9°C, sunny with light NW breeze,
Sunday, rode fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 52.31mi, time: 03:29:03, pace: 4:00min/mi, speed: 15.01mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/807418955
In contrast to yesterday, today I saw colour, blue sky and golden autumn colours.
Saturday, was it tiredness plus grey weather that left me wanting to sleep all day? Low grey clouds and light mist sucked all the colour out of the day. Dull dull dull.
Near the river Ribble.
UKIP’s local chairman, Peter Cope wrote the letter below to the local paper.
How to deal with this, let’s use numbers.
Firstly, the population of Lichfield is 32,000 (from the 2011 census). So UKIP thinks that 32,000 x 5 = 500,000.
Net migration is a far more useful figure to use, it subtracts the numbers who leave the UK. That is approximately 249,000. 19% of the number who migrate here are returning UK born citizens anyway. Should they be subtracted too, since nobody can claim that they have no right to move here.
Therefore, the numbers don’t add up Chairman of Lichfield UKIP. You too may be accused of brainwashing you construct arguments in the way you do. You are dysfunctional when handling numbers and can’t construct a grammatically correct sentence.
An accusation made in a non-ironic way.
7°C, drizzle, mist,
Swim: after work. The weather is too awful for a ride today. I chose a pool that is on the way home, a place I haven’t been to since I was a 13 year old school child. I swam lengths for forty minutes in the fast lane. I say “fast lane”, but I needed to wait at the ends for other swimmers to clear a space.
This was a public session, with two lanes reserved for adult lengths. Perhaps their adult sessions have quicker lanes.
Other swimmers were mostly quite fat. Even the kids, in the area without ropes, were paddling podgy seals. Walsall is a fat place.
2°C, thick fog in places.
No ride, it’s Monday.
Birthday goodness: good timing meant a music CD order arrived on this day.
Damien Rice, My Favourite Faded Fantasy,
Dustin O’halloran, Piano Sonatas Vol 2,
Klasmos,
Tindersticks, Ypres,
Fred Frith, The Big Picture.
I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 57.29mi, time: 03:59:47, pace: 4:11min/mi, speed: 14.33mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/802155773
Marred by a slow puncture for the last ten miles. In Parbold, the type started a swishing sound. I didn’t even realise what caused it, even a leaf caught in the mud-guard seemed possible. With a stiff back, I elected to top up the pressure rather than take the wheel apart roadside.
Punctures are annoying at the best of times, but I planned to change that tyre. For two weeks, I drove north without the new puncture-proof tyre. Dammit!
9°C, grey misty but dry. Distance: 11.53mi, time: 51:01, pace: 4:25min/mi, speed: 13.56mi/h. http://mapmyride.com/workout/799316005 Took the short route home, running on empty tanks. I hate November, it can only get worse. Another month before mid-winter, then another before the coldest days. For now, dense fog. 
9C, light SE dry and white cloud.
Commute trade with MapMyRide+! Distance: 29.31mi, time: 02:02:21, pace: 4:10min/mi, speed: 14.38mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/798651481
Extended ride across the Tame valley. Near the river, well away from any lights apart from my own I saw a shape above. It could have been a reflection in the rim of my glasses but it wasn’t. Flapping slowly and more notably- in utter silence. A Barn Owl was flying across my path to the east. Wonderful.
12°C, no real wind, but some NE, dry
I rode single-speed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 47.85mi, time: 03:02:27, pace: 3:49min/mi, speed: 15.74mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/796848735
Once up to speed, the winter wheels aren’t too slow. But, under acceleration, hill climbing or out of the saddle it is obviously heavy. Out of the saddle, throwing the bars side to side was nowhere as free as before. Still, the outing was fun despite me shying away from Bannister Hill.
12°C,light SE, white cloud.
I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.45mi, time: 01:01:23, pace: 3:44min/mi, speed: 16.08mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/796205985
Considering how grotty I felt earlier, this little ride was a transformation. Mid November seems quite mild as I didn’t need many layers today.
Photo: a few minutes before sunset looking towards Formby.
11°C, strong southerly,
Carpet fitters can only come to your house during work hours. Luckily, we had the afternoon off in lieu of presentation evening. They cut it fine though. I expected them at 1pm, but it was 3.30 before they arrived. It’s not perfect either, there is one edge that’s not straight. Nevermind, it’s done now.
If I’d known, then I could have spent more time finalising reports at work, or extended the bike ride home in the gusty wind.
Micycle 