Category Archives: Cycling

Change gear

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Southport Pier

Southport Pier (Photo credit: Steve’s Wildlife)

6°C, light winds light cloud

To change gear, you have to flick a lever, or twist a grip. If you have a fixed, however, you have to ride to the nearest bike shop and buy the new gear that you want. I want a 17 tooth for mine, the 16t that came with it is certainly too tall. Even on almost flat ground, it feels as if I’m grinding the pedals too slowly. Today I rode through Southport, with almost still air on almost flat roads. Formby cycles didn’t have the right sprocket in stock.

Again, the ride was relatively short at only 33 miles, but my legs felt as if they’d had a real workout, probably because there is almost no coasting on a fixed. You can tell that I really like this bike, I don’t mind (for once) that it’s something ‘trendy’, that means there are lots in the shops. Good for me and good for the fashion victims.

Week’s riding

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4°C, getting frosty again.

High pressure means dry but getting colder this week. So, I’m trying to grab as many miles as I can before the weather decides to call a halt. Journey times are getting better, less than 1hr 20′ round trip to work again. that first week back was shameful.

Stormswept puncture repair

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12°C, rain
Only rode 32 miles, but I ran out of light, tyre pressure and time. Southport seafront, in strong winds and piercing rain is not the best place to fix an inner-tube. I am still waiting to ride this on a still day. For now, it desperately needs mudguards, the chain was soaked and gritty and actually, so was my back.

The gearing seemed okay today. Perhaps I am simply getting stronger. It’s probably best for short rides, that is less than 40 miles I’d say. The riding position is fine though ideally, a wider pair of handlebars would suit be better.

about half an inch?

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7°C, cloud, S. wind & some rain.

That tendonitis was unnoticeable yesterday. Why was that, the new bike with new pedals or was it the old shoes? The seat is lower on that bike so I will try lowering the seat on the other bikes half an inch or so. It seems possible, though I lowered the seat in the spring, that it’s still too high. Could that be the why this tendinitis  has taken so long to heal. It got worse while riding the commuting bike only.  Perhaps the summer bike is set up better, but I’ll see in the early spring. these things usually result form multiple causes.

I just don’t know.

So how was it then?

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+5°C, sunny & strong onshore breeze

Better than I thought. The handling is fine, it’s reasonably nimble, though I didn’t push it on those wet black muddy Lancashire roads. the only problem I can think of is that the gearing seems rather tall. I shall get a 17 tooth cog & try it. It’s always a compromise when you only have one ratio but at least the cogs are cheap & easy to experiment with. The landscape was swept by strong westerly winds though: they’re always a struggle. I totalled 60Km with the speedo set to a 26″ wheel. Have yet to work out the equivalent 700x28c

Lancashire is a pleasant surprise, at least the planes around Formby & Southport were. The place often reminded me of the Somerset flats, the black soil, deep straight drainage ditches and the roads that follow field patterns so that there are numerous right-angle corners.

Ridden

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2°C, and dropping. snow tomorrow.

Damned icy this morning, yesterday’s rain froze overnight so no cycling. Not good.

This evening rode around on the fixed; it’s weird! Kicking off and clipping in while the cranks are turning is odd. I’ve got used to coasting to a stop & standing on one pedal to get off the seat. That’s how I’ve done it over the last 25 years. This bike keeps your feet turning and it’s odd, that pumping up & down is odd and wrong. May the gods allow me to learn this without falling off. Can I learn new tricks?

Last day

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-2°C, light cloud.

Last day, bit of a rush. Fit in a tight schedule, but I may have a new bike by the end of the day: if it fits. Rode 40 miles yesterday, more today if it’s no too cold.

Later: Did 38 miles today, the cold air softened after midday.

Okay, so I got it:
Bringing it home

It needs a bit of customising- the stem is too short, it needs lights and probably mudguards. I rode it a bit and it seems very nimble, so far I’m impressed. Well, I did buy it.

Shushy

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+2C, rain & sleet. Melting.

I have a new place to put videos- Vimeo. It’s like YouTube, but rather more grown up. That’s most obvious in the comments columns; so far I have not seen any of the Tourettes comments that is the norm on YouTube. Have a look here

Kona do a single-speed that may be just right. I only found it today, supplied by Evans. The frame is square- meaning the toptube & seat tubes are the same length. With a change of stem, this could do the job with its 23.5″ top tube.  It even has mud-guard ‘eyes’. I’m trying it out next week; in the meantime, think over where I’m going to store it.

Kona Paddy wagon

Arrow: like new

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3°C, clear & the sun’s coming up.

freshly unwrapped.

New bike: well, it cost as much as a new one, it looks new and I’ve got to put it together today. That latest cold is guilty of stopping my cycling for over two weeks now.

I’m starting to get annoyed at the poor WordPress service, this morning I have made 3 attempts to complete a post started yesterday which resulted in no response from WordPress’s servers.