18th March 2012

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18th 42-47F, 6-9C, light breeze, heavy overcast and slightly misty. Overnight rain had left the roads wet. There were lots of slugs, snails and dead toads on the roads. First time this year. It was supposed to rain on and off all day but hasn't so far. I tootled the quiet lanes for a couple of hours. The Aldi jacket came off after a long gentle climb. Then I braved the slightly chill air until I arrived home. The SS "Activity" gloves were comfortably warm today. My legs were rather tired so I only did 18 miles. So much for a rest day! :-)

19th 42.45F, 6-7C, very windy, sunny after a wet and grey start. Leaving late, I headed straight into the wind for the first eight miles. So I was grateful for the Aldi jacket.

After turning north at my first stop I wore the equally day-glo Giordano. (image) Going quite well but my legs are still feeling tired. So it had better rain soon so I can have a proper rest!

I had to take a wheel off to tighten a mudguard nut and bolt. It had worked loose then rusted. So it was rattling on rough surfaces. Lucky I checked it because the wheel nut was only finger tight! Eek!

Waddya mean I have a distorted view of life? ;-)

I have another serious problem. My calf muscles seem to be growing. So my skiing tights feel tight on the knees when I bend my legs. (as you do) I bet it's too much pushing and not enough twiddling. All due to a lack of a cadence readout! Or it might just be that huge 42 chainwheel. :-)

I have just found a new wheel circumference multiplier [1667mm] which gives cadence readout in kmh as decimal 1/10ths of the actual rpm. So, for example, 11.5kmh =115rpm. Most computers won't display over 100kmh so some people use silly multipliers. I like the simplicity of this one and it means I can pedal right up to 1000rpm if I like. :o)

 The Recumbent Bicycle and Human Powered Vehicle Information Center

I still have my cadence crank magnet and sensor. So I just need to rig up an old £5 computer to try it out. If I need to extend the cable to reach the computer bracket on the bars I have had practice at that too. 25 miles.

20th 48F, 9C, windy, heavy overcast. I left after morning coffee because it was supposed to rain earlier. Still a cool wind despite the rising temperatures.  The SealSkinz 'Activity' gloves actually feel wet and cold inside now. I am going to have to try and wash them without any useful laundry instruction supplied. 

I was overtaken and baulked by a car driver on a downhill approach to a tight mini roundabout. The retard then flashed he was going right and went straight on with a left indication on the exit. It should have been a right indicator of course.

 There was already a queue in front of me and I was matching their speed while leaving a decent breaking distance. Let's be charitable and suggest he was dropped on his head as a baby and never recovered. There are no other explanations for such behaviour which do not involve permanent incarceration.

Despite having a bag full of shopping I had to tie a large bag of seed compost on the back. What are you supposed to do about rusty blade-style spokes?  I may have to go back to a 'proper' front wheel. 20 miles.

I have fixed my old bike computer onto the DIY bar bracket. Then strapped the sensor to the chainstay with tie-wraps as usual. I had to splice, solder and tape the cable joint. The secret to stripping the tiny twin wires is a screw adjustable pair of electricians, wire stripping pliers.

Fitting the magnet was more of a problem. Due to the hollow back to the crank and the very wide spacing. So I cut a thick piece of rubber to go behind the crank. The magnet was then strapped over this with more zip ties.

Guess what? It works an absolute treat! More so, since the speed reading digits (in kmh) are much larger than the previous cadence reading in rpm.  Now I can work on reducing my calves so I can get my tights back on again. "Happy days are here again... tra-la-la." {:o))

21st  42-55F, 6-13C, sunny and windy. Warmest day this year so far. Though the head wind still felt cold.

The DIY cadence computer works perfectly! Nice big digits and rapid response to changes. I have found another matching computer head but it didn't fit the shoe I used. I shall have to plough through my cycling storage boxes to see where the correct one is hiding. Just my luck that there were no computers in the supermarket where I usually get them for a fiver.(£5)

Going rather well but my legs are still tired most of the time. No rain forecast!

Saw my first hare this year. It was odd the way a Yellowhammer crossed the road in front of me and stared from a fence right beside the road. It may have been blinded by my matching day-glo jacket in the bright sunshine.

