I have now been using OpenStreetMap for a few months. Yes there are some features that Google has on their maps that is not on OSM. But what makes OSM so much better is that you can update the maps yourself, which is very addictive, OSM is also updated right away on the online map. I have already uploaded a few corrections from some errors I have found here in London. It is rather nice to see them live and on your GPS a few days later.
Where I’m still waiting for Google to update an error I spotted. Yes there is the so called “copyright errors” but this one is not just one road it is many roads in the same area.
Garmin has made so that the Dakota 20 (and others) are able use these free maps on these units. Yes OpenStreetMap is not fully up to date and is not covering the whole world yet. Some areas are in more details than others, but since people like me (and you) are out there every week, the maps are updated all the time with more and more roads, track, POI etc.
I have tried out a few different maps …

We went out on a 53 miles ride today joined by five of our friends. Never been in that part of London before and it really didn’t feel like London. Even though we were within the M25, pretty much London still, we enjoyed some rather nice country lanes.
The weather meant that we had to put on our waterproofs four times before we managed to get home as we enjoyed four rather hard showers. During one downpour we had to pull over and wait under a bridge as we couldn’t see where we were going. At least it was not cold so we didn’t end up freezing our bits off.
It was the first time I have really used my new Dakota 20 from Garmin. Before I have only played around with it here in London where I know the roads.
There are two ways of using the Dakota (I think), one which is very close to the typical DumDum erm TomTom where it will tell you when to turn with a beep and show you a big fat arrow on the screen. You can plot a route that way but you are limited to 50 points which made our route impossible …

On Saturday the 21st we are jumping on a train here in London and head north to Luton. No we are not flying out, we are cycling away to save around 30miles of the worst and not so fun London. It will also give us a good start to the next 235 miles we are planing over the next six days.
This is the route as it stands right now and hopefully on the 26th of August we will have arrived.
We are planing to do around 35miles the first day and to shssss don’t tell anyone to wild camp, simply because I have given up on finding a campsite in that area.
The more we manage on the first day the less we have to do on the second day. So hopefully less that 55miles as we are staying at Whatoff Lodge Farm just north of Leicester for one night.
Then we are cutting right over to the bottom of the Peak District where we will be joined for some of the ride by our friend whom we are staying with that night. That would be around 43miles unless our friend knows a good short cut :)
The next day is our …

No I’m not sorry for this swear word because I totally have reason for it and when you have read this post you will understand why.
I tend to be eaten alive when it comes to any kind of blood suckers, gnats, mossies etc. The best way to describe it is that I’m everyone else’s insect repellent. For some reason they just love me. It’s like one smells me and then calls its extended family around for dinner. Yes, and long lost uncle Bob who lives on his own is invited too.
It is not really the biting that annoys me, yes I get bitten (though way more than others) and it doesn’t itch that bad. What the main annoyance is, is that they swell up like no tomorrow and then become very warm, really burning. And then there is the oozing of what ever it is, looks a bit like amber on a tree, but it is not nice to look at either.
Years ago I was on holiday in Sweden with me old folks, while my dad was setting up a picnic my mum was busy applying protection on me. She first sprayed something on me and then she used the …

Yeah I’m getting a wee bit lazy and therefore only put my LEGO news in one post now and again, so here is Massive LEGO update number II.
For you Facebook addicts here is a LEGO version of it, Facebook literally in lego.
Over on theoatmeal.com they have made a graph about their memory of LEGO. As much as I agree with it I still have to disagree with it, if you are a real LEGO fan you will have LEGO harden feet. A bit like walking on hot coal you get used to it and never feel that you are stepping on a piece of LEGO. If you are an elite you will be able to tell what size LEGO you are stepping on.
My biggest memory of LEGO is after a long break away from LEGO. The rush down memory lane which was brought back by the sound and the feeling from me running my fingers through the LEGO.
With background as a graphical, mechanical designer etc I have played plenty with various plotters and printers over the years. But this one is probably the coolest I have seen – LEGO printer for mac
If you haven’t heard about TED (Technology, Entertainment, …

A few weeks ago I got a Garmin Dakota 20 GPS mainly for us to use when touring. Don’t get me wrong I do love the old paper maps, could spend hours looking at them.

Thank you all for coming and all the facebook, email, sms or how ever you managed to congrats me :)
I had a splendid day, didn’t have time to talk to you all long enough, I think there was at one point 40 odd people there. I do hope that you all managed to get a bounce, eat enough and drink.
The last few days before were a bit depressing since everywhere I called the companies couldn’t provide me with a bouncy castle on the day. But two days before I found a company who honestly did’t sound like they would pull through on the day, they did and we all managed to have 6 hours or so of fun.
One thing I forgot to say when I posted this the first time around. When the bouncy castle was up, the general mood of the day was happy and joking. Talking about what you did as a kid, if you have seen the new play ground in the park etc. Then when the bouncy castle was taken down the conversion become all about tax, politics and war. So if you have a birthday coming up do get a bouncy castle, you will …

I’m now coming up to 5,000 miles on the Surly Long Haul Trucker, aka my little Tank, and boy have they been my most comfortable 5,000 miles ever.
But, as there always is a but, the fecking LHT is the reason that I can’t ride my other bicycles any more. As my good friend at my LBS said … “Over the years as you get older you might find that you want to raise your handlebars a little bit as time goes on. You my friend have gone and done it, raised the bars by at least 20deg on your Surly and there is no way that you can go back again“.
And then there are the Brooks saddles, I do have a Brooks bum and there is no way I’m going back to other saddles.
Dirty Pia : My beloved MTB, which I have done umpteen miles on without any problems. Now I’m in agony after a few miles, too much weight on my hands and arms because of the forward leaning position. And then there is the saddle, how the heck did I manage all these miles before on that sharp brick ?
Chutney : My Speed Pro TT from …

I’m totally against using drugs while cycling, though I do take them myself. I wrote about eating in my last post and how much it does help us up and over the various hill we encounter. But sometimes you just need that little extra thing.
Bananas: Just because they contain anti cramping agents aka potassium. And is not to sweet and just help with the fuelling of your legs. Pack it in with some peanut butter and jam in a sandwich and use it to nibble on while riding.
Chocolate bars: Plain chocolate, with nuts or fancy energy bars with chocolate is a great way to graze your way a ride.
Jelly babies: Simply the best little snack to keep the hunger/bonking at bay and will keep you legs turning that extra mile.
Carbonated drinks: I can’t normally drink this stuff, but for some reason I can drink Irn-Bru. It is as sweet if not sweeter than many other drinks, as an alternative to water or energy drinks.
Chocolate Drink: Especially the Danish one called Matilde Kakao Milk I have defined as the EPO of our drug intake while cycling. If you can feel you are running on empty but it is not time …

After I read a few of Anne Mustoe’s books and a friend asked me about what to do to avoid aching muscles after exercise, it got me thinking.
I can’t for the life of me understand how Anne managed to cycle around the world, over some of the highest mountains, through some of the driest deserts, on just some dried fruits, nuts and water. Her statement that a cyclist does not need a lot of food before a long day’s cycling just blows my mind, because we can’t do anything before we have a hearty meal.
We haven’t toured much but we have already fallen into a nice ritual while touring which pretty much is centred around food.
Breakfast:
Pretty much as soon as we got up our little Jetboil is busy with boiling water for our tea. If Britain could build an empire on tea, it will for sure get us 30-40 miles down the road. For then to cook some porridge, if we have we will add some raisins and bananas.
If we don’t have porridge we will have bread, mostly baguettes, with cheese, tomatoes and if we have peanut butter or Nutella.
Elevenses:
This is quite often just a banana or an …