Cycling 2024

[Nickslikk2112]

I really must get better at looking after the bike myself. Any recommendations for where I can get to learn more

No 

I just sort of picked a few things up as I went along. Google search here, Youtube video there, having a decent bike mechanic and listening to his tips on things to look out for.

Just remember things like checking brake pad wear, they're easy to replace. I got a chain wear indicator tool to see when the chain gets "stretched" with quick links they're easy to replace and it's recommended to change your rear cassette every third chain. It does mean an investment in tools though.

[Slim]

I'm the same, the first Boardman has been a very useful cycle maintenance course. There are lots of useful YouTube videos for pretty much everything and I just picked it up as I went along.

Which reminds me - the next reasonably mild dry day, I have to put the new rear mech on the Planet X. I bought a new chain for it as well.

I have yet to change a brake pad. The Boardman has gone through a rear mech, a front mech, two sets of handlebar tape, a seat post and a few cables, but it has yet to wear out a brake pad.

[dom]

I'm the same, the first Boardman has been a very useful cycle maintenance course. There are lots of useful YouTube videos for pretty much everything and I just picked it up as I went along.

Which reminds me - the next reasonably mild dry day, I have to put the new rear mech on the Planet X. I bought a new chain for it as well.

I have yet to change a brake pad. The Boardman has gone through a rear mech, a front mech, two sets of handlebar tape, a seat post and a few cables, but it has yet to wear out a brake pad.

All by yourself ?  That's impressive!

[Slim]

It's had two new rear cassettes as well now I think about it, about three chains and new wheels (though that was just an upgrade, there was nothing wrong with the old ones). It had a new stem as well come to think of it. It's a bit of a Trigger's broom. And yep, did it all myself but it's not that hard once you get into it.

I did have it serviced by a bike mechanic about a year ago but that was mainly due to idleness and wanting to get it cleaned properly. He didn't replace anything except cables.

[Nickslikk2112]

I don't do cables when they're internally routed, even the "pros" don't like doing that. Not tried doing hydraulic brake fluid either, I'll leave that to someone else.

[Slim]

I felt sure I wasn't going to get out again this month due to rotten weather, but happily the forecast for this afternoon changed. I'd abandoned my desk and set off on a Twycrosser by 1545. Only wanted to do 30-odd miles since it was likely to rain later, but that would see me over 400 for the month.

Stopped along Gibbet Lane on the way back to put my lights on - and found that I didn't have a rear light attached to the Tricross. Well, no matter - I was bound to have a strappy one in my backpack. And I did, but the little plastic hook that tethers the two ends of the silicon loop had gone missing. I tried to fashion a makeshift connection, but no joy. Fortunately the head torch in my backpack had a red light mode, so I switched that on and put it on my head backwards.

Not so fortunately, the red light would only stay on for a few minutes. I have no idea why. I only found that out because I got shouted at, not unreasonably, by passing motorists a couple of times.

Absolutely disgraceful that I didn't check I had proper lighting before setting off. I must own about 15 rear bike lights, as well.

Still - I didn't get run down. Back on 33.74 miles. 409 this month.

Very pleasant out there, not too cold and there was even a bit of weak sunshine early on, just enough to cast faint shadows though it wasn't bright. I didn't get rained on though I went through standing water a couple of times.

Nice to get a ride in on a Feb 29th.  An opportunity to boost the yearly tally that you don't usually get.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10863259743

[Nickslikk2112]

Didn't go out yesterday as I felt as if I had incipient "Man Flu". Went out today as I felt a bit more like it. I don't now...

Oh, it's good to get out though. Especially with it being a bonus day, nearly got 33 miles in, and just made it out for two hours. It got me to 545 miles for February, which I assume is my best February ever with 37,000 feet of elevation gain.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10860953156

[Slim]

Very good weather for cycling - low wind, dry, sunny and reasonably mild. Decided to do the Southbound route, and set off not long after 1000.

Remarkably, I missed the turn for Ellistown after about two miles. My mind was somewhat preoccupied with bathroom renovation activities. However I ploughed on down the A444, took a left along Grange Lane and was back on track in no time. Actually a more direct route, which cuts a mile off compared to going through Ellistown. I normally avoid it because I'm not keen on pedalling down the A444 any longer than I have to, but today it was fine. Something to think about for the next Northampton excursion.

