December 2017.

3rd December: Finally, nice weather! The temperature was back up to bearable today, around 9° C, and the sky was largely blue with little wind so I took Awesom-O out for a spin. As it was so much warmer than it has been, I tried wearing just my Castelli Alpha jacket and it was actually OK although I don't think you could go any colder with it and stay comfortable.

I was going to do the usual, three ups and downs of the farm track, but at one point I saw a couple of horsists in the distance and decided I couldn't be bothered with the palaver of getting around them. I decided to divert and do most of the local twenty seven instead as it seems like ages since I last did it. It was pleasant enough and a bit of a celebratory ride as it was the ride I successfully reached my annual mileage target of 2,400 miles so anything else this year is a bonus! 20.6 more miles.

27th December: Finally, I got out again! We had ten days of very cold, dank, wet weather followed by a week of sub-zero temperatures (it dropped to -14 °C in one village is Shropshire!). I then upgraded my PC after seven years (i5-8600k and DDR4 2666 replacing i5-760 and DDR3 1333 for the win!) which lost a few more days and then, finally, Christmas. Anyhow, today was cold, maybe 2-3 °C, and very windy but the skies were blue and the sun was out so I took Awesom-O out and did three ups and downs of the farm track. I was worried about being out of shape but, apart from feeling a bit short of breath for the first ten miles, I actually felt good. Anyhow, 25.4 more miles.

Well, I didn't get out much over Christmas for the usual reasons so 2017 goes out with a fairly respectable mileage of 2,432.6 which I don't think's too shabby!

VIRO-SOL review. The hunt for an environmentally friendly degreaser continues...

In my eternal quest to stop using white spirit to clean my chain, I stumbled across this stuff recently. It sounded promising so I read the reviews which sounded great, one guy even mentioned it was great for cleaning bike chains! I ordered some and it got delivered today. Awesom-O's chain was pretty claggy after two outings with the new home-made lube so I thought he'd be a perfect test candidate. I was suspicious that once again there was no real citrusy smell when I opened it so I put a few glugs into a clip-top container, added the chain, and gave it a really good shake. Encouragingly, the solution started getting pretty mucky.

I opened the container and gave the chain a good stir and found the product is reasonable but definitely no cigar. I washed the chain thoroughly in hot water and dried it and although the outside looks nice and clean and shiny, there is no tinkling noise as you shake the chain which is a good indicator the internals of the chain have been cleaned out properly. Having looked at some of the data on this stuff, including the fact the pH is 11 (so keep it well away from aluminium components unless it's very dilute!), suggests to me that this is basically a standard alkaline degreaser with a sprinkling of citrus to add a whiff of 'green'. Having said that I bet it's awesome for generally cleaning, rather than actual degreasing, around the house and garden!

November 2017.

6th November: Another day off work today and it was a gorgeous one. It was fairly cool but largely blue skies and sunny so I took a rather filthy Awesom-O out for a spin. I didn't do anything special, just the usual three ups and downs of the farm path, but it was an enjoyable ride. It's definitely cooling off though, I had my running top under the Castelli jacket and it was perfect and I noticed my feet felt quite cold so it'll be overshoe season soon enough. As a slight aside, I saw two kestrels today fairly close up, one in insect alley and one a few hundred yards before there so maybe there's a family group? Anyhow, 25.1 miles to kick November off.

8th November: It was my first day ever working from home today and the weather was fantastic, sunny and not too windy, so I took Awesom-O out for a ride. I normally take thirty minutes for lunch so I figured I could just work for an extra hour this afternoon and set off. For some unknown reason my legs weren't feeling great so not the most enjoyable ride ever but it was nice to be enjoying decent weather still. 25.1 miles.

11th November: It was a chilly but otherwise gorgeous day today so I took Awesom-O out for a spin. before I did, however, I performed some much needed maintenance. i took both his chain-rings off and gave them a thorough clean and degreased and re-lubed his chain with my new EP90 mixture. I'm not sure why but i checked the chain with the chain checker and was astonished to see the 0.75% end dropped through every link I tried it on at a mere 929.5 miles! Somehow it had gone from ok to worn out in the one ride since I last checked it; I guess being sprayed with liquid mud constantly really doesn't do them much good. Anyhow, I fitted a new chain and headed out. It was a fairly normal ride except for one thing.

As I was heading back in on my first leg a fire engine was coming along the path towards me. I pulled in to let him past (thankfully he saw me and rather considerately turned the siren off!) and saw another one which soon passed me. I carried on and kept looking around to see if I could see what they were up to. I eventually saw blue lights in the distance. I diverted down Simonswood Lane and went to have a look. They were pulled up outside an isolated semi. There was no smoke or fire but all the doors and windows of one of the houses were open and there was a faint smell of burning in the air so I think one there had been a small fire which was now out. A fun ride and another 26.2 miles.

14th November: Another working from home day today so another daytime jaunt for Awesom-O. I was browsing eBay the other day and might have accidentally started searching for titanium bits. I noticed a rather natty titanium stem cap and bolt for less that seven quid delivered so it was soon on it's way to me. I decided to fit it before I left and noticed the star fangled nut must have been at an angle because it was hard to get the bolt in. I did notice that there were two equal thickness spacers above the stem so a job for when I got back. I also fitted a new set of cleats to my shoes as the existing ones were sounding a bit rattly and look worn out.

It had rained a bit this morning so the ground was very wet but it was a gorgeous day otherwise, overcast but very bright and very little wind. I did the usual three ups and downs and, apart from having to slow down because of an unusually high number of dog walkers, it was a very enjoyable ride and my cleats felt a lot more secure. When I got back I washed Awesom-O (obviously...) and then removed his forks. I marked and trimmed the steerer and then hammered the SFN in, which straightened it out, and put everything back together minus the redundant spacer. He now has a single, equal thickness, spacer above and below the stem and the new titanium cap and bolt look awesome. Anyhow, another 25.1 miles.

17th November: It was overcast and wet today but not raining so I took Awesom-O out for the usual three ups and downs of the farm path. It was a fairly typical ride except for one thing. As I was coming back down the path I saw two lads struggling to push a black Seat car back up a driveway but there was a concrete lip at the edge and they couldn't get the car over it. I parked Awesom-O on the verge and gave them a hand and the car was soon where they wanted it. The lads were very grateful for the help, I just hope they weren't up to no good! Anyhow, an enjoyable ride and another 25.1 miles.

