9°C, dry & sunny, light westerly.
First outing for spring on the 1st March. It has new wheels (ok, secondhand). They’re the same again: Mavic Aksium. And they run nicely.
First: day of spring, outing on the Racelite.
Reply
Category Archives: Cycling
Fixed, after repairs
Kona Paddy Wagon, 11°C, moderate SW, clear blue sky, dry
Used the morning for repairs to prepare the summer bike to go out. I got a replacement pair of Mavic Aksium elite wheels and put them on with 25c tyres. The rear went down so I swapped the tube. There is a drawer in the kitchen where I put repaired tubes, so I took another one. That also leaked away. Possibly, it was caught by the lever while fitting that new tyre. How annoying!
Anyway, the ride was excellent. It really looks like spring out there and it’s only February. The GPS failed saying average 11.4kph. stupid machine.
Break cable.
5°C full sun with a lightening WSW.
Kona Jake: 44.7km, with mechanical problems. I headed out to the usual cafe but I broke a brake cable half way out (or so I thought). The front brake is crucial so some emergency thinking, do I: ride back, find a bike shop or ride to my place. I did the latter.
That mechanical was curious, it felt exactly like a broken cable. It’s been a long time since I had this, at least ten years. However, when I got it apart, the cable was fine, straight and free from corrosion. So I put it back in with oil in the sheath. All seems fine now.
Next concern: the rear tyre was soft when I did finally reach the café. They have some tools so I adjusted the brake levers and added pressure in the rear. It held as I hurried into the sun to get back. Those self sealing tubes did worked properly.
The icy hand releases
6-8°C, sun & light SE breeze.
Google Fit shows the bike ride as 14K steps. Either it has converted to equivalent steps or it’s sensor has reported 14K from the motion of cycling.
2025, first ride.
4°C, cold SE, dry.
Kona Jake: A cold ride that got colder. there are more flooded fields around formby than I expefcted. The pumps are working at it though.
Cycling 2024
Total 5,750 km
2024: Last ride
Mustang, 9°C, moderate SW, bright with white cloud.
Last ride of the year, tomorrow there’s a rainstorm coming with strong winds. I was a little reluctant to go this morning so I missed the chance to go to the café.
December fog, day 2.
Mustang, 4°C, still with dense fog.
Poor visibility and wet roads doesn’t encourage bigger milage. Note, foggy weather tomorrow but then the high pressure system breaks.
Christmas day ride.
Kona Jake, 7°C, light SW, sunny & dry.
I don’t often get out on Christmas day, but it’s more likely on days with good weather. The roads were surprisingly busy, not what I expected. Yesterday’s ride was quiet, almost lockdown quiet.
Jake: Cannock Chase,
5°C, light cloud, muddy & cold. Still.
Kona Jake: this short but sweet. Even though my ankle was sore, it felt fine once riding even though the start was immediately a climb. Sunset is early around now (15.55) so I was.glad to get an hour’s ride. The whole time, I only saw half a dozen people. There was mud, mostly decaying leaves on the trails. Around the Rifle Range area, there were cleared forests and huge piles of trunks by the trail sides. Rifle Range Corner itself was closed by cones when I got to it from the north. The area will look different when the DofE season starts next year.
An excellent outing, worth the struggle to change in the changing robe.
Micycle 