23rd December 2013

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Monday 23rd 40F, variable cloud cover, breezy. It could brighten up. (And did) I'm going shopping on the trike early to get some fresh bread rather than going for a walk first. Yesterday's offering was discounted with yesterday's, sell-by dates. What use is that? Toast anyone?

Rode to the only other local stockist today. I arrived at the supermarket to find a people carrier sized minibus (for one) parked diagonally across the shop entrance in the only disabled parking place.

Take away the scruffy crops and this landscape could be even more beautiful. Though I wouldn't want to be the bloke pushing the lawnmower!

No stock of bread and none expected. 12 miles avoiding illegally speeding lorries trailing huge plumes of spray. Cars passing far too close when nothing was coming the other way. And watching vast clouds dragging filthy underskirts of heavy showers across my path. I was even chased home by a huge and brilliant rainbow but still remained dry. (apart from the traffic spray)  Off we go again. Last minute shopping for food filled three bags to carry home on the trike. Windy but still dry with weak sunshine at times. 20 more miles. I thought I'd better get some more miles in because tomorrow looks stormy again.

Tuesday 24th 46F, 8C, gales, overcast, raining. It has been a noisy night. If it stopped raining at least I could go for a walk. There might be a window later. A pause in the rain after coffee was not long enough to drag me outside. The wind is supposed to reduce (temporarily) after lunch. It was never meant to be. Another rest day.

My apologies for the lack of snow scenes this year. It was ordered in plenty of time but failed to turn up.

So here's one I made earlier:

A Merry Christmas to all my readers and thank you for visiting my tricycling grotto.

Wednesday 25th overcast, breezy, dry. I'm not allowed out on my trike in case of drunk drivers. Santa has brought me more lights for my trike. The LED is a modern miracle for the cyclist. I can just about remember acetylene lamps. The there were the common or garden battery lights where the expensive batteries were often almost flat before they left the shop. These days a set of cycle lights weigh a few grammes, cost small change and last for years. Yet some cyclists still don't bother. It's not a case of just being caught out by an early dusk. I see cyclists riding together all without lights hours after darkness has fallen.

Thursday 26th 34F, +1C, heavy overcast, thick mist and calm. Time to walk off some of those chocolates I enjoyed yesterday! The mist cleared rapidly into local patches as I walked and then came back again more generally. The grass was crunchy and white in places but not enough to make it less muddy elsewhere. The edge of the road was covered in black ice. Making it impossible to walk safely on the white lines. Now the sun has come out and the mist is thinning to patches again. It should be safe to go out on the trike after coffee.

Again the mist was extremely variable, as was the traffic, but I survived to tell the tale. My sunglasses were covered in fine droplets so that I couldn't see clearly as I rode into the misty sun. A slow start but I sped up after a few miles. Later I stopped and tried to feed the ducks on a pond but they must still have been full up from Christmas Day. I detoured on a slightly different route for a total of just 16 miles before a late lunch. It felt like Sunday today due to the lack of lorries. Though there were plenty of cars racing along the lanes as if their lives (and mine) depended on it.

Friday 27th 37F, 3C, Breezy, sky almost clear. Promised to be very windy with rain by lunchtime and gusts up to 45mph. I shall have to go out early! It is still pitch black outside at nearly 8am. After a family was wiped out on a Christmas walk I am now wearing a flashing diode bike light and reflector on cords around my neck as I walk. Not that this morning's traffic warranted such protection. I now take to the verge and stand still while they pass and leave the road at the earliest opportunity. The sky is changing almost by the minute as the edge of the storm moves nearer. I caught a glimpse of a slice of sun just above the horizon but it was all over in seconds and the grey clag is back. A few gaggles of geese passed noisily overhead flying towards the south and east.

I'll have early coffee and marmalade covered rolls and then go shopping on the trike. I probably have some catching up to do after the holidays. The wind had already picked up to a roar in the trees when I left. Fierce side gusts made life slow and interesting on the way. Helped me home afterwards with the occasional sense of twitchiness from the trike as I passed gaps in the hedges. Only 8 miles. I was back for an hour before it started raining. So I could have stayed out longer if only I had known in advance.

Saturday 28th 43F, 6C, breezy, heavy overcast. There was quite a keen headwind as I walked towards the woods.  There I discovered hunters cars parked around the lodge and I turned back to be on the safe side. I was almost home before the shooting started abut an hour and 20 minutes after my escape. The overcast is breaking up to small patches of blue sky so there is hope of a little sunshine later. Instead of which it turned greyer still with quite a strong wind and light showers. Yesterday's gales did even more damage in the woods. With lots more toppled trees. It seems to have damaged many lilac hedges as well. It must have been localised damage because it didn't seem too bad here. 15 miles.

Sunday 29th 40-42F, 5-6C, heavy overcast, dry, breezy. The DMI is promising early sunshine but I don't believe in miracles. Though the darker clouds are moving incredibly quickly. Had my walk. Still no sun. Rode into the wind to Assens via the coast road. Not that it goes very near the coast. There was a short shower but it didn't amount to anything serious. Passed a scattered group of hunters along a lane. They started banging away just after I passed. What a racket! I scattered a huge flock of rooks which was foraging on the fields. Only 21 miles but I'm going out again after lunch. It has brightened up quite a lot now with real (though weak) sunshine at times. Plus 9 more miles after lunch.

Monday 30th 39F, 4C, breezy, heavy overcast. December 2013 is lined up to be the second warmest ever after a record warm December in 2006. I was much too warm yesterday on my walk. Then again later on my trike in my best winter jacket at 42F with a tail wind. There is a fuzzy line around 40 degrees where it is difficult to dress accordingly. Wearing extra clothing under the wind proof shell is never a good idea. Better to warm up from a slightly chilly start than to start out overdressed.

Removing clothing in an exposed situation out of doors once a sweat has built up in the inner layers will not lead to increased comfort. On a short ride one can get home and jump in the shower. On a longer ride it is far better not to sweat in the first place. Climbing long hills will add a thermal load which often requires opening up a jacket or removing an over-warm cap.

I find that cooling my head provides much greater control than simple jacket adjustments. I sometimes carry two GripGrab scull caps. Start off in the warmer one and then change into a cooler one, or none at all, as soon as is sensible. Being cosy is great fun on a cold day but can often lead to chilled sweat on the descent after the first real hill. This is all terribly obvious but difficult to manage without real clothing options while out on a ride. Few keen cyclists have the carrying capacity to take off extra layers if it gets too warm.

