Category Archives: cyclocross

Kona Jake

Towpath in darkness

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8°C, clear sky with brisk W wind and cold.

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3279276373

Here’s a first, an off-road ride in the dark . The hard contrast from the light make ruts and pits easy to spot. Last night’s rain made the surface quite squelchy, that back wheel didn’t always follow the front. I did not fall.

It’s been a fun day. First thing, I visited a geology muse in Birmingham, The Lapworth Museum. This fossil as a cast, you can see that in close-up. Bits of white plaster show between the grey. I think the grey is graphite powder that was rubbed in.

Anyway, Lapworth us a well laid out museum with plenty of interesting exhibits. I highly recommend it. There is a rock wall made of samples and a key. I played the game of guessing and then looked up each type to make a score. I got about 1/3 correct. Clearly, I need to read up on peridotite.

Cross Ribble Nat Trust

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11°C, grey but dry and calm.

Rode the Jake along the Ribble estuary. The ground was softer than last time but some sections were too broken up to ride

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3251440075

This was a recovery ride after a persistent cold. It’s not fully cleared and nearing the end of its third week. I despair at the longevity of this one. Despair? I’m downright annoyed about it.

I’m back on.

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11°C dull with soft drizzle.

I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 25.58km, time: 01:23:00, pace: 3:15min/km, speed: 18.49km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/3184165357

That was a whole week of cycling lost to an enigmatic virus. Now I’ve returned to normal, now work can resume on the house. Time is pressing now because the new central heating will be fitted in 2 weeks. Beforehand, I must remove the relevant radiators, strip and replace the wallpaper behind. Most pressing of all, the new radiators should be orderes in good time. I’m going for column radiators in a few key places- the living room, master bedroom and hallway.

The living room radiator is in an annoying place behind the sofa and the master bedroom’s rad is just too small,

Let down by a pump.

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16°C, gloomy drizzle and blustery SW

I rode Kona Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 31.86km, time: 01:32:04, pace: 2:53min/km, speed: 20.76km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/3087552775

Once I got off the track, it was obvious that the tyres were too soft. Topping up the pressure should be easy, right? The first two attempts left me with a flat tyre. Unscrewing the pump head also unscrewed and removed the valve. Annoying. Eventually, I got it in and it held some pressure, but no more than 20psi.

Its horrible riding with only 20psi, the rear wheel squelches and skids from side to side. It doesn’t feel safe at all.

Tried blnowing up a road bike tyre with the pump and it worked just fine. That probably means the problem all along was the valve is too short on this rim.

The machines and drizzle.

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17°C, drizzle and onshore breeze.

I rode Paddy Wagon with MapMyRide+! Distance: 44.31km, time: 01:50:20, pace: 2:29min/km, speed: 24.10km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/3078674872

Same route as last time but with claggy weather. The biggest difference was my energy, I was quite enfeebled. The machines felt heavier and I couldn’t do so many repetitions.

This next photo is puzzling, it looks like the grim reaper out on the mud flats.

I rode Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 6.29km, time: 25:40, pace: 4:05min/km, speed: 14.71km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/3079817260

A quick evening ride to watch the sun go down. The sand flats go out miles into a big sky.

That was satisfying.

RSPB tour.

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8°C, NE cool breeze. Grey.

I rode kona Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 15.18km, time: 01:06:21, pace: 4:22min/km, speed: 13.73km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2816224618

I’ve had a filthy stinking cold. Today, day 10, sees me not fully recovered and I’m wary of ramping up the exercise to quickly. Too quick and it all comes back.

It was good to visit the RSPB ‘visitor centre. There were knowledgeable volunteers there who pointed out an Avocet and a Spoonbill. The latter is a funny looking bird, more so because they look so serious with that absurd spoon.

I came away with some plans in mind: put up some House Martin boxes and maybe remove brick from the gable end. That will make it possible for bats nest in my roof. Some people worry about House Martins because for a short time of the year, they drop guano. That is a problem easily solved by fitting a window box. The window box holds nice plants and the Martins drop regular fertiliser.

Muddy Mess Of a Ride.

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Bright winter sun 6°C, brisk S.

I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 26.48km, time: 01:51:48, pace: 4:13min/km, speed: 14.21km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2676806983

A fine muddy, squelchy start along the canal into early low sun. At 6 or 7 miles, the squelching turned to a soggy back wheel. A puncture.

Since its a Slime inner-tube, I tried pumping it up in the hope it would seal itself. It soon went flat again and left me in the open with a heavy shower threatening. I decided to run for a while. At the next bridge, under shelter, I had a go at changing the tube. The new tube went flat in only 100m. No choice but to put the slime tube back in. That didn’t hold much pressure either. So onto the next bridge. Much further this time, well over a mile of running.

There are deeper puddles to wash wheel and hands. Then, a minibus from an autism charity pulled up. It had a trailer of bikes in tow. The driver lent me a track pump which is so much easier than a stupid little frame pump.

I got a good 2 miles on that 60psi. When it ran flat, I ran again. The last few miles was repeated re-inflations. Along the way was police looking for an abandoned railway’station and a friendly cyclist who offered a tube.

I arrived home, arms shaking from all that pumping (stop sniggering at the back).

Now the bike is in the garage cleaned and gears tuned, the tyre has decided to hold pressure now, how about doing that on the trail?. I don’t trust it though.