Search found 184 matches

by feefee8
10 Oct 2019, 8:00pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Sheep and tents (and bivis for that matter)?
Replies: 11
Views: 1704

Re: Sheep and tents (and bivis for that matter)?

Sheep can sound unnervingly human when they cough - just a point to note!
by feefee8
9 Sep 2019, 10:09am
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Campsites in Banchory/Maryculter £25/night
Replies: 5
Views: 747

Re: Campsites in Banchory/Maryculter £25/night

You could probably wild camp in or near Banchory fairly unobtrusively and still be near 'facilities'?
by feefee8
9 Sep 2019, 10:01am
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: The Scottish midge
Replies: 12
Views: 1425

Re: The Scottish midge

They're pretty much gone for the year now :D That fella has had a few lumps of out of me this year :lol: :lol:
by feefee8
9 Aug 2019, 7:00pm
Forum: Health and fitness
Topic: Winter or summer, which is worse?
Replies: 44
Views: 4723

Re: Winter or summer, which is worse?

I prefer summer. It doesn’t get too warm in Scotland. It still rains a lot but you get used to that.

Winter days that are sunny and crisp are some of my favourite but the default in Lochaber is sideways rain....!

No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
by feefee8
6 Aug 2019, 3:23pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: the North Coast 500: A Great Wilderness?
Replies: 71
Views: 7576

Re: the North Coast 500: A Great Wilderness?

whoof wrote:WRT your example "say you have a doctor's appointment and you are running late" then unless some tourist has tied you to the bed then it's probably your fault you are running late.


Not on the NC500 but it can take up to an hour to get through Fort William in summer. That's not just "running late", it's painful and it does cost businesses money, cause children to be late being picked up at nursery etc. It's not that consistent either so giving yourself an extra hour to travel something which normally takes 10 minutes can also lead to a great deal of frustration and wasted time frankly.

Also agree that locals shouldn't rage on vulnerable road users, regardless of their frustration.
by feefee8
5 Aug 2019, 12:02pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: How has your commute shaped your bike?
Replies: 32
Views: 3702

Re: How has your commute shaped your bike?

My commute is a flat 6 miles each way but with a passenger ferry 4 miles in. I have a trek hybrid with a rack that I usually take a pannier on, which houses clothing change, lunch and can fit laptop and any grocery shopping required. It's not a very heavy bike but sometimes on nicer days, or when I'm not carrying much, I'll take the lighter road bike to give the guys on the boat a break lifting on and off :D :D
by feefee8
26 Jul 2019, 7:09pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Living without owning an internal combustion engine
Replies: 284
Views: 18773

Re: Bicycle only

Cyril Haearn wrote:Plus One for bagpipes!


Thanks! Been playing for over 30 years now, probably a better piper than I am anything else :D

If anyone’s interested, it’s the Scottish Pipe Band Championships in Dumbarton tomorrow (it will rain and there will be more than the average number of coaches in the area!)
by feefee8
26 Jul 2019, 10:31am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Living without owning an internal combustion engine
Replies: 284
Views: 18773

Re: Bicycle only

mjr wrote:Not everyone is 70 years old travelling hilly narrow country lanes in wind, rain and sleet (can it rain and sleet simultaneously?) over midnight. Most of those factors are more valid excuses not to cycle than it being rural, northern or winter as in your initial demand IMO - but even then, I don't think doing it once would necessarily cause a 70 year old to die within a month, so I think that's being a bit pessimistic!


No, I'm 41 travelling 16 miles of flat but narrow country lanes, in predominantly wet weather (wettest part of UK - and yes it can rain and sleet simultaneously), in winter at 9pm carrying up to 10kg set of bagpipes either on back or in trailer and possibly wearing a kilt.....at least once a week, sometimes twice. This wouldn't cause me to die but might see off a lifelong hobby!
by feefee8
26 Jul 2019, 7:12am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Living without owning an internal combustion engine
Replies: 284
Views: 18773

Re: Bicycle only

It’s an interesting discussion for me. Horizon has raised quite a few points, mainly that we build our lives around having a car and I believe that’s true, certainly in our case. We decided to move 16 miles out of town and although I planned to cycle commute and found a very easy way to do this, my partner’s first thought would always be to take a car. He takes the car down to the end of the road for the bins - very very car-centric - and I have tried to get him away from this!