19th November: I was bored yesterday so I whipped off Awesom-O's bottom brackets and completely cleaned it and the shell out with a toothbrush and WD-40. I dried it off and refitted it with loads of copper grease and took him out for a spin this afternoon. It was a slightly irksome ride in the sense that the two sections of the farm path that really stay submerged were finally dry so I could have taken the Strael for a last jolly before winter but I'm sure I'll get the chance again. I was quite late setting off so I took the Diablo rather than the Knogg so that I wouldn't get caught out. It was quite a nice ride, it's definitely getting colder, around 7 °C today but a fun ride none the less and another 25.1 miles.

28th November: After a few days of cold, wet, windy weather I finally managed to get out for a spin on Awesom-O. I had to track my snood down for this ride as it was the first properly cold ride of the year, the BBC website said 4 or 5 °C. As well as the snood, I also wore my Rapha merino under my Stolen Goat so I felt rather like a eskimo as I rode which is going to take some getting used to. I think I underestimated how much rain we've had recently because the two big puddles on the farm path were as big as I've ever seen them and I ended up wet to the knees from the bow wave from the front wheel. Anyhow, it's all good fun and another 25.1 miles.

Well, I didn't manage to get out again due to the cold, rainy weather but November goes out with a not too shabby 176.8 miles. Lets hope the weather warms up a bit and I can get a few rides in in December.

Keeping jock itch at bay and your kit smelling fresh.

I was reading an article about cycling related kit whiffs on road.cc the other day and somebody mentioned this stuff, Halo ProActive Sports Wash. It's a washing liquid designed to really get into the fibres of your kit and kill the bacteria and fungi that lurk in there causing odour and fungal conditions.

Having had jock itch in the past, I decided to give it a try and ordered a couple of bottles from Wiggle. I put my new Castelli bibs, my Altura top and some work shirts through on a 30 c delicates wash and waited for the results. I'm no microbiologist but the results were great, everything was clean and had a really zingy, pleasant clean smell to it so I'm calling this one a win and will keep on using it!

October 2017.

1st October: Having had quite a poor September mileage-wise, I have a feeling October will be better. It's taken me a while to find my 'it's not warm and sunny anymore' mojo but I think it's back. It was overcast but bright today and quite windy so I took Awesom-O out for a spin. I didn't do anything fancy, just three ups and downs of the farm path but it was an enjoyable ride despite the wind. Following on from my recent post about cycling products often being overpriced and reading a review of a ridiculously expensive rucksack, I decided to look at rucksacks on-line.

I currently use a Deuter something or other of around 15 litres that I used to use at work but something a bit smaller would be more ideal. A bit of Googling quickly found the Mountain Warehouse 10 litre Esprit rucksack reduced from £25.99 to £9.99! It arrived and got it's first ride today; it's fantastic, just as well made as much more expensive brands and the perfect size for a day pack! 25.1 miles to start October off.

6th October: The weather was pleasant enough for a change today but it was chilly, the BBC website said 12 °C. I could definitely feel the chill on my legs when I set out and my new Castelli jacket finally feels more suited to the weather. Anyhow, I took Awesom-O out and did three ups and downs of the farm path. My legs felt pretty good and it was an enjoyable ride overall and 25.0 more miles.

9th October: Another very pleasant day today. It was overcast but bright with very little wind so I took Awesom-O out and did three ups and downs of the farm path. It was an uneventful ride until I nearly got run over 100 yards from home! There was a big car badly parked on my side of the road and I saw him start to pull into the road. I assumed he'd see me and stop, especially as I now run a Knog Blinder Mini Chippy on the front in blink mode, but he kept pulling out and only stopped at the last second. I know the car, the owner lives about 200 yards from me, and the driver is very elderly. Two incidents with cars in over 11,000 miles and both very elderly drivers... Anyhow, another 25.4 miles.

11th October: It was absolutely pouring with rain and windy today but I had a couple of tests to so so it proved a very rule #9 ride! Firstly, I'm going to stop using the Morgan Blue Syn Lube on Awesom-O's chain, it's great at staying on and lubing the chain but the build-up of crud on the jockeys wheels had to be seen to be believed. I cleaned the chain and re-lubed it with Morgan Blue Race Oil because I want to see what the chain's like in the morning after an hour and a half in the rain. Secondly, I wanted to see how the Castelli Alpha performs in the rain. The main body was ok but the sleeves let the rain right through so 'not brilliantly' was the answer to that question. Lastly, I wanted to wear my new Castelli Velocissimo long bib shorts for the first time, so... They're brilliant! Perfectly skintight, the straps are the perfect length for me and the pad protects you but just disappears, I'm probably going to pick up a set of Castelli shorts in the spring to replace my Lussos. Oh, and note to self, start wearing your overshoes again when it's wet; cycling shoes fill with water in about 0.3 seconds when you're riding through three inches of water at speed...  Anyhow, a wet and windy ride but another 25.0 miles in the bank.

13th October: Following yesterdays test ride, the chain had gone slightly rusty on the inside of the links so I topped it up and left it. What followed was a rather unusual ride. The weather was unseasonably warm, around 19 c, with the occasional glimpse of blue in the sky but very windy so it was the first ride in a while where I wore my bib shorts and Altura short sleeved top. Anyhow, I took Awesom-O out and did three and a half up and downs of the farm track. Despite the wind, which was very strong heading out on the track, it proved to be quite a zen ride. Even though I was spinning along into the wind struggling to maintain 16 mph it was a very enjoyable, relaxing ride. Anyhow, a fun ride and another 27.3 miles.

15th October: Strangely, it was another unseasonably warm day with lots of blue sky today so the Strael got another trip out. Having ridden Awesom-O for a while the first thing I noticed was that the seat was low so I raised it about 3/8" and it felt even better. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just the usual three ups and downs of the farm track, but I did see the Kestrel I saw recently again on the section I call insect alley so I suspect it has a nest somewhere nearby which is cool. It wasn't a perfect ride, it was fairly windy and I got properly close passed by some tool in a Ford MPV on the way back, but an enjoyable ride overall. 25.1 more miles.

20th October: I booked a day off from my new job today because I didn't have anything to do (shortly before being given a large list of jobs, oops...) so I took Awesom-O out for a spin. It was overcast but bright and not too windy for a change so it was quite an enjoyable ride. There were still huge muddy puddles on the farm path though so Awesom-O needed a really good wash when we got back but I'm used to that by now! On a different note, I saw what I thought was the kestrel again but I'm starting to have doubts. I'll try and memorise it more exactly if I see it again and work out what it is... Anyhow, 25.4 more miles.

26th October: It turned out to be the first night ride of the year tonight. I took Awesom-O out for the three ups and downs of the farm track and by the end of the second up it was pretty much dark. Weather-wise it was dry and breezy and fairly damp and chilly at around 10 °C but this gave me an opportunity to test my new anti-winter secret weapon, a Stolen Goat 'Climb and Conquer' winter jacket.

