Kona Jake, 6°C, light NE, dry & grey.
Kona Jake: good conditions & I wore a layer less than yesterday. 6°C is exactly average for the end of December, colder weather will come soon. I’ve lowered the seat by nearly 5mm, a good idea. Thicker winter clothes make this necessary.
Anyway, recovery is going well if somewhat masked by winter conditions. We’ve got two months of this to go.
Kona Jake: cold 6°C, brisk SE, sunny & dry.
Three weeks off due to a long heavy cold with a persistent cough. There were times with fever and others when it seemed never ending. The turning point was during our holiday in Mallorca. The hotel has a good gym which I used several times a day.
Now I’m back. I’ve lost form (as you’d expect) and ended with a dry cough. Oddly, riding I felt the weight on my arms & shoulders. I thought I’d worked upper body in that gym. It’s going to take a good month to come back.
Was it COVID?
Kona Jake, 14°C, gales S. Some squally showers
Storm Amy has just blown over and is moving north up the Irish sea. The are fewer squally showers than this morning but those last ones were just as violent. On the bike, it feels like the rain is going into one ear and out through the other. Back home now,.it feels like I’ve ridden twice the 24 km shown above.
18°C, brisk W. Dry, grey & humid.
After the worst cold I’ve had for years, I ventured out along the coast road. It definitely made me feel better.
17°C sunny with NE wind. Clear by the coast.
15°C, light SW breeze, strong sun & dry.
First ride after breaking a rib or two. On the last DofE, I tripped over a black guy line in fading light.
Strange mechanical problem; I had no front brake. I thought at first the long stopping distance weas due to oil on the brake disc, I’d given the bike a minor service earlier. However, on closer inspectiong, I’d adjusted the front caliper as far as it would go, and the pads still didn’t touch the disc. Then, I took the wheel out. Now I could see it, one of the pads was missing, and the other – very thin. There is quite a puzzle.
Now I think, the pads had become so thin that one had fallen out during a previous service (probably on re-assembly), ort maybe when putting the bike in the car.
5°C full sun with a lightening WSW.
Kona Jake: 44.7km, with mechanical problems. I headed out to the usual cafe but I broke a brake cable half way out (or so I thought). The front brake is crucial so some emergency thinking, do I: ride back, find a bike shop or ride to my place. I did the latter.
That mechanical was curious, it felt exactly like a broken cable. It’s been a long time since I had this, at least ten years. However, when I got it apart, the cable was fine, straight and free from corrosion. So I put it back in with oil in the sheath. All seems fine now.
Next concern: the rear tyre was soft when I did finally reach the café. They have some tools so I adjusted the brake levers and added pressure in the rear. It held as I hurried into the sun to get back. Those self sealing tubes did worked properly.
4°C, cold SE, dry.
Kona Jake: A cold ride that got colder. there are more flooded fields around formby than I expefcted. The pumps are working at it though.
Kona Jake, 7°C, light SW, sunny & dry.
I don’t often get out on Christmas day, but it’s more likely on days with good weather. The roads were surprisingly busy, not what I expected. Yesterday’s ride was quiet, almost lockdown quiet.
17°C, grey and light S breeze.
The Chase was quiet and dry. I took a stop on the way home for a refresher. Last time I came.uo here, I wrecked the rear mech by the burnt out car: it’s not there any more! It must have stood there for over a decade in the firing range. Now there is only a sooty mark.
Micycle 