So – I had a vague plan to do a Fondo today. The weather looked alright-ish, with a strong wind blowing from the south according to the BBC weather site – so I thought a trip out east would work quite well. I was keen to try out my new winter bike, having set it up with new pedals on Friday (Shimano PR-R540s, white ones since they were cheaper).
I got up at about 0800, made breakfast, visited Facebook and found the awful news that Neil Peart had died. Since I was due to ride the Tricross for the first time about half an hour later, I decided I’d name it Neil. Or The Professor. Or both. I decided to do 67 miles in his honour.
So having consumed adequate toast and coffee, I removed Neil from the garage and set off at about 0835. I hadn’t tried or adjusted the pedals. I just hoped they’d work OK. They clip in a bit tight, but they’re fine. I took an Allen key with me in case I wanted to make a saddle height adjustment and I did do that, after about 4 miles, in Thringstone. I decided my legs weren’t extending properly on a downstroke, so I raised it a few mm. Seemed fine after that.
First impressions : it rides very much like a road bike. Certainly, it doesn’t have the zing or zip of the Cannondale or the S Works, but it rolls along comparably to the Boardman. Maybe a shade more sluggish. I’m not sure. It does feel different – the bigger tyres (32Cs) give a more cushioned ride, and it feels sturdier somehow.
Strangely, the right brake lever operates the rear brake, rather than the front.
I’m not a fan of the secondary brake levers on the top of the bars, but I’ll just leave them. They remind me of a similar arrangement on my old Raleigh Routier 30 years ago, although they were physically joined to the levers out front. These are separate, although they share the same cables. Quite a clever design. The gears (Sora) are changing very smoothly and positively. Feels a bit more refined than the Boardman’s Claris groupset and quite honestly not much different than the 105 groupset on the Cannondale.
Had a very pleasant run out east. I was pleased to see that the standing water on the football pitch at Normanton on Soar has drained away now, though there’s still water running across the road at the usual wet spot near Cotes. One thing I really like about the Tricross design is that the cables that would normally run under the bottom tube are housed within the frame, so they don’t pick up splashes.
Got to Eastwell, where I took this pic, after about 31.5 miles. I continued on until I’d done nearly 33, then turned back – my reasoning being that if I came back through Coleorton rather than Thringstone on the last few miles, I’d add about a mile. I was wrong about that, as it happens.
Shortly after I turned for home came the Oh Fuck moment as I found myself riding into a bastard of a headwind. I really had to struggle to get home. I was actually only one up from the granny gear on a longish downhill stretch at one point, and tempted to change down. The other highly annoying thing was that about ten miles from Eastwell, when I turned 5 Live off on the DAB, I noticed that the rear wheel had a pronounced and constant squeak. Dry bearings, perhaps. I’ll take it back to the bike shop and have them sort it.
I decided a Rush album would be an appropriate listening choice on the way home, for a period of reflection. I chose 2112, which although not my absolute favourite record best represents the Rush I fell in love with aged 16. After that, I listened to United vs Norwich on 5 Live.
I did get a bit of respite from the headwind here in there in parts of the route well sheltered by trees, or when the route meandered in a different direction for a stretch – but mostly I had to push hard to get back, sometimes battling fiercely for a few yards. I was absolutely bollocksed after about ten miles of it. Not unsurprisingly this took its toll on my knees as well, which became fairly sore and feel a bit beaten up now. Not a setback though, I don’t think. I’ll just have to rest them for a couple of days.
To top it all, over the last ten miles I had to put up with a gloomy cold drizzle as well as a headwind. Grim.
I’d been thinking of stopping at the Greyhound on the way back, but didn’t. I stopped at a bench a few hundred yards further on instead and had a pork pie.
As I got to Coleorton and pedalled past the Kings Arms pub I realised that I’d be about half a mile short of 67 miles on arriving home. So I did a sort of short circuit of nearby roads to push my distance up.
Very much a game of two halves, that one. I can’t say I enjoyed it overall.
Anyway 67.63 miles and that takes me to a fairly decent 172 miles in January, only about 6 less than I did in the whole of January 2019.