A small hawk also shot across the road in front of me, gliding along the disused railway into a village at about 40mph. Long, narrow wings, brown. Body much smaller than a blackbird. I used to think these small birds of prey were Sparrowhawks but the latter's wings are far too broad in pictures. The bird I see quite often is always travelling very fast and straight. Usually over or right through the hedges lining fields and roads. Wings outstretched as if they aren't visibly flapping despite their great speed. The Hobby seems to match the wing shape better than most.

 On a larger scale there were lots of calling buzzards circling on updraughts over the various woods. Their plaintive calls are a regular feature of my rides. The lanes are full of birdsong at the moment. Many of which i don't recognise at all! The black swans above are tame, captive birds on a farm pond beside the road. They have a rapid, high-pitched, piping call. Not at all what you'd expect from such a large bird. I really struggled to capture them sharply because they kept bobbing frantically. Sadly, I had no bread for them. 25 miles.

Seeing the bigger picture

22nd 43-53F, 6-12C, windy, sunny. Wind at 1-2 o'clock on the way out. 8 o'clock coming back. First time this year without tights. Came back with fingerless mitts and no hat. Cadence meter still working well. I managed 115rpm for a while. I seem to average 90-95 most of the time and climb in the mid 80s rpm. The 42T chainwheel is the most used now. I hardly seem to need the 22T. 20 miles.

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7th March 2012

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7th 33-36F, 1-2C, very windy, heavy overcast. I had a mid-morning appointment so was short of time for a decent ride. Despite this I rode across country via farm tracks to reach my goal. It was very rough going but still saved some time. The farmers have sprung into action. With spraying in gales, pig shit and chemicals and laying down mud on the roads. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they don't claim EU agricultural support for the roads they mess up. The freeze dried mud makes huge clouds of brown dust when lorries and cars run over it. 14 miles.

8th 34-48F, 1-9C, breezy, sun promised. Thin overnight snow. It was much windier than I would have liked. The crosswinds were icy cold even at 48F on the way home. Meanwhile I was sweating like a pig in the Aesse jacket. I tried to help an old chap whose chain had come off his electric invalid trike. Luckily it had front wheel hub drive and he was determined to go to the bike shops for repairs. So I didn't need to get involved after all. 23 miles.

9th 40-46F, 4-8C, grey, windy. I don't know how I managed it but there was a headwind both ways. I went back to the Aldi jacket and it was fine. The latest sports bag gave up when the zip broke. Bought a huge replacement in a charity shop. I'm hoping the Higgins mudguard stays will keep it all tidy. Masses of shopping. Nearly 15 kilos. Only 15 miles.

10th 40-43F, 4-6C, windy, dark grey, spitting with rain, misty, miserable. Just a tootle to the shops. I hate the wind! The new big bag is staying still thanks to the mudguard stays. It has enormous capacity! But it only rests on the rack when open. Which is better than nothing but puts all the load on the straps/handles when hooked over the saddle.

The Aldi jacket is still my daily wear. It has all the advantages of a windproof shell but with decent ventilation. It still hasn't been tested in the wet. Hardly a drop has fallen on me since I bought it. Cheap insurance against bad weather!

The woods and hedges are still being cleared everywhere I go. I was almost caught by a group of cyclists out training but turned the other way just before they reached me. Only 14 miles.

11th 40-48F, 4-8C, windy, dark grey overcast. I found the warm level of the Aldi jacket and put on the Giordano instead. It was a bit cool but better than sweating. Yet again, it felt too dark, grey and miserable for photography. 30 miles.

12th 42-48F, 6-9C, very windy, overcast. I have been blown about, cruised at 25mph, climbed at 20mph and crawled at 7mph today. Am I having fun yet? The huge bag was stuffed with shopping and I had to hang a carrier bag off the back as well. 25 miles.

 A silly picture but I couldn't find a clear spot to capture this old farmhouse.

13th 42-49F, 6-10C, very windy, overcast with few sunny periods. The sun came out when I arrived home. Over 10kg (22lbs) of shopping.

