Two rides to the Tatsfield Bus Stop and they were both great. On Saturday, the weather was good. We met on the green as always and headed towards our destination having a bit of a moan about the way the media are treating the Coronavirus (basically over-reacting). Why is it that if most people are only going to experience mild symptoms, to the extent that some people won't even know they've got the virus, why is it that there is talk of closing schools, bringing in the army, having no-go zones, people working from home, football matches being played 'behind closed doors' and so on? It does, of course, provide world governments with a great excuse for everything as, indeed, it does for the man in the street. Skivers must be loving it, they can calmly announce that they're 'self-isolating' and have two weeks off work. Companies can fire people willy nilly and blame it on the virus, under-performers can blame their incompetence on the virus and so on. Boris Johnson, of course, can blame the virus for continued austerity, which will probably kill more people. The whole thing, quite frankly, is utterly ridiculous. Why is it that the Government is happy to say that around 100,000 people could die when Italy, which is in the thick of it, hasn't had THAT many casualties? But of course, it's not really the Government that is the problem, it's the media claiming, for example, that Coronavirus deaths in the UK have doubled - to two!
When we reached the bus stop we enjoyed two excellent cups of tea courtesy of Twining's English Breakfast tea and a brand new flask, purchased from Robert Dyas during the week. We needed one, the old Stanley, caked with limescale and weighing (as it always had) a tonne, was getting a little old, the water quality (I think) was poor, we were getting funny-tasting tea, so a new flask was the order of the day. The tea was fresh too, straight out of the Co-op and opened at the Bus Stop. Wonderful!
Sunday was similar, although it was pouring down when I woke up at 0600hrs so I aborted, only to reinstate the ride half an hour later. We agreed to meet at 0745hrs and then repeated Saturday's ride, talking as we went about the virus and then enjoying more excellent tea when we reached the bus stop.
My bike needs a good clean. It's smattered and spattered with mud from the wet weather we've been contending with, the storms and what have you. I won't bother just yet because there will be more rain, more deep puddles and muddy pathways to deal with. Even today, as I rode along the off-road path I encountered a stretch of thick mud. While I tried to ride through it, it proved impossible, the bike sludged to a stop and I had to dismount and push the bike through. Thicker tyres might have got me through. Then there's my front brake, it needs looking at. But right now I think I'll keep it oiled and that's about it, although I'm not going to let things slip. It's important to fix things as they happen rather than let them build up until there's loads of stuff to be done.
On the way back it rained hard. I'd just said goodbye to Andy at The Ridge and down it came. I got soaked. But then the sun came out and I dried off as I rode along the off-road path, reaching home around 0945hrs. I'm dry now, well, almost. I'm not wearing socks and I'm about to head over to mum's (in the car). I know for a fact that a chunk of fruit cake awaits me, although I might take one of my sweet orange Tazo teas with me as I've been drinking miles too much 'normal tea', although I'm thinking why bother, there's nowt wrong with black tea even if there is a bit of caffeine to contend with.
Outside the sun is shining, the skies are blue and there are, believe it or not, blossoms on the trees. When I leave to ride to the green in the morning I don't need my lights and soon the clocks are going forward and summer will arrive.
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| Daffodils on the roadside at Warlingham |
Sunday was similar, although it was pouring down when I woke up at 0600hrs so I aborted, only to reinstate the ride half an hour later. We agreed to meet at 0745hrs and then repeated Saturday's ride, talking as we went about the virus and then enjoying more excellent tea when we reached the bus stop.
My bike needs a good clean. It's smattered and spattered with mud from the wet weather we've been contending with, the storms and what have you. I won't bother just yet because there will be more rain, more deep puddles and muddy pathways to deal with. Even today, as I rode along the off-road path I encountered a stretch of thick mud. While I tried to ride through it, it proved impossible, the bike sludged to a stop and I had to dismount and push the bike through. Thicker tyres might have got me through. Then there's my front brake, it needs looking at. But right now I think I'll keep it oiled and that's about it, although I'm not going to let things slip. It's important to fix things as they happen rather than let them build up until there's loads of stuff to be done.
On the way back it rained hard. I'd just said goodbye to Andy at The Ridge and down it came. I got soaked. But then the sun came out and I dried off as I rode along the off-road path, reaching home around 0945hrs. I'm dry now, well, almost. I'm not wearing socks and I'm about to head over to mum's (in the car). I know for a fact that a chunk of fruit cake awaits me, although I might take one of my sweet orange Tazo teas with me as I've been drinking miles too much 'normal tea', although I'm thinking why bother, there's nowt wrong with black tea even if there is a bit of caffeine to contend with.
Outside the sun is shining, the skies are blue and there are, believe it or not, blossoms on the trees. When I leave to ride to the green in the morning I don't need my lights and soon the clocks are going forward and summer will arrive.
