Saturday 26 December 2015

Retrospect 2015...



Another year nearly wrapped up, Done some great stuff this year...

Friends;
This year i have met even more friends who have come to fatbikes and our lives have crossed. And there has been many rides with friends old and new, great laughs and good times...

And you don`t realise how important friends are until you need them.
Sadly becoming single again 4 months ago has been a disappointment, Life goes on though as before and i just keep myself busy and stay positive...
I will miss helping out at the Horse Endurance events but i did that to support my partner...
I miss the fun adventures with Mowgli too!...


The last 3 months i have been real busy with the usual riding, solo and with friends, some running-yes running!, and sawing and stacking firewood for the house, along with some DIY. Always stuff to do when not out cycling...

Selection of pics taken by friend Craig...








Kindest friend in the world!;
Good friend and fellow Pugsley owner Gary B gave me two huge piles of bike parts that he wanted me to put to good use, how kind is that?!!!,

Included was a Dawes Ultra Galaxy-a classic English Reynolds 853 steel tourer, everything was in boxes and i soon had the bike built up, and i ride it every day...

Also some Surly 29+   29" x50mm wide Rabbit Hole rims and Surly 29x 3 " Knard tyres!, There was loads of small Surly parts and most of the stuff i have put to good use on my bikes this year, and the unused parts i have passed onto other friends to use for their bikes...
The 29+ wheels ended up on a Karate Monkey build that then morphed int the Surly ECR...
I love riding the Dawes, a real smoothie...Build blog Here...


No more thorn punctures or pinch flats; Ghetto Tubeless sorted!

I cured the nagging issue of pesky flat tyres from the Hawthorn hedge thorns that litter our country roads by making all my fatbikes Ghetto Tubeless...
No worries anymore on what is an Achilles heal riding thin Fatbike tyres around the roads here...



Work;
Still no change at work!, we will see what next year brings. I still love being outdoors every day and soaking up the views up on the hill,  being able to cycle to work- on or off road,  and have new staff that seem to be enjoying themselves...



Forth Fat 15;
Forth Fat was a month later this year in a cold May weekend. Once again the biggest gathering of Fatbikes in Europe to date, 53 this year!...You can read all about it Here...
Next year will be even bigger!, and i believe Surly reps will be making an appearance again! :)




The Capital Trail;


The inaugural Capital Trail Event in June was a great weekend.  The longest off road riding i have done over 2 days- 83 on the first day!, a great experience with friends... Blog link...


Capital Trail 2015 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.



Lincolnshire Roadtrip;
Visiting Lincolnshire and some of the many former WW2 Airbases of Bomber Command, including East Kirby and seeing the Lancaster Bomber `Just Jane` taxi and run engines at full power was amazing...


East Kirby Avro Lancaster `Just Jane`  July 2015 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


And the next day visiting RAF Conisby, home of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) and getting real close to operational Spitfires and Hurricanes...



Hurricane taxi at RAF Conisby from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Blog link...

No more chimneys;
Last ride past Cockenzie Power station with friend Sanny before they blew the chimneys a week later...

Scotsman Newspaper picture...



Harvest Bivi Ride;
East Lothian Harvest Bivi ride with friends, I invited friends up to see our county`s harvest scenery. The main harvest was late in getting underway and some of the guys could not make it but hopefully will next year.
We were never more than 20 miles from my home yet so much to show friends and explore...

Jeff and Mike...

Blog link...

The film...

Fatbike August holiday weekender Bikepackingride 2015 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Harvest;
Harvest time is my favourite time to be out and about in East Lothian...


Riding shotgun with friend Drew, in i think East lothians biggest Combine!...

Harvest Cycle; Surly ECR-CLAAS 760 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




Harvesting; East Lothian August 2015 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.





Vulcan Bomber farewell flight;



Witnessing the last flight ever of the only remaining airworthy Avro Vulcan Bomber,
We did a beach ride then headed to East Fortune to witness the last ever time we will see this massive relic of the Cold War...



Farewelll Vulcan Fatbike coast ride 11,10,15 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Wheel Building;
I taught myself to build my own bicycle wheels!, after a brief show how from friend Colin, and some advice from Mike, and i find it very therapeutic and rewarding to now ride a bike you fully assembled yourself...



The First Highlands Fatbike Gathering;
Met more friends on a ride up in Angus at Glamis Estate, Was a great day!...


Angus Cycling festival; Fatbike ride! from coastkid71 on Vimeo.





