26th August 2019 And there it was, gone.

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Monday 26th 66-83F, overcast but sunny periods promised. Are we really headed for a 32C [90F] record breaking heatwave? Or just a 27C, unusually warm, early autumn day? DMI or TV2? Take your pick.

A walk to the lanes and then a meandering wander back over the harvested fields. Trying to capture some different viewpoints but badly. The flattened, crop-filled fields, which had looked all but abandoned only yesterday, are now suddenly bare.

A tracked, stealth Claas harvester was hiding in a hedgerow to avoid being nuked by Chump over the non-Greenland sale spat. The Head Gardener asked why they are all called Claas. I suppose it does show a lack of imagination. Particularly when one has reached Claas 760! Perhaps it is to confuse Chump's cruise missiles?

Apologies for going off-topic but yellow saddlebags are in temporary short supply. I'm pedalling as hard as I can. Instead of a ride I decided to clean the rear axle assembly, transmission and Trykit 2WD components. I have a new chain waiting in the shed.

The supermarket sourced, disposable gloves, both latex and nitrile are hopeless. No strength at all. They barely last a minute or two. I suppose that's why they are called "disposable." Presumably they have much better quality gloves in hospitals.

It was warm working out of doors at 83F. I eventually moved into the shade. I stripped the chainset, 11 speed cassette and the whole rear axles assembly to get everything properly clean. Cassettes are easy to rebuild if you keep the thinnest groove/ridge towards you. I could hardly believe how light the trike felt without the lock, bag and rack. It also looked very smart with clean rear legs. [Seat stays.]

I ended up ordering a new Overboard bag from the UK. I just hope it is the one with the outside net pocket for my 70kg Dreadnought Class Abus mini-U lock or I shall be very cross. The description exactly matches my expectations. It seems odd that only Overboard ticks all the boxes at once.

Avoid any bags with zips. They die all too soon in my years of experience as a shopper with a whole series of sports bags. Straight zips mean very poor access and it only gets worse as the load increases. A U-zip puts heavy loads on the zip to keep the bag's shape together.

A roll top is absolutely perfect for a saddle bag. The rear of the saddle overhangs the bag so you need a trunk to guide things safely and quickly into whole area of the bag. The trunk also allows an easy doubling of capacity. While simultaneously allowing the minimum frontal area and wind drag as the bag is rolled down tight at other times.

Cloth strap handles are great if the bag sits naturally on its base. Because you can slip one handle over the saddle to support any load and provide extra security. The other can be used down below the bag for extra security. Either fold the other handle out of the way. Or cut it off if you have a permanently fixed bag and lots of other means of securing the bag to the rack. Most shoulder straps are easily removable with clips these days. So they don't get in the way of a fixed bag. I like a fixed bag because my trike is rarely left alone for long. Those who park their trike unattended for lengthy periods may consider this too much of a risk.

Perhaps Denmark is low risk or perhaps I have just been very lucky. All the standard straps and fixings I deliberately use on the Overboard do make it almost impossible to remove the bag without a sharp knife. Zip ties are not quick release for most people. I don't leave valuables in the bag and flatten it as much as possible when I visit the city.

The image shows the dramatic loss of area let alone capacity. This is the largest conventional saddlebag by Carradice. The 40 liter, Overboard bag covers the entire tray well enough to make the tray invisible.

Then I carry an Abus security chain as well as the U-lock. Front wheel security with the U-lock. The chain fixes the trike to the bike rack or something immovable. Never a bollard! City visits are rare. I am usually parked outside supermarkets in rural villages.

Common sense suggests placing the trike somewhere highly visible. Preferably where it can be monitored from inside the shop. Though not all shop architects give a shit for bike security. They will allow their Audi to be parked with the bumper literally inside the sliding doors but the bike rack is often hidden out of sight.

Click on any image for a big one.

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