Warm March 8th

18°C, light SE, blue sky.

Outside a tumbledown pub.

After riding yesterday, I still feel it today, so that means a slow outbound. Maybe I didn’t carbo-load enough last evening. This feeling hung over all morning, but after lunch at the cafe, it got better. Besides, what a gorgeous sunny day. Perfect conditions.

Fixed, after repairs

Kona Paddy Wagon, 11°C, moderate SW, clear blue sky, dry

Used the morning for repairs to prepare the summer bike to go out. I got a replacement pair of Mavic Aksium elite wheels and put them on with 25c tyres. The rear went down so I swapped the tube. There is a drawer in the kitchen where I put repaired tubes, so I took another one. That also leaked away. Possibly, it was caught by the lever while fitting that new tyre. How annoying!

Anyway, the ride was excellent. It really looks like spring out there and it’s only February. The GPS failed saying  average 11.4kph. stupid machine.

Break cable.

5°C full sun with a lightening WSW.

False tracking.

Kona Jake: 44.7km, with mechanical problems. I headed out to the usual cafe but I broke a brake cable half way out (or so I thought). The front brake is crucial so some emergency thinking, do I: ride back, find a bike shop or ride to my place. I did the latter.

Cable disc brakes.

That mechanical was curious, it felt exactly like a broken cable. It’s been a long time since I had this, at least ten years. However, when I got it apart, the cable was fine, straight and free from corrosion. So I put it back in with oil in the sheath. All seems fine now.

Next concern: the rear tyre was soft when I did finally reach the café. They have some tools so I adjusted the brake levers and added pressure in the rear. It held as I hurried into the sun to get back. Those self sealing tubes did worked properly.