Rome wasn't built in a day

and neither will my extension which started today.

Colin the enigmatic builder turned up and said nothing, just turned up and started. So 5 months of dirt and mess to go from 3 to 4 bedrooms and massive kitchen which will be perfect for bike servicing. It will even have a plumbed in parts washer (as long as I remember to take the dishes out first)

Food of the gods

I like Wales, it's hilly, I got married there, my wedding ring is made from Welsh gold (like Royalty don't you know) and I spend a lot of time there. It's also the place where I ride my bike the most. I like it because it reminds me of the Yorkshire and where I grew up at the foot of the Dales.

Now I've heard it argued that Flapjack is the ultimate riding food but I'm afraid the people who band this opinion around tend to be misguided at best or just plain wrong. Flapjack, it's just too dry, too heavy to be a great cycling food.

Jelly Babies are brilliant but I like home made stuff that doesn't contain ingredients banned in New Zealand.

There is one food out there that will power you past the bonk. Cover it in butter (as you're meant to) and I reckon you've got all you main food groups in one slice. It's got everything in it. Complex Carbs, Simple Sugars, Fruit, Dairy, Saturated Fats and best of all it includes an in built Cup of Tea.

It's also dead easy to make, even men can do it it's all based around cups. (Use a Alpkit 450ml Titanium cup for extra style)

So prised from the mother in law* and updated a touch here's the recipe for Bara Brith (with added Yorkshire).

*It should be noted this is not the dry bread 'real' Bara Brith type stuff peddled by shops, it's secret familly recipe that is much better.

Here's the recipe – Welsh (Yorkshire) Bara Brith.

Ingredients
• 1 cup sultanas ('real' bara brith uses mixed fruit)
• 1 cup boiling water
• Butter 1/5 to 1/4 of a normal block
• 1 teabag (Use Yorkshire tea - 1 bag makes 2 cups so makes the taste stronger or if your a heathen just use 2 PG Tips or other crap teabags and ruin it)
• 2 cups of self raising flour
• 1 cup soft brown sugar (real bara brith uses dark brown sugar)
• 1 egg

Method
• Put the sultanas, butter and teabag in a bowl and pour on the boiling water. Leave till cool (or at least luke-warm)
• Put the flour in a separate bowl, add the sugar and egg and stir well. It will be very floury. Add the liquid from the fruit mix bit by bit, mixing in until it is a wet mixture.
• Add the fruit (remove the teabag). Mix round and put into a lined loaf tin.
• Bake for 45 mins at gas mark 4 (or slightly under) then 45 mins at gas mark 3 (or slightly under). I like mine just about cooked but still very soft so it makes a gooey loaf rather than a dry one so I tend to undercook slightly. Stick a skewer in and if there is still wet cake mixture on it cook for a bit longer - if it's just about coming up dry then it's fine.
• Leave to stand, cut and spread with lots of butter.

A massive errection

 

Last weekend we thought we'd try out the tent, bit of dry run so to speak(apart from the fact it pissed it down).

With the car packed to the rafters (tent, travel cot, bedding, large black dog) we set off. We chose a nice little campsite somewhere near Stone Henge (or Stone Hedge as Lottie called it). We were staying just one night to see what camping with a 1 year old, a 5 year old, a Labrador and a hairdryer less wife might be like.

We bought a Vango Icarus 600 a bit ago as we thought this year for our family holiday we'd like to camp in France. So this summer it will be in the back of the car and heading for France to be used in anger. I'd had the tent up in the garden to test it, as you do, but the real test is not the tent it's the ability for the family to cope in it. (I was a bit sceptical).

I'd bought a few 'soft furnishings' to compliment the tent, fitted carpet and inflatable arm chairs.

Well quite surprisingly, it went well, very well in fact the girls loved camping. Lottie helped/hindered putting the tent up hammering pegs wonky and tripping over guy ropes. Amelia crawled around in the wet grass investigating things. Tired out they collapsed into bed at 8pm and slept in 'till 6am (not too bad). All in all we had a great couple of days of camping, adventure playground, mini trains and mud.

