The Old Goat’s new bicycle has arrived, a beautiful beast to behold. It has been named The Black Mamba.
This morning The Blue Beast and Wit Blitz joined The Black Mamba on his inaugural cruise through the frost at one degree Centigrade.
I have run many times with icicles hanging in the branches of the trees, several degrees below zero, but have never felt that my frozen digits would actually drop off. When we run the circulation soon gets going. Not so much with cycling. I spent the first half of the ride visualising myself in a hospital bed, doctors gathered round, puzzling how to put my fingers back on. Changing gear was traumatic.
So what did I learn on our ride today? Thermal gloves and thermal socks are a must. In fact if I can get thermal pants I’ll grab them too. And I am really surprised that there is no heatproof Camelbak thermos on the market - one that I can fill with hot coffee and sip as I go.