Local hike out and bits n bobs

Later on the Monday me and Jane had a brisk walk over to Pity Me Nurseries café for a quick cuppa and cake before it closed and then another brisk hike back. The sun was out and so was the wind. We also bumped into the farmer who owns the land / wood opposite the chicken farm where there are loads of jumps/ramps etc now. Says he is not bothered about the kids / adults as long as they don't leave litter. I can remember playing there when I was a young'un and still have a ride over now and again on the Beast of East for some fun, no big air though! 

Todays collection from Evans - more Stans, going to try and convert the 650b wheelset to tubeless, same as the 700c wheelset.

Also finally lifted the stem on the Mason as my lower back pain has come back again for some reason.

Fresh Goods Sunday - 3T 0-Offset Team Difflock Seatpost

I was not after another seat post as such but looking through my spares tub I mainly had 31.6mm and only one 27.2mm spare. This came up for sale on Westbrook Cycles website so decided to buy it. It has been in my tube for a few months now so I decided it was too good not to be used. The FSA seat post in my Salsa carbon Beargrease is very old now and is 27.2mm so decided to swap them over. This is the first 3T seat post I have owned and quality / finish looks good. I have also never used / set up a Difflock clamp. I watched a video on the net showing how to adjust and after some head scratching and 30+ mins later the saddle is nearly the right angle. What a faff on and I will never buy another 3T post with this type of clamp again. I have only give the bike a spin up and down the street to make sure it felt the right height / distance from bars but time will tell if it lasts as long as the FSA or the numerous Thomsons that have never let me down over the last 25+ years. As you can see below the weight was very similar and the rrp is just crazy tbh. What I paid was about right for the post in my eyes.

RRP £150 and I paid £50.14

Manufacturers Blurb - With 3T's precise DiffLock system and the carbon shaft's natural damping abilities, the Team Seatpost with 0 Offset helps reduce saddle discomfort and smooth trail chatter to a consistency as buttery soft as the gravy in your family's classic casserole recipe. This gravy train doesn't come with a weight penalty, though. Compared to the aluminum Pro model, the Team seatpost drops a claimed 30g for that final weight loss advantage when all other avenues have been exhausted.
The DiffLock adjustment system incorporated in the Team's alloy head features interlocking splines that let you precisely dial your saddle angle in half-degree increments for a position on par with the most comfortable of comfort foods. It also requires minimal torque force, so your saddle is easy to adjust with a classic multi-tool. Since sliding it fore and aft won't alter the saddle angle, you can utilize the DiffLock's full range without worrying that adjustments will affect your preferred setup.

 

 

 

Ride through to Bishop n back along the old railway lines

Yesterday me and Jane had a ride though to Bishop Auckland mainly along the old railway lines from Brandon. We turned left at the Brans Den pub on the way out and went down to the viaduct, Croxdale, Spennymoor then picked up the line to Bishop. Once we were at Bishop we had a cuppa and buttie / tea cake in the café before heading over the viaduct to pick up the line back to Brandon. We stopped off at Willington to pop into the Coop for some shopping as I had my back pack on. It was a strong headwind on the way out and it was real cold. The lines were quiet and we had a massive tail wind on the way back with the temperature rising from 2.8 degrees to 7.4 degrees at one point! The lines were mainly dry but the single track sections were wet and very muddy. The short couple of road sections were busy with cars / traffic as well. I took the Mason with the 650b wheelset on and Jane was on her Scott Scale Contessa.
Below are a few overcast / cloudy / cold looking snaps/ I think the cold must have affected the camera or its on its last legs as most of them came out very blurred. Hopefully more soon -

Cold, very wet road ride around Hamsterley / Woodland area

Sunday was a right off, I just could not be bothered so watched a couple of films and read a few magazines etc. After teatime it stopped snowing so went out for a walk and within 5 min's we were blasted in the face with icy sleet and were soaked by the time we got back in.
Onto today well the thaw is on, the temperature was 4 degrees going to work before 7am. I ended my day up at Hamsterley Village so took the Mason out for a loop around the local country lanes. It was reasonably bright when I left and dropped down through the village and turned right towards Morley. The 4 mile climb up to Woodland to take the very last right was a killer. I had a massive headwind all the way up and over an inch of flowing water on the lanes. The higher I got the darker it was getting, then I was blasted with freezing cold rain/sleet for the last couple of miles up. God I was so pleased to take the right then follow the singletrack road down, now with a massive tailwind but still raining. The further down Windy Bank Rd it was getting brighter. Once I passed the entrance to Descend Hamsterley the rain/sleet had stopped and the temperature started rising from the 1.3 degrees I had been riding in. I was soon back to Hamsterley Village to get changed and warmed up. The temperature reading on the van was 7 degrees heading back!

Village pond more like an ice skating ring

Here is the start of the first hill

and followed by an even bigger up to Woodland

been a while since the snow is higher than my handlebars

good 3 to 4ft deep at the sides of the roads against the stone walls

you will need a 4x4 to get out of the forest from the Grove end.
Worse as you get further down

and March Edt has also landed