Cycling 2025

[Nickslikk2112]

Glad you're OK James. I try and use the Gravel Bike with it's knobbly tyres in this weather and over the years I've worked out which roads are likelier to be ice free.

Coming off on ice and sliding along does tend to do less damage to the cyclist, I speak from experience...

[The Picnic Wasp]

My sister mentioned to me that when driving earlier behind a cyclist, the dashboard was displaying minus five. Cycling downhill at speed must make that feel like minus twenty. Good to hear that you didn't hurt yourself too badly, James. You'll probably feel a couple of additional aches and pains tomorrow though. Get the Radox out.

[dom]

Glad you escaped virtually unscathed Slim. We're not getting any younger and really need to take care. Broken bones take longer to heal as we age. Last Winter I went out on 2 or 3 occasions when it was very cold and the back wheel slipped a few times.  I decided I wouldn't take any risks in low temps this winter. A combination of the icy roads and a heavy cold have kept me off the bike, even for the short work commute since the turn of the New Year. I think sometimes I'm being over cautious but I'm happy enough to live with that.

[Nickslikk2112]

Must admit I was going to go out today and it's a lovely day, but Slim's fall has sowed seeds of doubt in my tiny mind. I know the roads should be OK - they were yesterday, but I might have struck lucky.

Still got a lingering cold too. I'll see if it warms up a bit this afternoon.

[Nickslikk2112]

After spending too much time trying to find a stream of any of today's national Cyclocross Championships - I did watch a bit of a live stream from a young girl at the UK championships who was doing a livestream - I thought that I would get out for an hour, if not then I'd probably become house bound.

Still not really feeling it on the bike, nowhere near what is my normal, but at least I didn't spend half the ride in the red today. Just went out to the delights of Calow and back a couple of times. Got in a total of 20 miles, do that every day for the rest of the month and I'll get 500 miles in January

https://www.strava.com/activities/13336055347

[Slim]

Once again I had half a mind to do a fondo. Decided I'd do the Lower Westbound route. I stopped at the petrol station at Measham after 9 km to get some food, only to find that I hadn't brought my phone out with me, and therefore had no means of payment.

Not a disaster - I had a cornish pasty, a yoghurt and an oat bar. I decided to keep it down to 70 km or so. The weather wasn't really ideal for a fondo anyway, cold and a bit damp. The roads were wet. And dirty, probably from being gritted in recent days.

After about 30 km I took an unscheduled left turn along a road called Daisy Lane, mainly because I wanted to find a discreet location for a wee. Kept going along there for about 2 km. Quite a nice, secluded lane. Not too badly surfaced (and I was on the Tricross).

Then I turned back to the main road. Kept going as far as King's Bromley. I was about 45 km from home at that point and a bit nervous about not having a phone with me. What would happen if I got a mechanical? I'd be stuck out there for hours in the cold, walking home in cleats. So I turned for home.

Quite an enjoyable ride overall, glad to have got another 76.15 km under my belt for January.

I cycled through Derbyshire and into Staffordshire, so that's another two neighbouring counties ticked off. Just the three "hard" ones to do now, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland. I'm a bit uneasy at not having done a fondo yet this month. Might do Northamptonshire on Thursday or Friday.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13344390857

[Nickslikk2112]

I was just glad to get out today. Fully intended going out yesterday, but just didn't feel like it. At least that gave me time to clean and lube the bike chain, it had gotten pretty grotty, I reckon it probably saved me 10W on my ride today

Just had a leisurely ride out through Tibshelf and back for 27 miles. At least the roads are ice free now, but seemingly all covered in a thin layer of mud which has returned the chain to yesteday morning's level of filthiness and left my bib tights looking like I've suffered a bad outbreak of diarrhoea...

https://www.strava.com/activities/13351852688

[Nickslikk2112]

And out again today, trying to get back to getting out consistently. Might take a while. Anyway, it was nice and warm today, but a bit too sunny on the route I was riding, forever in my eyes, must remember to wear a cycling cap under my helmet.

The roads were if anything filthier than yesterday. Had to give the bike a good sponge down when I got home. Got me over 200 miles for January too today, only another 290 to get to 500, must make some hay whilst the sun shines.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13361051841

[Slim]

I like to do at least one fondo every calendar month; a sort of mandatory self-imposed target. And I was a little concerned that I'd let half the month slip away without getting it done for January 2025 - mainly due to dismal weather. Don't think I'd left it so late for years.

And the weather was pretty dismal today as well, but I was determined to get a 100km ride in. So I did.

I'd hoped to set off at about 1000, which would see me back before sunset. But the view out of the window was not encouraging, when I got up. Thick fog. So made sure I had lights, and set off a bit later at 1038.

I'd decided on the southbound route. Cold and murky for the first hour or so, but nice once the sun came out and chased away the fog. Conditions warmed up nicely, I had to take off a layer after the first couple of hours.

I took the bypass round Earl Shilton and approached Stoney Stanton from the west. Fortunate that I did, because when I got to the crossroads there I noticed that my usual approach had been blocked off - the whole width of the road was being resurfaced.

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I crossed the border into Northamptonshire after about 54 km. Pootled past the gliding club (nothing happening today) then came back the same way - except that I came up into Ibstock along the A47 rather than the usual considerably quieter route through Bagworth and Ellistown. I only did this to get home a bit quicker but it was definitely a mistake. Busy with traffic and quite unpleasant, especially in the dark.

Listened mostly to 5 Live. Much discussion about the impending (or not) ceasefire agreement between the two usual belligerents in the Middle East.

