More Calamity

I’m back again.

Seems like I’ve got Monday bike.

This time it’s the gears again. Just after being on the longer ride I was luckily only a mile or so from home after 20 miles, when I just lost all forward motion. There was a big clunk and the whole crank arm flew off behind me snapped in two. I managed to coast home and inspected everything. When the crank arm broke off it had also smashed up the rear derailleur.

The broken crank arm flies off

Walking back

Not a good trick

So, it was off to the bike shop yet again. All the bits were sent off to Shimano UK, and over four weeks later I’m still waiting for replacements. Unfortunately I had an event, the wonderful Tour of Tweeddale, so had to haul out my old specialised and trundle along the 90 plus miles of the event.  Luckily I had good pals along with me and we had a really good time although I did a bit wobbit in the last 10 miles or so. However the bottle of Tweeddale at the end perked me up when I thought of drinking it when I got home.

The start of The Tour of Tweeddale – 93 miles to go

We’re on the way

Loch Talla with the sun starting to heat up

The Wall of Talla at over 20% – the tandem riders had chain problems

A quick stretch out

Moffat

Dave going well …

… but cramp struck

The reward for some hard miles

So far this year I’ve had to use the old Specialized for at almost half of my rides, so I’m feeling a bit world-weary with my newer Roubaix, although when it’s going it is fabulous.

Next came the Tour of Britain, which was reasonably near by in the Scottish Borders, coming up from Kelso. A group of us from the Haddington Cycle Club assembled half way up one of the steep hills and had a very social time chatting, before the Tour came through. After less that 2 minutes the riders sped past & we cycled back home over the hills.

Cafe stop before the hills

Some of the gang ready to go

Up the hill before the Tour arrives

Quite a few of these & some friendly waves

Sorting out cameras

Hope this wasn’t needed

The breakaway …

The peloton …

Hmmmm?

We’ve had a few nights away recently in the Scottish borders in the shepherds hut, near Berwick on Tweed. There is so some lovely cycling round about, including the wonderful honey farm (and it’s so much more than that!!) and the heavy horse farm, which we went along too. We happened along on a lucky day as the farrier was in shoeing the horses and the vet was doing a bit of dentistry. It was amazing how docile these great big beasts were.

The Shepards Hut

The Farrier

This horse was sedated a wee bit though it may not look it!!

All together – ahhhhh

Quite a litter!!

A couple of weeks later Terry & I were off down to the Borders & Englandshire again. A mere 80+ miles this time, down against a strong headwind and back with some hefty climbs over the Lammermuirs, 5,000+ feet of ascent in all. We stopped at the Honey Farm for a bite, upstairs on the double decker bus.

I rode this one

Terry declined

Th beer cafe in Ayton – a delightful reception, coffee & donuts too

The Union Chain Bridge – England beckons

Almost there

Lunch at the honey farm just up the hill, much, much more than honey!!!

And today I was out and encountered a couple of cars stopped, with flashing lights, and the drivers flagging folk down. As I went past I saw that a large cygnet was on the side of the road, so doubled back to help. We managed to get it safely to the other side, where it promptly lay down. After motioning cars to slow down, one stopped & the driver came out. he obviously knew what he was up to and wheeked the swan up and took it over towards the nearby lake away from the traffic.

What’s going on?

I see

Persuading it to safety

Amazing the effect of a bike behind you

Safely over

Someone who knows what he’s doing

The post’s passenger

And a campavan in a campavan

So I still wait for the Shimano folk to get their finger out so I can get a few more miles on the good bike before the winter comes and the roads get slathered in chemicals, grit etc.