Rain, punctures and lots of miles

Cycled over to the Lincolnshire Wolds and back this weekend to go to my Brother-in-Law's 50th birthday do. Planned a route that avoided the A57 for all but crossing Dunham Bridge and stuck to minor roads and lanes.

Bit misty and drizzly when I set off at about 8.30am on Saturday but this soon cleared away. However, there was obviously a lot of crap on the roads as I only made it as far as Harthill before suffering a puncture (not the first of the day!). My humour was not helped by the fact that one of my tyre levers snapped. Damn. Oh well, weather starting to look a little better so off with the jacket and on we go. Good progress through Shireoaks, Worksop and Retford and then on to minor roads via Eaton and East Drayton to join the A57 for a short stretch over Dunham Bridge. Just before getting to the A57 I encountered the first flooded road of the day. Not deep but enough to get my feet wet. The Trent was VERY full as you can see from the picture.

From here it was back on to minor roads via quite picturesque little villages before crossing the A57 again at Saxilby. Going well so far. Averaging about 17mph and feeling good. More minor roads and a short climb up on to the ridge north of Lincoln. The clouds were starting to look a ominous now. So far, I'd been lucky but wasn't to last! Started to rain heavily near the vilage of Scothern and it just got worse and worse. Torrential would not begin to describe it. Twas nearly impossible to see through it and I've never experienced a cloudburst like it! Feet soaked now but I was loving it. Singing along to myself and laughing at the elements. Passed a couple of cars that had parked up on the side of the road (the rain really was too heavy to drive in) whose occupants looked at me like I was some sort of loon. Then heard the telltale pft, pft, pft from the rear wheel. Bollocks. Not another puncture and not in this downpour please. Found a bit of shelter and made my repairs. Thank goodness I put 2 spare innertubes in the saddlebag.

Off we go again and the sun comes out. Can see the water on the roads evaporating and the smell of the wet fields and verges was wonderful. Thats one of the best things about cycling in Lincolnshire. Soon come across another flooded road. This one was actually closed off but I ignored that. Hmmm. There was a good reason for those signs. It was deep and long. My feet were submersed as I pedalled. Never mind. They were wet anyway.

Approaching Horncastle (where I lived as a lad) and bugger, my front tyre starts to deflate. And it starts raining heavily again. Sod this I thought. I'll put the hammer down and get to the bike shop in Horncastle before its totally flat. Just get into the town as the last of the air goes. Its tricky trying to steer around corners in the rain, on the rim! Double bugger. The bike shop is no more. Its another bloody antique shop. Damn you Wiggle!!!! Oh well nothing for it. Couldn't really be arsed to sit there repairing a tube so resolve to put as much air as I can in and cycle up towards Louth. I'd have to stop and reinflate a few times but what the hell. Also resolved to source some new tyres from a LBS in the area and ceremoniously dance on the grave of these SHIT Schwalbe Blizzard Sports.

On the second 'reinflation stop' the valve of the tube comes away and I resign myself to defeat. Its only about 4 miles to my destination and so its easier to phone up the missus and get picked up rather than sit in the rain fixing a tube. After a quick shower I disappear off to a LBS in Alford (James's - nowt to do with JE James of course) who sell me some new conti's, new tubes and some better tyre levers!

Got completely rat-arsed in the evening which was probably not a good idea as I was planning to get up and go fairly early in the morning next day. I didn't leave until lunchtime!

The weather today was lovely. Sunny spells and light winds. What breeze there was, was in my face but it was OK. On some of Lincolnshire's flat, open roads even a modest headwind can be quite demoralising. There is often little shelter so its good to find lanes with high hedges. The lane in the picture is typical of the area. Narrow and big hedges where groups of Kamikaze sparrows and finches launch themselves across the road right in front of you. There are also lots of beautiful quiet places to stop and rest for a bit. I stopped at this small river with lush vegetation on the banks. Loads of wildlife to enjoy.

