Bikes have feelings too

I'm not going to be doing any riding over the next few days, because I've broken the rear derailleur, and for one reason and another I cannot get it fixed until next week. I took off the rear wheel a couple of evenings ago, to check that the puncture repairs that I had done on the side of the road were looking OK. I think I must have put the wheel back on crookedly, because as soon as I pressed on the peddle there was a crack, and the rear derailleur fell off. It's all looking very sad and I feel sorry for the poor bike. I suspect I could fit a new derailleur but I'm not sure that my skills are sufficient to get all the adjustments right. So I've booked the bike into the local bike shop so she can have some professional surgery.

It was suggested to me yesterday that I've just created the perfect rationale for needing to buy a second bike.  It's an appealing thought but, so far, I'm managing to cry "get thee behind me", 

and resist temptation. Apart form anything else, it would mean having to organise extra storage, and seems a bit like adding insult to injury. See, I'm already beginning to turn the idea over in my mind.

Meanwhile blog posting must go on, even without riding. So here is the cycle map rendering of last sunday's ride (apart from the section I failed to tag, which will have to wait until next week).

I particularly like the little trees. The real woods are deciduous, not fir, but I haven't yet  figured out how to make that happen, or even whether it is an option, on the cycle map.