Windswept flats, a decent route with enough variety for a winter ride. This outing follows a long walk yesterday to clear my legs.
Mustang on gravel.
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Category Archives: Travel
Berwyn hills: a pre season recce.
5°C, strong SW wind with showers.
This is what DofE leaders do in the off season.
We met up in Carrog to try out a route that is intended for the silver and gold groups at Easter.
The conditions were okay, if you’re dressed correctly. Luckily, the wind was on our backs during the most exposed sections. The only problem was navigating rural land where there were no signs. In one place, the bridal path passes through a private garden. There was no indication on the closed gate that there exists a right of way. The kids will be confused and probably become lost here.
Wonky crank.
8°C, dry with a light S.
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3368791732
Lots of energy but a mechanical problem spoilt things. The left crank worked loose after only 3 miles. I made it to a car dealer who helped out. My set of Allen keys omits the 7mm needed for the crank-bolt. A few times I had to take up the slack with a 6mm.
Although it was stressful worrying whether the crank would fall off, I had a fallback option. I rode as hard as I could to increase the distance between stops. That meant training effect. One stop was outside a house in Sollom where a guy was closing the gate. He said he had Allen keys so I gave the bolt a good go. Nice chap.
The next stage was okay but the front wheel picked up a thorn on the cycle track. These hedges get clipped but not swept. That one factor accounts for the large numbrr of punctures i get in Lancashire. Staffordshire doesn’t have anything like the amount of cycle tracks so fewer punctures.
Since getting home, I have tightened up the crank fully but it still wobbles, it’s damaged permanently. It’s old I suppose – 27 years.
Currently, I have placed a bid on eBay for an identical replacement.
Ride in rain.
8°C rain, sometimes heavy.
No link to MapMyRide, there is a fault which means that uploading tracks takes several days. I suspect a server fault.
There, the upload took two days despite the rain, I did belt along after days of frustration with no proper rides
Two rides.
4°C, slight NE breeze. patches of ice seen but blue sky.
This was the longer of the two. Fortunately, the puncture happened in the last 2 miles. So close to home, I decided to walk back rather than change the tube in falling temperature.
MapMyRide fault
Some cycling logs are waiting here. Maymyride have screwed up leaving me unable to upload 2 tracks. The app freezes when I attempt to log a fault ticket.
Both rides were in very cold conditions, there was ice on the ground but the sun shone.
Gales and blue above.
6°C, gales from the northern approaches. Sunny.
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3352071103
That wind is just rude and annoying. Just when it thinks you aren’t looking, it grabs the handlebars and gives them a twist. Slogging into a head-crosswind, you sometimes have to lock one elbow simply to hold a line. The Moss flats offer no real shelter from the blast and the camber of the road amplifies the force. The curve is like an aerofoil which accelerates the air over the top. Staying on the crest is, therefore, more difficult. Though short, that was an intensive workout on the return leg. I saw no other cyclists.
I needed that!
5°C, light cloud and no wind.
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3348057034
This steel bridge is on my route to work. Today’s ride was more relaxed with enough time to stop for photos. The galvanized slats make a terrible noise as you ride over. The noise is so bad that your ears ring afterwards. I detest that bridge. Remarkable is how full the River Douglass.
Where are those overshoes, I really need them? With half of my stuff in boxes, there remain things I cannot find yet.
DofE: 1.1
5°C, dry, brisk S.
This was a long drive to deliver residential training in Abingdon near Oxford. Having family half way made an excellent staging post for me though.
Some of the other instructors stayed in their cars or went home on the Saturday night; I camped about 7 miles away. I can’t tell you anything about the campsite because it was dark when I arrived and still dawn twighlight when I left.
The night dried up late then froze. I had an extra sleeping bag, one of those rectangular ones that you can open out flat. The extra layer was so warm that I didn’t need additional bedclothes. Despite a possible leak in the carry-mat, my night’s sleep was cosey. Eventually, I climbed out to a very frosty scene. Last night’s mud froze solid in the -2°C air. It was lovely to see but I had to hurry. As the photo shows, the tent was white with hard frost which made it difficult to pack away.
The job itself continues to be easy and I was glad of my experience working with eDofE and OS mapping online.
A few days later, the training provider phones to ask whether I could do it again the following weekend. I can’t. I’m booked but delighted to be asked. I must have done enough right one this weekend.
Green Machines
7°C, brisk W, white cloud to start a nice day
A familiar route to the machines.
Decoration.
Two panels are faulty in the hall walls.
The plaster has failed because of damp. looks like rising damp which is odd because the surveyor said condensation was the cause. The walls are inside the porch so protected from the weather. The surveyor suggested it may be a eased by better ventilation in the porch. To further add to the mystery, why is the side that receives the most sunshine also the most damp?
The two walls either side of the door are slightly detached with powdery plaster under the skim. I shall probably remove the plaster down to brick. Before re-plastering, I can paint a waterproof layer directly onto the bricks. But should I? Could the moisture barrier make the problem worse?
Micycle 