The jacket is designed to be extremely warm and waterproof ie the perfect jacket to get you out of the house on a freezing winter night. I wore it with my new Castelli Velocissimo long bibs and it was definitely warm! I ended up riding with unzipped about six inches which was definitely odd given he time of year but definitely bodes well when the weather turns really cold! A pleasant ride and another 25.1 miles.

29th October: Having decided that Morgan Blue Syn lube is too thick but their Race Oil isn't winter-proof enough, I decided to have a crack at making my own recipe lube. I knew about EP90 from when my dad and I had a series 3 Land Rover, it's a gear oil commonly used in older vehicles. Being a gear oil, it's designed to provide protection against metal-on-metal wear so it ought to be perfect in a chain lube so I mixed one third EP90 with two thirds Syn Lube. I degreased Awesom-O's chain, dried it, and applied one drip per link and headed out to do three ups and downs of the farm track.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, clear blue skies and not too much wind, so I wore my new Castelli Alpha top over my white Nike running top and my long Castelli bibs. It turned out to be fairly warm so the the running top probably wasn't necessary but it was a very enjoyable ride anyway. In typical British fashion, the warm weather brought out a lot of cyclists and I even saw a late middle aged couple jogging on the farm path which was unusual. 25.1 more miles.

Well, I didn't manage to get out again so October goes by with a not too shabby total of 228.5 miles on the clock.

September 2017.

2nd September: It was quite warm today with blue skies and hardly any wind so the Strael got another trip out. I've been doing some research on vitamin D and exercise and there's definitely something in it. Because it's created by the action of sunlight on exposed skin, rather than being common in food, it's very easy to be deficient in vitamin D and apparently most people are.

I mention it because when I set out today I really didn't feel like a ride but I ended up enjoying it and averaging 17.0 mph which was very good. I noticed this performance boost last winter when I took vitamin D so I've ordered some 5,000 iu tablets and my parents can have the rest of my 1,000 iu stash when they arrive. Anyhow, 25.3 miles to kick September off.

9th September: I really dropped on with today's ride. The BBC weather website said it would rain all day today and all weekend. As it turned out, today was actually hot and sunny albeit with a very strong wind. I took the Strael out and did three ups and downs of the farm track. It was hard work with the wind but quite an enjoyable ride overall. I hadn't taken into account the recent rain however; there were a couple of huge muddy puddles and the bike, and myself, were absolutely covered in mud by the time we got home - who said buying a white bike was a good idea?! Anyhow, a fun ride and the vitamin D must be working because I averaged 16.7 mph despite the wind. 25.1 miles.

16th September: Well, after a week of terrible rain and wind, including storm Aileen, I finally managed to get out for ride today and did the local 27. It was actually quite sunny so I took the risk of the puddles having dried out and took the Strael and luckily I was right, they'd pretty much dried up. I was wearing a new top on the ride as well. Autumn's on the way so I spent my Christmas money early and bought a Castelli Alpha FZ jacket (reduced from £175 to £99 from Merlin!) and some Velocissimo 3 bib tights to go with it. It was too warm, about 15 c, for the tights but I wore the Alpha over my Lusso bibs.

The Alpha is made from Gore Windstopper 150 so it breathes really well and has a mesh zip up front section so if you get too warm, you can undo the main zip and still have the mesh section underneath to keep the jacket from flopping around. Despite it being too warm really, the jacket was great. I had it unzipped a few inches so I kept cool and I wasn't a sweaty mess when I got it so it's definitely breathable. On a similar note, the 5,000 iu vitamin D is definitely working, despite the strong wind I averaged 17.1 mph which was very good, I'm usually slower when it's windy. 25.1 more miles.

17th September: Another nice day today so I managed to get out and do the same ride I did yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, very windy but super clear with largely blue skies; a real sign that autumn's on the way. It was fairly windy but my legs felt reasonably good so quite a fun ride, the average was looking good as well until the wind got up a couple of times as I got closer to home but 16.6 mph isn't too shoddy and it was another 25.1 miles. Incidentally, I wore the Castelli jacket again and was boiling so I'm going to put that away for a few weeks until the temperature starts to fall a bit more.

24th September: Being short of miles this month I really wanted to get out for a ride yesterday but I somehow pulled a muscle in my neck which was really annoying. Anyhow, it feels a lot better today so I took the Strael out for spin. Given the terrible weather we've had so far in September, today was a real surprise. It was warm with some blue sky and not too much wind, at least initially. My legs felt great and, despite the wind getting up a bit mid-ride, it was a fun ride with an average of 17.2 mph which is good for me. 25.1 much needed miles.

25th September: The weather was quite nice today. It was started overcast but some blue sky appeared eventually and there less wind than we've had recently. Because of all the recent rain I decided to take Awesom-O because he has mudguards and I didn't fancy getting filthy.

The ride started well but I soon ran into a snag half way up the farm track, BT were installing new poles and had a van parked right across the path. I decided to divert towards Aughton and ended up having fun ride just exploring wherever I fancied going and finished with a handy 28.7 miles. Due to other commitments I didn't make it out again so a disappointing total for September of 154.4 but I'm still massively in the green for the year so here's hoping for a more pleasant October.

August 2017.

7th August: After a lot of rain recently and a lot of time surrounded by bike bits I finally managed to get out for a ride today. I'd decided that carbon really doesn't float my boat any more and steel definitely does so I treated myself to a Fairlight Strael frame and forks and set of Shimano ST-RS685 hydraulic shifters and BR-RS805 calipers and spent a few days building it up. I still have the RS500 crankset and it's original wheels so the Giant can be rebuilt and sold on at some point in the near future. The eagle eyed ones among you will notice that I am a bit of a tart and went for the £40 option of an orange Hope headset and seat clamp plus I bought the orange Hope skewers to match!

Anyhow, I eventually got the Strael finished, the rain had gone and it was actually quite warm and sunny so I took it out for it's inaugural voyage and ended up having a blast. I'd very carefully researched all the key dimensions of the Giant and the Strael and the Strael in size 56R was perfect; slightly longer, slightly more reach and with a lower front end. Amazingly, it looks like I'd manage to get the Strael spot on before I even set off. The position felt absolutely perfect; long and low but comfortable at the same time.

The ride is classic steel all the way. Fast and stiff but with the beautiful smoothness that makes a good steel frame unbeatable; I genuinely couldn't be more pleased with it. The brakes are an absolute revelation, especially. They were an absolute pig to bleed but the power and modulation are streaks ahead of the Spyres. A really fun ride and 27.8 miles to start August, and the new n+1, off.

