I rode the Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 26.15km, time: 01:31:07, pace: 3:29min/km, speed: 17.22km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1852682429
At the end of a day with a groggy head. This cold outing cleared my mind somewhat.
It’s certainly time to change to winter tyres. The mud is soft enough to make gravel tyres too slippery. I can still remember how much better the Schwalbe Rocket Rons are than the original set. They are notably slower on tarmac however.
I rode Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 59.60km, time: 03:07:05, pace: 3:08min/km, speed: 19.11km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1813937243
Autumn is the start of the Cyclocross season, so it’s fitting to ride on the Jake. It’s windy today which makes the fixed gear a poor choice. There’s always a long leg into the wind, not much fun.
Today, the ride was largely gravel tracks and canal towpaths. Not so many fishermen were out today. They can be a bit annoying when I have to wait for them to move those enormous poles out of the path.
Getting dark now, 5°C and clear.
We walk about 6km/hr on good, flat sooth ground. About 4mph, or 40 miles in 10 hours, 80 in 20.
Would it be possible to walk 100 miles in a day?
That sounds pretty hard-core, but it’s developing into an idea that might be more realistic:
Walk to Lancashire in say 36 hours along the canals.
There’s one that gets you in Runcorn from near here. It’s the Trent And Mersey Canal. Okay, it does weave about a bit, and the route would probably total more than one hundred.
I could pick a summer month that has shorter hours of darkness, short enough not to get through too many batteries for the head-torch.
Just a thought.
14°C, strong SW (surprise!), cloud building, a front is soon to arrive.
I rode CX Kona Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 14.63mi, time: 01:37:00, pace: 6:38min/mi, speed: 9.05mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1285052127
Met another cyclocross rider coming the opposite way. Another first.
Pity the cafes were shut, I hoped for lunch.
Mud is now very soft and deep. The bike often scoots sideways but it stayed upright. 11 months on, and still no falls. In getting more confident and relaxed doing this. Last winter I was so tense that I occasionally got stiff muscles. The persistence has removed the difficulty and left the fun.
Here is (possibly) the Shaggy Inkcap from last Sunday. This soggy example that has survived the mower. This stretch of verge gets cut fairly ruthlessly, but not this time of year.
After some discussion on a forum, this may be a close relative of the inkcap:
These look like Coprinus Atramentaria, not Comatus. Good edible but it’s poisonous when mixed with alcohol, so take care.
I like the idea of a poison that is only active when a person has drunk alcohol. Some might appreciate a bit of help with their New Year’s resolutions.
4°C, dense fog, no ice.
Rode CX with MapMyRide+! Distance: 38.9mi, time: 03:32:00, pace: 5:27min/mi, speed: 11.0mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/869121807
Horrible day for a road ride. Dense milky fog and cold. On the route to the canal start I crossed a few small groups of roadies.
My conclusion from today is that cx rides are quite viable when otherwise I would have to return home. Canal towpaths, though a place to pick up punctures, are much safer than the road in poor visibility.
In all, I probably clocked up about 5 miles on tarmac. Just as well because the surfaces were so greasy and slippery.
Today’s puncture was a nail, not quite what I expected on a canal but at least it happened near the end.
Micycle 