But what of the gear?... Well the tent worked well and it's certainly proven itself on the weather front. It kept the (almost biblical) rain off and the wasn't too flappy in the wind. The bedrooms are a good size for us as a family of four. The carpet made it a bit nicer inside too. The Tesco £7.50 blow up armchairs were great. The AlpKit Bulbs were great.

So all in all a success but as ever gear can be honed and improved and there are a couple of things we will need to change before an extended stay:

For all that I didn't want a massive 'lunar module' type tent as it stands the tent just isn't quite big enough for an extended stay with small children, especially if it's wet so an awning is on order. The awning should add that bit of extra space. If it's wet or windy outside the awning can be cooked in, it will keep the sun/rain off, we can leave shoes outside the main tent in the dry. I also found the Icarus 600 has a bit of a design flaw. Although it kept the rain at bay if you open the front door all the rain that has beaded on the door drips into the tent as the tent has no porch. An awning will fix this though and it should turn a good tent into a great tent.

We also need a fridge of some sort, quite fancy a posh Engel that can go in the Land Rover also but at £600 they are a lot of money to leave in a tent.

We only took a single ring stove this time and it didn't really work, I had my bivvy (divvy) head on and thought it would be okay. Cooking pasta, potatoes etc on a single ring in a single pan for a family meal is much harder than just boiling water and rehydrating each course. I think we'll just get a second stove like the one we have rather than a double ring affair. For about £10 I think they are brilliant.

Some kind of high chair would be handy, didn't think about babies and camping.

A wind break would also be good, as much for privacy and separation from other pitches as anything.

We need to have a think about bedding, I was cold under(ish) a household duvet. (should have brought my Xero 250 sleeping bag in anticipation of Sarah stealing all of the covers).

So there we have it, can't wait to get another weekend in soon. Hopefully we'll get two nights and take the bikes next time but already looking for spare weekends and campsites.

Hey, I put some new shoes on, And suddenly everything is right......

So as far as shoes go I'm fairly simple and as my Granddad once said. (in a thick Yorkshire accent)

"Spend your money on your shoes and your bed lad, 'cos if you not in one you in t'other"

Old Shoes!!

With that in mind I tend to have just one pair of shoes on the go that I live in, day in day out. For the past year my feet have been sporting a pair of North Face Hedgehog GTX II's. I go to work in them (just about smart enough), mow the lawn, go camping, walk the dog, do outdoors'y stuff etc. When I bought them I was slightly sceptical as NF always feels like a bit of a high street brand but bought them I did and I've loved them.




A year on and they look a bit tatty now, smell a bit bad, the soles are worn, the laces are all frayed but they are still holding together pretty well and much better than any other shoe I've ever owned. They are also superbly comfortable.

New Shoes!!

So I've just treated myself to another pair, same colour and everything, but now they are the III model. Hopefully just as good. Best price was £76 delivered from Webtogs and for a pair of shoes that will last a year of everyday wear that's a bargain!

Half the year gone

So 50% of the year has gone and although I am a damn site healthier than this time last year I am still overweight.

So it start here, today, now, no more excuses.

I'm gonna "run and cycle" myself fitter and "eat less" myself thinner.

Aim: 1hr 45mins time on the Windsor Half Marathon

How: "Eat less and move more"

I'm gonna have to run, and run a fair bit. My aim will be 3 times a week at first and at least 30 mins each run.

I'm also gonna have to eat less so I'll try to eat only 1,400 cals per day, cut out the carbs etc..

So Day 1, Week 1
Todays stats: 15st 0lbs

14 weeks to WHM

Run #1

Well last night the training started. For the past three times I've done the Windsor Half Marathon I've not trained for it and relied on my cycling base fitness to get me round.

This worked but it hurt and I was slow.

This year a few people from work are doing it as well and being of a slightly competitive ilk a 2 hour time isn't going to be good enough.

So 1 lap of Virginia Water with Murphy the dog

6.81 km in 45 mins

Current Set Up

This is my current set up (plus a rucksac), it was it's first real test on the Welsh Ride Thing and it worked really well but as ever I want to make a couple of minor changes.

