Trike Mileage for 2010-2015

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mileage record 2015        5,796 miles, 9,3331km, Rest days 76, Punctures 6
                                            Averaging 15.9 / 25.6 km per day [m/365]
                                            Or  20 miles per day minus rest days[m/ 289]
                                            Max distance 82 miles = 132km in one day.

mileage record 2014        6,696 miles,  10,780 km, Rest days 47, Punctures 4
                                             Averaging 18.3 / 29.5 km per day (m/365)
                                             Or 21 miles per day minus rest days [m/318]
                                              Max distance 66 miles = 106 km in one day

mileage record 2013        7,388 miles, 11,895 km,  Rest days 46,   Punctures 11
                                             Averaging 20.24 miles/ 32.6 km per day (m/365)
                                             Or 23.1 miles per day minus  rest days. (m/319)      
                                             Max distance  83 miles = 134 km in one day

mileage record 2012        9,910 miles 15,955 km.  19 rest days, Punctures 10.
                                            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 = 130 km in one day.

mileage record 2011        7,542 miles 12,142 km  26 rest days, Punctures 6.
                                            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 = 95 km in one day.

mileage record 2010        9,360 miles 15,070 km 27 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 = 98 km in one day.
                                                                                        =
Distance ridden from Jan 1st 2010 to Dec 31st 2015 = 46,692  miles = 75174km
                               Average over 6 years = 7782 miles = 12,529 km per year.

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30th December 2015 Now, is the winter of our discontent!

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Wednesday 30th 40F, 4C, windy with another heavy overcast but threatens to be dry. I don't know how many miles today will bring because the forecast isn't much different from yesterday. Apart from gaining a useful couple of degrees Fahrenheit. I had agonizing pain in my hip area last night after lifting a huge, waterlogged plant tub to drain it off. I haven't had that problem so badly for several years. [The pain! Not the pot lifting.] It used to paralyze me to the spot when  I was still working. I was literally unable to change my shoes to drive home and just getting into bed was agony. So it may just be the sciatic nerve complaining again. Careful examination by several specialists following scans and X-rays showed my joints were not to blame for the pain.

I had a nose bleed in the bath last night too. Which was another regular problem just before I was forcibly retired by having my job exported to China. It may also be an excess of Christmas cake and chocolates, of course. Though I'm not admitting anything in the public domain. I haven't dared to measure my blood pressure since I refused to take regular medicine and started cycling more seriously again. Though I often wonder if "serious" is the correct word for an attention seeking old clown, like me.


I shall have to remain in pedant mode and measure the trikes today. Though a walk to burn off some calories would not go amiss providing I can match my clothing to the weather. Fortunately it wasn't remotely as cold today. I even took my gloves off at half way as I climbed a fire break in the forest and never needed them again. Sadly I disturbed the buzzards on the huge lawn again. There were six of them this morning as they flew off complaining bitterly at my disturbance. I have never seen so many buzzards together in one place. Perhaps they are family having a good year thanks to the mild weather? Hunters in the wood forced a detour back along the track instead of my usual loop.

A late morning ride of 15 miles. I'm still working on adding dimensions to two similar images of the two trikes. I was surprised to discover a 6cm difference in reach from the saddle nose to the "tops" of 'bars. Though it feels much more in practice. Logic suggests that I move the Trykit saddle rearwards to reduce the stresses on my hands. If I do that the reach increases. Heads you lose. Tails you lose. Raising the bars is the only option which will not increase the feeling of being stretched out. The irritating thing is that my reflection in shop windows suggests that I am already fairly upright. An upright stance adds considerably to wind resistance. Grr?

Thursday 31st 34F, +1C, red sky in the morning... Blowing a gale. Forecast to be a potentially bright start with cloud and rain to follow by lunchtime. A quick, early morning, photo session of the Higgins proved exactly how cold it felt outside. I should really have put the Higgins on the workstand. So I could get the top tube horizontal and the back wheels at the same level. You'll have to make do with what I could manage under the circumstances. The rain came early, putting an end to any thoughts of a ride today. So WYSIWYG in mileage for this year.

I still have chronic, lower back pain so it must be the result of being stretched on the Higgins rack. Fifteen days after my order failed to arrive and eleven days after their last response to my emails Wiggle is promising to send me a new package by express delivery. I ordered new levers on the 15th to get my Trykit back on the road. I never did have a reply from the Campag repair specialist in the UK. So it was a good job I did not rely on them!

The simplest change I could make to the Trykit would be to reverse the [already short] handlebar extension. [Stem in old money] Instead of being parallel with the ground it would become tilted up like the Higgins. This would raise the 'bar tops to about the same level as the saddle. I could then try and sneak a rearward movement of the saddle and pray the "pilot" doesn't notice. Interestingly[?] the Trykit saddle nose is only 1cm ahead of the BB axle compared with the Higgins. I dropped a plumbline while the trikes were both on a level floor. This makes no sense [at all] regarding the theory of balancing the rider with a rearward saddle position.  

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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28th December 2015 300 miles short of a sjette?

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Monday 28th 37F, 3C, a cloudy start but dry with light winds and some early sunshine threatened. I was going to go to Odense today, since I have been allowed out for normal behaviour. [Well, at least by my standards.] The problem is that parts of Odense are flooded on my intended route. The southerly Ring Road is not expected to drain until Thursday after heavy rain. There has been flooding in parts of Denmark as well as the worst in 70 years in the UK. Cameron is being criticized in the media and online for cutting flood defense spending. The Danish PM is also safely tucked up into a tax free, private palace. Perks of the job, it seems, but presumably well above the flood of criticism. Please god, he takes no more bike rides. Denmark can't afford it! All is [really] not well in Elysium. Meanwhile, back in my real world, I am still working hard on my annual mileage figures. "Must try harder" was an ironic foresight into abject failure to add up correctly! I feel so inadequate! By the way, sjette means sixth in Danish. As in: A [sixth] thousand miles for the year. It just had a nice ring to it. ;o)

Gave Odense a miss because of the flooding and shops likely to be packed with shoppers returning presents. Rode down to Fåborg on the coast road and back inland. Light headwind going. Crosswind coming back. Lots of flooding on the fields and the river banks were hidden by rushing brown water or lost in a lake as far as the eye could see. The birds seem to be enjoying it. Countless gulls and lots of swans were out on the new, extended, wetlands. I wore my best bibs and had no discomfort on the Vetta SL on the Higgins. Still no sign of the package from Wiggle ordered on the 15th. Still no response from Wiggle to my emails.

I was sweating for most of the day in the old Esse, my warmest, winter cycling jacket. The GripGrab winter cap was too warm too so I put the thinner one on. Then changed the cold and horribly sweaty, Dintex scooter gloves for the much thinner GripGrab. These felt cool at first but were soon fine and remained comfortable for the rest of the ride. The temperature didn't change from about 37F all day but became progressively more cloudy, depressing and dull after a bright start. I swapped my lightest  sunglasses for yellow before 12.00. Only 44 miles. I had planned to do more but decided that returning before dusk was the better part of valour.

Tuesday 29th 37-39F, 3-4C, 30mph roaring gales, very heavy overcast. Yesterday was quite comfortable at 37F in light winds. Today it was absolutely perishing just going for a walk! Even with [GripGrab] gloves my hands were soon aching with cold. Having disturbed four Buzzards on a field-sized lawn I turned round and was back at home just half an hour after leaving. I visited the shed a couple of times huddled into a thick duvet jacket but the will to go out on the trike was just not there today. Repeat after me children: Wind chill!! I see the Schwalbe Durano tyres on the Higgins have a blue center stripe from being worn down to the puncture resistant strip.

