Bike Diary

I managed to leave work not long after 3pm with the intention of doing a Fondo. I was going to go up through Melbourne and west along the Beloved A Road in the time-honoured fashion. However I realised after a few miles that I hadn’t brought a phone with me. I’m not on call at the moment but even so, I’d never hear the end of it if my lovely wife tried to call me. She does have a broken wrist at the moment so it’s conceivable she’d need help with something.

I pressed on nonetheless, but started feeling a bit anxious after I got to Hatton. What would I do if my chain broke, with no phone and no debit card or cash, 20-something miles from home? So I turned back.

Very much a game of two halves, on the outward leg I got rained on quite a bit and had to contend with a headwind. Conditions dried up nicely for the homeward part and it was a very pleasant ride with a light wind behind me.

Back on 43.59 miles, 120 this month. Target is 350.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6950848184

Another dry day. Finished work early and off I went. I wanted to do 40 or so and was thinking of doing a bit of the Dad’s Army route, but it was very windy out there and I decided just to do a Twycross Bypasser. So I did, coming back along Bosworth Road and up through Carlton, Barton in the Beans and Newton Burgoland – which I hadn’t done for a while. The smell of animal wee from the farm at Barton is very pungent at the moment.

Very much a game of two halves. Most of a Twycrosser or Bypasser takes place to the west of chez moi so I had a shocker of a headwind to cope with on the first half. But the Tricross rolled along very nicely in the second half with the wind behind me.

Stopped to lean the bike against the public library at Burgoland and take this pic. Nice to see the England flag fluttering in the homeward direction.

Back not long after sunset. I didn’t need to bother with a front light, though I flicked the rear one on as a precaution for the last ten minutes.

Back on 36.49 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6936876044

Wasn’t sure it was a great day for cycling – we had a bit of snow round these parts yesterday and I expected conditions to be a bit cold, as well as windy. But I only had time for about 40 miles, or so I thought – so with a brisk wind coming from the west, I thought I’d go up to the Beloved A Road, then turn back for home after 20 miles.

However by the time I’d got to Derby Airfield after about 18 miles I’d decided to come back a different way, through Ticknall and Woodville. I reckoned this would add a couple of miles to get me up to the requisite 40, so I turned back there and then.

So nice to be cruising along the nicely surfaced flatness of the A5132 in the sunshine with a tailwind. I only wish there was more of it.

Rather than taking the usual road out of Ticknall I followed a sign to Woodville, on a whim. Woodville was on the way home anyway. All this did though was to loop round to my usual route after about a mile and a half. Not a very interesting detour and probably knocked a bit off the overall distance, as well.

Back on 39.49 miles. Nice run out except that I wrapped up too warm and was overheating a bit. The weather was nicer than expected. Taking my Union Jack dutt off helped a bit, but I wished I’d brought a backpack so I could remove a layer of clothing as well.

I made a right dog’s breakfast of recording the ride. I failed to press “resume” a couple of times after stopping, and another time I pressed “save” instead of “resume” so I split the track. Consequently I didn’t know how many miles I’d done until I repaired the track and uploaded it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6926661030

Received a WhatsApp from ‘er indoors just I was arriving home, to say that she’d gone to a restaurant with one of her mates. Annoying because I’d kept the ride down to 40 miles because her right arm is in a plaster at the moment and I didn’t want to leave her alone for too long. If I’d known, I’d have done the April Fondo. Would have been a pretty good day for it.

My new El Cheapo cycling shorts were fine.

Yesterday evening would have been better for cycling – warmer and less windy – but I felt tired all day, partly I think due to the change to BST – and I didn’t bother. But I wanted to test ride the X since I’d replaced the chain and had the jockey wheel assembly in bits. Didn’t have that much time after work today but a Twycrosser seemed in order.

Mostly cloudy but the sun did come out now and then. I wrapped up warm and was comfortable. The bike’s working fine though some of the higher gear changes felt a bit rough. I wonder if the rear gear cable’s fraying? Will have a close look. Actually it’s not that long since I changed it, it won’t be that.

