Bike fixed and final training session

Last week didn't end that well with the broken seat post but I managed to borrow a replacement from my mate which happened to be a USE SX suspension seat post. Not only does it fit a treat but it helps smooth out the bumps which I'm sure I'll appreciate next week.

I also did a final ride with the bike fully loaded. I filled the panniers and bar bag to the top and headed out for an hour. I rode mainly on road with a bit of light off roading to see how the bike handles.

The truth is that off road it's pretty awful. It reminds me of when I used to ride my BMW F650 GS off road. It feels slow, unresponsive and moves around all over the place. I'm sure it'll be fine as long as I keep the speed down when I'm off the tarmac.

On road it was fine on the flat and downhill but the ups weren't as good. It was a bit breezy on Sunday and I rode gently up hill for about 3 miles. The weight and wind brake effect of the luggage was easily noticeable. Again I'll just have to pace myself on the C2C so I keep something in reserve for the big hills.

I'm not doing any more riding for the next few days now. I'm resting my aching muscles and concentrating on getting the packing sorted out before I set off Saturday morning.

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