The Higgins feels very different to the Trykit. This is partly due to the narrower rear wheel track but the steering is more sensitive than the Trykit too. Though still very safe and perfectly stable on bends and roundabouts despite my misgivings when I first started triking again. The more backward bottom bracket feels slightly odd after riding only the Trykit for a while. The problem with the Trykit is being bashed [gently ] on the bum by the nose of the saddle when climbing out of the saddle or sprinting. The images show the difference in saddle position relative to a perpendicular raised from the BB. The saddle is about 2" further forwards on the Trykit than on the Higgins.

When I ordered my Trykit I was suffering from constant back pain. Geoff Booker did all he could to reduce my sense of being constantly stretched out. Which is what I blamed for my back pain. It seemed to work at the time but I had to keep shortening the A-head stem [extension] until I could reduce it no more. The back pain has subsided but I never followed up on adjusting my riding position or even thinking about it very much. Considering the hours I spend on the trike most days I should have thought harder.

There is far more weight on my hands on the Trykit. Though I think the bars are actually higher on the Trykit. I didn't suffer any pain [at all] in my hands on the Higgins yesterday. Unfortunately it is quite normal to have hand pain on the Trykit. I remember reading somewhere that a rearward saddle position actually relieves the hands of the rider's weight. The author suggested that the rider's rear end [BBBB bum behind the bottom bracket] helps to balance the forward lean of the torso. Whereas, with a forward saddle, the torso can only be supported by the hands because the BB is no longer supporting the rider's torso by reacting to pedal forces. If you treat the BB as a fulcrum the rider's weight all falls forward of the BB.

Weird, I just had a memory flashback of having experienced a similar and chronic hand pain problem when I was a teenager. I had read somewhere that a very forward saddle position was faster because it put the rider's weight over the BB. Our "hero" promptly adjusted his saddle right forwards to cause [inevitable] hand pain and has never really looked back.

I shall have to measure both machines side by side to see where the dimensional differences lie in reach and the relative height of the saddle and handlebars. I have collected a small range of handlebar extensions as I tried to shorten the reach on both machines. One of these might help. The main problem is the old fart upstairs doesn't like an upright position even when he should embrace one for greater comfort. He still thinks he's a teenager with absolutely no plans to grow up. Maturity beckons but is rarely acknowledged.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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Mileage for 2015 Must try harder!

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My hand built Reynolds R931 frame/R953 forks, stainless steel, 2WD Trykit trike. 

Brooks B17 "Special" saddle, Spa 42/33 chainset & 22 speed Campagnolo gears.
Halo rims, Schwalbe Durano 700x25c tyres & DIY leather saddlebag.
[Click image for enlargement.]

January 2015                        Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Thur.........1.........00.............00.............00..............00.............00  Rest day
Frid.........2..........00.............00.............00..............00.............00  Rest day
Sat...........3..........15.............15.............05..............15.............24  Sigma
Sun..........4..........22.............37.............09..............37.............60
Week = 80 miles = 129 km

Mon........5..........15.............52.............10..............52.............83
Tues.......6...........14.............66.............11..............66...........106
Wed.......7...........54............120............17.............120...........193
Thur.......8...........00............120............15.............120...........193  Rest day
Frid........9...........03............123...........14.............123...........198  Aero-bars Storm
Sat........10...........00............123...........12.............123...........198  Rest day      "
Sun........11..........13............136...........12.............136...........219
Week = 99 miles = 159 km

Mon......12.........00............136.............11.............136...........219  Rest day
Tues......13.........07............143.............11.............143...........230
Wed......14.........00............143.............10.............143...........230  Rest day
Thur......15.........00............143.............10.............143...........230  Rest day
Frid.......16.........07............150.............09.............150...........241
Sat........17..........15............165.............10.............165...........265
Sun.......18..........13............178.............10.............178...........286
Week = 42 miles = 67 km

Mon.....19...........00............178.............09.............178...........286  Rest day
Tues.....20...........00............178.............09.............178...........286  Rest day
Wed.....21...........16............194.............09.............194...........312
Thur.....22...........26............220............10..............220...........354
Frid......23...........20............240............10..............240...........386
Sat.......24...........00............240............10..............240...........386  Rest day [snow]
Sun......25...........14.............254............10..............254...........409
Week = 76 miles = 122 km

Mon.....26...........00............254.............10..............254...........409  Rest day
Tues.....27..........24.............278.............10..............278...........448
Wed.....28..........00.............278.............10..............278...........448  Rest day
Thur.....29..........00.............278.............10..............278...........448  Rest day
Frid.......30.........19.............297.............10..............297...........478
Sat........31..........26.............323.............10..............323...........520

Month = 323 miles = 520 km
February 2015                        Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Sun...... 1.............16............16.............16................339............546
Week = 85 miles = 137 km

Mon......2.............13............29.............15................352...........567
Tues......3.............18............47.............16................370...........596
Wed......4.............18............65.............16................388...........625
Thur......5.............07............72.............14................395...........636
Frid.......6.............21............93.............16................416...........670
Sat........7.............15...........108.............15................431...........694
Sun.......8.............19...........127.............16................450...........724
Week = 111 miles 179 km

Mon......9.............12............139............15................462...........744
Tues.....10............00............139........... 14................462...........744  Rest day
Wed......11............15............154............14................477...........768
Thur.....12............23............177............15................500...........805
Frid......13...........38.............215............17................538...........866
Sat.......14............00.............215............15................538...........866  Rest day
Sun......15............00.............215............14................538...........866  Rest day
Week = 88 miles = 142 km

Mon......16...........13............228............14................551...........887
Tues......17...........18...........246.............14...............569............916
Wed......18...........20...........266.............15...............589...........972
Thur.....19............07...........273.............14...............596...........959
Frid.......20...........00...........273.............14...............596...........959 Rest day
Sat........21............00...........273.............13..............596...........959 Rest day
Sun.......22............10...........283.............13..............606...........975 Puncture
Week = 68 miles = 109 km

Mon.....23.............00.............283..........12...............606............975 Rest day
Tues.....24.............13.............296..........12...............619............997
Wed.....25.............23.............319..........13...............642..........1034
Thur.....26.............17.............336...........13..............659..........1061
Fri........27.............10.............346...........13..............669..........1077
Sat........28.............19.............365...........13..............688..........1108
Month = 365 miles 588 km

March 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Sun.........01.........00.............00.............00............688...........1108 Rest day
Week = 82 miles =  132km

Mon.......02..........17............17.............08.............705...........1135
Tues......03...........07............24.............08.............712...........1146
Wed......04...........00............24.............06.............712...........1146 Rest day
Thur......05...........29............53.............10.............741...........1193
Frid.......06...........18............71.............12.............759...........1222
Sat.........07...........10............81.............12.............769...........1238
Sun........08...........41..........122.............15.............810...........1304
Week = 122 miles = 196 km.