26.93 miles, pleasant run out. 490 done this month and if I do another 25 on Thursday, I believe that’ll be a March Personal Best.

Very nice to be putting the bike away in daylight.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6903056873

A lovely day was forecast, with plenty of sunshine and a light wind from the east. The plan was to do at least a fondo, but possibly 100 if I got up early enough.

I did get up at 0730, and I set off at 0805 on the Cannondale. I’d decided to do the first 50 miles of the Norfolk route, then come back. And that’s pretty much what I did, although I went slightly further than 50 miles.

Just lovely out there. I took a fleece and a pair of tights in my backpack because I assumed it would be cooler later but I didn’t need them. In the end I was a bit annoyed with myself for bringing them. Glad I was able to top up my tan lines a bit.

As usual I stopped for a feast at the village shop at Buckminster, ideally situated 40 miles from home.

Listened to more of my audiobook, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. Must admit it did draw me in a little though more because I was interested in the fantasy universe in which the story takes place than the story itself, which still feels a bit directionless. Also listened to footy chat on 5 Live, Gilles Peterson on 6 Music and a bit of the England game on Talk Sport.

Really a glorious run out. I love that part of the world east of Eastwell. Quite pleased as well that I managed to navigate the 50 miles without recourse to Google Maps, although I’ve done the first 31 many times.

Lots of pheasant out at the moment. I saw a very recently expired one on the road at Stonesby, but a public-spirited chap out walking a dog thoughtfully removed it from the road and threw it into the hedge at the side of the road as I was passing. I think it had been hit by a car. Very quick, I’m sure.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6887232446

That was a breeze. Pick a warm day and eat like a horse. That’s the key to doing long rides without wearing yourself out.

Back half an hour before sunset, on 101.30 miles. 464 this month, pretty good going for a March and 1182 this year.

During my lunch break today I took advantage of the nice weather to fit a new inner tube and two new tyres onto Boardman II. Beautiful day, sunny, light winds and easily warm enough for exposed legs so I left work early and took the new tyres (and inner tube) for a spin.

Normally I wouldn’t do more than 25 or so with a new component, but I wanted to do at least 40 and I took the risk. I thought I might even do a Fondo – but probably not, since the weather looks good on Saturday as well when I’ll have more time for a long ride.

I did the southbound route. Kept going south as far as Dunton Bassett. I’d usually continue on to Gilmorton from there, but since I was about to turn back I took a different turn, to go exploring a little. This took me to a village called Ashby Magna. From there, rather than turning back to come the same way, I followed a sign back to Dunton Bassett which looped me back round to the usual route after about a mile.

Really nice run out. Nice to have the old legs out again. I did take a pair of tights in my backpack and was tempted to put them on when the temperature dropped after sunset. I didn’t bother. But interestingly I found myself pedalling back into warmer air, now and then. The dip between Ibstock and Ravenstone though was like being lowered into ice water.

Back on 48.97 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6877352086

I do think the second Boardman looks better with plain black tyres.

A dry day but cool, cloudy and very windy. Since the wind was coming from the NE I thought I’d do the eastbound route (which is actually a bit north-eastish in reality).

I hoped to do a Fondo if poss but thought it quite likely that the wind would prove too much. It certainly was brutal but I struggled on until I’d done 30 miles, by which time I’d had enough and turned round. What a relief. I thought I’d top up the ride distance to the requisite 100km by taking a detour through Diseworth on the way back. I also came back the old way through Wymeswold and Rempstone, which definitely made a nice change.

A game of two halves of course but the second half was very pleasant.

Listened to footy on 5 Live and another couple of hours of the Philip Dick audiobook. Getting the impression that he’s making it up as he goes along rather than working to a plot.

Back on 62.36 miles, which takes me to 357 this month, and past the April target. I’m using a simplified monthly target system this year. Rather than have them dynamically calculated by the spreadsheet based on distance done in previous months, I’m just going for 300 in Jan, Feb, Nov Dec, 350 in Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct and 400 in the four months in the middle.

