4°C, full sun but ice patches remain light NE breeze
Cheshire Lines.
This is Cheshire lines which runs up the side of Lancashire. It looks icy but there were no problems with grip. It was a fine day and I was so glad to be out.The muddiest part is by a sewage works and though the puddles look large, the best line is straight through the middle of them. Around there should stink but now it doesn’t. That is a Covid problem – I can’t smell bad things. You’d think that was good, but actualy it’s a nuisance. How can I tell if food is off, or whether a shirt needs a wash?
This is one of my Covid-19 recovery walks. The roads are too icy for cycling this week but I’m itching to get the bike out and can’t – it’s not safe yet.
Covid-19, a corona virus – it’s bigger than you’d think.
Two weeks of mild, almost asymptomatic illness in the coldest leadup bro Christmas. For me, it’s not much worse than a heavy cold with a sore cough at the top of my chest. That bit only lasted about 3 days. The general fatigue held on for longer. Some days, were clear, like Christmas day.
12th December, I went back to bed feeling rather sleepy. The next day, a Sunday, I skipped a bike ride feeling rather empty.
14th December, phoned in sick at work and then later – booked a Covid test. I still felt okay, a slight cough when going upstairs and no fever or temperature. The thermometer went no higher than 36.4°C. To get a test, I lied on the form and put New continuous cough. It’s a good job I did because the result came back Positive the next day.
I booked the test for a time only in the next hour and drove into town to park. The test centre is a walk-in to I had to trot half a mile to get there. Even that felt okay. If I was seriously ill, that would have left me faint and gasping. Generally, I was in an elevated mood because I know how serious Covid can be and I was getting off lightly – I have dodged a bullet.
12th December: the test result finally came back at 17.30. Positive and I must Self Isolate for 10 days from the day after symptoms started. The next few days are a blur
21st December: book another test. The result from this one shocked me – positive! What do I do now? The result returns as a text on my phone telling me to self isolate for 10 days from the day after 1st symptoms arise. Well, that means I can go out tomorrow, er..doesn’t it? To clarify, I rang the number provided and they were quite clear, I don’t nbeed to add another 10 days (which would have run ’till 4th January.
In response, I ventured out on the bike but was quite exhausted for a few days after.
It felt cold in he damp air today. Nominally, 9°C should be comfortable but not so today. Higher up, near High Moor there was light rain too. I need to fit another water bottle, I was so dehydrated by the time I got home.
Now the speedometer is playing up again. The speed often read double what it should be and he distance was about 30% below. I will have to replace it. This time, it will not be wireless.
4 days without a ride and feeling frustrated and fidgety. A short blast is such a good way to clear that feeling.
I’ve had an annoying time with repairs not working out well:
Fit new chain but it skips on the old cassette – so changed it.
Spare cassette also skips so must be worn out too.It’s been in storage for years.
Decided to pull out the commuting/gravel bike and it has a puncture.
Eventually went out on the commuter with its gravel wheels.
2 cassettes and 1 chain binned. Replacements ordered.
The problem is keeping track of how old componants are on bikes when you have 6. It was easier when I only had 2 or 3 bikes. Now it seems like a cluster of repears have come together.
Sunday: pulled the bike out and found the front tyre flat. I decided to swap to the gravel wheels and take in some non-road routes. Though the distance is no big deal, the time reveals a decent day out.
Tuesday: fixed the puncture and put the road wheels back in. The fault was a punch puncture. I did find fitting the tyres rather difficult.
November is normally the wettest month here, this year is no different. There is lots of surface water around and nowhere for it to drain in this flat landscape. I rode the Mustang with its Marathon tyres. Before setting off, I bloew the pressures up and that makes more difference to handling than with any other tyre. The last ride felt like the brakes were on. I have mixed feelings about those tyres.
It’s easy to forget how much fun this bike is, especially when not ridden for 6 months I’ve put the winter wheels back on with at 17t cog. The rims are showing signs of wear but remember – next new year is the bike’s 10th anniversary.
I’ll pack away the Zing for the winter with do tube covers etcetera. The Paddy has been off the road since putting a new chain on which was too narrow for the cog. The orange wheels cog works fine. The mistake must be mine, so in future, I’ll stick with wide chains
Micycle 