The gear was split by the following:

On the Bars:
Lomo 12L dry bag and a WildCat handlebar harness
Sleeping Bag in own 5l eVent dry bag
Thermarest NeoAir Reg
Exped Pillow
Lifesystem Midge head net
Orikaso folding bowl
AlpKit Hunka XL bivi bag

Framebag (Wildcat):
Food for 48hrs
Chocolate bars and Jelly Babies
Caldera Cone
300ml Meths (inside coiled up cone)
Travel Tap (Water bottle and filter)

Seatbag (Ortlieb Large Saddle Bag):
Cooking System (MyTiMug, Cosy's, 450ml Mug, Matches, Mountain House bag, Spork)
Tools and Spares and Tube
M&Ms and Gels
First Aid kit

Rucksack (Camelbak H.A.W.G Deluxe , no bladder)
5l eVent dry bag with night clothes in (HH Lifas, Down jacket, Socks)
Wooly hat
Rab Waterproof Jacket
Phone / Money / Inhaler / Tissues

1l Water bottle on forks

So what would I change?

Well the first thing to do would be to get rid of the rucksack. I didn't use my fuel tank top tube bag thing as I'd lent it out and I didn't think I needed it.

I didn't carry much in the rucksack and in fact it was very light but it's a pain to get stuff in and out of but what I did have was quite bulky.

The obvious thing would be to get a larger seatbag I think the one I have is 2.7l and although the Wildcat handlebar harness was flawless I can't help but thinking a bag on the top to put stuff you need to hand in would be a bonus (phone, camera, tissues)

I need to modify my fuel tank top tube bag thing and then put the gels and the like in there.

I didn't carry enough water but the Travel Tap was brilliant so I may try and find a bigger bottle with the same thread size as the travel tap and just take the filter part and put a second bottle on the other fork leg. This will free up a bit of room in the frame bag.

Maybe an email to Wildcat is needed....

Bivvy Gear - WRT Gear

WRT Gear Layed Out on Flick

So here's everything I took with me (sort of). I decided to leave a few things at home and in hindsight could have left a few more bits at home.


I've been building this kit up for a while now through reading forum, blogs and using what I had and seeing how I got on with it. After 3 days in rainy wales (2 nights) I'm pretty happy with what I've got and how it works.

The "it worked really well bits":

Sleeping - Everything was spot on I think and I wouldn't change anything, Slept dry and warm for 2 nights.

Cooking - Really pleased with the set up the only change would be to make a new cone that stored inside the mug.

Carrying - The Wildcat bags were faultless

Water - TravelTap worked well if a little slow


Niggles:


Need to ditch the rucksack somehow.

Phone in Aquapak is awkward for taking photos

Need more Water carrying capability


Changes:


Take more coffee (2 per day isn't enough)

Really concentrate on how much food is needed (I ended up carrying some home again)

Leave the loo roll at home and take a 2nd Kleenex pack


Streamline my tools/spares kit


Maybe ditch the cosy for the smaller mug.

More Jelly Babies (ditch the M&Ms)

Didn't use the Hotties (it was May)

Welsh Ride Thing

Score:

95 miles (65% pushing)
11 dead sheep
1 dead frog
1 bollocking off a farmer
3 Bacon rolls
Lots of pints of beer
13600ft of ups
2 Slug attacks!

So weeks obsessing about kit, pouring over maps, buying stuff I didn’t need and faffing on the internet came to a head on Saturday morning for my inaugural Welsh Ride Thing.

The weather looked dirty but I didn’t care I’d been looking forward to this for weeks.

Day 1



Arrived just about on time after a fairy brisk 40 min drive. (We set off late as we couldn't get the routes onto the GPS) Saw a couple of familiar faces, won some socks, yay! and then off we went.

Stage 1 Map
So out of the gate an off to get the 1st checkpoint(A6), bagged it, photo's it and off we went.

Stage 2 Map
In our eagerness to get to A10 we went a bit wrong, so we had to double back up the hill. Met DNF at the gate who’d had 2 mechanicals already.