I soon took off the cardigan and cap and was still too warm in my second best winter cycling jacket. I hit 22 mph a few times on the flat in bright sunshine. Having reached my goal I finally bought myself some proper hole punch pliers after decades without. Coming back into the headwind was very hard work. Reaching 10 mph was a struggle let alone trying to maintain it. A deer popped out of the woods, took one look at me and then popped straight back in again. Spraying the pedals with lubricant has completely solved the difficult unlatching from the shoe plates. I had been struggling to un-clip for a week or more. 21 miles.

Pm. Punched and laced my lovely B17 saddle! (See last post)

Tuesday 31st December 2013. 38F, 3C, light breeze, clear. The sun rose at 9.00am as I turned off the road. A pleasant hour's walk in bright sunshine. Not a cloud in the sky. I'll go out after coffee to test my newly laced saddle. I had to drop the nose by one click but the saddle was superb. Proper support where it was needed, still comfortable and firm enough to feel fast. I just hope it stays this way. I disturbed several birds of prey today. All of them, medium sized and unknown to my limited skills at recognition. A string of Hooper swans passed over followed by two more going the opposite way. 21 miles for a total of 7388 miles this year. My lowest mileage in four years of returning to tricycling.

I still haven't managed 100 miles in one day. Raising the bar to only 83 then 84 miles. The Trykit remains a delight to ride and the Brooks 'Special' saddle has proved to be worth every penny. Schwalbe Duranos are proving to be reliable and comfortable to ride on at 90psi. I am still having minor trouble with my Shimergo gear selection on one particular cog.

The ShiftMate I ordered in November from SJS Cycles still hasn't turned up despite their taking my money on the 2nd of December including £7 postage for something weighing just a few grammes. Their tracking number has been tried at least twice daily for a month without ever being recognised. I was told to contact them again on the 31st of December if it failed to arrive. Very strange service indeed! Or, rather, a complete lack of it.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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Lacing a Brooks B17 'Champion Special' saddle.

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My gorgeous B17 'Special' has reached nearly 5000 miles from almost daily use. This marked a certain point in its life where a clear choice had to be made. As it became more broken in it was slowly turning into a hammock instead of retaining its original, shapely form. The sit bone support areas had sunk slightly making it much more comfortable than the gently convex "flat" top, as purchased.

Now, I could either increase the tension, with the distinct risk of the saddle becoming an unrideable "delta." Leading to steeply forward sloping sit bone support areas requiring a strongly nose-up angle. Or, I could do something much more drastic: i.e. Making holes and lacing the skirts together. For the latter suggestion I must thank Alan, my fellow tricyclist in exile on Fyn.

The beautiful B17 'Special' with its skirts beginning to flare. I found I could easily insert all my fingers between the rails and inner side of the skirts when seated on the saddle. You cannot judge a saddle's working geometry properly just by pressing with your fingers. It needs the full weight of the rider on the sit bone areas to see how the leather is distorting in practice. Even if you, the rider, weigh a skinny 10 stone then you need to reach 140+lbs pressure with your fingers or thumb. Don't take my word for it. Your own hand strength is easily checked by squeezing the bathroom scales!

The Spa 'Nidd' showed how simply the lacing is done. Though this saddle gave me the confidence to go ahead I wasn't very sure about the choice of lace hole position on the 'Nidd.' These coincided exactly with the height of the rails. The lace had to be run above or below the rail or both. Not an ideal solution. Given the geometry of the tensioned laces it would be safer to run the lace over the top of the rails when the saddle is upright. Putting the laces below the rails would be more likely to tear the holes out of the bottom edges of the skirts. Or it might be nothing to worry about. The cord tension would most likely attempt to join the two holes. Any forces applied by the lace running over the rails would be much smaller.

Note the use of only four lace holes. This allows the lace to be knotted neatly hidden inside the leather saddle cover. Odd numbers of holes (per side) would require the lace be brought under the edge of the skirt or tied outside. Which looks awful in the examples illustrated online. Four holes make an ideal choice if they can cope with the loads without the lace tearing or badly deforming the leather.

The 'Nidd' lace in position. Quite a neat job but there is no large, embossed, Brooks badge to compete with on the Spa saddle. Note the rather fragile surface finish on the Spa 'Nidd' compared with the deeply coloured Brooks tanning. My fuzzy logic suggests that the Nidd could be sanded off and recoloured with leather dye or simply waxed. Though this would not make the saddle any softer or more forgiving. The cloth reinforcement underneath seems to be to blame here.

My very well worn Brooks B17 'Narrow' with a single hole made with cheap eyelet pliers. Not ideal and it required further work with an awl to tidy it up and make a neat hole right through. Ideally I wanted a chamfered hole for best possible appearance and to avoid a ragged look to the edge of the hole. If I wanted a raggedy look I could simply have drilled the necessary holes.

Here I have just punched out the lace holes in my B17 'Special' with my brand new pliers.

Plastic insulating tape was stuck onto the leather below the Brooks badge. Then eyed up from above and below with a straight edge to see if the left and right side badges matched across the saddle. They did, so I chose a strip of wood to mark a horizontal line on the tape at the chosen height from the lower edge of the skirt. I made the line parallel with the top of the saddle. The pliers were then squeezed with the third smallest hollow punch on the pencil line. With the punch just touching the edge of the tape before being pressed. The plier's hole punches are tapered, particularly at the nose, so they distort the weakly adhesive tape as they are pressed home.

I didn't want to mark out the beautiful leather with anything which might prove indelible in the long term. The tape provided the perfect solution and readily took pencil marks. The tape's precision width also provided suitable dimensions for the hole spacing. You may rest assured that I studied my marking out on the tape and its own position very carefully before finally taking the plunge!

The B17 skirts are now laced using the rather thin, but still attractive, 'Nidd' lace.

I squeezed the skirts together with a borrowed Carradice leather strap over the saddle nose while tying the lace. This avoided needing three hands to get enough tension to pull the skirts in properly. I used a simple reef knot.