Anyway, retraced my route back to Sheffield, stopping for a pie and a pint on the way at Dunham. Started to get a bit tired around Worksop but plodded on and got back home just before 6.00pm. Not too bad. And stayed dry too.

158 miles in total (79 each way) in the two days. I'm feeling quite tired now.

Are you a cycling fashion victim?

A piss take aimed at those who have more money than sense. I love it.

Sorry Alan - I know you own some Rapha kit but honestly, some of the stuff they sell for silly money ... they are having a laugh. A Rapha race bag (whatever that bloody well is) for £250 (yes thats right !!!!!) that looks like Barbara Cartland's handbag.

Esteli ride recce

I've done the Esteli ride before but thought I'd ride the route this morning before doing it again on 1st July. It really is a lovely ride but hilly. No flat bits, just hills, lumps and bumps all the way. I seem to recall its well over 5500 feet of climbing but might be wrong. Anyway I was quite knackered and my cap was soaked with sweat when I got back home at lunchtime. The climb back from Bamford in particular is a bugger. In parts its a fairly gentle hill that you can spin up easily, in parts it is bastard steep and there are false summits where you lose altitude before you need to regain it all before Burbage. Its also near the end of an already hilly ride. The climb up to Abney Gliding Club from Hathersage seems to go on as well. I'd forgotten about that.

Plenty of cyclists around today. What might have been a race (it looked bigger than a club ride and they were going like shit off a shovel) near Peak Forest and a Calder Clarion club run near Yorkshire Bridge.

The only annoyance was the creaking and groaning from my bottom bracket (at least I think thats where its coming from). Its definitely getting worse. Hold on. It might be my knees!

A south yorks and north notts pootle

Weather forecast for Sunday is terrible so decided to make the most of todays weather instead. Headed up to Old Moor wetlands centre for a start following a combination of the TPT and the minor roads. The cafe was empty when I got there at about 9.50ish. Big pot of tea and a hunk of fantastic spiced apple cake. Lovely. Still cloudy and grey at 10.15.

Followed main roads to Mexborough and Conisbrough. Consibrough is actually quite nice and of course you've got the castle there. Mexborough, however, is really quite depressing. Apologies to any natives of there reading this. Obligatory photo of the castle and then on through Braithwell and Maltby. Sun makes an appearance and out come the shades.

From Maltby its on to the quiet rural roads through Hooton Levitt and Slade Hooton towards Laughton. There is quite a sharp climb up to Laughton. Its not long but it was about the first time I'd been out of the saddle. More lovely rural roads now through Firbeck, Gildingwells and Woodsetts. This area reminds me of cycling on the Lincolnshire Wolds. Undulating roads, never what you would describe as hilly and nothing but skylarks for company.

Then its back on to route 67 through Shireoaks, Thorpe Salvin and Harthill. Tempted by a pint at the Beehive but press on. Its getting quite hot now as well. From Harthill take my usual route via Killamarsh and Mosborough back to Sheffield. Start to hear annoying creaking from bottom bracket area. Its only there when I pedal hard and not when I coast. Methinks the bottom bracket is giving up the ghost. Thankfully Campag BB's are relatively cheap.

61.5 miles at 15.1 mph.

Speedy wheel build

Wheel building is NOT a dark art as some would have you believe. I've built up about 6 or 7 wheels now. Most of them are not dished as they are either fronts or fixed rear wheels. I have built some dished rear wheels though and as long as you get the spoke lengths correct and remember to use the right length spokes on the appropriate side its no more difficult than a front.

Anyway, I was replacing the front wheel on the touring bike as the rim was as concave as Mr Magoo's glasses and the hub was never that clever anyhow. Used a Deore XT hub and a Mavic A119 rim. The rim is fairly cheap and cheerful but perfectly sound AND double eyeletted. They are more or less disposable items anyway.

It took me 15 minutes to lace it all up, 10 minutes to get the spokes to tension and do an initial stress relieve and then only 5 minutes to true it, stress relieve it again and do a final true. All true to within less than 0.5 mm and all in only half an hour. Not bad!!