Hours blast around Abbots Ann, Kentboro and back via Red Rice. A gloriously sunny, frosty morning with still ice of some of the muddy puddles we rode thru, 18.7 Kilometres in total. Not much in the way of birdlife apart from the usual sights, did come across a couple of Hares again sitting in the middle of a newly planted field.
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Out at 6.00 before the sun had risen, the temperature was -2 degrees centigrade and would remain so all the time we where out, which initially meant the extremities where rather cold, but all bar my feet warmed up after a couple of miles into the ride. We Rode out of Andover on the N246 and the through Red Rice to Church Lane and down into Longstock, across the Bunny to the Test Way and back to Andover via Chilbolton, Fullerton and the Clatfords. Saw nobody else while i was out, not a surprise considering the time i was out. Did to get to see a couple of Jays, a Heron at the River Test along with a solitary Mute Swan. So in just over two hours traveled 26 kilometres, didn't do so fast, As i stopped regularly to take in the Sunrise. On return home, we found that the mud splatters from the icy mud puddles had frozen!
A very dull, but barmy 5 degrees centigrade, which after the recent rides at near freezing was most pleasant. As ever out early and got to see quite a lot of wildlife, buzzards sulking in the bare trees, waiting for better weather to come, another flock of field fare near Amport, and a male Kestral which is a rarely in these parts. What is not becoming rarity are Little Egrets, saw two this morning, one at Nether Wallop and the other at Broughton. Completed 42 kilometres in 2 and a half hours. Mised in a little more climbing than normal, no issues with the bike: apart from the rear Nobby Nic Tyre not coping with the mud, but we are getting use to that.
Up and out early before the sun had risen above the horizon, so we had great view of the Moon, while the Sun slowly made it's progress above the horizon and chased the Moon from the sky. So we had the Sun on our left shoulder and the Moon on our right. I was a beautiful frosty morning with no breeze at all. So down to Broughton via a couple of bridleways and then back via Houghton, Stockbridge and the Test Way up to Chilbolton and the home via the Clatfords. A total of 38 kilometres in two hours and thirty minutes. Loads of wildlife was to be seen this morning - Red Legged Partridge, Buzzard, a large flock of Field Fare, come south for the winter, and soon to return to Scandinavia when the weather improves. Mammals also where to be seen Grey Squirrels and a couple of Hares sitting bold as punch in the centre of a fallow field. The homemade mudguards didn't really get tested as the ground was still frozen, but it was a good test of the clearance between the mudguard and the tires, especially with the rear suspension under use. No complaints thus far, will have to get some new black tie wraps to tidy the bike up and then find some proper mud to test them with....
Tried out the Bell Stoker I'd gotten in the week, it was a great fit and the ventilation was good, still not sure about the colour. So looking at the options for mudguard for the Cube Sting 29, their didn't seem to be anything available which would fit the Manitou Front Forks, because of the way the fork arch are at the back of the forks rather the more popular configuration which has the arch at the front. So the next step was to customize a template found on the internet and adapt to if. All the bike forums talk about using A4 plastic folders, which are just the right thickness. I'd had a Face Fender on the Voodoo hoodoo and that hadn't been made out of anything much thicker. Or another donor item is a coloured chopping board, which comes in some limited colours. So a cheap folder was obtained for a pound, and this produced two mudguards. Both where tweaked to suit the Cube's frame and the Manitou Fork. A quick google revealed a large number of template possibilities.
It was a quick and easy process; 1. Print out the template obtained from the internet. 2. Using a Glue Stick attach the template to the plastic. 3. With a pair of scissors cut around the template. 4. Remove the paper template which was only slightly held on with the Glue Stick. 5. Punch the holes which will be used to attach the mudguard to the frame/fork using tie. This was made easier with having a 4mm extension punch this meant making the holes in the centre of the mudguard was a breeze to punch. Another way of doing it would be to bend the mud guard down it's centre line. 6. Fit to frame/fork with tie wraps. The Whole process took 15 minutes and this included and initial fitting of the mudguards to the frame/fork so the holes could be marked out for punching. I Also obtained some electrical amalgamate tape, which is very handy for making a chain protector for the chain stay, as the tape self bonds to itself. A couple of tie wraps either end will add a little more security. A neat alternative to using an old inner tube. Just got myself a Bell Stoker 2014 helmet from halfords for £18.00 (this included my British Cycling discount). It unfortunately only was available in 'matte glow green', but for the price you can't quibble.
Interesting article on Telegraph Website about fueling for riding by American nutritionists Dr Allen Lim and Biju Thomas. Particularly liked the look of the CASHEW AND BACON RICE CAKES, which seem to be a English breakfast sushi of sorts. This is their recipe:
Ingredients (makes 10 portions): 2 cups calrose rice or “sticky” rice 1½ cups water 225g bacon 3 eggs ½ cup cashews ¼ cup nut butter ½ cup raisins (optional) Instructions: 1. Combine rice and water in a rice cooker or saucepan. 2. Fry bacon over medium-high heat. Drain fat, wrap bacon in paper towels and crumble. 3. Beat eggs and softly scramble in pan over medium heat. 4. In a large bowl, mix cooked rice, bacon, scrambled eggs, cashews, nut butter and raisins. 5. Press mixture into square pan to 1½-inch thickness, let cool in a fridge, then slice and wrap into individual cakes. Nutritional information (per cake): Energy 286cal Fat 14g Salt 246mg Carbs 31g Fibre 1g Protein 10g My version I cooked up this weekend had sunflower seeds rather than Cashew Nuts, due what was available in the pantry. Tried it out on my ride this morning, it was easy food to eat, though transporting it required a plastic tub due to it's consistency. 2 Degrees Centigrade this morning, but it felt much much colder due to the Wind Chill Factor. It was a very windy morning, when you were out of the wind it was a rather pleasant ride. Covered 26 kilometres in just under two hours. Left Andover on the N246 National Circle route and then connected a couple of bridleways to the bottom of Church lane, which dropped us back into the Test Valley where we cut onto the Test Way back to Chilbolton Common and then home. Today we were mainly wearing merino wool - Craghopper tights and base layer top, under my Rapha Merino Hooded top, it was a very pleasant combination when we were not exposed to the wind. Advantage of cycling off road is the effort required generates a lot of heat, at one point i was sweating rather hard. Highlights of the ride were a Fox crossing the road ahead of me, it pause for a moment to have a good look at me, before it disappeared into the hedgerow.j and also the first Snow Drops of the year, bursting forth from a grass back at Fullerton. My Cube AMS gloves are finally starting to go through at the finger tips, they have been a great pair of gloves, unfortunately no longer available.
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January 2023
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