10th August: I got out after work tonight but before I set off I tightened the headset on the Strael. It was slightly loose on the previous ride and I could hear the forks clonking around constantly which was quite annoying. Anyhow, the weather was quite nice, sunny but fairly windy, so I took Dairy Farm Road and the OCR to the end of the farm track and did three ups and downs and then headed back through the village, stopping for a chicken kebab on the way. Another 25.2 miles for August.

13th August: After a fairly miserable wet Saturday, today was looking a lot nicer so I took the Strael out for another spin. Prior to the ride I'd adjusted the saddle so it looked more level and ended up really not enjoying the first up and down of the farm path. I stopped and tilted the saddle back, as it had been, and I was absolutely flying again. There was virtually no wind either, which is extremely unusual, so it was a very enjoyable ride and I averaged 17.1 mph which was good. Another 24.9 miles.

15th August: After all the rain we've had recently today was finally warm and sunny, albeit windy, so I took the Strael out for a spin after work. I did two up and downs of the farm track and a loop and for the first time I can recall had a passenger. I thought I saw a speck of mud on my leg out of the corner of my eye but when I looked down I realised it was a shield bug!

He was on my leg just above my knee and he sat there happily for a good two miles despite the 18 mph wind and being vigorously flung up and down at 90 odd RPM! He eventually decided to go exploring and started heading up my leg so I stopped and carefully placed him on the top bar of a gate but not before taking a picture of him. A bit of post-ride Googling suggests he was a red-legged shield bug which are predatory so I'm glad he didn't bite me! Anyhow, another 22.9 sunny miles.

25th August: I finally got for a ride today after an unplanned ten day hiatus! The last few days have been hectic; my dad's in hospital, we've had a lot of rain and poor weather, I'm in the middle of changing jobs and I've currently got a cold. Anyhow, It was sunny and fairly warm I took the Strael out and did two up and downs of the farm track and two loops. It was nice to get out again and I averaged 16.8 which was decent and a much needed 26.1 miles.

28th August: Well my cold is on the wane at last and it was a surprisingly hot and sunny day so I took the Strael out for the afternoon. Because the weather was so nice I ended up in a restless, meandering sort of mood so I ended up doing half the farm track, the track to Aughton and back then finishing the farm track and completing my usual 27 miler. I don't know if it's because I've been taking a lot of vitamin D and zinc for my cold but my legs felt awesome all the way around. On top of that I think the sun has definitely topped my tan up a bit so an awesome ride all round and another 31.2 miles.

30th August: I really wasn't in the mood for a ride tonight but my cold's a lot better and I'm short of miles so I dragged myself out of the house and went for a ride. The weather was OK, quite warm and mainly blue skies but it was very windy which didn't help. I persevered and after about ten miles I started to enjoy it somewhat. I did what is now my staple, the shortcut to the farm track and then three ups and downs of the farm track.

On a more depressing note, you can tell autumn's on the way from the picture I took above. I got in at 7:46 and I was starting to think "Hmm... I'm going to need a front light if I stay out much longer" as I rode through the village; it's not going to be long before every ride involves fitting lights back AND front. A reasonable ride and, because the Bolt decided to not start recording until I was about 0.6 miles into the ride, another 24.6 miles leading to a monthly total of a less than ideal 182.7 miles. 

An awkward cycling ailment.

For the last couple of months I've had a miscoloured patch right at the top of my left thigh. It was a sort of yellowy pink colour with quite distinct darker pink edges. It didn't hurt at all but did itch slightly occasionally. I googled it and found it was quite common among people who do a lot of sport and is known in the UK as Dhobi itch and as Jock itch by the Americans. It's caused by a fungus that lives in the skin and it's very easy to treat.

Any kind of fungicidal ointment from the chemist or supermarket will shift it quite easily. I bought Canesten (which actually says on the back of the box that it's for treating Jock itch) but you could use Daktarin or an own brand, the key ingredient is the anti-fungal agent clotrimazole. Just apply two or three times a day, don't share towels and always wash your bib shorts after every ride and it should dissappear in a couple of weeks.

July 2017.

2nd July: I'm very pleased to be able to say that I kicked July off this year with a new milestone in my cycling career, I've finally done a metric century! I've decided to try and do a sportive a month while the weather holds and the only one in my neck of the woods was the 'Hoy 100' hosted by Evans Cycles. There were two routes on the day with riders able to choose from either a 100 km or a 100 mile route with Sir Chris Hoy himself joining the longer ride. Naturally, being a wuss, I signed up for the 100 km route and showed up at Arley Hall near Lymm at about eight in the morning. I signed in and zip tied my number to the bike and headed for the start line. It was pretty well organised and we were let out in batches from about 8:45 so we were soon on our way.

Apart from some appallingly potholed and broken up roads around Altrincham it was a pretty enjoyable ride. It was mainly sunny blue skies with a few clouds and pleasantly warm rather hot. I was worried about running out of energy later in the ride but I was fine, I'd had some chicken breast and brown rice for breakfast and had a few Soreen mini bars with me along with my usual 750 ml bidon of squash and I only ended up eating three of the Soreen mini bars. I was feeling a bit flat over the last few miles but I reckon if I'd have eaten the last two bars I'd have flown in. The end was very well organised as well, we were given an event casquette, a finishers medal and a voucher for a free burger or hotdog as we got back in which was very good, freshly barbecued with lots of salad. Also, given the slight coincidence of the Giant passing the 4,000 mile mark on my first ever sportive, I passed the '10,000 miles since I started cycling again' on this, my second sportive with a current total of 10,003.5 miles. A satisfying ride and 106.2 km to start July off.

5th July: I took the Giant out after work this evening planning a relaxed ride to loosen my legs up again after the weekend's sportive. It was fairly warm and sunny without much wind so I took the shortcut to the farm track and did three up and downs before heading back. It was a gorgeous evening and I saw a lot of other cyclists about and ended up having an amusing encounter on the way back in. I saw a rider on a road back up ahead of me and decided to reel him in. As I got closer I spotted that he was on the same bike as mine, a 2015 Giant Defy Advanced 2 so as I passed him I turned and said "Nice bike!". I'm not sure he'd spotted that we were on the same bikes because he replied, in a slightly bemused tone of voice, "Thank you!" in a surprising rich Scottish burr. Anyhow, a very pleasant ride and another 25.1 miles.