When tied together the skirts now act rather like the webs of an inverted 'U' beam. Without the restraining lace the skirts merely flare. Providing almost no resistance to the leather becoming a flat hammock under the rider's weight. Though the cantle plate does provide some resistance to deformation at the rear. I once knew a keen tourist whose B17 saddle was a flat, semicircular, triangular strap from long abuse. I have never seen anything remotely similar. He claimed it was very comfortable.

My B17, seen from below, with the lace tied in place below the Diims security logger. The lace provides further security against the Diims device being seen or removed by the casual thief. The closer fitting side skirts also hide the device far better than before.

At £20 (equivalent) the Knipex pliers are better quality than the cheapest available but could do with rather more leverage for the thick Brooks leather. I rotated the entire pliers around the hollow hole punch to sever the leather cores of the holes as I continued to squeeze the handles. This also helped to polish the chamfers evenly.

I deliberately made the holes large enough to take a generously sized lace without fiddling. My thinking being that a larger lace will be much less likely to cut through the leather (like a cheese wire) when under constant tension. Not to mention the countless distortions of the leather by supporting the pedalling rider's weight as they rock from side to side. If the leather shows the least sign of cutting by the lace I shall make four more holes (probably rearward) to spread the tension load over a much greater area. A thicker, round lace will also help. The lace will not contact the rider because the skirts are narrowed to the saddle's original state as purchased.

The B17 'Champion Special' laced and now safely back on my Trykit trike. The "saddle-back" sag is now much reduced after tying. I hope you will agree that the lace and neatly chamfered holes take nothing away from the sheer beauty of Brooks' exquisite design and craftsmanship. The lace holes were deliberately placed directly in line with the lower border detail of the Brooks badge for neatness. If extra rearward holes prove necessary they will be arranged to follow the radius of the chamfered skirts. Pressing inwards on the skirts shows that this is the most effective area for maintaining the saddle's original form. Not only does the sag reduce dramatically but the sit bone support areas rise in sympathy. I have yet to try the modified saddle but will report after tomorrow's ride. I expect it to be much firmer and may have to adjust the nose tilt slightly.

I had to drop the saddle nose by one click but after that it was superb. Firm but supportive and as comfortable as ever. The renewed firmness gave a real sense of speed and efficiency. Very happy indeed!

Happy New Year! :-)

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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December 16th 2013

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Monday 16th 44F, 7C, windy, overcast. The forecast is for 30mph gusts and odd showers. A little sunshine wouldn't go amiss to provide opportunities for more images. I woke up feeling dizzy with a headache. Almost as if I was drugged or drunk. Very odd. I'd better get some fresh air. I thought I'd better stay on the road in case I fell over but felt better after I started my walk. It stayed dry but rather windy. Only starting to drizzle on my return. Sunday will be the shortest day but the continuous heavy cloud is making it much darker than necessary.


Once it had started it didn't stop raining until after 3pm. Armed with multiple flashing lights and my Aldi day-glo rain jacket I set off into the gloom. I am fast coming to the conclusion that commuting is a form of mental illness. Any risk being worthwhile provided they can stay on the bumper of the car in front. Or, even better, overtake the bumper in front to gain a car length on the road. Seen from the viewpoint of the cyclist or pedestrian it is absolutely crackers. Completely nuts. Delusional hierarchy amongst a troupe of clowns. Only 7 miles as the 'Smart' lights blink. It still hasn't been light enough yet to take a picture of them. While attempting to capture the bright, red glow was just as pointless. You will just have to be patient. ;ø))

Tuesday 17th 40F, 5C, heavy overcast, spitting with rain, light breeze. It was  bit cold on the hands when I walked into the wind but it stayed dry again. It was supposed to rain all morning but didn't. Off to the shops after coffee. 17 miles. I'm hoping to go out again this afternoon, if I'm allowed. The promised sunshine came to nothing.

Another ten miles after lunch. Just as I was sorting out my shopping bags on the trike outside a supermarket a car pulled up with a trailer in tow. A teenage lad got out of the far side and tried to hop over the tow bar to go into the shop. His mother had paused as if to allow him time to jump over but then floored the pedal and shot to the far end of the car park! I was so shocked at his narrow escape and her poor driving skills that I rode over to talk to her. Explaining how she had nearly lost her son for Christmas but she really wasn't very interested. Let's just say that she was not working with a full set and not expecting a lecture from a mere cyclist with a very odd Danish accent. I expect the poor kid will get the blame now. When it was entirely her own stupidity which had nearly cost her son potentially serious injuries, or worse. Fortunately he was very quick witted and pulled back from the brink of disaster as she shot away.

Wednesday 18th 41F, 5C, breezy, heavy overcast. A cool headwind on the first half of my walk made my eyes water. Fine with the wind at my back later on. Everything is incredibly wet, muddy and sticky. It is almost impossible to wipe the mud off as it builds up into snow-shoe sized plates! It is easiest to push it off with a stick. Somebody forgot to turn the lights on again. It has been getting steadily darker all day! At least it was dry. I was cruising at around 20mph going to the shops. Though there was a cold headwind coming home. Only 14 miles.

Thursday 19th 41F, 5C, raining, windy, overcast. Promised to be wet and windy all day. It is after lunch and the rain seems to be giving up for the moment. So it's now or never. I managed 6 miles before it started tipping down again. I was climbing a long hill with an inch of water rushing under my wheels. Then I surfed down the other side.

The GripGrab Polaris gloves were wet through within minutes.My bath sponge is more waterproof than they are! I could feel them squelching between my fingers on the handlebars.  This meant that the felt lining was now welded to my wet fingers. No matter how careful I was it was almost impossible to take them off and then get my hands fully back in after removing them. So I rode home after the shops with my hands like two blocks of ice and my fingers bent and crippled with pain from struggling to get my fingers back in and failing miserably. Avoid this rip-off trash like the plague! You will get far better performance and years of wear out of a pair of £5 Thinsulate gloves from the local supermarket!

Don't even get me started on [illegally] speeding "drivers" in villages. Those who haven't the basic intelligence to give cyclists a wide berth. Not even when the road is completely flooded and there is no oncoming traffic.(At all!) 19 miles.

Friday 20th 39-41F, 4-5C, heavy grey overcast, breezy. Showers promised. Went for a (soggy underfoot) walk for an hour. Despite the negative forecast it stayed dry and even brightened up towards lunch time. With weak sunshine from a very low sun after 2pm. The sun doesn't rise much above 10 degrees at 55N at this time of year. That means it is much easier for cloud to obscure the already reduced light. 20 miles.

