New Years Eve Spin down to Sunderland n back on the C2C

 

Well that's is another over with on the bike. I did have a route planned in my head last night but when I woke up and seen just how much ice there was I knocked that one on the head and picked up the old railway line at South Pelaw and dropped down to Sunderland. Most of this stretch is on tarmac with a couple of gravel sections. I took it very steady going down especially on the corners. The Garmin was hovering around minus -1.9 and zero degrees. The sun was out and had a tailwind on my back. They have still not reopened the section under the new bridge for some reason. I turned here and headed back up the line, there was a few others out n about not not too busy. The frost and ice did not lift the whole ride. On top of that I had a freezing cold headwind all the way back up. All in 25.5 miles in 2hrs 5mins with 1200ft pf climbing. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

A sunny Boxing Day local off road ride

 

Well that is Christmas over for another year and a few days off work now until the 2nd Jan 2026. Hopefully next year will be a better year for me work wise and motivationally as well. I had a good start to 2025 but then being on the sick for a long time did not help. Also back to back colds and flu's for well over a month has not helped in October / November. 

Away the sun came out this morning on Boxing day so I decided to go for a ride as it has been a week since we have seen any real sun in Co Durham. There was a frost so that might have helped the sun coming out. We have not had any frosts for a long time, the Garmin dropped to minus -2.1 degrees so it was fresh but no wind. I did a loop I have done for a long time and in reverse direction to normal. You don't realise just how much you miss some tracks n trails until you ride them again, thinking to myself why the hell has it took me so long to get back on them again. Below are a few snaps from the ride on my Creo 2. All in jus over 25 miles in 2hrs 12min with 1400ft of climbing. Enjoy and hopefully more soon - 

Fresh Goods Sunday - Specialized Rear Mech Hanger S182600001 (Creo 2)

 

If you have read my previous blog my Specialized Creo 2 blew over in the strong winds and bent my rear mech hanger. I had a spare one in my spare tub so job was a good'un. 

Fitting is simple enough, remove the rear wheel with a 6mm allen key, remove the rear mech with a 5mm allen key then remove the bolt through the cable guide with a 4mm allen key. Clean the back of the rear drop out and the cable guide and frame. Fitting is the reverse of removal and I always apply some copper slip to all the threads etc to stop seizing of the bolts. Check the indexing on the rear mech and off you go. I have tried straightening the old ones with a rear mech alignment tool but its never the same as a new one from the packet. My tool is mot the best and has some play in it. 

I replaced my spare with another spare from my local Specialized store at Langley Moor, Durham. 

Manufacturers blurb - 

Specialized S182600001 MY18 Road Disc Thru Axle Derailleur Hanger

• Road Thru-Axle 2.0 bolt-on rear derailleur hanger for various Road & Active model bikes with thru-axle drop outs.
• Material: Alloy
• Mounting Hardware: M5 x 0.8P x 9mm length mounting bolt
• Quantity: Single Pack

RRP £12.90 and I paid £10.00 from Infinity Cycles. Shop around on line and Sigma Sports are £8.10 exc p&p.