Sunday cruising on the Moonlander at John Muir Park...

Sunday i headed to John Muir Park near Dunbar on the Surly Moonlander. Was an overcast day, quite cool in the onshore easterly breeze but what the heck!, it`s Sunday and the weekend!, time to get out and ride!...
The sign says to keep to the path with bridges across the salt marsh here to avoiding unnecessary erosion,
Do these horses really need to ride across the salt marsh? :(

No erosion problems with the fatbikes-we leave less of a foot print than humans walking :)

Met Davie who was going for a surf... his Pugsley transporting his board, real cool!,

Davie did not think he would get up on the board for long today but like myself was just happy to get out on the coast early in the morning when it was still quite...

Duck Island;
There is a lot of talk about coastal erosion in the UK-be it climate change, global warming, or the coming zombie apocalypse- ok i made that last bit up...:)
But a good indication of coastal generation from drifting sand is here at John Muir Park at Dunbar in East Lothian.

Here is John Muir Park from the air on Google Earth...

This sandy spit we see here today some know as "Duck Island" not sure where that name comes from, but my late father called it this when he was the Ranger and so then have i...
It has only evolved with drifting sands and stabilising by Marram grass in the last hundred or so years...

The view from the present car park was quite different over 150 years ago...

A good example of the dunes here growing is this WW2 machine gun pill box which would once have had a 360 degree view from it`s position...

It`s nearly disappeared beneath the encroaching sands...

Here is some film riding here today, light was poor with the overcast sky,
Song is `Everloving` by Moby
click on the cog icon to view in HD




Last weekend i enjoyed 2 mornings riding the Surly Moonlander which i had intentionally bought for cycling places where even a regular 4" fatbike can sometimes find the going a little bit of a slog.
As always this bike brings a smile to my face every time i ride it in these conditions...

And if Tonka made motorcycles...

It would deft be one of these!

Check out this Russian Tarus 2 wheel drive  motorcycle!,
weighs 110 lbs, so light enough to lift with one hand,
it also floats, and can be dismantled and bagged... what an amazing piece of kit!

Watch this...



Prob cannot be made road legal here in the UK but at 725 Euro once it is in production it could be a cool wee toy for around the Golf Course at my work! :)

Review here; http://www.insella.it/news/tarus-2x2-moto-russa-smontabile-trazione-integrale-video


This motorbike instantly reminds me of another amazing Russian offroader i blogged about: The Vityaz ATV
with a steel fatbike and a Tarus 2x2 motorbike on the back were ready for the Zombie Apocalypse...




But don`t forget about the "Ze War"  when it comes to Zombies...

If Tonka made bicycles...Surly Moonlander update;

They would prob be FAT... :)

The dunes at Ravensheugh beside Peffersands at Tyninghame have grown considerably since i have been riding here on fatbikes in the last 6 years, the last 2 years in particular has seen blown sand forming new dunes north wards towards the Peffer burn and the Marram Grass growing through stabilising it...

And there are a lot more tracks through the dunes to cycle on a fatbike. And your leaving less of a foot print than humans walking here!. I spent over an hour here riding in an area of less than a mile square!...

The big Surly Moonlander comes into it`s own here, with it`s huge 100mm rims and 5" Big Fat Larry (BFL`s) tyres set at 6psi front 6 1/2 psi rear (and they can go lower) it is a perfect sand surfer.
The lower gearing i fitted the other evening is better suited to this bike for on the coast.
The bike came with a 12-34 tooth 9 speed rear  cassette and 22/36tooth front rings.
Now it has a 12-36t rear and 20/33t front, and it is way better!
The 33t big ring up front allows a better drive chain alignment as not needing to go to low at the back while riding on the flat stuff, while the 20t smaller chain ring aka `the granny ring` allows crazy low gears to spin over real soft stuff through the dunes...

The Surly Moonlander is still for myself the best dune bike, proper chain alignment and all 135mm hub options are possible...

Made a wee film using the cheap Canon compact on a gorilla pod, and the Go Pro Hero 2 on a mono pod.

Song is `I`ll Hit You Back` by Janes Addiction
click on the cog icon to view in HD

The Kelpies-Monuments to equine history

You cannot miss them if driving up the M9 Motorway to Stirling, two huge 30m  high structures that have been created at the canal gateway by artist Andy Scott

The Kelpies from The Helix on Vimeo.

More info Here...

And the Facebook page

Surly Moonlander update; MWOD drive chain replacement...

