A CYCLING WEEKEND

This weekend has had a strong 2-wheeled flavour. Yesterday I gave my bicycle a good spring clean, getting rid of the winter dust, cleaning off all the muck and grease from the chain and gears (a used, bendy toothbrush is the best tool for that, I find) and oiling it thoroughly. I also changed the brake pads on the back wheel, as the old ones were worn out. Today, after doing some building in the morning, I watched the last 60km of the Amstel Gold race in Holland, before going out for my first serious spin of the year.

There were only two problems. The first was a total lack of fitness in the legs that had me gasping when the gradient was more than 2 degrees; the second was their alarming whiteness, after a Scandinavian winter. However, with dry weather and 20 degrees predicted up to, and including, Easter, I should be able to do something about both during the coming week.

Walter Blotscher