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Properly Knackered

2020-05-22

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With British Summer Time upon us and the weather here in the UK getting its act together just in time for a country wide lockdown. I've been thinking about what my cycling is going to look like in 2020.

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One of my favourite things about cycling is kicking back after a long, hot day in the saddle; muscles aching, eyelids heavy, too tired to concentrate on anything outside your warm fuzzy endorphin bubble. Preferably with beer and maybe pizza.

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With 'rona punting my _(and everyone else's)_ summer cycling plans all the way into next year, putting the British Audax calendar on hold for the foreseeable future and taking the Saturday social ride / pub lunch off the table.

I've been riding in my local area since the start of lockdown in the UK taking advantage of the nearly empty roads and the cracking weather. Keeping the distances down to under 100K _(for which carrying sufficient water and fuel for the whole ride is trivial)_.

Even with the currently relaxed lockdown restrictions in England. If I want to experience that _properly knackered_ feeling at the end of some of those long summer days this year, rides are going to have to be solo, self-supported _(sounds like an Audax so far)_, well planned and start and finish from home.

Carrying sufficient fuel for rides under 300K is straightforward. Water is more of a problem, especially in warmer weather, though. With pubs, cafes, and public toilets closed until further notice, top up opportunities will be limited and, if I get myself into a situation where I have to enter some pokey little local shop 50 miles from home to buy bottled water, at the minute, I've fucked up.

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I've got three weeks booked off work over the next month or so _("Use it or loose it" they said. "See you in July" I replied.)_ so I'm not short on free time.

I'm going to hit the maps and see what I can come up with.

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Note: Knackered is a Britishism meaning tired, exhausted or broken.

-- CC BY-SA 4.0 - dave@dnhome.uk