‘Good grief’.

Posted on 26th Feb 2016 by essiep

5°C, negligible N breeze. Clear sky white dry salty roads.
Commute with MapMyRide+! Distance: 25.08mi, time: 01:43:03, pace: 4:07min/mi, speed: 14.60mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1360056929

Strange encounter: the ride home took me through Weeford. Weeford has a short part climb which is a bit narrow. Tonight, a cyclist started the hill before me with a weave to the right. His bike has a big plastic bag hanging by the back wheel. I called ‘on your left’ so I could pass as he swerved right. But at the last moment, he veered left forcing me to swerve right. ‘Okay, on your right’ I corrected.
Then, as I overtook, I said ‘good grief’. The guy is a hazard, mainly to himself, and to others.
As I rode up the hill, a tirade began:
‘Excuse me, what did you say?’
More incoherent shouting, the word ‘light’ came out. The shouting continued as I got to the top of the hill. Bizarre.
It’s no good to me to discuss the matter, I don’t care what the nutter thinks. He’s probably plucking bits of his bag out of the rear spokes as I write.
If he’s that annoyed then shut up, and get up the hill much faster.

That wasn’t the only encounter tonight. On Rosemary Hill Road, I passed a guy with no lights of any sort. At least he wore a tabard, but otherwise- darkness, car headlights often don’t reach high enough.
We stopped on a red and I said: ‘you ought to get lights,’ he said ‘I know’.
Let’s hope he does. Nobody wants to pass a cyclist lying in the road with a coat over his face one night.

In a ditch

Posted on 26th Nov 2015 by essiep

10°C, light SW, clearing sky but yet muddy roads.
I rode with MapMyRide+! Distance: 23.80mi, time: 01:40:35, pace: 4:14min/mi, speed: 14.20mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1261941013
New tyres make the bike feel much more secure on poor surfaces. Rain has washed debris and mud onto the road. All good then, I started slightly grotty, it’s been a tiring day at work. Once warned up though, it became worthwhile extending the route a bit.
A mile north of Whittington, I stopped for a pee. Somewhere dark and quiet, I laid the bike in a gateway and went into a field. Aiming for a hedge, I walked into the blackness. The muddy ground gave way to a ditch. In I fell. On the positive side, there was no water in the ditch, or anything sharp. A metre down, I landed in soft mud. Safe.
I laughed in my own schadenfreude, even before I climbed out. The only effect was some nettle rash, and that doesn’t count.

Rubbish.

Posted on 21st Oct 2015 by essiep

I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 11.51mi, time: 47:27, pace: 4:07min/mi, speed: 14.56mi/h. Slow.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1218989531
Mediocre ride with the energy sapping virus’s return the culprit. 12 days feeling ill, some at home. On a return to health, pent up energy poured out in a few fast rides. Now I’m all weak, trembling and pathetic.

Turning right at a roundabout, a young guy cut me up. I hate pulling the brakes on a sharp turn. He argued that I was not in the right lane. It doesn’t matter, you give right at a roundabout. Simple.

Diesel engines can be unlocked am a company like Revo. Apparently, the engine is detuned in the software for lower powered cars in the range. The manufacturer gains because their range of engine models is smaller. We can gain fuel economy, power and delivery through the Rev. range. The car is not really built for the higher power, not the gearbox suspension or brakes. But, if you drive normally, you get the benefits at no loss. I will wait until VW have removed their emissions cheating software first.

2nd New lodger.

Posted on 1st Oct 2015 by essiep

I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 29.1mi, time: 01:56:19, pace: 4:00min/mi, speed: 15.03mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1193551675
Extended tonight’s ride since Parents’ Evening prevented me cycling yesterday. The route was the same as Tuesday’s. This time was a little later, taking me into Bat Time.
Got myself another lodger, that makes two. A young bloke who seems like a true gentleman. After I met him on Monday and showed him the room, I was hopeful that he would accept. He has.

