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Not really worth of a ride report, but yesterday met up with @Sofia in Alentejo by the big lake. Pleasant enough to be on the bike on the way there. Waiting for her to show up since we were coming from different places: and presto! Alqueva lake is at the absolute maximum level of water I've ever seen it, I doubt it has ever gone as high before. We left the Triumph for a little and I took her on the GS through an easy trail near the water, I think the bug to ride a trail bike has bitten... there might be a video later of that. Today we rode back home, except the majority of the ride was under quite heavy rain, my phone safe in my pocket and under my rain pants mean there's no pictures of it, but quite the amount of water came down. All warm and dry at home with my jacket still dripping down a bit.

The dog was due an oil and filter change after the last ride. Decided i'd ride the ridgeways to the heads of the valleys and back to warm it up it's about a 40 mile loop and quite scenic, it was cold and just started picking to rain as i left but i had my heated jacket and winter gloves on.Headed up onto my mountain where i came across a road closed sign in the middle of the road, i just went past that with my i'll decide if the road is closed on not head on this is why it was closed Not sure if there was ice around last night this is a steep hill with S bend on it you can see where the car hit the tree on the left in the above photo and the one below is looking back up from the car Almost lost the bike in the first big puddle on the byway and had to take a big dab ended up with a soaking wet foot and only 5 minutes in. As i headed to the ridgeway that runs from Bargoed to Pontlottyn the weather got colder and wetter if that's at all possible in Wales LOL As i headed up onto the ridgeway rain turned to sleet then snow good job i wore the heated jacket as it was below freezing up here and my left foot was fecking freezing after the soaking. It was difficult to see where i was going even with the pin lock when i got to Pontlottyn i decided to head back across Merthyr ridgeway the original plan was to come back along a ridgeway further east but it looked brighter Merthyr way but it wasn't much better The horses here must be hard as nails I got home slightly damp with a frozen foot but that was the only part of me that was cold, the roads are dry here there's a hell of a difference in weather in only about 9 miles as the crow flies. Oil and filter is done as well.

I’ve been following that rebuild, all a bit concerning. I can’t watch him any more. His videos seem to have more posing and less interesting content. Just watched, skipped most of it, his trip to Wales. Sitting at a table in Elan Valley, and a lot about a cafe near Abergavenny. That’s Wales? You’re right Pete. Small wonder that people consider him a twat. He did like the Transalp though.

I once went to the enablement centre with my spare in the top box, I got some funny looks filtering through the slow traffic

I heard that Shergar has recently been found, in Pete's top box.

I call it the BuckyRoom.

I bet you licked it.

Kitt Hill bike meet tomorrow, heading off at 9:00 am with the Fowey Chilblain chapter. Looking at the forecast thermals will be the order of the day

Mon-Fri the clients' businesses are open.......so I have to be available in case they fuck something up. Which happens quite regularly in fact. Weekends I've got more freedom, but I still have to be available if needed. And I tend to do most site builds on weekends cos I get less interruptions. Ensuring the sites and emails all run as normal is an ongoing thing.....not a 9-5 Mon/Fri.

Cant you just work when the weather is shit and ride when its sunny, i thought that was one of the advantages of being self employed especially when you don't have to leave the house to work.

Can you change a light bulb Pete?

That is just another picture of Pete's bike.

if your going to have a top box ... have a proper top box

I'm glad that you're here to volunteer.

It really depends on what Pedal-Assist level you're on & how much throttle is used @ those levels. Top speed with pedal-assist is 28mph....which is more than Yamaha's ebikes. Yamaha has been making ebikes since '93 & I seriously looked into getting one....until I ran across this Beast w/ better specs, & suspenders...for less than half the price.

That title oughta get Pete's attention.... But to his dismay, my new Mullet is NOT on top of my head.... it's actually the model name of this 2024 CyberBike eMtB I treated myself to just before Christmas. Most Emtb's crank around 85nm of torque as a typical spec....this gem puts out 130nm of torque....it get's right with the program! It comes with a 29" front wheel while the rear is a 27.5".....so, following dirtbike type geometry more & more. I had to cough up an extra $348 for an electronic LH shifter, which I should have early next week. Then I can finish off stream-lining the handlebar to make it a bit easier to operate w/ my hook. With 4-piston hydraulic calipers @ both ends....anodised hubs, 34mm fork, & a 1x10 gearset....there won't be much of anyplace this beast can't tackle. Better brakes than all 25 motorcycles I've owned! Thing'll stop as well as it goes... It even came with tools to finish the assembly process. It has 5 pedal-assist levels that can also be operated with a LH thumb throttle....so I should be able to ride UP my steep driveway....sitting down on the saddle.

could get some pizzas in that one

New Bike genre?....

Sounds like your tied down more than someone doing a 9-5. Almost everyone i know who's self employed comes and goes as they please although there are ones i know that wont turn a job down and live in work. That's the one thing i look forward to is the weekend because i know i have two days of doing what i want, same in the weekdays after 4 work stops although i do find it hard to shut off sometimes if i have a complex job on. I get depressed as fuck when i get asked to work a weekend but it don't happen too often LOL. Hope it's worth your while.

It would be, but I’m planning to sleep in the hills near the trail entrance, to then do the interesting bit in the morning or when fog disappears and then make it to Milan for dinner, taking smaller roads or the motorway depending on how the day goes.

Almost being the main focus of that sentence.

It depends on the level of assistance, the terrain and battery capacity, Pete. I use mine on Eco mode most of the time, which is the minimum amount of assistance, and mine has a 500W battery, so I probably need to charge it up every 100-120kms with the riding I do around here. That's enough for me though.

That looks really nicely made, sadly it’s prob illegal in this country where the government decide what’s best for us all.

be sensible, he gets his wife who has knackered hips get up on a chair and change it while he tells her how to do it

I don't have a tazer, I can loan you a shotgun though.

Woke up to snow but it's melting away now so probably walking the neighbours dogs and then drinking beer/cider and a pizza later . Going to some Italian's house tomorrow for dinner, they have a very annoying child so I may borrow @Buckster's tazer

That must be a huge pizza

It would be fine for you, no one would see it anyway.

Is that a euphemism ?

i'll make sure he's up at a reasonable time .

For those last minute beer runs....just take a back-pack w/ ya....