10.14 miles, 3,287 feet, 2 hours 38 minutes, Roman ruins/Wansfell Ridge. Looked and felt like it could rain any second, but it never did. 16 others on the fell, one large group of 10 that I came across twice - they had got thoroughly lost and I had to call them back to the path. Clearly more than one household.
25 approx. yesterday playing cricket on one the fields at Witton. Looked like 3-4 generations, so perhaps an extended family, but it would be one hell of a house if they were all under one roofOriginally Posted by Mike T
Richard Taylor
"William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
Sid Waddell
Bike again trying a new forest route, one I used to run quite a bit. Came out at 17.5 miles and 2500ft, my little biking legs are knackered now from this week.
Moley, I didn't know you had biking legs!!
Cut to the quickafter wheezing donkey suggested I had deserted "more bangs for my buck" when I bought my Bianchi Intenso/ Campagnolo Impreza last year I have just bought my 3rd Boardman: an ADV 8.9 "Adventure" bike. Hence 27 miles of the scree slope from Ilkley up to Keighley Gate and then a length of the Leeds-Liverpool canal to test.
Grip is all about tyre tread and since the provided tyres have a smooth tread (but 35mm for off-road comfort) a gravel bike it isn't. But then my Boardman MTB had JCB-type grip, but weighed another 5 lbs more and sounded like a rubber tank on fast tarmac. N+1 rules? Fortunately.
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 17-05-2020 at 11:29 PM.
I didn't before virus and not so sure I do now during virus (will this go down in history as BV, DV, AV?).
But I am slightly red faced to admit that I am enjoying the gravel bike. The old legs and joints are finding peddling bikes far easier than running, not easier exercise but easier on the joints. Less pain = more pleasure.
I can still push it over the hills and enjoy the countryside but without the pounding, I actually look forward to a ride as exercise. Don't tell Toffer!
8 miles, 77 minutes, 614 ft, Troutbeck Bridge/Troutbeck loop. Last time I did this loop I saw perhaps a dozen cars - must have been 10 times that today, if not more. Light rain - first wet run for weeks and weeks.
Graham,Cut to the quick
Grip is all about tyre tread and since the provided tyres have a smooth tread (but 35mm for off-road comfort) a gravel bike it isn't. But then my Boardman MTB had JCB-type grip, but weighed another 5 lbs more and sounded like a rubber tank on fast tarmac. N+1 rules? Fortunately.
Have a look on the Spa Cycles (Harrogate) website. They usually have some good deals on Schwalbe tyres. Take a look at the Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour, they are available in 35mm x 700c, it's what I have fitted to my 'monster cross' bike. Far more grip than the road oriented Schwalbe Marathon plus and just as puncture resistant. Not a 'fast' / light tyre but very puncture resistant - no point in gaining 10 seconds/mile if you are going to waste 15 minutes changing an inner tube not to mention horrible numb fingers when it's cold and wet.
Ian.
Last edited by wheezing donkey; 18-05-2020 at 05:31 PM.
Ian
Thank you. What good company you keep!
I have a recommendation from one Graham Wright on the virtues of Schwalbe Marathon Plus.
Mine came with Vittoria Terreno Zero Graphene 2.0 which is not what it shows on the Boardman website, the website that suggests the bike can go anywhere, when it means "unless you need some grip"! Anyway I will see how we go. I do wonder about Boardman (or rather Halfords) which seems to be following INOV-8 in offering a thousand different models and sizes. They also seem to be pursuing vanity "high price" bikes but I have never seen a high priced prestige Boardman go past me amongst the Colnago, Pinarello, etc., unless they were too fast for me to notice! But far be it from me...
I will take a look at the Schwalbe.
Graham
Caution Graham;
Marathon Plus is a road touring tyre.
For off-road you want the Marathon Plus 'Tour'
Ian.
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