Back on 107.45, 426 done this month. I don't feel as if I've done that much distance this year so far, but surprisingly 426 is a record for Jan 16th. A little more than 2km ahead of this time last year.

Oh, and although I don't do imperial measurements now, for what it's worth I've now done 50,026 miles since Jan 15.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13372517863

[Nickslikk2112]

Well, I managed to up my daily mileage again today to 28.5 miles. Whatever I came down with before Christmas is sure taking a long time to fully leave me. I did manage to take things a bit easier though today, with my Garmin telling me I'd ridden at Threshold and not VO2 Max like Tuesday and Wednesday. Managed to just ride that bit more slowly today, on roads which were approaching dryness in parts.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13370035400

Looking at my Strava stats, I'm now been sitting on a saddle for 150 whole days since the beginning of 2016.

[Slim]

A cold, overcast day. Having clocked up a reasonable km count this month, and having got a fondo in, I thought 55k would be enough. I'd normally consider 34 miles (a typical Twycrosser distance) to be an acceptable bog-standard ride distance, before I metricated myself. And it's close enough.

I knew I wanted to go roughly south because of the wind direction, but set off without a clear idea of the route. I was going to start by going down through Ellistown but rather than approach it via Ibstock as I usually do, I started off down Standard Hill. I avoid this usually (and I haven't done it for at least a year) because it involves a steep climb.

Anyway I survived the climb, then took my occasional detour after Ellistown, along Beveridge Lane - past the big warehouses and depots, then back to the usual route via West Lane. Nicely surfaced along there, not too busy. Just easy kilometres really.

After Bagworth, rather than heading down to Kirkby Mallory à la usual southbound route, I went down to Newtown Unthank and across to Kirby Muxloe, on the very outskirts of Leicester. Idly pootled both ways along Ratby Lane for a bit and came back the same way, except that I detoured along Heath Road / Wood Road, and didn't detour along Beveridge Lane.

I was particularly interested to come back via Standard Hill because it was resurfaced a couple of years ago on the left side as you approach Ravenstone - making it unusable for cycling. They managed somehow to make the road surface ripply, and the last time I tried it, well over a year ago I think, I was nearly bounced off the bike coming down the hill. Now to be fair I could have applied the brakes to slow down, but I don't like to do that. It wastes kinetic energy and brake pad material.

But I had an inkling that Standard Hill had been resurfaced again in recent months, so I gave it another go and happily - it has. I was able to whoosh down the hill toward the village without incident. I'm happy about that because there are only five ways to return to the village, so I like to have the full set.

Back on 46.46 km, not as many as I intended but it was really cold out there - my fingers were icy, even in thick gloves. So I think I've done my bit.

Listened to footy coverage on 5 Live.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13388606993

[Nickslikk2112]

Got a couple more 25 mile rides in. Starting to feel a bit more like a cyclist again and the old ticker isn't spending anywhere near as much time in the red, which to me says that I'm pedalling back to fitness again and might well have finally shaken off whatever it was that's been ailing me.

Today was noticeably colder again. Even though I'd got my fluffy lined gloves on my finger ends were a bit chilly and a few muffed gear changes ensued. On a plus point, I actually got several very good passes today where cars gave me well over the recommended 4'6" passing room

https://www.strava.com/activities/13387407365

[Slim]

I realised when I changed into the easiest cog at the back that the bike didn't completely get away with it - the rear pulley rattled against the spokes like a ruler dragged along a set of railings. All the other gears are fine, and it was even changing up and down nicely. But the rear hanger is slightly bent inward. Just enough to shift the indexing by exactly one place, possibly. In any case I made a mental note not to resort to the granny gear on the way home.

I think I just need to bend the hanger back into alignment. Probably the best approach is to take it right off and straighten it in a vice or something, rather than pulling on the mech. I'll think about that when the garage is a bit warmer.

I've bought a hanger alignment tool. I just went for the cheapest one I could find (on eBay) but it seems nicely manufactured. I may only ever use it once.

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It turns out that the Planet X's saddle got chewed up in the same mishap. I bought a new one off Amazon. It was only £10, about 1/5 of the cost of the Prologo saddle it's replacing. But again it seems well-made and comfy, and it even has green trim to go with the frame. And a gap down the middle, which the old saddle didn't have. Which if nothing else will make it easier to get at the forward allen bolt that secures it to the seat post.

[Slim]

Another cold day but reasonably bright and dry, or at least it was when I set off at about 1230. Only wanted to do 55 km or so and I chose a time to optimise the conditions. A bit warmer in the afternoon.

I did a Twycrosser, with the detour from Twycross to Orton on the Hill.

Gloomier conditions set in later on and there were a few isolated spots of rain. Wasn't quite as cold as I expected. No icy fingers this time.

Gave the first Boardman its first run out this year and I realised a few minutes after I set off that I was giving the front tyre its maiden voyage. It was fine, of course.

Along Heather Lane I thought for a moment that I'd spotted a flock of black and white sheep in a field to my right, but they were Border Collies. About five of them.

Back on 54.58 km and that's 528 this month, which is a record for a 20th Jan. I suppose being retired helps.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13406044708

[dom]

1st spin  of the year yesterday - a fairly bog standard 56k - coolish but dry and very little wind.  Good to get the year up and running after the heavy cold  and inclement weather had kept me off the bike except for the short work commute.

It felt like a decent workout but the watch considered it pretty insignificant.  I've been walking and jogging round the park when I've been walking the dog and this has a much higher impact on heart rate according to the wearable!