Once again I took the bypass round Earl Shilton to avoid the hill.

At Gilmorton I was delighted to find the village shop open, with the enticing prospect of a Cornish pasty and a lemon curd crumble slice. I went in, took my phone out of my pocket and realised I'd brought the wrong one. I have three phones, all provided by my employer. But the one I'd brought with me doesn't have a SIM card. No Google Pay, no treats. I left.

I still had a Tesco cheese pasty, an oat bar and enough water on me. So I pressed on. I turned back after 31 miles though, thinking that it wasn't prudent to stray too far from home without a working phone or money. Maybe I should keep an emergency £10 note in my usual bikes.

Alas, on the way back I somehow turned left on Lutterworth Road instead of crossing straight over. Too much on my mind again. I decided I'd just press on and see if I could follow my nose home. This took me, eventually, to a place called Bitteswell. I decided to consult Google Maps, in the hope that I was in my "local area" offline map region, downloaded automatically by the app for offline use. I didn't have a mobile broadband signal, of course.

I wasn't, but at least the app told me roughly where I was in relationship to it even if I couldn't see the local roads on it. So I aimed the bike in the right direction and hoped for the best. Fortunately I saw a road sign to Broughton Astley a few miles later.

I added 8 or 9 miles, but I must say the new roads were idyllic cycling territory, especially on a day like today. Must remember to go down that way again.



Fortunately the food I had on me was more than adequate. I ate a lot of lasagne last night for reasons that have nothing to do with cycling, and I think there's definitely something to be said for carb loading.

I was irritated by a woman driving a Range Rover following me along Broughton Lane. She had loads of time and space to overtake me but she wouldn't, and after a few minutes she had a tail of traffic half a mile long crawling behind her. Naturally a couple of them decided it was my fault after she did eventually overtake, gesticulating or beeping their horns as they passed.

I listened to footy on 5 Live. Burnley (surely going down now) vs Bournemouth and the first half of the Manchester derby.

Back on 71.42 miles. That was this year's sixth fondo.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10882836844

[Nickslikk2112]

After coming down with Man Flu (yes a bit of a cold, but I have felt dreadful) I decided that whatever happened I'd get back on the bike today, so long as I was capable of getting out of bed. I had too, I lose fitness too quickly. Last Friday my buns were at peak steeliness, but they'd gone flabby again by today.

I actually felt worse this morning if anything, but I said I was going out. So I did. I actually felt better cycling than at any other point of the day. I took it steadily, didn't take in any serious hills and just had a relaxing ride. I could even have got away without a base layer, if I'd put more effort in I'd have drowned in sweat.

Back to just 25 miles, but any miles is good miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10895068357

[Slim]

Lovely cycling weather again, mild dry and sunny. Low winds. But not so much time this afternoon unfortunately. I hoped to get about 30 miles in nonetheless.

Decided I'd do about 15 of the eastbound route then come back. However, after about 12 miles I took a fancy to a left turn I hadn't taken before (I don't think), signposted to West Leake. And once again I discovered some very pleasant cycling territory along there. Before long I saw a sign to Sutton Bonington, so I took that, and as I expected, eventually I looped back to the main road through Zouch.

I've been through Sutton Bonington a few times. It was a favourite destination when I was still building up my ride distances after buggering my knees. That part of Nottinghamshire is pleasingly flat. But I'm pretty sure I haven't done the road that loops round to it near West Leake.



I must make a note to go exploring over that way again.

Anyway I came back after hitting the main road again. Took the slightly longer route home after Belton, through Griffydam.

Back on 28.35. Not quite as many as I intended. But as a wise man once said, any miles is good miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10897865173

[Nickslikk2112]

Struggling to shake off the old manflu. Got out again on Wednesday - 'cos any miles is good miles - but can't remember much about it. Yesterday I felt just as dull and damp as the weather so stayed in.

Today however was another "Kill or Cure" day. Hasn't done either, but at least escaping the first half isn't a bad thing and if truth be told I do now feel better than when I got up.

It was a bit of a chill Easterly wind out there though, not that that bothered me as I wasn't out to go quickly. Encountered a couple of sets of traffic lights at roadworks. The second set was on my "Take it Easy" loop so I couldn't do that one today, or maybe I could as they were working towards clearing them when I went through and they had gone when I came back. But there's a not quite so easy loop I could take so all was good.

