Friday evenings Joe plays football at Moulton and I go for a quick spin. To mix things up I tend to do a bit of off road and the track of choice is the loop around Pitsford resevoir. Tonight I rode this on my own on the budget hybrid I usually save for family rides with the kids.
The reason for this is that I'm selling my Orange P7. That's not a decision I've take lightly because I love that bike. The truth is though that it's never been the right bike for me. I bought it when I was clueless, well more clueless than I am now! First of all, I put slicks on it and used it to commute. Then I rode a 75 miler with my friend who was doing the last leg of a tour of Britain from Spalding to Leicester via Grantham which should have told me that wasn't this bike's purpose in life but oh no I also did the 87 mile Oxford to Cambridge BHF charity ride on it. My goodness I got cramp that day! Finally I got a road bike and put the off road boots back on my P7. That was when I realised how wasted this bike is on me. Off road the P7 is just agile. However it's a bit small for me, has rigid forks and calliper brakes. I took her round Cannock Chase and much as the show stopping attention I got from being on this MTB icon I got shook to bits. So in September I want to get a hardtail 29er with disc brakes. I need to make space and I want funds for other bike bits so Orange is on Ebay as I type. I'll miss her but she doesn't owe me a thing!
The hybrid, a Falcon Nomad is noticeably a lower quality of bike. I may have set PRs round Pitsford but to be fair I was shattered after this tiny ride. It has no 'feel' like the Orange P7 and is spongey rather than responsive. September and my bike to work scheme renewal can't come quick enough. That's also going to be my lift, because when I get back from Australia at the end of August I imagine I'm going to be sulky whining whinge-bag!
Anyway, shop ride tomorrow and I'm leading!
Happy Pedaling
The library phone box in Pitsford village
Selfie
Orange P7
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