AWOL

[Tweedledee]

Thanks for all the kind words folks 👍🙂.
Health wise I think I'm fitter and happier than I've been for 10 years. Got two new bionic eyes now, no cataracts and seeing perfectly again. After retiring I'm getting a lot more exercise and have lost over a stone and my belly 🙂. Back to a healthy bmi of 25👍. Been walking and cycling on my new ebike and having a great time. Done about 800 miles in 3 months, avoiding roads as much as possible, seeing nature and discovering new places. It's not cheating, still get good exercise, but no embarrassment having to get off and push it up hills. In fact I can just sail past the 20 something lycra brigade uphill hardly breaking a sweat 😆. It's all legal and unmodified (no throttle), if you don't give it some effort, you get no assistance. My 21 year old son has an extremely lightweight bike, but my ebike makes us really well matched, so we can both enjoy bike rides to the full, when he's home from Uni. My wife and I are having a wonderful time on holiday in the Lake District at the moment. Been out bagging stone circles and roman forts and breathtaking views. I'm hoping to catch comet Leonard if it comes good over the coming weeks. Be nice to see some EMS images of it maybe even when it passes close to the Whale Galaxy on the 24th. It has been nice to see 3 bright planets early evening recently.

[+Bino-viewer]

Any aurora up there Pete ??

 

I've seen a few images posted (not on here) from Wednesday night when we had the outburst

and some are spectacular, one of them was looking north over Derwentwater, a place i know very well.

 

I went through the high peak myself that night, but sadly could not discern anything definite, but there was some subtle evidence of it.

Enjoy the Lake District.

 

Also, i have an e-bike on my retirement list !!

My current bike is the non cheating variety, it does me pretty well, but my 54 year old knees keep telling me they could do with some help ! 😀

[+Streetbob]

Glad to hear you are well.  I bought myself an ebike just before lockdown and think it is great especially in windy weather.  I can still get good exercise with out putting strain on joints, so no, not cheating at all. I would recommend them.

[philjay]

Ebikes are great. When I was clawing my way out of ME a few years ago I built one. They are great fun. I used quite a powerful motor and I love picking on the weekend warriors on their fancy carbon bikes. An old bloke shooting past the lycra clad brigade is too much for some of them, they cant resist giving chase 🙂

[Tweedledee]

@Bino-viewer

Hi Rob, I wish I'd made the effort to get away from the light pollution in Bowness on Windermere to see the aurora. I too saw the great pics online. Was enjoying the whisky too much 🥃😊.

Don't wait for retirement Rob, my ebike makes me feel like I'm 10 years old again when I had bags of energy pedalling anywhere 🙂. Like Streetbob says, your knees will thank you as well, and you'll still get good exercise and probably want to go even further.

On 07/11/2021 at 10:43, philjay said:

An old bloke shooting past the lycra clad brigade is too much for some of them, they cant resist giving chase 🙂

I know exactly what you mean Phil, great fun isn't it 😀 👍. Mine is a totally legal 250 watt crank mounted mid motor, but it gets a bit like aperture fever looking at cheap 1000 watt hub motors on ebay 😀. 

[philjay]

I decided to go big right from the stsrt and got a 1000w rear wheel kit and initially converted my cyclocross bike. This was fun but the geometry was not quite right for the weight and power of the kit and it got a bit hairy at times. So I got a hybrid bike in the sales and transferred the gear to that. Its a bit sit up and beg but it is great fun and enabked me ti cycle distance again, which I really missed when my health took a dive.

On road its set at 250w but off road it can be dialed up to 1000w 🙂