To say I was taking it easy, I did manage to set my fastest ever time - and 10th fastest out of 583 - on a small climb. That's what a stiff Easterly can do. Got back just shy of 30 miles, a sign of my state was that I didn't bother to nip round Sainsbury's roundabout to top 30 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10916000373/

[Slim]

While looking through my bike routes on RideWithGPS this morning I came across one I'd devised, but never tried that goes eastward by a different, more southerly route through Bagworth, Markfield, Rothley, Trussington and Hoby before looping upward through Ragdale to join the usual eastbound route near Six Hills.

So: I did that this afternoon, after leaving work early. Plumbed the route into my eTrex so I wouldn't get lost.

Certainly made a nice change, but I could have done without all the hill climbing on the lower part. Nice and quiet though. Nice views. I think I did something similar a few months ago.



I had half a mind to do a fondo, so to that end I continued east for a bit when I got to Six Hills. But it was getting a bit cold so I turned back after about three miles. I don't often do more than 50 miles without doing a fondo and I did think about maybe an excursion into Coalville and back with a few miles to go. But there'll be longer, warmer days soon.

Saw a baby deer strolling along the grass verge at Stanford on Soar. It disappeared into someone's front garden when it heard me coming.

Back on 54.61.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10918338796

[Nickslikk2112]

The closer I get back to feeling "normal", the harder it seems to be to turn a pedal over. Perhaps it's my subconscious saying "you're back, ride like it". Well, I'm not back and I can't ride like it.

Managed a 32 miler which I last rode on the last day of February - just before man flu - and my averaged speed was down by 0.6 mph, weighted average power down by 7W and average heart rate up 6 bpm. I love my stats me. Yet after 23 miles I was still just quicker than the previous time. All down to the wind though, it was a stiff easterly today, my five mile descent from the tops took 14 minutes 40 seconds today as against 12 minutes 31 previously. That made all the difference.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10924711979

[Slim]

A dry day for a change and unusually mild with it, although the wind from the south was fairly strong. I left work early with the idea of doing a decently long ride, possibly even a fondo, down the southbound route. Once again I came right down the A444 over the first few miles, rather than going through Ellistown and Bagworth.

Delightfully, I found the village shop at Gilmorton open so I bought some goodies.

I turned back after 30.3 miles, along Station Road near Husbands Bosworth. I was going to take a longer route home and I didn't want to do more than the fondo distance. I reckoned I'd be home by about 2100.

It was getting dark by this time, and I took a wrong turn down Lutterworth Road. My more serious error came after Stoney Stanton, when I failed to take the left turn to Potters Marston. I do enjoy cycling in the dark but I'm definitely more likely to make navigation errors. I realised I'd gone badly wrong when I found myself in Huncote, a place I don't think I'd ever been in my life.



Google Maps to the rescue then and I plotted a course homeward, but within a few miles I'd missed a turn again and found myself in Croft. That was particularly annoying because I'd  descended a steep hill completely unnecessarily, and of course I had to come back up.

By this time I was convinced I wasn't going to get home until after 2200, but in fact I hadn't gone that far off track. I came back up through unfamiliar territory (Thurlaston and Desford Rd) then nearer home, the quickest possible way, through Donington le Heath rather than Ibstock and was back home on 64.58 miles. I'll put the road through Thurlaston on my list of places to revisit.

Very glad to have the tailwind on the way back, it made a big difference.

I did regret coming through Donington le Heath. It used to be fine, but there's a steep descent called Standard Hill which has been resurfaced in a bizarre wavy, ripply texture and although it's alright in a car it is absolutely boneshaking on a bike. Horrible in the dark especially.

Anyway, glad to have given the March distance tally a bit of a boost. It's been a rotten cycling month. 219 miles done and I'll be happy enough with 400.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10954222829

[Nickslikk2112]

I've not even managed 180 miles in March yet. Still finding it hard to get back into it post Man Flu. Never felt that bad with it, but it's really knocked me back.

Got up to nearly 39 miles yesterday, I'd wanted to do 40 but just couldn't be arsed to do an extra one and a bit miles. Slogging out into a headwind didn't help and the tailwind bonus coming back couldn't pick me up that much. Nice to see that the council have been out filling in some potholes.

Today wasn't even 28 miles, but it was a hillier ride and my heart rate averaged less than yesterday, so I'm taking that as a good sign.