Try cyclocross they said…

Posted on 30th Jan 2016 by essiep

6°C, sunny with moderate SW. very muddy all over.
I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 17.43mi, time: 01:52:19, pace: 6:27min/mi, speed: 9.31mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1327847005
Endless deep mud. It makes the going quite slow. The worst stretches returned an average 8 mph. It was tremendous fun though. That was the first outing on the ‘cross. Some stretches were such a quagmire that I had to jump off and run. There was lots of side slipping and the ever present threat of a cold water dunking in the canal.

Need to clean this better.

Slime tubes work in an interesting way. I pulled the cross bike out to find flat rear tyre. Slime tubes will self seal if you put some pressure in. Even better, if you can find the leak, you can see green blood bubbling out. The trick is to turn the wheel so that the leak is at the bottom. That way, the slime inside the tube will seep towards the puncture.
As I have been ill recently, the bike has stood still for a few weeks. This is a problem because if you spin a wheel, it feels very unbalanced. The slime has probably gathered at the bottom and added weight there.

By the way, I’m fully recovered.

Kona, 1 year.

Posted on 24th Jan 2016 by essiep

One year ago, I bought my Kona Jake. Remember how excited I was? In that time, I clocked up almost 1,000 miles on it add have no regrets about the choice. I clearly remember those nervous outings on slimy surfaces. Contrast that with improved bike handling now. It’s a transferable skill, I ride the commuting bike on muddy lanes less cautiously these days. There’s justification for a CX bike in anybody’s stable.

A good purchase.

Weekend at home.

Posted on 16th Jan 2016 by essiep

-2°C, clear, rain has frozen, treacherous outside.
Snow is coming. Today could be a brief window where I can grab a ride between melting ice and the predicted snowfall. This week’s milage is low, and despite a one mile swim on Thursday, I am restless. Very restless.
This bad tempered, fidgety feeling is exacerbated by work stress.

Take an novice out.

Posted on 10th Jan 2016 by essiep

I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 20.00mi, time: 01:43:19, pace: 5:10min/mi, speed: 11.61mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1302994541
I’m a gap between storms, I took young (12 years old) E. out on his new bike.

For him, this was his first adventure on his new Christmas bike.
It’s only right since it was my idea to buy it for Christmas, and to spend this much. We took a route avoiding big roads without cycle tracks. Other roads had usable footpaths he could use. Some roads, this was not possible, so I rode behind, slightly outside in a guard position.
It was quite obvious that cars treated us differently to single, adult cyclists. They waited patiently and from further back when trying to pass.
The ride length was just about right. He got tired on the return leg, but wouldn’t get off and walk the last significant hill.
He’s been enthusing about it since.

Ride no.1

Posted on 4th Jan 2016 by essiep

I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 31.42mi, time: 02:10:53, pace: 4:10min/mi, speed: 14.40mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1295886353
I thought the average speed would come out higher than 15. It felt faster today. I’ve had the ‘fizzy legs’ feeling all day. As the cold rain continued, my frustration grew.

Moss.

The photo is a moss growing in a tiny pot out the back. They are the easiest plants to care for. You don’t have to do anything apart from provide a pot with soil and a deep saucer beneath that retains water. The roots like to be constantly wet. They do well in this country.

Then, a break in the clouds an hour before sunset.
Quickly I changed and jumped on the computing bike. In the hurry, I should have added pressure to the back wheel, it handled in an odd way. Besides the long reach, the long cranks turned easily and I enjoyed the pace.
The soft tyre nagged at my sense of security, but it held. Good, because the spare tube is doubtful, I recalled.

later:, the pressures were even lower than I thought, 55psi for the back, and 60 front. They’re now both 80psi for the return to work.

Last ride. 2015.

Posted on 1st Jan 2016 by essiep

I rode CX Jake, with MapMyRide+! Distance: 19.27mi, time: 01:37:13, pace: 5:03min/mi, speed: 11.89mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1292530459

energy is up, that means recovery. It’s satisfying getting covered in mud, perhaps it’s a boy thing. I do need a way to prevent mud going all over my bum and up my back.

Stop all the clocks.

Posted on 31st Dec 2015 by essiep

Warm and wet stormy winter continues.
2015 was a noteworthy year:
4,500 miles cycled, 1,000 each on the fixed hear and the cyclocross bikes.
Multi-day hike, (done),
Bivvy (first night),
Bothy night, (done),
Now is time to zero the odometers on all four bikes.

Paddy wagon, Jake clocks,

Arrow and Racelite.

Milage:
Arrow: 2,918.1
Jake: 975
Racelite: 532.1
Paddy: 953.5

Total about =5,378.7
That’s still 450 lower than last year. Repeated illnesses and long hiking trips away from home in the summer are to blame.

Slow mud.

Posted on 30th Dec 2015 by essiep

9°C, strong SW, clear morning with high cloud building.
I rode the Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.56mi, time: 01:38:29, pace: 5:57min/mi, speed: 10.09mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1290897703

The flooding has gone, but the mud is still deep on this saturated ground.

Everyone seems to have a heavy cold. It’s coming my way, which is why I rode so slowly today . I ache and can’t find much energy, except enough to ride at a steady pace.
Is it possible that this year’s wet weather has led to more frequent colds this autumn for me?

Today is a lazy recovery day. A day to read Hillwalking, the PyB book that I am working through for my HML qualification. There’s the link to this photo:

Photo from Idwal Cottage. I may be at home, but my mind is in the hills.

Red Warning: ride.

Posted on 26th Dec 2015 by essiep

I rode Kona Jake CX with MapMyRide+! Distance: 14.50mi, time: 01:18:12, pace: 5:24min/mi, speed: 11.13mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1288144687

Not a hard ride, more for the fun of visiting this flooded landscape. Most of the water stood in fields. Where water overlapped roads, that’s where problems were. It shifted sandy mud and rotten vegetation onto the tarmac and hid any potholes. I didn’t hit any holes. My feet got wet in the deeper road-ponds but never got cold.

Before it rains!

Posted on 22nd Dec 2015 by essiep

14°C, strong SW (surprise!), cloud building, a front is soon to arrive.
I rode CX Kona Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 14.63mi, time: 01:37:00, pace: 6:38min/mi, speed: 9.05mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1285052127
Met another cyclocross rider coming the opposite way. Another first.
Pity the cafes were shut, I hoped for lunch.
Mud is now very soft and deep. The bike often scoots sideways but it stayed upright. 11 months on, and still no falls. In getting more confident and relaxed doing this. Last winter I was so tense that I occasionally got stiff muscles. The persistence has removed the difficulty and left the fun.

Here is (possibly) the Shaggy Inkcap from last Sunday. This soggy example that has survived the mower. This stretch of verge gets cut fairly ruthlessly, but not this time of year.
After some discussion on a forum, this may be a close relative of the inkcap:

These look like Coprinus Atramentaria, not Comatus. Good edible but it’s poisonous when mixed with alcohol, so take care.

I like the idea of a poison that is only active when a person has drunk alcohol. Some might appreciate a bit of help with their New Year’s resolutions.

Micycle

Mike thinks b/hikes

Category Archives: Cycling