11.03.2023 Snow! 😠 No insurance! 😖 Riding slowly. 😳

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 Saturday 11th -2C/28F. Oh dear. Clear and bright but about 2cm of snow in some places. Only a dusting in others. It is probably too cold for the snow to disappear quickly. I was hoping to ride to the shops in the village. To get some road-going experience. Or even have a tootle around the quiet rural block to experiment with the assistance modes. With stretches of main road in between. Just to reach the lanes.

 I won't risk it now. Unfamiliarity with the handlebar controls, brakes and the bike itself. Will reduce my levels of concentration on other road users. Besides the roads will be wet and salted. Adding to the risk of corrosion and increased, cosmetic deterioration. I shall have to wear gloves in these cold conditions. Which makes mastering the complex hand controls even more of a struggle. I have years of riding with only racing bike controls. Brake levers with mechanical rocker levers built in.  

 Nor have I any idea as to the level of adhesion of the Schwalbe tires in these conditions. There are often strips of slush along the roads. Where the traffic follows exactly the same track. Then they splash the filth all over cyclists and pedestrians when they overtake. 

 Negotiating the slush on a bike with fatter tires. Will be very different from the amazing stability of my trike. Where the skinny tires cut through a lot of the slush. I was usually the only one still cycling in really wintry conditions. Both trikes have Trykit two wheel drive. Which makes hill climbing possible on up to a couple of inches of snow. Even on narrow slick tires.

 9.00 Just back from my walk in  bright sunshine. The main road had been salted and was wet. The lanes had stretches of unmelted snow and slush. They must be relying on the sun to clear the road surface. Not ideal for riding practice. Though things should improve by this afternoon. Provided the sunshine continues unbroken. There is not a cloud in the sky at the moment. No rolls for morning coffee. Nor for lunch.

 11.00 The snow on the drive is hanging on. So I can't practice riding. Battery shows 100% on the Kiox display. Going through the settings. I am trying to pay 79Kr for the Lock facility on removing the Kiox within the Connect App. It sent me an SMS with a one-off password but won't accept the damned thing! Tried again from scratch. New password. Still won't accept it. I give up!

 12.00 The snow was quickly cleared from the main drive by the sunshine. So I went up and down. Turning countless, wobbly circles within the width of the drive. Only once did the bike fall sideways. I was wearing loose, fleece trousers and they caught on the saddle. As I dismounted in a hurry. No damage done. 

 I have steadily lifted the saddle to near optimum height. Though it is still 2cm below the saddle height of the trike. Bottom bracket centre to flat top. The trike has a road scraping bottom bracket height. The Moustache is relatively high.

 I repeatedly tried emergency stops and putting my foot down while straddling the top tube. Perhaps I ought to consider a cheap, MTB dropper seat post? Would I have the reaction time to find the lever in an emergency? I had better keep practicing at "bailing out." Or buy some platform shoes with very thick soles! 😏

 My insurance company has left me without e-bike insurance for the weekend. He promised to do it on Thursday. After pestering me for days for the bike frame serial number. Then he didn't put it through his system! I was supposed to sign in on their website. To download a form to print out. Just in case I was stopped by the police.

 It is required by Danish law that a speed-pedelec '45kph' rider carries proof of  "ansvar forsikring." Responsibility for third party injury insurance. So now I can't even leave the drive until I ring them on Monday. Not the service you expect when you are asked to pay £1000 equivalent, per year, just for comprehensive e-bike insurance!

 They haven't even withdrawn the funds from my bank account. I have my car and home contents insurance with them as well. He bragged about giving me a maximum discount for multiple policies. I may now be looking for another insurance company. If there isn't a very valid excuse! Another insurer wanted 1/4 of the price of my present insurer for my speed-pedelec!

 14.00 3C/38F. Sunny periods. Lunch over. I had brought the bike and battery back indoors before it got cold. Then I had to shop in the car, or go hungry. 

  18.00 2C/35F. Becoming cloudy. I have bought some crinkly chips from another shop. The last lot were very unprepossessing. So I am going with fish fingers and chips for dinner. I'll try my new baking tray. The old tray didn't have room for chips and a main course.

  Cooking dinner was a bit chaotic. I have the original baking tray soaking in brown soap. To clear off a year's worth of baked on grease. The original tray is actually much larger than the new one. I was mistaken about their sizes. Because they were a different shape.

 I found another, smaller baking tray in the cupboard. Then realised that there is only one wire shelf. So I had to stack one tray on top of the other, in the mini oven. Then swap them around at intervals. It worked, but took ages. Perhaps I should find a new tray the same size as the mucky one? Or a second wire shelf?

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