and any other colour you can think of!

So today Gaby and I gained an extra digit to our ages and as is my habit if i've got access to a bike, i went for a ride - well its as good a way to distract myself as any, but i'm getting ahead of myself here, lets go back a few days.

If you recall, on Wednesday i dropped the Ebike off to try to identify the issue, on Thursday i picked it up, issue resolved in a very 21st Century way, 'you need a new motor, only £900. Of course this conclusion has been arrived at without even looking at the bike, just plug it in and it'll tell you what to do. It may be true that the motor is dead but i'm not convinced and neither are the online 'hive', everything points to a dodgy connection which has fixed the fault for pretty much 100% of those who've not dropped the money for a new part.

It's not a high priority just now and apart from not having £900+ for the replacement route, its too cold to be stripping down bikes atm! I'm glad i haven't spent too much on the machine so i've not got much invested in it, I have options down the line so one way or another it will ride again. I did spend some time on Foxy though, a new tyre, new chain and rear sprockets, this cycling lark aint cheap but at least i can do all that stuff myself.

Anyhow, the continuing February weather meant that my Friday ride was curtailed to just 40km - so much for getting back to normal. Saturday i decided to use the drier day for a walk to visit the Cabot Tower, something i've been meaning to do since i arrived in Bristol. Its nothing spectacular, a bit of a 19th century carbuncle built to celebrate 400 years since the Mathew departed the city and the subsequent 'discovery' of America. You can climb to the top via 109 spiral steps and unusual for these times, entry is free! It is worth the effort, the tower affords views across Bristol, at 102m ASL, a mere 10m short of the highest point in the city,

And so to today and the 'celebration' of another year passed. The forecast wasn't great but i was determined to make the best of it after a somewhat disrupted week. I made an early start into a morning struggling to get above 0c with a stiff north easterly but at least it was dry. Up onto the Cotswolds and across to Tetbury before looping around to Stroud where i stopped for a sort of birthday lunch - gammon and chips if you must know.

It was still dry as i started my return but as i climbed back up the Cotswold edge the first bits of damp arrived, expected and thankfully not too much of it. I dropped down to Wotton under Edge and with the wind behind made rapid progress back towards Yate, at which point the H2O started to fall heavier. But i was on a roll, covering the remaining distance at a goodly tempo i stopped the clock with over 1000m and 109km covered, not too bad for an old git in February.

But the day wasn't over, once i'd made myself presentable, i started on the celebratory 'dinner', roast lamb and stuff.

I had pudding in the fridge but by mutual consent thats been bumped to tomorrow!

There is of course new Gaby today, you can read Escape now, its a short one but i think you'll like it!

I'll be back midweek,
Tschussie,
Madeline Anafrid