Cycling 2024

[Nickslikk2112]

Had an issue with the bike struggling to get into the big cog at the front.


The mobile bike repair guy I use adjusted the cables and all is good again. Something that if I had a bit more confidence with bike maintenance I'm sure I could have managed myself. 

He didn't charge me for his 10 minutes but suggested that my wheels could do with replacing. He talked me into it, and as the wheels are still the originals and the bike is 8 years old I thought it reasonable. He's bringing them over next week. 100euro each for a pair of Mavics that he highly recommends.

Why did he think bike wheels need replacing after 8 years?

Any decent bike mechanic would know that wheels need replacing at least every two years, as something lighter will have been brought out, probably with a scallop shaped rims and a really clicky freehub

[David L]

Had an issue with the bike struggling to get into the big cog at the front.


The mobile bike repair guy I use adjusted the cables and all is good again. Something that if I had a bit more confidence with bike maintenance I'm sure I could have managed myself. 

He didn't charge me for his 10 minutes but suggested that my wheels could do with replacing. He talked me into it, and as the wheels are still the originals and the bike is 8 years old I thought it reasonable. He's bringing them over next week. 100euro each for a pair of Mavics that he highly recommends.

Why did he think bike wheels need replacing after 8 years?

Any decent bike mechanic would know that wheels need replacing at least every two years, as something lighter will have been brought out, probably with a scallop shaped rims and a really clicky freehub

😂

[dom]

Had an issue with the bike struggling to get into the big cog at the front.


The mobile bike repair guy I use adjusted the cables and all is good again. Something that if I had a bit more confidence with bike maintenance I'm sure I could have managed myself. 

He didn't charge me for his 10 minutes but suggested that my wheels could do with replacing. He talked me into it, and as the wheels are still the originals and the bike is 8 years old I thought it reasonable. He's bringing them over next week. 100euro each for a pair of Mavics that he highly recommends.

Why did he think bike wheels need replacing after 8 years?

He said there was plenty of give in them, there was quite a bit of movement when he pushed them from side to side.  He's just got back onto me to say he has a 2nd hand pair of Mavics which  were €550 new which he's selling for the same price as the more basic pair I was getting

[Slim]

My first Boardman has done about 15,500 miles on its present wheels, they seem to be doing fine at the moment. Fulcrum Racing 4s I think. Or 5s.

[dom]

Think my bike has done roughly that amount in kilometres

[Slim]

Rain this morning, but nice and dry by the early afternoon. Decently warm, but annoyingly windy. I hoped to do about 45.

I intended to take the Planet X but weirdly, I couldn't get the stirrup pump nozzle to fit the valve on the front tyre when I went to pump it up. I mean - it seemed to fit over and clamp down correctly, but I couldn't pump air into it. Maybe there's some sort of obstruction in the end of the valve, although I don't really see how there could be since I keep a cap over the end. Oh well, I'll have a closer look tomorrow, maybe.

So I took Boardman II instead.

I didn't have a definite plan. I set off as if to do a Twycrosser but after seven miles, took a right along Atherstone Road to Measham. I'd formed a vague intention to head along the Lower Westbound route by this time. However, having approached Measham in an unfamiliar manner, I missed my usual turn. So I kept on, to No Man's Heath. From there I continued to Clifton Campville then followed a sign to Lullington, which is on the Lower Westbound route. Shame really because looking at the map now, if I'd kept going I would have gone through Haunton and Harlaston which I used to do occasionally years ago. Perhaps I'll revisit them soon.

I'd forgotten to bring a water bottle with me so I stopped at a services next to the M42 to buy a little bottle of raspberry juice drink and a sandwich. And an almond croissant.

I continued on as far as Alrewas (pronounced "or 'e was"). By this time the oncoming wind was really annoying me - as much because it was interfering with my audiobook listening as because it was making propelling the bike harder work. I decided I'd had enough and turned back.