Saturday 21st 41F, 5C, overcast, raining, very windy. It is supposed to gust to 40mph, or more, for the next couple of days. Add in rain or showers and it doesn't look too promising for much cycling to be done. There wasn't much hope of reaching 7500 miles this year anyway. It is horrible out there with no sign of the rain letting up! I don't even want to go for a walk in these conditions. Another rest day. It might as well be the shortest day to get it over with.

Sunday 22nd 43F, 6C, windy, dark grey overcast. It looks dry at the moment but showers are forecast. Winds gusting to over 30mph today but 40+mph tomorrow. It's 8.30 but still quite dark. I'd better start walking if I'm going to get out today. And now its raining! An hour of walking on the spray tracks and my boots were incredibly muddy.

I left on the trike after late coffee. It was certainly windy but not too bad. At least it stayed dry! I was riding along a country lane when I saw a barn had its roof covering taken off. Stored up between the rafter was an old delivery trike with a large front tray. I'm not convinced that rear wheel is original. These trikes must have been quite popular at one time because I have seen at least three others locally in the last few years. The flat tray design suggests they were originally for display of goods. Otherwise they could have used a smaller but deeper tray. Perhaps I am mistaken. They must weigh "a ton." Imagine having to carry a heavy load with a single gear!

Another chap came over to ask me my annual mileage. He said he'd seen me all over the place as he drove about. That's two enquirers in one week. 18 miles.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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December 9th 2013

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Monday 9th 45-47F, 7-8C, overcast, misty, light winds, fine drizzle now and then. Walked for an hour through the woods. I have given up walking on the verge. It is an open invitation for traffic to brush past. I still take to the verge to give lorries a bit more room on their GPS rat run. It is self preservation more than anything. I wait until they are approaching then hop away to avoid a free shower from the wheel spray!

Later, a shopping loop on the trike. The mist cleared and then came back thicker than before. 20 miles. I was overtaken on a completely blind corner by a drunk driver. I could tell he was blind drunk from the fact that he ran onto the grass verge after getting past me! The overtaking on a blind corner is normal practice around here.

There was a hilarious suggestion in the Danish press that parents should train their children in dealing with traffic. When was this "training" supposed to happen? The majority of parents never put down their mobile phones long enough to even notice the presence of their children!

What about the vast majority of parents speeding wherever they go? This is obviously a case of: "Do as I say! Not as I do!" and a pitifully poor example to their offspring. Surely the parents illegal speed presents a far greater risk to child pedestrians (and cyclists) while out there trying to practice their own parents wise words of advice? This training idea is a complete non-starter. It is the parents who need training!

Sans avenue. Now you see it. Now you don't! A picture without an avenue of lofty trees is really no picture at all. Merely a record of their passing. 

There was another news story about the high cost of installing reversing cameras and sensors if it was ever made law. Reversing cameras?!? What about a camera in the windscreen to monitor the driver's lunatic behaviour in traffic? The greatest aid to road safety would be a camera simultaneously monitoring the speedometer and road ahead. Hopefully feeding a locked and sealed hard drive to avoid tampering with evidence! Laws are only observed when the perceived rewards are outweighed by a strong chance of being caught and punished for misdemeanours.

Tuesday 10th 45F, 7CV, overcast, thick mist clearing slowly, winds light. A walk in the mist trying to capture the foggy conditions without it looking like it is simply out of focus. Not! Later I did a hilly loop on the trike in occasional, very light drizzle. 19 miles.

Wednesday 11th 42F, 6C, light winds, heavy overcast, a bit misty with damp in the air. My walk took me through the woods unscathed. My hip is hurting after putting up the roof ladder for the chimney sweep's compulsory, annual visit. My nose bled all over my cycling jacket afterwards as well. This poor old chap is falling to pieces. Just like his computer! Total chaos yesterday. Couldn't do a thing without it crashing! Probably just the NSA busy destroying the Itinerant. What-ever. It seems better today. The computer. Not, the NSA.

My hip was aching as I rode to the shops so I curtailed potential, extra-curricular excursions for today. I was within inches of ending this triking monologue on a decidedly messy note when a bus overtook me ON a mini roundabout!! Only 17 miles dodging the school bus.

Thursday 12th 35F, +2C, light winds, misty. No walk because I did some weight lifting with logs before going out. I bought some more back lights in town to add to my original Smart lights. The new ones are 'Smart' E_Line blobs at about £6 each with choice of two clamps and  about the size of a squashed plum with two tiny batteries inside. They look like AAAs chopped in two. I fitted one light to the bottom of each seat stay. Ready for a planned second ride which would bring me back after dark. Trikes need two widely spaced rear lights to comply with the regulations. Nobody could claim not to see me now except in broad daylight.

A woman was so fixated on getting across a mini roundabout ahead of the bus behind me that she floored the pedal and nearly broadsided me! Loud shriek of brakes and tires and I just cleared her bonnet sprinting hard at 20mph. That's two days in a row! I was wearing a bright blue and white jacket. The barstewards are definitely out to get me! 30 miles in all. Mostly avoiding Volvos and flashing like a ruddy Xmas tree.

I follow the national hillclimb champion's blog  http://cyclinguphill.com/ and smiled at his struggle with a 25% gradient on 39x25. I remembered my first racing bike was set up with a 44x20 for a 59.4" lowest gear. Being a naive young soul I used 58/44 x 16,17,18,19,20 for a nice series of gears without overlaps. I climbed every hill in the Bath area repeatedly on that. Right up to the various "1-in-4s."

I loved climbing hills and would seek out the worst that Bath's crater-like contours could offer. Later I climbed them all on my old trike. Including Thomas Street, Lansdown Lane, Holloway, Brassknocker, Bathford's worst, etc. The problem with such steep hills is turning around to come back down gain! Try as I might I could not turn the trike safely without the severe risk of  tipping. Which meant loosening the toe-straps and gingerly putting my feet down to allow me to rotate the trike beneath me. The thick, alloy shoe plates and slippery soles and heels did not help adhesion. Wheelspin was quite normal even in the dry climbing the steep stuff with 1WD on HPs.

