5 years ago this week...

5 years ago this week it snowed, the most snowfall in 17 years in November all across the UK...
It kept snowing...BBC TV broadcast that an Artic blast was about to hit the UK...
The local council ran out of grit to keep roads clear of the snow and rural roads were ploughed and left...
Brilliant if you owned one of a handful of Fatbikes here in the UK...
After months of mocking on MTB internet forums the shoe (4" tyre) was now on the other foot... :D

surly pugsley...snowride from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

winter east lothian,2009/2010 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Nov 10 Snowride, Garlton Hills Ridge Road from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Snow day to work... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Snow Biking Local trails... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Sleet/snow forecast tonight,  be nice to get an artic freeze again!...

More soon...

Midweek film; Jeff Jones; A Man and his Bike

Jones bikes...  I have owned a pair of his steel Truss forks, and have a pair of his Handlebars,  one day i will earn enough to go buy a complete Jones 29+ bike, then prob sell everything else i own except my original Pugsley,  as i will ride this everywhere except on the coast on my old original Pugsley...
What the Jones 29+ is all about...






I just wish he would make a 100mm BB  frame that would take 29+ wheels and 80mm rims on 4.6" fatbike tyres, then i could have one frame set with a few wheels sets...
I would sell everything else except my original Pugsley to have one of those... :D

More soon...

Weekend catch up...

End of a great weeks holidays at home and despite some torrential rain i got loads done,
I`m now onto stacking next years firewood!, that`s a first!,  and over the weekend got in some good cycling.
The weekend had been real cold and frosty with stunning winter sun and amazing low light casting long shadows...

With plans to be beach riding the next following two weekends i spent the last two days riding trails away from the coast, though admittedly everywhere was saturated with recent downpours and the washing machine has been busy with all the mud!.

Saturday i fitted the 29+ `kramPug` wheels to the old Pugsley and cycled a massive off road day of nearly 50 miles around the county. I only took a couple of pics when riding down to Longniddry on the railway line walk...

Highlight of the day was visiting mums and cycling with my niece Lily who has been cycling here wee Raleigh bike without stabilisers for a week now!,  My big bro is made up she is now cycling!...

Great to see cycling continuing in our family!...

Saturdays cycle was cold as i headed west to Port Seaton, then south to Macmerry, Tranent, Pencailtland, Butterdean, down to Gosford then east to North Berwick and on to East Linton before home after sunset...


Sunday i rode a great little loop locally, with the winter wheels refitted with the chunky Surly Nate tyres which were needed in the saturated areas after the previous nights heavy rain...
Making the most of the Scotland's Open access to cycle harvested fields, used a previously locked bridge over the Tyne, and access riverside woods of a once private estate, and using the float and grip of the Surly Pugsley to cover saturated ground, Nate's coming into there own today in places :)

Buist Banking...

Mosshouse Point...

Tyninghame Bridge...

Knowes Ford...

Smeaton Mill...

Nearly home...

Wee film from today's cycle,
Song is `KC Doppler` by Thievery Corporation

Surly Pugsley; Winter Day cycle; Tyninghame Nov 15 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


More soon...

Midweek Cycle; Mudplugging at Binning Woods...

The buzz of Surly Nates on tarmac!!!
I have built and sold three Surly Pugsleys and two sets of wheels  in the last year, and the Man Cave stock of fatbike parts is nearly dry and done...
I still have a pair of Surly Nate tyres, and a pair of Surly Large Marge rims.  a rummage about found a front Surly hub and rear cheap Shimano LX hub, and 4 different lenght spokes to be able to knock up a set of winter wheels for the Surly Pugsley...
Set up `Ghetto` split tubeless with Schwalbe 20" tubes and juiced with Stans for no Hawthorn thorn issues i had the disc rotors and a 9 speed cassette to complete the wheel set...

A LX rear hub is not what i would build on a fatbike wheel set but it`s a wheel set in the making and hey if the free hub explodes i can wheel swap and single speed it home..
Good thing is the Wheel swap from the Shimano hubs to Hope Pro 2 require no realignment of the rear mech and gears, the disc is near in line too with just the need to back off the out side pad a few clicks and wind in the inside pads a couple of clicks on the Avid BB7 calliper...

I don`t need Nates for 95% of my fatbike riding here on the coast... except here mid winter in my local woods...

After the recent heavy rain it gets a bit sticky around here...

`Bruce`s Circle` as shown on the OS map of Binning Wood is actually not named after `Robert the Bruce` as i and most folk would think, but i have been told by a local it is after a Driver/Chauffeur of a Duchess of Tyninghame...
I need to investigate this story...

Last light of the day...

And on with the lights for the ride home...

A real muddy bike to hose down...these wheels will come into use too if we get wet snow where the grip of the Nates excel...

Surly ECR Update;
Home and the ECR `Stingray` frame bag had arrived from Alpkit...

And it fits a treat on the ECR...

ECR is finished and ready for next Spring and some Bikepacking adventures...
Time for a Cider...

More soon...

Midweek cycle; Gullane Point

Good to be off work and have a week at home...
Getting more firewood cut and split, some painting in the house and out cycling, as forecasted the heavy rain that England has been getting causing flooding was forecast to arrive here this afternoon so i got out for an early morning ride out to Gullane Point under a grey overcast sky...

I shot some film with the Go Pro on the mono pod,
Song is `Twice` by Little Dragon...
Fatbike cycle to Gullane Point; Nov 15 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Decorating all done and time to put the feet up and have a cider...
Stove was kicking out some heat!, 22 Celsius!
Nice and cosy...

More soon...