What the hell has happened to the British Post Office? We sent a registered letter to the UK. It left Denmark overnight and then took 5 days to get there! 6 days to update that it was finally delivered yesterday. £8 quid extra on top of postage. What a rip-off! Given £8 worth of biscuits I could have pedalled there in 6 days! I wonder if Mr Higgins can swim?

I was fighting the wind again today. I was too warm in the Aldi jacket so put on the Giordano. Then it felt as if it was blowing straight through me. The SealSkinz 'Activity' gloves are now far too sweaty! What a waste of money! I'm going back to my £5 supermarket cycling gloves tomorrow! They are on their second year and as good as new. 20 miles.

14th 42-50F, 6-10C, windy, mostly sunny. Not so windy as the last two days.  Feeling a bit weird today. Sweaty, odd headaches and feeling tired. I was overtaken by a kid on an MTB but had no energy to chase him. Just wandering from one supermarket to the next looking for stock. My average is still above 20 miles per day for the year so far. Better than last year but the weather has been less wintry. 27 miles.

15th 41F, 5C, dark grey, windy and cold. Yesterday was warm enough for fingerless gloves. Today the cheap gloves were very cold! My huge bag keeps sticking a corner into the spokes. So I ran a tight cord from the carrier frame to the Higgins mudguard stays. This seems to work well. I need to do something rather more permanent to allow me to use these big sports bags reliably. Feeling better today but still not very strong. Perhaps I need another rest day? If it turns wet, as promised, I will use that as an excuse. 25 miles.

 16th 36-51F, 2-11C, still, forecast very windy with bright sunshine. I tootled off earlier than usual to get some miles in before I started shopping. I soon warmed up and the Aldi jacket was swapped for the Giordano after only 3  miles of mostly climbing. Without any particular route in mind I followed each new side turning which I hadn't explored before. I travelled miles along narrow lanes without seeing a living soul or any vehicle.

Later I was sprayed by a farmer in a strong headwind. So I was exposed for quite a while with no alternative route to avoid the illegal moron. I have no idea what was in the big spray tank.

Then I travelled past a huge, pig shit spreader doing its worst for the environment. My clothes stink of pig shit now I am back at home. Sadly my wife had already put some sheets on the washing line. She can forget all about doing that again. For at least two months in this area! It even stinks of pig shit indoors with all the windows closed! Taxpayer subsides and profit comes first! Human rights to enjoy one's property do not.

A '59 Chevy 'Apache' at the supermarket.

 Five years younger than Mr Higgins!  
Original paintwork too!

I had to fight the last 10 miles into the wind. My quads felt sore when I tried to pedal fast towards the end of my ride. I was also close to getting the knock after such an early breakfast. I felt completely hollow over the last five miles. The i-gotU GPS logger is showing 650 rides recorded. 40 miles.

17th The all-pervading, pig shit stench gets worse! 41-50F, 5-10C, heavy overcast, misty, wind forecast later. How can it be a headwind going and and a headwind coming back by the same route? The wind was at 1 o'clock on the way and 10 o'clock coming back. It was cold too! Fortunately I was able to gain some shelter from the bare, lilac hedges. Definitely an Aldi jacket and SS gloves day. Sans hat to stay cool. No obvious ill effects from yesterday's mileage or being sprayed. 

Quite a few tractors passed me on the muddy roads. Which reminded me why a trike is safer. Although I am slightly wider than a bike I don't need to weave to stay upright. I just continue on my chosen route while they roar past. Their mobile phone hand sutured permanently to their ear. 20 miles.   

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1st March 2012

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1848

March 1st 42F, 6C, breezy, heavy overcast. More wind. More grey. Just another day. Neither hot not cold. I took off the Aldi jacket and put on the even thinner Giordano. I came home with a huge red weal across my forehead. A bit like  Frankenstein's monster. Failure to adjust helmet headband between changing hats! I tried to adjust my shoe cleats but the screws were well rusted in. (despite being well greased as new) I wanted more clearance from the new cranks after polishing patches on the old ones. The new cranks are a different shape so may escape such damage. 3 shops, 16 miles.

A flock of swans and dozens of geese relax on a flooded field by a quiet road.

The geese are sitting on the grass bank beyond the water.

