Some Fresh Goods - Park Tool OM-1 mat & Cyclist Magazine

 

This weeks couple of fresh goods is a Park Tool OM-1 overhaul bench mat which I have been after for a few years and have been putting off from buying one but the rrp has now shot upto £31.99. When I first looked at them they were less than £20! 

Also when we were away at the weekend I bought Oct issue of Cyclist magazine for a read on the dark cold evenings! 

And a couple of snaps from the dryer day at Keswick, enjoy and hopefully more soon - 

Autumn riding kit now in use - cold mainly gravel loop - Stanley Crook

 

Well it was about time I was back out on the bike again after a couple of days rest in the Lakes / Scotland. The weather was ok for the first day but the second day we needed a boat as it was raining that hard but it did eventually dry up. 

Todays ride was a mainly off road short loop and steady away as my lungs are not at full power and I had a massive headwind for most of the ride. It was manly quiet along the three old railway lines but the road section from Willington to Crook was very busy. Below are a few snaps from the 23 mile loop with 1300ft of climbing with an ave speed -12.7mph. Enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

Started off overcast and cold

The sun soon burnt through

but still nippy in the strong headwind

\It was glorious on the top 

Cold descent back down to Waterhouses

Lines were mainly nice & quiet

Fresh Goods Sunday - Clif Bar - Energy Bar 68g Chocolate Chip

 

l have never bought or used any Clif products before but this energy bar caught my eye and I thought I would get it a go. The flavour appealed to me as its not too nutty as alot of bars are. The bar is wider than any bar I have eaten over the years and is also shorter so more of a squarer shape to it. The outer packet is easy enough to open with fingerless gloves. Now for the chewy part which can be a deal or should I say teeth breaker. Its not too bad, its not too tough going and not too soft. It still takes some chewing to swallow it and I always need to wash it down with some juice. The taste is ok for an energy bar and will probably buy a few more the next time I see them. As for the extra boost well I am never convinced they do anything, some times I think its a mind thing with energy products. I might not be the only one that thinks that but other riders swear by the whole pre ride, during the ride and after ride energy product market. I dont take cycling serious enough now for all of that carry on but its a huge market out there not just the old favourites like High 5 and SiS etc. 

RRP £1.66 and I paid £1.59 from Arragons Cycles 

Manufacturers blurb - 

Our original energy* bar. Made with rolled oats and chocolate chips, this flavour reminds us of warm cookies straight from the oven. A source of fibre and 9 grams of protein, this delicious energy bar provides nutrition for your workout or active adventures.

• Made with Organic Rolled Oats
• Source of Protein and Fibre
• Vitamins B6 and B12 contribute to the normal release of energy

*Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism

Short local spin, Fresh Goodies and a chew with tubeless tyre

 

Angus had his first service (2 years) carried out on his van last week and noticed that the rear pads had seized in the sliders/callipers so needed new discs and pads. I would normally replace them but with it having an electric handbrake you need to plug it into a computer to release the brake and wind the pistons back. So I dropped it off at the garage and had a steady spin back on the bike. The weather was very mixed from glorious sunshine to overcast and pitch black. The wind was a blowing a near gale but it kept dry and was around 17 degrees! The tracks around Durham were quite busy with people out n about but once past the old National Savings and heading to Frankland it was back to normal, lovely and quiet. Below are a couple of snaps from the short ride. 

Also this week there was a delivery of some Fresh Goods - another bottle of Stans as I have just used the last bit left in one of my bottles and it was on special offer. Another small storage water bottle but in the meantime I had found a spare one that I had forgot about. Last but not least I have treated myself to a Abbey bike tool, first time I have ever bought this make. At first glance its not very inspiring for the money tbh. Park Tools are normally very pleasing on the eye, Silica tools come in fantastic packaging, boxes and look bling but this come in a poly back and just looks boring. If it does what it is supposed to do then that is really is all that matters. 

More on these in Fresh Goods Sunday's - 

Also I looked out all my gear ready to convert the front tyre on my 27.5" wheelset to tubeless as there are no signs of my second new tyre landing - 

but I could not get the tyre to seat on the rim even with an air compressor so put the tube back in again and gave up. 

A short local road loop around Heldey Hill area

 

Well I was dog rough after yesterdays ride so I did not want to go too far today so I had a road route planned that I did a month or so ago. It has a great mix of some steep ups, gentle ups, very fast downs and some short flat sections. The weather was lovely, not too sunny, not too hot and not too cold but the wind was blowing again. The traffic was not too bad as it was mainly on quieter roads, country back lanes etc. I did not stop too often for photos as I wanted to push on. Once I was warmed up the hills were not too bad. There was plenty of temporary traffic lights and all on red! All in just under 23 miles with an average speed 15.0mph and I climbed 1900ft. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon-