29.04.2026

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  Wednesday 29th 42F/5.6C [7.30] Yet another sunny day. Expected to peak at 15C/59F in the late afternoon. 69F/21C in the room with the heat pump on all night. Remotely set to 17C/62F. Greenhouse at 44F/6.7C. Northerly breeze light and increasing as it becomes variable in direction.

 Up at 6.45 after a rather busy night with more weird dreams. 

 A visit to my English friend was postponed yesterday due to his B&B business demands. However tempting it might be to ride there today I shall be sensible and drive over. 64km[40miles] is a two battery ride at these lower temperatures. EV car owners who complain about 600kms per charge take note. Bosch e-bike batteries are a pitiful joke when it comes to range in Sport mode. Lighter bike batteries, with modern chemistry, are said to be decades away.

 Sport mode provides enough assistance for me [aged 79 and 70kg] to manage average pedal bicycle speeds on the flat  Using Turbo mode, for me to average the speed of a fit racing cyclist, would reduce the range even further. 

 Remember that the motor has to drag a massive all-up bicycle weight with it. The "Speed" models can supposedly reach 28mph or 45kph with motor assistance while continuously pedaling. A speed I very rarely see. Even on long, steep descents! They say extra weight helps here. I haven't noticed. 

 You can buy a complete racing bike. Which is lighter than a bare, Bosch battery alone. The Moustache Friday 27FS "Speed" bike weighs in excess of 30kg or 66lbs. Even more with panniers and enough spare kit for a modest ride. Including the vital ABUS U-lock. 

 I ought to weigh my normally loaded Moustache e-bike again with my digital scales. To get an accurate measurement. I can vaguely remember having done so. But when? Blog of 29th June last year in 2025. 

 https://pedal-trikes.blogspot.com/2025/06/29062025.html

 Let's call it 40kg with a spare battery, panniers and kit but without me aboard. 88lbs! A Tour de France bike weighs about 7.5kg or 16lbs. 5x times lighter! 

  

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28.04.2026 Another 35km not out.

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  Tuesday 28th 38F/3C [7.00] Another sunny day. Peaking at 13C/55F. NE winds modest then gusting 10m/s after lunch.

 Up at 6.20 after an average night. My back pain feels variable. Depending on how I move. No ill effects from yesterday's ride. I shall have another ride today.

 I left the heat pump on overnight with a 17C/63F setting. The thermometer is showing 68F/20C. Greenhouse at 44F/6.7C. Fishpond at 58F/14.4C. Fish very active every time they hear me in the kitchen. They think they will be fed.

 8.00 41F/5C. Going for a walk. Fingers and toes crossed. 

 8.30 I managed the loop along the neighbours' drives again. Very slowly but with rather less pain. A YouTube video showed a different exercise. Crouched, but feet well apart. Elbows on knees for support. Rocking gently from side to side. It actually seemed to help. When nothing else has.

I was treated to a sweet song. First of the year by a Yellowhammer. Perched at the very top of a roadside tree. Then several warblers singing in the hedges and trees. A newspaper reports that the Wren population has halved. After the hard winter and late frosts. 

 I had to stand on the verge as dozens of cars passed by. All following a bus. Rush hour? Not today! 

 Blogger is broken. Clicking on New Post just repeats the same post.   

 12.05 Returning from another 35km ride. I went to see the progress on the new railway line. A road which has been closed for some time was finally open. I watched a large CAT excavator loading CAT tipper rucks. 

 The view of the underside of the motorway bridge was stunning. The casing for the casting of the new railway bridge beyond is still underway.  

 I was going well today despite the headwind. Then strained a muscle in my calf. From which I think I have recovered. Simply be keeping going. My hip hurt like hell every time I mounted and dismounted. For scenery this is the best time of year. With blossom and fresh leaves everywhere. 

 Another afternoon on the computer. The greenhouse wasn't warm enough to heat the house. 

 Dinner was beans on toast. 

 

 

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27.04.2026 35km to empty shores.

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 Monday 27th 37F/2.8C [7.30] Another, cool, sunny day. A moderate breeze. 63F/17C in the room with no overnight heating. 43F/6C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7am after dozing for two hours. Another quiet night. I have changed from milky coffee. To black breakfast tea after dinner. 

 I don't trust my back. Even when it feels okay early on it quickly becomes painful. I have been using the same office style chair for years at the comuter. 

 I wouldn't mind a ride today. Make the most of the sunshine. Just wrap up well. My foolish optimism doesn't keep me warm! The second battery needs topping up. I cycle between them to avoid depletion.

 9.30 Back from a walk. My lower back hurt like hell but I just kept going. I did a very slow loop of the rear drives. A slight improvement as I progressed. I dragged the emptied recycling bins back with me. The gentle downhill slope did not make me breathless. 

 Good to see so many fresh leaves and lots of birds. The neighbour's screening hedge is doing well. Professionally planted and close to 100% survival over many hundreds of saplings. Their new lawns constantly improve too. Though their robot mower was sulking in a dip. After being forsaken for the big tractor mower. 

 The hospital has sent me an appointment for the heart procedure. It's in about three weeks time. The same problem arises. While I can certainly drive there I am not allowed to drive home. Or even drive for two days afterwards. Which leaves the car there while I wend my way home on the bus. Or rather on various busses. 

 Getting a bus straight home from the hospital is very unlikely indeed. I live out in the countryside between two, 30km distant villages. Reaching the bus station on foot from the hospital is an unwanted journey. With my present back problems possibly persisting. It is several kilometers from the hospital to the station. 

 Last time I was driven home by a taxi under contract to the health service. There were several of us on the ride. I left my car in the car park for a couple of days and nights. Until my friend drove me to the hospital to pick it up. A similar journey from his home as it is from mine. About 30 kilometers. We live on the tips of an equilateral triangle. We are on the ends of the horizontal E-W base. With the hospital on the northern tip. 

 11.30 I am going for a ride along the lanes of the deserted west coast of Fyn. Extra clothing is packed if needed. 

 13.45 Back from a 36km ride. I discovered new routes through farmyards and along gravel tracks. Constant sunshine but never warm. There was an icy, onshore wind. Three layers under the Endura rain jacket. An old pair of DHB padded shorts kept me comfortable.

 After lunch it was back on YouTube. Followed by a late nap. When I could no longer stay awake.

 Upon waking I realised that I had nothing for dinner. So I drove into the village. 

 Dinner was a pork chop, mushrooms, mashed potatoes and peas. I washed up while it cooked.

 The room has dropped to 65F/18C. So I have switched on the heat pump. Fan speed reduced to 2of 5.

  

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