2nd 40-47F, 5-8C, breezy, mild, clearing to full sun. The windmills were standing still first thing but it felt like a headwind for the first 8 miles. After that it was mostly in my favour. A superb day for a ride! I was riding without a jacket most of the time. A heavy load of shopping again but I was climbing well. 30 miles today.

I had a pleasant chat with a lady who had seen me out on my trike. She, and her group of cycling friends, were intending to ride their bikes down to Paris! They were well in training with a ride of 50km (30 miles) every other day.

3rd 33-43F, 1-6C, windy, clearing to full sunshine. Overnight frost had left the grass white and the puddles iced over. I messed up the wind direction completely. Going with the wind when it was still gentle and then struggling back when it had picked up. I was so tired after 28 miles I came home for a coffee and rolls before going out again to finish the shopping. At least I should have some more pretty pictures.

 Spring has truly sprung. With the birds much more vociferous. The lawns and verges are suddenly full of crocuses, snowdrops and wood anemones. The woods echo to woodpeckers. I saw and heard my first skylarks and greenfinches. There were shell ducks on a field pond. 

The Aldi jacket was doing a good job against the cold wind. The SealSkinz 'Activity' gloves were cold at first and then sweaty later. When I say cold I don't mean my hands were cold. Certainly not aching. The right hand just felt as if the glove was cold. Nor were they wet inside. It was just that my hands felt sticky when I took off the gloves to take photographs. 7 miles later. Wind still very strong.

It doesn't look like it but this large, hairy object was over 6' tall!

4th March 36-38F, 2-3C, blowing hard, heavy overcast. 18mph steady wind base with gusts to 26mph. I had better think more carefully about my route today.

This sink hole has appeared in a field near the road. Somebody is throwing soil in to try and fill it in. Now about 20' across and at least 10' deep. The edges are too step for the critical slip angle of the sandy soil. Cracking is showing all around the perimeter so it may grow much larger. The blue string is comforting.

It was cold riding into the wind and not much warmer with it. The Aesse jacket would have been a better choice today. I wore the Aldi.

My hands were never warm today in the SealSkinz 'Activity' gloves. I would have been better off wearing my dirt cheap supermarket gloves. I don't know what it is about these expensive gloves. They are very windproof but have absolutely no warmth of their own. My hands were uncomfortably cold for a lot of the time. Which is absolutely ridiculous for the asking price. The manufacturers claim these have some insulation. God knows how they'd cope with real freezing temperatures. Though today's wind chill factor was -15C this is not remotely the same thing as riding in -15C temperatures!

14kg of shopping = 31lbs. It made the steering twitchy. With vicious speed wobble when I relaxed my grip on the bars. The good tail wind made it effortless coming home. Then it started to snow as I unloaded Mr Higgins. Only 18 miles today.

5th 34-38F, 1-3C, windy, dark grey. As it felt cold and windy I thought I'd try polyester jogging gloves under the SealSkinz. Not a good idea. Despite there being lots of room my hands were aching with the cold. I took of the thin gloves after the first stop and was more comfortable after that. Perhaps my hands warmed up going up that long hill? I nearly lost it on the following descent! Fierce side gusts nearly pushed me off the road at over 20mph. I was hanging off the side so far I couldn't pedal. Then a huge lorry overtook me and I was nearly sucked under.  I hate main roads!

After that I sought out the narrow lanes with high hedges. The wind was cold and strong as I fought my way back across country. After my shopping I had a tail wind and was climbing one hill at 23mph! Even Mr Higgins was impressed! The Aesse jacket was no better than the Aldi in these conditions. It has more warmth than the Aldi but is not quite as windproof. The Aesse just feels more comfortable thanks to the thicker, softer cloth. Though beautifully close fitting it gives more than the stiffer Aldi. The Aldi is a thin shell and feels like it. If the Aesse had pit zips it would be a much better garment for a much wider range of temperatures and conditions. Having underarm vents makes the Aldi wearable. 21 miles.

6th 30-36F, -1+2C, windy, full sun. 23-25mph with the wind. On my hands and knees coming home. Hands cold going. Okay coming back. Toes cold on the way back. 18 miles. 

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