SUP and cycle alongside...

 

The plan was straight forward enough, drive to the Knowes Farm ford on the river tyne, G would set off with her paddle board down the tyne into the tyne estuary, then around Spike island point and down Belhaven Bay to Seafield Bridge. I would follow here along the banks for some pics and film until the A198 bridge, then double back to the Ford and the van, drive to Belhaven and park at Seafield Bridge, then ride as fast as I could back through John Muir Park to Hedderwick sands where hopefully I would meet G along side to accompany back...

The water was shallow with little rain for a week so G had not fitted the longer centre fin underneath, she would have to land and fit it before getting out into the bay...

I left here at the bridge and was soon driving down to park up and return to meet somewhere at Hedderwick...

Waiting here for her to appear I kept busy taking some pics of the NATO Pug...

It was only a 4 meter high tide so there would be plenty sand for myself to ride, but for G out in the Bay she had to get off and walk twice unable to find the deeper twisting tyne water...

Another example of why you don't really want to go running on the beach or into water bare foot...

G was doing well and getting close enough to get some pics and film on my iPhone zoomed in...

She was no past Sandy Hirst Point across at Tyninghame...

G was now heading into the waves as the estuary enters the North Sea, I had to cut through the dunes on the indicated path at Spike Island as the point is roped off for nesting birds...

Clearing the estuary waves G came in ashore then landed for a breather before the last section down Belhaven beach...

Soon she was off again and I crawled along in 2nd gear as in no hurry and was enjoying the warm if hazy sunshine...

There was just enough water in the Biel Burn for G to paddle up to Seafield bridge...

Successful mission!, G paddled over 6 miles, the most travelled so far for her,

Here is film of the cycle side of it, Songs are `behold` by Joey Fehrenbach - a BOC interlude, then `Feels Like Home (Yellowsoul) by Phontaine

More soon...

Cycle and SUP again at Skateraw

 

Back down at Skateraw again while G was out on the SUP, and while last visit here was quite pleasant today was grey overcast with a few showers.  While incoming high tides seem best for G on her SUP, high tides are not so good for beachriding on the Fatbike!, and today being wet meant rocks I would normally ride were real greasy, made worse with less grip on 4" tyres than the usual 5"tyres/100mm rims of my usual rig, but I am enjoying riding the Army Pugsley.  But despite high tide and slippery rocks there is always somewhere to get in a pedal along the coast and while they were on the water I got some filming done, watch the film you will see me very gingerly cycling across rocks that were like ice lol...

With a grey laden sky I edited the film in black and white as it works quite good in this type of weather...

Song is `Ich und die Stadt` by Public Service Broadcasting

More soon

Apocalypse Pugsley...

 

I have been looking for a WW2 BSA Paratrooper bike which I can fold up and sit on the front of my Willys Jeep...

Image from BSA Museum

They were a bit crude built and just steel pipe tubed with a single speed  and two big wing nuts which allowed them to be folded in half and went out the door of a Dakota or similar aircraft with an Allied Paratrooper in WW2...

These are real basic bikes, a bit crude and similar to a non folding bike of similar spec  to the time, right into the 1950`s and any single speed or 3 speed British bike of that period can be bought for £50 or a bit more, I have an old Raleigh Sportster in the garden painted Drab Olive, it even has a black out lamp I picked up cheap...

So when BSA Para bikes which used to cost up to £600 started appearing on eBay for £1800 and one recently for £5000 Buy It Now price!!! and another by someone which has obviously been a complete bike which the seller has split to sell to make more money appeared I thought stuff this! crazy money for a basic old bike, which may or may not actually have any military history - probably not if it is still in Britain...

So... I thought I could have some alternative fun instead...

I  own 3 of the original MK 1 (non drop top tube-top cable mounted) Surly Pugsley Fatbikes...

First was my original  2nd colour edition 2007 Thunderbird Grey bike - The 1st Fatbike owned in Scotland... Then a new unbuilt  first colour edition 2005 Purple Pug frame set I bought from Ireland, and then recently another Grey Pugsley from 2008 which i came to own via friend Chris. This bike had been given a very nice re powder coat in a metallic grey by Chris after he acquired it as it had lived a life with an Obree Bikes employee who had to ride it in their team colours, here is the colour when Chris bought it...

Aye it was an fugly one!... Lol!...

It did come to the UK though dressed in (very rare in the UK- prob only one other drilled pair on a 1st generation ( 9Zero7 fatbike) Alaskan Snow Cat 29" diameter x 55mm wide rim offset wheels after it was ridden in Alsaka on ice spiker tyres, not only that,  but this bike has also cycled the Tour Divide!...  So this one has been around the block a few times...

Chris had the bike returned to Grey and I gave him some fat wheels for it, which are still on it now which I also set up Ghetto split tube tubeless...

The bike has recently has Microshift Acolyte 1 x 8 which is a brilliant cheap strong budget group set for the coast...

With an all steel group set - a steel 32t narrow wide front chainring, steel 11-46t cassette, and pressed steel clutch mech on a KMC nickel plated chain,  plus bombproof twin wall original Surly Large Marge 65mm wide rims, with the original reversible wheel back up option if a mechanical failure with the mech or free hub, and loads of spares in the cave for these bikes I can run this bike for years on a budget,

I do of course ride a new Pugsley 2.0 with Moonlander wheels giving the widest  wheel and tyre option available as my go t Fatbike - G`s bike is the same set up, but I still need a 4" wide tyre Fatbike to use my Fat BOB trailer as it cannot take the larger 4.8" tyres on 100mm rims (Surly Moonlander wheels) that are on my Pugsley 2.0 bike so i will often use this bike, Add that I still have a set of full mudguards (Made in USA by `Big O Manufacturing - no longer available) and racks and lights etc it made sense to build a bombproof cheap reliable bike for winter beach riding including night rides as the evenings draw in  and give the whole thing a good rustproof coating...

So back to wanting a Military bike and having a stock of bikes I did what they say in the Military and i improvised...

3 cans of Red Oxide primer later...

Tyres masked after removing the grips, complete brakes and drive chain and adding Stooge Klunker bars it got 3 coats of Red oxide primer, then 3 coats green...

Think Fatbike, Rust proofed beach bike, Klunker bike, Utility Bike, Firewood trailer hauling Bike, metal detecting bike... that was the plan for this build...

Sniper tape added to the seat tube and bars where the Magic Shine lights mount, all removes parts got some matt black spray before adding, and my original Epic Designs frame bag and fuel tank bag added, which is a massive frame bag to carry extra stuff needed when sawing wood or metal detecting etc...

Out on it's first ride at the weekend and it's ace!, same bike as before - the plastic mudguards and alloy racks don't add much weight, while the 4" rise Stooge handlebars are a lot more comfortable - I have always said Pugsley`s have too low a head tube height and these bars take all the weight off your wrists and keep your back straighter...

Test ride successful I added some graphics and will do a bit more as and when needed for the bike...

Won a Surly Steel rear rack on eBay as need a stronger rack to carry heavier items which should arrive this week, it will of course get the Olive Drab treatment...

Looking forward to nightrides through the week now with lights on this bike ready, as it is dark around 7pm nowadays with the clocks soon to change  later this month...

I`m still looking for that shed find WW2 BSA Paratrooper bike at a real world price but in the mean time I`m going to have a lot of fun on this!

Hotchkiss Willys Jeep - make it your own...

Surly Pugsley Fatbike - make it your own...

I have since posting this a week ago bought a used Surly Steel rear rack on eBay and added this to the bike

having got the green treatment and being a lot stronger and direct mounted will handle loads a lot better...

Real happy with both these additions this year!...

More soon...