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?
14°C, mostly dry and sunny, strong SW wind.
Mustang: I’ve loaded the Coospo page since I made a mistake with Mapmyride and didn’t start it properly.
The Mustang is going well. It has a good solid feel and at the same time, the handling is light at the front. The result is a feeling of confidence. On the other hand, the brakes are heavier.
Mustang, 15°C, moderate SE wind. Light cloud & dry.
Lots of miles this week, over 140 miles.
15°C, grey, dry & warm. There’s a brisk S wind from the Azores.
Mustang, I’ve taken the rack off and was surprised how much it weighs. I’d swear that the bike rides lighter now. Anyway, I had a very nice ride despite the dull sky.
It had everything today, muddy lanes, fast open lanes, steep climbs & a section of canal towpath.
I enjoyed that ride thoroughly. Right to the end, I had plenty of energy but daylight was running out as was the charge in my front light. Just 100m from home, the light went out.
11°C, early heavy shower that turned sunny. Strong SW.
Started at 10am in good sunshine. Encouraged by a decent forecast I got the Racelite out. Only 15′ later, it was obvious that I had the wrong bike. For a while, that rain was heavy, not good on a bike 25c tyres & no mudguards.
Nevermind, it brightened up half an hour later. I went up Bannister Hill but had a problem descending the other side. A small puddle hid a pothole. Seconds later, the rear wheel was flat down to the rim. That’s probably the only puncture I’ve had this year.
11°C, brisk SW, low sun & bright
Frequent but easy rides this week. It’s half term & I’m pretty free to choose when to go. The early sunsets are very apparent. I checked there was plenty of charge in the lights this time.
It’s almost November and conditions are good for the summer bike. Remarkable.
11°C, brisk NW, rain getting heavier.
Three days since the last ride, and despite the weather, I went anyway. The Mustang rides well although quite heavy. It feels light at the front, quite racy really.
12°C, light offshore breeze, dry & grey
Most of today was a much needed service for the Mustang. To Start with, it was filthy and neglected. So I started with a deep clean and lubrication. The chain was badly stretched so I put a KMC 8 on and then the gears skipped. That means the cassette is worn too. I do have a spare 12-28 so that went on. It’s meant as a stopgap (but I may keep it).
Then I did a longer test ride (10 miles) and it runs nicely except for a creaking saddle.
Kona Jake, 14°C, gales S. Some squally showers
Storm Amy has just blown over and is moving north up the Irish sea. The are fewer squally showers than this morning but those last ones were just as violent. On the bike, it feels like the rain is going into one ear and out through the other. Back home now,.it feels like I’ve ridden twice the 24 km shown above.
Micycle 