Going from strength to strength.
The rides seem to be going from strength to strength. This has been helped by perfect riding conditions – very little mud now and outstanding weather. We’re flying along single track as all of our skills and fitness picks up week by week. On a personal level I don’t think I can ever remember enjoying riding as much as right now – and from Monday to Sunday with 5 rides have clocked up 95 miles – the most I’ve ever done in one week. And to do this in the company of such fun people – what more could you ask for? Do it while you can – these fabulous conditions won’t last forever.
Also, our group is now growing so much that instead of me needing to accost people and ask them if they want to join us, they are now stopping us and asking who we are and how they can sign up! Which happened Saturday. 12 of us were out and we were stopped by two different people. One took a card and we invited the other to join us so we ended up with 13.
SOMETHING SERIOUS – PLEASE READ THIS…………….
I have been shaken by something that could so nearly have happened to me this week. I want you to read this because is relates to every one who rides a bike – especially the way we do.
These rides only began on 30th June and the bike I’m using is 14ish years old. My back and front tyres were also the same age – although I recently did need to change the back one. However, I kept thinking “I must get a new front tyre” but just didn’t get round to it. This week on Thursday we were riding over the Loughton side and I flew down one of those steep, fast, stony down hill tracks (before the even steeper up hill) and clocked over 22mph. So far, big deal. When I got back I almost didn’t bother to hose my bike as it was only dusty, but in the end did jet wash it. Even then what happened was just by chance, something made me look at my tyre and there right in the side wall was a noticeable bulge being made by the inner tube pressing against the PERISHED side wall of the old – OLD tyre.
I took my bike to Jason of On Line bikes and he put me right – old tyres are dangerous as they do dry out and get fragile. He also said if the tyre had blown on that downhill at 22mph – well – do I need to go on? I’m quite horrified that I was so careless with something so very important.
PLEASE LOOK AFTER YOUR BIKE! NOT JUST TYRES – ALL OF THE BITS. Wash them, check the components and brakes – even if you’re not technical make yourself learn at the least the basics.
Apologies to the many of you who know all this stuff and do look after your bikes as if your life depended on it – because it does.
