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.

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.

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”

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?

Like yesterday, I did a short circuit close to home, trying out the gears, which were still slipping, despite my best efforts at adjustment, tinkering post ride, the day before. I wandered a couple of times around Cwmgwrach, trying the short steep hill three times. No problem for me these days, though the struggle I used to have is only a short memory ago, for me. Today, I even attempted to scale Empire Avenue, in Cwmgwrach also, testing my self adjusted gears, I was going well until the gear slip problem cut in. Proud to say I still had forward momentum despite several slips and ponderous gear changes. I must be getting lighter, or is it the new chain.

Yesterday I didn’t bother with a McDonalds, today I did. But only after I’d had a go at several more inclines. I seemed to have alot more oomph about me, why though, is a mystery to me?

When I returned home, I spent a good, but very frustrating hour, tinkering with the gears, adjusting the front cage. Then, just as my short temper was about to cause me to throw in the towel, it all came together. Hope it’s all good for my commute early tomorrow morning.   

Cleaned up the cogs and cranks ready for the Halfords mechanic.

Bought a new light, a RSP Steradian, cost me £24.99, I got from the LBS in Aberdare after a chat with the boss there. I described the type of light conditions on my commute, and he recommended the Steradian, and reckons it will do the job for me. I hope so. As yet, I haven’t been able to try it……..

Another problem has turned up. Most certainly, due to lack of preventative maintenance on my part.

For the last few rides/commutes I’ve been hearing a clicking sound as I pedalled, I put it down to my MDR pedals needing a grease injection, I made a hash of the job when I put them on the Pioneer, a couple of months ago, I think. Timescales are a total blur to me, plus I’m a poor bike maniac, which, perhaps explains why, I’m such a slow pedaller.

Getting back to the clicking sound.

After buying the Steradian headlamp on Monday, I fitted it to the Pioneer, ready for my commute in to my nighshift that evening. Had a couple of hours in bed, then got up and ready to ride in. Off I set, looking forward to the ride.

I got about a mile and a half into the trip, when the the chain broke? Doahh!

That meant a mile and a half walk home, couldn’t fix it myself, just my usual intelligent looking act of an  examination of the problem, for the benefit of passers by, and try and save face.

Nights are such a bugger of a work pattern, no time to do anything. I had to take the car, then Tuesday I was too tired to go and buy a chain, so again took the car, then realised that if  I fitted a new chain I’d have to index the gears, I’ve tried that before and got nowhere, so I decided to utilise my BikeCare plan with Halfords. I rang them up, they said to drop it in, and they’d have it ready by Thursday. Wednesday car again! What was really an added frustration, the weather was beautful.

I’ll be picking up the Pioneer from Halfords later today, and hopefully be on a ride tomorrow morning early. I do so miss riding.

The new chain costs £23.99, so that’s £40, I’ve had to spend, this week, on my Pioneer. Mind you the chain has been on it since I had the bike, for how long, at least 6 years ?

While I was carrying my Pioneer down the signalbox steps, to make my way home, after a dayshift, it fell off and fell down three flights of stairs. It was my fault, which makes the frustration far worse. A few weeks ago something went wrong with the on/off button, and so the headlamp was stuck permanently on. The only way to turn it off was to unscrew the lens, and leave it loose, yes, I know a disaster waiting to happen. Well, I got away with this practice for those few weeks, until Saturday evening, when I finally forgot to tighten the lens up. Hence its roll down the stairs, while I watched in despair.

Needless to say , “It don’t work anymore.”

The ride home,with just the torch type lamp on the front of the Pioneer, was a tense affair. No real problem through the lit up streets of Neath,but once I’d passed Aberdulais, and was on the B4242 winding my way back up the Neath valley, it was a far different story. I might, just as well, not had it on. If it wasn’t for the fact that the sky was clear and the full moon was shining down, I’d have been virtually blind.

Memory of the road, ingrained now, after what, perhaps five years of continuous commuting, got me home in one piece. One thing I’d like to comment on is the selfishness of the car drivers who passed me coming the other way. They all are unable to switch off their full beam, and seemed intent on blinding me. Everytime, I mouthed obscenities at them, as each passed. Fortunately, it was only half a dozen in the nine mile stretch.

If it hadn’t been for them, it would have been a very pleasant ride, using only the moonlight to guide me.

Now, once again, I have a problem, I simply cannot ride without getting a new front light, that can light my way, as well as make me very visible, on these dark roads.

The combination of the RSP and my torch type, though not great, did the job. What I need now, is a better but cheap one? And quickly!

I had to take the car yesterday, because it would have been foolhardy to try that trip again in the dark. I don’t want to have to drive  again, this evening, when I double back for nights.

