I was determined to do a fondo today. Unfortunately it was scorchio again, but I reasoned that if I set off at 3pm then I’d only be uncomfortable for a couple of hours.
I did the standard eastbound fondo, Eastwell and back via Burton on the Wolds. I took a 1L bidon with me but it was already near depleted by the time I got to the petrol station at Burton. I bought a lucozade and a Fanta from the fridge. Drank most of the lucozade on the spot (and what a joy) and decanted the Fanta to the bidon. I bought water and more Lucozade on the way back. In all I consumed about 2 litres of fluids, probably a record for me (and I gulped down a San Miguel as soon as I got back). Don’t feel great about ingesting all that sugary stuff, perhaps I should have bought more water and less Lucozade but hopefully I burned a lot of it off.
Had a headwind to contend with on the outbound stretch. It grew stronger as I made progress eastwards, though I knew it would as, unusually, I bothered to check the forecast over several points on the route rather than just for home. I didn’t mind it so much, though. It was a bit like being fanned.
I’ve bought a new DAB personal (the controls are a bit more intuitive and easy than the ones I already have) and so far I’ve got nearly ten hours out of a bog-standard pair of Alkaline AAs. Impressive. I listened mostly to Premier League footy – of special interest was Brentford vs Man United, and I couldn’t help thinking the London side had made a schoolboy error by scoring their four goals so early in the game – yet United failed to capitalise on their mistake.
Conditions grew more tolerable as the shadows lengthened and the day wore on of course, but I was still a bit uncomfortably warm at 7:30pm. I was also a little disconcerted to see the sun go down at about 8:30pm, but I hadn’t checked the sunset time. I did have lights with me, but I only used the rear. I was home by 8:55pm.
I heard a pronounced CLUNK coming from the transmission a few times when freewheeling. Happened to be looking down at the chainring when it happened the third or fourth time and what was happening was the chain was going slack, then twanging taut again – which can only mean, I think, that the rear Disraeli is sticking. Perhaps I didn’t lubricate it properly following cleaning, or perhaps something’s caught in it – I’ll have a look tomorrow.
62.81 miles; that’s the third fondo this month. Don’t know what my record is, perhaps I’ll check. Glad to have got 151 miles done in August already as I’m on call for most of the rest of the month.
Quite surprised to see four Strava PRs on a route I’ve done very many times. Must have been on the way back, with the tailwind. Or perhaps it’s Lucozade power.