12°C, getting warmer.
Not my favourite choice this weekend, you can guess what I want to do. What I have to do is all domestic. For each of the last few years, Mayday has seen me camped in Wales, in between mountains. This year, I am moving stuff around in the house to, potentially, make space for a second lodger.
There will be discoveries, long lost possessions from my life, and from others who have gone.
Whitebeam unfurling leaves in early May.
10°C, N wind, hardly any rain.
Racelite ride with MapMyRide! Distance: 39.04mi, time: 02:36:44, http://mapmyride.com/view_route?r=5992020101417664513
First time out this year. The new headset makes it feel great on corners, smooth and accurate. There was a growing clicking from the bottom bracket which could be felt through the pedals by the end. Strange because that bearing is quite new. Nevermind, it was excellent ride where spring is just about given the all-clear to go. Very late but it’s here, just.
-2° to +7°C, E wind, clear.
Lancashire: with MapMyRide! Distance: 57.2mi, speed: 14.8mi/h. http://mapmyride.com/view_route?r=5025384110261010433
Well, that was much easier. In comparison to the ride on Friday; faster, further and easier. All that on the fixed too. Traffic was light, either because it was Easter Sunday or fewer tourists in cold weather.
Bannister Hill has turned into a standard to measure myself with. I got up the climb with a slight, chilly head-wind. A descending cyclist shouted “nearly there!” while I was pulling the last steep bit.. That actually doeshelp on the last 100 yards. You know, the bit where your legs are burning along with the back of your arms and traps.
-2°C, heavy snow.
It stuck overnight, we certainly did not expect this much. Yesterday we hoped for a snow day but got slush. Today, the third day of spring, it’s proper snow, about 3 inches deep. Easterly wind is lifting this dusty snow, it’s drifting.
7°C, SE light. Sun at first. I rode with MapMyRide! Distance: 39.17mi, time: 02:48
http://mapmyride.com/view_route?r=6040392368157360129 Not the most energetic ride this year. Energy ran out after half-way. By then, the sun had gone and remaining miles dragged slower and slower.
9°C, light SE, Clear. CA:60 miles.
Tracked today’s with MapMyRide! Distance: 60.31mi, time: 04h 49m,
So many smiling faces today. The sun, clear skies and lack of cold air has affected us all. Some of the old guys can be really quite grumpy, but even they were cheerful today. No doubt I was smiling too. It wasn’t until after 40 odd miles that I could feel that a long ride is possible. Average speed was no big deal but stamina roused more as the miles passed.
Some roads were still flooded from last week’s rain though; at least four flooded the whole road width, that I remember. The technique that works best there is to ride through the water with the cranks level. Then ratchet the pedals to get through the water without immersing shoes. The only caution is hidden potholes and stones. Even on a day like this another twenty miles with wet feet could be pretty miserable.
Micycle 