~o~
Friday 2nd 58F. Bright sunshine with hardly a cloud to be seen. Breezy again. Up at 7am.
After setting an unofficial world record. For opening a carton of Arla Organic Light Milk. [Dansk: Øko Letmælk] In a time of 7m 32.37 seconds. I have invited The Guinness World Record Book observers. To officially time my next attempt. I shall of course be wearing odd socks. To ensure nobody can take my crown by posting exactly the same time. Fortunately, I shall have several days to recover before my next, official attempt.
8.00 Time for my walk. I have just found a storage tub full of cycling clothing I had forgotten I owned. It had more tubs placed on top. So it had gone unnoticed.
9.30 62F. My usual walk to the lanes was extended with additional time. Taking pictures of earthworks. Seven-axle tipper trucks were bringing in soil to raise a sunken, marshy field. A big excavator was distributing the soil as it was tipped.
Having carried out a lot of manual landscaping myself, in our various gardens. I find it fascinating to see it done by professionals on such a large scale. There have been several such earthworks that I know of. Perhaps due to the excess soil taken from the gas pipeline project. Or it could be just the overburden from normal quarrying activities.
There are numerous clay and gravel quarries around the whole area. There are also several deep holes being dug in the city for erecting new buildings. The excavated soil has to go somewhere.
I have been thinking about where to go today. I rather fancy a ride to the north coast of Fyn. The central island of Denmark's three, major land masses, on which I live. There is a north easterly wind today. So I'd get some help coming home. When I most need it.
I have ridden up there several times on my trike in the past. Ride north to the town of Bogense on the NW coast. Turn right to the shopping town of Otterup inland in the north east. Then home by a more or less direct route through, or around, the city of Odense. Another 30km at least. Probably another 90km/56 mile ride. It doesn't seem so far in miles. My longest ride on the trike was 85 miles on a sweltering hot, summer day.
All very familiar territory but a first on the e-bike. Definitely a two battery ride. With lots of Tour mode. To combat range anxiety. I'll try wearing one of the pairs of bibs I just found. Bibs are padded cycling shorts. With soft braces to keep them held up. Instead of bagging and causing chafing. Like my worn out cycling shorts.
2.45 19C/66F. Returned from a ride to the north coast. I came within a few meters of the water. My estimates of actual distance were wildly amiss. I bypassed Bogense as I was able to escape to the quiet lanes without going into town. It was very windy near the coast. I decided that Otterup was just too far if I was to return with some reserve of battery power and stay within my comfort level.
I stopped every hour for a small carton of organic apple juice and a Corny micro-bar. 97km/60 miles is my longest e-ride to date. 3.5 hours duration. 84 rpm average cadence. Average speed 27km/hr or 17mph. 48% Tour and 52% Sport modes. 525m change in altitude. 20% left in the first battery. 68% in the second. The bibs did not provide the freedom from saddle soreness I had hoped. Not crippling, but still unpleasant at times. Is it me? Or the broad gauge saddle?
My skill at holding a line, with passing traffic, is improving with every ride. Constant practice, using whatever road marking occur has paid off. It was never any problem while triking. Holding a steady line on 2-wheels has been quite a struggle until now. My overall e-bike distance has risen to 2436km.
Dinner will be something fattening. I need the calories after today's foolishness. Lazy dinner for a lazy cook. I did the washing up while I was waiting for the mini oven. The fish fingers were unusually tasty today.
~o~
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