14°C, rain. CR:?
It would be dry if I'd left it in the house
Sunday is cyclingday, so I wake to rain and a washingline full of wet clothes. I face a grim choice: finish the last bit of painting in the attic, or attack the pile of marking while I wait for the clouds to lift. It’s a tough life.
16°C, towering cumulonimbus- they missed me, just. CR:48 miles
Late ride today, with only limited time before sunset at 19.15, so you want to freesteady miles, unimpeded by traffic, then this happens- it’s milking time. Those ladies weren’t in a hurry, many stopped at that big puddle on the right to drink, others just toddled off on their daily routine.
Blimey, those ladies looked full.
17C, lighter WSW wind, CA:45 miles
Extended my ride home tonight. Up the High Street of desolation that is Brownhills, straight on, along a canal tow-path and then onto Cannock Chase. Eventually clocked up 45 miles arriving home in fading light. I shalln’t do this for much longer, though it’s done the job of making up for tomorrow’s drive. Not looking forward to open evening- it makes for such a long day.
Windy & cooler, CR:25 miles
Rode after work today, the shower has been cleaned of legionnaires, but is has to be tested before I am allowed to use it. Early evening light is fading fast now it’s September, but at least I could ride the ‘best’ bike and choose my route. A real feature of holiday rides is the effect of proper rest. Real athletes must benefit so much from deep rest, the effect on your energy levels is so strong.
Missing a day’s ride in the holidays feels just like stress, by the end of the six weeks, you need to ride.
17C , some rain
I am forbidden to use the shower at work. Legionellosis has been detected in the showerhead, the boss told me I couldn’t ride in tomorrow because of it. There must be a way around this, maybe wash in a sink for just one day- it depends how long it takes to sterilise it. I have to wonder about the shower here at home- perhaps I should remove the head and leave it in a bucket of bleach overnight. It’s maybe worse here because I only shower at home once a week (the mostly shower at work). Is this why some people leave the showerhead lying on the shower floor to let the water drain?
19C, rain early & late. CR:57 miles
Well, is that all there is? All there is to a summer holiday? Work tomorrow & today’s ride has removed fizzy-legs that has bugged me so much while doing that damned marking. Sad that I didn’t make it to Scotland this year.
Next year is my 10th in this school; so what do you get for 10 years service? A: a stomach ulcer? Maybe this academic year will a bit better than last.
11C, rain. CR:60
Only to echo last week, the GCSE results are out today, likely to be the 24th consecutive year of higher results. The changed course structure will get some of the credit this time, it’s more modular now, so girls will probably do better. This story is worn out.
BBC The Education minister wants to end modularity, so perhaps we’ll see the boys catch up from nest year. The Daily Mail report was interesting, in almost every respect, they got their fact diametrically opposite to the truth. They said boys were closing the gap (the gap has widened), that the yearly grade inflation (which they blamed on Labour) had finished (the increase is about the same as last year). They couldn’t have got it more wrong. Why do people buy this newspaper, everything they print is wrong?
Later: Sunshine after an afternoon decorating. Rode for 60 miles and felt really strong. No aches, stiffness or discomfort, the ride simply flowed nicely. The end of the summer holidays is often like this.
21°C, Clear, dry & dusty: CR 30 miles.
Rode back from a lunchtime care stop, there was a snake weaving its way across the road. Wow! Probably a grass-snake, it looked grey with a zig-zag down its back. It wriggled away too fast for me to get a photograph.
Fire on the horizon: to the East, perhaps beyond Measham was this thick oily fire billowing up above the light clouds. [ Update: it was a fire in Ashby-de-la-Zouch)
First wasp sting of the year: It got me just under the tongue of my cycling shoe. After a few hours though it hasn’t gone itchy like in the past. However, since it stung below the shoe-tongue and through sock, I didn’t actually get to see it as I rode, looking down and rummaging with my fingers. It was more important to brake and get off the bike without injury from falling off. It was strange, for the rest of the ride, the odd sensation moved down to my toes. Perhaps that was the result of swelling restricting blood flow. I sound like an expert don’t I? you know that hollow bit where the tendon joins the top of your foot, the one that pulls your big toe? It should have a hollow to the side. It doesn’t on my right foot any more.
Still, it’s been a very nice day, finished off with some alcohol-free German beer and bed by 10.
24°C, sun & light cloud. CR:31 miles.
18°C, 3 sharp showers, SW. CK: 55miles
Found a cuckoo in the road today, a victim of roadkill. Quite a beautiful bird; it looks, in many ways, like a hawk except in a few details. The beak is straight & the claws not oversized like a sparrowhawk (which is about the same size). Not sure that I’ve ever seen a cuckoo before, though they are heard on every camping trip over the past few years.
Single-speed bikes are supposed to have mechanical advantages over deraillier geared bikes. The straight chainline promised long chain wear, but this turns out not to be. Perhaps the chain on mine is of poor quality, but the fact is it’s worn out after only 750 miles. Also, the headset bearing has gone notchy too which suggests that these componants are poor quality to keep the price down. I really don’t want to replace a chain after less than a year’s use again.
Micycle 