Tag: recovery

February 13th – I wore out a set of front brake pads, and still have a fair few part worn ones glazed out from the problems with the rear brake, which I wouldn’t throw away in case I found a way to reclaim them.

I’ve been thinking about it idly, and I’ve managed to recover a set. I filed off the surface a little with a clean flat file surface. Filing alone doesn’t work, so working on the basis whatever has destroyed them must be oil based, I took the pads, placed them on an aluminium sheet, and gently heated them with a very hot plumber’s blowtorch for ten minutes, until they stopped smoking when I removed the flame.

I then cleaned off the oxidisation with a scotchbrite pad and finally degreased them with a zero residue spray cleaner.

They are as good as new. Without the heat, none of these steps have worked before. 

I guess you could stove the pads in a normal kitchen oven if you don’t have a blowtorch.

It’s saved a few bob, I guess. Be interesting to see if they wear any quicker or glaze again.

February 3rd – A day without rain would be nice. So nice.

It rained all day, and I barely left the house; I had technical difficulties with some work equipment that kept me busy on a fool’s errand most of the afternoon, before it turned out the problem was not mine at all.

I got nothing done. I felt low and troubled and realised that although physically better, I’m still recovering and have the post-illness blues. I’m sure you know how it goes – you still have some climbing to do and the daily grind hasn’t stopped for you to hop back on and catch up.

I had to nip up Walsall Wood in the early evening on an errand. I got wet, it was cold and I felt every pedal stroke.

I know everything will improve, and I’ll slip back into the daily rhythm soon. But right now I feel spare and down.

January 30th – It’s on the way back up. As my lungs clear, my on-bike performance is improving; my average speed over the same commute journey has gained 1.7mph in a week.

It’s still not up to it’s usual 13-14mph, but I’m getting there.

I’m also really liking the Velo utility for the Garmin Edge 1030 on IQ – it gives some great speed tools in one nicely laid out large data field.

September 3rd – The day was grim and overcast, and the weather horrid, and I was wiped out from the ride the day before. I confined myself to a short ride around Pelsall, Brownhills and Shelfield via the canal and old rail cycleway.

From the day before, in shirtsleeves getting a tan and sweating in the sun, to this: There was an unpleasant nip in the air, a serious wind and autumn touching the greenery in a way I find sad.

I do hope that wasn’t summer’s last breath…

April 9th – A 35 mile recovery ride for tea and cake on the following day didn’t go so well though. With technical issues and some spills the ride didn’t start well, and like a fool, I headed out with a punishing wind flat behind me.

The ride out was beautifully sunny and warm, and the oilseed rape at Middleton was beautiful.

As I rode from Middleton up the canal to Tamworth, someone flicked a switch and the nascent summer instantly was turned off. A harsh, cold wind and overcast skies battled me all the way home.

It was harder to ride 35 miles today that the 111 I rode the day before.

October 3rd – A short recovery ride over to Clayhanger Marsh and Ryders Mere to keep the legs going and get some fresh air. The afternoon was very grey, and it’s on days like this I often used to see the gnarled old dog fox who hunted here. I think he must have passed away by now, but I thought of him as I surveyed the grey, still waters.

Me and that fox knew each other – we were familiars. As far as I was concerned, he was just another resident of the area, using the facilities available. To him, I was tolerable company as long as I kept silent, made no sudden movements and minded my own business.

Ah well, I daresay one or two of his extended family were watching me from the thickets nearby as I remembered him.

May 4th – I was, to put it bluntly, shagged out. I slept well, and there was nothing wrong with my legs or body, but my eyes were sore and I felt weary.  Not the usual post-ride dehydration, though, so the new gels I was using must be working. The day after a century ride I normally feel hungover. Today, just jaded.

I nipped up to the new Farmers Market at Chasewater, and was pleasantly surprised; after the disaster of the Innovation Centre-organised Christmas Fayre with 4 stalls, this commercially organised event was busy, even at my late hour. It wasn’t huge, but there was some interesting stuff to buy, and I spent fifteen quid on various bits and pieces.

Only one snag – no real produce stalls: if this was a Farmers Market, the farmers didn’t know: I hope this can be rectified for future events – we have Big Tasties locally for meat, bakers and cheese-mongers, so lets hope they take a stall; if they do, tis market will be banging in no time at all.

I was taken with the basket hack on a bike I spotted locked nearby; serious thought has gone into that. Bit more needs to go into the locking technique, though…

August 15th – It’s amazing how much Chasewater has recovered in such a short time – in 18 months it’s gone from being barely more than an overgrown puddle to a full reservoir, with a recovering, rich biodiversity. I noticed a week or so ago what I thought was red algae on the western shoreline, but it actually turns out, on closer inspection, to be what I think is persicaria amphibia, or water knotweed. I think this is an introduced species, and may well be invasive, I’m not sure. However, it’s very pretty with delicate pink flowers that float in beautiful clumps.

Any knowledge or correction welcome.

June 8th -A sunny, but windy summer afternoon. I headed out to Lichfield and the east Staffordshire plains, but on the way, I stopped to take a look around Chasewater. I haven’t seen so many little boats on the water for years, and it was great to see. Both the sailing club and watersports club were busy on the water. So different to this time last year, when there was still very little water in the reservoir. A fine thing indeed.

September 10th – This is really exciting and unexpected. The water level at Chasewater is now no more than a few centimetres from the bottom of the depth gauge on the pier. The scale starts at a height of 148.35m AOD (above sea level), and on the 14th September last year, the water lever stood at 143.7m AOD. Than’s an incredible gain of 4.65m in 12 months. I don’t think any of those observing the situation could ever have dreamed of such a recovery. 
Shame the downside has been an atrocious summer…