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making an effort
the namby pamby days of summer, even in the hebrides, are calculated to turn even the flandriens of the west into soft southerners. track mitts are optional, the lightest of baselayers, paper-thin summer jerseys and the casquette du jour are all that are required apart from a slathering of suncream. even the bicycle requires little in the way of maintenance; a smattering of drylube tends to last for weeks, and it's sufficient merely to run over the frame and wheels with an old towel to remove the accumulation of road-dust. for the hardmen (and women) of the west, these are the days of 'why bother'.
this, of course, places the act of cycling in a little box all of its own, separating it from the leisurely purusit of surveying the estates, listening to birdsong and playfully avoiding right-hand-drive visitors intent on ignoring the average velocipedinist, while in the pursuit of yet another distillery tour. for though the velo club may give the impression of distracted insouciance, in truth, this lack of character-building trials of strength do not bode well for the winter months which we now inhabit.
but frequently, in the depths of winter, it's rarely the bike ride itself that creates the greatest effort; it's usually donning the appropriate apparel that is sent to try.
somewhere within the croft, i have a pair of thermally-lined, waterproof bibtights that sport a feature not seen in many a long year: a zip at the side of each lower leg. there are a few pairs of winter tights on the market that still feature ankle zips to make them easier to put on and remove, but their number appears to have seriously diminished in the face of zipless uniformity. however, the bibtights to which i refer sport yet another facility that i doubt exists anywhere in modern appareldom. these provide the ability to sit over the top of any overshoes, providing a degree of weatherproofing that few, if any contemporary garments bestow.
the majority of bibtights nowadays feature very close-fit ankles, which not only creates a very tight seal with the socks preventing unwarranted draughts about one's nether regions. however, this 'feature' turns the relatively simple act of pulling on a pair of bibtights into not only an act of strength, but often more suited to a qualified contortionist. and, at the behest of marketing, we fool ourselves into thinking that, with a pair of close fitting bibtights overlaid by a sturdy pair of overshoes, inclement weather will be kept entirely at bay. however, it's a contention with which i'd respectfully disagree.
and believe me, i speak from experience.
there are two problems to be encountered, each of which attacks from a different direction. if we look at the simpler of the two, those holes in the sole of the overshoes cannot but ultimately let in water, predominantly by capillary action. that, however, is the least of our problems. i possess at least two pairs of waterproof socks, the veracity of which is most certainly not in doubt. but, assuming the majority to dress in a similar manner, having pulled on a pair of such socks, overlaid them with the legs of the bibtights, before covering them in a pair of waterproof neoprene overshoes, in persistent rain, your feet are still going to get seriously wet.
when the bibtights become saturated, gravity drains the excess rainwater towards the socks and ultimately inside. i can prove the waterproofing of my socks by the amount of water they contain when time comes to have a shower. so despite the best of efforts on our behalf by the garment purveyors, we're still all going to get wet feet. in dry weather, of course, a decent pair of overshoes will keep the tootsies warm, and there's always the not insignificant ability to repel splashing surface water from previous rainfall.
that does not, however, answer the entirely superficial question of style on the bike. if you're like me and many others, even at the risk of stopping the blood flow to your feet, you'll roll up the legs of your bibtights to pull on a pair of socks, before rolling the tights legs over the top. but while watching the snowy cyclocross event from val di sole in northern italy, it was plain to see that more than just a few of the riders had opted to pull their socks over the top of their bibtights. it may be that there is a different sense of style within the cyclocross fraternity, but perhaps that style is born of pragmatism. how much less effort would it be to leave the socks on the outside?
and given my earlier treatise on how we're going to get wet feet no matter what, why not look good in the process? then again, perhaps i could put more effort into finding those bibtights that fit over my overshoes.
monday 11 december 2023
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................stand and deliver
though apparently held up in the deliberations of argyll & bute planning councillors in lochgilphead, islay community access group still intend to construct a mixed use footpath leading from the village of bowmore around the coastline to bridgend village, a matter of five kilometres distant. the latter is host to a number of retail outlets within islay house square, at one time the location of maintenance workshops for islay house when it was still in the hands of the laird (currently, it is a luxury hotel, but reputedly, currently up for sale).
