If anyone is still paying attention… As you’ve probably guessed, I’ve more or less abandoned this cycling blog. Unfortunately, it’s getting towards the end of the cycling season and I haven’t been out much this year.
Even when I am doing a lot of cycling, I find it very difficult to bring myself to write up the ride reports. I don’t know why but I just don’t seem to have any enthusiasm for it.
As it was so windy, I deliberated before setting off. I have found that the golden rule for day touring is to go as soon as you start thinking about going. In my experience, the perfect day never really comes, and I never regret setting off, once I am on the road.
I had passed through the market town of Epworth early one morning in 2005 so I was interested to visit it during the daytime. I reasoned that, if it turned out to be a useful shopping destination it could become a regular day trip.
Some of you may know that I’ve been without a bike for the last month or so. I have come to terms with the fact that, as my bike is my only means of transport, I really need two bikes: a main bike and a backup bike for emergencies.
Fortunately, my mother came up trumps on Saturday and managed to pick up an old bike for six pounds. I haven’t properly identified the bike yet but I would estimate that it’s from the 70’s. It has 26×1 3/8 wheels and is of a type that was sometimes called a “English Tourer”. Here she is (the bike, not my mother):
This is something that I have been meaning to do for a long time – a ride that starts in darkness and allows me to come home in the early morning light. I suffer from sleeping problems so I spend quite a lot of my life up at crazy times.
The bike wasn’t quite 100% due to a few small issues that I keep meaning to sort out. Tomorrow morning will probably be spent doing maintenance rather than going on another ride.
The ride length was probably about 25 miles but I still a haven’t fitted the new cycling computer.
Dropping off an old base unit to a friend.
Aluminum frame rucksacks make a portable out of any computer when Lidl have just had a sale on bungie chords!
Only about five miles round trip but this base unit was very heavy so I had to take things slowly. On previous occasions, I had a taken a rucksack + a pannier full of videos when having a VHS clearout which must have been a heavier load.
Yet again, the car boot sale alu frame rucksacks pays for itself. An excellent tool for moving heavy or awkward items on the bike, if you can get one. I that think mine cost 1.50 or so.
Another potter about. It was just too windy today and I hate riding into the wind. I probably only got about five miles away from the house but I was able to do a bit of exploring. I started to retrace some of yesterday’s route in reverse and I also go into some woods.
When milder weather comes along, I’m pretty much ready to go on some long day/camping trips now. I just a need a good water carrier of some kind.
Now, if I explore this track, will I be able to get though the other side to get onto the main road?
First proper ride of the year. A bit more than ten miles but some of it cross country. Weather wise, a t-shirt with a jumper seemed to be about right.
I did mull doing an old favorite circular route that would have added up to 25 miles but I don’t think that I’m quite ready for it yet. Instead, I did the first little bit of the route and added in a bit off light off road with some exploration.
Basically, a charity shop run and a bit of exercise.
On the way back – disaster! At the top of Mortal Ash Hill my chain came off. Worse was yet to come though; on the way into Ashby, my chain snapped! As soon as this happened it occured to me that it could have been much, much worse as I was only about ten minutes walk from the nearest bike shop. About 30 mins later I was back on the road. Couldn’t do all of the shopping I wanted to do as my hands were oily. NOTE TO SELF: PUT SURGICAL GLOVES IN REPAIR KIT!
Having woken up at 02:30 and given that I was planning to visit WSC, I had some time to kill. While preparing, I deliberated and settled on one of my clip-on panniers to carry all of my gear.
This trip also marks the first real test of the road tires.
I set off at 0830 and even then, I could tell that it was going to be a hot day. Quite busy, traffic wise as I travelled through the town. Pushed most of the way up Dragonby Hill; no point in knackering myself to no advantage.
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