Category Archives: Cycling

Two rides, two bikes

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9°C, light W breeze, light sun.
I rode Paddy Wagon fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 36.81km, time: 01:34:44, pace: 2:34min/km, speed: 23.31km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2628640216

I rode Mustang with MapMyRide+! Distance: 34.22km, time: 01:40:52, pace: 2:57min/km, speed: 20.36km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2629007473

Half a year since I rode twice in the same day. I’m owed this mmdwadtdp a 3 day abstinence. This morning and last night I was becoming rather irritable without spending energy. Worse because I have more energy than me late after some good news on Friday.
I’ve bought a house. It’s been a long time searching, 3 months. Not just gaining a house, but also loosing a mortgage.
Now, I can look forward and stop feeling as though I’m treading water. Thus, more ‘go’ in my legs while riding.

Dazzling tarmac

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12°C, sunny and still, yet roads.
I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 69.82km, time: 03:17:28, pace: 2:50min/km, speed: 21.22km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2624397079​

Excellent conditions for a winter ride. It was so good that I extended the route, and then extended again. I had plenty of energy too (though the average speed wouldn’t suggest so).
Riding into the sun on wet roads is fraught with the risk of dazzle. This near to solstice, sun’s rays are never that bright, even at noon.
All sounds good? Today was the first day that I took a vitamin B12 supplement. A deficiency g said to cause lethargy. Perhaps that has been the problem all along. Let’s see how this pans out.

Fixed in Southport.

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9°C, light breeze and sun.
I rode Paddy Wagon with MapMyRide+! Distance: 42.km, time: 01:49:01, pace: 2:34min/km, speed: 23.33km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2621786563​

A respite from winter weather. Even the wind gap dropped so I rode the single-speed bike.
Average speeds lately have been low movie gravel bike. Back on the fixed is a chance to push a bit faster. Winter clothes are a bit cumbersome on this bike. A higher front would work better.

A puncture, a run and one terrified barnowl.

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4°C, moderate NW breeze, dry but cold.
I rode Mustang with MapMyRide+! Distance: 30.60km, time: 01:44:54, pace: 3:26min/km, speed: 17.50km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2618452087

screenshot_2017-12-15-18-07-40-1757946798.png

Punctures are always annoying. at least it happened in the front tyre, but the spare tube was the wrong size and the patch didn’t stick. That meant a run to a bike shop. A run because I had an appointment at 2pm. From Formby Country Club to Formby Cycle shop is 2.1 miles and I had the adrenaline. Actually, though it felt stressful, I was quite satisfied with the run. Maybe I should go for a run sometimes.
Outside the country club, a guy offered to help and we tried to fix the wretched tube. My spare was too thin (<25c). A quick visit top the shop got spares that I need and I was back on the road in only 15 minutes. that wasn’t the end of the stress. I belted home working hard to make the deadline.​

On the outward leg, I used  If it were up to me, I’d ban it.

Fizzy and bad tempered.

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2°C, big melt all morning, another snow dump followed in the evening.
I rode Mustang with MapMyRide+! Distance: 31.34km, time: 01:29:08, pace: 2:51min/km, speed: 21.10km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2616335668

Slow and short, but I desperately needed it after a week of turbo sessions. I hate the turbo but there’s no alternative with the depth of snow and ice we’ve had.
Refreshed by sunshine and blue skies, I will sleep properly tonight.​

The latest snow craze to hit England is igloos made from recycling boxes. This one that appeared near my house is typical of the genre. The blocks have gaps, but so what?
These make a refreshing change from Michelin-man snowmen. Good work in my opinion, I wish I’d made one now.

Beach to beach.

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2°C, brisk N wind, dry and sunny. Significant wind-chill.
I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 45.80km, time: 02:41:30, pace: 3:32min/km, speed: 17.01km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2599320025​

Today, I reversed the beach route for variety. A strong wind ran along the coast from kid north so I wasn’t deflected as much. The sand does turn to impossible soft patches without much warning. Sometimes easy sometimes you get bogged mown. Some was hidden under a moving veil of drifting sand. Wider tyres would help greatly but for now, lower pressure would too. I fell once and rolled out on the soft sand.
Actually, that’s the first time I’ve fallen in quite a few years. Good that it happened onto sand. Riding along with the drifting sand is a good sensation.
There are interesting structures standing on this beach. Amidst the shifting sand banks are darker shelves of more solid, peaty sand. It’s starting to consolidate into rock. Some of these strata lay in the beach, others were cut from dunes and showed clearly in the banks. Are these evidence of beach raising? Were they darkened by vegetation during interglacial periods when sea-level was lower?

Ride on the beach.

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9°C, brisk W but dry at least.
Rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 43.42km, time: 02:35:16, pace: 3:35min/km, speed: 16.78km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2580371377

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The beach at Formby shelves off at a very shallow angle to the west. It’s firm in parts and very soft in others. A few times I ground to a stop and at other times I struggled with the ripples. These were quite firm but steered the bike along the dominant line of the ripples. I found myself riding in arcs.​

This screen shot of Google Maps shows the track crossing blue sea. I hate to disappoint you, but the blue edge marks the average tide line. In other words, I didn’t really ride in the sea. Sorry.