Struggling here…..

Failed miserably to get any cycling for the last four days now, problems with the gearing, rear cassette kept slippng, making it hard going, so much so I ended up with sore knees and achilles tendonitus in both my heels, after my last ride home from work, last Saturday.

I had a go at fixing the problem by myself on Sunday. I watched a very instructive video on Youtube, a couple of times, so felt I knew what I had to do. It was tipping down outside so I had to attempt re-indexing the gears in the ultra confined space of my shed. I was getting on great until I unscrewed the adjuster barrel all the way out, and because I’d disconnected the gear cable, I had to try to rethread it, which caused the cable to fray and split. Ended up having to get a new cable, and as I already have a BikeCare agreement with Halfords, I decided to have them do it.

When I took out my latest agreement, for THREE YEARS, with them, all I received was a till receipt. I rang the local Halfords to book my bike in for repair, they said I would have to produce that till receipt, I explained that I no longer have it, and said that they should have a record of it on their computer? The reply was negative? I rang Halfords head office, explaining that the situation was ridiculous, to which I got the reply they wouldn’t be able to cope if they backed up all their agreements on computer??? What a load of rubbish!!!!

I took my bike to the local Neath store (Halfords), and spoke to the staff, and they agreed that they had a record of my agreement on their computer, and didn’t know who I could have been talking so. They took the Pioneer in and I was able to pick it up that evening witha new gear cable and re-indexed. I’ve had to adjust the barrel adjuster at the rear, slightly, because, a couple of gears were still slipping. That was a couple of weeks ago now, and I’m glad to say I’m back commuting regularly.

My tyres have been giving me some concern of late, so I started looking on Ebay for some bargains, and very glad to say, I found some. I got some very good tyres for a knock down price. £35 for a pair of Continental tour reflex something or other. I had a pair direct from the welsh suppliers gratis for my Subway LTD, but they were 26″, the Pioneer is 700c, so I was well pleased, plus I picked up a third for £17……..bargains or what? I should be OK in the tyre department for a good while?

I haven’t replaced any yet, though the front Maxxiis Overdrive, I’ve had on the front has been there since I got the bike seven years ago, what a tyre. I woud have loved to have got the same again, but at clos on £50 each, it wasn’t an option.

The commutes, have been really enjoyable, though on occasion very tiring, One such was a week last Wednesday, I cycled to Port Talbot, then had to cath the train to Tile Hill, near Coventry, on union business. Didn’t get back to Port Talbot till 19.30, then cycled home, I was pooped.

Biggest problem for me is I miss my cycle ride so much, if I take the car, a bit like a small child, who can’t have his sweets!

Cheers for now.

Catching up……….

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Usual story, haven’t posted anything for about a month now, but I’ve been commuting regularly on the Pioneer GT, and enjoying the time on the bike immensely. It’s been hard work though, putting in alot of overtime, and the weather has been, to say the least, changeable!

It’s varied from glorious sunshine, as it is outside, at the moment, to sleet, hail, thunderstorms, severe headwinds, and heavy constant downpours. But I’ve enjoyed them all, last Tuesday I arrived at work with at least half inch of rainwater in my boots, completely soaked to the skin, but what a ride it was.

Not only the weather to contend with though, I’ve had three punctures through the month, something I’d gotten quite used to doing without, luckily, two I discovered as I was setting out on my commute, and the third as I was leaving work. Took the car as a result of the first two, and got my son to pick me up on the latest. Sadly, I’m still way too slow at fixing punctures. Takes me a good half hour till I’m ready for the road again.

I’m surprised I’ve only had the three, there’s is so much glass out there on the roads, and even more on the cycle paths. I even wrote a letter to the councils concerned about it, and the local paper complaining about the local authorities inability to give us cyclist a pedalling chance. It’s ridiculous though, some spots have been littered with broken bottles since before Christmas. When I examined my tyre, looking for the culprit that gave me my last flat, there were four separate shards stuck in the tyre. It’s frustrating, and I have to try to remember the locations of glass hazards. Not easy in the dark.

I have daylight all the way home now, since the clocks changed to summer time, when I’m on day shift anyway, while it’s still very dark at 04.00 on the way in. Mind you I love riding in the dark, especially the rural part of my commute, but even there I have to try to remember where potholes and broken glass are waiting to upset my journey.

