about half an inch?

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7°C, cloud, S. wind & some rain.

That tendonitis was unnoticeable yesterday. Why was that, the new bike with new pedals or was it the old shoes? The seat is lower on that bike so I will try lowering the seat on the other bikes half an inch or so. It seems possible, though I lowered the seat in the spring, that it’s still too high. Could that be the why this tendinitis  has taken so long to heal. It got worse while riding the commuting bike only.  Perhaps the summer bike is set up better, but I’ll see in the early spring. these things usually result form multiple causes.

I just don’t know.

So how was it then?

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+5°C, sunny & strong onshore breeze

Better than I thought. The handling is fine, it’s reasonably nimble, though I didn’t push it on those wet black muddy Lancashire roads. the only problem I can think of is that the gearing seems rather tall. I shall get a 17 tooth cog & try it. It’s always a compromise when you only have one ratio but at least the cogs are cheap & easy to experiment with. The landscape was swept by strong westerly winds though: they’re always a struggle. I totalled 60Km with the speedo set to a 26″ wheel. Have yet to work out the equivalent 700x28c

Lancashire is a pleasant surprise, at least the planes around Formby & Southport were. The place often reminded me of the Somerset flats, the black soil, deep straight drainage ditches and the roads that follow field patterns so that there are numerous right-angle corners.

Slush & fog

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+2C, soft snow melting. Near whiteout.

There used to be a time, decades ago when in the weeks after Christmas, the streets would be filled with kids riding their new christmas bikes. Well, that has all changed, last night it was me out there riding up & down. The tradition should be kept alive.

Ridden

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2°C, and dropping. snow tomorrow.

Damned icy this morning, yesterday’s rain froze overnight so no cycling. Not good.

This evening rode around on the fixed; it’s weird! Kicking off and clipping in while the cranks are turning is odd. I’ve got used to coasting to a stop & standing on one pedal to get off the seat. That’s how I’ve done it over the last 25 years. This bike keeps your feet turning and it’s odd, that pumping up & down is odd and wrong. May the gods allow me to learn this without falling off. Can I learn new tricks?

Good with your hands

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+3C, light cloud but missed the solar eclipse this morning.

It’s the time of year that people consider changing their career. Here is a good article BBC: greater job satisfaction, better pay and the feeling that you’ve actually done something in a manual job. ?What would I do? Plumbing, electrician or more probably something outside- fencing perhaps. My problem is vulnerability to backache. That rules out plumbing, or probably carpentry; too much twisting about in confined spaces.

Last day

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-2°C, light cloud.

Last day, bit of a rush. Fit in a tight schedule, but I may have a new bike by the end of the day: if it fits. Rode 40 miles yesterday, more today if it’s no too cold.

Later: Did 38 miles today, the cold air softened after midday.

Okay, so I got it:
Bringing it home

It needs a bit of customising- the stem is too short, it needs lights and probably mudguards. I rode it a bit and it seems very nimble, so far I’m impressed. Well, I did buy it.

Norton’s

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4°C, grey, with traces of fog.
Running a trial of the newest Norton Internet Security suite. Nothing had changed over the years- it still slows the laptop down appallingly. At this rate, my patience will run out before the trial does, so will remove it.

Julia

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+5C, same fog.

Tilda Swinton plays a slightly different role in Julia. I liked this one, despite the rather frantic endless feeling of peril. Go and see it.

Chronic Tendonitis: says the doctor. It’s worse right now, because, I think, I have a cold. I mean that there is a repeated coincidence where aching tendons occur when I have a cold. Is there a link? Does the virus attack membranes in joints at the same time as all that action in the nose & throat?
The doctor didn’t think so, but I will still look out for and studies on this. You have ot be careful about this sort of thing because as human nature- we are prone to look for patterns, sometimes where none exist.

the unwashed

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3°C, fog.

My cold continues to worsen.

BBC: “Its survey of 2,170 people aged 16 to 25 revealed almost half had problems such as self-harm and insomnia” news story of the day. This is so typical, there is no comparison with people in work. Half can’t sleep, or worse: how many people with a job have the same problems? No mention.