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The ice lid from my clothes washing bucket
It’s very much “that time of year”.
The time when every part of my bike decides to break within the space of a few weeks.
The time when many trails are so muddy that there’s a severe shortage of Type 1 fun, but plenty of Type 2 slogging.
The time when clothes get so muddy, they need washing in a bucket (sometimes twice) before they’re clean enough to go in the washing machine without breaking it.
But also the time when you’re banking the mental and physical strength that will carry you through the summer. Failing to finish the Dyfi Winter Warm Up due to brake failure was annoying, but it kicked me into getting all of those suspect parts changed out. Breaking through ice puddles and being pitched over the bars is not that hard to shrug off. Being on a seemingly endless treadmill of work, ride, clean is still a privileged position.
With a couple of key components still likely to fail soon, I’m taking 2 bikes to Wales this weekend. (Not carrying a spare on my back, though). By the time the trails are looking up, I should be ready to go!
