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.
I’ve left the turbo up so I can get on each day. I hate riding the turbo.
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.
16°C, strong wind.
Rode the Arrow because it’s too windy to use the single speed bike. The route worked well: head out downwind and come back along a route sheltered by more hedges.
Mustang: grey damp and no wind
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.
16°C, occasional showers, low sun in strong SW wind.
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).
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.
Back to form. Ran this morning which was rather nice. My knee hurt at one point so I walked it off for a hundred metres. It worked. The ride was near enough a summer average speed. Perhaps last week I was fighting something off, was that the reason for low speeds?