Mon......09...........40...........162.............18.............850...........1368
Tues......10...........15...........177.............18.............865...........1392
Wed......11...........21...........198.............18.............886...........1426
Thu.......12...........30...........228.............19.............916...........1475
Frid.......13...........13...........241.............19.............929...........1496
Sat........14...........15...........256.............18.............944...........1520
Sun.......15...........14...........270.............18.............958...........1542
Week = 148 miles = 238 km

Mon......16..........23...........293.............18.............981...........1579
Tues......17..........66...........359.............21...........1047...........1686 **
Wed......18..........24...........383.............21...........1071...........1724
Thur......19..........27...........410.............22...........1098...........1768 Athena 11
Frid.......20..........31...........441.............22...........1129...........1818
Sat.........21..........00...........441.............20...........1129...........1818 Rest day
Sun........22..........50...........491.............22...........1179...........1898
Week = 221 miles = 355 km

Mon.......23.........21............512.............22...........1200............1932
Tues......24.........20............532.............22...........1220............1964
Wed......25.........70............602.............24............1290............2077 ****
Thur......26.........17............619.............24............1307............2104
Frid.......27.........17............636.............24............1324............2132
Sat........28..........16............652.............23............1340............2157
Sun.......29..........21............673.............23............1361............2191
Week = 182 miles = 293 km

Mon..... 30..........10...........683.............23............1371............2207
Tues......31..........00...........683.............22............1371............2207 Rest day Snow
Month = 683 miles = 1100 km

April 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Wed......01..........00............00...............00...........1371...........2207 Rest day Gales
Thur......02..........22............22...............11...........1393...........2243
Frid.......03..........40............62...............20...........1433...........2307
Sat........04...........19............81...............20...........1452...........2338
Sun.......05...........48..........129...............26...........1500...........2415
Week = 139 miles = 224 km

Mon.......06.........14...........143.............24............1514...........2437
Tues......07..........25...........168.............24............1539...........2478
Wed......08..........26...........194.............24.............1565..........2520
Thur......09..........15...........209.............23............1580...........2544
Frid.......10..........63...........272.............27............1643...........2645
Sat.........11..........20...........292.............27............1663...........2677
Sun........12..........07...........299.............25............1670...........2689
Week = 170 miles = 274 km

Mon.......13..........13..........312..............24............1683...........2710
Tues......14...........10..........322..............23............1693...........2726
Wed......15...........06..........328..............22............1699...........2735
Thur......16...........13..........341...............21...........1712...........2756
Frid.......17...........00..........341..............20............1712...........2756 Rest day
Sat.........18...........18..........359..............20............1730...........2785
Sun........19...........10..........369..............19............1740...........2801 Puncture
Week = 70 miles = 112 km

Mon......20...........43.........412...............21.............1783..........2871
Tues......21...........27.........439...............21.............1810..........2914
Wed......22...........24.........463...............21.............1834..........2953
Thur......23...........21.........484...............21.............1855..........2986
Frid.......24..........18..........502...............21.............1873..........3015
Sat........25...........12..........514...............21.............1885..........3035
Sun.......26...........00..........514...............20.............1885..........3035 Rest day
Week = 145 miles = 233 km

Mon.....27..........57............571..............21..............1942.........3126 
Tues.....28.........12.............583..............21..............1954.........3146
Wed.....29..........07............590..............20..............1961.........3157
Thur.....30..........34............624..............21..............1995.........3212 
Month = 624 miles = 1004 km

May 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Frid......01.........00............00.................00..............1995.........3212 Rest day.
Sat........02.........49............49.................24..............2044.........3291
Sun.......03.........59..........108.................36..............2103.........3386
Week = 218 miles = 351 km

Mon.....04..........13...........121................30..............2116.........3407
Tues.....05..........00...........121................24..............2116.........3407 Rest day
Wed.....06..........15...........136................23..............2131.........3431
Thur.....07..........19...........155................22..............2150.........3461
Frid.....08...........13...........168................21..............2163.........3482 Cambium C17
Sat.......09...........23...........191................21..............2186.........3519
Sun......10...........31............222...............22..............2217.........3569 NOT Cambium!
Week = 114 miles = 183 km

Mon......11..........12..........234...............21.............2229............3589
Tues.....12...........12..........246...............21.............2241............3608
Wed.....13...........07..........253...............19.............2248............3619
Thur.....14...........24..........277...............20.............2272............3658
Frid......15...........47..........324...............22.............2319............3733
Sat........16...........07..........331...............21.............2326............3745
Sun.......17...........00..........331...............19.............2326............3745 Rest day dizzy!
Week = 109 miles = 175 km

Mon......18...........00...........331.............18............2326..............3745 Rest day dizzy
Tues......19...........07..........338..............18............2333..............3756 Puncture
Wed......20...........15..........353..............18............2348..............3780
Thur......21...........00..........353..............17............2348..............3781 Rest day
Frid......22............00..........353..............16............2348..............3781 Rest day
Sat........23............07..........360..............16............2355..............3792
Sun.......24............07..........367...............15...........2362..............3803 
Week = 36 miles = 58 km

Mon......25...........18..........385..............15..........2380................3832
Tues......26...........15..........400..............15..........2395................3856
Wed......27...........10..........410..............15..........2405................3872
Thur......28...........15..........425..............15..........2420................3896
Frid.......29...........21..........446..............15..........2441................3930
Sat.........30...........15..........461..............15..........2456................3954
Sun........31...........62..........523..............17..........2518................4054
Week = 156 miles = 251 km

June 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Mon......01...........00............00..............00...........2518..............4054 Rest day
Tues.....02............00............00..............00...........2518..............4054 Rest day
Wed.....03............16............16..............05...........2534..............4080
Thur.....04............82............98..............24...........2616..............4212 *****
Frid......05............21..........119..............24...........2637..............4245
Sat........06............07..........126..............21...........2644.............4257
Sun.......07............22..........148..............21...........2666.............4292
Week = 148 miles = 238 km

Mon......08...........07...........155...............19...........2673.............4303
Tues......09...........21...........176...............20...........2694.............4337
Wed......10...........42...........218...............22...........2736.............4405
Thur......11...........10...........228...............21...........2746.............4421
Frid.......12...........30...........258...............22...........2776.............4469
Sat.........13...........15...........273...............21...........2791.............4493
Sun........14...........00...........273...............20...........2791.............4493 Rest day
Week = 125 miles = 201 km

Mon......15...........19............292................19..........2810.............4524
Tues......16...........14............306................19..........2824.............4547
Wed......17...........07............313................18..........2831.............4558
Thur......18...........23............336................19..........2854.............4595
Frid.......19............21............357................19.........2875.............4629
Sat.........20...........15............372................19.........2890..............4653
Sun........21...........25............397................19.........2915..............4693
Week = 124 miles = 200 km

Mon......22.............07...........404...............18..........2922..............4704
Tues......23.............57...........461...............20..........2979..............4796
Wed......24.............10...........471...............20..........2989..............4812
Thur......25.............22...........493...............20..........3011..............4848
Frid.......26.............40..........533................21..........3051..............4912
Sat.........27.............15..........548...............20..........3066..............4936
Sun........28.............00..........548...............20..........3066..............4936 Rest day
Week = 151 miles = 243 km

Mon.....29.............14.............562.............19.........3080...............4959
Tues.....30.............34.............596.............20.........3114...............5013
Month = 596 miles = 959 km

July 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Wed......01..............21.............21............21............3135.............5047
Thur.....02..............22.............43.............21............3157.............5082
Frid......03..............08.............51............17.............3165.............5096
Sat........04..............28.............79............20.............3193.............5141
Sun.......05..............32...........111............22.............3225.............5192
Week = 111 miles = 179 km

Mon......06..............14...........125............21............3239............5215
Tues......07..............10...........135............19............3249............5231
Wed......08..............00...........135............17............3249............5231 Rest day
Thur......09..............00...........135............15............3249............5231 Rest day
Frid......10...............21...........156............16............3270............5265
Sat........11...............64...........220............20............3334............5368 *
Sun.......12...............19...........239............20............3353............5398
Week = 128 miles = 206 km

Mon......13..............12...........251............19...........3365.............5418
Tues......14..............16...........267............19...........3381.............5443
Wed......15..............00...........267.............18..........3381..............5443 Rest day
Thur......16..............51...........318.............20..........3432..............5525
Frid.......17...............11...........329............19..........3443..............5543
Sat........18...............18...........347.............19.........3461..............5572
Sun.......19...............16...........363.............19.........3477..............5598
Week = 124 miles = 200 km

