Category Archives: Cycling

Saturday favourite CX.

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I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 14.5mi, time: 01:17:05, pace: 5:20min/mi, speed: 11.25mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1067492975
Canal loop; same as previously but found little energy in my legs. The slightly later start meant more people were about. Some green snot on the rear tyre indicate a few punctures recently, as I suspected.
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power socket is now re-located and set flush to the wall. That was surprisingly easy. Now it needs finishing and cleaning up. The plaster is terrible in this house. Beneath the skim coat is very crumbly dusty original rendering. These houses were built to good standards but there was a skills shortage after the war.

Cross is difficult, but not hard.

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I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 43.42mi, time: 04:14:44, pace: 5:52min/mi, speed: 10.23mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1049041503
finally decided to take my cyclocross bike up Cannock Chase. Winding my way through Chorley and the not to gentle Gentleshaw, then the getting lost started. Down fire tracks, bridleways and some roads. After losing the signs, I found a footpath with fat bike tracks fresh. In ‘cross style, I jumped off and ran the bike. It was the rounded pebble layered tracks that were the most daunting, especially where steep.
This bike has a lower gear than I’m used to, 36×30. All the weight was on the rea;, a few times, the front lifted even when leant over the bars. Out of the saddle, the rear tyre would spin. I need more skill.
Still, I got to the Visitor’s Centre without falling off. And coffee.
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My next waypoint was the canal at Great Hay. The route to the canal was less than ideal, an A road. There must be a better path.
From there, the towpath wound it’s way home all level.
The final leg along the towpath was flat, dry and all about vibration. By now, I was hungry and keen to get a meal.

Feed some goats.

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13°C, dull and some slight drizzle.
I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 55.7mi, time: 03:28:15, pace: 3:44min/mi, speed: 16.1mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1028530015
A fairly ordinary ride on the Paddywagon. Start was late while I waited for some light rain to finish. The day steadily picked up and I met some amusing goats.

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They were interested to see me, more so when I pulled a beech leaf nor them to eat. The others ran over when they saw that. Another reached up trying to get more from the tree. He tried so hard to reach, even stretching his tongue to hook the leaf. No good, it was just too high.

Ilam for a spud.

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I rode Racelite with MapMyRide+! Distance: 86.54mi, time: 05:58:43, pace: 4:09min/mi, speed: 14.48mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1018364791
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Big ride in cool but bright sun. North westerly was fresh which reduced my choices. It’s usually best to come home with a tail-wind. Therefore, The Peak District fitted perfectly. Riding up there, there is frequently shelter in the lee of hedges.
Anyway, my legs were fresh dough to add an d up loop before coming home.
A great day.

Bang!

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14°C, light SW, bright sun.
Rode home on the Arrow, with MapMyRide+! Distance: 23.50mi, time: 02:07:35, pace: 5:26min/mi, speed: 11.05mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1012762447
Burst a tyre: maybe I hit a piece of metal, the hole but is quite large.

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No point trying to fix it and I was 3.5 miles from home. However, it was a very fine evening, so I walked. An old friend from my club days, left me to it after I said what I was going to do. Shame, we had lots to catch up on.
Significantly, four group of cyclists offered to help fix the obvious puncture. There is an honourable community out there.

Green blood.

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12°C, moderate W wind. Sunny and dry.
I rode Jake cyclocross with MapMyRide+! Distance: 38.4mi, time: 03:00:16, pace: 4:41min/mi, speed: 12.8mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1006508127
It was  chilly early start this morning, and of course, the roads were very quiet. Good conditions even after a night of rain that left trails softer than hard-pack.
Puncture caused by a thorn. The tyre deflated quickly at first, but I wanted the Slime inner-tubes to work so I left the tyre on. I blew the tyre up three times in all and could see slime bubbling out of the hole made by the spike.

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Eventually the deflation became slower. And the last leg of the ride was along a canal towpath. A surface like that makes sensing  a soft tyre more difficult.
The tyre is holding pressure now.
I think.

200th mile.

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11°C, light wind but dull grey.
I rode Cyclocross Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 14.59mi, time: 01:22:24, pace: 5:39min/mi, speed: 10.62mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/996576491
Actually, it’s my 195th mile of the week, but so what?
I have that empty feeling that comes after a week’s high milage. My tanks are empty. The ride this morning was nice enough, start at 6.50 and get home just after 8am. Surfaces are quite firm now as we get towards the end of May.
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My Ceanothus in full bloom. I worry that its weight may topple the non-too strong trunk. If so, it would fall into the pond. It needs a stake.

Canal commute.

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19°C, light wind and clear sky.
I rode Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.5mi, time: 01:19:18, pace: 4:48min/mi, speed: 12.5mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/994624185
Rode Cyclocross on the commute today. I took the normal route in, but returned along the canal. It winds around and industrial estate and some rough housing. But in May, everything is lush, water lilies in the canal, a heron fishing and all sorts of water fowl. Perfect weather though I was over dressed.
It’s a shame the canal only gets 5 miles from home. There is one nearer, but it’s a large loop round.

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The surfaces are better than other canals I use, wide and often ash covered.