Two Castles, One Puncture, and a New Pup

My last blog post mentioned that Ernie had been a complete stinker. If you recall, he’d eaten the girls’ Easter eggs, which resulted in a trip to the vet where I had the unpleasant task of watching him puke up said chocolate eggs. Not a pretty sight.

Despite Ernie and his antics, we’ve gone and got another puppy. This new addition is a Springer Spaniel from a working family of ratters. He’s a lovely dog, and his name is Freddie Jackson.

I was out on a cycling adventure that took me to Evesham’s All Saints Church and back. On the return leg, I noticed I’d missed a call from SJ and wondered what on earth could be the matter. When I called her back, she excitedly told me we’d got a new puppy. The signal wasn’t great, and I couldn’t finish the conversation, so I had to wait until I got home to hear the finer details.

Once home, SJ explained that she’d bumped into a random man while walking Ernie. He had a Springer Spaniel with him and a whole host of puppies. SJ instantly fell in love with them and was told that two were still for sale—better yet, they lived just around the corner from us. Later that day, SJ, Moo, and I went to see them. It wasn’t long before we returned with Ernie… and left with Freddie in tow!

Freddie settled in really well and quickly became part of the family. Spoon was quite surprised when she came home from her trip to Italy to find that Freddie had already made himself comfortable in our home. It was great to see her face when she first laid eyes on him.

Spoon had a fantastic time skiing in Italy. I think in my last blog post I said she was cycling, which just goes to show how much of a cycling fanatic I am. I did know she was skiing really—what I didn’t realise was how well she’d get on. She tackled some of the red slopes and even had a go at one of the black runs, which I’m told is impressive. This is particularly noteworthy given she still struggles with tying her shoelaces and doesn’t always appear the most naturally gifted with outdoor pursuits!

My last ride was a bit more dramatic. I decided to repeat my “Two Castles” route, which takes in both Warwick and Kenilworth Castle and covers just under 100 kilometres. All started well, and the sun was even shining. I passed both castles without issue and was making good progress until I reached Henley-in-Arden at around 68 km.

That’s when I heard an awful noise coming from my back tyre. The tubeless tyre had punctured and was spraying sealant everywhere. I tried spinning the wheel as fast as I could in the hope it would seal, but no luck—the pressure dropped rapidly. I managed to flag down two passing cyclists and asked to borrow a pump. One of them was more than happy, keen to test out his new electric pump. He got the tyre back up to a reasonable PSI, but the pressure just wouldn’t hold. In the end, I had to call SJ and sheepishly ask for a lift home.

Once back, I had a proper think about the bikes I’m currently using. After checking the tyres and doing a bit of research, I came to a few conclusions. The wheels on my Ridley X-Trail are DT Swiss, and it turns out they’re all tubeless-ready—despite what the stickers suggest. Meanwhile, the Terra Speed tyre on the rear of my GTD Kinesis, which had recently punctured, is looking rather worn.

So, long story short, I’ve decided to make the Ridley my dedicated gravel bike and fit it with tubeless tyres. The GTD Kinesis will become my road bike, and I’ll swap to slick tyres—no need for the knobbly bits. Although the GTD is titanium and heavier than carbon, I think comfort wins over longer distances (200 km plus). It’s also fitted with aero bars, which makes it a more sensible option for endurance riding.

Thanks in advance to the Phantom, who will no doubt be helping me with these tubeless endeavours and to Jamie for supplying the IPA!

Adventure awaits and I'm hoping Friday will see me test my yet unused Warbonnet hammock! Aces. Won't be long until GTD and Warbonnet feature in the same adventure!

Of Goats, Chickens and Dogs

April 1st is associated with foolery, so quite apt that this entry is posted today.