Mon......20..............00...........363............18..........3477..............5598 Rest day
Tues..... 21..............00...........363............17..........3477..............5598 Rest day
Wed......22..............16............379............17..........3493..............5624
Thur......23.............26............405............18..........3519...............5665
Frid......24..............67............472............20..........3586...............5773 ***
Sat........25..............00............472............19..........3586...............5773 Rest day
Sun.......26..............17............489............19..........3603...............5801
Week = 126 miles = 203 km

Mon......27.............00............489............18.........3603..............5801 Manflu
Tues......28.............00............489............17.........3603..............5801 Recovery
Wed......29.............00............489............17.........3603..............5801 Recovery 2
Thur......30.............10............499............17.........3613..............5817
Frid......31..............00...........499.............16.........3613..............5817 Recovery 3

August 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Sat.........01.........07.............07.............07............3620...........5828
Sun........02.........00.............07.............3.5...........3620...........5828 Recovering
Week = 17 miles = 27 km

Mon......03.........07.............14..............05............3627...........5839
Tues......04.........07.............21..............05............3634...........5851
Wed......05.........26.............47..............09............3660...........5892
Thur......06.........15.............62..............10............3675...........5917
Frid.......07.........26.............88..............13............3701...........5959
Sat.........08........13...........101...............13...........3714............5979
Sun........09........47...........148...............16...........3761............6055
Week = 141 miles = 227 km

Mon......10..........00...........148...............15...........3761...........6055 Rest day
Tues......11..........07............155..............14...........3768...........6066
Wed.......12.........00............155..............13...........3768...........6066 Rest day
Thur.......13.........15............170..............13...........3783...........6091
Frid.......14..........07............177..............13...........3790...........6102
Sat.........15..........07...........184..............12............3797..........6113
Sun........16.........56............240..............15............3853..........6203
Week = 92 miles  = 148km

Mon......17.........07............247................15............3860..........6215
Tues......18.........24............271................15............3884..........6253
Wed......19.........24............295................16............3908..........6292
Thur......20.........50............345................17............3958..........6272
Frid.......21.........14............359................17............3972..........6395
Sat........22..........12............371................17............3984..........6414
Sun.......23..........10...........381................17.............3994..........6430 Fire!
Week = 141 miles = 227 km

Mon......24.........07............388................16............4001..........6442
Tues......25.........00............388................16............4001..........6442 Rest day
Wed......26.........00............388................15............4001..........6442 Rest day
Thur......27.........14............402................15............4015..........6464
Frid.......28.........26............428................15............4041..........6506 Puncture
Sat........29.........28............456.................16............4069..........6551 New Duranos
Sun.......30.........00............456.................15............4069..........6551 Rest day
Week = 75 miles = 121km

Mon......31.........15............471...............15............4084...........6575

September 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Tues......01............00............00..............00............4084...........6575 Rest day
Wed......02............13............13...............07............4097...........6596
Thur......03............24............37..............12............4121...........6635
Frid.......04............00............37..............09............4121...........6635
Sat........05.............22............59..............12............4143...........6670
Sun.......06............ 14............73..............12............4157...........6693
Week = 88 miles = 142 km

Mon.....07............ 21............94...............13...........4178...........6727
Tues.....08.............13..........107...............13...........4191...........6747
Wed......09............56...........163...............18..........4247...........6838
Thur.....10.............07...........170...............17..........4254...........6849
Frid......11.............20...........190...............17..........4274...........6881
Sat.......12.............15............205..............17..........4289...........6905
Sun......13.............22...........227...............17..........4311...........6941
Week = 154 miles = 248 km

Mon......14...........14............241..............17..........4325...........6963
Tues......15...........15............256..............17..........4340...........6987
Wed......16...........10............266..............17..........4350...........7004
Thur......17...........00............266.............16...........4350...........7004 Rest day
Frid.......18...........00...........266..............15...........4350...........7004 Rest day
Sat.........19..........30............296.............16...........4380............7052
Sun........20..........17............313.............16...........4397............7079
Week = 86 miles = 138 km

Mon......21..........00...........313...............15.........4397...........7079 Rest day
Tues......22..........07...........320...............15.........4404............7090
Wed......23..........14............334...............15.........4418...........7113
Thur......24..........00...........334...............14..........4418...........7113 Rest day
Frid.......25..........07...........341...............14..........4425...........7124
Sat........26..........22............363...............14.........4447...........7160
Sun.......27..........14............377...............14.........4461...........7182
Week = 64 miles 103 km

Mon......28...........00...........377...............13.........4461...........7182 Sick day!
Tues......29...........00...........377...............13.........4461...........7182 Recovery
Wed......30...........09...........386................13........4470............7197

October 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Thur........01.........17.............17.............17...........4487...........7224
Frid.........02.........07.............24.............12...........4494...........7235
Sat..........03.........17..............41.............14...........4511...........7263
Sun.........04.........10..............51.............13...........4521...........7279
Week = 60 miles = 97 km

Mon........05.........40.............91............18...........4561...........7343
Tues........06.........15...........106............18...........4576...........7367 Green light!
Wed........07..........00..........106............15...........4576............7367 Rest day
Thur........08.........38...........144............18..........4614............7429
Frid.........09.........10...........154............17..........4624............7445
Sat..........10..........39...........193............19..........4663............7507
Sun.........11..........00...........193............18..........4663............7507 Rest day
Week = 142 Miles = 229 km

Mon.......12..........20...........213.............18..........4683............7540
Tues.......13..........00...........213.............16..........4683............7540 Rest day
Wed........14.........10...........223..............16.........4693.............7556
Thur.......15..........00..........223..............15..........4693.............7556
Frid........16..........18...........24...............15..........4711.............7585
Sat..........17..........19..........260..............15.........4730.............75615
Sun.........18..........26..........286..............16.........4756.............7657
Week = 93 miles = 150 km

Mon.......19..........00...........286............15.........4756.............7657 Rest day
Tues.......20..........54...........340............17.........4810.............7744
Wed.......21..........07...........347............17.........4817.............7755
Thurs.....22..........00...........347............16.........4817.............7755 Rest day
Frid........23.........22...........369.............16.........4839.............7791
Sat.........24..........17...........386............16.........4856.............7818
Sun........25..........08...........394............16.........4864.............7831
Week = 108 miles = 174 km

Mon.......26...........20...........414............16 .........4884............7863
Tues.......27...........40...........454............17..........4924............7928
Wed.......28...........12...........466.............17.........4936............7947
Thur......29...........23...........489.............17.........4959.............7984
Frid.......30...........59...........548.............18.........5018.............8079
Sat.........31...........16..........564.............18..........5034.............8105

November 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Sun........01...........38............38..............38.........5072............8166
Week = 208 miles = 335 km

Mon.......02...........00............38..............19.........5072...........8166 Rest day
Tues.......03...........09............47..............15.........5081...........8180
Wed.......04...........13............60...............15........5094...........8201
Thur.......05...........17............77...............15........5111...........8229
Frid........06...........00............77...............13........5111...........8229 Rest day
Sat..........07...........23..........100..............14.........5134...........8266 Puncture
Sun.........08...........00..........100..............12.........5134...........8266 Rest day
Week = 62 miles = 100 km

Mon.......09...........10..........110..............12.........5144...........8282
Tues.......10...........00..........110..............11.........5144...........8282 Rest day
Wed........11...........15..........125..............11.........5159...........8306
Thur.......12............15..........140..............12.........5174...........8330
Frid........13............00..........140..............11.........5174...........8330 Rest day
Sat..........14...........20..........160..............11..........5194..........8362
Sun.........15...........21..........181..............12.........5215...........8396
Week = 81 miles = 130 km

