7°C, brisk SE. grey & dry.
Cable disc brakes tend to wear unevenly. There’s only 1 piston and pressure on the opposite pad is by bending. So, of this pair, one has 1mm and the other 2mm. 1mm is the recommended limit so I changed them.
The other wheel’s pads needed a clean & rub down with emery paper. Job done & braking is far better. I can trust them on the road now.
Mustang, chilly 5°C, moderate ESE, dry & grey
Firstly, some maintenance in the kitchen.
The ride was much colder than Tuesday, otherwise – no problem.
Result: reduced stopping distance! The cloths came out quite black: which is satisfying. Braking could be better still, but it’s not dangerous anymore. Encouraged, next I will buy some Mucoff rotor cleaner and scrub the others. Ideally, get new.pads from Tektro.
Last ride of January. 672km on the bike, almost all on the Mustang. I like to get 1,000 miles done equinox in March , ideally.
9°C, mostly dry & sunny later, very strong ESE.
Next repair: the rear brake is really weak & I don’t know why. Apart from that, the ride was good. Conditions were a bit rough, but I was ready for that. The distance crept upwards as did the pace.
After watching an online video, I’ve got an idea for improving the brakes. The rear is worst, so I’m going to get the pads out & clean them and the rotor. The last step after using some fine emery paper; they’ll need bedding in.
8°C, brisk E, cloudy but dry.
Fitness has returned. On the ride today, I recalled how I felt after 3 weeks off the bike in December. It weakened my arms the most, I could barely hold myself over the handlebars. Strange.
Today, I could wizz along (despite the average speed (shown above).
8°C, rain.
Rain all day, therefore – swim. I had the lane to myself so settling into a rhythm was easy.
Last year I peaked at 70 lengths in this pool but I’m fitter now. It’s all about building winter endurance.
7°C, light SSW, no rain but feeling damp + milky sun.
Mustang, I’ve lowered the seat a bit to compensate for the effect of thicker clothes. Like on Tuesday, I stopped briefly to make further adjustments. I’ve been getting irritated with jumping gears in the lower end. after changing the cassette and chain, I expect better. As it was, I couldn’t trust getting out of the seat for a surge. In the last 3km, I changed up for a final blast and the rear gear cable broke at the levers end. That broken cable explains the bad gear shifts.
In response, I replaced the cable immediately on getting home. While at it, I may as well change the front cable too before the sun goes down. Not only.gas the nipple broken off, but the cable is frayed midway along.
How long is it since these cables were last changed. This was not my proudest moment. I had a cable break on the way home from Walsall in a previous job, but that was well over ten years ago. It’s ironic in a way, because I’ve kept a tighter maintenance routine recently.
Mid-winter in terms of temperature, so on average, it’s going to get warmer. Let’s hope the weather agrees to my optimism.
5°C, light N wind & light grey sky. Soft rain to start.
Mustang: cleaned & oiled before the off. Something wasn’t right but it was ages before I spotted it. The front wheel wasn’t bedded in properly. Twice I stopped to adjust the azimuth for the bars. I experimented with changes in height (two rings was too many).
I suspect the misaligned front wheel actually caused the brake disc to rub. I know it sounds like an excuse! The other concern is comfort. I feel a load on my arms putting pressure on both elbows. That’s why I tried raising the bars. I expect that they’ll need to go back down in warmer weather and I’m wearing less.
There is an ongoing repair issue. The cassette is partly worn, just the middle two cogs. They’re only skipping slightly so I can still ride until the new one arrives.
Kona Jake, 6°C, light NE, dry & grey.
Kona Jake: good conditions & I wore a layer less than yesterday. 6°C is exactly average for the end of December, colder weather will come soon. I’ve lowered the seat by nearly 5mm, a good idea. Thicker winter clothes make this necessary.
Anyway, recovery is going well if somewhat masked by winter conditions. We’ve got two months of this to go.
Kona Jake: cold 6°C, brisk SE, sunny & dry.
Three weeks off due to a long heavy cold with a persistent cough. There were times with fever and others when it seemed never ending. The turning point was during our holiday in Mallorca. The hotel has a good gym which I used several times a day.
Now I’m back. I’ve lost form (as you’d expect) and ended with a dry cough. Oddly, riding I felt the weight on my arms & shoulders. I thought I’d worked upper body in that gym. It’s going to take a good month to come back.
Was it COVID?
15°C, rain & strong gusts.
Been ill for all month so far. Heavy cough/cold and sometimes – running a temperature.
Micycle 