25.04.2023 High rise stem fitted.

 ~o~

 Tuesday 25th 41F. Heavy overcast. Windy forecast. Hardly a breeze at the moment. Will he ride to cook?

 7.30 Going for a quick walk. Just to see what it feels like.

 8.00 Cold and a wall of wind. Once I escaped the shelter of the trees. It even threw in some fine drizzle. So I cut short my walk and returned home. I am definitely driving today. Not riding. Now it is brightening up a little. With even a few splodges of blue. Now sunshine? It is teasing me!

 I just checked again and the e-bike handlebars are definitely upswept. I had thought they might be symmetrical but they aren't. Rotating the 'bars will increase the height at the grips. Even reduce the reach slightly. 

 Comfortable hand and wrist orientation yet to be discovered. Though close to the orientation as the bike was delivered. That was with a 90mm forward extension and no height gain. I still think bar height is the main issue with my hand and wrist pain. Unaccustomed exercise? Probably that as well. I used to get hand and wrist pain on the trike too.

 The new 'high rise' stem is out for delivery today. There has been no update on the Ortlieb panniers from the other dealer. The bags were ordered on Saturday and claimed to be in stock. 

 I polished off the Brooks Proofide I had left on the saddle overnight. If any of it had soaked in it certainly wasn't obvious. I managed to transfer a thick coat of grease onto the felt-like, microfiber cloth. I suppose I could polish it back on at intervals with the same cloth. Instead of opening a tin again. Not so much fun as applying it with my bare hands though. Which probably means I put on too much.

 8.30 I had better have a shower and stop waffling.

 14.00 Back from my cooking class. We made jams and fish courses. 

 The stem has arrived. A useful gain in handlebar height without increasing reach. See image alongside. Much neater than yesterday's steerer tube extension.

 It took only a few minutes to swap stems. I am used to it now. The headlamp and horn continue to irritate. By being in the way of the handlebar clamping plate, fixing screws and both mounted on a single, sturdy bracket. Which pushes the Nyon computer display well off centre. The handlebars are already shrinking in diameter beyond the Nyon bracket. So the light and horn bracket cannot go outboard of this.

The result of fitting the new stem was satisfying. As far as I could tell from riding up and down the drive. I can lift my hands from the bars without the slightest hint of falling forwards. The saddle is at optimum height using my heel at BDC. Which should help to protect my knees. Which have been aching. Provided I pedal rapidly enough: 90rpm+.

 The "cockpit," as they like to call it these day, feels comfortable now. Only a ride will confirm this. Sunny and dry tomorrow with lower wind speeds than today's. So the museum beckons for a more modest ride. The Ortlieb panniers have reached the carrier. So it looks like delivery tomorrow. 

 I didn't need any dinner but finished off the second half of the tin of beans on toast. It is cold downstairs 60F/15C. So I lit the stove. Still 19C/66F upstairs.

~o~