I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike…

So much for buying two sets of Ice Spiker tyres! This afternoon we went out for a short run out to Herad and back, and would have managed fine on slick racing tyres.

Damae standing next to the bikes east of Herad.

A quick stop to tighten a crank bolt. Ice free asphalt.

 

Actually the mild weather is a bit of a blessing. It means we might get the chance to run in the studded tyres before we need to use them in anger. According to Schwalbe you need to cycle around forty kilometres on bare asphalt to bed the studs in correctly. Today we managed just over twelve kilometres which is better than nothing.  The tyres, when inflated to three bar, roll surprisingly well on tarmac. I tell you what, it felt good to be back in the saddle again!

Stan and Damae next to the bikes

Yes it was great to be out cycling again and we’re definitely going to be out again this winter. We’ll have to work out strategies to deal with wind chill though!

 

Drittvær…

Unseasonable weather brings beautiful light to the morning sky

The disappointingly autumnal weather has melted most of the snow but left patches of sheet ice. On Monday evening both Damae and I both found our own patches of ice and took a tumble. In my case landing heavily on my right shoulder bruising my right hip. The following day the doc said that she was pretty sure nothing was broken and gave me permission to eat lots of paracetamol and ibuprofen.

The upside of the warm weather is some amazing clouds and light. To enjoy the views you need take your eyes away from the task of trying to find patches of ice on the ground for just a moment. Ideally you need to stop and stand still, rotating on a secure patch of ground. If you do this, you will be treated to a feast of misty and atmospheric views.

Yes the “drittvær” is  generally not much fun at this time of year. But, as the famous Dutch ex-international footballer Johan Cruijff once pointed out, “Elk nadeel heb z’n voordeel.”

 

Ten billion trees

According to research carried out by Aksel Granhus of the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute there are more than ten billion trees in Norway. That works out at fifteen thousand trees per head of population. The estimate including all saplings and seedlings is around eighty billion trees.

Well that will give us something to aim for with our new chainsaw!

Reported in the Hallingdølen 22/11/2012