Yesterday I was reminded by Facebook that it’s 10 years since I passed my driving test. I never wanted to drive, but moving to Bala made it a necessity and I still try to use the car as little as possible.

Today I needed to go to Llangollen. I also wanted/needed a bike ride, so I loaded the tourer/winter bike and cycled there. It’s a 36 mile round trip.

I had asked the lovely people at Drosi Bikes to try to save my gravel wheel. It’s only 2 years old but constant battering has destroyed the freehub. It couldn’t be saved so I have now ordered some rather lovely replacements from Hunt Wheels.

Drosi Bikes is a community bike workshop where bikes are repaired and recycled and people are upskilled and educated about bike maintenance and sustainability. Even though they couldn’t help me this time, they are great people and it’s a wonderful resource. Go see.

I also took two jackets to Handmade Llangollen to have zips replaced. As my ex-husband will attest, I have always been heavy handed with zips and frequently break them.

Finally, I popped into Recycledkit, relieved myself of a few pounds (very few) and came out with a couple of nice jerseys, one of which will be perfect for gravel riding. Once my new wheels have arrived.