Cracks

17°C, bright sun and light easterly.

Chapel near Holmes.

The frame is cracked, I’m pretty sure. There is nothing to the touch inside the seat-tube, but the welds on the outside have many. It’s where the top-tube joins that’s the problem.

One of many.

At least I can easily get the Racelite back on the road. There’s a few changes it needs. The handlebars are too low and too deep. They are old Cinelli 66-44 bars from the 90s. The reach is too deep such that they are unusable on the hooks.

Back on the bike.

6-9°C brisk SW wind, clear and sunny.

Garage snacks

It’s been a while since the last bike ride. Icy weather has stopped me venturing out. Some days were so bad, I daren’t even go for a run. That means the default is the gym or at home, the turbo. I get ratty at these times and feel a constant fizzy agitated feeling in my limbs.

Back to normal now.

Before the freeze.

Kona Jake, 5°C, light E, light overcast.

Ended with the green machines. 2×16 reps.

Icy weather is due in a few days. Let’s wait and see the best way to deal with running on frosty ground in the mornings. Meanwhile, I’ll bank some hours riding. This is the 4th day in a row with 25+ miles. I’ve got layers sorted out now so getting cold isn’t such a problem.

Did you see that?

Light start, turned very heavy on the return leg. 9-7°C, strong wind and very heavy rain to coming home .

Spent the afternoon in front of the fire playing records

Just as the rain got heavier on the return leg. my route turned into a narrow strip of woodland by the river. There’s a few cottages and a narrow lane that leads to a school. At Eyes lane, anelderly runner zipped by in the other direction. What’s remarkable was that in the developing storm, he was naked from the waist up. Raindrops got larger in the squall. Was he heading back to jump in a sauna for that ho/cold shock thing that’s popular in scandinavia?

Note to self: at the café in I took a few minutes out to add some pressure to the rear wheel. As soon as I set.off, the bike felt renewed. The handling was crisp again and the bike seemed much faster.