Late Summer evening cycling;
Making the most of the mid week light evenings...


Wee film riding the Surly ECR on one of my favourite local loops...

14; Sept;  Surly ECR evening cycle... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Run Away!;
Started running!, not far just around the Golf Course after work which is around 6km, I don`t want to run much further, or get any injuries from running, but i feel good from it!

Fear The Krampus!;
New bike built up... Build info here...


And it`s a hoot!

Surly Krampus - Quick blast through the woods... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.



Other Recent films;
On the coast;


Fatbike cycle to Gullane Point; Nov 15 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.





Surly Pugsleys; Sandstorm Beachride; Aberlady Bay Nov; 15 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




Global Fat Bike Day 2015; East Lothian Midget subs pilgrimage... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




My Bikes;
My bike set up has changed a lot this year selling 4 bikes and buying 3 frame sets.
I sold the two Surly Karate Monkey 29er frames and moved from 2 good full fat bikes to One good fatbike and two good 29+ bikes. Did i say i really like 29+ wheels?...  :D

It was sad to sell the big Moonlander and the spare Pugsley then see a plan fall through...


The plan was originally to use the money to go towards the new Surly Wednesday, then the car needed loads spent on it for the annual M.O.T so that was that.  But there is always other options. The old Pugsley frame is 8 years old now..

Yes Sir!!!

3 great bikes now all on new frame sets...


I will do a 2016 bike line up blog post as usual after New Year...


DIY; Destroy It Yourself;
After 9 years i have finally started to get moving upgrading my house!, All repainted, Multi fuel stove installed and new flooring, living room finished and nice to sit and relax in the evening now. Thank you good friend Eddie helping me fit the stove!, it`s a roaster!....


Slange!,  `Lang may yer lum reek!` as they say here in Scotland!...


Have a great Hogmany and see your next year...







Thursday 24 December 2015

Back to the Future; New Pugsley build! Pt2



Aye there is!...



I rust proofed the new Puglsey frame this week after the ACF 50 spray arrived through the post. £15 posted for a big can...


I heated the frame a bit in front of the stove, an old seat post would make the frame easy to handle as i applied the rustproofing spray out in the Man-Cave...

I taped over the weld breather holes and used the seat tube BB, and headset tube holes to spray in the protective sealant...


To the Man-Cave!



With all the tubes sprayed i did the Hokey Cokey and rotating the frame hopefully filled all tubes...


Tape removed i allowed the frame to drain and dry on an old towel...


Then washed the paintwork with some diluted bike cleaner...


Left over night in the house to dry the biggest job was done...with not to much mess or liquid wasted this time!...


Next evening after work i treated all the grot holes under the cable mounts that usually get surface rust first on a Pugsley, and then wiped the main tubes with a cloth they were left to dry...


Xmas Eve and home from work before midday and time to swap out the treated and ready new frame set onto the old Pugsley...


First strip off the extras; frame bags, mud guards, tools etc...


Wheels and drive chain next off,  And then cut all the controls cable cable ties and the whole lot along with the bars was ready to lift off...




Fitting the offset headset...


Pressed in...


And then removed the Phil Wood BB which is now 8 years old and only on it`s third set of bearings after over 10,000+ miles of Beachriding- yep really!.  It was dirty but still turning ok, but not that smooth so i decided to re grease the sealed bearings, see further down....



Original top tube and drop top tube for comparison....





And i took the time to remove the mounting bolts from mounts not to be used, and Copper Grease the frame bottle mounts...



Time to start the build, and to Copper Grease the Bottle mounts threads...


And the BB threads...


Took the opportunity to re grease the Phil Wood BB bearings with the WURTH Graphite Grease...



Fitted and greased the ends of the square taper, this helps stop Cranks creaking...


Bars/stem/brakes combo was an easy add!...


Never did fully prepped the forks last week so Copper greased the bolt threads, then sprayed the grot area`s with ACF 50



Back to the build and nearly there!...



A quick heat gun pass and the original stickers scraped off easy enough,  Orange graphics are in the post from the USA...


JanDD  bag with all tools, Pump, spare tube, 160ml bottle of Stans Tubeless Sealant, and sample Squirt dry chain lube...


And the Alpkit bag for camera...


And were rolling...


Waiting on an Orange bash ring and graphics to arrive in the post and were all done...

Surly Pugsley; best fun you can have with your clothes on...



More soon...