Show us what you did today, thread
- Thread starter clockworkgazz
- Start date
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
Re: Re:
As for the drum brake, don't worry about the weight. You're getting a piece of equipment that will not wear out in your lifetime.
I have a 5 speed with the drum, but haven't built it up yet. It won't fit in a 120 OLD frame. Mine was bought for my 1x1 so that when I get too old to ride it singlespeed, I can keep going a bit longer. The drumbrake 3 speeds will fit in a narrow frame though (I have them too).
(If you want to check them out, you're not that far from me.)
Worked flawlessly. I don't notice any drag - it's what I like about S-A, and direct drive is middle gear. I set that where I'd set a singlespeed so there's not much need to change gear anyway.ajm":10g5gx7p said:
As for the drum brake, don't worry about the weight. You're getting a piece of equipment that will not wear out in your lifetime.
I have a 5 speed with the drum, but haven't built it up yet. It won't fit in a 120 OLD frame. Mine was bought for my 1x1 so that when I get too old to ride it singlespeed, I can keep going a bit longer. The drumbrake 3 speeds will fit in a narrow frame though (I have them too).
(If you want to check them out, you're not that far from me.)
Re: Re:
Yeah, that sounds ideal. I've never tried a hub gear with more than 3 speeds so the idea of middle gear being direct drive seems ideal (just like the SW/AW but wider range)
Shows how far (or otherwise) my thoughts had gone - I totally neglected to consider the width. Oh well, I probably have enough bikes already (don't we all though, and yet somehow not quite!)
I would love to, surely eventually there will be a suitable time for a retro epicyclic Ross-Shire ride!
epicyclo":mkj5bipx said:
Yeah, that sounds ideal. I've never tried a hub gear with more than 3 speeds so the idea of middle gear being direct drive seems ideal (just like the SW/AW but wider range)
Shows how far (or otherwise) my thoughts had gone - I totally neglected to consider the width. Oh well, I probably have enough bikes already (don't we all though, and yet somehow not quite!)
I would love to, surely eventually there will be a suitable time for a retro epicyclic Ross-Shire ride!
Brian and myself were back out today for another gravel ride. We are nothing if not predictable 
Forecast was good so we decided to do a loop out to Altnabreac from Loch More then head south and loop back north past the abandoned Dalnawhinie estate house. Some rain and storms were forecast for later in the afternoon, hence why we cancelled the planned ride from Forsinard to Kinbrace and over to Syre on the Betty hill road. So it was the Altnabreac loop for today and seen as how we have been doing it comfortably lately we decided to mash it up a bit, as the yoofs say With this in mind Brian was riding his near on 70 year old Rudge roadster and myself decided on the equally appropriate Big Dummy.
We started in great sunshine and while it was warm all day, the clouds slowly started building up and growing ever more threatening. We did get a few drops about halfway through the loop and we really thought we were about to get poured on but thankfully the rain held off until we had just packed up and then it was pouring for as far as you could see, virtually all the way back to Thurso where it was bone dry.
The route was a mixture of rough stoney gravel on the first bit to the station then we detoured towards Forsinard for a good few miles to see over the hills to the west. This road is always nice as it's a sandy track that is generally quite smooth so very nice rolling. After admiring the views at the top and finding another track to the west to explore we returned to Altnabreac and turned south for the southern part of the loop. The stones on the next couple of miles to the 'Big' house were big, deep and all covering. Even with the big tyres they were a pain and thankfully they ended abruptly at the big houses driveway. So they had their driveway gravelled, all about 17 miles or so of it. After this is was back to proper gravel, rough with bits missing in places but always a line to pick. Some big puddles too
Not far along here we came to the old estate house which lies in ruins, shame, but not much for it to do here these days. From here it heads back north on a relatively good dirt track as the estate keeper lives in a cottage here and so the road is used regularly and so kept in decent order. It eventually runs up the western edge of Loch More. This was when we realised that everything behind us to the south was looking like it was getting very wet so we better put a bit of effort in getting back. We still stopped and swapped bikes and took a few photographs before crossing the estate gates on the bridge and heading east to the car. As I said earlier we just got packed up and down it came. Lucky for once.
Thanks Brian for coming all this way, next time up here I think a two dayer is needed. Campout time.
The Rudge and the Big Dummy bot performed perfectly and handled the conditions with ease. There were a few waterholes we went round a you could see they were very deep but there was the one where Brian suggested I stop and check the inside of the bags were dry as the had been in the water. All good.
Hope everyone else has had the good weather and time to enjoy it.
Jamie
IMG_1348 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1355 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1360 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1362 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1377 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1378 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1383 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1384 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1387 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1395 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1400 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1406 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
IMG_1415 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
Forecast was good so we decided to do a loop out to Altnabreac from Loch More then head south and loop back north past the abandoned Dalnawhinie estate house. Some rain and storms were forecast for later in the afternoon, hence why we cancelled the planned ride from Forsinard to Kinbrace and over to Syre on the Betty hill road. So it was the Altnabreac loop for today and seen as how we have been doing it comfortably lately we decided to mash it up a bit, as the yoofs say
With this in mind Brian was riding his near on 70 year old Rudge roadster and myself decided on the equally appropriate Big Dummy. We started in great sunshine and while it was warm all day, the clouds slowly started building up and growing ever more threatening. We did get a few drops about halfway through the loop and we really thought we were about to get poured on but thankfully the rain held off until we had just packed up and then it was pouring for as far as you could see, virtually all the way back to Thurso where it was bone dry.
