Di2 first ride & Base

Week 52, the last week of 2016. What a year! Lots of ups and downs, injuries, illness, punctures, wins, podiums, personal bests, and lots of fun!

Training this week was to be all base. Building up from 1 1/2 hours on Monday to 3 hours on Saturday with rest days on Wednesday and Sunday. With the kid's grandparents still around we managed to get a few rides in on our own this week. Monday Hilda was with them, so Malin and I rode together with Albert in the trailer, meaning if I towed then we were a tad more evenly matched. A good sign was that Malin found it a bit slow, she's starting to get some form back finally.

Tuesday was supposed to be 2 hours, but we had planned to ride MTB in Genarp while my folks took the kids to a flea market and cafe, and my lil' sis Becky would ride with us. She found it a bit tough going, so the 2 hours became just over an hour. But the trails were dry and riding well, so we had fun anyway. Also a first test for the XT Di2 that had now been fitted to my training bike.

Poor Becky didn't know what she had let herself in for. :-)

Thursday 2 hours was with both kids and both trailers this time. The weather was miserable, cold, windy and rainy. A testament to our Thule Chariot Cheetahs was how warm and dry both kids were after the 2 hours were up. Malin and I were both freezing cold and wet through, Hilda didn't want to get out when we got home as she was so 'comfy and warm'. :-)

Friday's ride allowed Malin and I to ride MTB together for the first time in over a year! It was great fun. Malin fed Albert one last time while in cycle kit, and we then rode directly from home to maximise our time on the bikes. This means a bit of tarmac in town, and then some gravel road bashing, but it's well worth it when arriving at the trails in Skrylle. We rode a lap of the course and were amazed at how well it was riding. The trails were pretty beaten up last winter with lots of traffic and newly laid singletrack, but this year after some much needed trail maintenance the ground was pretty dry and drained well. We had a great time riding together and found a good flow on the techy trails. Malin got better and better as the time went on, and both of us felt like we could have ridden another couple of laps, but our time was up. Back home to feed the little monster. :-)

Saturday I would be riding alone, I had thought about going to watch the Musette New Year's cross, and maybe even racing. But after a 'tough' night, I was not really up to riding a head-wind all the way to Malmö to race, and then ride home. So I decided instead to get the train to Malmö and then ride home. I arrived in time to see the start and then cheered everybody on in the usual sarcastic CX style (Sorry Christian ;-) ). Then it was time to warm up with an extended ride home. My plan was to ride out from Sibbarp to 'Mormor's' house near Hyllie, then the normal route to the meeting point of Onsdagsspurten (Blomsterkiosken). Then I would pick up on the Onsdasspurten route until the road to Bara - where I would head to Genarp, then home via Björnstorp, Torna Hällestad & Dalby. My plan was however to be slightly altered when it took me an hour and a half to find my way to somewhere near my original reference point.... All the streets in Malmö look the same. ;-P The cold weather also took it's toll on the Garmin, and the battery died before I got home. The hour in the cold watching the race must have been the killer, although the battery life is definitely worse on the 520 than on my old 500. Even with the Bluetooth function turned off!

Yes, Phille is wearing shorts and a short-sleeved jersey..... Nutter.

So, two rides on the new Di2. Thoughts? Took some time to work out how to adjust the shifting without instructions, but once I did, the shifting was smooth. Although a little slower than I was expecting it to be. I want to spend some time to get the ergonomics right, and play a little with the settings next. More to come on my findings!

Remember kids, BMC bikes are fast!