24°C, full sun, 0 cloud, dry and close.
What an excellent day out. Okay, my legs complained about doing another 50 two days after the previous. Conditions were perfect. Warm days like this cause quite a thirst. On the return, I was stuck for somewhere to get a refill. then I spotted a standpipe in a driveway. It didn’t look like anybody was home so I sneaked in and got a litre. that saved the day.
Summary for the week. Warming up after a cool weekend. Strong sun and little rain.
Ridden the Zing, Jake and the Paddy Wagon this week. The first day felt hard and was rather disheartening, but as the week wore on – it felt more natural. I’ve worked away most weekends on DofE so that has interrupted my cycling habits.
Rides were 36.1+ 51.7+27.9+ 21.5+32.6 = 169.8km
So that’s 104 miles in 5 days. I’m happy with that even with the low pace of several.
Some repairs are pending. My summer road shoes are falling out of shape, the left tends to tilt my foot outwards which then changes the whole leg. My left knee sweeps outwards with each stroke and lowers the prower into the pedal that side. Those Carnac shoes are ancient, I’ve forgotten when I bought them, probably in the 90s. A new pair are on order.
Secondly, the headset on the Jake cross bike has gone notchy so I’ll get replacement races soon too. Next problem is lubrication in gear cables. Muc-off lube tends to dry up quickly making gear changes hit & miss. I’m going to try a heavier grade of oil. Maybe confine the thin dry lube to the shifter mechaisms.
14°C, light E, full sun.
That was a long warm-up. We’re heading rapidly towards May. It looks like the coldest May on record is coming.
My warm-up was labourious but I pressed on only the middle section felt okay. I don’t know why. I’ve had four few days off and would normally need a warm-up ride. This felt different.
Kona Zing, 19°C, brisk E, breeze, bright sun.
Before setting off, I gave the bike a minor service. The main problem is sticky gear changes. I applied plenty of dry lube to gear cables and sheaths. The effect was immediate, lever pressure is lower, and most shifts are quick. Then later, a problem on one of the steeper climbs was the chain shed into the hub. That’s a simple screw adjustment to solve.
It’s been a fabulous day. The traffic was reasonably light and ths sun very bright. Spring is in full swing with light pink cherry blossom and vivid green foliage on show everywhere. Actually, I felt a little nostalgic about going to Rivington. I passed Biby’s Farm where I worked a few years ago and had a good time. I took some groups walking past the resevoirs and recognised some of the routes.
There were hazards though. The mottled shadows sometimes hid deep potholes which this bike doesn’t handle too well.
8°C, strong SSE, sunny and dry.
Sunny and dry, so I couldn’t resist taking the Zing out. It ran well and was all fun. Passing a primary school, I saw the kids leaning over the fence towards the road. They wanted their balls that were in the road. They called out so I stopped to get them. There were four which I flung back over. How grateful were they? They shouted out “you’re a legend”. So it’s official!
22°C, grey with distant rumbles, humid and still.
Woke with a very fidgety feeling. And eventually got on the bike immediately after lunch. After the obligatory 8 mile warmup, I raised the pace.
It’s been a strange year. for the first half, I was inhibited by a dull malaise. Rarely did I get the fizzy legs feeling. Now I have it. In normal years this feeling kicks in around April. Not this time.
I blame covid.
22°C, light wind and full sun.
Best ride of the year. Loads of energy available for the hills near Parbold. I did a loop around Ashurst Beacon for a bit more extension. The only regret is that I didn’t do another couple of miles to make it a metric century.
19°C, light cloud and a stiff breeze.
20°C, light NW, full sun.
A plodding ride in humid warmth. The average pace is quite good, I presume because it’s summer and I was on the Zing.
23°C, light breeze, full sun.
Chain guages are invaluable. If you replace a chain before too long, then you don’t have to replace the cassette. My Zing passed the test, which is strange – it’s done 1,400.
The Racelite bike I was on failed the 0.75 and the 1.0 measure. That means a new chain is urgent.
Later: fitted a chain, but it skips over the cogs. Now need a new cassette. Nobody seems to have any in stock.
Micycle 