133. Mostly on the plain

The weather has turned sultry, I believe is the right word. Whereas last week I was bemoaning all the lovely sunshine (too hot! Too hot!), this week we have nice cooling thunderstorms and torrential rain. I am going to keep my thoughts on the weather to myself from now on... While I am not allowed to not cycle because of rain (this isn't running, you know), I do draw the line at cycling in torrential downpours. Not least because it turns my cycle route to work into a standing-water-covered hazard.

So, with the excuse for not cycling to work and back today out of the way, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank various people. Firstly the couple wandering the (wide) cyclepath/walkway this evening with their 3 dogs (not on leads): my thanks for giving me the opportunity to actually hit a dog while out cycling. I was kind of hoping to avoid it, and certainly I'm proud of my brakes (when I say "hit" I mean "touch on the side with my front wheel after a desperate bit of emergency braking"). Thankfully, you had the good sense to chide the dog for being "silly" rather than remonstrate with me at that time (oh, yes, it was the dog's fault. Uh-huh). And extra special thanks to the lovely man further up the path who informed me as I cycled past that if I use my bell in future I won't be hitting any more dogs. I've thought of a lot of pithy responses since then, much better than my "I shouted 'excuse me' several times!" in actual response... Probably just as well that I was on my bike and anxious to get home (which I nearly was) at the time...

Although, it might indeed be an idea to have a working bell on my bike. After several weeks of assuming that I couldn't work the bell, it is now apparent that it's broken. I've never actually used it (did it ever work), but after multiple off-bike excursions, I have to assume that I have managed to break it in something rather less than anger. I refuse - refuse! - to buy any more damned cycling kit, though.

I may steal Aggie's bell and transfer it across to Boris... She'll never notice...

:o)

Today's stats
Cycling (outside!) - 1 hr 7 mins, 13.29 miles [same route as yesterday, different distance. Go figure...]