My Surly Moonlander is over 2 years old now and on its 4th chain and second cassette to the Surly MWOD

 crank set. The stock bike came with the 3622 t ring set. I have wanted to swap these out to the lower geared 33/20t for a while to get lower gearing but there was no point doing this until the original chain rings were shot. Although the fourth chain is not worn out yet the front big ring is missing a few teeth!.
Time to get the job done..

Replacement rings were cheapest and in stock at Triton Cycles so ordered up. I ordered the usual 9 speed stuff i have on all my fatbikes; a 36t Shimano Deore HG61  cassette and Sram nickle plated 991 chain from CRC, still having 9 speed means cheaper components these days with the 10 and 11 speed stuff that's coming,...
Instructions come for the MWOD rings along with outer bolts and spacers...

The whole thing looks quite complicated but is not to hard to do/ I removed the complete ring and bash set from the crank arm and sat these bolts in the new ring-easy enough as 2 hole sizes...

Then removed the inner...

Leaving the bash ring and outer ring...

I split these..

With the outer ring on the bench it was easy to swap over the bolts and spacers...

All threads got the usual treatment of some copper grease- a cut down brush can be kept in the tin that makes this wee job easy...

Outer ring attached to the bash ring...

Then i added the inner ring bolts and spacers...

And then attached the inner ring itself and tightened it...

Lastly the whole ring set to bolt to the crank...

Clean up the crank shaft and then stick the cranks back on...

Off with the old cassette...

Steel Cassette to alloy free hub removal;
If your running a steel to alloy cassette/free hub on a Hope Pro 2 the whole lot will prob pull off when you try to remove it!, not a problem, just sit the drive end spacer on the bench and head to your vice...
With an alloy Hope Pro 2 free hub you often have to tap off the free hub, this will never come off if beach riding and you never copper greased the free hub body!, i found this out 5 years a go and since greasing i use this method every time. Sit the free hub body on the vice with the vice no gripping it. A bit rag or tissue underneath to catch the free hub pawls if they come off...

Gently tap the free hub down until level with the cassette, it should drop down now, if not a gentle tap with a drift or socket that will not damage the bearing seal inside will do it...

You can see the alloy damaged by the steel cassette, nothing to worry about though...

A spot of grease on the pawls   then reline the seal and pop back on the cassette-check the spacer washer is on the axle first!...

add the end cap then re grease with copper grease the alloy interface where the cassette contacts...

And do the same to the new cassette..

All done...

New chain on next...

Easy enough to get correct lenght, smallest cogs each end then a small amount of tension on the rear mech-that`s your correct chain lenght...

An old spoke makes a handy third hand while you shorten the chain and fit the Sram Quick link, or rivet link if a shimano chain...

And nearly all done...

Just the chain to degrease before using a dry lube for beach riding...

I have found Squirt lube best for beach riding, seems to be better on Sram nickle plated 991 chains too instead of Shimano XTR- dunno why! it just does!...

Off with the old...

And on with the new (and lower geared) set for summer...

Roadtrip! ; Sherwood Forest

Francis was Vetting at a Horse Endurance event at the weekend near Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire so i went along with a bike to go for an explore over the two days, 250 miles down south and we arrived at the venue, tent up, a cider, then i walked the dogs, right away i saw how sandy/loam the soil is down here, like back home!, never expected that here in the middle of England away from the coast. Ice age Glacier deposit.

Where you can cycle is a bit different in England- no cycling in footpaths!, although i have cycled plenty in Northumberland where other people have done so too, everywhere is signed down here...

Saturday;
5.50am rise for Francis to start vetting horses heading out to do the longest 160km rides...

I brought the Surly Karate Monkey which i hoped would be ideal for riding Bridleways and Byways, i headed out early after some breakfast...

See the trail?..

Into the woods around Sherwood...

I bought  an OS map and then headed for one of the most famous trees in the UK...

Sherwood forest is of course famous for Robin Hood, and its Oak trees...

The Major Oak;
Estimated to be around 1000 years old this tree if it could talk could tell some story of our history...

Being 9am i had the place nearly to myself and cruised along some resurfaced Bridleways...

Lovely forests...

Gravel grinding...

Across into Clumber Park for a loop...

Along some of the No 6 National Cycle route...

Mighty Sequoia...

Back along to Sherwood again on the No 6 cycle route...

Another type of Right of way in England-R.U.P.P  Road used as Public Path..