Friday 13th 41F, 5C, very heavy overcast, raining, but almost still. Friday the 13th? Going on the experience of the last two days perhaps I should hide under the covers and stay in bed all day? It never stopped raining so another rest day. Wasted the entire day on the computer. I followed my route to school on Google's Street View from just over 50 years ago. I used to chase an older lad on his fully kitted out racing bike. While I was riding an all steel boy's bike on low pressures and Sturmey 3 speed which I had bought from a school mate for a few quid. I hadn't had a bike for years before that.

Turning myself inside out while trying to keep up always resulted in massive overheating followed by a sweat bath during morning assembly. It also triggered a complete change in my formerly indifferent fitness level and previously slow growth rate. Shame it was much too late to be enjoyed in school sports. As my self confidence and speed grew to match my new height. Though my "malnourished" build hardly changed for decades.

Saturday 14th 36-39F,2-4C, misty, almost still with heavy overcast. Rain promised by lunchtime. Had my hour's walk. Was kicking the fallen branches and twigs from the road which the council's tractor hedge clipper had spread on top of the existing debris from the storm. Yet more material which will slowly compost in a wide, hazardous swathe out from the verge. Forcing cyclists out into the road, increasing the danger, irritating drivers and delaying traffic which can't so easily overtake. They used to sweep all the roads regularly with a specialised lorry when we first moved here. The machines have probably rusted away from disuse by now.

It stayed dark and misty so I set my 'Smart' rear lights flashing to go out on the trike. One of those rare occasions when I saw a police car on the road. Only 8 miles as damp in the air turned to proper drizzle. Several people have spoken to me about the trike recently. Some want one like mine. Others want to know if they could ride one with their infirmities. I suggested an electric motor for one chap using two walking sticks.

Sunday 15th 42F, 6C, windy, overcast, raining. The rain is supposed to continue until lunch time. Then it should brighten up to real sunshine. It will be gusting to over 30mph all day. Bliss! It wasn't blowing or raining hard when I left for my walk but soon sheets of rain could be seen against the dark face of the woods as my jacket turned dark. There was nothing to gain from turning back at that point so I continued. I find it very relaxing to walk in total solitude away from the traffic. Since I started walking most mornings I have shared the tracks with only a single walker on one occasion. My wife worries about the hunters shooting me but I haven't run across any of them so far. I see groups with guns quite regularly from the trike. It is brightening up now so I'll get ready for a ride.

There was precious little sign of the sun despite the forecast. They were wrong about the strong winds too. I doubt it reached 10mph as I trundled, heavily laden, from one shop to the next.  At this rate I shall need a much bigger bag! Or a trailer. I stopped to see if I could help a young cyclist walking his carbon bike in full cycling togs. Thanks to the miracle of the mobile phone he had somebody already coming to pick him up but he was very polite and thanked me for stopping. I saw quite a few cyclists out training and all of them gave me a wave. 21 miles. Though it felt further because I was out for so long.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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Mileage for 2013

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Mileage, kilometres and averages for 2013

Km are calculated from mileage x 1.61

January 2013                Month                  Year

Date      Miles        Total    Avge      Miles       Km

T.....1.......16..........16.........16............16...........26

W....2.......39..........55.........28............55...........88

T.....3.......42..........97.........32............97.........156

F.....4.........6.........103.........25..........103.........166 Puncture

S.....5.......29.........132.........26..........132.........213 2 Punctures

S.....6.......24.........156.........26..........156.........251          
Week = 168 miles = 270 km.

M......7......36.........192........27..........192.........309

T.......8......20.........212........27..........212.........341

W......9.......0..........212........24..........212.........341 Rest day

T......10.....21.........233........23..........233.........375

F......11.....13.........246........22..........246.........396

S......12.....19.........265........22..........265.........427

S......13.....21.........286........22..........286.........460

Week = 130 miles = 209 km.

M.....14......10.......296........21...........296.........477

T......15......12......308.........21...........308.........496

W.....16......20......328.........20...........328.........528

T......17......24......352.........21...........352.........567

F......18......17......369.........21...........369.........594

S......19......10......379.........20...........379.........610

S......20......39......445.........22...........445.........716

Week = 132 miles = 212 km. 

M....21......13......458.........22...........458........737

T.....22......19.....477.........22...........477.........768

W....23......19.....496.........22...........496.........798

T.....24......22.....518.........22...........518.........834

F.....25......13.....531.........21...........531.........855

S.....26......21.....552.........21...........552.........888

S.....27.......6......558.........21...........558.........898

Week = 113 miles = 182 km

M....28.....16......574.........21..........574.........330

T.....29.....19......593.........20..........593.........955

W....30.....10......603.........20..........603.........971

T.....31.....19......622.........20..........622.......1001 Puncture

February 2013                Month             Year

Date      Miles        Total    Avge    Miles       Km

F......1......0...........0.........0...........622.......1001 Rest day

S......2.....32........32........16..........654.......1053

S......3.....34........66........22..........688.......1108

Week= 130 miles = 209 km

M....4.......0.........66........16..........688.......1108 Rest day

T.....5.....22.........88........18..........710.......1143

W....6.....20.......108........18..........730.......1175

T.....7.....13.......121........17..........743.......1196

F.....8.......0........121.......15..........743.......1196 Rest day

S.....9.....25........146.......16..........768.......1236

S....10.....35........181.......18..........803.......1293

Week = 115 miles = 185 km

M....11....40........221.....20...........843.......1357

T....12.....31.......252......21...........874.......1407

W...13.....19.......271......21...........893.......1438 Puncture

T....14.....13.......284......20...........906.......1458
F....15.....27.......311......21............933.......1502
S....16.....19.......330......21............952.......1533 Puncture
S....17.....10.......340......20............962.......1549
Week = 159 miles = 256 km

M....18.....13......353......20...........975.......1570
T.....19.....19.....372.......20...........994.......1600 Puncture
W....20.....32.....404.......20.........1026.......1652 Puncture
T.....21.....27.....431.......21.........1053.......1695
F.....22.....13.....444.......20.........1066.......1716
S.....23.....13.....457.......20.........1079.......1737
S.....24.......7.....464.......19.........1086.......1748
Week = 124 miles = 199 km.

