31 Dec 2016

31st December 2016 Always fighting a headwind!

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Saturday 31st 43F, 6C. Leaden overcast and so damp it feels like misty rain in the wind. The forecast for the last day of the year is cloudy with 25mph south-westerly gusts. Will he or won't he? I walked down to the village and along the track across the local prairie. I was clutching my digital wind meter aloft like a poser taking constant selfies. [The Head Gardener's expression. Not mine.]

With the readings set at m/s I could easily multiply by 2 to get mph. The conversion multiplier is actually 2.2 but we won't quibble. Average wind speed was about 4-5m/s. With most gusts in the 6-7 range. Only very briefly did I see a 10 m/s but it was too fleeting to be sure. Interestingly [?] the little fan on the meter begins to hum as the wind speed increases. At 10 m/s it produces quite a whine. All very dramatic for this poor old fart. Happily toddling along a field track out in the middle of miles of low crops staring excitedly at a tiny screen! I still register no obvious comparison between wind speed and riding a trike. Even 5 m/s or 10mph roars in my ears and shakes my coat.

I have formulated a rather woolly theory that a cyclist balances their speed against the effective headwind. The cyclist is always making their own headwind even in dead calm conditions. Into the wind the cyclist's speed drops. With the wind the cyclists speed increases. Carrying an anemometer will allow the cyclist to read the effective headwind blowing against their forward motion. Anemometer = wind speed meter in layman's terms. These digital meters are incredibly cheap on eBay. About £7-8 in UK money speak if you don't get too ambitious. You can pay a lot more but why bother? 

My plan is to fix the wind meter to my tri-bar extensions with some sort of clip. I can then subjectively measure my effort as I choose a comfortable speed depending [only] on wind direction. The wind meter wants to be in clear air to function properly. It also helps if it can actually be seen and read while pedalling normally. Handlebar mounted kit requires that one look down [or even backwards] when the tricyclist needs to monitor the road ahead, over a yard wide strip, just for basic survival. Those who ride two wheel machines have the luxury of only needing to monitor a narrow strip of the road ahead for dead horses, sink holes and zombies.

My wild guess [theory of everything] is that, on the flat, I ride to maintain a certain headwind speed. Beyond that I would be trying too hard or just loafing along if my man-made headwind drops.

I tend to ride at the same level of effort all the time. Pedaling quite hard [and fast in rpm] all the time to average about 11 mph over the longer term. At least it is according to my cycle computer's measurement of average speed over many thousands of miles. When I am riding normally I tend to see around 16mph with the average wind and 12-13 mph riding against. Hills can easily drag me down to 8-10mph. Downhills in the 20s of mph and only very occasionally 30-31mph. Just the price of riding a trike with huge bags [parachutes] dangling off the back. It is so long since I rode the Trykit bare [ie. Bereft of bags or rack rather than any suggestion of nudity,] that I can no longer remember when that was. It felt much lighter and more nimble at first but the effect soon wore off.

I used to average about 13mph [long term] when I was slightly younger and covering much greater annual mileages. [Up to 10,000] My average speed is steadily falling as I taper off from being an OCD tricyclist in an attempt to become more normal. I am also rapidly approaching the magical 70. This is when things begin to drop off but one's remaining brain cell has already forgotten about it almost the moment it happens. Every day becomes a welcome surprise as the weeks and months flash by like some cheap, time travel, Hollywood special effect. Blink and that was 2017 over.

Even now most ordinary cyclists don't travel nearly as fast as I do. So I can still easily overtake most non-sporting cyclists. I have lost my "untrained mutt" habit of chasing every "proper" or "racing" cyclist on their carbon lightweight. Me, with my 30lb trike loaded down with assorted bags, the usual 10 kilos of shopping, tool kit and my 2lb, cutting edge, 13 century, wrought iron, Abus U-lock.

I am even allowing my weight to creep slowly upwards. At one point when I was riding higher daily mileages I looked much like a WW2 POW escapee even at 11 stone. Though with that rather strange pattern, of tan and bleached white, unique to the <cough> serious cyclist. I was thin all over except for my legs and it was not a pretty sight! Anyway, if I'm ever allowed out again, I'll report back on my managing a constant headwind speed [or not] to match my normal level of effort. But not today.

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30 Dec 2016

30th December 2016. Not my boy!

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Friday 30th 34-38F, 1-4C, clear overnight with a white frost. Soon to be replaced by overcast, damp and becoming rather breezy from the SW. I walked to the village and back as small birds moved ahead of me down the hedges. A Heron was hiding behind a garden pond in the village. While a large hare had joined the road kill tally as it lay twisted on the verge. I hadn't seen a hare for quite some time. Going out in the car after the ritual of morning coffee and marmalade on toast.

I see Sir Bradley "I never inhaled!" has retired from professional cycling. Leaving Sky and British Cycling desperately trying to explain why every other cyclist in the entire world doesn't need a commonplace drug to be flown in. Perhaps we'll be treated to yet more, foul-mouthed invective against less-than-sporting, drug cheats in general in his New Year Message to the adoring masses?

The Danish news reports that an alleged terrorist allegedly threw a large, weaponized, tree branch onto the motorway at Ålborg. He  has been remanded in custody for a fortnight for being a copycat. The branch allegedly caused drivers to brake violently and make avoidance maneuvers but [thankfully] nobody was reported as hurt. Instead of immediate release on 5 kroner's bail the police demanded extra time to properly investigate the alleged crime. The motorway was closed temporarily while the debris was cleared. Not my boy!

Busy all morning but I'm going out on the trike after lunch. Fortunately no motorways or bridges are involved. There's obviously no way to stop copycat motorway terrorism by fuckwits without very serious sentencing as a deterrent. You only need to hang one miscreant from a motorway bridge to concentrate other copycat fuckwit's minds wonderfully.

If that doesn't work then send them to somewhere "less nice" than Denmark on a one way ticket. Where one's freedom to commit murder is balanced by the need for personal survival. Sadly even murderers can't be sent to such destinations in case the fuckwit's basic human rights are curtailed. Or they might break a fingernail stumbling off the plane on all-fours. Or, even, while climbing back up into the trees.

The potential for bloody mayhem as large and heavy vehicles are forced to avoid a deliberate motorway obstruction suggests a minimum life sentence without parole. Attempted mass murder should be the minimum charge. Imagine if a petrol tanker hit a coach full of people? Or a bulk chemical tanker overturned in a built up area. Or near a busy service station. Or beside a vast shopping mall? There could be huge loss of life and multiple injury victims of the completely innocent. The sentence should match the crime.

The police have still not found a suspect for the murder and catastrophic injuries caused to a German couple. Their car was hit by huge concrete blocks thrown deliberately onto their car while returning from holiday in Denmark.  Blocks stolen from a building site miles away in Odense. Not that there's any chance of premeditation. That would surely require at least one, functioning brain cell? A fund has been raised for their child who avoided serious injury in the back of the family's car. The father remains in critical condition in hospital four months after the brutal murder of his wife. A reward for £25,000 [equivalent] has still failed to provide a suspect.

Late afternoon ride to buy a 14mm drill. Returning in the dark for 14 miles total. Thank goodness it wasn't a much bigger drill! Or I could still be out there. Still pedalling hard in the dark. As commuters race past to avoid being late for their own funerals.


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29 Dec 2016

28th December 2016 Medieval treasures missed.

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Wednesday 28th 41F, 5C, clear with lighter winds but rapidly moving clouds. The cloud came and went as I walked the forest loop anticlockwise for a change. A solitary goose seemed to be having a hard time making headway against the gentle westerly. Moments later two, high speed ducks had time to laugh at me from 200 feet overhead as I trudged along the road towards my sharp exit. Two Whooper swans then followed them panting loudly. Only to return an hour later complaining bitterly about ducks spreading idle rumours about free food.

Three quite large deer loped off across a field as I popped out from behind an obscuring hedge. Their usual buff-coloured bums as white as snow against the dark forest. As they paused to see if I really posed an imminent threat in my bright orange jacket. The week after Christmas seems to be the highlight of the hunting season. With a gaggle of cars and vans parked up in a quiet lane in readiness for the getaway after the slaughter. Gunfire could be heard off in different directions but seemed distant enough not to worry unduly. The beech forest seemed drab and threadbare today. With its bleached, grassy tussocks and low brambles under an open, grey canopy. I don't know why brambles are making such headway under the usual dense beech umbrella but they are definitely spreading.

I captured a large heron sitting motionless in a distant field as a tiny white stick. A much closer view was provided by the heron flying off from my neighbour's goldfish pond. [Again!] I hope my moody images aren't too depressing. All attempts to brighten them robbed them of their detail and quiet drama. I guess you had to be there.

The contemplative Heron.

One of my Smart "Superflash"rear lights has gone flaky. So I replaced the batteries with new. [I  checked the voltage of new and old with a DMM] Sometimes the light works and sometimes it doesn't. Life's too short to be messing with unreliable lights. Life could suddenly get much shorter without lights! Not to mention the risk of a fine. More expense and I hardly ever ride at night.

Late morning ride with a tail crosswind into bright sunshine. Roads littered with fallen twigs and small branches. Which is a shame because the council swept some of the villages before Christmas. First time in ages, so the archeologists must have missed out on some fairly decent, medieval treasures. Supermarkets packed with very long queues. Cross headwind becoming a direct headwind on the way back. 15 miles.

Thursday 29th 39F, 4C, light winds and very heavy overcast.  I checked the "Smart" light again this morning and it worked as expected. Damp evaporation?