Mon........16............00..........181.............11.........5215..........8396 Rest day
Tues........17............19..........200.............12.........5234..........8427
Wed........18............14..........214..............12........5248..........8449
Thur........19............07..........221..............11........5255..........8461
Frid.........20............50..........271..............14........5305..........8557 Gear cable broke
Sat..........21............10..........281..............13........5315..........8557
Sun.........22............00..........281..............13........5315..........8557 Rest day snow storm.
Week = 100miles = 161 km

Mon........23...........07...........288..............13........5322..........8568
Tues........24...........00...........288..............12.........5322.........8568 Rest day
Wed.........25...........07...........295..............12........5329..........8580
Thur........26...........44...........339..............13.........5373..........8650
Frid.........27...........15............354..............13........5388..........8675
Sat..........28............19...........373..............13........5407...........8705 Puncture
Sun.........29............00...........373..............13........5407...........8705 Rest day
Week = 92 miles = 148 km

Mon.......30.............00...........373.............12........5407...........9088 Rest day

December 2015                                     Monthly                  For Year

Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Tues........01........15..............15................8............5422...........9145
Wed........02........07..............22................7............5429...........9156
Thur.......03.........00..............22................6............5429...........9156 Rest day
Frid........04........10...............32................6............5439...........9172
Sat.........05.........00..............32................5............5439.........9172 Rest day Storm!
Sun........06.........00..............32................5............5439..........9172 Rest day Storm!
Week = 32 miles = 52 km

Mon.......07.........26..............58...............8.............5465..........8799
Tues.......08.........07..............63...............8.............5472..........8810
Wed.......09.........23..............89...............9..............5495..........8847
Thur......10..........00..............89...............9..............5495..........8847 Rest day
Frid.......11..........14............103...............9..............5509..........8869
Sat........12..........49............152.............12..............5558..........8948
Sun.......13..........54............206.............16..............5612..........9035
Week = 173 miles = 278 km

Mon.......14.........07............213.............15.............5619..........9047
Tues.......15.........14............227.............15.............5633..........9069
Wed.......16.........07............234.............14.............5640..........9080
Thur.......17.........00............234.............14.............5640..........9080 Rest day
Frid........18.........10............244.............13.............5650..........9096
Sat.........19.........15............259.............13.............5665..........9121
Sun........20.........19............278.............14.............5684..........9151
Week =  72 miles = 116 km

Mon.......21........07.............285..............13...........5691..........9162
Tues.......22........00.............285..............13...........5691..........9162 Rest day
Wed.......23........15.............300..............13...........5706..........9187
Thur.......24........21.............321..............13...........5727..........9636
Frid........25........00.............321..............13...........5727..........9220 Rest day
Sat.........26.........00.............321.............12............5727..........9220 Rest day
Sun........27.........10.............331.............12............5737..........9237
Week = 53 mile = 85 km

Mon......28.........44.............375..............13............5781..........9307
Tues......29.........00.............375..............13............5781..........9307 Gales! Rest day.
Wed......30.........15.............390...............13............5796.........9331
Thur......31.........00.............390...............13............5796.........9331 Rest day


Month's miles: Jan = 323 Feb = 365 Mar = 683 Apr = 624 May = 523 June = 596
July = 499 August = 471 September 386 October = 564 November = 373 Dec = 390
 
Rest days 76.  Punctures 6   Longest ride this year 82 miles / 132 km *****

I missed recording a day's mileage months back and have had to go right through correcting all the figures! I hope they are now correct.

mileage record 2015         5,796 miles, 9,3331km, Rest days 76, Punctures 6
                                          Averaging 15.9 / 25.6 km per day [m/365]
                                          Or  20 miles per day minus rest days[m/ 289]
                                          Max distance 82 miles = 132km in one day.

mileage record 2014         6,696 miles,  10,780 km, Rest days 47, Punctures 4
                                           Averaging 18.3 / 29.5 km per day (m/365)
                                           Or 21 miles per day minus rest days [m/318]
                                            Max distance 66 miles = 106 km in one day

mileage record 2013         7,388 miles, 11,895 km,  Rest days 46,   Punctures 11
                                           Averaging 20.24 miles/ 32.6 km per day (m/365)
                                           Or 23.1 miles per day minus  rest days. (m/319)      
                                           Max distance  83 miles = 134 km in one day

mileage record 2012        9,910 miles 15,955 km.  19 rest days, Punctures 10.
                                          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 = 130 km in one day.

mileage record 2011        7,542 miles 12,142 km  26 rest days, Punctures 6.
..........                                 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 = 95 km in one day.

mileage record 2010        9,360 miles 15,070 km 27 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 = 98 km in one day.

Distance ridden from Jan 1st 2010 to Dec 31st 2014 = 40, 896 miles = 65,842 km
                               Average = 8179 miles / 13,168 km per year.

*

22nd December 2015 Merry Christmas to all my readers and followers!

*

Tuesday 22nd 44-46F, 7-8C, overcast, leading to rain mid-morning with a good dollop of wind to add to the misery. It is supposed to clear up again this afternoon but I shan't be holding my breath. Rain on. Rain off. Blowing a gale too! Briefly tidied the shed in search of a chainstay cable stop. The drive was so soggy that I needed floats on the recycling bin. Null points all round.

Wednesday 23rd 48-50F, 9-10C, windy, rather overcast with weak sunny periods. Did my usual walk up through the woods and back via the road. I disturbed a couple of Buzzards in a field hedge tree. They climbed rapidly together and went off into the wind.

It was spitting with rain and the wind roaring in the trees as I set off on the Higgins in the late morning. Fortunately it was mostly a crosswind. A slightly helpful one going but more of a hindrance on the way back. Every time a vehicle passed I had to steady the Higgins trike to stay on course. Most vehicles have a wind shadow and the larger ones a serious bow wave to boot. The forces can be quite surprising if one its not expecting it. The vicious gusts increased all the while I was out. Even knocking over some display stands outside a supermarket and scattering goods across the car park. Only 15 miles.

Young man killed by inattentive cyborg! A young man died instantly while walking home with his family Christmas tree aided by his father. The cyborg was supposed to be driving a car but was reported to have become inattentive after it had a mobile [sic] phone surgically welded to its "person." There was no mention if the cyborg was damaged in "the accident". Denmark is heavily populated with cyborgs. I see them driving everywhere I go.

Thursday 24th 42-44F, 6-7C, windy, clear overnight, then clouded over but supposed to be a little sunshine this morning. 30mph gusts again later. Remaining rather cool and grey so far. Just an hour's walk today. Intending to go out on the Higgins after coffee. Nine days and still no sign of the Wiggle package I need to get the Trykit roadworthy again. No post today or tomorrow and even Saturday is an official holiday. [Anden Juledag = Second Christmas day or Boxing Day] Which is followed by Sunday...

Cool, windy with occasional weak sunshine on my ride. A clockwise loop between several village supermarkets. Lots of birds of prey about today. Lanes quiet, main roads busy. 21 miles.

Friday 25th 42F, 6C, windy, but promise of some sunshine. The sky is clear at 8.0 am. It was a sunny day but perishing in the wind.

Saturday 26th 44F, 7C, overcast, continuous rain forecast for the whole day but with light winds. Very, very wet! Puddles were appearing on the lawn and the drive was like a stream.

