Search found 324 matches

by fimm
31 May 2013, 1:57pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: When are you too old?
Replies: 49
Views: 3271

Re: When are you too old?

There was a gentleman called George Berwick (I hope I have that correct) on a tandem on the audax I did on Saturday. "Only" (in the context of this thread) 75 (I don't know how old the pilot is) - but the audax was 300 hilly km...
by fimm
12 Apr 2013, 2:12pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scenes from the Saddle (April pictures)
Replies: 64
Views: 4157

Re: Scenes from the Saddle (April pictures)

Flyte, where is that? I think I've been there...
by fimm
23 Feb 2013, 8:10am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Ride route - how to get into Edinburgh from the east?
Replies: 5
Views: 721

Re: Ride route - how to get into Edinburgh from the east?

Here's my suggested route out of Edinburgh, if you'd prefer road to canal:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5828473
all of that is on tarmac, and the start through Edinburgh is on a disused railway line that is very popular with cyclists (it even got gritted this winter!!) There's a fiddly bit at the back of my arbitrary start point of Haymarket Station that I have not shown; if you are planning a long distance ride such as you describe I assume you'll be able to cope with a bit of Corstorphine Road! On the other hand, the A904 is a fast busy road, there are better ways for a cyclist.

Coming in from the east I know less well (I live on the west side of Edinburgh). From Duns you have two routes over the hills, I have cycled both, both are hilly. I've illustrated the less hilly one. Gifford - Pencaitland - Dalkeith is the route I know (note the little back road to keep you off the A68). You can't cycle on the city bypass (A702) so there's no point going down the A68 as there's nowhere to go on a bike when you get to the bypass. From Dalkieth you can (and I have) follow the A7 into town, but this does involve using a busy roundabout on the bypass (you are allowed to cycle on the roundabout). The roundabout has traffic lights. I've illustrated an alternative (and probably better) way.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5828476

Edited to add: it does depend slightly where you're staying in Edinburgh - if you wanted to get to Leith area you might be better going via Tranent and Musselburgh along the coast.
by fimm
10 Feb 2013, 10:47am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Has anyone on here used the A9 cycle path?
Replies: 25
Views: 2930

Has anyone on here used the A9 cycle path?

Some idiot up here said that "no one ever cycles on the A9 cycle path". Someone's already tweeted photographic evidence to the contrary, but I thought that it would be amusing to do a quite head-count. :D
I've posted here rather than LeJOG/JoGLE because although I suspect a lot of the path users are doing that route there's obviously no rule that you must be!

Opinions on the quality or otherwise of said path are not necessary, but, I cannot stop you adding them if you so wish... :wink:
by fimm
18 Dec 2012, 1:38pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Fatuous disclaimers.
Replies: 5
Views: 911

Re: Fatuous disclaimers.

On a (rather cool) map of the Munros done in the style of the London Underground map - "This map must not be used for navigation"...
by fimm
12 Dec 2012, 5:01pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: What To Write in the Dirt on the Back of a Van?
Replies: 26
Views: 2360

Re: What To Write in the Dirt on the Back of a Van?

"I wish my girlfriend was this dirty"
and then you need someone else to add in a different hand
"she is when she's with me"

(Hopes that the tone of this one is just about acceptable for the forum...)
by fimm
9 Dec 2012, 12:00pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Standard Nicknames
Replies: 53
Views: 3265

Re: Standard Nicknames

I don't get most of these, being too young.
The one I like was the rugby player Martin Offiah (I hope that is spelled correctly) who was said to be known as "Chariots"...
by fimm
29 Nov 2012, 4:05pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Fully Loaded Touring on Entry Level Touring Bike
Replies: 57
Views: 7269

Re: Fully Loaded Touring on Entry Level Touring Bike

Can't help with the bikes, but would suggest you have a look at Alpkit dry-bags as an intermediate level of cheapness between expensive panniers and bin liners!
by fimm
20 Nov 2012, 3:05pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Riding for 24hrs for charity
Replies: 46
Views: 3758