I hear the banks are phasing out cheques. How will overseas members pay their subs to clubs and associations? 

Denmark's road death increased to well over 200 this year with still a couple of days of drunken revelry left. Researchers into traffic accidents suggest an increase in mileage is due to better economic conditions. More miles increases the statistical danger of having an accident. If only one could be sure that using a mobile phone caused the death of the driver that would be evolution at work. Sadly the phone abusing driver may not be the actual victim. Which distorts Darwin's results in favour of the morons.

The fines for mobile phone abuse behind the wheel remain insignificant. [UK:£200 DK:£150] So one can safely assume that the politicians themselves are regular abusers. It's not so much the expense of paying the fines but more of a desire to increase overall, mobile phone abuse. So their own abuse, if it should be noticed, is safely lost in the statistics. After all, the fines are probably covered by their expense accounts anyway. Everything else is. Rest day, busy at home under heavy grey skies.

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27 Dec 2016

27th December 2016: "Urd II" Aftermath.

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Tuesday 27th  42F, 6C, variable cloud, occasionally fierce N-westerly gusts. The forecast was about right in that Fyn escaped the worst of the storm. We heard very little in the night and only a few roars this morning.  My wireless anemometer is showing a fairly steady 10 kph average which is hardly anything at all. Probably all thanks to the westerly to north-westerly wind direction which is from behind the shelter belt of  trees. It is supposed to continue gusting to over 20m/s 45mph until later.

Just beginning to get light now at 8am. Which fooled me into thinking it was heavily overcast until I realised it was still dark with only a few, low visibility clouds. I really ought to take my little, handheld anemometer to check wind speeds when I am out walking or riding. It weighs practically nothing at all.

I walked out onto the track up to the woods to measure the wind speed. The high, roadside hedges had offered plenty of protection until I almost reached my exit. Being completely exposed to the NW I hoped for a more accurate reading out on the prairie.

My "Wind Wizard" mechanical anemometer repeatedly showed a steady 20mph or 10m/s. With occasional gusts to 25mph or 12m/s. I had imagined it was far higher than this because I was being buffeted along with the wind on my back. When I turned around at the entrance to the woods, for the walk back, I was able to almost lean on the headwind at times. My wife spotted me holding up my wind meter and suggested I looked like someone taking a 'selfie.'

My wind speed readings are rather unexpected because this average velocity lies in serious cycling territory. I can't honestly say that I regularly feel that wind pressure nor the roaring in my ears at such cycling speeds. I regularly manage 30mph on one descent and this feels much more like today's steady wind speed. The "Smart Sensor" anemometer's CR2032 battery was dead and I had no spares. My wireless anemometer, associated with my Ventus weather station is mounted in the open on its own, ~15' tall mast. It is still showing a steady 9-10 kph average.  That's only about 3 m/s and clearly shows the advantage of a shelter belt of trees even when they are bare in winter.  

I wore my £3 [equiv] workshop safety glasses on my walk to stop my eyes watering. They work incredibly well in this role. Far more efficiently than any sunglasses sold for cycling. Or sold in cycling shops for, presumably, that precise purpose. The downside is needing to push down the rubber eye caps on my binoculars to be able to see the whole field of view. I saw several buzzards, a large heron and some Fieldfares today. Some of the gulls were behaving oddly. Repeatedly alighting between low altitude soaring but not using their beaks to capture anything. Perhaps they were practicing their landing skills? Or just enjoying the gales? Rest day.

  
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26 Dec 2016

26th December 2016 Storm "Urd!" Prequel.

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Monday 26th 44F, 7C. Showers and high winds forecast. Our Christmas Day ended on a quite ridiculous 50F, 10C at ~11pm. At least it saves on heating.

I walked down to the village and back with steady wind blowing from the south west. An untidy gaggle of geese were struggling upwind. Followed by a female kestrel with a similar objective. The hedgerows were full of blackbirds and Goldfinches at one point. Just as the low, blinding sun began to struggle upwind I spotted a cloud with its very own double vortex. Sadly it was already beginning to break up and to lose its sharp definition by the time I tried to snap it with my camera.

A storm called "Urd" will cross Denmark this afternoon and tonight. With rain and wind speeds gusting to 25m/s or 50mph over Fyn. It is forecast to already be blowing up to 20m/s by 3pm today. Only dropping to 15m/s, 30mph at mid day tomorrow, Tuesday. As usual, west and Northjylland [Eng: Jutland] will bear the brunt of the storm with gusts to orkanstyrke [hurricane force.] Possibly up to 36m/s or over 75mph. Not a great day for cycling then. Though I do plan to do a ten mile ride before it gets too silly. The wind should help me up the long drag before I meet the beech forest. Only the last leg of the triangle will be straight into a headwind. The sky has now cleared to blue with bright sunshine.

Not my best idea ever. Within a mile I was doing 28mph on the flat as I was lashed with smoking hail! The climb went faster than usual as rain took over from hail. Strong side gusts and steady rain as I rode through the forest. Bought some organic milk and then home straight into a fiercely gusty gale with heavy rain driving across the open fields.

While pedaling hard in my 36x36 bottom gear [at 7mph] one gust stopped me dead in my tracks! I actually came to a complete stop for about one second. As I cowered behind the handlebar extension and prayed the roaring roadside trees overhead would not fall on me. The roads were already littered with fallen twigs and wet leaves blown out of hedges with heavy spray coming up from my tyres. I arrived home thoroughly wet in time for the sky to clear to bright sunshine again. Even the wind seems to have dropped for the moment. 10 miles.


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21 Dec 2016

21st December 2016 Four months on:

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Wednesday 21st 33F, +1C, cold southerly wind with a heavy overcast. There was fine, misty rain in the air as I walked to the village. Birds were noticeable by their absence today.

The [local] Danish news bemoans the four months without progress in the investigation into a murderous, terrorist attack on motorway traffic using concrete slabs. A German woman died instantly and her husband still remains critical in hospital when their car was struck by a weaponized, 65lb concrete paving block. The specialist block was carried 8 miles from a building site in Odense. So the attack was obviously pre-planned and not just another case of brain dead vandalism.

Moreover the bridge used as a launching platform is on a very minor, rural road without any obvious destinations. So very unlikely to be known to anyone not immediately local to the area. Or, alternatively, was discovered by somebody who had deliberately sought a safe site for their cowardly attack. Somewhere usually devoid of passing traffic where they would be least likely to be spotted at 4am. The time is another clue to a premeditated and cowardly attack. A £25,000[equivalent] reward for information has still failed to lead to a suspect for prosecution.

The following link is in Danish but well enough illustrated to be worth a visit.
Just keep clicking on the arrows beside the images.

The police are stranded in their investigation of the concrete block killing.

Politiet er strandet i opklaringen af betonklodsdrab | Fyn | DR

No ride today as the wind picked up and the sky remained dark. 

Is it just me or has Google just added a full compliment of  symbols and characters to Blogger? 👍

Thursday 22nd 41F, 5C, dark and misty. I was working in the shed yesterday and seem to have injured my right thigh. It's odd because I felt nothing at all until I woke this morning. My walk helped to remove the pain after the first limping steps. The mist made photography pointless. As can be seen above.

Rode north with a tailwind. I passed a field with hundreds and hundreds of rooks all tightly packed. The wind had turned slightly to a 45 degree headwind by the time I returned. 13 miles so far. Plus seven more late afternoon. Returned in the dark, lights flashing like a mobile Christmas tree.

Friday 23rd 40F, 4C, quiet. cloudy start with very strong winds later.  It had already cleared to blue by the time I had walked far. Jupiter and a crescent moon shared the sky with bright vapour trails. Later a brilliant sun climbed over the hill before it clouded over again. I'm hoping to avoid the Christmas drunk drivers by not going for a ride today. It is likely to be the last day at work for many drink drivers who will enjoy an extra tipple at their work's Christmas party.

Saturday 24th 41F, 5C, after last night's risk of storm force gusts the wind was as variable as the cloud today. I walked around the rural block. Disturbing several birds of prey as I went. I stopped to stare at a bird through my binoculars as several ponies looked on. As I lowered my binoculars the ponies suddenly panicked and dashed off across their urine-soaked field. A low sun struggled through early cloud and then had the sky almost to itself after that. A mixed day of sunshine and showers with occasional roaring wind. No ride today.

Sunday 25th 41F, 5C, wind, showers and sunshine according to the forecast. Merry Christmas to all my followers and curious visitors. 😊 Let's be careful out there.

20 Dec 2016

20th December 2016 Danish child neglect pandemic!

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Tuesday 20th 37F, 3C, very heavy overcast, calm but dry. A chill, southerly wind was rising as I braved the hurrying traffic. A scruffy, black car went past at very high speed. Sounding, not so much sporty, as having a badly blown exhaust. The speed at which he took the first blind corner might have been all the more impressive. Had he not needed an extra 6' of the opposite lane which he did not own. Undaunted by his blatant idiocy he ploughed onto the next blind corner. With that urgency born of a burning, sociopathic ignorance of braking distances, cyclists or pedestrians. Or even family cars emerging from their hidden drives full of small children.

Unfortunately it will be decades before every manual car has been torn from the dying hands of idiots to be replaced with self-driving vehicles. A couple of compulsory braking distance sensors, controlling the accelerator, would go a long way. Provided, of course, it wasn't able to be easily bypassed. As was the habit of 'chipping' diesels for higher performance while away from the test centers.

