CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[Paul-R]

The siren song of Mont Ventoux is calling...

[Michel]

You're a mental Jim!

[CitroJim]

The siren song of Mont Ventoux is calling...

My dream Paul... I so want to do Ventoux

You're a mental Jim!

You're not alone in saying that Mike

[NewcastleFalcon]

If you like a bit of Rhythmic heavy breathing with a cycling theme look no further than offtopic posts on the FCF!

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=48298&p=412091&hili ... rk#p412091

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

It's been a while... Last week was a total disaster... Lots of terrible things happened and not least my central heating boiler springing a big leak in the early hours. I woke up to the sound of water dripping through the ceiling

That, and other events - which I'll not go into - totally crashed me and I went into a severe meltdown which I'm still recovering from.

A visit from James (Hellrazor) really helped my recovery

Luckily, a cry for help on social media produced a heating engineer at very short notice and within an hour the boiler was up and running again...

The fault was a failed O ring on a pressure switch... Just one little O ring going hard caused Armageddon

Own Work

In other news, today I charge the Saxo's battery - it was a bit low - and she fired up instantly and still runs like a clock. I can't recall when I last ran the Saxo but it was back in September I think. The battery almost had enough to start but not quite! Not bad for a Citroen-branded battery that's been in use since 2006. The Pixo is still on her original battery and that dates from 2009...

The Saxo front brakes are a bit grindy but apart from that she's fine... I did take her for a little drive along my private test track to free them off She's a good little car and it's a shame she's no longer in use...

This afternoon I replaced the chainset on a friend's bike so actually spent some quality time in my workshop for a change... Whilst I had the back wheel in bits I cleaned, re-greased and reset the cup and cone bearings...

And finally, just to show how much I enjoy my running

C. Barnaby Norman - a truly ace photographer!

[NewcastleFalcon]

my central heating boiler springing a big leak in the early hours. I woke up to the sound of water dripping through the ceiling

There has been an epidemic of it here Jim, including mine. 31 years old and it was coming sooner or later but it decided to expire on Friday. One guarantee my plumber gave me was that the brand new boiler he was fitting would not definitely not last 31 years. , and curiously described the new boilers as "Gas Munchers" compared to my old no doubt highly inefficient old boiler.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

My old boiler was over thirty years old Neil and it was a real gas-guzzler!!! I really noticed the difference with the combi when it was installed... In fairness it's only broke this once in five years so not too bad...

One thing the engineer showed me was how much debris had collected in the burners... Our town still has a lot of cast-iron gas mains and they are full of rusty scale! It keeps him busy as the more posh and modern combi boilers have gas filters and they regularly get blocked...

[Zelandeth]

I don't suppose your heating engineer covers central MK too do they?

Have still drawn a blank on getting anyone to service our system, despite sending out messages to a list of twelve a few weeks ago.

Seriously am just going to get a proper set of brushes etc and fresh system additives in and do it myself if I don't get any joy soon, it can't just be left untouched forever!

[van ordinaire]

As far as I can work out, nobody "services" CH any more, they only perform a safety check.

[myglaren]

Just what the engineer who was here last said - after the "service" tech had managed to bugger our boiler completely.
Left it in bits, took three visits to get it back to something like working properly, three circuit boards and two diverter valves among other things.

Every year it would fail shortly after being "serviced" - always at Christmas.

They did used to partly dismantle it and clear some ash out - that was the old one, not the current one though.

[CitroJim]

I don't suppose your heating engineer covers central MK too do they?

I think he may although he's based in Newport and like Steve at the Two Wrestlers, he's always busy and in demand...

Have a natter with him or his other half...

I'll text you his details Zel...

[CitroJim]

This Christmas has been a real cracker Possibly one of the very best!

I've really over-indulged this year - on running and cycling I hosted a club bike ride on Christmas Day and had the obligatory cafe stop at my house where I'd laid on a small buffet of festive goodies...

Own Work

My Christmas cake was ceremonially cut and sampled during the festivities and pronounced very good!

Own Work

Before that, I enjoyed the traditional Christmas Day parkrun

Own Work

My morning run today has now brought me up to 990 miles for the year... Just ten to go to hit my target now

Strava

Bike miles up to 8,503 at the time of writing this blog entry!

on Boxing Day I ran 10Km and then we took a club bike ride up to Salcey Forest which had the only cafe open in the area... Being it was such a lovely day it was positively rammed and we had to wait a good 20 minutes for our coffee and cake!

It was good when it finally arrived... I was very naughty and greedy and had two cakes! They were both most excellent

Own Work

To atone my cake guilt I rode a further 16 miles home as hard as I could and achieved a 18 mph average over a hilly 16 mile route

Off out on another bike ride shortly - in fact I have bike rides planned now until the end of the year

And finally, I received a very lovely bottle of non-alcoholic gin (Seedlip) and a cycling-themed calendar for Christmas - just what i wanted

Own Work

[NewcastleFalcon]

Yes top quality there Jim.

Its totally refreshing seeing our next generation taking their first steps on the pedals after the balance bike. All brand new skills and no stabilisers! Introduce pedals.....silly things....bash the backs of your legs...in the first stages and they are either side of the bike.....push down on the right hand one and you have to compensate with your balance so the bike doesnt tip over to one side as you start off. Push down on the left side and and the bike leans the other way...until you get that balance compensation just right. Then you need a bit of speed, and you need to learn how to stop it without falling off.

Complicated business this cycling when you first start off!

Regards Neil

PS Here's a bonus pic. The caption reads

http://www.roadscapes.co.uk/gallery-23.html

"COUNTISBURY HILL: Leyland Octopus girder outfit from British Road Services depot at Scunthorpe being braked down Countisbury Hill, 1 in 4, on its way to Lynmouth, North Devon, to repair the damaged bridges after the Lynmouth Flood Disaster of 1952."

[CitroJim]

Oh yes, balance bikes are the way to go with the little 'uns Stabilisers just delay the inevitable skill of learning balance whereas a balance bike instils it from the word go...

Sian, my youngest, hardly used stabilisers... She watched me teaching Robyn to ride a bike without stabilisers when she was 5 and a half and Sian wanted to do the same... She did too... A few weeks before her third birthday!

[CitroJim]

PS Here's a bonus pic. The caption reads

"COUNTISBURY HILL: Leyland Octopus girder outfit from British Road Services depot at Scunthorpe being braked down Countisbury Hill, 1 in 4, on its way to Lynmouth, North Devon, to repair the damaged bridges after the Lynmouth Flood Disaster of 1952."

That is just gorgeous Neil Thanks ever so for that

I've been up and down that hill many times in my life... Next time I do it'll be on a bike