The route was a mixture of rough stoney gravel on the first bit to the station then we detoured towards Forsinard for a good few miles to see over the hills to the west. This road is always nice as it's a sandy track that is generally quite smooth so very nice rolling. After admiring the views at the top and finding another track to the west to explore we returned to Altnabreac and turned south for the southern part of the loop. The stones on the next couple of miles to the 'Big' house were big, deep and all covering. Even with the big tyres they were a pain and thankfully they ended abruptly at the big houses driveway. So they had their driveway gravelled, all about 17 miles or so of it. After this is was back to proper gravel, rough with bits missing in places but always a line to pick. Some big puddles too
Not far along here we came to the old estate house which lies in ruins, shame, but not much for it to do here these days. From here it heads back north on a relatively good dirt track as the estate keeper lives in a cottage here and so the road is used regularly and so kept in decent order. It eventually runs up the western edge of Loch More. This was when we realised that everything behind us to the south was looking like it was getting very wet so we better put a bit of effort in getting back. We still stopped and swapped bikes and took a few photographs before crossing the estate gates on the bridge and heading east to the car. As I said earlier we just got packed up and down it came. Lucky for once.
Thanks Brian for coming all this way, next time up here I think a two dayer is needed. Campout time.
The Rudge and the Big Dummy bot performed perfectly and handled the conditions with ease. There were a few waterholes we went round a you could see they were very deep but there was the one where Brian suggested I stop and check the inside of the bags were dry as the had been in the water. All good.
Hope everyone else has had the good weather and time to enjoy it.
Jamie
IMG_1348 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1355 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1360 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1362 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1377 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1378 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1383 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1384 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1387 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1395 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1400 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1406 by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrIMG_1415 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
A few more pics.
It was just as well we changed the original plan as much wetness would have been ours. It also gave me an opportunity to give the old Rudge a trot over some rough stuff, a bit rougher than anticipated though!
Jamie didn't mention the midgies. That blur in the pic is a Caithness midgie, they can carry off a medium sized baby or a full grown haggis.
Take a good look at Aultnabreac Station - that's all of it, the remotest station in Great Britain.
Here's some of the gravel, and not the worst bit. I spent most of the ride envying Jamie's fat tyres. Control on the old Rudge was a teeny bit sketchy - to put it mildly - but fun.
It's surreal to be riding in a landscape with empty views all round to the horizon and suddenly come across this
A few miles further on is the old version - a fixer up.
A few shallow puddles were placed on the track to lure us into complacency. The peaty water meant the middles looked black, so it was hard to estimate depth. It's when you see a big full submerged drainage pipe that you realise that this might not be a wise one to ride through.
There's not many places up here where you get a flat empty horizon like this
It's amazing how well they were building bikes in Britain 70 years ago. The bike rolls beautifully, everything works as it should, including to Jamie's amazement the dynohub lights. The only flaw is the gear changer which is a bit worn, and I may have to write a stern letter to The TImes about that.
It was just as well we changed the original plan as much wetness would have been ours. It also gave me an opportunity to give the old Rudge a trot over some rough stuff, a bit rougher than anticipated though!
Jamie didn't mention the midgies. That blur in the pic is a Caithness midgie, they can carry off a medium sized baby or a full grown haggis.
Take a good look at Aultnabreac Station - that's all of it, the remotest station in Great Britain.
Here's some of the gravel, and not the worst bit. I spent most of the ride envying Jamie's fat tyres. Control on the old Rudge was a teeny bit sketchy - to put it mildly - but fun.
It's surreal to be riding in a landscape with empty views all round to the horizon and suddenly come across this
A few miles further on is the old version - a fixer up.
A few shallow puddles were placed on the track to lure us into complacency. The peaty water meant the middles looked black, so it was hard to estimate depth. It's when you see a big full submerged drainage pipe that you realise that this might not be a wise one to ride through.
There's not many places up here where you get a flat empty horizon like this
It's amazing how well they were building bikes in Britain 70 years ago. The bike rolls beautifully, everything works as it should, including to Jamie's amazement the dynohub lights. The only flaw is the gear changer which is a bit worn, and I may have to write a stern letter to The TImes about that.
Went for a wee explore up Glen Prosen. Only 45 minutes from home but never a glen I've done much riding in. It's right next to Clova which gets a lot more attention, in fact I only passed four walkers and two dogs on the entire loop. Some big climbs but rideable, and a couple of fast descents along with one slow, narrow, rocky one. Chickened out of the big option on the return loop, but looking back at both descents, the one I did looked more fun. I'll save that for you guys on a group ride.
Prosen by Steven Clubb, on Flickr
First (and biggest) climb. Farm it starts at is in the woods on the right.
Prosen by Steven Clubb, on Flickr
Prosen by Steven Clubb, on Flickr
There's a footpath through here according to Ordnance Survey.
Hope you all got out an enjoyed some sunshine.
Prosen by Steven Clubb, on FlickrFirst (and biggest) climb. Farm it starts at is in the woods on the right.
Prosen by Steven Clubb, on FlickrProsen by Steven Clubb, on FlickrThere's a footpath through here according to Ordnance Survey.
Hope you all got out an enjoyed some sunshine.
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
The Pan Celtic Race was passing nearby so I jumped on my bike and shot up to the top of the hill to get a few pics.
The leaders:
Jason from Team JMC:
Neat Bike Friday and not that far behind the leading bunch, and the rider is happy:
Definitely a WTF job. (Elliptigo) From head on it looked like he was on a tall bike or Ordinary. He rode it up Kinnairdie Brae, so kudos:
The leaders:
Jason from Team JMC:
Neat Bike Friday and not that far behind the leading bunch, and the rider is happy:
Definitely a WTF job. (Elliptigo) From head on it looked like he was on a tall bike or Ordinary. He rode it up Kinnairdie Brae, so kudos:
