Tea? (Part 2)

[Arch]

+ meringue and whipped cream. Very light so no calories at all....

Virtually all air, indeed...

Tea up! Spent the afternoon helping two colleagues to build some compost heaps - well, the pallets to keep the heaps in.

 

[TheDoctor]

I'm requiring of some tea.
I was cheerfully cycling along, as you do, when the back wheel all-of-a-sudden locked solid At 20 mph
There was a rending of metal as the rear gear hanger broke, followed by a 'Bang!' as the rear tyre succumbed to the frictive embrace of the tarmac and 90 psi escaped gleefully to rejoin the atmosphere. I kept it all upright, and just managed to avoid wrecking a perfectly good pair of undies
I now have no touring bike in a usable state, and a weekends tour starting in 160 hours and counting. I do, however have other bikes.
So, here's the thing. I'm aiming to do 3 days of around 40-50 miles. The first day starts mid afternoon (ie after work) and will involve some hills till I get nearer to Cambridge. The rest of the trip will be flat, in a Fen-like and Norfolkly kind of way. Ultimate destination is Kings Lynn.
I have a choice of bikes - a M6R Brommie, a 531 singlespeed, or the Carbon Uberbike with a seatpost rack.
Not sure which one to use. Some tea would be good while I ponder.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Think I'd go for the 531. Can you choose the "correct" gear?

Meantime a new hanger and wheel from the LBS might be quite quick (if not cheap) if you plead tour interuptus.

Ah nice cuppa this - more please.

I used to pedal to Kings Lynn years ago. Along the Hundred Foot drain - I recall passing the Welney Wildfowl Refuge. Great open spaces and wonderful skies too. Do enjoy whichever bike you use.

 

[TheDoctor]

The wheel is OK - what's knacked is the hanger (available from Ribble) and probably the rear mech.
What I'd do in an ideal world is get a new rear mech and then get everything from the knacked bike onto the 531 frame, so as to get it back as a tourer. I do tend to swap parts around as needed...
The 531 would certainly work nicely on the flat, it's just the first 15 or so miles that might be a bit character building.
I'm leaning towards the carbon though. I mean, luggage for a weekend, that's just a toothbrush and spare undies, surely?

 

[Arch]

Oh bad luck!

Have you got a good sized bag for the Brom? If so, and you can get what you need in it, I'd go for that.

Singlespeed maybe, but if you get a headwind, not having a gear to change down to might be wearing.

Or the carbon, I suppose. Only you know which one you're happy riding all day.

But in a week, maybe you can get the tourer sorted?

 

[TheDoctor]

It'd be swapping the components over. It's a real waste having a 531ST tourer set up as a SS.
The Ribble frame (the one I bust) always was a bit small for me.

 

[Arch]

Tea's brewing!

I've been out shopping for a costume for Hilldodger's ride next week - I need a 60's outfit. Knew what I wanted, more or less, but it needed to be charity shop stuff for budget. Found a top in Scope, but wasn't sure I'd find a skirt to match in a pale pink/lilac, so left it and went on.

Found a shirt to match in Mind, so got it, and hot footed back to Scope and got the top.

And then in Boyes (local discount department store) they had natty little peaked caps, just right, except the front one on the shelf had an orange trim which would clash with the lilac. I wonder if the one behind is the same...

Bingo! Lilac!

I'm stuck on a belt though. I want something wide and white, with a big plastic buckle. Most days, the charity shops are heaving with them. Not today...

And the skirt isn't quite mini enough, so I'll have to turn it up... How high dare I go?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

We need photographic evidence Arch when you finally get dolled up

As for hem line - I was watching some 60's Pop of the Tops show and the hem lines were very high indeed.

Today I picked a load of french beans from my veg plot. So many indeed that I blanched and froze 6 packs (each with enough for a meal for 4) and some over for tonight's din dins Onions were also ready to be dug so I now have 4 boxes of onions drying off before storage. Beetroot ready too. Cooked and ready to munch And I cut the first of the Brocolli - already cooked and eaten. Courgettes are coming out of our ears too and cukes continue to produce. Wonderful time of year - fresh homegrown food

 

[hulver]

And the skirt isn't quite mini enough, so I'll have to turn it up... How high dare I go?

Shorter than that, no a bit shorter. A little bit more.

I see 26x25 has already posted the ob. call for pics.

Thanks for the tea. I had a nice ride out with some yacfers today, but the huge pie for lunch still needs washing down with some tea. It was quite large. Of course, there was the post lunch 14% hill to tackle afterwards. It was quite hard weighed down with that much pie. I finally walked it when the people on the tandem in front of me got off and walked, and were going faster then me!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Ah - so that's 2 votes for pics

 

[Arch]

I'm sure there will be pics eventually.

I ended up talking it more or less to the point where my cyclist tan cuts in... I do have to bear in mind that I'm going to be riding a bike in it, and don't want to scare the horses too much!

I gather that my borrowed mount for the day is quite glamorous. More so than me I suspect! I know I have an image in my mind of the outfit, but it's on Twiggy. And I ain't.

Glad to hear about the veg. My sister has had two courgettes so far... (it's the first time they've grown veg - and there's other stuff coming along).

MMmmmm, pie...

 

[Speicher]

I am not doing very well with my tomatoes. There might be enough for one sandwich, a small sandwich.

 

[Arch]

Hoik!

Tea, anyone? I did a piddly 23 miles today, had to drag myself out, I just wasn't in the mood. So 23 was quite good!

And I found the belt I wanted, on the way back through town. My costume is complete....

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Good Oh Arch. 23 is enough if you have been feeling rough. And nice one on the belt.

Today we controlled the "sprinter" on the club run. By the time we allowed him his freedom we'd done so many miles he didn't have the legs

So the ride went well with none of those disruptive surges

Hope he has learned his lesson

Nice glass of Valpolicella if anyone fancies a change from T? It has just the correct tanin level......... Bit like cool red fruity T

 

[Speicher]

I have been rearranging my compost!

Compost bin A is a standard black dustbin, obtained free from next door, and was started as a compost bin, to see how it would work. Garden stuff and brown stuff has been added over the last year.

Compost bin B is a purpose built green recycled plastic one, with a hatch at the bottom and a lid at the top. This was started as a compost bin at the end of May. I have gradually been adding "new" greenery to the bin B, and some old partly decomposed greenery from bin A. I am now half way down bin A, and reached fairly well composted material. Should I put this on the top of the stuff in Bin B, or leave the stuff in Bin A to completely decompose? Who knew that compost would be so complicated?

When I take well composted stuff out of bin A or bin B, can I dig it into the ground in the autumn? or does it need sieving, drying out or anything. Assitance would be welcome as I am a complete numpty newcomer to decomposing.