14th July 2014

*

Monday 14th 61-70F, 16-21C, occasionally windy, heavy overcast with rain. The forecast torrential rain seems to have avoided us. Though it certainly doesn't look like a cycling day at the moment! The weather system seemed to rotate around Fyn using it as an axis. With the "eye" on the rainfall radar leaving us almost untouched. The centre is now heading away so we may well get a soaking from the trailing skirts. The sky was still dark in the afternoon. With a strong, very gusty wind making life difficult. Thankfully it remained dry. Only 8 miles.

A pretty cottage, once hemmed in by overgrown trees. The Danish flag [Dannebrog pr.Dann-eh-bro] is freely used for attracting attention in Denmark. Many homes, with a large enough lawn or yard, have a flag pole. The flag is raised for important days. Many fly a long wimple [pennant] at other times. Which I often use to check wind direction. 

Supermarkets sell the Danish flags in much smaller sizes to mark the site of a family birthday party. Or to show that items, flowers, fruit or vegetables are for sale there or in the farm yard. Often contained in a bod or small stall. A simple wooden structure to protect the goods for sale from the weather. A money box is usually situated there too. The home owner trusting passers-by to pay for what they take. It is commonplace to see a car stopped beside the road to buy flowers, strawberries or new potatoes.

Tuesday 15th 61-70F, 16-21C, bright with blue skies but rather cloudy. Light breeze. It should be a much better day today. Though still with the the threat of showers or rain later. The weekend rain did indeed skirt Fyn but dumped up to 3" [73mm] further north in Jylland [Jutland]. A month's rain fell in only a couple of days.

Today's early walk was very pleasant. A lean cyclist passed the end of the drive as I approached the road. A small, solitary harvester trundled patiently around the undulating fields in bright sunshine. Hares watched me pass with their large bright eyes. Birds of prey mewed overhead. I watched flocks of mink gulls dodging the windmills. The hedgerows were crammed with singing birds. The verges were full of butterflies. All seemed well with my little world. Except for the farm dog which objected to my presence and the wind really picking up towards the end. 4 miles of gentle, summer plodding.

The trike is faster but can be hard work in such windy conditions. It became gradually more overcast and more windy. 25 miles.

Wednesday 16th 61-70F, 16-21C, light, variable winds, mostly sunny with variable cloud. Rode down to Fåborg and back by another route. A superb day for a ride despite occasional headwinds. I was still going well at the end without any discomfort or excessive tiredness. Though I seriously doubt that a couple of cheese rolls add up to enough energy for a six hour [total] ride and dragging my trike through a wood. 61 miles.

Thursday 17th 64-74F, 18-23C, almost still. It looks like being another perfect day. It was already t-shirt warm for my walk. The only problem was battling my way through the aerial dogfights between butterflies and dragonflies. Not necessarily in that order. 3 miles and I feel as if my throat has been cut. I want my coffee and rolls and I want it now! :-)

They have been using wet weather tires in a number of sports for half a century. Probably far longer. The ridiculously expensive bicycle racing tyres (relative to the price of vehicle tyres) seem completely unable to keep even billionaire-owned riders upright. There doesn't even seem to be data (or agreement) over the rolling resistance of racing cycle tyres.

How very odd, considering the extraordinary emphasis on foolishly expensive power meters, wind tunnel testing and low aerodynamic drag, multi-thousand pound/dollar/euro bikes. How many times have we seen tour riders with their silly little rain jackets flapping furiously in the breeze?  What about having real mudguards on bikes and the press parasites' motorbikes in particular?

It was said on TV that Contador's bike frame literally broke on a descent! Perhaps he was literally sitting on the wimpy little top tubes so popular on "emperor's clothes" CF frames. Many bikes are now having to be mass loaded to match the Utterly Corrupt Unicycle's minimum weight rules. This really is the stuff of Bedlam! Bicycle science? Or just more advertising, before, during and after, bouts of slapstick, S-M entertainment on the road? Don't get me started on the exodus from the asylums for the annual expression of raving lunacy on the tour routes. 

Never mind how big (or small) a saddle you are allowed under the UCI's mickey mouse rules. What about setting some simple rules for improving the bicycle as a breed? You puncture? You're out of the race. Your bike breaks? You're out of the race. No appeals, no arm waving or backhanders allowed. No mechanics hanging out of the window while adjustments are made on the road. If they didn't get it right before the start then why give them a second chance to prove their incompetence?

The retail price of racing accessories at tour level is on a par with the tasteless bling dangling from some of the cycling star's own bodies. Have they never heard of weight saving? You can buy a very decent, multi-cylinder sports motorcycle for the price of a racing bicycle. A few simple changes to the rules could concentrate some very corrupt minds quite wonderfully!

It stayed warm and sunny all day. I see that drivers are taking the Danish national holiday seriously. They are taking a break from sticking to the legal speed limits as well. Not that there's anything new in that. The petty needs of the psychopath always outweigh the basic human rights of everybody else on the planet. 16 miles. The image above is from the gorgeous skies we enjoyed in the early evening.

 

Click on any image for an enlargement.

*