Re: Riding for 24hrs for charity

My boyfriend has done a couple of events (neither just cycling) that took him more than 24 hours. One think I will say is that you'll want proper food - and savoury food! Different people like different things, but some examples I've seen people eating include cold boiled potatoes, pasta, sandwiches (cheese, peanut butter, etc), rice pudding, malt loaf (I can't stand the stuff myself...) - at one point b/f had a bike bottle full of warm sweet tea, which he liked just for the warmth. He's partial to something called bouillion to drink as well - its quite salty I think. We tried to have a good mixture of stuff for him to eat, but by the end he was too tired to decide what he wanted and we'd have done better to just present him with something and say "eat this!".

Remember you'll be colder at night (even in summer).
by fimm
13 Nov 2012, 2:40pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: From a van driver's point of view...
Replies: 182
Views: 14325

Re: From a van driver's point of view...

thirdcrank wrote:The point I was making earlier is AFAIK that you also have to have had no endorsements since photo licences were introduced because that's one of the times when you get the new style licence (surrendering the old one is part and parcel of getting the endorsement.) Also AFAIK, anybody with a paper licence with expired endorsements would have to apply for a photo licence if they wanted them removing on expiry. So, it's a sign of somebody who has kept their nose clean when behind the wheel.

Ah! I totally had not got that point. :oops:

(Mum AFAIK has a clean nose... Dad got 3 points for doing 70+ in a 60 (through a speed camera...) but I don't remember when that was relative to the photocard licences - though I guess he'll have had the points removed by now.... so I guess he'll be "modernised")
by fimm
13 Nov 2012, 11:37am
Forum: On the road
Topic: From a van driver's point of view...
Replies: 182
Views: 14325

Re: From a van driver's point of view...

I'm slightly confused by people who are having issues with the "old style" paper licences - as I'm sure you know, the modern photocard licences do not remove the paper part completely (see Vorpal's post) - instead, you end up with a plastic photocard bit and a paper bit (my paper bit is not idential to thirdcrank's licence, but does not look that different) and you need to produce both parts in order to produce your licence.

(We don't own a car but rent when we need one - when you go to pick up a hire car it is the paper part of the licence they are interested in because that is where your endorsments are (not that I have any). They don't really look at the photocard.)

(I assume my parents still have old style licences as they have changed neither their names nor their address in nearly 40 years...)
by fimm
8 Nov 2012, 2:38pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Can happen to any of us - Wiggo down...
Replies: 180
Views: 11628

Re: Can happen to any of us - Wiggo down...

Has the president of the AA lost his marbles?
The AA's president Edmund King said: "This collision should act as a reminder to all drivers that we need to be more vigilant particularly when pulling out of entrances and turning at junctions.

"With autumnal weather and darker evenings it is essential to check and double-check for cyclists, pedestrians and indeed other road users before pulling out. We need to break down the 'two-tribe' mentality on the roads and co-exist in harmony."


He's supposed to go on about cyclists needing lights and helmets and hi-vis, not say sensible things like drivers ought to look properly...
:lol:
by fimm
5 Nov 2012, 6:52pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Times cycling survey, utter dismay
Replies: 42
Views: 5694

Re: Times cycling survey, utter dismay

That was the only point that I found annoying, though - apart from the bit about "what would encourage you to cycle more" to which I'd really have liked to reply "more hours in the day" or "not having a job"...
by fimm
5 Nov 2012, 1:46pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Checkout security - supermarkets etc.
Replies: 76
Views: 7990

Re: Checkout security - supermarkets etc.

I once bought a bottle of whisky in a supermarket and set off the alarm when I left. When I got home I discovered (of course) that I had a large security tag attached to my bottle... :( fortunately we were able to open the bottle and get the whisky out without too much hassle. When it was empty it went into the glass recycling with its tag still attached, iirc...