A one way taxi from Fort William to the house is £50, so that would be a no straight off. I’d prefer better public transport but I’ve been on the bus once, as I mostly take the bike! For me, more boat runs would be better and that has been put before the HC transport representative by me and several others.

Reducing car use for us is a reasonable short term aim. Longer term, I know what I’d like to be able to do.
by feefee8
25 Jul 2019, 3:14pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Living without owning an internal combustion engine
Replies: 284
Views: 18773

Re: Bicycle only

horizon wrote: I wonder why!

feefee8: just as a friendly challenge, I would say there is nothing you have written that suggests you really need to own or even use a car.


I do get what you're saying and I could sort of get by if it was just me I had to get to, say, a pipe band competition in Belfast. From Fort William. With no2 Highland dress, a set of bagpipes and other clothes for a weekend. It would take a lot longer than it currently does and would probably require a trailer (which I've toyed with getting).

However, part of the fitness issue for my other half is a currently undiagnosed respiratory complaint and he was unfit enough before that :( You think I should start work early and put him in the trailer?!

(also would struggle to pull the caravan on the bike :lol: :lol: )
by feefee8
25 Jul 2019, 2:39pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Living without owning an internal combustion engine
Replies: 284
Views: 18773

Re: Bicycle only

I changed jobs in December and had to hand back the company car. I have continued to cycle to work daily as well as other utility cycling and have had to hire a car once to cover a work trip.

However my partner (non-cyclist) has a car and we use that for his work commute, shared journeys, food shopping and caravan towing (yes, we have turned into those people). We live 16 miles from the nearest shop, although due to small passenger ferry there is one which is only 5 miles away which I pass on my commute.

I'd love to minimise both our dependence on the vehicle but it would mean giving up a hobby (bagpipes are a bit hefty and precious for 16 mile hefting on back, even less desirable in kilt outfit), giving up caravan type getaways and my other half having to really get into cycling (boat times don't suit his work and he is REALLY nowhere near a 16 mile journey fitness wise). Public transport is getting scarcer in our rural locations too which makes it trickier.
by feefee8
9 Jun 2019, 10:09am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Lightning: terrible misfortune
Replies: 29
Views: 3640

Re: Lightning: terrible misfortune

Did you ever find any pearls?!

We’re on the banks of Loch Eil at sea level - changes in the blink of an eye even here. Wasn’t expecting the hailstones at all yesterday.
by feefee8
9 Jun 2019, 9:45am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Lightning: terrible misfortune
Replies: 29
Views: 3640

Re: Lightning: terrible misfortune

I live in the area and was cycling home when I got caught in one of the thunderstorms. There was certainly rain forecast but torrential rain is fairly common here. One of my friends does a lot of hillwalking and she was out yesterday - very experienced and she said she hadn’t seen anything that bad in the forecast for the hills.

Many sympathies to the woman’s family and friends - must have been pretty awful for the rest of the party as well.
by feefee8
8 Jun 2019, 11:15am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycling cape?
Replies: 43
Views: 2336

Re: Cycling cape?

thirdcrank wrote:Ideal for helmet wearers, then! :wink:


Ha ha! Indeed!
by feefee8
7 Jun 2019, 4:27pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycling cape?
Replies: 43
Views: 2336

Re: Cycling cape?

thirdcrank wrote:For lightweight and breathable, on an earlier appearance of this hard annual, I did a bit of research and discovered that pipers (bagpipes players) seem to favour a cape of the police type ie more of a cloak - open at the front - which protects them and their pipes but allows playing them. At that time, there was a company advertising such a cape in goretex, although I cannot see anything of it now.


We do indeed wear a waterproof cape when piping in the rain, and more frequently than I'd like. There is an inner part and an outer part which are joined at the collar, with the outer part acting as the cape, which comes to the hips and fully covers the bag when playing (the drones and chanter are still fully exposed to the elements). Both of these parts can be fully closed by poppers (was buttons back in the day). Mr Anthony also sells matching hoods which are massive, as they are designed to cover your glengarry (hat) as well as your head and tie rather fetchingly round the chin.

I think they'd be a little unwieldy on the bike - generally the inner part ends below the knee and would get in the way if not fastened and would be a bit restrictive if fastened. There are straps on the cape which you put your arms through to minimise flappiness if the poppers are open but you might want them closed to be of any waterproof benefit.


In short, I wouldn't use one on a bike without a lot of modding but I'm biased having spent a lot of time in one doing the thing it was designed for!