Braking news

Some may have noticed in the margin a list of blogs that are noteworthy and interesting, Andy's life with a bike is one, not sure how I happened across this chaps antics but he has been a helpful guide at times, sending emails advising on what and what not to do on two wheels. So when he read of my bodge on R100 above and the wheel brake episode he rather helpfully sent some pics of brakes with a lever on, apparently designed to be levered when errrrm levering a wheel out. This opens the brakes and so you don't have to deflate the tyre. Brilliant. Except R100 is old school and made from girders so no such luck in the lever front. However as I was slogging my guts out on day 4 of the latest 30 30 challenge my eye happened on R100 and R200 sat watching me busy going nowhere on the life cycle. R200 has an arcane looking lever on the brakes. One which I would lever have thought of operating as there is no label saying do not press. So thanks again Andy, I have learned something new. Again. I note he chose not to comment on my use of the back of an axe to adjust the saddle height though.

Day 4 30 30 lvl 15 Cycle Cross 16km Pearl Jam Ten

I'm in charge!

What was already a bad morning (worse than yesterdays start) got considerably more fraught when I happened to glance over to the horizon and movement caught my eye. There in the middle distance and moving with some speed and seemingly with purpose was a very elderly beagle closely followed by a cartoon dog. Now I know the cartoon dog heard my cry of dismay, the ancient either ignored me, or more likely, is now so deaf and confused that he carried on along whatever little pathway his mind was suggesting. Being a keen athlete, ahem, I was able to close the distance between us in less time than I thought, partly driven by the worry that ancient beagle and cartoon dog might be considered sheep worrying types by militia,  but mostly my speed was due to the trouble I knew I would be in if my beautiful and oh so patient wife's canine came to any grief while I was in charge.
Yes today was one of those rare days when I was totally in charge at Rock HQ, MBAOSPW has been rendered incapacitated and is so ill was even unable to direct operations from the sofa. I on the other hand was convinced I could manage and keen to show how well decided that I would do the usual stuff, look after infant and as an extra, do the washing. Having shoved a load in and added the powder direct to the clothing I noted with some sense of dismay that I had in fact loaded the tumble dryer which looks cunningly like a washing machine for some inexplicable reason.
I also climbed into the gallery loft seeking treasure, bit like Indiana Jones, the scene where there are dozens of spiders are on his back, yes that was me today as I searched for a box containing Duplo for little t. I knew it was there somewhere and finally found it, however the most important part of a Duplo Zoo and farm set remains to be located. The animals are missing.
Back to missing animals and my downhill racing to intercept the escaping canines. As I closed in on my quarry the cartoon dog spotted my less than happy demeanour and did the sensible thing and stayed out of harms way. Preston on the other hand was blissfully unaware of the descending wrath and carried on towards the main road. And a house. And bins. He likes bins.
Not wanting to give him a heart attack I very thoughtfully ran alongside him, over took him and then prodded him in a friendly way from the front, the seeing end, his response was to bite the hand that feeds him. He liked the taste so much that he came back for a second go. Preston is 21 years old and going a bit senile, but this was a new one on me. By the time he readied for a third strike he landed back in the land of the here and now and realising his grave mistake rolled over for a tickle and then in an amazing turn of speed raced back to the sanctuary of the cottage while I administered first aid to my left hand. Back at the ranch he apologised by poohing in my boot and is now curled up fast asleep in the straw store.

Testing times

 For the second morning running we woke to snow on the not too distant hills. It soon brightened up and I finally managed to get my cunning plan into action, road test R100 on the pretence that I had left a notebook at the office. This would, in my thinking, legitimately absent myself from the jobs list.
 As it was the morning got off to a disastrous start and when things settled, and when I had finished diffusing all the puppy mines in the conservatory to be able to get to R100 it was nearly lunch time.
In my head it was still around 10am which explained the funny looks I got cycling through town saying good morning to zombie pedestrians, more of which later.

 R200 is badly set up, so having got R100 back in one piece, and after fixing the damage from yesterdays refit of front wheel (it wasn't the brake it was yours truly over tightening the quick release skewer which meant the wheel was not central so jammed into the brake block) I decided to adjust the saddle height as the last person to ride it, he who cannot be named, is a good 4 inches longer in the leg than me so a couple of test mount dismounts (much to little ts amusement) I concluded that the chances of me riding safely without the need for an air ambulance with the saddle at the current height was slim.
There then began a tedious exercise in trying to lower the saddle. Pleading with and begging the Allen bolt to A) undo and B) Undo before shearing off the Allen key or the internal workings of bolt failed and so with the aid of a block of wood lodged under the frame down tube, a wooden pestle and an adjustable hand axe the saddle post was persuaded to drop to the right height so yours truly could get his tip toe down without doing himself a mischief in the process on the saddle horn.
 I would like to say things then got better, but they didn't. Preston the ancient beagle decided to follow me for the first part of the ride. I then found the riding position not as good as the R200 and after 3.5 miles felt like walking due to the pressure on my arms. Manning up I made it to town where I was baffled by the antics of pedestrians who seemed to time their launch from kerbside after having calculated the braking distance of a fat bloke in Lycra thus giving both of us just enough time to panic. One dear soul chose to shove her baby buggy in my path thus saving her any potential injury, the child and I also survived.

