Category Archives: Travel

Bosworth Battlefield.

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9°C, light NW breeze, sunny but looked warmer than it felt.
I rode Racelite-8 with MapMyRide+! Distance: 56.16mi, time: 03:42:25, pace: 3:58min/mi, speed: 15.15mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1432128283
April is a little cooler than average right now. It’s nice and sunny but the shadows are cold. Quite a contrast to the warmth of the direct sun. All this make choosing clothes for the ride rather tricky.

The is only the second outing om the racelite this year, and I forgot that it’s a bit of a strain to ride at times. The position isn’t right, I’m too stretched out at the front.

Seed of an idea.

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Getting dark now, 5°C and clear.
We walk about 6km/hr on good, flat sooth ground. About 4mph, or 40 miles in 10 hours, 80 in 20.
Would it be possible to walk 100 miles in a day?

That sounds pretty hard-core, but it’s developing into an idea that might be more realistic:
Walk to Lancashire in say 36 hours along the canals.
There’s one that gets you in Runcorn from near here. It’s the Trent And Mersey Canal. Okay, it does weave about a bit, and the route would probably total more than one hundred.
I could pick a summer month that has shorter hours of darkness, short enough not to get through too many batteries for the head-torch.

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Just a thought.

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Review: Rocket Ron.

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I rode cyclocross with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.10mi, time: 01:33:52, pace: 5:50min/mi, speed: 10.29mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1429852881
New tyres: I’ve not ridden the ‘cross bike as much this year. More, recently, a cluster of difficult to fix punctures, and slippery conditions put me off more.
Today, I rode the Jake with new Schwalbe Rocket Rons. Suddenly, it was obvious, the Challenge Grifos were worn out.
What a difference, I have grip back even in deep slimey mud. There are some stretches of this favourite route that have quite deep mud. Next to a canal, you don’t want to loose control. Besides, that water is cold and would ruin my phone.

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Rocket Ron 33c.

I shall definitely buy these again. The grip is excellent and with a lighter inner-tube, handling is much improved. I could power through the deeper mud and keep feet dry. Only once did I have to put a don’t down. In the past, I have got off and run alongside the deepest mud.

Summer wheels.

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3~12°C, bright sun and moderate SE breeze.
I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 60.92mi, time: 03:55:28, pace: 3:52min/mi, speed: 15.52mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1421434561

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Near Hesketh Bank


Good ride, spring sunshine after a cold start. This is the first side on the summer wheels. Remember, this wheelset has a slightly taller gear, 16t instead of 15t. Anyway, I went up to Dalton and they Bannister Lane, same as the past few weeks.
Bannister was harder, but not like last year. I’m lighter now.

One hour’s blast.

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7°C, calm with thin broken cloud. Dry.
I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.21mi, time: 01:00:23, pace: 3:43min/mi, speed: 16.11mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1418899685
Early morning ride to set up for the day. I’m stuck in the house marking until teatime, so this should make it bearable. I saved the route as a favourite, it was ideal.
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Artificial lights: in a room that’s filled with sunshine, and you’re, say, watching TV. Why would you put the lights on?
I wouldn’t bother, but kids do every day and I’m baffled.
If you’ve experienced this, have you thought to ask ‘why?’?
Maybe, your experience tallies with mine. Unfortunately, the answer doesn’t clarify anything. In fact, over the years, I have never heard anything approaching an explanation.
Today, the reply was just to squirm and mutter ‘I don’t know’. That’s pretty much always the same answer, from different kids too.

I remain baffled. If you have any clues, please reply.

Roast pigeon, no.

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11°C, 4/5 white cloud. Light NW.
I rode Racelite with MapMyRide+! Distance: 27.84mi, time: 01:59:42, pace: 4:18min/mi, speed: 13.95mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1415353749
This afternoon lacked the fizzing energy I get sometimes, so a steady ride. Though the bike felt light and nimble, I ‘tapped on the wheel’.
I still feel too stretched out though. It looks like a change to a 10cm stem would solve that.

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Pigeon in the chimney,
Opened the flue to find a pigeon’s tail moving about. Poor thing had fallen down the chimney and was trapped.
I got it out wearing rubber gloves and it flew around the room until I could chuck over a blanket. When let out, it took off without difficulty flying without a tail.
What a E.A Poe kind of nightmare. There was a few spots of blood to clean off the window from when it flew round the room trying to escape.
I wonder about its chances of survival, he had plenty of energy but rather battered, bruised and blooded. As long as he can feed himself, then recovery is more likely.
Sorry about the tail.

Jake, wear.

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Is this something to worry about?
The inner chain stays age rubbed down to the bare metal on both sides. This can only happen when the mud buildup on the rear wheel rim is enough.
As the frame material is aluminium, corrosion won’t be a problem. The abrasion has gone through the paint, under-coat and some metal layer.
Besides, the tyres are now new. Previously, punctures were becoming frequent on the rear and grip quite poor.
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Schwalbe Rocket Ron types and the same kind of thing as the original pair. Perhaps fewer punctures also.

Hafod y llan.

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0°C, freezing fog at dawn, no wind.
I’m here now, so I may as well have a mountain day.
First night in the Banshee 200. It’s rather cramped, but the small interior is warmer in this cold weather. Outside, that freezing damp air was valley fog. Inside the fly sheet is beaded with condensation. The cramped cabin space made it impossible to avoid contact with the outer. Damp thus got in. The worst effect was cold fingers at breakfast, not a serious problem. That kind of cold that creeps into your shirt is far worse.
The Molwynion is good for somebody who’s tired. The summit I aimed for is about 680m, (roughly) and stands on fairly even rolling area. The climb is an easy one with an interesting scramble to make the final plateau.
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People dotted the land; worse, there was a noisy crowd of teenagers on the summit. I kept away.
Lucky break?. You know that slightly sick feeling when you find a favourite glove missing? On broken rocky mountain ground, I decided to go and look for it. Working on the assumption that it was just after the last photograph, I headed back.
The chances of finding it are, on paper, small. However, about 1 km back, there it was, by a fence post. I cheered!
Life is going my way.

Some stats: walk time 8h.49m,
Total climb 853m, 360m/hr.

Hill and Moorland:3 (result).

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6~ 8°C, light W. Sunny with only 1 shower.
it seemed to go well on the hill today. No mistakes and additional skills were cleared easily. The kit check was fine, I even showed off my water filter.
The tension of last night was relieved in this morning’s briefing. The assessor regarded my errors as repaired after I identified them.
So the day went ahead. My tension reduced. Until the hour before final debrief that is.
Last outing: north Carneddau again. Another rolling grassland, this is Hill and Moorland after all. My navigation legs were fairly easy and error free so I could relax and enjoy myself again.
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HML assessment: day 2.

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6°C, some sun to begin, snow after lunch turning heavy.

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I’m starting to enjoy myself now. My leads were ‘spot on’. Again, a couple of errors crept in while following. The Assessor thought my geology presentation was ‘enjoyable’. On the walk in, there was a fine piece of cut slate near a working quarry. On close inspection, it was peppered with iron pyrites. A nice piece.
Sunshine to start, later there were small hail stones pinging off our packs. In the last hour, snow fell. That reduced visibility as much as fog does, the grip is less too.
I have the feeling that when folks back at work ask what
I did go my holiday, they’re not going to be all that jealous.

Tonight is night walk. More micro-navigation but after dark. This rain should just about finish for an hour. I hope for no more snow, head-torches can work against you with bright reflections from larger flakes.
I can sense the possibility that I may just pass this.

Night walk…

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