The other half has adjusted my dynamo, as advised in the comments, and all is now sweetness and (much) light. It got its first test last night, down to choir and back and didn’t even skip out as I went through the perma-puddle that guards our front gate. Instead of grinding along into my own headwind, I practically flew back from the village, the light filling the road; if anything it felt faster than riding during the day. I even had enough breath left to sing – one joy of an empty road is that you can pelt along belting out I’m a Believer (we had been doing a tribute to Davy Jones), disturbing nobody but the owls.
It’s getting the real final test tonight, though: down to the pub and back. Social life, here I come.
Update
Following extensive field trials on the return from the pub I can report that it didn’t slow me down one bit – of course, I had made sure I’d prepared with a proper sports drink* this time. I can also report that it may need a bit of adjustment for use in the p*ssing rain. Clearly I shouldn’t advertise my movements to the Weather Gods in advance
*Guinness
Relief. Was worrying about you getting legs like a photoshop job. Right there with you singing I’m a Believer. He must have been my earliest heartthrob. Me and a schoolfriend actually stood outside his house in Manchester one Saturday morning when he was there. Such children we were…
relief for me too!
Excellent news !
yup, thanks for the advice!
That’s good to know as it means I can just use a side dynamo on my bike for the UK in summer…
I knew you would be fine with a dynamo once you had it set up properly, too many people knock dynamos simply because they don’t know how to set them up and so find them useless.
Andy – if it’s a typical UK summer, it may need some adjusting for riding in the rain…
John – I’d spent enough I was prepared to be persistent