Sunday 27th 50F, 10C, windy and overcast. The Danish fire brigade has been ferrying pumps around the country to fight floods from yesterday's heavy rain. It is suppose to rain all morning then clear later.There was a glimpse of sunshine after lunch but I haven't seen so much flooding in the fields before now. Just a short loop mid afternoon for 10 miles. Only 5 miles short of 6000 for the year if my maths is correct.

Whoops! I shall have to find time to go through my annual mileage figures to find any errors. The month's totals just don't add up to the year's. In fact I had made several mistakes in the running, annual mileage column. The week and monthly totals should have matched the annual figures but didn't.

I usually do the mileage page after I have finished writing the day's post. I often do the blog when I am tired but the day's events [or thoughts] are still fresh. If I leave it I shall have forgotten everything by the morning. It seems I am several hundred miles out on the annual total and have had to amend almost every single figure in the total mileage column. I am now working through the kilometer totals. The upside is that I gained 100 miles but lost rather a lot more. It is ironic that I am absolutely hopeless at simple addition but used to write maths and trig based optical design software for a hobby.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

*

21st December 2015 A plea for a happy chain.

*

Monday 21st 48F, 9C, breezy, overcast. Some sunshine is promised but such threats are rarely carried out. No walk. Only a short ride in very gusty conditions following endless delays for showers to pass. Only 7 miles. It is expected to gust to over 45mph tonight.

Am I alone in wanting an online purchase to follow the traditional ritual of buying something from a bricks and mortar shop? It is all but impossible to obtain some items from ordinary bike shops in Denmark. So I place my order online and wait for the postman. As soon as I place my order I expect a message confirming my order with thanks for my custom. Not in half and hour and most certainly not next day or the week after. Nothing less is remotely polite in my opinion. A bike shop would be sorely tried to stay in business if it did not thank customers for their purchase. No matter how small it might be.

It is normal human behaviour to exchange thanks for service and goods on both sides of the bargain. Many might think the checkout girl, or boy, is too humble to be worthy of thanks. Yet they exchange a period of their strictly limited lifespan to serve you. Walking away without any response, now matter how brief their service, demeans you as a human being. Self respect breeds respect for others. Good manners cost nothing but a second's thought. Less if you make it a default and sincere habit. The Danes have so many ways of saying thanks that very many of them can't be arsed to use even one of them at the checkout! You get the same problem in the UK when holding doors open for delusional demigods and goddesses. Did you just let the trash out? 

Once my online order is handled I then expect an email confirming dispatch. The sooner the better and the item had better be in stock, or instantly available from remote storage, or I consider it blatant fraud. It is taking money under false pretenses, in my book, not to tell the customer if instant gratification is not available. Instant cancellation of our order should be a default option until the customer accepts the dealer's lax timekeeping and crap ordering system in exchange for their honesty. The dealer has deprived the customer of their chance to shop elsewhere to obtain swifter service. This is an extremely serious matter in my opinion! In the high street an absence of stock is an irritation but means you can still go down the road and buy from another outlet.

Some online dealers do it perfectly. Their communications are flawless, rapid, to the point and always polite. Who cares if it is a computer generated form provided they took the trouble to get it right and then kept polishing out any flaws which cropped up with experience. Nothing less is expected but it is [most surprisingly] rarely the case. There are a certain few, online Danish bike parts dealers who one can almost guarantee will have the goods in your hands the very next morning. Others have an altogether more "relaxed" attitude to sales, customers and timely delivery.

Quoting a tracking number and then not dispatching. Or failing to provide one when tracking is promised is a mortal business sin as far as I am concerned. I want to be recognized, pampered and the door to be opened and held  for me if I make a larger purchase.

The arrival of a cheerful delivery man in our drive is a bonus. We get several different international freight companies delivering our orders as well as the Danish Post Office drivers. Of late they have all been remarkably polite and friendly. This brief but vital relationship concludes the final part of the formal bargain made with the online vendor with a warm glow. You might call it an impression in a wax seal.

I know the online box shifters can't guarantee their postman or delivery driver is having a good day. Though his or her employer had better understand the implications of stiff competition in the online marketplace. If the carrier isn't actively teaching their staff how to behave towards customers then they damned well ought to be! The delivery agent is the final stage in a customer's purchase and will fix how the customer feels about that particular item for as long it remains theirs. It will hopefully make them feel all warm and satisfied. Or, the complete opposite, and become ultra-critical of the slightest fault or blemish. Simply because they were poorly treated at the door or the gate!

This has serious implications for employing costly customer relationship staff and the expense of generating apologies and organizing and paying for returns and replacements. If a carrier is a well known time-waster and given to dumping parcels unattended in public view then surely the online dealer should select an alternative carrier? With the vast majority of couples both being out at work during the day isn't it high time that deliveries were better organized to match this fixed reality? Why is there no legal provision for package containers to be fixed outside houses?

Then there is the problem of online review websites which score dealers on their performance. Some businesses seem to completely ignore their critics as their performance rating nosedives. Others, who get it right, far more often than not, can cheerfully point every customer at the scoring site. Confident that they have done everything humanly possible to make their customer relationships as near to perfect as they can manage at a distance.

This post was instigated by the ordering of an expensive item from a large and well known bike company in the UK. It is now 6 days since their email confirming dispatch. The carrier's tracking website has yet to recognise the tracking number. Since it is already apologizing for this lack of recognition, before any number is entered, one can only assume that it will never recognise any tracking number. It does not even have the basic intelligence to tell me when I am entering complete gibberish into their waiting box!

The online dealer asks that I remain patient until their chosen carrier finally gets around to confirming they have the goods in hand. The problem is I haven't a clue who their carrier might be! They haven't told me in their catch-all email confirmation of dispatch! I have had goods delivered within 2 days of ordering from the UK when an online dealer really cared about service. Though three days is the normal delivery time based on two decades of experience.

Needless to say I shall not be ordering from this online dealer again. Nor from any dealer employing this particular carrier. Had the carrier, and online dealer,  done their part I would have been perfectly willing to accept delays at this very busy time of year. Perhaps the carrier is not involved at all? I have been given a tracking number but the dealer's own website says my order been sent un-tracked. Which seems very unlikely at this price point.

Can you see where all this confusion is leading? Somebody really didn't care enough to get it right. It's only a job. It'll be alright. The same went for their website. Two identical items at widely different prices without any way to tell them apart. I was going to email them but used their online chat service instead to save time before ordering. Why was it even necessary? Crap website devoid of the slightest product detail. So they need to employ a large team of unnecessary staff just to field questions which should never need to be asked. It really is that simple. Somebody is working well above their pay grade at Wiggle. I bet they don't know one end of a bicycle from the other. 

Being ignored by a tracking website is tantamount to being completely ignored in any physical shop. The online dealer and their chosen carrier have given me absolutely no freedom to take my custom elsewhere. Therein lies the difference between those who really care about service. And those for whom it is easy pickings taking money from any passing muppet daft enough to deal with them. Even if it is only once. Isn't that how spammers and Nigerian scammers grow rich? Or Danish car repair workshops for that matter.

Many of the latter type of business have vanished from Denmark under the difficult trading conditions. They were particularly ill-equipped to cope with a reduced potential clientele when times were hard. As Darwin said: It is not the survivors who carry on the stock. It is the absence of all those who did not survive. Which leaves the fitter examples to prosper under much reduced competition. 

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19th December 2015 Do you want grey, grey or grey with that?

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Saturday 19th 48-49F, 9C, breezy with a heavy overcast. The mild and misty weather continues with similar day and night temperatures. No walk today due to the wrong kind of rain.