8th July: Todays ride was well though out and planned but actually turned out to be something of a bungle tour. I'd planned a nice 42 mile route in Ride with GPS that headed towards Leisure Lakes but then skirted Southport via a quiet cross country route and then met up with the end of the farm path for home. It was fairly warm and sunny without much wind so I was enjoying the ride towards Leisure Lakes until I got to the first part of the 'new' route. It was a private farm track! As is often the case drawing your own routes, it can be very hard to see what kind of roads you're including in your route. I'd drawn the route with Ride with GPS set to satellite, it would be more sensible to have it set on Map to  distinguish which tracks are actually roads and which ones aren't. Anyhow, I turned around and carried on and ended up having a quick wander round at Leisure Lakes before heading back the way I'd come. 32.6 miles.

12th July: I really dropped on with the weather tonight; we've had a lot of rain recently but today was hot and sunny without much wind so I took the Giant out for a spin after work. I took a shortcut to the farm track and did three up and downs and I clearly wasn't the only person enjoying the sun as I can't remember the last time I saw so many cyclists out. My legs were struggling for a while to start with but kicked in eventually and I averaged 17.0 mph on the ride which is pretty good and another 25.1 miles.

15th July: It rained this morning so I knew it was going to be wet out there so Awesom-O got a rare summer ride. It was overcast but warm without much wind and my legs felt great from the start so a pretty enjoyable ride. I took the shortcut to the farm track and then did three up and downs as it gradually got brighter but windier. One thing that was very noticeable was the sheer number of birds I saw, they were everywhere, I even saw a goldfinch and a crow drinking from the same puddle which was odd. I think the crows are this years young because I regularly see four hanging about together and they're not as cautious as the parents are when I cycle past. Anyhow, a fun ride and another 25.6 miles.

18th July: Another pleasant and fairly sunny today so I took the Giant out for a spin after work. I took the shortcut to the farm track and did three up and down and then came back a slightly longer way. The wind was fairly strong so it was a case of flying along the track on the way out and then battling the headwind on the way back in which was hard work. It wasn't all bad though as I somehow managed to average 17.2 mph which was pretty good. A hard ride but another 25.2 miles in the bag.

24th July: I had the day off work today so I was really hoping the weather would be nice as we've had a lot of rain recently. As it turned out it was a glorious day, hot and sunny with big fluffy clouds in the sky and hardly any wind so I took the Giant out for a spin. I'd intended to do the usual, three ups and downs of the farm track, but unforeseen circumstances put paid to that plan. I was heading outwards on my second 'up' when I found a couple of Transit vans delivering a small digger had blocked the track so headed back and went exploring.

I ended up taking a very scenic back road into Aughton before turning around and finishing the ride with a loop. Because I hadn't been out for six days my legs felt great and it was a very enjoyable ride over all and possibly one of my last on the Giant. I can't say too much at the minute but this picture of the quick release temporarily adorning the Giant is a clue... A very enjoyable 25.7 miles.

29th July: Well, the rain finally stopped at around mid-morning so I was glad to be able to take the Giant out for a ride. It was actually quite a nice day with little wind and big white clouds suspended in a blue sky so I ended up exploring a bit.

I did a length of the farm track and back and then got bored with that so I ended up heading into Aughton the back way again which is very scenic and did some exploring there. Unfortunately the road ended up at a dual carriageway at both ends so I didn't get far but at least I know that now. I then came back the long way around the loop and rode up and down Church Road to add a bit of distance. A fun ride and another 26.4 miles towards a total of 251.7 for July, it would have been nice to reach 300 again but it's been quite a wet month and there's always August to look forward to.

Lost your quick-link pliers? Here's a workaround to get you up and running.

I don't know about you but I am always losing my quick-link pliers which is incredibly annoying if you want to whip your chain off for a re-lube. I can't claim to have invented this particular fix but I use it regularly with 100% success.

You simply take an old (or new if you keep a lot of spares) gear inner cable and feed it down one side of the quick-link and back up through the other side of it. Now cross the ends of cable over and pull. The links should pop straight open with very little effort. Thank you internet.

Finally, the correct screwdriver for adjusting the screws on Shimano derailleurs.

I can't be the only home mechanic who's wondered why adjusting the stop screws on Shimano rear derailleurs is such a fiddle. I came across the answer recently browsing bike websites and have finally got the answer. Shimano are a Japanese company and, despite probably exporting 90% of their products outside of Japan, have used Japanese standard screws.

 

In this case the standard is JIS (standing for Japanese Industrial Standard, funnily enough) and the size is +2. This is a trick owners of Japanese motorbikes have been aware of for years although it seems to be taking longer for the cycling community to catch on. Anyhow, I found this screwdriver on Amazon, although a quick Google suggests it's available from many different vendors now, and I can confirm it fits the derailleur screws perfectly!

Protecting your Brooks saddle from the rain and spray.

One downside to owning a Brooks saddle is that they are made of leather and thus vulnerable to getting wet. Getting wet on it's own isn't a huge problem but Brooks do say never to ride on a wet saddle as the water softens the leather which can permanently deform it with the rider's weight on it.

Various companies, including Brooks, sell fancy covers but I decided on a more red neck approach. If you put a carrier bag over the saddle and then twist each handle around the seat post in the opposite direction and tie the ends together, it creates a rather handy free saddle cover!

June 2017.

1st June: It's finally summer, huzzah! It was overcast and breezy after work tonight so I took the Giant out for a ride. I was going to do the farm track and a couple of loops but as I started the second loop I saw a horsist further down the road so I turned around and ended the second loop the wrong way around. For the second time recently I saw about twenty cyclists hanging around on the corner of Hall Lane and Intake Lane and then I passed a peloton of about another twenty as I carried on down the road. I've had a quick Google and think it might have been St. Helens Cycle Racing Club. Anyhow, a fun ride and 22.4 miles to kick summer off.

4th June: Today's ride was something of an experiment. I've heard how, back in the early days of cycling, a popular way to lubricate your chain was to submerge it in molten wax. The benefit of this is that the wax stays in the rollers providing lubrication but flakes off the outside of the chain leaving bare metal so there's nothing for dirt to stick to. There's been a bit of a buzz recently in the cycling world after velolabs did a test that paraffin wax was by far the best lube in terms of efficiency and longevity. With that information, and the promise of a cleaner drive train, I decided to give it a go. I ordered some graphite powder and wax from eBay and managed to find a crockpot on Gumtree for less than a tenner and set to work.