Last weekend saw The Phantom, Jamie and I cycle an audax event dubbed ‘The Cotswold Goat’. This was a 216 km cycling adventure that started and finished in Warwick. It was a relatively challenging route, as we had to complete the adventure in under 14 hours and 24 minutes (I think we were a couple of minutes over 13 hours). It was hilly (over 2,000 m of elevation), we experienced four seasons during the event, and 200 km is a long way! This was also my first long-distance event using Di2 (electronic gear shifting).

It was pretty cold when we first set off and never really got above single digits. By the time we reached Droitwich Spa, the first control, we were warmed up though. It was nice to have a café stop, and I devoured some jam on toast washed down with a cup of tea. It would have been nice to stop for a wee here, but the toilets were closed. Not even my magic radar key would open them.

Dover’s Hill came shortly after. This was a tough little hill with an average gradient of around 8.4%. We climbed about five tough hills in all, with lots of undulation throughout.

Despite there being busier road than I would have liked, it was pretty to view and cycle in and around the Cotswolds. The picturesque Moreton-in-Marsh was no exception. The café here served up the best-tasting jacket potato with cheese and beans that I’ve had this year. I wasn’t expecting the garnish, but that was delicious too.

Edge Hill was lovely. This hill was a descent — a super welcome, steep descent!

The cycle to the next control in Long Itchington was very long. I think a further control should have been added, as this section seemed to drag. The roads were poor quality, and the potholes were deep and numerous. A number had been painted with phallic images (I wonder if that was Clive).

Long Itchington was the final control point (save an info control) before reaching Warwick. I indulged in bananas here (ate four in all) and a chocolate bar, plus a cup of tea to warm the insides, before heading back out into the cold for the final leg.

It was nice reaching Warwick and finishing this 200 km. It’s hard to believe I’ve cycled hundreds of these events in my time. This 200 km was tough, and I’ve got a 1,000 km event in the summer. Oh man…

Phantom and I celebrated finishing the audax by indulging in a curry. I was tempted to have a curry in the bath (but didn’t). I think Jamie just hit the sack once he got home.

Eleven performed well and the Di2 worked a treat. I might invest in tri-bars moving forward. My Garmin and dynamo set-up worked brilliantly. I invested in these NetDot Gen 10 upgrades and they worked a treat. This NetDot upgrade is simply a magnetic cable that shields the Garmin's fragile micro-USB port from the mechanical stress of plugging and unplugging. A tip can stay in the device, which eliminates the risk of port failure, whilst also gaining the ability to 'snap' the charging cable into place. The tip also acts as a dust plug, though electrical tape is advised to seal the gap in heavy rain.  The only issue whilst cycling was a noise I couldn’t trace, but I think it might be the bottom bracket. Have taken the bike to Des for him to have a look.

The next adventure was a ‘daddy day’, as Moo was off school for the half-term break and I had taken a day off. Spoon was in Italy on a school cycling trip. Moo and I went to see ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ — of course, the book was better. Before the film, we ate at Pepe’s Piri Piri, which is my favourite fast food. It was nice hanging out with Moo. She is a crazy girl and even took her hamster in the bath with her.

On the indoor cycling front, I recently purchased a new air fan — a Cardio 54 machine — and it’s really cool (no pun intended). This fan is quiet, blows air where it’s needed (in my face), and has a remote control mounted on the bars.

Talking of bars… I’ve played around with my tri-bars and think I’ve now got them to a place where they’re that bit more comfortable. I took GoaTheaD out for a spin on the Cobbler’s Cock route, and the bars felt much improved. I also ran my tyres at about 20 psi lower pressure and, surprisingly, this felt better too. I’ve been cycling for years but still have much to learn.

Just as things were looking up, Ernie caused a stinker. The gluttonous dog ate the girls’ Easter eggs. This resulted in a hefty vet bill and having to watch him puke large amounts following induced sickness.

To finish on a brighter note, Audax UK are scrapping members’ fees for 2027. It doesn’t quite offset the vet bill, but it’s good news nonetheless. I’m sure better adventures await!