So a short ride today – about 95km, but the dreaded headwind was back with a vengeance. That’s all of the Cassiar Highway into the wind and now half the Yellowhead Highway. I shall be traveling by sedan chair from now on if this wind continues. Snapping bears from between the silk curtains as my bearers trot, or maybe run, past them.
Not wanting to burden you with the pragmatic realities of this cycling lark, but I seem to have done something nasty with my right knee. I thought it was a bite from one of the millions of dread mosquitos, but it’s been hanging on for a while now and it certainly makes things a little less enjoyable. No swelling, but very isolated in it’s effect. Any doctors out there? Is it arthritis, mange or just malingering? Answers on an electronic postcard, please.
Tomorrow it’s off to Prince Rupert (cooeee!) and then the ferry to Vancouver island. From what I’ve gleaned from the interweb, it looks like a lovely place, but I’ll let you know when I get there what the sordid reality is like.
Sorry it’s not a particularly exhilarating read, but not a lot happened today, so here’s a photo of me riding a bike, yesterday.
Love
Pete
Patagonia Pete 
Wow, you are really cranking out the miles my friend. Be careful with the knee, you might want to intersperse a rest day or two until you get diagnosis – you dont want to do tendon damage. I can ask the doctor for the British Olympic Diving team (aka Giles’s wife Kay) if you like, but will need a bit more gory detail…
WHO took the photo????? Was it Mummy bear? i didn’t notice her Nikon.
PS: I note that you are not wearing a cycling helmet. *worried face* Did you swap headgear for the photo shoot or are you just wilfully ignoring the best health and safety advice?
Nx
sounds like you strained something (expert comment). If I were you I would hole up in Prince Rupert’s swankiest hotel and rest in a jacuzzi or similar. You can economize later by eating only Marathon (Snickers) all the way to San Francisco. Hope it gets better.
Hi Mate
For what it is worth, in regards to your knee. Check your saddle position, I raced with a dodgy knee for years and saddle position is everything. I will try and explain.
If you are getting pains in the lower back it normally means that your saddle is too high, as this forces your hips to rock. Hips should remain horizontal.
If you are getting pains in your knees your saddle could be too low, as this makes your knees over rotate. If you are getting pain in just one knee I am guessing that this is your lead knee, Namely the one you would put forward first when climbing stairs, or taking off on your bike. As this is one knee you also need to check your saddle position front and back. Set up goes like this. Get a length of string, tie a weight to one end . Now sit on your bike with the cranks level. Now hold the string just to the inside of your kneecap(follow the cap from the front to the inside and stop on the first hollow) the string should drop vertically straight through the pedal pivot. Now check the other leg. Like most people you will find that one leg is slightly longer, or shorter in your case, than the other. So saddle set up front to back goes like this. If you are a road cyclist and you need high/fast cadence (pedal spin) move the saddle forward so the string is in front of the pedal pivot. For more umph/ crank torque move the saddle back and the string just behind the pedal pivot. For a reference Tour de France riders have an average cadence of around 150 rpm and comfortable touring cyclists between 60 and 100 rpm. As you have been riding a while without any major issues I just check your position and if you decide to make any adjustment make them small only 3-6mm at a time. Ride a couple of miles and check/adjust. The set up above is what we used to set up riders and racers when I worked at the bicycle workshop and should be used as a starting/checking point.
Are you riding with toe clips , cleats or nothing? Toe clips will improve your efficiency a lot as you can pull and push on the pedals. They take a little getting used to but are worth it.
Well mate hopefully this has helped, but you probably knew all that stuff anyway. Good luck and safe travels.
Gav
Gav Cheers for all that. I got fairly comprehensively fitted for the bike, but I think I’ll try your suggestion of moving the saddle back and forth a bit. I still don’t know if it’s a genuine bike injury or a bite that’s gone a bit deep. Now the next tricky thing is trying to do all these adjustments on my own.
Cheers Pete
Sent from my iPhone
‘if you’ve got a problem and no oneelse can help, and if you can find him maybe you could hire The Bear Honker’………….
Sorry to hear your knee is playing up, maybe a couple of days rest would help, maybe give the Kosak dancing a miss for a while too.
The bear pic was brilliant but still wondering how you took the one of you on the bike?
I finally made the jump to SPDs yesterday, they look very smart, have had a go and they are brilliant, don’t know why I didn’t get them sooner ( I say that now, may change my mind when I forget what foot I’ve unclipped at traffic lights and look a prize tool falling over)
Hope your knee heals soon
Keep on honkin!
SPD’s are the way forward, my friend. And yes, you will fall off your bike at some point! Generally at the most embarrassing moment possible. Now you have to learn about ‘lifting’ then you’ll really fly.
Hi. Pete – yes, we are settling in our new abode. It’s been the right thing to do. Hope you will visit one day.
Right now I know there are other preoccupations for you. Loved the bear pic, and still wondering what my reaction would be if I cam across the figure in the next pic. The knee is worrying and I think you should take your sister’s advice. Lucky you heading for Vancouver Island: lovely place. At the rate you are going you’ll be in Victoria before one can honk.
Your postings are compulsive reading. Have you measured the number of words you are writing against the number of miles you are pedaling? Keep both going, anyway.
Interesting to know if you include the kms across from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy?!
Take care, and love from us all, Ba