rolling again....

Managed to upload pics via the tachyon helmet camera,but getting a cannon software disc from a friend on wednesday...heres what ive been up to...
report from weekend bivi trip to come...heres the bike set up...

i bought a £5 handlebar clamp-the ones to add more room for lights and computers etc...i removed the stubby 2" bar and replaced it with the centre of an old pair of flat handlebars-offset with 3" either side and with some spare ODI lock on rings and end caps to keep tie straps in place...

i also fitted a camera mount which was a bad idea as although handy to use it just bounced alot and most of the film is useless...
underneath i fitted two 31.8mm handlebar reflector mounts to the top of the fork stanchions and some anodised aluminium strip drilled,bent and filed to support a front bag...since i have come up with an idea to not need this support underneath but need to try it out first...

here is a 5 litre dryline bag with alpkit bivi bag and silk sleeping bag liner (for warm weather) which i swapped out for a 15 litre and 3 season bag as a cold easterly came in on friday...

under the seat is a 10 litre dry bag with the hennessy hammock...but a test ride to work on friday revealed the bag to touch the back of my legs so i ended up using a hacked up and shortend seatpost rack...

the epic desgins frame bag had stove,pot and food...

i took the trangia backpacker stove but im not really convinced anything beats the small camping gaz stoves with removable heads for here in scotland...they last a long weekend easy and every shop sells the canisters...
just enough food for saturday night,sunday morning,2 pasta course`s for dinner and cranberrie oatmeal biscuits with strawberry jam for breakfast...yum...and some cereal bars and tangfastics!

in the backpack was the usual tools and water...also paclite waterproofs,spare merino winter top incase it turned cold in evening...a headtorch...and a hip flask- though i didnt need a hand to fall asleep after around 60 miles over 12 hours!...
also see the waterproof map holder...

holds 2 OS landranger maps-one opened, its secured with rubber tree straps which make great fastners...

had this for years..and its still great to have...

heres a pic of what i went with last weekend...and until i get my epic designs front and rear packs it will do fine...

at last i have on bike camping gear which i can properly ride off road with and easily lift over fences etc...also all this goes straight onto the pugsley...
weekends riding was a recce and as such ended with a bit more hike-a-biking than expected but showed my bikepacking kit is light enough to honk on off road...more micro adventure trips over next 2 weeks when im on holiday...

other stuff...

this little orchid has appeared at work...hope we get more...

and our swans seven signets are growing fast...

here they are...all doing well and growing fast!

swans and signets... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.