~o~
Saturday 28th 42F/5C. Another grey day. Though the rain seems to be falling elsewhere.
North Jylland faces further flooding from the forecast 40mm of rain. The Danish government is under heavy criticism. For its lack of ambition regarding flood prevention and climate change amelioration. "Sandcastles in the air" regarding reliance on unproven and expensive CO2 removal or storage. Where the energy input exceeds the savings in CO2.
Dumping a billion Kroner's worth of sand in the sea: To combat coastal erosion and provide protection against rising sea levels. It will probably kill the wildlife on the sea floor. Then the tides will carry the sand out to sea. Cynicism or just horribly predictable?
A new "energy island" is to be built. To provide a highly vulnerable base for energy production. One missile would take out the whole lot. This will also involve millions of lorry loads of sand being quarried and delivered along existing roads through heavily built up areas. Probably for years. With the sand being dumped in the sea! How much CO2 do millions of lorry loads and the quarry machinery produce? When is the break even date? When the vast, CO2 burden of construction is finally paid off and a reduction of CO2 actually begins?
Every large Danish building project overruns its budget and timing. 10 years to build a hospital with multiples of initial cost increases. Multiples of the expected time to complete. Now it has water running out of the walls and through the roof. I wouldn't trust this lot to build a small, garden shed on budget and to time!
Meanwhile the Farmers Rule Party is preventing any limit on factory farming. When it is well known that their practices produce vast quantities of CO2 and methane. Ironic considering how vulnerable Denmark is to rising sea levels.
Up at 6am after another restful night but with more strange dreams. I had to get up only once. My hands and wrists hurt again from too much cycling! I don't think wrist supports are compatible with winter gloves. I have fitted the shortest riser stem available but still can't avoid strain on my hands. The saddle i as far back as possible on its rails. To try and balance my torso.
It would be difficult to be more upright than I am now. Even though it greatly increases my wind resistance and frontal area. Drag becomes ever more important with increased speed. Which is where the battery energy goes to obtain higher e-bike speeds.
Yesterday I was struggling to maintain 25kph in Sport mode. Straight into the easterly wind on the way to Odense. On the return journey it still felt like a headwind. Yet I was averaging an indicated 30kph. My calculated average speed was 25kph for the 2.5 hour, out-and-back, 61km ride. It would be difficult to lower my frontal area without causing physical pain. I sometimes bend my elbows and try to achieve a more aerodynamic position into a headwind. That doesn't last for long before my hands and wrists begin to ache badly.
There is no way to swap handlebars to give me a lower riding position. I would not be physically capable of riding at a more prone angle. There are also strict legal limitations on modifications to a "45" e-bike. It would be technically impossible to use dropped handlebars, for example. Given all the MTB style levers, gears, saddle and motor controls. There is hardly room for them all on the wide, slightly bent MTB style bars.
Besides, this would also be a major and easily recognisable change to the original design. The wide bars give me control on rougher surfaces. Of which there are many on "cycling friendly" Danish roads. The full, front and rear suspension has it limits. Don't believe a word of the manufacturer's propaganda on "comfort!"
Designing some kind of windscreen regularly occurs to me as the wind roars in my ears. Though I doubt it would be able to reduce my wind resistance unless it was strongly curved in 3D. Which would mean I'd have to try and hide behind it by bending low. It just can't be done. However fit I feel my hands and wrists are my weak point. This has been true for years on the trikes. Along with back pain from leaning forwards for hours at a time.
08.30. It is still struggling to get light. I should have gone for a walk by now.
The fields look like endless lawns. All thanks to the immature crops. Stretching as far as the eye can see.
09.45 43F/6C. Heavy overcast. Back from my walk. I made it to the lanes but no further. A red kite flapped lazily into the wind as it crossed the road ahead of me. Before circling off to the south over the vast, open fields.
An eye wateringly cold, easterly wind was reinforced by the dark grey sky. I wore the Gore-Tex jacket over my down sweater. The result was rather neutral except for my extremities. My face and neck could still feel the cold. The GripGrab gloves were hardly adequate today. Just as they were too cold yesterday. I should have gone in their split mitts instead. Perhaps taken the gloves in case the mitts proved too warm. Better that, than having cold hands.
Now I am back at home my Patagonia, down sweater is much too warm at 62F/17C. While sitting at the computer in the living room.
10.15 Morning coffee over. What am I to do today?
15.30 Not a lot. Just back from local shopping in the MM. Had a chat with an enthusiastic admirer of MMs.
I forgot to mention it yesterday: I was overtaken, on my bike, in a village, by a Tesla. I saw immediately that there was something seriously wrong with his right, front wheel. So I chased after him and by sheer chance he turned into a farm. As soon as he stopped in the yard and got out I told him about the wheel. He walked calmly around the car and gave the protruding wheel trim a hefty kick. Problem solved. 😄
18.30 I bought sausages instead of chicken and mushrooms. It is Saturday. Tomorrow is Sunday. Is Sunday dinner permissible on a Saturday? Who cares? I am in charge. Half the sausages, mashed potato, carrots and peas with gravy.
~o~
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