But I went right into Alrewas on the way back. Nice little village. I'd passed it many times, but had never been into the village proper. I stopped and ate at a bench, while listening to my DAB personal. As I did so, I felt a sudden sharp tap on the back of my head. Nearly jumped five feet in the air! I turned to see a young man, aged about twelve. Initially, I assumed I was confronting a fledgling hooligan, taking an opportunity to harrass an older gentleman for a laugh. Then I realised he was holding one of my cycling mitts in an outstretched hand. It had fallen from the bench, presumably. At that moment I noticed that he was accompanied by a yummy mummy. So I thanked him.

To be honest I would have found it without any trouble before I set off again but hey.

Just to add another wrinkle to what had been an unusual ride, I turned right at Acresford on the way home to come back through Appleby Magna, Snarestone and Swepstone.

Quite a nice ride out, lovely warm sunshine later on. But that headwind over the first half was really annoying.

Listened to more of the Pete Townshend audiobook, or tried to - I missed every third word or so due to wind noise. I'll have to redo a few chapters I think. Also listened to phone-ins about the election, which I'm finding highly aggravating at the moment.

Back on 44.96 miles and that's 152 this month, just about satisfactory for eight days in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11604890651

[Nickslikk2112]

I'm still struggling to really get back into it. Either COVID is kicking back in again or it's a cold. I blame Mrs S, she works at a school and she appears to keep bringing back all sorts of things and even though she's got them I get them worse - it's a man thing.

Still, that which doesn't kill us makes us think maybe we shouldn't have done it. But the sun was shining and I didn't feel that bad. An hour would have been enough, but I managed to stretch it out to over two and got 35 miles in. Even ventured over the border into Nottinghamshire and found out that some of their potholes had been filled in, I also found a good stretch which needs potholes filling in and back in Derbyshire it got even worse. My teeth are going to fall out one day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11605440241

[Slim]

I booked a day's annual leave for today to take advantage of a dry day. I didn't have a clear plan, but I did have a rough idea to do a route I'd worked out last night that would take me along the upper westbound route, but go further west than usual through a village called Marchington, to Uttoxeter - then south-west to Stone, to join my usual route to Wales. I'd turn back after about 50 miles along the Lower Westbound Route and end up having done about 100, or a bit more.

Well - I did that, except that I took a bit of a weird detour in the first six miles by going up through Griffydam on autopilot.

But after Uttoxeter, I decided I wasn't really enjoying the road that I was on. Too busy and a bit climby. So I had a change of plan and plotted a route down to Abbots Bromley, to connect up with the Lower Westbound Route earlier than planned.

I had lunch consisting of stuff I'd bought at a petrol station, at a bench in Abbots. Then, instead of turning homeward the usual way I took a road south down to Hill Ridware. Then west to Rugeley, then I took a road back north to Abbots Bromley, to loop back. I hadn't been along that particular road before - it took me over Blithfield Reservoir (pictured).

This time I came home a traditional way, through Yoxall, Barton-under-Needwood, Walton, Coton, Lullington. One of my occasional Lower Westbound routes, though not the usual one. And just to add a mile or two I came through Packington and along Alton Hill on the way back.



It was mostly a cloudy, but dry day with low winds. I only started to feel too warm when the sun came out for the last 20 minutes or so. Beautiful warm sunshine for the last four miles! So in that respect it might have been nice to stay out longer. I didn't do the 100 miles I intended, only 89.12. But really I didn't feel I had anywhere else to go by that time. Nonetheless, I feel I made decent use of a day off. I'm especially pleased to have visited some new cycling territory - especially through Marchington, which was quite pleasant. I'll do that again.

Ideally, I'd like to do Wales and back soon. But today wasn't the day for that. Too cool early in the morning.

Listened to more of Pete Townshend's autobiography - up to 1995 now. And the Who album Quadrophenia, and a bit of 5 Live.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11638157498

[Nickslikk2112]

Don't know when I'll get out again. After thinking I might be coming down with something on Saturday I did do. Worse than the probable COVID I had three weeks ago. Been knocked sideways though.

Just got some definition back to my thigh muscles and that's all gone and my buns of steel are now just soggy baps.

