60 miles

For the first time since I can remember, and possibly ever, I cycled almost 60 miles this morning. (OK, it was only 57.1 miles.)

I might even have gone further had my left STI lever not come adrift outside Pilling, requiring me to head back for repairs. According to Cicerone’s guide to the Lancashire Cycleway, the world around Pilling is completely flat, without the slightest undulation. I can report that this is wrong as there was a definite rise, of perhaps two or three feet, on the road there.

In all that distance, I was dangerously overtaken once. The driver in question was exceedingly apologetic, having not realised quite how long his caravan actually was.

Fortunately, and to my relief, the lever needed no more than tightening to the handlebar. Also to my relief the good people at Ribble Cycles had difficulty finding a sufficiently long tool to do the job: I would have felt rather a muppet if I had cycled twenty-five miles on the wrong ring for the sake of a 30 second repair.

I would recommend that David Chase try his cycling round here. It’s good.

Possibly related:

• Precipitous cycling
• 30 miles
• Reasons to be cycling: 1, 2, 3.