Finally managed to get back on the road after what seems like endless bad days. Today wasn't great, still windy, however, the new tyres on the Roadster seemed pretty damn grippy (until the last corner when I hit a manhole cover and I nearly got punched by the tarmac again) - they really grip, I hit a roundabout with a pretty hard lean and didn't slip, then hit another corner hard enough I managed to keep about 18mph all the way around with the bike acting uncharacteristically stable. Possibly swapping back to the Easton Circuit front wheel helped too.

I got severely punished by the thick-humid air and hard wind which blew my legs apart like they were made from matchsticks. I just had to dig in and get on with it, but it wasn't fun at times.

56.51miles (20.5avg) | V windy, Mild, 14°c, Some Drizzle

Extra! Forgot to say, got a puncture about 4 miles from home, probably a thorn or something, then, predictably the Blackburn Mini Pump broke again, because it's shit DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE - THEY ARE SUPER RUBBISH - luckly I managed to borrow a pump from a passing rider, a Specialized Air Force, really really nice action, pumped the tyre faster than the Blackburn ever did.

9

My Roadster's at it's end of it's useful life, it's never been great, I've never found it to be less than very uncomfortable and it's true weaknesses have been made more than evident this year, and there's quite a bit of corrosion on the top tube. So with that it's time to look to 2008 and a new road machine.

I know most of the parts I want, Ultegra groupset, low profile wheels, something built around Open Pros. Admittedly not flashy, but the problems I've had this year with deeper rims points to a need for heavier wheels that are less prone to sidewinds. If the season turns out to me less windy than this year then I'll consider something with a deeper profile and less spokes for speed, perhaps Mavic Ksyriums, but this probably won't happen as I;m looking for reliable stability rather than speed.

Framewise, I'm looking for something with a better shape, and a less wind-catching design and better forks. Probably Carbon or Titanium.

Bars, stem, seatpost? possibly carbon. I;m thinking a lighter frame but heavier wheels might suit my riding style a little better.

10

400 consecutive riding days! yowch that's plenty

Have a guess what the weather was like today? was it warm, sunny and still or cold, overcast and horrendously windy? - LOL - you actually considered the first choice for a second didn't you?

42.44 miles (19.56avg) | V V V Windy, Overcast, Cool, I earnt every inch of that distance.

12

Pedal Pedal Pedal, Bandids on my tail, Pedal, Roundabout, Lean in, Hard Left, OH MY GOD THIS ROAD'S ENTIRELY LOOSE GRAVEL... Activate "Mince" speed.

47.01miles (avg 20.13) | Overcast, Quite Cool, Spitting, Windy.

0

Sometime I will die, when I do I want to be driven to the crematorium in the fastest manner possible, none of this slow-hearse nonsense, just thrown me in the back of a transit and get me to the incinerator double quick.

I got held up by a funeral today, which lead to a long tailback of vehicles.. luckly I'm not a car, I'm a bike (Yee ha!), so it was in out in out dodging around until almost at the front of the line, where the black cars went right and I went left - good timing!

As usual the wind made my bike slither around enough to scare me numerous times.

45miles | Very very very windy, initially wet roads, 13degrees. Very hard work. Bar tape unravelled!

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