Have you noticed the latest influx of food products from China? Even organic produce now! Why would anyone buy anything from the most corrupt and polluted country on the planet? A shiny organic grower's license is only ever as far away as the nearest crooked communist mafia party member and good ol' Roundup salesman. (spit)

The mess on a favourite track in the woods after the forestry workers left. The climb used to be a series of steps covered in wild plants and flowers.

How do we know they aren't using forced labour slaves in Chinese agriculture? What about the vast cost, in CO2, of sending such easily home-grown products right around the world? Those damned Danish supermarkets again! They'd sell  anything if there was the slightest increased margin in it. Non-EU production written in sub-microscopic text placed on an area of the bag which is impossible to read without a scanning electron microscope! Stick it where the sun don't shine! [Due to deliberate pollution for communist mafia offshore profit!]

I am getting a few bits of spam disguised as comments recently. Should I be flattered or put it down to their sheer bad luck? After 50 years of being fed watery TV diarrhoea, aimed specifically at single cell amoeba, I already detest advertising of any kind. Having it thrust down one's throat by some criminal cheapskate only adds to the pleasure when I hit the Spam button to delete their unexpurgated crap. If the button could simultaneously apply a severe shock via electrodes attached to their nether regions I'd be even more content. Perhaps that should be the latest Internet trend? Go on Farcecook to get a local to wallpaper the spammer's windows with the real truth behind their advertising "campaign."

Imagine standing at the "pearly gates" and admitting you were a spammer, worked for an advertising agency, were a modern [piss] artist or an investment banker. I wonder whether your chances of a free pass would increase if you were standing behind Assad, Kim or Putin? Are you feeling lucky punk?

Very rare and collectable! Barn find, only one owner and she only used it to go to church on Sundays. Tires may need pumping and chain may need some oil but otherwise ready to ride.

Late morning ride under leaden skies and a strong headwind for 15 miles. I'm getting quite used to the Higgins again. I lost my [yellow lens] cycling glasses [again] yesterday.  I'm not sure which is worse.. having to queue and ask some pre-pubescent infant at the checkout in pidgin Janteloven. Or finding them in a pocket I didn't remember having in the latest sports bag. So that's where my new rear light went! Whoopee! ;o))

Sunday 20th 49-50F, 9-10C, breezy, overcast. It is 08.30 CET and still struggling to get light. The sky is covered in dense, small clouds all squashed together. Leaving only a little room for blue. The mild but cloudy weather continues. The eastern horizon is suffused with pinky-red. Not a good sign according to the seaweed fondling cult and my weather station. Winds will [allegedly] be gusting to 25mph all day from the SW on a 15mph base. Kite-powered triking to the north east has some [one way] potential but certainly not on busy roads. Stowing the kite for the [long] ride back doesn't sound like nearly so much fun! Where will we go today? For a walk up to the woods first. No sign of the promised sunshine. Judging from the sound of gunfire, coming from all directions, the "weekend warriors" were having a nice game of cowboys and victims.

Rode a hilly, late morning, rural loop for 19 miles. Mixture of cloud and watery sunshine. Strong and gusty headwind coming home. I miss the gear change of the Chorus levers with micro-adjustment on the front changer and jumping over multiple sprockets with a single lever sweep on the rear.

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17 December 2015 Being pulled both ways.

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Thursday 17th 48-50F, 9-10C, very heavy overcast, very mild, misty, drab, grey and miserable with occasional, light misty rain and a steady breeze. Visibility was about 50 yards and then everything rapidly disappeared with greater distance. The mist cleared and returned slowly and was a bit patchy and thicker with greater altitude. Even if it was only a few meters higher than the average. At least there was no need for gloves today. I walked my usual forest loop trying to avoid puddles and mud. If it gets any wetter I shall need waders!

Spent the dark and rainy afternoon playing with pull-ratio conversion, cable pulley ideas. I eventually made an eccentrically placed, middle pulley to act as a gentle ramp for the cable to climb between the smallest and largest pulley. It ended up midway between the two in size as well. This pulley will provide a tangential flat for the cable to lead on and off without needing cable clamps, bends or kinks. Making the groove narrow really increased the friction compared with the wider V-grooves of the original pulleys. This suggests that deepening and narrowing the other two pulley grooves would have similar benefits. The middle pulley has very little cable wrap so will not add much friction by itself. I have yet to file [or mill] flats on the rims to allow the cable to cross to the next pulley along. It's quite a hefty lump of metal now! I'm really  not sure the pulleys need to be so thick at 5mm each for 15mm total. The gear cable is only 1mm in diameter.  Not easy to photograph the triple pulley combination with flash. Far too dark not to use it. No ride today.

Friday 18th 48F, 9C, modest winds, very heavy overcast. The promised potential showers did not materialize. Spent the morning looking at improving the gear change arm. I modified the front changer clamp which I use for the arm pivot. I have bored it oversize for a brass bush which will be squarer to the clamp than the original [skewed] hole. Using a 10mm end mill I produced a flat on the back of the steeply sloping area. I have also filed away the curved area where the front changer would normally have fitted. The 35mm pulley clamp will provide support for a short length of cable outer instead of the previous brake noodle. This will guide the downtube cable over the top of the bottom bracket to meet the ratio changing arm as near as possible to a right angle. Hopefully with less friction than before.

Indexing relies heavily on low cable friction to avoid variation in cable pull between gear changes. Particularly when changing to higher gears.[i.e.Smaller cogs.] Which relies entirely on the tension of the rear changer spring to pull the cable back through the entire cable run. Changing down, to larger cogs, relies only on the finger strength of the rider to pull on the lever. Though even here the ratchet pawl will trip and release the cable if the resistance is too high. Apart from any friction in the lever itself there is the length of outer following the handlebars. Then the downtube adjusters take their toll along with whatever is used to bend the cable around the bottom bracket. Finally there is the chainstay stop and the loop to the rear changer.

Modern gear cable outers are lined with a low friction hose and usually have longitudinal reinforcement instead of the usual steel spiral. This is to achieve tight control over outer length so that it does not affect the indexing through unwanted backlash. All inner cable movements are subject to the total length remaining as fixed as possible to achieve absolutely fixed steps in cable movement per gear change. The more gears available the smaller the allowable variation before the chain rattles on the next sprocket or overshoots it.

The image shows how the angle of the cable changes depending on its route. The route over the BB [green] is better in one sense but the pull is from off to one side due to the seat tube intervening. The lower route, [red] under the BB, climbs at a steep angle but approaches the arm straight on. Neither is ideal since non/perpendicular cable pulls will produce variations per click over a complete stroke of the arm. Oblique angles of cable pull will load the arm and its pivot with unwanted forces. Flexing the arm sideways, with an oblique pull, may easily cause variations of pull per click.

A small pulley behind the BB could help to straighten the lower route back to a nicely horizontal pull but might add friction. While  moving the arm on its pivot further back will reduce both cable approach angles at the expense of further complication. A much longer arm could be pivoted from a clamp fitted above the front changer. The slope of the seat tube ensures the arm moves steadily backwards with increased pivot height. The downside is a more "untidy" appearance unless the clamp can be made much less visually intrusive. 

The extra weight of a longer arm is too slight to be worthy of further consideration. One obvious advantage of the longer arm is that the spacing between the cable clamps is much wider for the same ratio change. So that the clamp bolts will safely clear the chainstay. The arm could then be made to hang much closer to the chainstay if required. Which would further reduce the obliquity of the cable pull. The image [left] was from an earlier trial to see how a longer arm would look and behave. The sagitta of the arc is also shallower with a longer arm. Further reducing pull errors across the entire stroke. A black pivot clamp might look better since it would match the front changer clamp. All this could be avoided with pulleys but those too have their own disadvantages. I have still to seriously examine the idea of a pair of pulleys to avoid kinking the cable sharply around the present clamps on the arm. The shorter arm does not lend itself to such pulleys. The pulleys would have to be made woefully small to avoid overlapping.

