21°C, full sun
Riding the Arrow will keep me going this summer. It’s quite quick but noticeably flexy.
Midsummer Arrow
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Long walk home.
28°C, strong, humid sun, turning into thunderstorms later.
Ride to work day: set off early this morning giving time for a more relaxed pace. At the end of the day, I got the bike out and found a flat tyre. After changing the inner tube, the tyre was reluctant to take much pressure.
After a mile or so, it was obvious that I’d have to walk. At 3 miles, I got to a garage and phoned for a taxi. I baulked at £45 to go 11 miles no way! So off I went. As the hours rolled by, the clouds thickened and began to rumble. By the time I was passing Hesketth Bank, there were frequent lightning strikes including at least 20 ground-strikes.
Fixed 60
Kona Paddy Wagon, 22°C, light NE, no cloud.
A grand day out.
Cracks
17°C, bright sun and light easterly.
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.
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.
Is that just a scratch?
15°C, sunny with brisk onshore wind.
Is this a scratch or something more serious (like a crack)? This is the left side of the seat cluster. Those lines do not extend to the clamp keyhole, so let’s keep an eye on it.
Zing 60k
Full sun, 15°C, light onshore.
A steady ride with 1 decent climb. After, I went onto a garage for a snack. The return was into a headwind that felt harder than it should. At home, my legs were empty.
Mallorca: Col de Sóller.
Col de Sóller after 25 hairpin climb.
14 to 28°C, w showers early on and then sun
Mallorca ride on a Ridley Fenix.
28°C full sun
Ridley Fenix, 11(cable) gears with disc brakes. Last year I had the Di2 electric shift version and this time – cable shift. I’d think I rather prefer this one. The shifts were crisp and perfect. There was much else to like too. Steering was nimble due to a short frame, to get the fit this one has a longish stem meaning it fit me well. As before, those brakes were amazing, they’d stop a car.
Today’s route was identical to last summer’s. I even called in the same deli for a snack at Port de Soller. Better though was riding without feeling ill. I doet up last august while struggling with an achey cold. The climbs are long slogs, hence the low average speed.
Blossom
8°C, grey and dry with a brisk SE.
Kona Zing: Second ride feels better. This happens after a layoff.
I return.
10°C, bright sun but chilly.
A slow ride as I’m still recovering from a heavy cold. It affected two DofE trips, the White Peak on quite badly. On the first night, I woke with the shivers. That changing robe has been very useful.
I went out on the Zing after tweeking the gear indexing. I’ve got a work-stand to raise the bike. It’s much easier to get to the gears now. It is a £30 Aldi stand. It’s okay by not all the clamps are free from sliding when loaded. There are still a few cogs that are slow to shift even though the cable is new. Maybe change the sheaths next. If it still stick, then I give up, nothing can be done.
Micycle 