After taking delivery of my new wheels, I tried it out in Strathclyde Park in Motherwell. It has been a nice, warm Autumn and the sun was shining when I went for a spin. I was trying the gears and getting a feel for them.
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| Hybrid bicycle |
Greylag Geese
As I started on my ride, I nearly fell off as I cycled along the path when a number of Greylag geese suddenly appeared in front of me - they had been hidden by a large rock! I had to pull my feet from the pedals and make an emergency stop.
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| Greylag Geese |
The birds were looking for food and surrounded me but I could not offer them anything. One of the Geese was very unusual - it was completely white. However, in the park it should be reasonably safe from predators given its bright colour and similarity to the Mute swans who also frequent the park.
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| White Greylag Goose |
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulnessClose bosom-friend of the maturing sun Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease, For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Further on some more trees caught my eye.
My bicycles are always well maintained. One of the first things I did with my new one was to get it protected from the salt which is put on the roads to the melt ice in the winter. I coated the frame with Turtlewax and sprayed silicon on the gears. To protect the nuts and bolts I used petroleum jelly to fill in the allen key slots with a cotton ear bud to prevent water sitting in them and causing rust.
My transmission chain is lubricated with 'wet' lube which is heavier than the dry lube I use in summer. I'll degrease it regularly and add more lubricant. One thing to bear in mind is not to use dish washing liquid as it often contains salt - use car shampoo instead.
Locks
It is important to use a good lock to secure bike when leaving it unattended. I use a Squire Eiger Compact D lock which has the highest security rating of 15 (gold). I also use a Kryptonite extender cable to wrap around the wheels and lock it through the D lock. This should make the bike secure when leaving it in the street.
With all these precautions I should survive my winter cycling.
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| Autumn Colours |
On the north side of Strathclyde Loch is an amusement park, a hotel and a cafe. Outside the hotel was this beautiful tree displaying Autumn colours. In the car park of the hotel is a fountain displaying a lady's face which is very nice addition.
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| Fountain outside Alona Hotel |
Further on some more trees caught my eye.
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| More Autumn colours |
In July 2014 the competitors in the Commonwealth Games Triathlon cycled up this stretch of road during their events.
After this, I turned towards the beach to see if there were any unusual birds, but there were none. The sand was quite damp and I did not want to get my shoe plates clogged up in case they jammed in the pedals, so I had to view the birds from a distance.
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| Beach at Strathclyde Park |
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| Beach at Strathclyde Park |
Preparing the Bike for Winter
My bicycles are always well maintained. One of the first things I did with my new one was to get it protected from the salt which is put on the roads to the melt ice in the winter. I coated the frame with Turtlewax and sprayed silicon on the gears. To protect the nuts and bolts I used petroleum jelly to fill in the allen key slots with a cotton ear bud to prevent water sitting in them and causing rust.
My transmission chain is lubricated with 'wet' lube which is heavier than the dry lube I use in summer. I'll degrease it regularly and add more lubricant. One thing to bear in mind is not to use dish washing liquid as it often contains salt - use car shampoo instead.
Locks
It is important to use a good lock to secure bike when leaving it unattended. I use a Squire Eiger Compact D lock which has the highest security rating of 15 (gold). I also use a Kryptonite extender cable to wrap around the wheels and lock it through the D lock. This should make the bike secure when leaving it in the street.
With all these precautions I should survive my winter cycling.
