Category Archives: Cycling

Grey November ride.

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Mustang: grey damp and no wind

PNR mushroom.

Pushed back the ride to get some maintenance done. The Zing has a new chain that I failed to fit. Shimano chains have a single-use pin to close the chain. I broke it. The Jake also has a new KMC chain which was easy to fit but there’s a problem. The cassette is worn out on about 4 cogs. It’s the original on a 2015 bike, so that’s a decent life. The jockey wheels were almost toothless. Changed them too.

Great, an hour’s work and now 2 bikes are unrideable. At least I got a run this morning.

Last time,

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16°C, occasional showers, low sun in strong SW wind.

That Speedo is erratic today.

Each time I ride the Zing, I think it’s the last ride this season. The weather has been surprisingly mild, 17°C today. The problem is that my winter bike is so heavy in comparison. The fixed far better (when the wind is light).

Down the ditch.

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Didn’t go this way.

Tarleton ditch: I took a bridle path towards Tarleton to get off the main road. Immediately after passing three folks, my rear wheel skipped. That tipped me off, the bike fell flat and I rolled down an embankment in the rushes. No harm done. I bet they weren’t expecting that. The youngest was walking on her phone but she hadn’t filmed it. I asked.

Banks Birdshot: on riding along the edge of RSPB by Gorse Derry, I could hear gunshots. A cloud of birds took off in front and more shots sounded out. Then the clatter of pellets swept across the grass. Some of them hit me.

Slow commute

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8-3°C, ice on Sollom Bridge. Clear sky, sun in my eyes but dry. No wind

Clear day

The Raleigh Mustang feels so heavy and slow. My other regular ride bikes are not like this. Yesterday, I whizzed along at an enjoyable pace on the race bike. It’s not my legs, the bike is the problem. Maybe I’ll try riding in on the cross (Jake) before I fit the winter tyres, as an experiment.

The roads are cleared.

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Kona Paddy Wagon; 15°C, sunny with light Northerly.

I didn’t put it there.

The Queen’s funeral is today and we get a bank holiday. This has cleared the roads and, pretty much, the only people you see are dog walkers and cyclists. Rather like a cup final, this makes for an excellent cycling day. It means I don’t have to avoid those routes that carry tricky traffic . I also means no cafes are open nor any shops. I got lucky though, about half way there was a petrol station where I got snacks.