aside from the village shop, situated across the road from bridgend hotel, the square, a few hundred metres north, features islay studios, a photographic and framing outlet which includes a very fine café. adjacent to this are islay gin, islay whisky vault and ma mackinnon's marmalades and jams, while across the courtyard behind the arch, lives islay quilters. then there's the laundry and islay flooring's showroom. all the above mentioned premises are leased from islay estates who have indulged in a modicum of self-interest by providing permission for the proposed path to traverse their land between the two villages.
the access group is, however, no stranger to the installation of similar paths across other parts of the island. the first in this series of three is the three distilleries path leading from the outskirts of port ellen village to first, laphroaig distillery, followed by those at lagavulin and ardbeg. this was a much needed facility, if only to avoid the groups of often semi-inebriated whisky aficionados careering along the road carrying their prized bottles and polo shirts, often after tastings at each of the three distilleries. while the velo club are less than inclined to make use of the path (not ideal for a road bike, and likely only to irritate the many pedestrian users of the path) it has proved highly popular since its opening.
it has also proved to be worth its weight in gold, by keeping the revellers away from our front wheels and the frequent road traffic. and it will likely be renamed the 'four distilleries path when portintruan distillery is completed in just over a year's time
the path that stretches from bruichladdich village to that of port charlotte around 4km south, did, at first, seem somewhat surplus to requirements. known as lochindaal way, i confess that, in all my years of riding between the two villages i had rarely, if ever, met anyone walking in either direction. however, giving credence to the phrase 'build it and they will come', it has proved its mettle by hosting a constant stream of cyclists and pedestrians since first opened a few years past. there are even those from port charlotte who use it to get to debbie's in bruichladdich for a cup of coffee and a cake or toastie, before walking or riding it off on the return trip.
keen to cater for the often less-well-prepared leisure cyclist, the access group acquired three cycle workstations featuring a raft of necessary tools, secured with steel cables, alongside a built-in track pump and the ability to lift the cycle off the ground and suspend it by the saddle, while maintenance is carried out. admittedly, none of us can help much if the cyclist experiencing a mechanical malfeasance has not an earthly idea of which tool is required, or how and where to use it, but at least provision has been made.
so far, one of these workstations has been installed half-way along lochindaal way and another adjacent to the tourist information centre in bowmore. a third will be placed at the port ellen end of the three distilleries path, but not until work has completed at portintruan. until the latter is up and running, it's hard to know just where it can be best situated.
however, it transpires that workstations such as that described above are not purely the province of the velocipedinally minded. according to a recent report in the daily record newspaper (and i use that description in its loosest sense), several esso filling stations have opted to install similar facilities which, at the very least, seems somewhat contradictory to the purpose of selling petrol in the first place. according to the fuel giant, "The bike stands are being provided to encourage drivers across the UK to use their bikes more for short journeys in the hope we can have an impact on total fuel consumption, emissions, health and spending, at a time when households are feeling the squeeze."
you have to admit, this is particularly altruistic of them, but an example of altruism which is hard to follow. if we're happy to accept that the whole point of a petrol station is to cater for the motoring fraternity, you do have to wonder of the commercial benefit to esso by encouraging folks to leave the car at home? and this is hardly a token gesture, given that these are being installed at fifty locations across the country, augmented by several videos offering instruction on how to check your tyre pressures, fix your brakes, adjust your saddle height, and fix a slipped chain (?).
one wonders whatever next? perhaps skoda dealerships will provide team cars to follow the sunday ride, or evans cycles offer to valet your car interior while you choose an inner-tube or energy gel. that said, and despite still wondering what esso gets out of this, i think a round of applause is in order for one of the world's largest petrol purveyors taking such a hands-on interest in the needs of those who might never be counted amongst their paying customers.
(thanks to richard peploe for inspiring this article)
sunday 10 december 2023
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