Still no signs of Spring really - local gravel loop in opposite direction due to the strong wind

 

Another day and another spin out on the Creo 2. One of my local loops but in reverse direction to what I normally do it. This was due to the direction of the strong wind. I thought it was going to be alot more warmer than what it was. The Garmin just reached over 5 degrees but I thought it was going to be more nearer to 10 degrees, not to worry I had just enough winter kit on to keep me warm'ish. I had a strong tailwind nearly all the way out to Bransden then a headwind coming back towards Bishop Auckland. No sun today just the overcast cloud. On the plus side no rain again and the lines are still drying out. A few others out n about but not many. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

A warmer, drier but windy ride from Consett to Broompark n back on the old railway line. Fresh Goodies - Cyclist Magazine

 

Back out on the new Creo 2 again for a short out n back spin. After Mondays freezing cold, wet, muddy and windy ride I thought to myself it could not get any worse. Again set off in gloom of cloud and wind but felt warmer with the Garmin hovering between five and six degrees. I set off down the old railway line to Broompark from Consett way. There was a few others out so there was a lot of slowing down and speeding back up again. The lines have dried out a lot since Monday and it was mainly dry if you avoided the big muddy sections. Once I reached Broompark I turned and headed back up the hill towards Consett. Once I reached Lanchester the sun even came out and the temperature nearly doubled. By now I was rather warm with all my winter kit on so took off my gloves and hat, pulled my zips down on my jacket and top giving more ventilation. By the time I reached Consett it was starting to cloud over again, not too worry still a very enjoyable ride. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

More on the new Specialized bar bag soon

Fresh Goodies - I also bought the latest edition of Cyclist Magazine for a read and digest the latest news / kit etc 

A wet, cold and windy local gravel loop to Bishop Auckland n back inc sausage buttie and hawthorn hedge cutting season

 

After a fantastic weekend of weather and working outside for nearly 2 days it was back to normal for todays ride. The rain was on and off more times than enough before even trying to get out of the front door. It sorted of dried up then then I had heavy rain then drizzle for most of the ride. I had a tailwind heading out and a strong headwind coming back in. The old railway lines, tracks n trails are very muddy and wet again but the Ass Saver Win Wing 2 is working a treat keeping my back dry and clean, different storey for the bike. I stopped at Fifteas tearoom at Bishop for a sausage buttie and the bun was spot on. The first sausage was look warm, the next one was cold and the next two were red hot, not good for £3.95! There was a few others out bracing the elements but not many. All in 27 miles in 2hrs 5mins with 1200ft of climbing. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon. 

PS- it is hawthorn hedge whacking time again in Co Durham! what a mess the farmers are leaving the lanes / roads in. 

Fresh Goods Sunday - HOPE Pro 5 Keyring (Red)

 

These new keyrings come out end of last year and the detailing is excellent. I have owned a couple of Hope Technology keyrings over the years and this one is the best so far. It is a scaled model of the Hope Pro 5 rear 6 bolt Shimano freewheel hub. It comes in all the Hope anodised colours and is a thing of sheer beauty. It also also laser etched with a h logo on the centre on the hub. The only downside is it is quite small, could have be a little bigger to be honest but hey. 

RRP £10 and I paid £13.50 from Inspiral Cycles 

Manufacturers Blurb - Nowt 

Fresh Goodies - Hope Riding Stripe Socks & Deda Elementi Mistral Perforated Padded Bar Tape

 

As I mentioned in my previous blog me and Jane had a drive over to Greta Green in Scotland on Monday so called in past Wolf Cycles in Longtown on the way up. They have opened a retail shop in there second unit on the industrial estate. They have a great selection of most things cycling and at a good price. I bought my new Dura Ace disc rotors from them and were the cheapest I could find on the net and p&p was free on 48 hour delivery. They also have a small worktop for general repairs. 

I decided to buy some new bar tape which I thought would match my gold / sand coloured Creo 2. It is not far off and after a few muddy rides will match better. I am not going to fit it until my current black tape wears out as its brand spanking new. £8.99 

I also decided to treat myself to some new socks - Hope Technology - stripe. £8.99. I have loads of new socks now so I am not going to buy anymore for a very long time! 

Short spin up and down the C2C Old Railway Line on Creo 1 inc Shimano GRX disc pad replacement

 

This is has been the only bike ride I have had this week. I was off on Monday and Tuesday but was out all day on Monday to Gretna Green, Scotland and Carlisle. I was had planned a longer ride on Tuesday but I was feeling rough and gave it a miss and did a load of jobs on the house / cars / van etc. Again the weather has been rather hit n miss with a lot of rain and wind. I finished early this afternoon and had to pick up some engine oil from Arran mate who works at NPA Pelton so I jumped onto the old railway line / C2C and headed for Consett. Again I was not feeling the best and turned once I reached Leadgate. I did a little extra on the way back down to get the distance up to 20miles, 1hr 24mins with 1000ft of climbing. As ever it was a very mixed bag of weather for the ride with some sun, cloud, overcast, quite windy and I felt really cold. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

I did notice when I got my bike out of the van the front brake lever was back to the bars. I thought it had lost some mineral oil but when I looked down at the pads there was very little left! I normally keep on to of my pads / consumables etc on all of my bikes but missed these pads! 

I used up the last of my old stock - L03A, a few minutes later they were swapped over and the pin re greased with some copper slip on threaded part. I had to re centre the calliper as it was catching slightly on one side of the disc. 

Then it was time to wash, degrease the drivetrain, dry and re lube the Creo. Then back on for a charge up ready for its next outing, hopefully soon.