Then of course there are the odd maniac drivers! The worst, and most dangerous experience I’ve had this past monthe was as a result of a motorcyclist. I was on my way home after my day shift, about half mile from Glynneath, still on the country road, that is the B4242. I heard his approach from behind me long before he actually passed me, his engine was roaring. The road was slightly bending to the left, with an increasing incline. As this idiot passed me at God knows what speed, he dipped his left shoulder into the turn, as you see the racers do on TV, and his helmet just missed my right elbow by inches, the rush of wind, as he overtook, blew me to the side. My immediate reaction was to shout profanities, in my famous tourrettes style, but he’d long gone. He could have killed us both, what a complete *&%£@R !!! 

One of the great benefits of my commuting is the wildlife I get to see. I continue to see foxes, squirrels, rabbits, owls etc., regularly. Now that spring is here, I’ve heard woodpeckers declaring their territories, rat tat tatting on hollow trees. When I’ve heard it, I’ve stopped and tred to locate where the bird was, to no avail, they are so shy of us humans, but it is a major thrill to hear the sound.

I’ve yet to see the return of the swallows, but Town Mouse up in Scotland has reported their return, so they must be here soon. Then, hopefully, we can look forward to summer? 

Haven’t taken many pictures, of late, a couple of times, I’ve really regretted not getting my mobile phone camera out, especially one glorious red sky sunrise as I was going up the Neath valley. But at least, I got to see it, out there on my commute. You never know what you’re going to see, fantastic.

Did I say the weather was changeable?

It is absolutely hammering down, with, what sounds like a howling gale blowing outside. I’d better check if  Tipsy the cat wants to come in. Plus get my wet weather gear ready for my trip into work later today, nights……ugh!

Well Tipsy came in, but I won’t be getting things ready for a while, I’d get drenched getting to the shed.

I’m just going to see if I’ve any photos to insert in this here post now, so I’ll say cheers for now, and get out there and enjoy your pedalling.

Under pressure……

What can I say? Life is hard, life is difficult, but not so hard for the likes of me or you, my reader, when compared with the daily struggle of others all over the world. There I’ve defeated my own arguement, before I’ve even got started.

I was, lamely, going to suggest that I’m even lower than a snails bum at present. Work, home, family, they all need our attention, though fortunately for us, we don’t need to struggle for the basics of survival, that so many of the poor struggle around this globe have to. I’m just trying to fit everything in to my comfortable world. Sadly with not much success.

The gears on the Pioneer were slipping badly last week, so I left it into Halfords, I have a Bikecare agreement, for them to re-index the gears for me. It was a Saturday afternnoon, when I had to pick the bike up, so I decided to use my bus pass, 60 plus here in Wales, take the bus to Aberavon, then cycle the rest of the way to work.

I needed to change buses twice, but I got to the Aberavon branch of Halfords in an hour and a half. It takes me an hour and a quarter to go a mile further on the Pioneer. Wasn’t too bad, some weirdos on the bus, but it was good to see the sights of Neath Vale from a bus passenger’s perspective.

To cut to the chase, the gears aren’t much better for Halfords efforts, even though there was no charge? But the trip home this morning after my nightshift felt much better?

Four consequetive days in Cardiff now, not looking forward to it, union business, quite nervous in fact. Going to try to cycle to Port Talbot every day though, on route. Hard work, when it means arriving back at Port Talbot, and still have 20 miles to cycle home.

There I go again, some people have to walk 20 miles plus, just to get water for their family, we just don’t know how easy we’ve got it!    

 

At last, back on the bike….

It’s been a fortnight since my last ride on the Pioneer. I’ve been moaning about my aches and creaks, because no pedalling. Tonight it’s the reverse. I went out this morning just after 08.00., and had a good  couple of hours in the saddle. Nothing special about my route, just the usual loop down the B4242 as far as Ynysarwed via Cwmgwrach and back home, probably 18 miles tops.

The weather was damp with a cold drizzle falling, for the most part, and the road was very quiet, no doubt due to it being half term.Only saw one other cyclist, a chap I see regularly, we always wave at each other, but have never spoken, it must be his body language that suggests it isn’t appropriate. Either that or he thinks I’m far too grand for him to speak to me (lol).

It was just an easy going pedal, nothing fast (me?). Anyway, my knees and joints were feeling the strain, as they have complained while off the bike this past week. Surprisingly, the hills weren’t too bad, I was up out of the saddle, got into a nice rhythm, made the top, no problem. Probably, because I was taking it so easy, but can’t say I was relaxed, as the joints etc., were acting up. Hopefully that will ease, and I’ll be back to normal, if I can keep pedalling regularly, I’m off till Friday.

Can’t say I’ve any real excuses for the extended lay off. Yes, initially there was plenty of  ice about, but it’s been the “fear” of the stuff that kept me indoors. I nearly didn’t get out there this morning, almost convinced myself it could turn to freezing rain. Temperatures were 9 plus centigrade, so I’m glad to say no such problem arose.

I can report that I saw something I’ve never seen before. I’ve seen a green one, and several lesser spotted ones, but never a Greater Spotted one. I mean, of course ,the type of woodpecker. Today I broke my duck (no pun intended), and spotted the Greater Spotted fly across the road ahead of me, just past Cwmgwrach washery. It landed on the side of a tree in the classic woodpecker pose. As I got closer it spotted (sorry, so many spotteds) me, and flew to the next tree. It did thie three times, by which time I’d identified it as the Greater spotted variety, then it flew off into the woods out of sight.

So that’s another species of bird I can tick ,on my to see list.

Overall then a great spot of twitching and cycling, worth the aches, pains, and stiffness that I’m putting up with now, not helped by the half hour walk her indoors took me on this afternoon. Still gotta keep that body moving!!

Feeling lower than a snail’s bum…….

I should be feeling very grateful at my circumstances, but no! Things are slipping and sliding, no pun intended on the current freezing conditions hereabouts! Depressed is a good word for me at the moment.

So many things are out of kilter. I can’t, sorry won’t, ride my bike, because of my wimpish fear of ice on the road. It makes me angry to see other cyclists riding……don’t any of them come off on ice? I haven’t ridden for over a week now, I feel fat, overweight, in fact now, I believe my body is seizing up, because of lack of exercise. It’s true, I seem to have aches and pains all over.

Part of my fear must be irrational, because looking back, when I first started commuting, I rode in far worse conditions. Was I just plain lucky for those first couple of years? Three bad falls since have made me a right yellow belly? Or a pragmatist? I just don’t know, but probably I’d have to plump for the former.

On top of that, everything else seems to be going tits up.

I got a skipping rope, to try and burn a few calories. First attempt, I strained my right achilles tendon, and have been walking with a pronounced limp since…….Doah!!

Yesterday, I received a letter, from my employer, offering the opportunity to go on a retirement planning course, I’m 61 this month I know, but it jolted me, I don’t feel old. Does anyone today, if they have a modicum of good health? Touching wood as I say that. The truth is, the thought of retiring fills me with dread. So many of my dad’s generation got to call it a day, workwise, only to last a year or two after.

Realistically, I don’t believe I can retire, from a purely financial point of view. So going on such a course would just hammer that home to me. Depress me even further. Yes, not having to go to work is very attractive, BUT? 

 

 

Hectic, but still no time or space. Where do I find that final frontier?

I’ve often commented, in this blog of mine, how much I admire, all you other  “organiseed” commuter cyclists. My days are just chaos. What suffers the most is my bike, the faithful Pioneer GT.

My nightshift, last evening, was a severe soakings (far better than the seasonal alternative of snow), both on the way in and on the way home, this morning. It’s been like this, raining, now for several days on the trot. I’ve simply had no time to clean, oil or pamper my Pioneer. As a result it is stinking, and in desperate need of some TLC. No chance!

It’s raining heavily now, my shed is even more bunged than it was when I last shared a view of it with my reader. I could bring it into the conservatory, NOT!!!

Her indoors would make mincemeat of the welshcyclist, here, in seconds flat, and so the GT languishes in the shed, and I’m glum that I can’t give it the attention it deserves. Now, while I’m off work for the next few days, I’ve to get on with the things that her indoors expects, to do otherwise would be selfish.

No time or space to look after the Pioneer, despite all it’s great service to me through the first couple of weeks of 2012. Not fair! But, it’s only a bike!

I’m not prone to sentimaentality, but I’m feeling guilty, and being a lazy so and so, doesn’t help the cause.  The bike needs a darned good clean and service, but, when and where, those are the quetions. I follow a roster for work, I’ll just have to write a timetable and list of things to do over the next few days.

Said timetable will have to include daily riding slots, husband and house duties, and trips out with she who must be obeyed. Why do we have to be organised? Because, I for one don’t have the luxury of having others to do my stuff for me. Why couldn’t I have been a rock star? Better still, beam me up Scottie. I’d make a fine Captain Kirk.

Clean and srvice the GT, Sulu, and Miss Uhura, you can give him a hand.

That’ll teach me…..