A pair of buzzards were playing follow-my-leader as they crossed the road directly above me at less than 100 feet. Then,  just as I turned into the lane, I disturbed a larger bird of prey which had been foraging out on a field. It flew straight away from me with very long, high aspect ratio wings with bold, black, upper 'fingered' tips. Due to its stealth profile I could only guess at a mainly buff plumage. I'm going for my default Red kite identification but couldn't be certain without more detail. The Red Kite just doesn't look large enough when you see images of them online with human handlers. Meanwhile, the roadside hedges were busy with Blackbirds, Yellowhammers, Blue and Great tits.

Time for a ride: A cold headwind most of the way to the shops. Easier coming back despite being well laden. 17miles.

The Danish DR news website reports that between 1 in 5 and 6 children cycling to school in the dark have no lights and are wearing dark clothing. Head teachers held talks with the school pupils and warned parents in their newsletter, but nothing changed. How difficult can it be to arrange teachers or police to monitor one day's cycling arrivals per week without prior notice? Then prosecute and fine all the parents of children without lights for placing their children in danger. At least a £200 fine plus costs seems about right. Give the parents a court record for child neglect and see if that gets their attention.

Bright diode bicycle lights can be had for small change in many Danish supermarkets. High viz waistcoats are regularly sold by some supermarkets too. Often for a mere pittance. High visibility + reflective striped clothing could easily be made nationally compulsory for all cyclists riding after dark. But then we don't want to anything which would limit a child's basic human rights to become very messy road kill. But at least their siblings are guaranteed to have dark clothing for the funeral.


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19 Dec 2016

19th December 2016 McSlobs R'US.

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Monday 19th 39F, 4C, heavy overcast but calm. Another grey day is forecast but with very light winds. No mist or noticeable wind this morning but the wind turbines are still turning. Just a steady walk down to the village and back. I saw my first woodpecker in ages in a huge tree by the church. Lots of birds nests are now revealed by the loss of foliage. It's almost like terraced housing along the main road. Why, on earth, would so many birds choose to nest where vast lorries and roaring buses pass regularly within mere feet? It just seems like bad Chi in the Feng Shui of nesting situations.

Throwaway packaging for the visually and morally impaired?

There are countless miles of boundary hedges in between quiet rural fields. So why choose a roadside hedge instead? It's not as if their songs can be clearly heard above the traffic much of the time. Perhaps they like the ready pickings of the insects knocked down to the bare asphalt by passing vehicles? It is commonplace to see a whole variety birds foraging on the roads in the warmer months. Usually solitary wagtails, in particular, can always be found on any stretch of rural road or lane in summer.

Too busy on a project to go for a ride today.


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18 Dec 2016

18th December 2016 UK's first registered blind Minister of Transport!

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Sunday 18th 42F, 6C, misty, cloudy and still very very dark at 8.15am. The forecast is for more cloud and light winds. Walked for 40 minutes to capture not a lot with my camera.

I was just reading on the BBC News about the UK Transport Secretary Grayling opening his ministerial car door into the path of an 'undertaking' cyclist. The cyclist was clearly thrown heavily from his machine as recorded by another, following, camera-carrying cyclist. Damage was caused to the cycle though no injuries are initially mentioned for the cyclist. Being an entirely taxpayer subsidized, international news website The BBC NEWS won't show news videos outside their own license area in case copyright profits are lost. So I'll link to the Guardian's excellent coverage instead:

Transport secretary Chris Grayling knocks over cyclist as he opens car door – video | Politics | The Guardian

NO FOUL! screamed a knee-jerking, motoring correspondent. One who clearly does not understand the law nor the meaning of the law. Ideal future Transport Secretary and ex-Justice Minister material you would think?

Try: Section 2 of The Road Traffic Act 1988. Quoted from the Guardian: “No person shall open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person.”

How difficult can it be to understand even for a motoring correspondent? Or the registered blind, Minister of Transport? Perhaps Grayling wants it in Braille, in triplicate?

It seems there is a deliberate hiatus in the cycle path markings, to allow really, really important, blind ministers to safely alight from their posh ministerial vehicles without the slightest fear of interrupting the flow in an official cycle lane with their white sticks.

Elysium R'Us? Certainly looks like it. They even painted the lampposts with fancy guilt scrolls so that ministers are not offended by ordinary [common people's] street ironwork. Though Grayling, being registered blind, probably doesn't know they exist, any more than he does cyclists.

I'm still waiting for the police to release details of their prosecution of the minister himself. Or, more likely, the driver of the ministerial car for failing to observe filtering cyclists so as to cause an accident. Every blind, Transport Minister needs a fall guy. As long as he's not another bløødy cyclist!

In the video the cyclist is clearly winded and appears to be temporarily in shock as he sits on the pavement, bent over in his high visibility jacket. It is impossible to imagine he suffered no injury at all since he rubs his left arm at one point. [It is reported elsewhere that he suffered pain from his various injuries.]

No doubt a civil service, temporary, junior underling was seconded to report the road 'accident' to the police. It also seems Grayling and his entourage failed to provide any details to the injured cyclist. Yet another breach of the law by the [blind] former Justice Secretary. It all sounds a bit "fishy" to me.

Road traffic accidents | PersonalLawDonut

Road Traffic Offences: Legal Guidance: The Crown Prosecution Service

Well, it seems a private prosecution is possible. It's nice to know the VIP [Very Impotent Person] in charge of British Road Safety is registered blind to the needs of cyclists. In fact they don't even seem to exist unless they are actually getting in His bløødy way! Scroll down the Guardian page for more coverage.

Short, 7 mile ride, under leaden skies. Hardly any wind.

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16 Dec 2016

16th December 2016 Half a dozen kestrels in one day!

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Friday 16th 32-35F, +0-2C, overcast with cold easterly breeze. Walked up to the woods and back along the track. Only a solitary buzzard and a few Yellowhammers. Fixed tiny puncture which hardly bubbled but made the tire flat overnight. Rode to the shops into the cold easterly. Saw two buzzards, a male kestrel and a jay near the road. 17 miles.

Saturday 17th 34-39F, 1-4C, very heavy overcast but calm. 8.35am and it is still struggling to lighten. Walking with a torch? It wasn't that bad but still darkly depressing. There was hardly any wind so it didn't feel as cold as yesterday.

We ordered some Christmas presents from Amazon. They were at the sorting office only a few short miles away, several days ago. Then someone there decided it would be great fun to send both parcels to somewhere in the middle of Arctic Sweden! Now delivery is not expected until 23rd December after ordering on the 9th December. With a 3-4 days service at the best of times [but not at Christmas!] it will take another week before we finally receive them. What a total farce!

The cold breeze from the SW was steadily picking up as I headed NW. A bit tired on the way back, into the wind, due to a lack of proper sustenance. I saw six individual kestrels hovering today. Usually I don't see them very often at all. Perhaps they are more visible at this time of year? Or they are hungry due to their usual prey hibernating. It always looks as if they are working hard just to hover in place. That takes energy which has to be replaced. 22 miles.

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15 Dec 2016

15th December 2016 Mind the chickens!

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Thursday 15th 32-34F, 0C, very very dark. (.25 and it is just getting light. 100 yard mist with trees and buildings featureless silhouettes at that distance. A week before the shortest day and it shows. A 'raw' walk up to the drab woods in a cold wind, under heavy grey skies with icy hoar frost covering everything. The field tracks were as sticky as usual. So I kept to the gravel or grassy tracks and came back along the marsh. My cheapo fleece gloves were hopeless in these conditions. I managed to disturb several buzzards, lots of ducks, a flock of Yellowhammers and two very large Herons. 

Tiny Denmark killed 178 people on the roads last year for a death rate of four per 100,000. Gravely Blighted had a rate of three deaths per 100,000 living skittles. The Danish plan now is to share and coordinate police information as to the cause of accidents so that local councils might improve the road situation. Presumably there is presently little data being shared between police forces and councils responsible for the roads. How the council can cater for young fools or drunken drivers is not mentioned. It seems Jylland [Jutland] has unique problems with both categories of driver with an over-representation of road deaths.

Both countries, Denmark and Britain, lie near the bottom of the list of road deaths per nation. Gravely Blighted has countless "speed" cameras. While Denmark has only a few speed camera vans and only a few fixed cameras. Though the Danish news suggests that they do have registration plate recognition cameras for security purposes which are 'harvesting' lots of illegal drivers and vehicles.

While checking my facts online I discovered there is a 2000DKK fine [£200] for crossing double white line markings. If they caught and fined every driver who broke that rule, on our road alone, they could repay America's national debt. It is completely the norm to cross the double white lines on every single corner. Never the exception. Speeding is also the norm wherever I go. If I drive at the speed limit I am constantly overtaken whether on the motorway, in the countryside or in the towns or villages.  If the road is straight and nobody is overtaking, in the opposite direction, then it's a green light to overtake.

When I first came to Denmark, 20 years ago, I had done my homework in advance about the legal speed limits. The problem was that I was always the slowest driver on the road despite sticking rigidly to the limit when it was safe to do so. I might as well have been driving a hearse. Except that in Denmark even the hearses speed too. As do the buses, the lorries, the cars, driving instructors, bin lorries, tractors and anything else with wheels and an engine.

Denmark has fixed, electronic speed indicator boards at the entrances to many villages and towns. Despite often reading 5-7kph low they constantly flash to indicate a speeding vehicle. As I have often said here before, the flash usually occurs after the vehicle has already passed. There are no flashing lights on the back of the signs. So there is no constant reinforcement of the desired message that the law has just been broken. Speed is a huge factor in road casualties and injuries. Yet these boards are treated with complete indifference and their very poor speed calibration unaltered in the 20 years I have been passing them.

