Riding the Back Roads, Slowly

Crumpet and I had a patchy week. I kept a multitool close, just in case. Rohan suggested climbing in the lowest gear, so I gave it a go.

Most of it went to plan, apart from a saddle sore. Most of cycling is eating.

I'm learning that fixing a puncture by the road rewards patience more than effort. What worked for a tailwind home, roughly in order:

• Clean the chain more than you want to. I forgot this in September, with a slow puncture.
• Eat before you're hungry. Especially in autumn, at 146 km.
• Lower gears are your friends. Learned from a chain that kept slipping in September.
• Plan the cafe stop first. Otto disagrees.
• Check the tyres before every ride. Crumpet agrees, I think.

This is why I keep a log of every 43 mm tyres. I'll report back once I've tried planning a route.