This week's been good from the perspectives of mileage, consistency and diversity; if sullied by exhaustion and bouts of misery..
Mon, Tue and Wed saw about 64 Oxford miles accumulated on the Brompton thanks to the commute and a work errand
Thursday involved about 16 utility miles around Oxford on the Fuji
Yesterday we had an extended egg run from the homestead on the CdF flat bar, adding another 12-ish miles
Today was supposed to be a rest day after a hectic week with the usual sleep deficit, however I was achiving nothing stuck inside while it looked fantastic out, so I ventured out for a short one on the Ragley.
Discussing routes my mum mentioned a bridleway she used to ride (atop a strange, four-legged "bicycle") that I was only vaguely aware of. I started off on a usual loop but peeled off north to explore the area we'd discussed, turning it into a smaller circuit that encompassed a short stretch of my grocery run before re-joining and subsequently finishing on another known but of the loop.
The weather was sublime with clear skies and bright sunlight (if accompanied by a cold, at times brutally strong easterly). Most of the ride was off-road so saw a huge reduction in the chance of dickheads while I saw a bit of nature, had a few pleasant interactions with others also out enjoying the sun and generally appreciated the solitude.
The new(ish) bits were novel and I spent a bit more time playing with the fork on the Ragley; today's discovery being that (in the absence of a lockout) I could reach down and wind up the compression damping to reduce bob when climbing. I think I want a bit more pressure up-front, but not as much as the manufacturers suggest. The new pedals are really nice and grippy - wish I'd bought a few more pairs now as they were a steal at a tenner a pair..
I came home via the bars so stopped for a bit of decompression; also actually managing a few proper one-armed chimp-hangs (I usually take some of the weight on bent knees just to get a lateral stretch on the low bar - today managing 5-10 seconds each side with feet off the ground) so that felt both like progress and physically really good.
As attested to in the mental health thread the day began early and riddled with anxiety; however now I feel literally transformed for getting out for this really nice ride.
15 miles today brings the week's total to 107; the most I've done since September last year. It's also the longest ride on the Ragley to date (which continues to impress) the 7th consecutive day riding and has seen the use of the greatest number of my bikes in one week; perhaps ever. The only reason the other two aren't getting a ride just for the sake of it is that the Raleigh beater remains at a mate's (where it needs to stay undisturbed until I can accommodate it at the flat) while the crankset on the CdF 30 continues to be a joint-knackering dickhead.
Looks like it'll be a cracking day again tomorrow so I'm tempted to get out just to push the numbers up; although I'll have to see how the legs feel and I don't want to force myself into a crap ride just for the sake of it. There's also the prospect of the commute on Monday, which may or may not be to the usual location and may or may not involve riding..
Mon, Tue and Wed saw about 64 Oxford miles accumulated on the Brompton thanks to the commute and a work errand
Thursday involved about 16 utility miles around Oxford on the Fuji
Yesterday we had an extended egg run from the homestead on the CdF flat bar, adding another 12-ish miles
Today was supposed to be a rest day after a hectic week with the usual sleep deficit, however I was achiving nothing stuck inside while it looked fantastic out, so I ventured out for a short one on the Ragley.
Discussing routes my mum mentioned a bridleway she used to ride (atop a strange, four-legged "bicycle") that I was only vaguely aware of. I started off on a usual loop but peeled off north to explore the area we'd discussed, turning it into a smaller circuit that encompassed a short stretch of my grocery run before re-joining and subsequently finishing on another known but of the loop.
The weather was sublime with clear skies and bright sunlight (if accompanied by a cold, at times brutally strong easterly). Most of the ride was off-road so saw a huge reduction in the chance of dickheads while I saw a bit of nature, had a few pleasant interactions with others also out enjoying the sun and generally appreciated the solitude.
The new(ish) bits were novel and I spent a bit more time playing with the fork on the Ragley; today's discovery being that (in the absence of a lockout) I could reach down and wind up the compression damping to reduce bob when climbing. I think I want a bit more pressure up-front, but not as much as the manufacturers suggest. The new pedals are really nice and grippy - wish I'd bought a few more pairs now as they were a steal at a tenner a pair..
I came home via the bars so stopped for a bit of decompression; also actually managing a few proper one-armed chimp-hangs (I usually take some of the weight on bent knees just to get a lateral stretch on the low bar - today managing 5-10 seconds each side with feet off the ground) so that felt both like progress and physically really good.
As attested to in the mental health thread the day began early and riddled with anxiety; however now I feel literally transformed for getting out for this really nice ride.
15 miles today brings the week's total to 107; the most I've done since September last year. It's also the longest ride on the Ragley to date (which continues to impress) the 7th consecutive day riding and has seen the use of the greatest number of my bikes in one week; perhaps ever. The only reason the other two aren't getting a ride just for the sake of it is that the Raleigh beater remains at a mate's (where it needs to stay undisturbed until I can accommodate it at the flat) while the crankset on the CdF 30 continues to be a joint-knackering dickhead.
Looks like it'll be a cracking day again tomorrow so I'm tempted to get out just to push the numbers up; although I'll have to see how the legs feel and I don't want to force myself into a crap ride just for the sake of it. There's also the prospect of the commute on Monday, which may or may not be to the usual location and may or may not involve riding..
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