The nearest one often reads 7-8kph slow. It did when I arrived 2 decades ago and still shows 42-43kph as I pass it at dead on 50kph on the speedometers of all the old cars I have owned since then. What this means is that I am repeatedly being told [by the represented authorities] that I may safely increase my speed by up to 8kph and still stay within the legal speed limit. Which is plainly a total nonsense an the complete opposite of the speed indicator board's true intention. The board was put there by the local authorities and maintained by them. They represent the law.

It's no wonder, at all, that the Danes treat these speed indicator boards as just more street furniture. Most Danes probably just pay the fixed range of speeding fines when a letter from the police arrives in the post. If they took the case to court it might cost them an awful lot more. However, if like me, you lived near a board which constantly reads 7-8kph slow. Then it ought to be a form of defense if you were caught speeding at 58kph in the village defended by this LUDICROUSLY inaccurate speed indicator. It's absolutely no wonder that almost every vehicle speeds up immediately after passing this sign! How completely crackers is that?

There are no recording cameras in these Danish indicator boards so the driver passes without giving it any thought. Only when a nose-to-tail convoy is passing will the car behind "enjoy" the flash for the car in front. I hear the FBI routinely uses Denmark to practice their close convoy driving. Such driving behaviour would pass completely unnoticed in Denmark. Miles of double white lines, no chance in hell of overtaking, but you still can't get a fag paper between bonnet and boot.

That said, and despite my occasional [?] complaints, most drivers in Denmark respect cyclists. As they are required to do so by law. Cyclists and pedestrian have the right of way in Denmark. At road junctions a pedestrian or cyclist may safely cross while the driver in the minor road waits patiently. Most Danes would be dead in a week if they tried that in Gravely Blighted! Where the pedestrian and cyclist are so far down the driver's rigid hierarchical list of unimportance that it would be a plausible cause for road rage! Grrr!

Imagine a cyclist or "ped" having the temerity to try cycling across the front of their car at a minor road junction or car park entrance/exit?!!? There is no greater affront to a UK driver's dignity! Cyclists and pedestrians have always been the black underclass in the UK. Imagine not having the fortune telling skills to be out of the British driver's way when they are cutting across the cyclist/pedestrian's path into a minor road or exit.

Parking on hatched boxes at traffic lights is rarely seen over here. Yet very late turning on red traffic lights is completely the norm in Danish cities. Meanwhile, RLJs, before the lights even turn green, are not so "popular."

According to the many YouTube cycle/motorcycle camera vloggers the standard of driving in GB is far worse than it was half a century ago. I would always arrive at work [or back home] in a subdued rage after my cycling commutes. A "road safety" vlogger in a Danish city would probably need thousands of hours of recording before capturing the type of perfectly "normal" [and illegal] misbehaviour so typical in the UK.

The majority of Danes are just appear far more sophisticated, intelligent, skilled, patient and calm behind the wheel compared with the chaotic and often illegal anarchy of everyday British roads. Hearing a horn blast in Denmark is also very unusual and likely caused only by very poor driving behavior indeed. Probably requiring drooling idiocy levels of behavior to warrant the 'idiot's' attention even being drawn to it at all. Rest day, busy doing other things than tricycling.

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14 Dec 2016

14th December 2016 Pass the nurse, please, swab!

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Wednesday 14th 37F, 3C, very light winds, cloudy start but with a distinct threat of sunshine.

Did I mention that I bought a box of 100 "medical" rubber gloves from the chemist? Very handy[?] to keep my hands [?] clean while working on the trike. Or anything else for that matter. I would have bought some years ago had I known they were available in my [un]usual XXXXXL. [Mature Adult Orangutan with thyroid excess,  EU size 103½.] Just make sure you get them large enough despite their amazing stre-e-e-etch-iness once safely on.

It's definitely not a case of "one size fits all" and no jokes about rubber fetishes, thank you very much. I know you were thinking it! 100 uni-hand [ambidextrous?] gloves, the wrong size could be quite an irritation. Though how you are supposed test them for size, when their dispensing box is safely sealed, I have absolutely no idea. 

They feel as if they won't go on at first but then are so close fitting that the finest work can be done. Thicker rubber gloves are definitely warmer but absolutely hopeless for picking up small items like dropped nuts or tiny ball bearings from a headset. I wore some of my rubber gloves yesterday to test the leaky inner tube in a  bowl of freezing rainwater. Tires are really filthy objects given what they roll over. Yet I had never really given it a second's thought over decades of thumbing the treads to [inefficiently] check the pressures. The MkI thumb is an awful tyre pressure gauge!

The trick is to train yourself to dispose of each pair of gloves immediately after removal and not try to re-use them. That would probably mean they are now inside out and you are now deliberately contaminating your hands from the last time they were worn. A box of 100 in bright blue only cost about as much as a single pair of normal, rubber, industrial gloves from the DIY superstore. If you do get the wrong size don't persevere out of stinginess. You can always give them away to a charity shop. Or sell them at a ridiculously inflated "try it on" price on eBay.

When I was a teenager, which was in a previous century, I hadn't heard of hand cleaners. Decent rubber gloves hadn't yet been invented. So I used Vim and Fairy Liquid washing up liquid in combination to try and clean my hands after a serious bout of filthy chain or gears repair. It was lucky "They" hadn't invented girls by then either.

Bicycle chains come a close second only to an oil change or universal joints for being downright nasty to handle. Car and bike mechanics in Denmark always wear rubber gloves instead of only looking as if they were, back in Gravely Blighted. Long term oil contact is a known carcinogen. "They" used to say that lazy mechanics, who always kept their hands in their pockets, would get cancer in unmentionable places. "They" started warning young mechanics against carrying oily rags in the same pockets for much the same reason. I thought driving the vehicles was the dangerous part. Nor standing around with your hands in your pockets in filthy overalls! I saw a young lady house painter yesterday for whom paint and surfaces applied only to her [uniformly splashed] clothing. How can she turn up for each job looking like that?  I worry about having a single paint spot on my recycled, cycling clothing. It's all about keeping up appearances when your are the only one [tricyclist] in the village! 

Remember the recent fetish for dumping aluminium cookware in case you "caught" Alzheimer's? What about decades of handling bare "ally" brake and gear levers on a bike/trike? I can vaguely remember paying a week's wages, back in the 60s, for rubber Campag gear and QR lever covers in bright blue. My posh new Mafac "Professional" center-pull levers had nice, brownish, rubber covers supplied for the grips themselves but not the levers. Weinmann levers never had rubber covers back then. They always seemed horribly thin, mean and cold on the hands after that despite the leather track mitts I wore.

Have I ever mention my Weinmann front brake lever literally snapping in half as I braked at the security gates where I worked? Crash!! It must have been the heavily drilled Weinmann "ally." Imagine if I'd been descending a mountain pass in the peloton? That'll be the "race improved" quality which makes the item cost more, and last a shorter time, than many a Danish Councillor's/MP's/Local Government Officer's meal at a [car tyre a la kart] restaurant!

Bike bits still cost a week's wages thanks to 50 years of cycling inflation. There's a parallel there somewhere between pumping tyres, pumping pedals and pumping up retail prices. Driven forever upwards by the racing stars, which they so idolize but whom don't have to pay for anything, every copy-cat, weekend warrior is directly responsible for robbing themselves at gunpoint! Gotta have the top of the range kit but just too lazy to do the training which the 0.00013 grams lighter might save them 1.3 seconds on the Galibier? That'll be your average amateur "racing" cyclist. What was that old cycling saying? An extra pound of fat on the rider is worth ten pounds of 'fat' in the saddlebag. I'm fairly sure it was something like that. You can buy several complete multi-gear, 2-stroke scooters with full suspension and disk brakes for the price of a single top of the range "groupset!"

Walkies! An hour and a half walk up to the woods going around the "wrong" way. A few buzzards were immovably holding down distant trees. Three Whooper swans went over in tight formation at only about 100' altitude. I could hear the usual odd pumping noise which swans make but couldn't tell if they were panting or it was the sound of their powerful wings. Later I paused and stood quite still in the woods as I was treated to an acrobatic display by upwards of 15 Long-tailed tits. They were very tame and came within 10' while dangling upside down on the lower branches as they surrounded me. Their little flattish faces, without obvious beaks or eyes, make them appear almost like flying voles. The sky is slowly clearing to patches of blue now.

It wasn't warm enough for the GripGrab "S&M" gloves so my hands were soon aching with the cold. Had a nice chat with a cycle shop owner about past exploits. A bit tired on the way home despite the muesli Corny bar at midway.  Hands not so cold on the way back. They are building a new DIY big shed only next door to the original. Must be something to do with better lorry access. A huge telescopic crane was busy and massive concrete beams waiting on a lorry to be lifted into place. They were using the same technique as they do with wind turbine blades. The beams act as the extended lorry's body with a steerable bogie under the remote end.  I didn't capture any photos because the low  sun was right behind them. 21 miles in blinding sunshine under a clear blue sky. Lots of birds of prey sitting about again.

I saw my very fist car charging point in a supermarket car park. The charging spot was empty. Despite the huge taxes on all imported cars there are probably more Ferraris in Denmark than electric cars. Electric cars suffer only 150% import taxes compared with 180% for others. Well, they have to have enough taxes in hand literally billions of Kroner to crooks. Incidentally, Google's spelling checker did not recognise Ferraris. Perhaps it never thought it would need the plural form of the fabulously expensive cars. Tell that to the owner in London who hit and injured 8 innocent people and caused a major incident. What possible value does a supersportscar have in a city? It gives the bored passengers on the buses going past in the bus lanes something to look at? Gravely Blighted's national speed limit is 60mph on rural roads and dual carriageways and 70mph on motorways. In towns and villages it is usually 30mph unless marked otherwise. Though millions would not agree and are perfectly willing to pay fines and/or time in hospital for the privilege of not agreeing with specific laws which apply to everybody else but them.