A nasty case of counting my chickens before they’d hatched, I’m afraid. Boasting about doing 180 miles for the week in my last post. Howling winds, 60-70mph, and lashing rain, dissuaded me from cycling to work today. Then at home time, all blue skies, and slightly gentler winds made me wish I’d risked the pedal in. Still forecast for tomorrow is positive, and I will be pedalling.

Happy New Year to my reader…

Christmas has come and gone, thankyou to Tierloch, my youngest son, for the present of an Electron Terra 2 light set. What a difference it has made on my commuting already.

Pinched a nerve in my neck last week, now have a numb left index finger, and my left arm aches when I turn my head to the right. Something to do with “the neck bone being connected to the backbone,” as the song goes, but it is annoying. The only way I seem to forget, and thus, not feel it, is when I’m riding the bike. As if I needed the excuse.  

This mild weather is simply great, two weeks ago I thought I’d be off the Pioneer GT for a spell, as the icy conditions set in. This week, if I commute for the remainder of the week, I’ll do 180 miles, albeit very wet ones. But I can cope with that, what’s more my speed seems to be picking up.

Even passing other cyclists this week, one was pushing his bike, still one out of two isn’t bad. I had to keep looking back ,to see if the one pushing, was catching me up! 

Made a few resolutions for 2012, as “Ditch the treadmill’” latest blog post states, they were boring until I spiced them up with resolutions to take up skipping, and to do a bike mechanic’s course this year.

Great to have pedalled into 2012, long may the mild weather continue.

Cheers reader.

Nirvana? Close maybe ….

I’m sat here listening to “Beatles Radio”, never knew it existed. Got a pint of cider in my hand, had a cracking curry, with all the trimmings, for dinner and well I’m feeling fab( just like the famous four ). All in all it’s been a smashing day. So I’m feeling very contented, smug, self centred and so on, can it get any better? YES!! No cycle today, no pedalling for a week in fact.

” I am the Walrus” ringing in my years now, and yes, I know all the words, they don’t write lyrics like what they did then?? Touch of Ernie Wise’s play writing skills there. Maybe I’m living in the past. Why do I enjoy all the old reruns on TV? Perhaps it’s an age thing, 60 plus, an old fart, girls seem to look past you, as if you’re invisible? Though I, certainly do, notice them. Yet I seem so, so ….., when I look at myself in the mirror. Of course I’m only seeing what I saw many years ago, do we all see ourselves that way? Air brushing what our eyes see with polished images of the past.

I suppose it’s the same for every generation, (what did they do before mirrors?), except now we’re all bombarded with the be and end all that is youth, youthfulness,  to be young looking. Is that why I ride my bike? NO!!

Why haven’t I ridden for almost a week now? Because, I’m scared of icy roads( that was one day ), I’m lazy(everyday), it’s been raining(three days), very dark(again everyday), no incentive(been off work seven days), not to forget it’s almost Christmas, and her indoors expects and deserves my help in preparing for it(only 9 shopping days left).  Boy have I missed my pedalling.

Sorry if I’m sounding a bit maudling, I think I’ve been overwhelmed by my ordinariness, Beatles playing, belly full of curry, typing rubbish on my blog, thinking about riding my bike, that pint of cider almost gone now……….Nirvana? Close maybe ….

Oops, stepped up a gear, “Pleas don’t wear red tonight”, B side of the second Fab Four single I ever bought. I definitely can’t get any better than this. But no, brought back down to earth with a jolt now, as Macca sings one of his dodgy solo efforts. Still Nirvana can’t be too far from this moment in time, a couple of moments ago, maybe.

That’s loads better, “If the rain comes”, I only need ”And my bird can sing”, and I’ll be ready for bed.

Cheers everybody, everywhere, “All you need is love”

Late Sunday afternoon…..

That puts the 'Crock of Gold' somewhere in a field somewhere further up the valley......?

It’s now late Sunday afternoon, and I’m trying to remember anything of note to write up in this blog of mine. As they say, start at the beginning….

I went out on the Pioneer GT at 08.00 this morning, meant to leave alot earlier, but couldn’t get myself out of bed! I am getting so lazy, when I’m not working. Could have been due her indoors and myself going out for a meal last night, just two courses of pate and toast,followed by a beef dinner for herself and a turkey one for me. It was lovely, and we enjoyed. We were home by 20.30., but then stayed up late watching various programmes that had been saved on the recorder.

Tipsy, our weird cat, got us up at 03.00., because he wanted something to eat and then go out on the tiles, just as youngest son came in after a night on the tiles, this place is like a weekend hotel.