I degreased an FSA Team chain and melted 500 g of wax along with a couple of teaspoons of graphite powder and a small block of beeswax (which makes the wax a bit more tenacious) and soaked the chain in it until I couldn't see any more tiny air bubbles appearing (the bubbles appear as the wax gets into each roller displacing the air) and then hung the chain up outside until it cooled down. Threading the chain back on the bike is a pain as you have effectively turned it into a stick and getting the quick link closed is something of a challenge as well but I got there in the end. I took the Giant out and did the farm track and a loop with the newly waxed chain. It was quite sunny but with a fresh breeze so quite a nice ride. The chain was super smooth and quiet although you can hear the chain riding onto the front chainring as you ride along which is novel. The great thing about wax is that if it runs out or gets contaminated, you just chuck it back in the crockpot and start again. Anyhow, I'll persevere with it and report back how I get on. 18.8 oil-free miles.

7th June: Despite the weather today looking a bit sketchy I was determined to get out for a quick ride after work. Before setting off however I decided to wax the chain one more time because I'd noticed the shed wax coming out of the chain was black signifying that it was removing muck from within the links. I gave it a ten minute soak but I didn't hang the chain outside this time. Instead I just let it finish dripping and installed it whilst it was still warm which was way easier than letting it harden into a stick! I'm testing a new app at the moment called 'Rain Today' that a mate of work put me onto and it turned out to be scarily accurate.

The BBC weather website showed it being overcast and dry so I was happy to take the Giant out. As I was leaving however, the app told me it would start raining in 24 minutes. I set off to do the farm track and a loop and, hey presto, after about 25 minutes it started raining! It wasn't heavy, the sort of rain that gets you wet but doesn't seem to wet the road much, so I didn't end up soaked and it was pleasant enough ride overall. Anyhow, another 20.2 miles.

9th June: We've had a lot of rain recently so when it dried up this evening I took the Giant out for a spin. It was overcast and chilly when I set out but I soon warmed up. I did two runs of the farm track which was really cool because I saw another hare. They must be able to run fast because I startled it and it ran off along the path away from me. I was rolling at 13-14 mph but it got a long way ahead very quickly before jinking left into a field. It was smaller than the one I've seen in the field before so there's probably a family of them which is awesome. Anyhow, I followed it with a loop and headed home for 24.6 miles.

11th June: I had quite a weird ride today. My new app, RainToday, said no rain predicted and the BBC weather website said overcast but dry so I took the Giant our for a spin. It was windy but warm so the ride proceeded normally enough. I wasn't far into the ride however when it started drizzling. It eventually stopped but it started and stopped at least another six times on the ride, the last time heavily enough to give me a light soaking and make the brakes on the Giant yowl. On a different note, there was some kind of organised bike ride on today. There were fluorescent directions signs on various lamp posts and groups of riders on the farm track; I Googled it when I got in but I haven't managed to find out what the ride was. Anyhow, two lengths of the farm track and a loop for another 24.6 miles.

13th June: It started off overcast, warm and calm this evening and ended up the perfect summer evening with blue skies and warm sun. I took the Giant out to do the usual ride and ended in detente with the horsists! I was heading down the farm track and I saw two girls on horses up ahead. I slowed right down until I saw that both horses had glanced around and knew I was there, about 10 yards back, and I was just about to ride past when one of the girls smiled and shouted "You should've just shouted, we'd have moved out of the way for you!". I thanked her and carried on not thinking any more of it. About forty minutes later (I'd done farm path, loop, farm path for a change) I was riding up the path again and they were coming towards me this time. I smiled and waved at the same girl and got a very giggly "Hello again!" back. A fun ride and another 24.7 miles.

17th June: It was an absolutely boiling hot day today but I wanted to get out to test my new GPS computer, a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. I'd given up ever getting useful navigation from a Garmin but I've heard so many good things about Wahoo's devices that I decided to give one a try. I won't go into any details, there are tons of reviews on the internet, but I'm very pleased with it. I've got my first sportive tomorrow so I re-waxed the chain and headed out to do the farm track and a loop. It was a pleasant enough ride and I discovered a skill I never knew I had as I was cycling back along the bypass - I can ride no handed! I only did about 50 yards because I was paranoid about hitting something and being flung off but it was fun. As I said, it was very hot but a fun ride and another 18.9 miles.

18th June: It was the hottest day of the year so far, around 28c, and I did my first official Sportive today. It was called the West Coast Classic and, as is usually the case, it had different routes of varying mileage. I opted for the 54 mile route because my left knee's still a bit twingey. I turned up at Preston college at about 8 o'clock, got the bike together and we on the road by 8:50. The ride went great, I ended up following a young girl in a black and white top riding a Canyon as she seemed to be setting a pace I was happy with (a quick check of the results page revealed she was called Amy Twigge, cool name!). The ride was HOT and quite fun, we stopped for 10 minutes in Lytham for refreshments where I topped up my water bottle with Powerbar energy drink (sticky!) and had a tray of chips and then it was back on the road for the last 20 miles back to the college.

The bike was great, the Wahoo Elemnt navigated perfectly, my knee was fine, the waxed chain was great and we were soon back at the college where we were given a medal, a t-shirt and, a Powerbar Protein Plus Sports Milk drink and a Meridian almond bar. It wasn't a perfect ride, some of the roads are terrible, I thought I'd lost a front tooth at one point as I hit some unidentified bit of road damage, so I probably won't do it again but it was an enjoyable experience over all and great for the tan. The final tally was 53.8 miles done in a not too shabby moving time of 3 hrs 02 mins with an average of 17.7 mph and coincidentally this was the ride that took the Giant past the 4,000 mile mark.

20th June: It was another boiling hot day today but I managed to get out on the Giant after work. It was hot and sunny but very windy. I was averaging over eighteen miles an hour by the time I'd done the nine miles to the end of the farm track but that quickly dropped to seventeen by the time I'd ridden into the wind back to the start. Anyhow, I did two lengths of the track and then headed back through the village for a fairly sweaty 21.7 miles.

22nd June: The tyres on the Giant have around 3,600 miles on them and the rear one is seriously flat across the central section so I replaced them with the same tyres, Continental Grand Prix GT, but in the larger 28 mm size. The roads on the sportive last weekend, plus the latest thinking about bigger tyres being faster rolling, led me to size up and buy these. I fitted them (with no levers, amazingly!), inflated them to 10 psi less than the 25's, and headed out and did the farm track, a loop and a quick length of Sineacre Lane to add a bit of distance. It was very windy so hard to detect any change in rolling resistance but the new tyres definitely protect you better when you hit a section of really rough tarmac. I won't top them off before the next ride and see if they're any faster or comfier. Anyhow, 20.7 miles.