[Nickslikk2112]

I've self diagnosed myself as having had Bronchitis. Mrs S who is used to me making a slight headache into a Brain tumour thinks there may be something to it.

Anyway, I was feeling a bit more like and once I'd finished watching the Women's Tour de Suisse, the Tour of Slovenia and the men's Tour de Suisse and then waited for a heavy shower to finish I made it out on the road for the first time in a week,

Just for an hour, don't want to push it too much - on the orders of Frau Doktor Mrs S - so got 15 miles in. Wasn't too hard, didn't get too out of breath and didn't feel any worse for it. Onwards and Upwards - hopefully...

https://www.strava.com/activities/11660130306/

[Slim]

Pretty nice weather today, but rain was forecast for the afternoon so I thought 40 miles or so would do. And I thought a Twycross Bypasser would be a nice way to spend a few hours on a Sunday.

I did a fairly long one, going up to Packington at the top and down to Fenn Lanes at the bottom. After Sutton Cheney I thought I'd come back north via the A447, reasoning that the traffic would be a bit quieter. It's not as nice as the road up through the villages, but I thought it would make a change. I did that for about a mile but worked out that the more direct route would cost me a couple of miles, so I cut back westward onto the usual route upwards through Carlton, Barton, Odstone, Burgoland et al.



I listened to Euros coverage on 5 Live, the rest of Pete Townshend's autobiography which I started about four weeks ago and the Who album Who Are You. I took the pic with the plastic cow at Sutton Cheney.



It hasn't actually rained despite the forecast, so I could have stayed out a couple of hours longer in the warm afternoon sunshine. Still - 41.35 miles, 283 this month now and that's good enough with a couple of weeks left until July.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11666150970

[Nickslikk2112]

And another ride today, decided to extend things a bit and risk doing all of 20 miles, I think another 15 miler might have been better as I feel a bit worse for it. Still, it didn't rain too much. I also got told by another cyclist that I was riding quickly for someone on the recovery trail as he thought I was someone he knew and he'd had to put in a big dig to catch me up I really was taking it steadily though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11667733173/

[Nickslikk2112]

I rather think that I won't hit 500 miles in June, just like May Should be doing 800+ but I didn't go out yesterday - felt shattered after two short weekend rides - and the way I feel now I don't know if I'll be out Wednesday and Thursday before a weekend in the Toon.

Still, I did make it out today and got up to a 30 miler. Took it nice and steadily - 80% intensity - well I tried too, but the heart rate averaged 152 on the Sutton Lane climb today as against 141 on Sunday, same average lower on both days though. Did wonder if the heart strap was playing up, but when that plays up I see a HR going up to 190 and there was none of that today.

Not just motorised traffic cyclists have to look out for, pedestrians are a bunch of cnuts too. Well one was today, I'd seen him come onto the road from a footpath and he was muttering to himself. I was doing a few circuits round Heath and Sutton Scarsdale, next time around he stopped at the side of the road to let a car by - there was no footway - then when I came by he grunted and aimed a kick at me. Twat.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11680420145

[Nickslikk2112]

Upped it to a 35 mile ride today. More of a proper ride too in that I didn't go out to ride a few flat circuits. Thought I might up it to 40 miles tomorrow, but not the way I feel now! Didn't have a good night's sleep and thought I might be relapsing, but feel reasonably OK now, just completely and utterly shagged out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11688723979

[Nickslikk2112]

Didn't do 40 miles today. Felt like it though, did 36 miles and I pointed the bike more uphill today. Got up to the Peak District and Strava didn't even give me a categorised climb on the way there, yes I took the easy way, but it didn't feel it. I'm sure that the ride up from Staveley to Middle Handley must have a section that Strava would categorise as a climb, but nobody has found it yet.

It was good to feel warm sunshine on the skin though, not happened much this year, didn't make me any quicker though - as if it would. Not that I was aiming for a quick ride, I'm just happy to be out there and not coughing! Didn't get a full on snotty nose until just before I got home either. Things must be on the up. I'll give myself a weekend off now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11696816458/