I hope you've noticed I've finally posted a picture of the summer jersey, just perfect for the heatwave we have at the moment, but not the best colour for hiding chain oil which has already made a showing since I learned the bike performed better with it! Now, I would not normally get that close to an oily chain, but it has come adrift twice in the last few days, something I need to keep an eye on.
Talking of bike bits and mechanics, the inner workings of the bicycle, as simple as it may seem, is not something I am that familiar with. Having spent many of my early years tinkering with cars, I somehow never had the need to get involved in cycle maintenance. As such, one event I dread is getting a puncture, particularly one that would involve unpicking the rear wheel gear and chain assembly. I noticed, reading a copy of Cycling Weekly the other day, the opening of the first Bike Kitchen outside California, in London. This is a DIY workshop where you can take care of your own bike with support of professional bike mechanics. What a great way to learn about maintaining and building bikes, I hope the idea spreads throughout the rest of the UK.
Back on my bike, I started this morning's circuit with a relatively flat ride out along Harepath, I was keen to leave any hill to the end and also wanted a change of scenery. After all my talk about a heat waves, it was surprisingly chilly out there .. you just never know what to wear! This was otherwise a very uneventful ride, until the homeward run along Axmouth Road, when inspired by the great sprinters of the TDF, I chased down and passed on another rider! Hardly surprising, therefore, that I achieved a new Avg Speed PB of 13.5 mph for the circuit.
Loving the yellow jersey! It's still baking hot here even though the sun set ages ago ... all a bit steamy! Getting out and about before 9am to do any sort of exercise is definitely the way to go.
ReplyDeleteAm loving the steamy weather too and agree with you about having to get out before 9, I took the bike out for a lunchtime ride and had an ice cold beer not been available at the halfway point, I think I would have melted!
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