Tuesday, June 4, 2013

A short mid-week ride & post

Wednesday 22nd May 2013: Sometimes I go out cycling to think – it is a great way to ponder over an issue or consider new ideas. There is something about doing something physical whilst at the same time thinking that works. Part of the brain has to focus on pushing those pedals (and steering and not falling off because of ruts) and the rest can then dip in and out of the thinking thread.

When that happens I tend not to take quite so many pictures. I might be able to cycle and think, but I can’t cycle, think and consider the scenery.

Although being a Wednesday I perhaps will give an update on two recent purchases – my Knog lights – see “Knog it Wednesday” and another update here for the background.  Well the bottom line is that they are not really for me. Twice the rear red light has had a flat battery, presumably I have knocked it on, unintentionally.  That means I can’t be rely upon as emergency lights. The other item I got (for Christmas) is my Carradice Roll Bag.  I was a bit worried that it was a wee bit small. However nearly three months later and it is fine. One of the reasons I got it is that it is small and compact and so forces me to carry only the necessities for cycling. As a result I have been carrying less around with me and yet still carried what is necessary.

Also I have gotten a message from my new self-built PC that I hadn’t thought to see – I was running out of memory and would I like to close an application or two! (Well not precisely, but you get the idea.)  No when I build it I thought about just how much RAM would I need – the Mobo would take up to 32Gb and I felt that 8Gb would probably be enough so went for 16Gb to be on the safe side. It has been great, I have been able to have LiveWriter, Google Earth, Picasa, Photomatix Pro, Chrome, Windows Media Player and  Garmin Training Center open at the same time and effortlessly switch between then. This usually happens when I forget quite where I took a picture.

Even with this lot on the go it generally only gets to around 9Gb. Well today it floated to around 14Gb without even all those programs open. I did have loads of Chrome tabs open though so my bet is on Chrome being the memory hog. Afterwards I also did a bit of system updating, including a new driver for my Flash disk. With the changes in Chrome this lost me a convenient way to restart all my open tabs – so that’ll help to keep this post short as well. (The Cambridge Guided Busway featured in a few – mediation, crash and the Luton busway is late – that sort of thing)

Here is the Bike Route Toaster map of the route, well the loop bit anyway.  The loop is quite short – 26Km, although with half on tracks it isn’t that fast. I can do all of it without dabs – most of the time.

Here is the track alongside Swaffham Bulbeck Lode – pretty green now and the long grass on the track does provide a bit of training resistance.

Byway alongside Swaffham Bulbeck Lode

Here is the map, as you can see it hops around the Lodes Way cycle route. Bits of it are tricky so perhaps not a route to take a young family cycling along – not bad for mid-teens I reckon. Although don’t blame me for any stingles or falls into Lodes – you do need you wits about you.I have also found that discretion is also the better part of valour. If I have picked the wrong rut to cycle along it is better to man up and stop and haul the bike to the right bit of track. I’ve been stung a few times when I have tried to squeeze along a bit of track close to the edge. One time I also wobbled closed to a drain as well, and I don’t mean one of those metal grills sunk into the road to allow the rain to drain away.

Map of My Ride

It amazes me how fast Cow Parsley grows – I guess that is why it is successful. I have found myself deto7uring off Straight Drove onto the underbank track on Reach Lode a few times. The right of way is really a footpath – however the actual track is better on the underbank than on the drove. 

Reach Lode under bank track

As you can see it was a good thinking cycle ride – well judging from how few pictures there are. I couldn’t miss this though – Wisteria on a cottage in Reach. We have a Wisteria plant at home that is around 8-10 years old and has resolutely failed to flower – I blame my wife.

Wisteria Clad house - Reach

After a search to find exactly where on the route I took this picture – I remembered that it was taken on another ride, but got forgotten.  They look like Grape Hyacinths to me, or Muscari.  I am not sure but I think they were in the verge, near the Missing Sock.

Grape Hyacinth by the roadside

And finally – “Traffic police snare hundred of speeding drivers in Cambridgeshire”.  That is stopping anti-social behaviour.

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