Shakedown Cruise

 Today I was to be pushing off for a sub 24 run but the forecast temp of 36C scotched that.  I decided toasted to get giing early and take a 30 something kilometre loop  which included a coffee shop.  This route a mix of busy C roads,  one lane sealed and unsealed.  A chance to make some fine tuning gear selection adjustments post chain shortening.  

I hit the trail from my door at 0600hrs and flew down the road dodging potholes in the gravel formed during early December rains. Traffic levels were really low due to a local surge in Covid cases, so I enjoy dumping a load from weeks of over grazing and getting to feel my Trucker.

Along two lane roads for may be 8k - my bike computer is too complex for me to operate within instructions!?- I hit single lane sealed and identified a problem with my front derailleur.  The small ring could only be selected when skipping directly down from the largest ring.  Also there was an issue with selecting the chain right of the large ring. Adjusting the front screw out fixed the chain unloading, but I got no closer to fixing the first issue.  I photographed a cow while I retrieved my multitool and made adjustments.

 On gravel now,  smooth clay actually,  among cattle grazing properties,  below hills with a slight mist and wispy clouds at altitude.  A delivery truck passed slowly,  the dogs inn the farmhouse must have been asleep still.  No barking.  

Actually,  further back on the edges of the hobby farm lots a German Shepherd came out all guns blazing but I disarmed 'him' by talking to him happily.  Across the road an abandoned Land Rover was being employed as a garden ornament!

 The delivery van returned,  slowly,  lost? After another 8kv or soi IItches my furthest punt out and turned right to be confronted by a Road Closed barrier.  I thought about stopping for a millisecond,  a throwback to my motoring days I guess .  Further on a digger was parked across the road.  Aha someone ours replacing the bridge! 

On rural communities it's apparently okay to do thirds without letting anyone know.  Just like local government elections,; people you've never heard of on the ballot paper, you vote because you have to and presumably people are elected and they do stuff you never know about.  

I walked along the rail second from the rough,  my Trucker took the far right one.  There were steel spikes hanging out to snag derailleurs and such, but it didn't prevent our safe passage. Leaving the dismantled bridge a lady inn a car shot by and I noticed the bv barrier on the far side had been vandalised.  She drove back out,  over the Road Closed sign with her face stuck in her phone.  Every Christmas "innocent tourists" come to grief like this,  they just don't expect random shit like flooded roads,  landslides, clueless local government or dismantled bridges.  

I stopped for coffee and bananas.  Mmmm. This time next week it will be Christmas Day.  I rode across another low bridge,  still unable to select Granny Ring and liking but not yet loving  my Trucker. It feels heavy,  the gears are uncooperative and it's geometry feels wobbly.  Near home I locked in Granny Ring,  but now the rear smallest gear was stuttering.  Enough to scandalized forward progress on the ultra step hill,  so I hiked .  

Today  I listened to the Bike Life podcast for the second half of my ride.  The episode introduced Lorraine's story,  she has a WordPress blog called Cycling in a Skirt .  

Today's ride was not sponsored by Surly,  android phones,  Andromeda coffee or bananas.