Fruit of my labours. Scrumped from the same tree I pass every evening on the route home.

How to make a mistake.

Posted on 8th Sep 2015 by essiep

I commuted with MapMyRide+! Distance: 9.91mi, time: 41:00, pace: 4:08min/mi, speed: 14.51mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1158327043
An ordinary ride but for the thick fog. About a quarter of drivers think it’s fine to drive in dense fog with lights switched off. I shouted at one who was also clutching her phone. She wound down the window and clearly didn’t realise her lights were off, only the daylight running lights were on at the front. She didn’t know how to put the lights on because they are automatic.
You have to question automation, it has undesirable side-effects. More automation makes people think less.
Here is the seed of errors.

Pigeon?

Posted on 5th Sep 2015 by essiep

I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.42mi, time: 01:03:53, pace: 3:53min/mi, speed: 15.42mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1153061165
Not a long ride, but add on 10 miles from this morning’s commute.
Speaking of that, something strange seen on the way to work. Under the railway bridge, a bird standing in the road. I veered round it and it didn’t even flinch.
So I stopped.
Ruffled feathers suggests a youngster, perhaps he took wing too soon. The Bird just stood there, blinking.
What could I do, I scooped it up in my gloved hands and placed it in a garden.
With luck, somebody will do something more useful, something before a cat gets there.

A wasp struggling after getting stuck in the car.

Canals are getting squidgy

Posted on 2nd Sep 2015 by essiep

I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.25mi, time: 01:23:20, pace: 5:08min/mi, speed: 11.70mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1148282977
I have a pair of summer cyclocross tyres on order. They have a faster rolling file surface in the middle, and blocks at the sides.

However, the towpaths are soft again and quite muddy in parts. It’s seems that I don’t need these tyres this year.
The latest news in cycling is Gravel Bikes. They are like ‘cross bikes but for different geometry. The also make excellent commuting machines, most come with eyelets for guards and rack.
Gravel racing isn’t going to take off here, it’s not dry enough.

Canal commute.

Posted on 21st May 2015 by essiep

19°C, light wind and clear sky.
I rode Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.5mi, time: 01:19:18, pace: 4:48min/mi, speed: 12.5mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/994624185
Rode Cyclocross on the commute today. I took the normal route in, but returned along the canal. It winds around and industrial estate and some rough housing. But in May, everything is lush, water lilies in the canal, a heron fishing and all sorts of water fowl. Perfect weather though I was over dressed.
It’s a shame the canal only gets 5 miles from home. There is one nearer, but it’s a large loop round.

The surfaces are better than other canals I use, wide and often ash covered.

Puncture 14.

Posted on 17th Mar 2015 by essiep

I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.44mi, time: 01:09:37, pace: 4:14min/mi, speed: 14.2mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/908219365
Unbelievable, fourteenth puncture of the year! That’s more than I usually get in five years. I know random events easily occur in clusters, but that doesn’t stop the annoyance.
About ten years ago, this happened. I remember at least one per week for months on end.
I never found out why.
I was rather nervous for the last 6 miles tonight, my spare tubes were used up. As often in the past, I haven’t had a single puncture. They often come in twos. The replacement tube goes in, then the air, then the pressure goes back down.
If I were a beginner to this cycling lark, this many punctures could be enough to make me give up.

December ride.

Posted on 5th Dec 2013 by essiep

5°C, getting windy, clear and cold.
CA-34 miles.
MapMyRide! Distance: 23.98mi, time: 01:39:18, speed: 14.5mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/441808821
Glints in the December gloom; each morning there is a fine sunrise over my left shoulder as I ride to work. Evenings, an extended ride in good visibility. Venus is bright after sunset, and in the other direction- Jupiter.
You have to take any boosts you can in this time of year.

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Posted from a mobile.

Venus and Jupiter to shine bright in night sky (koco.com)

Micycle

Mike thinks b/hikes

Category Archives: Commuting