I was just reading about a Windows update which blocked users from getting online. Dumb as chips Microsoft [who else?] put out advice on [guess what?] the Internet on how to get back online. Dugh? My ISP was in the habit of having 'outages' and very odd fiber wall box behaviour. The first thing the recording said when you rang customer services was to go online to their website for advice! And when your email service was down [yet gain] you were told to email them! Aaarrgghh!?!  If the NSA isn't listening can you still be heard screaming at your computer?

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13 Dec 2016

13th December 2016 As if through a dark glass, mistily.

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Tuesday 13th 41F, cloudy, misty and still. Another grey day much like yesterday with light winds. I've been planning to ride to Assens but it still hasn't happened. There were a few showers yesterday and more light, local examples forecast for today.

I pottered down the lanes in wet mist trying unsuccessfully to capture out of focus views of distant trees. A large, brown, bird of prey sat still just long enough for me to watch it through my binoculars. Before rapidly vanishing into the mist within a few short yards of taking off. I shall need rear lights on the trike if this mist doesn't clear.

A grey ride north to the shops as it steadily cleared. Only 14 miles. The slow puncture continues to leak overnight. I tried holding up a narrow glass of water to immerse the valve, between the spokes,  but saw no bubbles. Rode another 7 miles after lunch as the mist and darkness thickened. Returning at late dusk well lit up as 7-axle lorries and vast tipper trucks with matching trailers roared past. Can you imagine being overtaken by a Lorry Train in Oz? That would really test your balance and nerve on a bike!

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12 Dec 2016

12th December 2016 Who'll start me with a fiver?

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Monday 12th 38F, 4C,. It should be a day of sunny periods and light winds. I hope I can make the most of it. First, I shall have to attend to the puncture. I hate changing tubes when the tyres are wet and covered in flinty, winter grit and farmer's mud. It would be pushing my luck to wait much longer and keep pumping. Colder this morning with an easterly breeze. I saw loads of pheasants, a buzzard and the largest and smallest bird likely to be seen locally. A tiny Goldcrest, smaller than wren and a huge heron skulking the shores of a garden pond in the hope of breakfast. More bullfinches moving about between the trees. Talking of which, there is hardly a tree in the roadside hedges which are not in bud. 

I keep feeling guilty about my collection of old and much newer gear changers. Amongst all the other cycling detritus stacked in boxes of old pedals and chainsets and brakes all taking up valuable room. None of it is pristine so it will probably all sit in those boxes until I am too senile to recognise what they are. Then probably try feeding them to the neighbour's chickens.

More MacShite and Choker Colour  concentrated syrup adorning the countryside. What part of 'takeaway' do they not understand?

There is no Danish eBay, so getting rid of it all would be ridiculously costly in international postage even if I literally gave it away on the British market. Perhaps I should try my luck on one of the Danish online small ads websites? Get rid of it all for small change to someone interested in 'retro?' Or not too proud to buy secondhand kit.

It's all just a nuisance to me since I settled on Campag 22 speed with very wide ratios [36-11t thanks to Roadlink] on my Trykit. The Higgins just hangs there in the shed as a very rarely used reserve and I haven't touched the Longstaff conversion set for years now. I can still remember the excitement and gratitude when my brother sent the Longstaff axle over to me with a very pretty set of aero HP wheels. That axle became the base for an endless series of frame and equipment upgrades via recycled bikes bought dirt cheaply from flea markets and recycling centers. The latter are now only a memory since the 'powers that be' decided that nothing could be taken away from the council's recycling yards.

Now the only real cycle recycling is done by organized, Eastern Europeans who export in bulk. I hear the Danish police have been having great luck with registration plate recognition cameras in catching bike thieves' lorries. Plus thousands of illegal drivers without licenses, unregistered cars, MOT avoiders and spotting banned drunk drivers too. It's a shame the clever cameras can't be fitted with RPGs to save the cost and time wasted on investigation and prosecution. Bulldoze the wreckage into the gutter and leave them there as warning to all driving criminals.The rusting hulks will go well with the takeaway litter.

Anyway, as I rode the conversion trike around I longed for a "real" trike. Sadly my distance from Gravely Blighted made purchase a huge hurdle. Luckily I found an eBay vendor who was willing to deliver his Higgins to a decent, local, UK bike shop. Who packed it superbly for the trip over. I did many tens of thousands of miles on the Higgins in a few short years before a very modest pension payout afforded me the Trykit. As 70 rapidly approaches I am no longer willing, or probably able, to do the former and higher, daily mileages.

Anybody in Denmark who needs a 'sporting' trike to compete in the disabled classes can probably get help with their purchase of something more modern and much "posher." I doubt they'd be interested in a 1954, original paint, antique Higgins albeit with Trykit 2WD and mostly modern kit. The Longstaff, trike-axle conversion is probably beneath their contempt when they can have a shiny new Trykit axle with twin, rear disk brakes and a proper bumper.

Just in case anyone is thinking they can use a 'sporting' trike to overcome balance problems they should really look for something far more suitable. Racing and touring trikes are about as unstable as you can legally use on the roads apart from that other clown's favourite choice of the mono-cycle. Does anybody else think it odd that having one extra, or one less wheel, on a "bike" separates you from the rest of society?

There are some two wheel "boy racers" who are simply too snobby to recognise trikes. Tell that to Gaz who holds all the UK trike time trial records at speeds which would trash many a jumped-up 'weekend warrior.' As they all ride along in all the "right kit" and the £250 sunglasses on their fragile carbon fiber mounts to match their equally fragile egos. Even in my late 60s I was still fit enough, for a while, to show up many younger riders while climbing hills with 10kg of shopping on a trike already weighing three times as much as their fancy bikes with only a tyre sticking plaster in their "Lycra" back pockets! Try saying that sentence quickly without getting breathless. Talking of which: I'd better stop waffling and get that puncture fixed. My "audience" awaits my next exciting performance on the 'dodgems.'

The "puncture" proved to be yet another Schwalbe valve leaking. I remember having to use beak-nosed pliers to tighten all the valves in their threaded tubes before I could even use them. There was no other sign of bubbles in the water bath except from the valve. There are two machined flats provided for tightening. They must have had a bad batch because the valve units were literally falling out when I got the set of new inner tubes. It seems rather odd considering valve leakage and loose valve units have never been a problem in over half a century of cycling on HPs and tubs with Presta valves! So the Durano Plus still haven't had a "proper" puncture. I removed and checked the tyre inside and out, just to be safe, but found no embedded flints. Things to do at home so no ride today.

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10 Dec 2016

10th December 2016 Where's me EU nest egg?

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Saturday 10th 49F, 10C, light winds, damp and a heavy overcast. Walked briskly to the village and back in 40 minutes to test my level of breathlessness. No obvious problems though it's becoming difficult to avoid "free range" hens these days.

Another MacShite cuts out the middle man and dumps their litter on  our verge. Mind you, with the councils saving money on bin emptying, by removing every single public litter bin, there isn't any choice if you are hiding your gluttony, chronic obesity, heart condition and diabetes from your family.  <burp!>

Talking of officialdom and rotten eggs, I see the EU has been spending 320 million of taxpayer's own pocket money on this week's, latest, gigantic new palace in Brussels. Well, it makes a change from paying the EU mafia billions to build 7-lane, bicycle superhighways to absolutely nowhere in Sicily. Or handing millions more to crooked, right wing, Danish, political parties for private yacht trips and luxury restaurant banquets at our expense. To think my parents fought  a war to get rid of this evil. If it ain't Broxit, don't mend it? Whatever.

Off we, jolly well, go! Rather windy by the time I finally escaped. Headwind going and crosswind for the rest. Very mild, so I was soon overheating in my best, recycled, winter cycling jacket. A drunken, psychopathic, registered blind, senile, drug addicted, fuckwitted zombie, in a black, Mercedes 4WD, decided Christmas was not the same any more. Not without another trophy dangling from its hideously blood-stained necklace of shrunken skulls. So it brushed close by me as it sped past past on a huge, wide and empty, perfectly straight road, with nothing coming the other way. You know who you are. Seek professional help! Do it now, before you hurt yourself. 19 miles, still not out. The slow puncture is confirmed. Another roundtoit.

Sunday 11th 48F, 9C, cloudy and breezy with one shower landing on me. I walked to the village and back then went shopping in the car. A trike is not designed for bringing hundreds of kilos of compressed, wood fuel briquettes home. After that I was dizzy for most of the day. Not as a result of the exercise, which went well. I shall have to get in touch with the surgery about my inner ear problem. No ride today.

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5 Dec 2016

5th December 2016 Where's my bløødy razor?

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Monday 5th 40-42F, 5-6C, heavy overcast, light winds. Making a good recovery. I walked for 3/4 of an hour to the village and back. Not yet up to speed and a bit tired walking uphill on the way back. Saw a flock of Goldfinches and a pretty pair of Bullfinches. Two Goldcrests playing by the gate and two male pheasants in the drive panicking when I opened the gate. Traffic surprisingly light on the way. Heavier on the way back. My hands were too cold even in the jacket pockets. Which was odd. All my other jackets must have more material around the pockets. Must remember the gloves.  

