Try cyclocross they said…

Posted on 30th Jan 2016 by essiep

6°C, sunny with moderate SW. very muddy all over.
I rode The Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 17.43mi, time: 01:52:19, pace: 6:27min/mi, speed: 9.31mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1327847005
Endless deep mud. It makes the going quite slow. The worst stretches returned an average 8 mph. It was tremendous fun though. That was the first outing on the ‘cross. Some stretches were such a quagmire that I had to jump off and run. There was lots of side slipping and the ever present threat of a cold water dunking in the canal.

Need to clean this better.

Slime tubes work in an interesting way. I pulled the cross bike out to find flat rear tyre. Slime tubes will self seal if you put some pressure in. Even better, if you can find the leak, you can see green blood bubbling out. The trick is to turn the wheel so that the leak is at the bottom. That way, the slime inside the tube will seep towards the puncture.
As I have been ill recently, the bike has stood still for a few weeks. This is a problem because if you spin a wheel, it feels very unbalanced. The slime has probably gathered at the bottom and added weight there.

By the way, I’m fully recovered.

Kona, 1 year.

Posted on 24th Jan 2016 by essiep

One year ago, I bought my Kona Jake. Remember how excited I was? In that time, I clocked up almost 1,000 miles on it add have no regrets about the choice. I clearly remember those nervous outings on slimy surfaces. Contrast that with improved bike handling now. It’s a transferable skill, I ride the commuting bike on muddy lanes less cautiously these days. There’s justification for a CX bike in anybody’s stable.

A good purchase.

Coldest day, (annual average)

Posted on 19th Jan 2016 by essiep

1°C, sunny, quite nice really.
Sent home. So unwell despite driving in to work. My tutor group is upstairs and the two flights emptied my energy. Nearly at the right room, I saw their previous Form Tutor and had to ask her to register them.
One of the managers could see the state I was in and ordered me home.

Home. Sleep.

Soup for lunch and noticed birds interested in the feeders I put out on Saturday. Four Coal Tits, 2 Blue Tits and a pair of blackbirds.

Spring is coming. Feeling grotty again after the avian excitement, Plas-y-Brenin rang. About the query yesterday, this guy was more upbeat about my question: “How do I know whether I am ready for assessment?”.
Optimism shot up after his opinion. I’m going for the easter date. It only gives a week before the Silver and Gold training.
There, I have a plan:

Practise more micro-navigation,
Read up on legislation,
Practise timing against our route cards.

There are two more stages:
1 camp skills Module,
2 Mountain Leader Qualification.
3 feel a warm satisfied glow.

Weekend at home.

Posted on 16th Jan 2016 by essiep

-2°C, clear, rain has frozen, treacherous outside.
Snow is coming. Today could be a brief window where I can grab a ride between melting ice and the predicted snowfall. This week’s milage is low, and despite a one mile swim on Thursday, I am restless. Very restless.
This bad tempered, fidgety feeling is exacerbated by work stress.

Take an novice out.

Posted on 10th Jan 2016 by essiep

I rode Fixed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 20.00mi, time: 01:43:19, pace: 5:10min/mi, speed: 11.61mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1302994541
I’m a gap between storms, I took young (12 years old) E. out on his new bike.

For him, this was his first adventure on his new Christmas bike.
It’s only right since it was my idea to buy it for Christmas, and to spend this much. We took a route avoiding big roads without cycle tracks. Other roads had usable footpaths he could use. Some roads, this was not possible, so I rode behind, slightly outside in a guard position.
It was quite obvious that cars treated us differently to single, adult cyclists. They waited patiently and from further back when trying to pass.
The ride length was just about right. He got tired on the return leg, but wouldn’t get off and walk the last significant hill.
He’s been enthusing about it since.

Ride no.1

Posted on 4th Jan 2016 by essiep

I rode Arrow with MapMyRide+! Distance: 31.42mi, time: 02:10:53, pace: 4:10min/mi, speed: 14.40mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1295886353
I thought the average speed would come out higher than 15. It felt faster today. I’ve had the ‘fizzy legs’ feeling all day. As the cold rain continued, my frustration grew.

Moss.

The photo is a moss growing in a tiny pot out the back. They are the easiest plants to care for. You don’t have to do anything apart from provide a pot with soil and a deep saucer beneath that retains water. The roots like to be constantly wet. They do well in this country.

Then, a break in the clouds an hour before sunset.
Quickly I changed and jumped on the computing bike. In the hurry, I should have added pressure to the back wheel, it handled in an odd way. Besides the long reach, the long cranks turned easily and I enjoyed the pace.
The soft tyre nagged at my sense of security, but it held. Good, because the spare tube is doubtful, I recalled.

later:, the pressures were even lower than I thought, 55psi for the back, and 60 front. They’re now both 80psi for the return to work.

Last ride. 2015.

Posted on 1st Jan 2016 by essiep

I rode CX Jake, with MapMyRide+! Distance: 19.27mi, time: 01:37:13, pace: 5:03min/mi, speed: 11.89mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1292530459

energy is up, that means recovery. It’s satisfying getting covered in mud, perhaps it’s a boy thing. I do need a way to prevent mud going all over my bum and up my back.

Stop all the clocks.

Posted on 31st Dec 2015 by essiep

Warm and wet stormy winter continues.
2015 was a noteworthy year:
4,500 miles cycled, 1,000 each on the fixed hear and the cyclocross bikes.
Multi-day hike, (done),
Bivvy (first night),
Bothy night, (done),
Now is time to zero the odometers on all four bikes.

Paddy wagon, Jake clocks,

Arrow and Racelite.

Milage:
Arrow: 2,918.1
Jake: 975
Racelite: 532.1
Paddy: 953.5

Total about =5,378.7
That’s still 450 lower than last year. Repeated illnesses and long hiking trips away from home in the summer are to blame.

Slow mud.

Posted on 30th Dec 2015 by essiep

9°C, strong SW, clear morning with high cloud building.
I rode the Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.56mi, time: 01:38:29, pace: 5:57min/mi, speed: 10.09mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1290897703

The flooding has gone, but the mud is still deep on this saturated ground.

Everyone seems to have a heavy cold. It’s coming my way, which is why I rode so slowly today . I ache and can’t find much energy, except enough to ride at a steady pace.
Is it possible that this year’s wet weather has led to more frequent colds this autumn for me?

Today is a lazy recovery day. A day to read Hillwalking, the PyB book that I am working through for my HML qualification. There’s the link to this photo:

Photo from Idwal Cottage. I may be at home, but my mind is in the hills.

Loop round Llyn Idwal

Posted on 29th Dec 2015 by essiep

14°C, strong SW but dry with clear summits.

Two mile walk around this familiar lake. We found a dry and surprisingly green landscape.
The lip of this corrie whipped up the wind that funneled up the Nant Ffrancen. Though grey, clouds were easily clear of the summits. I could only imagine what conditions were like on the tops. You could probably double the windspeed up there. Apart from that, it’s a good day for walkers. Rocks are dry and low level temperatures above 12°C; no ice on the ridge.

Micycle

Mike thinks b/hikes

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