Not something commonly associated
with seventy odd kilo tea total vegetarians perhaps but I appear to have been
bequeathed this excruciatingly painful affliction by my late father. Once
thought to be the consequence of a lavish/indulgent lifestyle, received wisdom
suggests gout arises from over production of uric acid, leading to joint
inflammation.
In this instance we’re talking
Podagra-a variant specifically affecting the big toe, which induces sporadic
yelps and agricultural utterances when donning snug fitting road/Audax
slippers. Anti-inflammatory drugs appear the medical profession’s default
option, though research suggests that antioxidants, concentrated vitamin C and
upping good (as distinct from junk) fluid intake play a central role in
exorcising said demon. Frankly, the mere thought of pharmaceutical cocktails
induces palpable resentment, so I’ll seek guidance from sympathetic
practitioners and explore naturally occurring alternatives.
Thankfully since riding elevates
my mood, I’ve been chasing through the lanes, battling some seriously stormy
conditions, hoping improved toxin flushing blood flow will reciprocate. Other
casualties included the chain pin function of this long serving Specialized EMT,
finally succumbing to fatigue after five years and countless road, trail and
indeed, workshop service. No danger of retirement mind, since everything else
remains absolutely A1-testament to tooling quality.
On a happier note, spent several
fun days in the midlands, which included seeing Jamie Cullen and support
perform live at Birmingham Symphony Hall. Lee Cooper has extracted the
Holdsworth’s fractured shell and is in the process of cleaning the tubes before
introducing its replacement. Temptation to add braze-on bottle bosses creeps in
every so often but rebuffed on the grounds of structural integrity-even the
most skilfully applied heat causes some very minor weakness, which is
unnecessary given sturdy, paint friendly adaptors are plentiful these days.
Nonetheless, this has prompted me to rethink livery-there’s no doubting RAL5012
is an extremely alluring colour, only something like RAL 5014 or 5024 signifies
a fresh start/new chapter without “specialist” cost implication.
Speaking of which, my titanium
fetish continues to blossom courtesy of this Swift-esque “Aire” saddle from
Harrogate based SPA cycles. http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s204p2863.
Saving 171g on its ferrous sibling adds £35 to the ticket price, though even
with regular feeding I’m banking on six hundred miles before my derriere’s
completely smitten. While harvesting used Alpha compatible Minolta lenses,
studio backdrops and Christmas presents online, an editorial cheque fluttering
through my letterbox induced spontaneous investment in a 400mm ti post, which
will play a lead role in the Ilpompino’s friskier makeover.
