21 days to go

Today I cycled the same route as yesterday (but without the detour to the bicycle shop) in order to quantify the affect of adding two full rear panniers. Total distance: 25.5 miles.The panniers were filled with useless items including blankets for bulk and books for weight. Oddly, my average speed increased 0.4 mph over yesterday's, to 13.1 mph. Either I'm getting fitter, or yesterday was an off day.

The most frustrating moment of the ride was when an overweight middle-aged man overtook me on a hill. Obviously this made me furious so I tried to keep up with him, which was impossible. Then I realised he was riding an electricity-assisted bicycle. Shortly after, a passing white van used its screenwash to clean the windscreen but the nozzles were badly aimed and covered me in washing up liquid or whatever was in it. I think he did it on purpose.

Yesterday's adjustment of the saddle making it point less upwards thus putting more weight on my hands seems to have worked, although it has focussed my attention on the handlebars. They are not straight handlebars, but bow towards the body at the ends, which would make them more comfortable than completely straight bars, but the angle is too much. So when holding onto them firmly, I noticed my hands were trying to straighten the bar out, and a slight pain in the tendons on the tops of my hands has started to appear. I know exactly where I want to put my hands: either just off straight on the bar, or at the end of the bar at 45 degrees aimed upwards and inwards towards the front. I'll keep going as it is, but if the pain doesn't go away, I'll have to swap the bar for something else.