Cycling North After Winter

[They_all_do_that_sir]

You say that just as I'm spending the night in a warm cosy hostel. To justify it though, it was -4C last night and a bit of snow is due tonight.

It's okay being out in the elements for several days at a time but occasionally some proper warmth is required. I don't know why but I feel really guilty about staying in a hostel, like I'm cheating or summat.

Jesus man you aren't cheating at all. Even if you stayed in the Hilton. This is your journey, play it how you see it lad

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[richardmorris]

I have recently bought some castelli “toe thingies” ( it’s what they’re called). Neoprene and so windproof, but they’re not designed for walking in at all ( or driving 2cvs come to that) and have worn the rubber soles out in a couple of weeks.

[DeeJay]

You could do with a reflector behind your fire.

 

 

https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/the-fire-reflector-heat-or-hot-air.162736/

 

These are the results.

 

Here are the readings from the thermometers. "Tarp" is the thermometer in between the reflector and tarp that should receive any heat reflected by the reflector. "90" is the thermometer that was placed 90 degrees from the reflector, that should receive heat from the fire but would not receive heat reflected by the reflector. "Amb" is the ambient temperature measured on the thermometer 30 yards away. These measurements were taken over a three hour period, and all are degrees Fahrenheit.

Tarp 90 Amb
42 40 40
47 41 39
47 40 38
41 35 29
39 32 27
36 30 26
31 26 24

 

A piece of Bacofoil would do.

 

 

And cook a Pizza at the same time.

[Marm Toastsmith]

I always found proper German Turkish kebabs utterly fantastic compared with the soggy envelope of dead dog shavings you get in the UK.

 

A good hunk of real bread, filled with recognisable meat, veg and a scorching yet tasty sauce - can recommend.

 

 

Not universally true...thankfully. Access to good kebabs is one of the things that makes living in London tolerable...amazing, inexpensive Turkish food is available in most parts of North London.

 

Green Lanes, near where I live, has practically become a tourist attraction, best Turkish food outside of Istanbul... I was genuinely disappointed when I went on holiday in Turkey.

 

I love the kebabs, but the stews are my favourite. Lamb and aubergine, chicken and potatoes... mmm... loads of fresh flat bread, rice and/or couscous, salad... A tenner feeds the family.

 

Oooh and rice pudding!

 

Ken will tell you.

 

 

But yeah, it's weird that German/Turkish thing. Good combination.

 

 

Anyway, more importantly GOOD CYCLING MAN. Keep shovelling in the cheese and bread and smoke up - it'll warm your spirits.

[chaseracer]

...amazing, inexpensive Turkish food is available in most parts of North London.

 

Green Lanes, near where I live, has practically become a tourist attraction, best Turkish food outside of Istanbul...

 

Recommendations, please!

 

My sister lives on Cheshire Road and I'll be round your ends on Xmas Eve after collecting a globetrotting Musical Offspring.

[richardmorris]

You could do with a reflector behind your fire.

 

 

https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/the-fire-reflector-heat-or-hot-air.162736/

 

These are the results.

 

Here are the readings from the thermometers. "Tarp" is the thermometer in between the reflector and tarp that should receive any heat reflected by the reflector. "90" is the thermometer that was placed 90 degrees from the reflector, that should receive heat from the fire but would not receive heat reflected by the reflector. "Amb" is the ambient temperature measured on the thermometer 30 yards away. These measurements were taken over a three hour period, and all are degrees Fahrenheit.[/size]Tarp 90 Amb[/size]42 40 40[/size]47 41 39[/size]47 40 38[/size]41 35 29[/size]39 32 27[/size]36 30 26[/size]31 26 24[/size]

 

A piece of Bacofoil would do.

 

 

And cook a Pizza at the same time.

That’s getting rather Ray Mears

[DeeJay]

That’s getting rather Ray Mears

 

Thew weight he carries, he hasn't missed many meals.

[richardmorris]

Thew weight he carries, he hasn't missed many meals.

Exactly - it wasn’t a criticism, quite the opposite.

[Marm Toastsmith]

Recommendations, please!

 

My sister lives on Cheshire Road and I'll be round your ends on Xmas Eve after collecting a globetrotting Musical Offspring.