The flat expanses of Heather and Pines reminded me of woods i have cycled through in Holland...

Back through Sherwood, ace easy trails!...

And past the Major Oak again, behind me was over 100 visitors now it was nearly 11am, Easter weekend was starting to wake up...

These old Oaks take on an almost mythic artistic presence to the eye...

Were deft in England, after some lunch at the Visitor Centre as i moved on an afternoon cricket match has started!...

Time to ride back towards Ravenhead and explore some more trails...

Nice...

All these signal boxes have disappeared back home in East Lothian now...

A memorial to the past industry here ....

I popped out into Sherwood Pines forest-where the mountain bike trails are, No6 cycle route would lead me from here back towards Ravenshead...

Into Blidworth. Memorial to the Mine here and the men that worked it...

Cruising at 11 mph!...

Approx 49 miles done, a cracking ride and  lovely trails, and met and spoke to some real nice folk-more about that at the bottom of this post.

Back at the tent and a cider, Mowgli and  Harley-a temp housed rescue Springer staying with Francis until re homed watching all that was going on...

Sunday;
Sunday awoke to a cold chill breeze and overcast with an almost sea haar type fog...

Dogs walked, fed and chain re lubed with Squirt lube and i was off out again on more old roads i found looking over the map yesterday evening...

New hedging...

Look how soft this Byway was!, i had to get off and push up this climb!, should have brought the KramPug 29+, be perfect for around here...

Here is a sign you do not see in Scotland - though a few do exist although not advertised...

A public road you can drive on!...

More trails and National Cycle Route 6 again returned me to the meeting point of yesterday with the MTB trails in the Forest Pines Park...

I joined the blue route and followed it to it`s end at the trail centre car park, then road a loop of the red route. The Kitchener Trail is so named after Lord Kitchener, as these woods were where 30,000+ men were based and trained in trench warfare before going off to fight in the horrors of the first world war...

Trail centres are not really my thing these days, i have paid my dues at them in the Tweed Vally for a few years, and now prefer the coast and exploring old historic routes...
Some people slag off trail centres and the people who frequent them, and laugh at folk all armoured up.
I don`t. Trail centres have an important place and offer a car free (usually) non cycling traffic free one way trail. Their great for families and  expert riders alike. If people want to wear armour etc then why not?, nothing smart about a knee or elbow full of grit and needed scrubbed snipped and  then stitched.
Some riders  think there sanitised,  in some ways they are, but if you think there too easy then your over biked.
Riding a rigid drop bar 29er around i had fun even if a bit rough on the braking bumps...
I shot loads of film from the fork mount with the Go Pro but in the end just made a quick little film so folk get an ideal of the trails. Sherwood has nice trails, a lot flatter than what i have ridden in the Tweed Vally, but still fun...
Song is track 1 from the Gorilaz LP
click on the cog icon to view in HD



Back to the trail centre after 13km on the red route and some food!...

Next around the Blue route to section 17- here a pic from yesterday...

Back to Blidworth village on the Route 6 cycle path...

And back down that sandy Byway, ride able going down...

I spied a pub in the distance...

:)

Fox and Hound!,  and happy to take Scottish bank notes!, time for a Cider and crisps!...

And back to base off road...

Heading home we stopped for fish and chips...

Through Newcastle and we would soon enough be home...

Nice place, nice trails, Nice people...
I really enjoyed my visit to Sherwood and the surrounding area to the south,
Away from the tourist trap of Sherwood everyone i met while cycling was very appreciative of me ringing my bell and often apologised for being in the road!, very well mannered indeed.

Around the old closed colliery mines are like here in East Lothian and now replanted with woodland, and here to was much like around here with a fair amount of litter and stuff dumped.
Again these are areas scarred for life with the closure of the coal pits, which effected the whole community and changed the lives for these people forever.
The Industry may well be gone but the scars you see are also remembered by the people who have lived and once worked at the coal face and which their communities grew around. There are many memorials to the pits and the miners like the pic above of the Blidworth memorial with the pit wheels.
I saw many closed village halls, social clubs, churches and other buildings that once were a social part of peoples lives. Everyone i spoke to really appreciated me visiting and enjoying cycling around their countryside.
I have never received a welcome like that by shop keepers, people walking etc i spoke to before. real nice people and a nice place to visit with a bicycle. Their are a lot more bridleways and byways to explore down there on Ordnance Survey Landranger map  sheet 120...