Tuesday 6th 41-43F, 5-6C, still and rather grey with thick, patchy cloud becoming more overcast. I ambled steadily down to the village and back to stretch my legs and escape from the computer. Clouds drifted through the distant woods giving them an air of mystery. I was much too far away to capture the scene with my camera. Saw three Waxwings on a small roadside tree. My first sighting, as far I can remember. I haven't kept a log in Denmark. They were tame enough to let me pass quite closely without taking flight. Later a dozen, more nervous Bullfinches were foraging on tall seed heads on an overgrown patch of ground. Still feeling weak and a bit wobbly. Though I may risk a gentle ride. My appetite is back to normal and the nausea has finally passed.

Back on the trike to do Saturday's usual run which I had missed. Almost dead calm but I was aware of forward movement. The turbines remained perfectly still all morning. I kept my efforts fairly modest but still had hunger knock on the way home. I was chased and overtaken by an old chap on an electric bike but had nothing left to drag him back going uphill while heavily laden. Only 17 miles.

Wednesday  7th 39-?F, 4C-? overcast and windy. The promised light rain arrived just as I returned home from my walk. Thousands of gulls were milling in a circle out over the fields. I think it rained for most of the day.

An interesting, winter composition afforded by a man-made field pond in a natural fold. The curly, corn moustache provides cover, shelter from the wind and the odd bit of grain for the wildlife.

Thursday 8th 50F, 10C heavy overcast, very mild but also windy to 25mph gusts. Nearly an hour's steady walk to the village and back. A few gulls floating about on the wind but otherwise uneventful. Still feeling slightly dizzy at times.

Friday 9th 47F, overcast, slightly breezy from the west. Walked for an hour to the far woods by the empty lanes and back along the field tracks and footpath. A few rooks and jackdaws plied the fields but otherwise rather quiet. The field drainage is finished and the surface re-titivated for a more uniform appearance. A bit cool on the bare hands, but mild enough to stay warm in my open jacket. I have an excuse to go out of the trike today!

When I left late morning it turned out to be a rather warm and breathless excursion. I climbed out of the saddle to sprint up a short rise and it felt as if the trike had turned to rubber. Frantic pumping with the sub-micro-baby-pump in a lay-by and it felt more solid in the soft, offside tyre. Heaven knows what the passengers in passing cars thought I was doing! It's always a joke to come home later and use my JoBlowSport2Topeak [whatever] track pump. Though the tyre now felt quite firm to the naked, MkI, elderly person's thumb, the dial quickly showed it was well down around 30psi. A few long and powerful strokes and it was right back up to 95-100psi where it usually belongs.

I'll have to check again tomorrow to see if it really is a slow puncture. The first on this triplet of Schwalbe 700x25C Durano Plus. Though they are now showing serious signs of tread flattening they have been almost an absolute guarantee of getting home unscathed. The treads look smooth and undamaged to the naked eye.

A far cry from Continental 4000S which would have looked more like a teenage tart's, fishnet tights by this still quite modest mileage. [2250 miles.] It would be worth the weight of the track pump and a couple of Velcros if you really are daft enough ran around on the Continental crap just looking for flints.

A bad case of 'roundtoit' ceiling cladding for this roadside 'summerhouse' cum micro-bandstand. I was curious to see the geometry of the supporting roof timbers so stopped to take a snap. Well, you have to, don't you?
 
Came back without four commonplace items, or special offers, which had [yet again] miraculously sold out. Lies, damned lies and Danish supermarkets! I really wish they would open their back doors in winter. So the endless queue in one supermarket could loop around and shelter in the one next door. I'm sick of waiting, while some pre-pubescent, special-needs child on the checkouts works completely alone, again! While some lazy slob is pretending to do shelf filling only feet away.

I may take my rechargeable razor next time. Just in case my month-long, designer shadow badly needs a trim. One does have to keep up appearances for the ride home! We don't want any of that "Ooh Look, Dear! Santa's elf on a trike," nonsense going round! I have my reputation to consider as "the only clown on a tricycle" in the village. An elderly woman rode fast uphill, passing me, going the other way. With that hideously smug look, exclusively reserved for the owners of "battery bikes." Get thee behind me, Satan! I will not be tempted in exchange for my unsullied, cyclist's soul! ;ø)

Only 9 miles. Are we nearly there, yet? 

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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2 Dec 2016

Mileage for 2016 Stop sniggering!

*
January 2016                        Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Frid........01............10............10.............10.............10.............16
Sat.........02............00............10.............05.............10.............16 Rest day
Sun........03............00............10.............03.............10.............16 Rest day.
Week = 10 miles = 16 km

Mon.......04............07............17.............04..............17............27
Tues.......05............00............17.............03..............17............27 Rest day.
Wed.......06............15.............32............05...............32...........52 Trykit
Thur.......07...........10.............42............06...............42...........68
Frid........08............07............49............06...............49...........79
Sat.........09............10.............59............06...............59...........95
Sun........10............00.............59............06...............59...........95 Rest day 
Week = 49 miles = 79km

Mon.......11............00............59.............05...............59...........95 Rest day
Tues.......12............07............66.............05...............66.........106
Wed.......13............13............79..............06...............79.........127
Thur.......14............00............79.............06...............79.........127 Sick day
Frid........15............07............86.............06...............86.........138
Sat.........16............00............86.............05...............86.........138 Sick day
Sun........17............00............86.............05...............86.........138 Sick day
 Week = 27 miles = 43 km

Mon......18.............00...........86.............05...............86..........138 Sick day Dr.
Tues......19.............00...........86.............05...............86..........138 Sick day
Wed......20.............07...........93.............05...............93..........150
Thur......21.............00...........93.............04...............93..........150 Sick day
Frid.......22.............14..........107.............05.............105..........169
Sat........23..............00.........107............05..............105..........169 Sick day
Sun.......24..............00.........107............04..............105..........169 Sick day
Week = 21 miles = 34 km

Mon......25............00...........107...........04..............105..........169 Sick day
Tues......26............15............122...........05..............122..........196
Wed......27.............00...........122...........05..............122..........196 Rest day
Thur......28............21............143...........05..............143..........230
Frid.......29............00...........143...........05..............143..........230 Rest day: Storm!
Sat.........30............07...........150...........05..............150..........242
Sun........31............00...........150...........05..............150..........242 Rest day: Snow!
Week = 43 miles = 69 km.

February 2016                        Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Mon.......01............00...........00...........00...............150.........242 Rest day: Gales!
Tues.......02............00...........00...........00...............150.........242 Rest day: Worse gales!
Wed.......03............15............15............05...............165..........266
Thur......04............27............42...........10................192..........309
Frid.......05............00...........42...........08................192..........309 Rest day
Sat........06.............10............52...........08................202..........325
Sun.......07.............29............81...........12.................231..........372
Week = 81 miles = 130 km

Mon......08............00.............81...........10................231...........372 Rest day Gales!
Tues......09............07.............88...........10................238...........383
Wed......10............00.............88...........09................238...........383 Rest day
Thur......11.............14...........102...........09................252...........406
Frid.......12.............20...........122...........10................272...........438
Sat.........13.............20...........142...........11................292...........470
Sun........14.............00...........142...........10................292...........470 Rest day
Week = 61 miles = 98 km

Mon......15............00............142............09.............292..........470 Rest day
Tues......16............26............168............10.............318..........512
Wed......17.............07............175............10.............325..........523
Thur......18............15.............190............11.............340..........547
 Frid......19............14.............204............11.............354..........570
Sat.........20...........00.............204...........10.............354..........570 Rest day
Sun........21............13.............217............10.............367..........591
Week = 75 miles = 120 km

Mon......22............00..............217...........10............367............591 Rest day
Tues......23............07..............224...........10............374............602
Wed......24............22..............246............10............396............637
Thur......25...........19..............265.............11............415............668
Frid.......26...........14..............279.............11............429............691
Sat.........27...........25.............304.............11............454............731
Sun........28...........10.............314.............11............464............747
Week =  97 miles = 156 km

Mon.......29...........20.............334............12...........484.............779

March 2016                        Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Tues.......01.........07.............07.............07............491..............791
Wed.......02.........00.............07.............03............491..............791 Rest day
Thur.......03.........21.............28.............09............512..............824
Frid........04.........07.............35.............09............519..............836
Sat..........05.........00............35..............07............519..............836 Rest day
Sun........06..........14............49.............08.............533..............858
Week = 69 miles =  111 km

Mon.......07..........00.............49............07.............533.............858 Rest day
Tues.......08..........14.............63............08.............547.............881
Wed.......09..........07.............70............08.............554.............892
Thur.......10..........20.............90............09.............574.............924
Frid........11..........07.............97............09.............581.............935
Sat..........12.........44............141............12.............625...........1006 *
Sun.........13.........00............141............11.............625...........1006 Rest day
Week= 92 miles = 148 km

Mon.......14.........07............148.............11............632............1017
Tues.......15.........20............168.............11............652............1050
Wed.......16.........23............191.............12............675............1087
Thur.......17.........07............198.............12............682............1098
Frid........18........10.............208.............12............692............1114
Sat.........19.........16.............224.............12...........708.............1140
Sun........20.........48.............272.............14...........756.............1217 ***
Week = 131 miles = 211 km

Mon......21..........00............272............13...........756.............1217 Rest day
Tues......22..........16............288............13...........772.............1243
Wed......23..........07............295............13...........779.............1254
Thur.....24...........00............295............12...........779.............1254 Rest day
Frid......25...........00............295............12...........779.............1254 Rest day
Sat........26...........22............317............12...........801.............1290
Sun.......27...........00............317............12...........801.............1290 Rest day
Week= 45 miles = 72 km