24th June: It was overcast and a bit fresh today but I took the Giant out for a spin anyway. My initial plan had been to take a shortcut to the farm track and then do three lengths to get some decent mileage in but there were quite a few cyclists on there, including a guy I got stuck behind for a while who was running 23 mm tyres which was brave.

At this point I decided to do what would be the rest of the local twenty seven miler as a real test of the new bigger tyres because some of the roads are terrible. Pretty soon after, the sun came out and it warmed up a bit and the tyres really helped absorb some of the worst of the road surface so it turned into a pretty fun ride. Another 24.7 miles.

27th June: It rained all morning today so getting out for a ride wasn't looking promising. Luckily it stopped mid-afternoon and it had dried up quite nicely by the time I got in so I managed to get out for a ride. I'm experimenting with the new 28 mm tyres at the moment trying to find the optimum pressure so I let them down and then inflated them 65F / 70R and headed out. I took a shortcut via Dairy Farm Road and the OCR to the farm track and did two up and downs followed by a blat up and down Sineacre Road. The tyres did feel a little soft occasionally but otherwise they were brilliant; very fast but very smooth as well. I think hitting anything sharp risks causing a snakebite at these pressures but otherwise I think I'm pretty much spot on. I've got another big sportive on Sunday so I might pump them up to 68F / 73R beforehand as a precaution but it's looking good so far. Anyhow, another 20.9 miles.

30th June: I ended up having quite a bitty ride today. I'd taken a shortcut to the end of the farm track and was planning to do three lengths but for some reason, there was a class 2 wagon and a van on the path that were tricky to get around and more cars than usual so I ended up doing just one length and then added a couple of loops. I ran the tyres at 68F / 73R and they weren't as smooth as before but felt better able to survive Britain's lovely roads so I'll leave them as they are for tomorrow's sportive. Anyhow, another 20.5 miles for a good monthly total of 316.5.

Full stem slammage on the Giant.

Being very happy with how the new, longer stem has improved the feel and handling of the Giant I decided to lower the stem a bit more. I didn't want to go ridiculously low so I ordered two 5 mm spacers from eBay.

I ordered two because most Bike companies recommend having a spacer between the top of the stem and the top cap which I guess reduces the stress on the steerer tube compared to clamping it right at the end. I'd already tried it with the lower stem, and it was awesome, so I trimmed the steerer tube and put it back together and I think it looks pretty awesome!

Review: BBB stainless jockey wheels.

At nearly 3,600 miles the jockey wheels on the Giant are looking a bit shabby and the shifting isn't as crisp as it was so I decided to replace the jockey wheels. I chose the basic stainless steel jockey wheels from BBB because they were a sensible price (~£9) and got pretty decent reviews. These jockey wheels are universal in size and use plastic adaptors to fit different derailleur models properly so I chose the 'Shimano 11 speed' adaptors and fitted them.

Shimano jockey wheels use bushings rather than bearings and the upper wheel has about 1.5mm of side by side float whereas these wheels use cartridge bearings and have no float so I was interested to see how the bike shifted. I took the Giant out for a spin and was very impressed. There's definitely more noise from the cassette area sometimes when shifting, I suspect the float in the upper jockey on the Shimano wheel helps negate that, but the shifting is extremely slick, much Like I imagine Di2 must feel - very impressed!

 

May 2017.

4th May: I got out after work today and took the Giant out for a spin. It was hot and sunny but with quite a strong wind so I knew it might be quite tough. I was going to do the usual, the farm, track and two loops, but the horsists were out so I ended up doing the farm track, one loop and then the farm track again. Despite the wind, I took my jacket off halfway around so I just had my new Altura top on. It was a bit chilly when I was out of the sun but quite an enjoyable ride really despite the wind. On a side note, the saddle needs tilting up a bit more as I still felt I was having to push myself back on the saddle; I'll do it before the next ride. 24.6 miles to get May started.

6th May: I don't know if it's the Brooks not sitting as far back as the scoop or if it's the slightly shorter endurance geometry of the Giant's frame but I've felt myself wanting to get a bit more stretched out recently. To this end I decided to replace the Giant's 110 mm stem with a 120 mm version. I chose the Cinelli Vai because it has very understated graphics and was pretty cheap at around £20 plus delivery. Anyhow, I fitted it (it was 18 g lighter than the shorter Giant stem!) and headed out for a spin.

It was hot and sunny but very windy today so I was interested to see how the ride would go. As it turned out, the word 'awesomely' turned out to be the answer. Despite the wind, I constantly felt like I just wanted to ride harder and faster. I guess what cyclists would call my 'core' must be doing alright because I still felt I could support myself in position if the handlebars suddenly disappeared despite the longer stem. I think I've got the new saddle nailed now as well. An app on my phone told me I had it pointing 1 degree up so I changed it to 3.2 degrees up and it felt a lot better. Not a long ride but a fun one at 21.5 miles.

10th May: I had another of my 'book a random day off and really drop on with the weather' days today. The BBC were predicting nice and warm and not much wind so I took the Giant out to do the local 27 maybe tacking Billinge on to make it 32. The weather was windy but otherwise pretty warm and sunny so the ride started off pretty well, the bike still feels awesome with the longer stem. It wasn't all roses though, as I was heading over the last roundabout in Kirby I had my first encounter with a motorist! I was crossing, fairly banked over and had just banked over to the left to leave the roundabout when a man who looked about 100 who'd been watching me approach decided to pull out in front of me. He ended up stopping briefly as I gave him an absolute bollocking about being a massive knob. He drove off eventually and, to be honest, I wasn't that bothered because it was such a beautiful day. I've nothing again older people, obviously, but there comes a time in everyone's life where they ought to think about their own safety and other peoples when it comes to driving. I then crossed over Windle Island and headed up the new cycle path but decided I couldn't be bothered doing Billlinge so I headed back and went to explore St Helens cemetery, something I've drive past thousands of times but have never actually seen. It turned out to be pretty awesome, beautifully maintained and absolutely huge. Anyhow, a very enjoyable ride overall and another 30.3 miles.

13th May: This weekend was looking a bit sketchy with some rain predicted. As it turned out, the rain stopped this morning and the sun came out so I took the Giant out for a spin. I did a bit of a hybrid ride taking in some roads I haven't cycled for long time. 

It was OK but I got a couple of dodgy passes; major single carriageway A roads are probably my least favourite kind of road for this reason but they're fairly easy to avoid. I also did two of my loops which was horse free for a change. The weather was fantastic, mainly sunny and really warm even in the shade so a nice reminder that summer's on the way. 21.9 more miles.

