Mk 1 Surly Pugsley Update...

 

I got the Mk1 Pugsley that came from friend Chris on the work stand and changed out a few things...

The 9 speed group set was swapped out for my preferred 1 x10  set up, after also swapping out the crank set..

This a Shimano E Type mech, if you have not seen one before and they mounted on a bracket you will see once removed...

I was going for my usual £20 `cheap as chips` square taper BB  via eBay and some £50 Thorn square taper cranks in 170mm length with a £15  `Snail`  30 tooth narrow wide chainring...

With a Microshift thumb shifter and a Shimano Zee short range mech and 11-40t Sunrise Cassette that gives me an ideal drive chain for here on the coast...

Ergon grips complete the cockpit...

And a frame bag and fuel pod top tube bag...

A Brooks C17 saddle and Raceface Ride seat post complete the changes...

With changes made I went a quick shakedown ride around JMCP...

High tide was 5.7 meters so no crossing here today!...

A lovely winter day to be out...

Bike is ideal, also got the Snow cat 29" wheels to do a make over on and add these to this bike to make it a versatile addition to the stable...

Wee film, Song is `Glider` by Tycho...

More soon...

 

Cycle to Niedpath...

 

Not been out on our trail bikes out of our allowed Covid restricted areas lately so it was fun to go somewhere else with the change in restrictions and we had a day trip down to the Tweed  Valley and cycled along the Tweed Vally cycle path to go see somewhere I have never visited...

Niedpath Railway Tunnel...

Great to go for an explore somewhere new for us both and read a lot about this famous tunnel ...

Looks eerie as you approach ....

So of course I sent G in first as I was filming and taking pics!...

The tunnel is around 600 yards long and is curved so totally black in the middle so I took some pics with flash instead of reliying on the film footage which as expected did no work...

The tunnel has this side tunnel which I read was an exit to a vertical shaft used for construction...

Here you can see the horseshoe shape of the tunnel that I also read makes it quite unique...

We soon saw light as we peddled on to the `light at the end of the tunnel`...

That is pretty cool to cycle through!

The tunnel opens out onto a lovely Viaduct, curved and worth stopping to look along it's construction above and below at its arches and the Victorian engineering it took to construct such as Viaduct...

I wonder how many skilled stonemasons are actually available in the area to actually construct such a stone bridge as this. This is something that often goes through my mind whenever I see an impressive bit of Victorian Engineering...

Along the Tweed was a riverside trail to Niedpath Castle, a classic Borders Castle where we sat on the priverside pebbles and had  our picnic of Tea and sandwiches... sitting outside in December... not bad...

Back through the tunnel again and soon we would be back through Peebles Town again, a world away from out here...

Wee film of a fun cycle, Song is `Field` by Tycho

More soon...