Mon......28..........00............317.............11...........801............1290 Rest day
Tues......29..........16............333.............11...........817............1315
Wed......30...........00...........333..............11..........817.............1315 Rest day
Thurs....31...........84...........417..............13..........901.............1451 Puncture *****


April 2016                        Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Frid.......01..........00.............00.............00...........901...............1451  Rest day
Sat.........02..........22.............22.............11............923...............1486 Durano Plus
Sun.......03...........00.............22.............07...........923...............1486 Rest day
Week = 122 miles = 196 km

Mon......04...........10............32.............08...........933...............1502 New Cables
Tues......05...........21............53.............10...........954...............1536
Wed......06...........14.............67.............11...........968...............1558
Thur......07...........00............67..............09...........968...............1558 Rest day
Frid.......08..........15.............82..............10...........983...............1583
Sat........09...........36..........118...............13.........1019...............1641
Sun.......10...........07..........125...............13.........1026...............1652
Week = 103 miles = 66 km

Mon.......11..........10...........135..............12..........1036..............1668
Tues......12..........00...........135..............11..........1036..............1668 Rest day
Wed.......13..........07...........142..............11..........1043..............1679
Thur......14..........40...........182..............13..........1083..............1744
Frid.......15...........10...........192..............13..........1093..............1760
Sat.........16..........15............207..............13..........1108..............1784 Wet!
Sun........17..........00...........207..............12..........1108..............1784 Rest day
Week = 82 miles = 132 km

Mon......18..........00............207..............12..........1108.............1784 Rest day
Tues......19..........07.............214.............11..........1115..............1795
Wed......20..........00.............214.............10..........1115..............1795 Rest day
Thur......21..........19.............233.............11..........1134..............1826
Frid.......22..........30............263.............12..........1164..............1874
Sat.........23.........16.............279.............12..........1180..............1900
Sun........24.........43.............322.............13..........1223..............1969
Week = 115 miles = 185 km

Mon......25..........00............322.............13..........1223.............1969 Rest day
Tues......26..........07............329.............13..........1230.............1980
Wed......27..........00............329.............12..........1230.............1980 Rest day
Thur......28..........19............348.............12..........1249.............2011
Frid.......29..........00............348.............12..........1249.............2011 Rest day
Sat.........30.........15.............363.............12..........1264.............2035

May 2016                         Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Sun........01...........00...........00...............0...........1264...........2035 Rest day.
Week = 41 miles = 66 km

Mon.......02...........24............24............12...........1288..........2073
Tues.......03...........00............24............08...........1288..........2073 Rest day
Wed.......04...........07.............31.... .......08...........1295..........2085
Thur.......05...........58.............89............18...........1353..........2178***
Frid........06...........00.............89............15...........1353..........2178 Rest day
Sat..........07...........24............113...........16............1377..........2217
Sun.........08..........00............113...........14............1377..........2217 Rest day
Week = 113miles = 182 km

Mon.......09...........07............120...........13...........1384..........2228
Tues.......10...........00............120...........12...........1384..........2228 Rest day
Wed........11..........10.............130...........12...........1394..........2244
Thur........12..........41.............171...........14...........1435..........2310
Frid.........13..........00.............171..........13...........1435..........2310 Rest day
Sat...........14.........16.............187...........13...........1451..........2336
Sun..........15.........00.............187...........12...........1451..........2336 Rest day

Mon........16........07.............194............12..........1458...........2347
Tues........17........00.............194............11...........1458..........2347 Rest day
Wed........18........23..............217............12..........1481..........2384
Thur........19........18..............235...........12..........1499..........2413
Frid.........20........00.............235............12..........1499..........2413 Rest day
Sat..........21.........25.............260............12..........1524..........2454
Sun.........22.........00.............260............12..........1524..........2454 Calf injury

Mon........23........00.............260............11...........1524..........2454 Calf
Tues........24........00.............260............11...........1524..........2454 Injury
Wed........25........00.............260............10............1524.........2454    "
Thur........26........00.............260...........10............1524.........2454    "
Frid.........27.......10..............270...........10............1534.........2470
Sat...........28.......17..............287...........10............1551.........2497
Sun..........29.......12..............299...........10............1563.........2516

Mon.........30........00............299............10............1563.........2516 Rest day
Tues.........31........10............309............10............1573.........2532

June 2016                         Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Wed.........01........20.............20.............20...........1593..........2565
Thur........02.........10.............30.............15...........1603..........2581
Frid.........03.........19.............49.............16...........1622..........2611
Sat..........04..........19.............68.............17...........1641..........2642
Sun.........05..........38...........106.............21...........1679..........2703
Week = 116 miles  = 187 km

Mon.......06...........10...........116............19...........1689..........2719
Tues.......07...........00...........116............17...........1689..........2719 Rest day
Wed.......08...........07...........123............15...........1696..........2730
Thur.......09...........14............137............15...........1710..........2753
Fri.........10............00...........137............14...........1710..........2753 Rest day
Sat.........11............14............151............14...........1724..........2776
Sun........12............00...........151............13...........1724..........2776 Rest day

Mon.......13...........00............151............12...........1724..........2776 Rest day
Tues.......14...........00............151............11...........1724..........2776 Rest day
Wed.......15...........13.............164...........11............1737.........2796
Thur......16...........10.............174............11............1747.........2813
Frid.......17...........14.............188............11............1761.........2835
Sat ........18...........17.............205............11...........1778.........2863
Sun........19...........00.............205............11...........1778.........2863 Rest day
Week = 54 miles = 87 km

Mon.......20..........00.............205.............10...........1778.........2863 Rest day
Tues.......21..........15.............220.............10...........1788.........2879
Wed.......22..........00.............220.............10...........1788.........2879 Rest day
Thur.......23..........07.............227.............10...........1798.........2895
Frid........24..........00.............227.............09...........1798.........2895 Rest day
Sat.........25..........15.............242.............10............1813.........2919
Sun........26..........23.............265.............10............1836.........2956
Week =  60 miles = 97km

Mon.......27..........00............265.............10............1836.........2956 Rest day
Tues.......28..........10............275.............10............1846.........2972
Wed.......29...........18...........293..............10............1864........3001
Thur.......30..........00...........293..............10............1864........3001 Rest day


July 2016                         Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Fri........01..........07............07................07.............1871........3012
Sat.......02..........15............22................11..............1886........3036
Sun......03..........00............22................07..............1886........3036 Rest day
Week = 50 miles = 80 km

Mon.....04..........00............22...............05.............1886.........3036 Sick day
Tues.....05..........00............22...............04.............1886.........3036.Wet day
Wed.....06..........00.............22..............03..............1886........3036 Sick day
Thur.....07..........23.............45..............06..............1909........3073
Frid......08..........21.............66..............08..............1930........3108
Sat........09..........18.............84..............09..............1948........3136
Sun......10...........07.............91...............09..............1955........3147
Week = 69 miles = 111 km

Mon......11.........00.............91.............08..............1955.........3147 Wet day
Tues......12 ........10...........101.............08..............1965.........3164
Wed......13.........20...........121.............09..............1985.........3196
Thur......14.........44...........165.............12..............2029.........3267 *
Frid.......15.........00...........165.............11..............2029.........3267 Rest day
Sat.........16........07............172............11...............2036.........3278
Sun........17........22............194............11...............2058.........3313
Week = 103 = 166 km

Mon......18.........00...........194...........10...............2058..........3313 Rest day
Tues......19.........48...........242...........13...............2106..........3391**
Wed......20.........14...........256...........13...............2120...........3413
Thur......21.........10...........266...........13...............2130..........3429
Frid.......22.........00...........266...........12...............2130..........3429 Rest day
Sat........23.........15............281...........12..............2145...........3453
Sun.......24.........00............281...........12..............2145...........3453 Rest day
Week = 77 miles = 124 km

Mon......25........12............293...........12...............2157...........3472
Tues......26........00............293............11..............2157...........3472 Rest day
Wed......27........07............300............11.............2162............3481
Thur......28........00...........300.............11.............2162...........3481 Rest day
Frid.......29........07...........307............11..............2169...........3492
Sat........30........15............322............11.............2184............3516
Sun.......31........00............322............10.............2184............3516 Rest day
Week = 41 miles 66 km

August 2016                         Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Mon....01.......24..............24............24..............2208..........3555
Tues....02.......00..............24............12..............2208..........3555 Rest day
Wed....03.......00...............24...........08..............2208...........3555 Rest day
Thur...04........07...............31...........08..............2215...........3566
Frid....05........43..............74............15..............2258...........3635
Sat.....06........15...............89...........15..............2273...........3659
Sun....07........00...............89...........13..............2273...........3659 Rest day
Week = 89 miles = 143 km

Mon....08.........00.............89...........11.........2273...........3659 Rest day
Tues....09.........12............101...........11.........2285...........3679
Wed....10.........00...........101...........10..........2285...........3679 Rest day
Thur....11.........59...........160...........15..........2344...........3774 ****
Frid.....12.........00...........160...........13.........2344............3774 Rest day
Sat......13.........15............175............13.........2359............3798
Sun.....14.........13............188...........13.........2372............3819
Week = 99 miles = 159 km

