Monthly Archives: Nov 2024

Paddy Wagon: mechanicals.

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Kona Paddy Wagon, 14C, no rain but muddy, light SSE wind.

It has a new chain but it doesn’t ride well over the teeth. Under load, each tooth clicks.  I should have changed the rear cog (and I expect the chainring has gone also). Last time this happened, I couldn’t get the cog off with the chain-whip. Fixie cogs screw on, but as you ride them, the thread tightens. By tyhe time the teeth are worm out, the cog is too tight to remove. The bike shop had to practicaly break the cog off in a vice, it was that bad.

Furthermore, the rear tyre has a slow puncture that didn’t bubble in the bucket so I replaced the valve. Yet, it still slowly deflates.

November has been an odd month, it started and ended warm with an icy week 3. That makes acclimatising difficult.

NCS: Scrapped.

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I thought this would come. The National Citizenship Scheme was set up by PM Cameron in 2011. It has been scaled down over the last five years with the course shortening and centres closing. It has just been announced that the scheme is terminated from the start of the next financial year (April 2025).

That leaves me without a summer job for next August.

Mustang: in fog

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9°C, still with some sunshine, later – must turning into fog

Mist, later – fog

Mustang: We’ve had a dry & warm November so far. It’s changing now and fog marks the change. As I’m on the mustang with Schwalbe CX30 tyres. I took a route off road in parts. Near Burscough, I turned down a tow paths through the worst of the fog. Mist turned to fog very quickly but there was no mention on the weather sites (BBC & Metoffice). The last 5 miles was rather stressful with the visibility. It’s not my view but that of any following vehicles that’s a concern.

The Arrow bike is in a bit of a state. I stopped riding it when the bottom bracket stripped the threads in the frame. Today, I pulled it out to clean it up. The chain is worn and the frame looks tatty, there are spots of rust in the paint. Should I scrap it?

Fixie: a cautious ride

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12°C, no wind or rain or sun.

Tendonitis: it’s flared up again but is currently waning. So the idea was to do a 2 hour ride on the flat while there’s no wind. On turning north from Rufford, a group of cyclists tagged on. Then one took the lead to up the pace. I held on without too much difficulty.

They were quite complimentary about.my keeping pace. They were on nice modern Ridley carbon bikes and me a 14 year old steel single-speed. I don’t suppose they realise that a single speed is more efficient when the cadence, gearing and incline are ideal.

The above data is wrong because the app paused after the cafe stop. The total distance should be 52km.

November: summer bike

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Dull but dry.

We’re having a very mild autumn. 12-16°C has been typical this last few weeks. Last week was half term and for a few days, I was in shorts. Now in November and still riding the summer bike.

#weirdweather.

Tendonitis has left the left Achilles tendon and relocated to the right one. Hence, all these recent rides being short (20 to 35 miles).