M....25....19.....483.......19.........1105.......1779
T.....26....15.....498.......19.........1120.......1803
W....27.....6......504.......19.........1126.......1812
T.....28....14.....518.......19.........1140.......1835

March  2013              Month             Year

Date      Miles    Total    Avge    Miles       Km

F....1........24........24.........24.......1164........1874

S....2........26........50.........25.......1190........1916

S....3........48........98.........33.......1238........1993

Week = 152 miles 245 km

M....4......19........117........29.......1257.......2024

T.....5......10.........127.......25.......1267.......2040

W....6........0.........127.......21.......1267.......2040 Rest day

T.....7........0.........127.......18.......1267.......2040 Rest day

F.....8......20.........147.......18.......1287.......2072

S.....9......23.........170.......19.......1310.......2109

S...10......17.........187.......19.......1327.......2136

Week = 89 miles = 143 km

M.....11....10........197.......18.......1337.......2152

T.....12.....15.......212.......18.......1352.......2176

W....13......0........212.......16.......1352.......2176 Rest day

T.....14.....21.......233.......17.......1373.......2210

F.....15.....23.......256.......17.......1396.......2247

S.....16.....10.......266.......17.......1406.......2263

S.....17.....19.......285.......17.......1425.......2294

Week = 98 miles = 158 km

M....18......0.......285.......16.......1425.......2294 Rest day

T.....19......6.......291.......15.......1431.......2304

W....20.....28......319.......16.......1459.......2349

T.....21.....30......349.......17.......1489.......2397

F.....22.....38......387.......18.......1527.......2458

S.....23.....28......415.......18.......1555.......2503

S.....24.....10......425.......18.......1565.......2520

Week = 140 miles = 225 km

M....25.....17.....442.......18.......1582.......2547
T.....26.....18.....460........18......1600.......2576

W....27.....13.....473........18......1613.......2597

T.....28.......0.....473........17......1613.......2597 Rest day

F.....29......12....485........17......1625.......2616

S.....30......26....511........17......1651.......2658

S.....31.......8.....519........17......1659.......2671

Week = 94 miles = 151km

April  2013               Month            Year

Date      Miles  Total   Avge    Miles       Km

M....1........0.........0........0........1659.......2671 Rest day

T.....2......26.......26......13........1685.......2713

W....3......24.......50......17........1709.......2751

T.....4......14.......64......16........1723.......2774

F.....5......15.......79......16........1738.......2798

S.....6......13.......92......15........1751.......2819

S.....7......29.....121......17........1780.......2866

Week = 121 miles 195 km

M.....8.....34.....155.......19........1814.......2920

T......9.....21.....176.......20........1835......2954

W...10.... 19.....195.......20........1854......2985

T....11.....19.....214.......19........1873......3015

F....12.....34.....248.......21........1907......3070

S....13.....24.....272.......21........1931......3109

S....14.....45.....317.......23........1976......3181

Week = 196 miles = 315 km

M....15....20......337......22.......1996.......3213

T.....16....20......357......22.......2016.......3245

W....17....60......417......25.......2076.......3342*

T.....18....10......427......24.......2086.......3358

F.....19....22......449......24.......2108.......3394

S.....20....55......504......25.......2163.......3471

S.....21....28......532......25.......2191.......3527

Week = 215 miles = 346 km.

M...22......0......532......24.........2191......3527 Rest day
T....23.....21.....553......24.........2212......3561
W...24.....19.....572......24.........2231......3592
T....25.....60.....632......25.........2291......3688*
F....26.....18.....650......25.........2309......3717
S....27.....40.....690......26.........2349......3782
S....28.....27.....717......26.........2376......3825
Week = 185 miles = 298km

M....29.....8.......725......25.........2384......3838
T....30....44......765......25.........2428......3909

May  2013               Month              Year

Date      Miles  Total   Avge    Miles       Km

W....1......21.......21.......21.......2449........3943
T.....2......21.......42.......21.......2470........3976
F.....3......44.......86.......29.......2514........4047
S.....4......22.....108.......27.......2536........4083
S.....5......46.....154.......31.......2582........4157 Brooks Special
Week = 206 miles = 322 km.

M....6......40.....194......32.......2622.......4221
T.....7......47.....241......34.......2669.......4297
W....8........7.....248......31.......2676.......4308
T.....9......22.....270......30.......2698.......4344
F....10......17.....287......29.......2715.......4371
S....11......26.....313......28.......2741.......4413
S....12......24.....337......28.......2765.......4452
Week = 183 miles = 294 km

M....13.....14.....351......27.......2779.......4474
T....14.....21.....372.......27......2800.......4508
W...15.....15.....387.......26......2815.......4532
T....16.....40.....427.......27......2855.......4596
F....17.....26.....453.......27......2881.......4638
S....18.....51.....504.......28......2932.......4720
S....19.....20.....524.......28......2952.......4753
Week = 187 miles = 301 km

M...20....54......578......29......3006.......4840
T....21....19......597......28......3025.......4870
W...22.....0......597......27......3025.......4870 Rest day
T....23....19.....616......27......3044.......4901
F....24....26.....642......27......3070.......4943
S....25....37.....679......27......3107.......5002
S....26....18.....697......27......3125.......5031
Week = 173 miles = 278 km

M....27....20.....717.....27......3145.......5063
T.....28....50.....767......27......3195......5155
W....29....08.....775......27......3203......5157
T.....30....24.....799......27......3227......5195 Jnr.
F......31....41.....840......27......3268......5261

June 2013                Month                  Year

Date      Miles        Total    Avge      Miles       Km

S.....1......30.......30.......30......3298........5310
S.....2......46.......76.......38......3344........5384
Week = 219 miles = 353 km

M....3.....44......120.......40......3388.......5455
T....4......18......138.......34......3406.......5484
W...5......50......188.......38......3456.......5564
T....6......21......209.......35......3477.......5598
F....7......28......237.......34......3505.......5643
S....8......25......262.......33......3530.......5683
S....9......55......317.......35......3585.......5772
Week = 241 miles = 388 km

M...10.....46......363......36......3631......5846
T....11.....18......381......35......3649......5875
W...12....38......419.......35......3687......5936
T....13....07......426.......33......3694......5947
F....14....39......465.......33......3733......6010
S....15....21......486.......32......3754......6044
S....16....00......486.......29......3754......6044 Rest day
Week = 169 miles = 272 km