Mon....15.........03...........121...........08.........2375.............3814
Tues....16.........11...........132...........08.........2386.............3841
Wed....17..........08..........140...........08.........2394.............3854
Thur....18.........07...........147...........08.........2401.............3866
Frid.....19.........13...........160...........08.........2414.............3886
Sat.......20.........15...........175..........08..........2429.............3911
Sun......21.........00...........175..........08..........2429.............3911 Rest day
Week = 57 miles = 92 km

Mon....22.........00...........175...........08..........2429...........3911 Rest day
Tues....23........10............185...........08..........2439...........3927
Wed....24.........20...........205...........09..........2459...........3959
Thur....25.........00...........205...........08..........2459...........3959 Rest day
Frid.....26.........07...........212...........08..........2466...........3970
Sat......27.........27............239...........09..........2493...........4014
Sun.....28.........07............246..........09..........2500...........4025
Week = 71 miles = 114 km

Mon....29........00...........246...........08...........2500...........4025 Rest day
Tues....30........20...........266...........09...........2520...........4057
Wed.....31........00...........266...........09...........2520...........4057 Rest day

September 2016                         Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Thur.....01.......07............07.............07............2527...........4068
Frid.....02........00...........00.............03............2527...........4068 Rest day
Sat.......03........15...........22.............07.............2542..........4093
Sun......04........00...........22.............06.............2542..........4093 Rest day
Week = 42 miles = 68 km

Mon.....05.......00............22............05..............2542..........4093 Rest day
Tues.....06.......07............29............05..............2549..........4104
Wed......07.......58............87............12..............2607..........4197 ***
Thur.....08......00.............87............11..............2607..........4197 Rest day
Frid......09......07.............94............10..............2614..........4208
Sat.......10.......21............115.............11..............2635..........4242
Sun......11.......00............115.............10..............2635..........4242 Rest day
Week = 93 miles = 150 km

Mon.....12.......21............136.............11.............2656..........4276
Tues.....13.......00............136............10.............2656..........4276  Rest day
Wed.....14.......10.............146...........10.............2666..........4292
Thur.....15.......00............146...........10.............2666..........4292 Rest day
Frid......16.......17............163...........10.............2683..........4320
Sat........17......32............195............11.............2715..........4371
Sun.......18......00............195............11.............2715..........4371
Week= 80 miles = 129km

Mon.....19.......31............226............12...........2746...........4421
Tues.....20......00............226............11...........2746...........4421 Rest day
Wed......21......13............239............11............2759...........4442
Thurs ...22......18............257............12...........2777............4471
Frid......23.......07............264............11...........2784............4482
Sat.......24.......19............283............12...........2803............4513
Sun......25.......35............318............13...........2838............4556
Week = 123 miles = 198 km

Mon.....26.......20...........338............13...........2858............4601
Tues.....27.......07...........345............13...........2865............4613
Wed.....28.......00...........345.............12..........2865............4613 Rest day
Thur.....29.......00...........345.............12..........2865............4613 Rest day
Frid......30.......00...........345.............11..........2685............4613 Rest day

October 2016                        Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Sat..........01........27..........27...........27...........2712..........4366
Sun.........02........00..........27...........13...........2712..........4366 Rest day
Week = 54 miles = 87 km

Mon.......03.........00.........27............09..........2712..........4366 Rest day
Tues.......04.........17.........44............11..........2729...........4394
Wed.......05..........00.........44............08.........2729...........4394 Rest day
Thur.......06..........00.........44...........07..........2729...........4394 Rest day
Frid........07..........17.........61...........09..........2746...........4421
Sat.........08...........00.........61..........08...........2746...........4421 Rest day
Sun........09..........00..........61..........07...........2746...........4421 Rest day
Week = 34 miles = 55km

Mon.......10.........12..........73..........07...........2758............4440
Tues.......11.........00..........73..........07...........2758............4440 Rest day
Wed.......12.........00..........73..........06...........2758............4440 Rest day
Thur.......13.........00..........73..........06...........2758............4440 Rest day
Frid........14.........14..........87..........06...........2772............4463
Sat..........15.........00..........87.........06............2772...........4463 Rest day
Sun.........16.........44........131.........08............2816...........4534
Week = 70 miles = 113 km

Mon.......17..........15.........146..........09...........2831...........4558
Tues.......18..........10.........156..........09...........2841...........4574
Wed........19.........00........156..........08...........2841............4574 Rest day
Thur.......20.........00.........156..........08...........2841............4574 Rest day
Frid........21.........00.........156..........07...........2841............4574 Rest day
Sat.........22.........15..........171..........08...........2856............4598
Sun........23.........19..........190..........08...........2875............4629
Week = 59 miles = 95 km

Mon........24........42...........232.........10...........2917............4696
Tue.........25........07...........239..........10...........2924............4708
Wed........26........00...........239..........09...........2924............4708 Rest day
Thu.........27........00...........239..........09...........2924............4708 Rest day
Fri...........28........16...........255..........09............2940............4733
Sat..........29........16............271..........09............2956............4759
Sun.........30.......00............271..........09............2956............4759 Rest day
Week = 81 miles = 130 km

Mon........31........22..........293..........09............2978............4795

November 2016                        Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Tues.......01.......00.............00...........00...........2978............4759 Sick day
Wed.......02........00.............00...........00..........2978............4759 Sick day
Thur.......03.......07.............07............02..........2985............4806
Frid........04.......00.............07............02..........2985............4806 Sick day
Sat.........05........00.............07............01.........2985.............4806 Sick day
Sun.......06.........00.............07............01.........2985.............4806 Sick day
Week = 29 miles = 47 km

Mon.......07.........15............22............03.........3000.............4830
Tues.......08.........13............35............04.........3013.............4851
Wed.......09..........00...........35............04..........3013............4851 Rest day
Thur......10..........17............52............05..........3030............4878
Frid.......11..........00............52............05..........3030............4878 Rest day
Sat.........12.........28............80............07..........3058............4923
Sun........13.........00............80............06..........3058............4923 Rest day
Week = 73 miles = 117 km

Mon......14..........14............94.............07..........3072............4946
Tues......15..........00...........94.............06..........3072............4946 Hospital
Wed......16..........10..........104.............06..........3082............4962
Thur......17..........07..........111.............06..........3089............4973
Frid.......18..........00..........111.............06..........3089............4973 Rest day
Sat........19...........15..........126.............07..........3104............4997
Sun.......20..........00..........126.............06..........3104............4997 Rest day
Week = 46 miles = 74 km

Mon......21..........10..........136.............06..........3114.............5014
Tues......22..........17..........153.............07..........3131.............5041
Weds.....23..........00..........153............07..........3131.............5041 Rest day
Thur......24..........24..........177............07..........3155.............5080
Frid.......25..........00..........177............07..........3155.............5080 Rest day
Sat........26..........17...........194............07..........3172.............5107
Sun.......27..........00...........194............07..........3172.............5107 Rest day
Week  = 68 miles = 109 km

Mon......28..........00..........194............07...........3172.............5107 Rest day
Tues......29..........00..........194............07...........3172.............5107 Rest day
Wed......30..........07...........201...........07............3179............5118

December 2016                        Monthly                  For Year
Day      Date     Miles        Total         Avge.       Miles       Kilometres

Thur......01.........00...........00............00..............3179............5118 Rest day
Frid.......02.........18...........18............18..............3197............5147 Sick
Sat........03..........00...........18............06..............3197............5147 Sick
Sun.......04..........00...........18............04..............3197............5147 Sick
Week = 25 miles = 40 km

Mon.....05..........00............18...........03..............3197.............5147 Sick
Tues.....06..........17............35...........06..............3214.............5175
Wed.....07...........00............35..........05...............3214............5175 Sick
Thur.....08...........00...........35..........04...............3214............5175 Sick
Frid......09 ..........09...........44..........05...............3223............5189
Sat.......10...........19............63..........06...............3242............5220
Sun......11............00...........63..........06...............3242............5220 Rest day
Week= 45 miles = 72 km

Mon......12...........00...........63..........05...............3242.............5220 Rest day
Tues......13...........21...........84..........06...............3263.............5253
Wed......14...........21.........105..........07................3284.............5287
Thur......15...........00........105..........07................3284.............5287 Rest day
Frid.......16...........15.........120..........07................3299.............5311
Sat.........17...........22.........142.........08.................3321.............5347
Sun........18...........07.........149.........08.................3328............5358
Week = 86 miles = 138 km.

Mon.......19..........00.........149..........08................3328...........5358 Rest day
Tues.......20..........17.........166..........08................3345...........5385
Wed........21..........00........166..........08.................3345...........5385 Rest day
Thur.......22..........20........ 186..........09.................3365...........5417
Frid........23..........00........186..........08.................3365...........5417 Rest day
Sat..........24..........00........186..........08.................3365...........5417 Rest day
Sun.........25..........00........186..........07.................3365...........5417 Rest day
Week = 37 miles = 60 km

Mon.......26..........10.........196...........08..............3375...........5434
Tues.......27..........00.........196...........07..............3375...........5434 Rest day
Wed.......28..........15..........211...........08..............3390...........5458
Thur.......29..........00..........211..........07..............3390...........5458 Rest day
Frid........30.........14..........225..........08...............3404...........5480

My addition is obviously awry again. The sum of my monthly totals is 100 miles more than the sum of my annual total.

Rest/sick/weather days = 124  Longest ride this year ***** = 84 miles.
Punctures: 2 [♥ Durano Plus ♥]

Month's miles: Jan 150, Feb 334, Mar 417, Apr 363, May 309, June 293, July 322, Aug 266, Sept 345, October 293, Nov 201

 http://pedal-trikes.blogspot.dk/2015/12/trike-mileage-record-2010-2015.html

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