The double whammy today.
I decided that as it is still very hot, thoughts of staying indoors and sweating on the turbo were not as appealing as heading outdoors and getting in some fresh air and sunshine.
However, I chose a shocker of a route in hindsight.
Visiting some of the busier main roads Preston has to offer, it’s no surprises that I had a near miss as some prannock pulled out on me at a roundabout. As nuts as it is, it was a two lane roundabout and the lane furthest from me stopped as I was already in the roundabout, yet the car closest too me, who should have clearly seen me in my high vis and flashing lights, continued on and then had the audacity to give me an ear full.
That spoiled things.
I then had to navigate a very busy dual carriageway – err – and from there managed to finally get off the main roads and into the park.
However the park was packed because, well, it’s sunny.
I decided at that point to call it a day and start my way back home. However, again town traffic was nuts and I ended up following what would be not be too inaccurate to say “a junkie on a stolen bike” as he led me through the many pedestrians on his way to a cash for gold type shop, where I left him and made my way, finally, out of the crowded town centre.
Unfortunately on the way home I got stuck behind a fellow cyclist who pulled out on me, cutting me off and making me slam on. Nothing crazy – not compared to the earlier car incident anyway. In the process he also cut up a car, so I was not the only inconvenienced road user.
At the earliest opportunity I passed him and bolted to the park.
On the park the path is like the moon surface, and along the way I felt something go. However I thought it was my front tyre. A frantic bit of observation followed but no, it all looked good.
I then got to the traffic lights and … oh. The gears seemed rather light.
Annoyingly by that point I’d switched all the way down to the hardest gear, and with the cable gone I couldn’t get back up. That sucked because right ahead of me was a short but steep hill.
As I had to unclip and waddle up the hill, that lunatic cyclist passed me and gave me a smug glance that he was capable of making it up the hill and I wasn’t 😀 Ha. Cheeky.
Anyway, I figured a call to my usual mobile mechanic would see the problem right. However it appears he has now closed up shop. Gutted.
I do seem to have found another good looking option though so hopefully the bike will be fixed up – on that front anyway – tomorrow morning. So I might be able to get in my regular Thursday race if that is the case.
I think the problem would have occurred even indoors. But it sucked all the same.
Overall then a pretty miserable ride really.
