Operation Pugsley...

There`s been a small crack on the Surly pugsleys frame near the seat clamp for a few months now...
well actually 2 cracks as i discovered after removing paint there last night...

my fault removing a seized ungreased seat post using stilsons and getting a bit excited...it was fellow Scottish pug owner Gary who spied it a few months back...
last night i stripped off the racks and wheels and fired the frameset into the car and went to see my friend Kieth, a good friend for over 20 years we met through motorbikes...- shed guru and a wizard at making/building/and fixing stuff he still rides motorcycles and doesn't ride mountainbikes but does have a nice wee restored Raleigh Strika under a work bench, which was his 1st bike...



its missing its chain gaurd which im going to try help find for him...
also in his man cave getting restored is a compact agri tractor!

So what should have been a straight forward 2 minute frame repair took a good half hour and scratched heads...he reckoned beforehand a mig weld would be ideal...`bring another bit of bike part of the same metal to pre test` he said to so i brought the surly 29er fork,
its supposed to be 4130 cro moly too...and after a wee sand of paint to bare the metal the mig worked a treat and there was a lovely wee weld...
but trying to weld the frame it was according to Kieth like it was not earthing properly,despite burning off the paint around the seat clamp to get a clean earth...

puzzling as this too is 4130 cr-moly like the Karate Monkey..supposedly...
the mig just melted the frame and burned holes in it..yikes!

so we tried gas and brazing rod but even with a small jet there wasn't enough heat to weld...

Kieth thinks a 3 phase welder is required for this metal as it must have some alloy`s in it, this is what is needed for alloy tig welding...
So the only thing he could do is use the arc (gas/electric) but said the weld wouldn't be very pleasing to the eye...
im not worried about asthetics as its a bike for riding not posing and into its 3rd winter its only a few years until i will need to replace it with a new frameset riding it in salt water often so told him to do what it takes to fix...

theres something nice about the smell and noise of welding...



so the weld isnt exactly pleasing to the eye and some folk will be disgusted at the idea of that repair but im not paying alot of money for a frame builder to repair
a frame slowly rusting with all the exposure to salt water...

so now like myself Pugsley is scarred for life...myself from a fractured cheek bone from a nasty crash on the Red Bull Downhill mountainbike track at Innerliethen several years ago...

buts there s plenty life in the pair of us yet!
rebuilt tonight i have left the pug stripped of its racks and fitted a lighter seat and seatpost and narrower 8 speed chain...

ready for riding some special trails tomorrow...down in Dumfries in the Borders near where the bicycle was invented...watch this space...

first winter ride...Cambusbarron

i had Monday off work and so did friends Paul and Andrew so we headed out for a day on the trails...loading up my bike on the car it was this seasons first heavy frost...

up to Pauls and my bike on his car and picking up Andrew it was an hour up to near Stirling for a ride around an area i have read about but never ridden...
Cambusbarron is a village SW of Stirling and sits below a hillside quarry...its Northern side unused is a criss cross of paths and mountainbike trails...a known local mtb mecca for years i was at last about to find out how mecca it was up here...
we arrived to -C temperatures and a hard frost...




climbing up through the quarry on woodland trails the options were everywhere for descending,we descended a bit on a trail that had alot of manmade features, though most were slippy with the wood unnetted there was a small wallride that was do able...

some more climbing and popping out above the quarry we had great views across to Alva and the hills beyond,

we rode through woodland trails..exposed rock and tree roots made for a techy trail...esp when covered in wet slimy leaves...

we passed one of many old lime kilns around here...



here there was an old water main marker which had a tree grown around it...

the beech and silver birch trees were cloaked in autumn gold...

the trail wound up through moss covered rocks towards a clearing...


and stunning scenery...

riding around a reservoir the views north was of snow on the highland hills...


we were heading for a promised amazing trail along the clifftops above...




was a stunning day with the views across the loch...
we climbed up to the trig point of Lewis Hill and views were stunning...











the trail we descended down,along and with a few wee climbs is i think maybe one of he best natural trails i have ridden...super techy rock sections that were for me on the bike i was riding too steep to ride and so i only made a film of the end of the descent...need to return again with the full suspension bike built up,some knee armour and claim this beast of a trail...what i filmed at the end was super techy with exposed roots on rock winding through clifftop pines...what a lovely trail...



further down the hill returning to the car was another woodland descent which popped out at an area tha downhills guys have been building at...check the jump!...

caught some film of guys riding it...the drop in...

and some big air!

a great day out with friends....

East Lothian Rideout, October ...Autumn Delight

Sunday i led another days trailriding around some of my local trails...
after an add on Singletrack forum and MTBscotland 19 riders made it to Longniddry Rail station,some friends couldn't make it and some new faces came along...
was a great day weather wise as after Saturdays washout Sunday dawned clear and drying fast with a brisk cool Northerly wind...

lots of bikes...

down through Gosford Estate and around the ponds,trees an Autumn bronze looked stunning in the sunlight...



through the estate and along the road into the next estate at Luffness...


and down the trail to Biccertons Tomb, in the ruins of an Abbey is a tomb to Sir David De Lindsey a crusader Knight...

then onwards and leaving the estate a short road ride to pick up the old railwayline into Gullane Village...


leaving the old railway line we joined the John Muir Way into the village...


then it was the only climb of the day up Gullane Hill...i was leading but Shane blasted up ahead on his Singlespeed...hence a pic with me in it...



regrouped up top at the millenium cairn we had a break and a group photo...

i had a camera mounted on the bars of my On One 456 which friend Ian was using and a rear rack mounted camera on the pugsley...
heres some film of some of the trails up to the break on Gullane Hill...



then it was all down to the coast...

stopping at the Clifftop WW2 anti tank blocks,i didnt take pictures here but did some film, then it was down to the beach and showtime for Pugsley,those who had a shot were amazed at the bike on the sand...i was impressed also at TJ solo on his tandem on the beach!...



its worrying though when the possible future of complete fatbikes being imported into the UK falls off though!...
thanks Shane for capturing this!



he loved it and says will be on the phone monday!
heading across the reserve for Aberlady...

and Brad got a bit too excited and jumped of the end of the bridge...which resulted in this!...

spokes were all still ok so he set about trying to straighten it...

can it be done?,yep watch this...thanks again to friend `Sharky` Shane...



he could of borrowed the wheel off this Halloween witch at the road side to Aberlady village but he got it going again!

next stop was the cafe...


Gavin getting into the halloween spirit...

was a great mix of bikes today including a cyclocross bike,tandem and my pugsley...

from the cafe we followed the coast back to Longniddry village on the John Muir Way Trail...i rode along the beach below and filmed...




heading back to the Rail Station car park we stopped off for a while at the kids bmx theme cycle track and enjoyed the warmth of the Autumn afternoon sun and goofed around on the track like big kids...

getting some airtime Mr Pugsley style...

heres some film of some of the trails from Gullane Hill back to Longniddry Village...



this area is where i grew up and means alot to me...
its great to show friends around my old backyard and everyone seemed to enjoy the day out...
its nice to make folk happy...