But anyway, getting back to this morning. I left in drizzle, which soon abated, the skies turned into broken cloud before becoming blue with glorious sunshine, with quite strong gusts of wind. The sun was so bright I wished I’d brought Bloc sunglasses with me. I did the usual ride through the village, up and around Cwmgwrach twice then down the B4242, valleyside, as far as Abergarwed. Usually, I’d go on, at least, as far as Ynysarwed or Aberdulais, but turned back because I was concerned for my safety.

Why? I hear my faithful reader ask.

The A465 dual carriageway that snakes down the Neath valley was closed to Neathbound traffic, between Resolven and Aberdulais, and was diverted via the B4242. The truth is that the diverted cars( sorry drivers) obviously felt that because they had been directed from a 70mph dual carriageway, there was no need to slow down. Add to that their total diregard for other road users, in this case me on my bike, and I had real fear of me returning home in one piece. The straw that broke this camel’s back was a ford estate that passed so close to me, I really thought I’d be on the ground. That happened as I entered Abergarwed village, where the traffic has to coverge into a single lane between parked cars on either side of the road. Even though the automatic “Slow Down 30mph” sign was flashing widly, this so and so decided he had to get into that single lane before me, racing at, at least 45-50mph to do so, and cutting in dangerously close in front of me. I felt the wind drag/draught on my right calf, he was only inches away, and I had to swerve to my left.

I soon was shouting expletives and gesticulating madly in his wake, I don’t know if he/she even noticed! The car behind me did and I heard him braking fast as he knew he wouldn’t be able to make the same manouevre, because I was now passing the first parked car. The village itself, is at best, a 300 metres long ribbon of houses either side of the road, before the road then widens into a much faster section. At which point all the traffic in my wake began accelerating past me and then eachother, nothing, but nothing being allowed to slow their progress, in getting to their, Sunday lunch or visiting granny, destinations. Why do people, ordinary types, like me and my faithful reader, become such driving maniacs. To some extent I can understand boy racers, they’re inexperienced and thick, like we all were at their age. Fortunately I, for one, didn’t have a car, or any other kind of leathal weapon, back then. But these were grown men with their families in the cars with them. Beats me!

Where were the police? Certainly not policing the B4242, or can they police for speeding these days? I don’t know. I suppose I’ll find out one day if I do 35 in a 30mph section of road somewhere. Why is it, or at least it seems that way, that those who rarely or if ever transgress are the ones who get caught, get fined and penalised? Is it because the boyracers, and real maniacs don’t pay their fines, so what’s the point of bringing them to court? Perhaps I’m now going far to way off on another course now so I’ll stop this rant.

Once more, back to my cycle ride.

I turned around Neath side of Abergarwed, but still had to put up with the maniacs coming down the valley against me till I got to the relative safety of the Glynneath side of Resolven, welcoming the much more quieter, occasional sighting of a car. The truth is I should have known better, because, I’d had a narrow escape the day before (Saturday) while on my commute home, after a nightshift. What made it far worse was that it was still very dark at 06.30. I knew that the traffic had been diverted down the B4242, having seen the diversion signs on the Friday, but it was coming down the valley against me.

But of course these selfish drivers forget to dim their full beam. By the way I was very pleased with the beam from my new Steradian lamp, however, it was no match for these full car headlight beams. Constantly I was almost blinded and dazzled, as these oncoming cars rounded corners toward me. It was hard going, often I was scared that I was going to run into the kerbside, or off the road, under the glare. I didn’t dare shift toward the centre of the road, as all the cars seemed to be racing.

I knew once I got to Resolven I’d leave this nightmare behind me. But, I still had to get there. Just after Ynysarwed, after a S bend, where perhaps a dozen houses are lined up on the south side of the road, it drops down to a fast stretch to Abergarwed. The road is wider, but far from straight.

Well I came down the incline, and could see a line of cars coming towards me. I felt what was about to happen, almost psychically, perhaps a premonition?

 I just knew if a car came out of that line to overtake, it would not be good for me. Intuitively, I slowed down, watching sharply ahead. And yes, here it came, on my side of the road two headlights were racing towards me. I braked to a stop, the lorry that was being passed, braked and the car cut across in front of me to the correct side of the road, with a toot, toot as if in apology for almost killing me. If I’d had a leathal weapon to hand, a bazooka or some such, I’d have turned and taken that car out with absolutely no regret.

That experience should have told me to turn back this morning as soon as I saw how much traffic was using the B4242.

But hey, I’m here, and able to whinge about it. Which is a good thing, eh Clive? That’s if you’re still visiting my blog these days?