M....17....14.....500.......29......3768......6066
T.....18....00.....500.......28......3768......6066 Rest day
W....19....43.....543.......29......3811......6136
T.....20....25.....568.......28......3836......5854
F.....21....06.....574.......27......3842......6185
S.....22....08.....582.......26......3850......6198
S.....23....18.....600.......26......3868......6227
Week = 156 miles = 251 km

M...24....39.....639.......27......3907......6290
T....25....30.....669.......27.......3937.....6338
W...26....17.....686.......26.......3954.....6366
T....27....00.....686.......25.......3954.....6366 Rest day
F....28....00.....686.......25.......3954.....6366 Rest day
S....29....00.....686.......24.......3954.....6366 Rest day
S....30....16.....700.......23.......3970.....6392
Week = 102 miles = 164 km

July 2013                Month                  Year

Date      Miles    Total    Avge      Miles       Km

M....1........9.........9.........9.........3979.......6406
T....2.......19.......28.......14.........3998.......6437
W...3.......13.......41.......14.........4011.......6458
T....4.......43.......84.......21.........4054.......6527
F....5.......20.....104.......21.........4074.......6559
S....6.......23.....127.......21.........4097.......6596
S....7.......82.....209.......30.........4179.......6728 ***
Week = 209 miles = 336 km

M....8......19.....228......29.........4198.......6759
T.....9......83.....311......35.........4281.......6892 ****
W..10.....18.....329.......33.........4299......6921
T....11.....00.....329.......30.........4299......6921 Rest day
F....12.....13.....342.......28.........4312......6942
S....13.....00.....342.......26.........4312......6942 Rest day
S....14.....07.....349.......25.........4319......6953
Week = 140 miles = 225 km

M.....15.....19....368.......25........4338......6984
T.....16.....22....390.......24........4360......7020
W....17.....34....424.......25........4394......7074
T.....18.....08....432.......24........4402......7087
F.....19.....31....463.......24........4433......7137 Forced off road @ 4pm.
S.....20.....55....518.......26........4488......7226
S.....21.....37....555.......26.......4543.......7314
Week = 206 miles = 332 km

M.....22.....15.....570......26.......4558......7338
T.....23......19.....589......26.......4577......7369
W....24......00.....589......25.......4577......7369 Rest day
T.....25......13.....602......24.......4590......7390
F.....26......49.....651......25.......4639......7469
S.....27......19.....670......25.......4658......7499
S.....28......08.....678......24.......4666......7512
Week = 123 miles = 198 km

M...29......07......685......24.......4673......7523
T....30......14......699.......23......4687......7546
W...31......19......718.......23......4706......7576

August 2013                Month                  Year

Date      Miles    Total    Avge      Miles       Km

T....1.....07........07.......07.........4713.......7588
F....2.....27........34.......17.........4740.......7631
S....3.....24........58.......19.........4764.......7670
S....4.....56......114.......28.........4820.......7760
Week = 154 miles = 248 km

M....5....13......127.......25........4833.......7781
T....6.....21.....148.......25........4854.......7815
W...7....10......158.......23........4864.......7831
T....8....00......158.......20........4864.......7831 Rest day
F....9....30......188.......21........4894.......7879
S...10....11......199.......20........4905.......7897
S...11....45......244.......22........4950.......7969
Week = 130 miles = 209 km

M....12...07.....251......21........4957.......7981
T.....13...23.....274......21........4980.......8018
W....14...23.....297......21........5003.......8055
T.....15...40.....337......22........5025.......8090
F.....16...11.....348......22........5036.......8108
S.....17...19.....367......22........5055.......8138
S.....18...30.....397......22........5085.......8187
Week = 153 miles = 246 km

M....19....19.....416.......22......5104.......8217
T....20....38.....454.......23......5142.......8278
W...21....21.....475.......23......5163.......8312
T....22....24.....499.......23......5187.......8351
F....23....10.....509.......22......5197.......8367
S....24....27.....536.......22......5224.......8410
S....25....13.....549.......22......5237.......8431
Week = 152 miles = 245 km

M....26....12....561.......22......5249.......8451
T.....27....22....583.......22......5271.......8486
W....28....21....604.......22......5292.......8520
T.....29....19....623.......21......5311.......8551
F.....30....09....632.......21......5320.......8565
S.....31....20....652.......21......5340.......8597

September 2013       Month                  Year

Date      Miles    Total    Avge      Miles       Km

S......1.....14.....14.........14......5354........8620

Week = 117 miles = 188 km   

M.....2.....00......14........07......5354........8620 Rest day

T......3.....42......56........19......5396........8687

W.....4.....21......77........19......5417........8721

T......5.....08......85........17......5425........8734

F......6.....18.....103.......17......5443........8763

S......7.....20.....123.......18......5463........8795

S......8.....22.....145.......18......5485........8831

Week = 131 miles = 211 km

M....9.....00......145.......16......5485.......8831 Rest day

T....10....00......145.......15......5485.......8831 Rest day

W...11....43......188.......17......5528.......8900

T....12....22......210.......17......5550.......8935

F....13....18......228.......18......5568.......8964

S....14....20......248.......18......5588.......8997

S....15....09......257.......17......5597.......9011

Week = 112 miles = 180 km

M....16.....08.....263.......16.....5605.......9024

T.....17....00......263.......15.....5605.......9024 Rest day

W....18....15......278.......15.....5620.......9048

T.....19....10......288.......15.....5630.......9064

F.....20....19......307.......15.....5649.......9095

S.....21....00......307.......15.....5649.......9095 Rest day

S.....22....38......345.......16.....5687.......9156

Week = 90 miles = 145 km

M...23.....28......373......16......5715......9201

T....24.....40......413......17......5755......9265

W...25.....20......433......17......5775......9297

T....26.....20......453......17......5795......9330

F....27.....10......463......17......5805......9346

S....28.....15......478......17......5820......9370

S....29.....21......499......17......5841......9404

Week = 154 miles  =  248 km

M....30....08.....507......17......5849.......9417

October 2013       Month                  Year

Date      Miles    Total    Avge      Miles       Km

T.....1.......23.......23.......23......5872.....9454

W....2.......13.......36.......18......5885.....9475

T.....3.......00.......36.......12......5885.....9475 Rest day

F.....4.......10.......46.......12......5895.....9491
S.....5.......12.......58.......12......5907.....9510
S.....6.......19.......77.......13......5926.....9541
Week = 85 miles = 137 km

