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!