I finally fitted the new inner tube into the back wheel of the Pioneer on Thursday morning. However, the hoped for ride, after doing so, didn’t materialise, as my handpump, wouldn’t inflate it. DOAHH!! The last I saw of my stand pump was when my son Conor took it to his new house to fix up the family’s bikes, and then he told me, it broke into several pieces. So I was still stuck with a flat tyre. Thursday I bought a new stand pump, £23.99., at Halfords, slightly more expensive than the last one, and, hopefully, more endurable.

In the evening I got the tyres, front and back, up to the recommended 85 p.s.i., and had a quick spin up and down the street. Great, back on the road. Didn’t get to go for a ride until Sunday morning, when I tTook a trip to my son’s house in Cadoxton, Neath.

I left about 08.00., there was a severe frost on the cars in the street. Careful to make sure there was no sign of frozen puddles on the roads and paths, I departed in temperatures that were definitely the coldest to date, this year. My clothing consisted of my (one and only) long sleeved black cycling shirt with a short sleeved Millets T-shirt, that is warm when temperatures are low and cool when… Well you get the drift. My usual baggy cyclling shorts. waterproof socks, and my Tuf workboots. Just in case I carried my Polaris cycling jacket and woolly hat rolled up on my bike rack.

It was misty and very cold as I cycled down the valley, and despite my gloves, the thin cycling variety, I could feel the cold on my fingers for the first time this year. The lay off from the bike seemed to give me more energy than usual, and I made good time, once I got to Aberdulais, and came out of the valley, into the open Neath river plain, the temperature rose considerably, as the sun was free to shine constantly, instead of intermittently between the trees of the valley sides. It was really quite hot for a November day, and glorious for cycling. In fact I saw more cyclists than I’ve ever seen before , riding along the valley, all up to my down, thankfully, so nobody passed me with the usual whoosh! 

I got to  Conor’s, where I had a cup of coffee with himself and wife Anne, all the time Mitzy the collie trying to be fussed and spoilt. Half an hour, and I set off back up the valley, the sun was now high enough not to be blocked by the trees, and I got quite a sweat on, while cycling the homeward leg. Not that I was pedalling fast, when do I?

I stopped a couple of times to take the odd picture, and once again saw many cyclists, either singly, or in group rides, going up or down the valley. This time I was passed several times, with that whoosh. Only one said anything, that was a girl/woman in all the lycra, who barked “On your right!”, from behind me, and then “Good Morning” as she passed. Then her boyfriend/ coach followed, not uttering a word. But that’s 90% of my bexperience of the lycra clad crowd, are they just so absorbed in their effort on the bicycle, plain arrogant or rude?

Mostly therefore I’m shocked if they venture a hello or even a nod!

Further up the valley, I passed, yes I passed a couple. A young woman struggling on a mountain bike to keep up with her boyfriend on his rather nice road bike. He kept cycling on then turning back to give her encouragement, when he saw me, he cycled on at a more brisk pace, as if to demonstrate that he wasn’y the novice his girlfriend obviously was. I felt sorry for her as I passed, and said, ” Tell your boyfriend to get you some skinny tyres, like his.” She replied, ” I will “.

It didn’t take long to catch the boyfriend, who turned his bike around, just when I was about to pass him, as if he was just returning, to check on his slow companion. I just said, “Nice day for it”, to which he responded with a terse “Yes”.

By this stage I was starving, and so decided to pop into McDonalds for breakfast. The fine weather had brought out quite a few people, and I had to queue to order. Double sausage and egg Mcmuffin meal and a large cappocino was a real treat. Then it was home.

The ride was a treat as well.

Cheers.      

Should have completed four commutes to and from work, Monday to Thursday, on my booked  day shifts. One problem ruined that, on  Wednesday morning, I got a puncture. Tuesday evening I got home OK, but the back tyre was flat when I took the Pioneer out of the shed, in the pitch black of winter time, of the next morning.

There followed half an hour of farcical attempts to fix said puncture in the intermittent lighting  provided by the security light attached to the wall above our back door. I got the wheel off, the tube out, but no way could I find the puncture. As time was getting on and I still needed to get to work, I took the car, deciding to “fix” it in the evening after work. Really should get the Subway prepped as a back up bike, when to do it though and where? 

Later during my break, I went to Halfords and purchased a new inner tube, but by the time I got home, I felt too tired to bother, and anyway it was too bloody dark. The thought of waving my arms about every time the security light went out, was offputting to say the least.

So two days after the puncture, and two days of no cycling, I’m sat here waiting for some proper daylight.

The good news is, it now looks to be light enough, Where are my rubber gloves?Cheers for now.