Stage 3 Map
Next up A9, a few brutal hills but with fresh legs we were up them in no time and doing okay.

Stage 4 Map
Over to Machynlleth and then up "The big one" up Tarren Hendre.

Now it should be noted at this point (being a WRT virgin) when planning the route if I could avoid tarmac by bridleway I did. I thought that why ride on road when you don't have to. This was to be a very bad idea and after a nice bit bridleway we ended up on a very crappy muddy track, the gate was bail twined shut with knot and after a push we found 4 dead sheep.

Eventually we rolled into Machynlleth only to see riders we had passed ages ago just finishing their Fish & Chips. Looking at the queue for Fish & Chips we decided stock up with water and a pasty at the SPA before attacking Tarren Hendreand (B1).

We took the shorter steeper route to the top, this proved to be very hard work and it was starting to get late, 8pm (ish), knowing we risked running out of light we were in two minds whether to stop or just get our heads down and go for it. The lure of The Railway at Abergynolwyn was too strong though, to the top we headed.

On the way up at about 550m we passed some nutters setting up camp on the side of the hill.

We topped Tarren Hendre at about 9pm with failing light. Not a great patch.



Stage 5 Map
Right, now to get down? Well that was fun! and a bit scary in the dark but we got to the pub at Abergynolwyn with a 1000yard stare and into the pub.

A bit of local knowledge and quick ride along the tracks and we set up camp in Nant Gwernol station, which if we ignore the organised pincer movement Slug attack, proved to be a most comfortable spot.



Day 2
Up nice a early, bit of porridge, bit of faffing and we were off. Up over the hill to the back of Bird Rock and now in bit a Wales I know pretty well but sticking too my rule that if there is a bridleway we should use it rather than tarmac.

What a massive balls up! We we’re on Sustrans route 8, the next check point was on route 8 but for some reason I thought that deviating off it would be a good idea. It wasn’t, it was a proper dumb idea. If Sustrans deem it not good enough for a bike it isn’t. 2-3km push and a lesson learnt.

Next up though was the highlight of the weekend, a massive wind (SSW) blowing us all the way to B2 and onto B3. (2 quick Bacon butties in Dolgellau first though)

Stage 6 Map
Just before B3 we saw 2 guys who celebrated getting the checkpoint with a Pasty and can of Cider. Totally the right idea.

Stage 7 Map
Didn’t like the cars! Too fast, too close.

Stage 8 Map
Then over the tops to Corris. At the top of Corris met a fellow northern chap with a bevy of women in tow (good odds if it got cold) chatted for a minute or two about clown bikes and we headed off for cakes at Corris craft centre.
Thinking I knew where we were like the back of my hand of course I took us the wrong way down the hill, by the time I realised my error we at the foot of the Cli-machx trail and figured it would rude not to while we were there.

Due to our (my) navigation cock up we then skipped A7 and bagged 2,4,16 and headed to the pub in Cemmaes. Seemed to be a popular spot. A few opted for the beer garden, a couple in a camp-site and we headed for the Children’s playground.

Stage 9 - Skipped

Stage 10 Map

Stage 11 Map
Washed our legs in a stream, passed some Tipis and Yurts, very tired.

Day 3
A rainy night but kept warm and dry and back to the pub for breakfast rolls, ablutions and coffee!



Stage 12 Map

Off we set and we soon had a bit of gathering at A1 although many opted to use the post at the bottom as the checkpoint rather than this tree.


Stage 13 Map

Just one more checkpoint to go and sod's law we got a right bollocking off a farmer. (even though we were on a bridleway-ish) “Bloody hundreds of bikes this weekend, I’m sick of it! All my sheep are getting mixed up!” not sure what he meant but we apologised, said sorry and went on our way. Down a track made of the slippyest rock know to science and all that was left was to yomp back down a nice back road on tarmac.

Legs empty we rolled back for tea and cakes.

Had a fantastic time, the weather didn’t bother us. Will plan it better next time but will definitely do it again.