Category Archives: Cycling

0.8 miles: POP!

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17°C, milky sun and no wind.
Started out on the Jake with the commuting wheels fitted. They have Schwalbe Durano tyres for the fast but puncture resistance. Less than a mile out a sharp high pop rang out. Instantly the front tyre was flat as I made a right-turn on a busy A road.
Rather than fix it there, I walked back to get the other bike.
Here is the puncture:

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Part of the tube is actually missing. Looks to me like the tube was pinched inside the rim and chose a bad moment to burst.

I rode fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 36.04mi, time: 02:15:09, pace: 3:45min/mi, speed: 16.00mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/935796653
Plan B, grab the fixed bike, the Paddy Wagon and rode the same route. For only the second time this year I got up Bannister Hill. This time was on the higher 42×16 gear. No serious struggle today.
Those wheels are brilliant. So fast and nimble.
later: it turns out that the climb up Bannister Hill was my personal record 9′.08″.
Bask!

Drying mud.

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17°C, sun and negligible wind. Dry.

I rode CX with MapMyRide+! Distance: 18.4mi, time: 01:47:20, pace: 5:51min/mi, speed: 10.3mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/931767171
Better weather brings dry air and warm sun. Each day sees the ground becoming dryer and firmer.
I alternated rides this week on the CX and fixed bikes. Each is getting faster.
Today, the canals were less busy, only a few lonely anglers and couples walking dogs. Between them, I built up the speed reaching 17mph along some towpaths. It still requires considerable concentration, but there is less squelching around in black mud and nervously negotiating bridge cobbles.

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The bike has thin mud at the back, but some of it smells of dog shit.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country basks in sunshine.

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I rode CX with MapMyRide+! Distance: 18.4mi, time: 01:47:20, pace: 5:51min/mi, speed: 10.3mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/931767171
Plod around some canal towpaths in figure-8 routes. On one bridge, a family stopped while dad fixed the lad’s puncture. That was his role for the day.
The mud is more viscous now and the thorns seemed to soften. Anyway, no punctures today either.

Muddy good ride.

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I rode CX with MapMyRide+! Distance: 22.1mi, time: 02:30:15, pace: 6:5min/mi, speed: 8.8mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/927048337
Slow recovery ride along canals and paths. Largely repeated the route up to Wychnor and found it waterlogged in places, but not the same places as last time.
No punctures. 🙂

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This part of the canal runs next to the river Trent, overspill pours into the river to the left of this photo. Nearby fields are also flooded.

Passed the worst.

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9°C, windy with light showers and sun.
The chilly fevers have gone, so I took the bike out for a test ride. Three laps round the dog-walk field and then put the road wheels on. That makes about 5 miles I would say.
Tomorrow, I will ride a few miles along the canal to a tea shop. Ride slowly!

It looks a bit absurd with huge clearance around that 25c tyre, but once mudguards are on, that won’t show. Swapping wheels is dead easy, I am not proposing using these road wheels for the canal trip. However, they are silky smooth on the road, Great for commuting.

Easter chills.

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8°C, strong NW with heavy rain pm.
Scratch plans: no cycling, camping, nor hiking.
The weather is terrible and I am full of cold. Even cutting some planks for the fire, I was left exhausted. So otherwise, I  can’t do much.
Here is my bike, whispering ‘can we go out yet?’ Imagine that in a voice like the snake from Jungle Book.

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There it is, gathering dust instead of mud. That’s not right, I tell you.

It’s still cold.

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I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.5mi, time: 01:07:07, pace: 4:05min/mi, speed: 14.7mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/916495469
Air quickly chilled tonight. Clear sky has let the little warmth escape into the blue. Venus lies near the thin crescent moon, a reminder of Friday’s eclipse.
I thought there would be more energy in my legs today, but no.

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An idea, what about riding the cross bike in on the last day. After an earlier than usual finish, I could ride home on canals to get back.

Puncture 14.

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I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.44mi, time: 01:09:37, pace: 4:14min/mi, speed: 14.2mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/908219365
Unbelievable, fourteenth puncture of the year! That’s more than I usually get in five years. I know random events easily occur in clusters, but that doesn’t stop the annoyance.
About ten years ago, this happened. I remember at least one per week for months on end.
I never found out why.
I was rather nervous for the last 6 miles tonight, my spare tubes were used up. As often in the past, I haven’t had a single puncture. They often come in twos. The replacement tube goes in, then the air, then the pressure goes back down.
If I were a beginner to this cycling lark, this many punctures could be enough to make me give up.

Racelite, first outing.

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I rode Racelite 8 with MapMyRide+! Distance: 26.6mi, time: 01:48:53, pace: 4:06min/mi, speed: 14.7mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/905059519
Dry and cold: so took the summer bike out for the first time this year. It was more a test ride than anything. I certainly did not have energy to do anything ambitious.
It handled well but gear changes were heavy.
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That cold easterly didn’t help. It’s going to take ages to warm up after. It’s times like these I wish there was a bath in my house.
Chores for later: with a good selection of cleaners and oils, this bike offer neglect reversal. The rear mech is bunged up with dry black paste. The cables seem worst, dry lube is good for that. I didn’t find dry lube works well on a chain (maybe on a track bike).