23°C, no wind & dull grey.
Set off on the Kona Jake to the chase via lanes that should have gone to Wandon. But on getting disorientated I popped out near the start. When I lived here, I would never have made that mistake. I would have retained my sense of direction.
The rest of the route was familiar and I stopped for a coffee in the forest.
A good day out which means I’m ready for the coming holiday.
Rode the cross at a gentle pace through routes I used hundreds of times before I moved.
17°C, strong SW, grey but dry for now.
Third day in a row, but I was limited in time by impending rain.
Evening outing on the Kona Jake to blow away the cobwebs (it’s been a dull day at work).
Kona Jake, 9°C, light wind and thin cloud.
This is unfamiliar, those large jockey wheels and new adjustments to make. There’s even a clutch intended to make setup easier. The promise was realised to some extent.
Not long after this shit I rode towards the firing range and went over some thin branches. One got caught in the rear wheel. It bent the rear derailleur and pushed it into the spokes. The chain was looped and the cage turned more than 90° rendering the bike unrideable
With some convoluted bending, I got the bike ready to coast back to the carpark. Fortunately we is was mostly downhill. So that’s what I did.
Back at the car, I got dressed and packed the bike. Getting dressed outdoors can be tricky. The sun was out in full winter force. Besides. There is a good bike shop on Milford Common so there I went.
I got a replacement mech and asked about changing robes. They are an oversized smock to use on the beach to get dressed in decency. I bought one.
8°C, milky sun and strong southwest wind.
Grabbed the Mustang gravel bike for a ride and it came out with a puncture. So much for I destructible Marathon + tyres. I may have hit something on last night’s ride in the dark.
Instead, I went out on the Jake CX. Then had another problem. The rear tyre went down after 6 miles. It’s got a Slime self sealing tube to I stopped to re-inflate it. The pressure held but was rather low. I struggle to get it firmer than 40psi (which is a bit low for my weight). Remarkably, the pressure held. For the next ten miles. They keep a stirrup pump in the cafe so I bumped it up to 70psi. It stayed so the ride was back to normal.
However, the return was into a growing gale. There were gusts up to 40mph and I crawled along at 8mph. Nonetheless, the sun still shone.
6-9°C brisk SW wind, clear and sunny.
It’s been a while since the last bike ride. Icy weather has stopped me venturing out. Some days were so bad, I daren’t even go for a run. That means the default is the gym or at home, the turbo. I get ratty at these times and feel a constant fizzy agitated feeling in my limbs.
Back to normal now.
Kona Jake, 5°C, light E, light overcast.
Icy weather is due in a few days. Let’s wait and see the best way to deal with running on frosty ground in the mornings. Meanwhile, I’ll bank some hours riding. This is the 4th day in a row with 25+ miles. I’ve got layers sorted out now so getting cold isn’t such a problem.
10°C, light at first then rain. Heavy rain to return, included hail.
Kona Jake: missed exercise recently so set off thinking the forecast was exaggerated. I was cold on arriving at the cafe and got pelted with hail on the return.
Micycle 