 

Cheshire Road? Bounds Green? I'll put my thinking hat on... It all happens up my end of Green Lanes really - Harringay beyond Turnpike Lane and up to Finsbury Park. Lots of choice along Green Lanes between Harringay "gardens" and "the ladder". Saying that there are plenty of busy places in Wood Green that I haven't tried but are probably good. There's probably a brilliant place just round the corner from your sister that I don't know about.

 

My favourite places are up in Dalston (Mangal) and Newington Green (Beyti). Round here I like the older and less posh Diyarbakir close to Harringay Green Lanes station. They don't sell alcohol, and it's really busy, but the food is always good. 

 

You can't really go too far wrong TBH.

[hairnet]

night is a paying house now and again

 

beats the shit outta hypothermia

[hairnet]

What do you think you'll do when you get to somewhere sunny, any gut feeling about how you'll fill up your days?

tan like a muthfuka - forget it was F COLD

[hairnet]

You will!  I fit in the Dyane...

 

*bites tongue

[chaseracer]

 

[purplebargeken]

Man, I would fucking relish doing what you are doing. Getting away from the crap would be ideal tbh.

 

As Marm says, North London is ace for most food Turkish, couple of excellent places round Edmonton, just have to dodge the knives and the bullet casings. 

[DeeJay]

 

 

The urge to sing one of their songs is just

a whim away

 a whim away

 a whim away

[forddeliveryboy]

If your toes are cold, line your shoes with tinfoil.

Amazing stuff and weighs nearly nothing. I've used it to roll out under/around sleeping bags when snow camping and for long descents (especially from cold).

[Junkman]

If you continue like this, you'll end up in fucking Siberia instead of The South.

I wonder what's worse though, now that I think about it.

[Bucketeer]

Not sure I fancy my chances of staying upright today.

 

 

At least my aching backside will be numbed.

 

[Bucketeer]

The tin foil in the shoes sounds like a grand idea. It should keep my toes warm and protect them from microwave rays from government satellites trying to toewash them. I do have some foil with me too. I always keep some to fashion into bonfire cookware.

 

The fire deflector idea is good and no doubt the proper way to go about things but TBH by the time I've found somewhere to camp and set the tent up I'm in no mood to build anything. Plus I don't want to waste any of the limited daylight hours I could be using for cycling, and after dark it's too cold to be playing Mears.

[skattrd]

Before I got posh neoprene overshoes for cycling I used to wear a couple of pairs of socks with plastic bags between then. It keeps the wind/rain off your toes but you do make a crinkly noise when walking.

 

I also had a spare carrier bag to put over the saddle when stopping in the rain etc to keep it dry.

[N Dentressangle]

Weather should be getting a little bit warmer in the next few days - not much, but a bit.

 

Maybe time to hole up in a nice warm Bahnhof for the day?

[Stanky]

Not sure I fancy my chances of staying upright today.

 

IMG_20181216_082722035.jpg

 

At least my aching backside will be numbed.

 

IMG_20181216_083042138.jpg

 

Bucketeer, later today

 

[Cavcraft]

Yeah, defo don't feel guilty about using a hotel as often as you fancy. No point in freezing your knackers off for the sake of a few quid and a nice warm room. At the risk of sounding further sycophantic, what you're doing is just class and makes those of us who just on our arses thinking of excuses not to go on a 70  mile bike ride seem really lazy.

[Junkman]

I don't need any excuse not to go on a 70 mile bike ride. I just don't.

I'm sitting in the cosy warm house proudly doing nothing at all.

When exactly did a man just sitting here doing nothing become a bad thing?

[richardmorris]

The urge to sing one of their songs is just

a whim away

 a whim away

 a whim away

 

1982 they recorded that!

[richardmorris]

I don't need any excuse not to go on a 70 mile bike ride. I just don't.

I'm sitting in the cosy warm house proudly doing nothing at all.

When exactly did a man just sitting here doing nothing become a bad thing?

I don’t think it is, but then you do have a nice cosy house, and yon bucketeer doesn’t and is making the best he can of the situation. Exercise keeps you warm!

[Junkman]

A house keeps you warm.

[Cavcraft]

Erm, yeah that’s the point. He hasn’t got one.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

i'm reminded of something I once saw on 'Overheard in New york'

 

Tramp: Hey buddy, got 50 cents for a coffee?

Man: I haven't, sorry

Tramp: Well - fuck you then!!! Faggot!!!

Man: Yeah, a faggot with a nice, warm house

[Bucketeer]