Rode the cyclo cross with MapMyRide+! Distance:26.01km, time: 01:34:01, pace: 3:3min/km, speed: 16.60km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1578538022
a pleasant and relaxing ride along a familiar route. Vegetation has bulked up, in places, I had to weave out of their way. Mud was there too, but thinner than last night’s rain would suggest.
Cool, sunny with a brisk wind from the south. It’s July, it should be warmer than this.
Still, it was a good ride.
Cyclocross Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 25.40km, time 1:23:17, pace: 3:17min/km, speed: 18.30km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1553902193
First trip mother route with the gravel tyres. They’re not as grippy in the muddy sections, but they’re fast on tarmac. I don’t mind, the slippy bits can only build my skills.
Next month is the last payment the Jake bike. Then it’s all mine.
Time for N+1?
20°C, sunny start but building clouds and light S breeze.
I rode Cyclocross with MapMyRide+! Distance: 74.35km, time: 03:30:43, pace: 2:50min/km, speed: 21.17km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1548544646
Main feature- weaving through the gravel lanes behind Southport. There are many signs forbidding access to private roads, but they are not marked as such on the map. So, I pressed on. This time, I carried a 1:25k map which is suffering from the damp now. Note to self, it needs replacing.
The bike ran smoothly and the gravel tyres remain a good choice for days like this.
At the time of writing, heavy rain has set in.
12°C, dry bright and light wind.
I rode with MapMyRide+! Distance: 25.42km, time: 01:18:02, pace: 3:04min/km, speed: 19.54km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1489635909
Before riding home today, I took part in an athletics session. Specifically, I went to try javelin. Along with archery, I have quite fancied this for years.
I was rubbish, but got better significantly during the time. There were too many things to coordinate. Steps cross over, twist, lunge and release angle. More practice required.
The ride back was okay. The rear wheel didn’t hold pressure very well. Changing the tyre seems to have disturbed the self sealing inner-tube.
Apart from that, I had less energy available than usual. My legs still feel tight from the weekend.
I need to taper towards the weekend too. In-Pinn plus 3-Peaks is soon upon us.
24°C, light SE, bright sun very dry.
I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 49.43mi, time: 04:02:36, pace: 4:55min/mi, speed: 12.22mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1463746063
The route shows several diversions, they were to collect water. Today was hot, the speedo read 28°C and the Jake has only one water bottle mount. At least those canals have lots of places to stop and re-fill.
The ground is hard with all that mud dried out. It’s actually quite jarring on hands.
It’s certainly time to fit the summer gravel tyres. They should be faster, soother and probably more hard wearing.
I rode cyclocross with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.10mi, time: 01:33:52, pace: 5:50min/mi, speed: 10.29mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1429852881
New tyres: I’ve not ridden the ‘cross bike as much this year. More, recently, a cluster of difficult to fix punctures, and slippery conditions put me off more.
Today, I rode the Jake with new Schwalbe Rocket Rons. Suddenly, it was obvious, the Challenge Grifos were worn out.
What a difference, I have grip back even in deep slimey mud. There are some stretches of this favourite route that have quite deep mud. Next to a canal, you don’t want to loose control. Besides, that water is cold and would ruin my phone.
Rocket Ron 33c.
I shall definitely buy these again. The grip is excellent and with a lighter inner-tube, handling is much improved. I could power through the deeper mud and keep feet dry. Only once did I have to put a don’t down. In the past, I have got off and run alongside the deepest mud.
I rode The Jake CX with MapMyRide+! Distance: 10.39mi, time: 01:46:36, pace: 10:16min/mi, speed: 5.85mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1371496079
Cold and deep mud, only once did I stop to run around the mud patches. The others, I powered though. Not once did I grind to a halt, nor fall off. Result!
Then a puncture.
The pump let me down, it barely offered any pressure so that after vigorous pumping, the tyre had lower pressure than before.
I will take it apart to see whether it is too dirty to keep pressure. Maybe, it’s just crap.
By now, the pressure is so low that I couldn’t ride, that meant a 4 mile walk home.
Good job that I like walking.
I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 18.33mi, time: 01:26:13, pace: 4:42min/mi, speed: 12.75mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1345027265
Much faster today. The puddles are shrinking and surfaces firmer. In response, I put the hammer down. This north east wind is piercing though. It eats through your clothes and bites your skin underneath.
I did set off with the intention of riding the ‘cross. The fixed gear Paddy Wagon has a flat rear tyre. So it seemed series, at the time, to jump on the Jake.
I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.50mi, time: 01:33:42, pace: 5:41min/mi, speed: 10.57mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1342875599
Very squidgy, the back wheel was all over the place.
The rear wheel slid all over the place. Sometimes the front too, but I stayed upright. With a few more weeks of this cold bright weather, the mud could thin.
6°C, sunny with moderate SW. very muddy all over.
I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 17.43mi, time: 01:52:19, pace: 6:27min/mi, speed: 9.31mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1327847005
Endless deep mud. It makes the going quite slow. The worst stretches returned an average 8 mph. It was tremendous fun though. That was the first outing on the ‘cross. Some stretches were such a quagmire that I had to jump off and run. There was lots of side slipping and the ever present threat of a cold water dunking in the canal.
Need to clean this better.
Slime tubes work in an interesting way. I pulled the cross bike out to find flat rear tyre. Slime tubes will self seal if you put some pressure in. Even better, if you can find the leak, you can see green blood bubbling out. The trick is to turn the wheel so that the leak is at the bottom. That way, the slime inside the tube will seep towards the puncture.
As I have been ill recently, the bike has stood still for a few weeks. This is a problem because if you spin a wheel, it feels very unbalanced. The slime has probably gathered at the bottom and added weight there.
By the way, I’m fully recovered.
Micycle 