14th May: By pure fluke I managed to get a great ride in today. Normally on a Sunday morning I take my niece Daisy and her three mates Ella, Freya and Liv for a walk to a nearby farm centre where they can run around and stroke goats, miniature ponies and a sheep and a donkey who share a paddock together. Anyhow, my sister in law Kerry Whatsapp'd me this morning to say one of them wasn't well and could we put it off? Ok, bike ride on! The weather was gorgeous, hot and sunny with just a few clouds so I did the farm track and a couple of loops. You can tell summer is on the way, I've never seen so many cyclists out, I even passed a mini-peloton of around 20 riders out for a group ride.

One thing I did manage to do at around the part I saw the mini-peloton is take a pic of a house I've often wondered about. It's in good shape, although run down, but it clearly isn't lived in. There's a static caravan on the site and some other large buildings and junk cars but I wonder why the farm house is abandoned? Anyhow, on a different note, as an attempt to be a bit more social I was making an effort to wave to as many fellow cyclists as I could and in return got a nod, a wave and a hello from a girl on a road bike which was cool. To top it off, when I got back in I found it had been my fastest local ride ever with an average of 17.2 mph which was awesome. Another 22.1 miles.

18th March: I had today booked off because the car's in for it's MOT so it seems like an excellent day for a ride. It was overcast but bright when I set off so I had the Aldi long sleeved top on over my Altura top. I soon warmed up and the weather started to brighten so at about mile six I took the long sleeved top off. I did the farm track and two loops and as the ride progressed it became a lot sunnier so it was actually quite a good ride. One weird thing did happen though, as I was cycling along I thought the saddle felt a bit low. I assumed it was the Brooks bedding in and decided I'd raise it a bit when I got home. When I did get home I looked and found it had actually gone down a good inch! I've reset it and tightened the wedge to 5.8 nm (it says 6.0 max.) so here's hoping it stays up. If it doesn't I might try a bit of Loctite 242 on the bolt threads. Anyhow, a mainly enjoyable 22.3 miles.

20th May: It turned out to be a very rule #9 ride today. It was chucking it down so I took Awesom-O off his wall hanger and took him out for a spin because he has mudguards and I hate getting a mucky stripe up my back and rucksack. I wore my bib shorts but had my Aldi jacket over my new Altura top and as it wasn't particularly warm I actually wore my fleece gloves which I didn't think I'd need until autumn. Anyhow, it proved to be quite a fun ride, the rain slowed down after the first half hour and it brightened up a bit and got quite warm. Awesom-O is fab, I always forget how well he fits me and his new 105 groupset shifts brilliantly. A wet but fun ride and another 22.2 miles.

21st May: It was warm but cloudy this afternoon so I took the Giant out to do the farm track and a couple of loops. I soon realised the seat was a quarter of an inch low after putting it back up when it went down the other day so I stopped at Sidings Lane and raised it slightly. After it went down recently I'm not using the torque wrench this time, I'm going to rely on my engineer's spidey sense instead. Anyhow, it got even brighter and warmer as the ride progressed so it was good for my rapidly reappearing cyclist's tan and it was another 22.2 more miles.

23rd May: In an effort to get into an even racier position on the Giant I decided to try slamming the stem so I ordered two 5 mm carbon fibre spacers and fitted them to the bike. In case I didn't like it, I didn't cut the steerer and placed the existing lower spacer on top of the stem so I could tighten it down. It was an absolutely gorgeous day today, hot and sunny, so a perfect day for a test spin after work. I got halfway up the bypass and still couldn't help feel the saddle was a bit low.

I stopped in Sidings Lane again and raised it another quarter of an inch and it was perfect! My riding position feels exactly like Awesom-O and I could really get the power down. As I approached the farm track I noticed a local cycling club setting up so I decided to do my original 21 miler which I haven't done for ages. Aside from the gorgeous hot weather it was an uneventful ride but I was amazed to find I'd smashed my own recently set 'local ride' average speed record with 17.6 mph over 20.8 miles and I'll get the steerer cut before the next ride.

25th May: I was by far the hottest day of the year so far today so I was dying to get out after work and take the Giant for a spin. As it turned out it was hot, very hot! I did the farm track and two loops. One rather strange thing was that as I was doing the loops I encountered a group of about twenty cyclists hanging around on the corner of Hall Lane and intake Lane. As I came back around the group had grown to at least forty riders - maybe a local club I haven't encountered before? Anyhow a fun ride but very hot, when I got in I felt like I had heat stroke, it was about forty minutes before I stopped sweating and felt vaguely human again. Anyhow, 22.2 more miles.

27th May: I accidentally had one of the most Zen rides I've had for ages today. I took the Giant out intending to do the farm track and a couple of loops. As it turned out, the local time trial club were setting up on the loop so I decided to do something else instead. It was extremely windy but blowing across the farm track and quite overcast with an interesting ghost busters sky. Anyhow, it was  warm so I was happy just cycling up and down the farm track alone with my thoughts. I ended up doing three end to ends and then back through the village for a very enjoyable 27.0 miles.

29th May: It was quite wet and overcast this morning but it brightened up a bit so I took Awesom-O out for a ride. Interestingly, for the second time in my cycling hobby I had a plate of fish fingers for breakfast and my legs felt really amazing on the ride - definitely something for British Cycling, or Team Sky, to investigate I think? I did have a funny animal encounter on the ride which was a first. There's a paddock with three horses in it on the farm path which was full of buttercups so I stopped to take a pic. The horses had been at the far end of the paddock when I stopped but as I was putting my phone away I noticed they were walking towards me in single file. When they arrived, the dominant brown horse stretched out over the fence towards me so I said "Sorry pal, I haven't got any polos on me". At this he gave a loud harrumph, walked over to the white one and bit it on the arse, funny but odd! Anyhow, it was windy but fairly warm so I did two ups and downs of the farm track and two loops and it brightened up a lot so overall a very enjoyable ride and another 27.8 miles.

30th May: I had a few miles to do today to reach a particular number but the weather wasn't promising with rain most of the morning. Luckily, as I was driving home the weather cleared with a cloudy blue sky and sunshine so it was looking promising. I put Awesom-O back on the wall and checked the tyres on the Giant and got changed looking forward to a good ride. However, more or less as I left the house the clouds rolled in and it started chucking it down! Unwilling to swap the bikes back around I set off on the Giant. It was a fairly unpleasant ride but I meandered around until I'd bagged the miles I needed. Interestingly, despite the weather the local TT club were out. It's odd cruising along the road at 22 mph in the pouring rain and having a skinsuited guy on a TT bike cruise past at 30-ish! A wet ride that involved stripping off completely in the back porch and putting everything bar my shoes straight in the wash but a very healthy total for May of 300.5 miles.