8.06.2023 Thick mist!

 ~o~

 Thursday 8th 9C/48F. Thick mist. 50 yard total invisibility at 5am. 6am and I can now see the soft, grey silhouette of the tree at 100 yards. Thin "clouds" are moving around the garden in front of the trees at 10 yards from my window!  

 6.20 and the tree at 100 yards is disappearing again. The hedge to the east is moving in a light wind. It's all getting a bit "spooky." 😄 The forecast is full sunshine and no mist warning here. Hopefully it will thin before my ride to cooking class.

  6.30. I might as well get my walk over with now. Then I can relax and prepare myself and the e-bike. The latter requires quite a lot of  steps to be ready for a ride.With the car I just throw a bag onto the passengers seat and off I go. 

 The e-bike needs locks and selected clothing and glasses and gloves and helmet. Scull caps if it is cold enough. Food and drink for longer rides. Fit recharged battery and protective cover. Attach spare battery if needed for longer rides. Fit panniers. Add shopping bags, insurance papers, ID. 

 Just pulling away needs several steps. Fit the Nyon head and switch on. Select assistance level. Raise pedal to horizontal. Throw a leg over the panniers. Pull away and raise the saddle on its dropper post. Adjust rear view mirror. Selecting gears has become automatic. I mostly ride in Sport mode. Even that feels rather tame now. Despite giving me 30km/hr [20mph] cruising speeds without breathlessness. It just doesn't feel very fast compared to riding a lightweight bike.

 I am using Turbo mode more often to crest climbs. Then back to Sport mode for the flat. Or even Tour mode for a descent. I doubt this extends the range by much but it feels sensible. The speed attainable, with assistance, is only close to fit "racing" cyclists out training. If I decide to catch or even stay with other cyclists I must work hard on the pedals. 

 There is no free ride. Not at all. I can easily make myself breathless on undulating roads just by hanging on at a safe distance. It would be rude to take advantage of the assistance available just to show off. Only on steeper climbs will I overtake out of sheer impatience. In Turbo mode and suitably high cadence it would be a very fit group indeed who could stay with me. 

 This is where the e-bike scores most. On the flat the use of Turbo mode would only be sensible for short journeys. It shortens the range by nearly 4:1 over Eco or Tour Modes. Offering 320% gain over my own power input. My fitness increases steadily but is not on a par with my peak of a few years back.

 My average distance, when swapping at 20% battery charge, is only ~60km or 40 miles. This is in Sport mode and warmer weather. It really isn't very much. Not even by my own trike riding standards. The huge advantage is the increased speed and returning in a fit state to do something else. 

 The elapsed time of the ride is much reduced. Meaning less wear and tear on my 76-year-old bod. Not having to work so hard on the climbs better maintains my reserves of energy. Nor do I get remotely so hot. So I can wear a cotton T-shirt. Instead of an essential cycling jersey. In quick drying, man-made fibers. To avoid the inevitable chill of the next descent.

 I just have to keep in mind that I need proper wind proofing. To avoid being chilled my my forward speed on the flat. This requires a complete rethink. After my decades of cycling experience in all conditions and temperatures. Cycling normally generates heat. E-biking not nearly so much. At least, not the way I ride.

 7.45 The house across the road is now visible at 200+ yards. Time for a shower and get dressed for the 20km ride to the cooking class. About 40 minutes over very hilly lanes. With very few corners sharp enough to slow me down. Probably taking me well over an hour on the trike these days. Which would have me arriving quite hot and tired. From all those steep climbs instead of still feeling fresh. I no longer need to consider changing out of cycling clothes. I just wear normal indoor clothing under my windproof jacket.

8.20. 11C/51F.  The copse at 600 yards is in silhouette now. Overcast, still with none of the promised sunshine.

13.30  22C/72F. Full sunshine. Back from cooking class. The cloudy sky broke into blue patches around 9.00. With weak sunshine to follow. It wasn't long before it was full sunshine. We made pork slices with potatoes and onions and a cream dressing. Sprinkled with finely cut bacon pieces. A vegetable salad was also delicious. Rounded off with strawberries, blueberries and a fresh cream dressing with vanilla. My legs were strangely tired and my knees ached on the way home. Yesterday was a light day. Last classes until August.

~o~