28.02.2023 Nine week postal service!

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 Tuesday 28th -1C/29F. Clear and bright with a white frost on the grass. Showered and dressed. Early morning coffee. No walk today. I am supposed to be leaving for Tuesday's cooking class! Stove lit, but it will go out in my absence. 

 The sun shone brightly all morning. The cooking class was a bit different today. We were only six so we split up into teams as usual. There was not much active cooking but we produced three plates full of "sandwiches" on rye bread.

 With various sauces and salads as dressing. I made Italian Salad and the hamburger on rye bread with lettuce and fennel. Very tasty. The images show the other two plates. Mine was the first plate to be eaten and was gone before I had a chance to photograph it.

  A lovely calendar was waiting for me on my arrival back at home. It had been sent by my sister on the 14th of December 2022. Today is the 28th February 2023. So it took nine weeks to get here.

 
I drove into town in the afternoon. The chain bike shop website claimed it had the helmet I wanted in stock. It didn't, but I was able to confirm I needed a Large. The Medium would fit but would sit on top of my head like a bad haircut. The Large [in another similar model by the same maker] wrapped itself around my head exactly like it should. To provide side protection and remain in place in a tumble. I decided to place an order. It should only take a couple days to reach the shop. 

 I deliberately chose the dayglo [?] high visibility yellow-green. It was that or white. White can easily disappear against some backgrounds. Like an overcast sky. I don't want my head disappearing anywhere thank you very much. I want to be a hi-vis carbuncle on the road. One which can be seen for a thousand yards. Even when the observer is driving by a remote control app on their mobile phone. While pissed out of their [own] skull.  I don't want my skull pissing out anywhere just because they "didn't see me!"

 Dark clothing and helmets on cyclists should be automatic cause for prosecution. You just can't expect sanity or even lower common sense in these matters. Not after Sky's foul-mouthed, asthma-prone team members sported black kit. Leaving every brain dead, weekend warrior to automatically assume stealth mode. I'd automatically negate their insurance as well. [If any.] Or give a free pass to anybody who hit them in a road accident. Or even hit them afterwards. Dimwits will always be dim. Same with their clothing.

 Which brings me to the choice of clothing on an e-Bike. The rider is being motor assisted. To reduce the load on their legs while pedaling. That doesn't mean that they are just sitting there and turning the pedals like some cartoon figure. Some exercise is always involved where movement is involved. Depending on the e-bike settings, inclines and effort being applied. 

 Exercise means warmth is being generated in the cycling bod. Which means the e-cyclist can't wear a bin bag. [Cycling jacket.] Or the e-cyclists will sweat profusely. So the e-cyclists clothing must breathe to remove moisture from perspiration. A standard cycling requirement. Which falls foul of many modern jackets disguised as waterproofs but making better bin bags. Which is exactly where they belong. If truth be told.

 At the same time, higher road speeds are very likely to be involved. Speed greatly increases wind chill. The dreaded, icy cold shower when one descends quickly after a hot climb. Particularly when wearing non-cycling clothing. i.e. A cotton T-shirt! So the e-cyclist needs better protection than a normal cyclist. Wind proofing clothing but without the inevitable water proofing. Just to avoid sweating. 

  No dinner. I ate at the class. The evening seems strangely long without cooking.

 

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