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!