M....7.......20.......97......14......5946.....9573
T.....8.......20.....117......15......5966.....9605
W....9.......10.....127......14......5976.....9621
T....10......15.....142......14......5991.....9645
F....11.......19.....161......15......6010.....9676
S....12.......15.....176......15......6025.....9700
S....13.......23.....199......15......6048.....9737
Week = 122 miles = 196 km

M...14......21.....220.....16.......6069.....9771
T....15......15.....235.....16.......6084.....9795
W...16......40.....276.....17......6124.....9859
T....17.......00....276.....16......6124.....9859 Rest day
F....18.......17....293.....16......6141.....9887
S....19.......17....310.....16......6158.....9914
S....20.......28....338.....17......6186.....9959

Week = 138 miles = 222 km

M....21.....12.....350.....17.....6198......9979 Puncture

T.....22.....20.....370.....17.....6218.....10011

W....23.....20.....390.....17.....6238....10043

T......24.....16.....406.....17.....6254....10069

F......25.....20.....426.....17.....6274....10101

S......26.....07.....433.....17.....6281....10112

S......27.....11.....444.....16.....6292....10130

Week = 106 miles = 171 km

M....28......00.....444.....16....6292.....10130 Rest day. Storm!

T.....29......14.....458.....16....6306.....10152 Wet!

W....30......09.....467.....16....6315.....10167

T.....31......18.....485.....16....6333.....10196

November 2013       Month                  Year

Date      Miles    Total    Avge    Miles     Km

F.....1......00......00......00......6333.......10196 Rest day
S.....2......23......23......12......6356.......10233
S.....3......08......31......10......6366.......10249
Week 72 miles = 116 km

M....4.....07......38.......10.....6373.......10260
T.....5.....23......61.......12.....6396.......10297
W....6.....25......86.......14.....6421.......10338
T.....7.....26.....112......16.....6447.......10380
F.....8.....41.....153......19.....6488.......10445
S.....9.....13.....166......18.....6501.......10466
S....10....21.....187......19.....6522.......10500
Week = 156 miles = 251 km

M...11....41....228.......21....6563.......10566

T....12....00....228.......19....6563.......10566 Rest day

W...13....25....253.......19....6588.......10606
T....14....15....268.......19....6603.......10631
F....15....21....289.......19....6624.......10664
S....16....11....300.......19....6635.......10682
S....17....46....346.......20....6681.......10756
Week = 159 miles = 256 km

M...18.....07....353......20.....6688.......10767
T....19.....15....368......19.....6703.......10792
W...20.....21....389......19.....6724.......10825
T....21.....15....404.......19....6739.......10850
F....22.....14....418.......19....6753.......10872
S....23.....15....433.......19....6768.......10896
S....24.....27....460.......19....6795.......10940
Week = 114miles = 183 km

M...25....35.....495.......20.....6830......10996
T....26....41.....536.......21......6871......11062
W...27....10.....546.......20.....6881.......11078
T....28....14.....560.......20.....6895.......11101
F....29....00.....560.......19.....6895.......11101 Rest day
S....30....27.....587.......20.....6922.......11144

December 2013            Month               Year

Date      Miles    Total    Avge     Miles    Km

S....01.......21.......21......21.......6943.......11178
Week = 127 miles = 204 km

M.....2.......21.......42......21.......6964.......11212
T......3.......21.......63.......21......6985.......11246
W.....4.......10.......74.......19......6995.......11262 2 punctures
T......5.......00.......74.......15......6995.......11262 Rest day. Storm!
F......6.......00.......74.......12......6995.......11262 Gales!

S......7.......21.......95.......14......7016.......11296
S......8.......09.....104.......13......7025.......11310

M.....9.......20......124.......14.....7045........11342
T....10.......19......143.......14.....7064........11373
W...11.......17......160.......15.....7081........11400
T....12.......30......190.......16.....7111........11449
F....13.......00......190.......15.....7111........11449 Rest day
S....14.......08......198.......14.....7119........11461
S....15.......21......219.......15.....7140........11495
Week = 115 miles = 185 km

M....16......07......226.......14......7147.......11506
T....17......27......253.......15......7174.......11550
W...18......14......267.......15......7188.......11573
T....19......19......286.......15......7207.......11603
F....20......20......306.......15......7227.......11635
S....21......00......306.......15......7227.......11635 Rest day
S....22......18......324.......15......7245.......11664
Week = 105 miles = 169 km

M...23......32.....356........15......7277.......11715
T....24......00.....356........15......7277........11715 Rest day
W...25......00.....356........15......7277.......11715 Rest day
T....26......16.....372........14......7293.......11742
F....27......08.....380........14......7301.......11754
S....28......15.....395........14......7316.......11779
S....29......30.....425........15......7346.......11827
Week = 101 miles = 163 km

M...30.....21.....446........15......7367........11861
T....31.....21.....467........15......7388........11895

Rest days 46   Punctures 11      

*Longest ride in 2013:  83 miles = 134 km**** 

mileage-2012       9,910 miles 15,955 km.  19 rest days Jan to Dec.

                                  Averaging 27.15 miles/ 43.7 km per day.(m/365)

                                  Or 28.6 miles per day ignoring rest days. (m/346)

                                  Maximum distance 81 miles in one day.

mileage-2011        7,542 miles 12,142 km  26 rest days. Jan to Dec.

                                   Averaging 20.6 miles/33 km per day. (m/365)

                                   Or 22.2 miles per day ignoring rest days. (m/334)

                                   Maximum distance 59 miles in one day.

mileage-2010        9,360 miles 15,070 km 35 rest days. Jan to Dec.

                                   Averaging 25.6 miles/41 km per day.  (m/365)

                                   Or 28.4 miles per day ignoring rest days. (m/330)

                                   Maximum distance 61 miles in one day. 

Due to the vagaries of a whole series of cheap bike computers my mileages are now read from the Ventus G730 GPS logger when the data is downloaded.  Bike computers are subject to variations of tyre size and settings. Many 25mm tyres start out at 23mm and may exceed 25mm after a while. They may eventually take on a flat surface where they roll on the road. To what size tyre do you set a bike computer under these circumstances? 

*