One can easily understand why the manufacturers demand the user stick to one group of their own products to optimize indexing. Those who, like me, decide to change that rule don't have a leg to stand on if they start complaining about the resulting gear change. It is incumbent upon Shimergo fans to make certain that we carefully optimize whatever combination we think will work. We must pay particular attention to the geometry of lever pull ratios, lateral changer movement and sprocket pitch. Hoping for the best, while breaking these most basic rules, will lead to bitter disappointment or even broken equipment! Set up is even more critical to avoid a rear changer in the spokes or the chain jammed fast outside the top gear sprocket. Even a single missed gear can be life threatening if one is sprinting to avoid a fast moving vehicle! Let's be careful out there!

Just a short, hilly ride in the middle of the afternoon returning after dark. It was quite windy by then. My loudly whistling tinnitus has lasted all day today without a break despite an oiling of my left ear. Only 10 miles.

Click on any image for en enlargement.

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16th December 2015 Just another day in paradise?

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Wednesday 16th 37-39F, 3-4C, wind suddenly moving the trees, heavy overcast. Another empty promise of sunshine? We shall see.

A parcel, sent from a UK cycle dealer, has been sitting, untouched, for FIVE whole days in Denmark. It is being tracked by the UK Parcel Force service but the cryptic message once it met Danish shores gives no clue as to the new carrier. Nor where in tiny Denmark the parcel may now be resting. Christmas rush? Or mere incompetence? The dealer made it priority/signed for by default and charged for that service. The rest was left to chance. Many online dealers rely on rapid dispatch to attract repeat customers. All their business plans are held to ransom by penny-pinching carriers relying on low wages and rapid staff turnover to maximize competitiveness. It turned up today in a GLS van. 

And, now, in today's breaking news: One in 7 Danish farmers were caught by surprise inspections with illegal pesticides in 2014. Showing a steady increase year on year but resulting in pathetically small fines given the potential seriousness of their crimes. Some farmers don't give a toss about spraying around schools with children out playing in the yard.

Or even around a packed seashore campsite in mid-summer which I noticed on one of my rides. There were dozens of children playing around and in the pool as an octogenarian landman rattled around the campsite fences on a rusting tractor. He was towing an ancient spraying machine with the arms spread at shoulder height and the drift cloud clearly visible for many yards in the onshore breeze. I could smell it too and left the scene as quickly as possible! I was fortunate to have that luxury. The innocent holidaymakers? Better ask the farmer!

A cynic might suggest that this is why they had to close all the Danish, village schools. Not to save money, by centralization, but to protect their own children from the toxic delights of industrial farming. My morning walks along the field tracks resulted in extreme dizziness earlier this year. By coincidence, a highly toxic pesticide, which has never been allowed in Denmark, has been found in watercourses on Fyn. Denmark already has by far the lowest area in the EU of natural countryside-. i.e. That which is not cultivated. Yet the habitual liars politic-ooze have just relaxed the rules against the cultivation of a protective zone beside water courses. They have suggested "unimproved" land should be ploughed and wild flowers planted completely against the advice of the experts. They have also relaxed the rules against development building along the coast. Denmark already has a problem of public access to the shore thanks to chain building and ring fencing by summer house owners. Many existing harbours have been converted to marinas and have blocks of disfiguring flats built right on the water front.

Meanwhile my neighbours to both east and west are competing for the density of their brown chimney smoke from burning illegal, demolition waste as firewood. Including old [lead painted?] and plastic coated plywood, chipboard and old beams. Easterly winds we lose. Westerly winds we lose. Their nearest neighbours have a baby which must live under this constant toxic smog. The moron's smoke is easily seen wrapping itself around their neighbour's house and then crossing the road. The neighbours put their house up for sale but nothing sells in this area. Not until it has had a tour through the compulsory auction system and been given away for peanuts after literally years on the market.

The Odense Council members have just been criticized for holding a lavish feast in their own honour at rate-payer's expense. Obviously modelling themselves on the Chinese Corruption Party, they have been [illegally] cutting services to the bone to save money. Presumably to afford such lavish feasts with a very well stocked bar. Now the same council is having to employ ridiculously expensive temps to handle the huge backlog of social cases which were illegally ignored as cost-cutting measures. But then what are the needs of a few hundred problem families compared with a vitally necessary, well stocked bar?

The Danish tax authorities wrongly gave away literally billions of taxpayer's money to billionaire offshore crooks. Meanwhile they send tax inspectors around at the weekends to flea markets held in private garages, to demand a contribution from their "profits." The habitual liers politic-ooze claim masses of cash allowances on their "secondary jobs" then cut housing allowances for already impoverished pensioners.

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The appended images above and below show how twin pulleys could be used to achieve the 1:1.38 pull ratio to match the Campag Chorus levers to the Shimano XT11 rear changer. At the top are the two raw pulleys and a 34.9mm pulley clamp alongside the Jtek Shiftmate. Which, despite its excellent construction, liked to chew cables. The small pulleys and the bends they force on the cable, are just too tight for the gear cable's limited flexibility. The middle picture shows the [nominal] 35 and 45mm pulleys placed vertically behind the chainwheel. This arrangement needs a cable guide for the final run to reach the cable stop under the chainstay. Or a chainstay cable clamp to move the stop up on top. Which would probably help to reduce friction compared with any likely means used to reroute the cable around the chainstay. There seems to be enough room and the pulleys are well protected in this position.

This final image shows how the pulleys could be arranged to mimic more normal cable runs. The downtube run of bare inner cable meets the smaller pulley and is wrapped around it. Then it will climb a central, but eccentrically fixed pulley, before finally crossing over to the largest pulley. Where the cable will take another turn before exiting to the rear changer via the underside of the bottom bracket.

Both are possible pulley arrangements with their own advantages and disadvantages. The larger diameter pulleys will ensure kinder treatment of the cable without the sharp bends at my present clamps on the lever/arm. If the cable should slip on the pulleys in practice I am thinking a conical bush could be placed on a bolt piercing the middle [ramp] pulley rim to clamp the cable without damage. The alternative would be to turn much deeper and narrow grooves in the pulley rims to achieve a self-jamming effect. I would need to grind a suitable profile tool. Measuring the effective radius would be difficult. None of my calipers or vernier calipers can reach into the grooves on the rims of the pulleys already. Deepening the grooves would make them even more difficult to measure directly. Probably best to wrap a cable around the groove and measure the diameter. Then subtract half the cable diameter to find the true pulley radius.

I walked past the lake/pond on the marsh to disturb lots of Shelducks and Mallards. [Not deliberately I might add.] There just isn't any cover on the shore so the hunters can shoot at the wildlife much like a funfair shooting gallery. The resident herons took their usual tour around and settled gently back down again. A flock of some 200 very restless Greenfinches moved between two trees. Even with my deaf left ear I could hear the whir of wings as they took off en-masse and moved as a tightly packed cloud to the next perch, where they all twittered loudly again. The wind was cold on my hands even in my jacket pockets. I tried the GripGrab winter cycling gloves on a previous walk and my hands were never warm until I took the gloves off! I tried to photograph the huge flock of swirling [mink] gulls in the air but [unusually] the image failed to focus.

Only a short ride, mid afternoon, under a leaden sky with a gusty headwind. Ran the gauntlet of the follow-my-leader commuters on my way home in the dark. All of them terrified that they will lose their place less than a car's length clear of the car in front. 7 miles. I have only a fortnight left to do another 100 miles to reach 6000 for the year.

Click on any image for an enlargement.
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