That was the 8th Fondo this year, on target for 24 in 2022.

https://www.strava.com/activities/7029229794

Rain all day yesterday but the roads had dried up nicely by this afternoon. I got round to lubing the Tricross earlier in the week so I took it out today. I wanted to do about 35 miles. I did a pretty typical Twycross Bypasser, but it was getting a bit cold after dark so I came home a quicker way than I’d intended, along Gibbet Lane.

Back on 30.03 miles, 313 this month.

I had a bit of right knee pain after 10 miles or so, but I took it easy for a bit (I mean – I always do really, but even easier) and pleasingly, it wore off.

The forecast had promised sunshine from 5pm but it was cloudy until 5:40, and the Sun only came out for about 20 minutes. But it illuminated the full Moon beautifully. I love it when the Moon’s clearly visible in bright sunlight, but it looked even better after dark – really clear, with all the features distinctly visible.

This was supposed to be a moody sunset pic. I miss my old phone.

The Tricross might be heavy but there’s something so reassuring and comfy about it. It rolls along very pleasantly.

Very nice run out, that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6839857142

Nice cycling weather was promised so I booked the afternoon off. A light wind was blowing from the south-east and the sun was supposed to shine most of the day. I wanted to do about 80 to get the 2022 distance score into four figures and the eastbound route was the obvious choice. 40 miles would take me just beyond Buckminster, to the border with Lincolnshire.

I was a little tired when I woke up this morning because I’d had a minor work incident to deal with at 0400, and although it only took 15 minutes, I didn’t sleep properly after that.

Nonetheless – I set off at about 11:20, undeterred. Very pleasant out there although actually the sun went in a few times. But conditions were consistently bright.

I’d brought a cheese & onion pasty, a croissant, a white chocolate cookie, banana-flavoured milk and some toffees with me but I stopped and bought more at the deli at Waltham, after about 34 miles. A flapjack (which I didn’t touch in the end) and a cornish pasty (which I ate at a nearby bench). And a can of pop.

Was slightly nervous on the way back after 5pm because I was on call and I didn’t get back until 7:15pm, but I didn’t get a call.

I started a new audiobook, a Philip K Dick novel called The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch which I’ve never read before. Written in 1965, but set in 2016, when mankind has colonised several of the other planets and moons in the solar system.

I find Philip Dick a bit of a mixed bag. I read The Man In The High Castle in the late 80s and was blown away by it, one of the best books I’ve ever read. Some of his short stories are pure genius.

This one though, although extraordinarily imaginative hadn’t really grabbed me by the first three chapters. I must say though the guy who narrates the audiobook gives a terrific acting performance when voicing the various different characters – he really gives them each a distinctive personality.

Still a bit of light at 6:45 this evening and since the last few miles are mostly well lit (through Thringstone and Coalville), I made do with my little strappy blinker and didn’t bother getting the proper front light out.

Back on 80.36 miles, 283 this month and 1001 this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6829660021

Sunny day. Got out of work early and – since a moderate wind was coming from the south – decided I’d do 20 or so miles of the southbound route, then come back. Pretty much the same thing I did on Monday, except that I went further.

I got as far as Broughton Astley. But instead of turning for home and coming back the same way, on a whim I took a right turn. I thought I’d give myself a bit of an adventure, and try to navigate home along familiar roads.

A couple of hundred yards later I saw another right turn signposted to Stoney Stanton, so I took that. All this did was to loop me back onto the original route within about half a mile. Not much of an adventure then but I did notice a decent shop and a petrol station along the way. Might be handy for supplies on a longer ride in future.

The return journey, with a tailwind, was really very pleasant except for 15 minutes of rain. I listened mostly to 5 Live, and speculation about Chelsea football club. It was a mild evening, so at least my own assets weren’t frozen. Really nice to be out after dark without feeling cold.

Took this pic on the bridge over the M69.

Back on 42.38 miles. 165 miles this month, happy with that 10 days in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6804176756