Dry afternoon, wasn’t sure I was going to bother with a bike ride after work but the weather forecast is a bit iffy over the next few days, and by the time I’d downed tools for the day I quite fancied going for a spin.
I’d intended to take the S Works but its tyres were soft when I checked them. It hasn’t had a run out since September. I couldn’t be bothered to pump them up, so I took the Tricross.
First thought after I set off- what a joy to be using Shimano gears again. I’ve got the SRAM setup working fine with the new cable on the X now but it’s still such a clunky thing to use. Just the finger pressure required to change down at the back would consume about half an oat bar’s worth of energy over a long ride. But the Sora gears on the Tricross are so slick and effortless in comparison, even if it is a relatively low-end solution.
Really nice out there. Not quite mild, but not too cold. Sunny when I set off. Quite a bit cooler after sunset. I did a Twycrosser, going through Sheepy Parva, where I took this pic near the restaurant there.
As I came to turn the rear light on, a few miles earlier, I found that the bolt keeping it upright had come loose and it was flopping down. I didn’t have a screwdriver on me but I managed to fashion a sort of suspended support for it by tying a headtorch strap round the saddlebag. That worked a treat, as I think you can see in the pic.
Also visible in the pic, on the left hand side of the handlebar, my new Ledlenser P5 torch. Usually I buy relatively inexpensive Chinese-branded items from Amazon, but this time I’ve splashed out on a reputable brand. Expensive, but worth it – very light and compact and uses a single AA. Ideal for longer rides. Very bright indeed for the size, not as bright as some of my LED torches but more than adequate. Result.
I even caught a rabbit in its beam near Shackerstone, but – in a departure from the popular stereotype – it didn’t freeze, but hopped into the hedge.
Back on 27.19 miles, enjoyable run out.