice - tis a nice hill
Not been to Arran much over the last few years due to demise of inlaws who stayed there. Nice island though and dead handy if you stay in Ardrossan!
