Another grey blanket cotton wool day.  Not the kind of weather that stops you riding, but not the kind of weather that puts a smile on your face either.  To be fair it was at least less windy and chilly than yesterday.  Bearing in mind the looming Magnificat, the plan was to do a couple of hours flat and easy, which I think we pretty much managed, as you can see.

Somewhere around Godney some eejot of a motorist decided that getting past us was essential.  We’d already singled up, so were being as little of an obstacle as is possible on those narrow roads.  At a wider corner he managed to get past Mim but not me so, rather than (heaven forbid) waiting, he decided it would be far better to squeeze past me with mere inches to spare and toot his horn angrily at the same time.  Once past me, he then proceeded to gesticulate angrily in my direction as to how I should have pulled over and let him past.  Feeling a little shaken by how close he’d been, and having jumped when he tooted – shall I wobble and fall under your wheels now? – I was not feeling conciliatory.  In fact I’m afraid I re-discovered my anglo-saxon vocabulary, whilst extending my middle finger in his direction.  He then slammed on his brakes – because me going into the back of his car would be a good idea how?  Luckily I wasn’t close enough to him for this to be a problem, since I was riding with care and attention!  I did wonder if he was going to actually stop and get out, and was half looking forward to getting to shout at him…  However at this point I’m fairly sure his wife told him to stop being a p*llock, so he sped off again.

Why is it acceptable to hate cyclists so much?  Name me another group that it is acceptable to hate these days?  I spend a lot of my time defending cyclists and trying to see both sides of the arguments, and when motorists are behaving like that, I kinda wonder why I bother.  I’m a bl**dy well behaved cyclist, yet I’ve lost track of the number of close shaves I’ve had with extremely badly behaved motorists, who seem to feel that their behaviour is justified because I’m a cyclist.  Of course there are rotten apples in every basket.  But this is not the city, and we are not the red light jumping popular press vilified cyclists which seem to be the brush we are all tarred with.  We’re just out riding our bikes and enjoying the countryside.  We’re not out there to hold you up, get in your way, point out your lack of physical fitness or your sporting inadequacy…why do you seem to take our existence as such a personal affront?

Consider this – if a cyclist is a prat out there on the road with you, and something happens, the chances are that you as a motorist will walk away in one piece.  Let’s be honest, you probably won’t even stop.  Reverse that situation and the same is not true.  Though you probably still won’t stop.   All of us have taught our children to ride bikes, it’s an accepted rite of passage.  How would you feel if someone drove like that around your cycling child?  Well I’m still someone’s child, and I ride with one of mine.  Excuse me if I don’t ride myself into a rhyne so as to let you past, if I maintain my road position and don’t ride in the gutter, if I detour slightly to go around dangerous pot holes and obstacles and cause you to deviate from your far more important trajectory.  I have as much right to use the road as you, and even on a bad day I’m going to hold you up for what, a whole couple of minutes?  I could go on, but what would be the point?  I’ve never managed to convince a cyclist hating motorist that they were wrong yet…and round here I’m probably preaching to the converted! *grin*.  It does make me sad though…

Anyway, back on the other side of the forest…

Being once more astride her team steed, and thus with nowhere to put the puncture repair kit, Mim decided to leave it at home.  Which is like waving a big flag and jumping up and down and shouting “come and get me” until the puncture fairy finally notices your existence and pops by for a visit.  Which is exactly what happened as we came out of Glastonbury.  Being Glastonbury, the fairy probably wasn’t that far away… 😉  Luckily for Mim my oft-mocked saddle bag is a holder of many wonders, including tyre levers and inner tubes, and the beauty of my more pedestrian frame is marred by the presence of a pump.  Just think of me as a Boy Scout.  Mim hung up her Giant, and got to work…

I did help a bit – it was hard to get the tyre off, and it being my pump I’m more familiar with how it works.  Which it does, and very well.  It’ll never get you up to track pump psi, but it gets a long way there, and did well enough that we managed to do the rest of the ride on the re-inflated tyre without it being a problem.  It also doesn’t leave you feeling like you’ve just done an upper body workout.  Actually I’ve just bought another one for my potential bike…  My current bike was looking quite colourful today, odd when you consider that it really needs a good clean.

The loop I had planned in my head became a little shorter as, with the time out to sort the puncture, the deadline for getting home was closer than it would otherwise have been.  This meant coming home over Mudgley Hill, which I did better than usual, but still not as well as Mim…but since I’m well used to that I wasn’t too disheartened.  Strava says it was my best time so far too – so there.

Cycling time: 2:03:07 hrs
Distance: 33.70 miles
Avs: 16.4 mph.
ODO: 14116 miles

So home once again, but not for long.  It was time to take myself off to see my pit crew and get the bike checked over before the weekend.  It now has new rear brake pads and has been variously tweaked to work a little better.  Somewhat depressingly it apparently needs a new large chain ring, and also a new front wheel – something to do with a concave rim.  Gutted – as they’re not cheap wheels and I really don’t feel like I’ve had my money’s worth out of them – not on a pound per mile basis.  I’m not quite sure what to do about it either…as I’m saving for the new bike (if it ever turns up!) and don’t really have the money to be spending serious amounts on this one if I’m getting that one!

On the positive side I did get to pick up my new Giro Aeon helmet which I can happily report fits great and is fab.  Amazingly light too – so bound to make me go faster, right?  I’m really looking forward to wearing it on the bike soon, and looking all swish and snazzy.  Though maybe not on Sunday, since it’s due to rain all day, so I think it’s reportedly impressive venting properties may be superflous to requirements!

I also have new tyres, which can at least go on either bike, and they just need running in for a couple of weeks before the Maratona.  Plain black this time, stripes are so last year…  Incidentally, I’m Maratona rider number 1189, in the Selle Italia starting group – one of the advantages of being a girl is that you get to be a pen ahead of where you might otherwise have been :).

So my Schrodinger’s bike now has tyres, a pump, and courtesy of the Mario Cipollini Gran Fondo, two bottle holders and some bar tape.  Soon you’ll practically be able to see the bike by the space defined by it’s accessories.  The Emperor’s new bike? 😉