I contemplated this new feature of the wonderful world of cycling as I tried to cram 6 note books, a reference book, 5 litres of goats milk, 1 litre of pop, a loaf of bread, a bag of jelly dinosaurs (for little t) a large Toblerone (MBAOSPW) a magazine (same) a small cake (on offer) and a lottery ticket (I will win one day) into a tiny rucksack before wobbling across the car park and setting off on the 5 mile return trip.
More killer pedestrians eyed my progress with suspicion but stayed their side of the pavement.
 No, cars and lorries had not caused me any like as much worry as those on foot.
It was at that point order in the universe was restored when a black BMW went past towing a caravan. The driver clearly forgetting that the caravan was 18 inches wider than the car. Had it been 19 inches wider I would now be needing a bionic right elbow to match my left.

Day 3 30 30 lvl 16 Hill training 12.8 km av bpm 124 max 148 Queen Sheer Heart Attack.

I promise not to make a mess

 I promise not to make a mess, not one little t can adhere to when eating his porridge

 but one I had to keep to on the pain of death if I sullied the interior of Miranda fetching supplies for the critters. I decided to ease her in gently and only risked 240kg of mixed calories, the run next week will be a lot bigger. She is also going to take the pig club members to their final destination, not on the back seat but in a trailer.

Vic got the dirty job of fetching the reincarnated R100 from the bike shed. Steve the bike had finished hand carving a spoke from Kryptonite and released R100 to my care. I immediately broke him by letting down the front tyre to get the not so quick to release wheel out of the new brakes and back at HQ did the reverse, replaced the wheel, pumped up the tyre without causing it to explode and cursed the small god of bike maintenance for causing the front brake to develop a death grip and refuse to allow the wheel to turn. Sensing things might go a tad wrong if I attempted any further "repair" in the dark, in the rain and without glasses and a torch I stabled R100 and will return at almost but not quite first light to fiddle about with all things allen key shaped and then, and I am assuming it will be fixed, take him out for his first test ride.

Day 2 30 30 lvl 10 endurance training 15.7 km 30 mins av bpm 134 max bpm 148 bpm OMD The Best Of OMD

Remember remember....

..the 1st of Movember. Yes, yours truly has decided to join the host of other men trying to coax a hairy caterpillar to lodge on his top lip to raise money for Cancer charities. Day one and it is not that impressive, as long as I remember I am doing this and don't go on auto pilot and shave it off I might get a passable moustache by the end of the month. It will be removed 1st December without fail.

Little Misty has cottoned on to the idea that an empty stall might be the place to stay in adverse weather. She might grow into it.

2nd challenge for Movember is a new 30 30. This is in addition to any other "training".

Day 1 30 30 Lvl 18 Hill sprint 15.3km Disturbed Ten Thousand Fists.

Brains of a rocking horse

Its raining stair rods, you can see them. So much water is falling that our remaining ducks have taken to a life raft, every living creature has sought shelter, yours truly included (under the eaves of the stable) The only signs of life in the yard which is a sea of frothing mud are two equines who, combined, have less brains than my old wooden rocking horse. Chester is over at the hayledge bale stuffing it in just in case something else eats a ton of it without him looking, this is despite him having a warm stable with ample portions of hayledge in the feeder. Misty on the other hoof takes stupidity to a higher level. You can see the rain puddling on the middle of her back (she is as wide as she is long, and thinking about it, is as wide as tall) All she needs to do to get a little bit dryer is take two paces forward and enter the stall that should have the soggy race horse in, or one step forward to get under the eaves where I am currently hiding.

What's this do?

He's pointing that camera at me again.....hmmm....I can see myself.....whats this button do? I wonde..........

New routine at Rock HQ thanks to day light saving, mornings are easier, for now, as the extra light makes it easier to see which animal you have tripped over or who's pooh you are currently standing in. Evenings are the opposite, its dark when I get home so second feeds take place in late afternoon and done by my beautiful and oh so patient wife under the supervision on the apprentice smallholder.

Not the cleverest

 Not a three headed monster, just our "herd" venturing out to see if there are any calories on offer.

Kayleigh is as stupid as she looks and was found tonight in the rain trapped behind the bale of Hayledge dropped into Goatanamo. The 5 inch gap must have looked very interesting and she walked forward into it. Once there she couldn't work out how to reverse so mewed for help. Again.
ANDQ!