MOT Time....

Ah yes, that time of year again. When the vehicle you've been otherwise content with for the last twelve months needs the official nod to stay on the road and only then do you wonder if having that funny noise dealt with earlier would've been a good idea....

Anyhow, I chose to take my T5 down to Hangar 111 for it's annual service and MOT. While this means a 40 mile drive it's worth it for the peace of mind. Greg, Marianne and their team maintain a number of successful racing Lotus Elises so the T5 shouldn't pose them any problems. It also means I have a relatively good excuse to get a decent ride in coming home. I decided to take take fatty with me, it's first ride back in the UK after our win at the 66º North Ultra Race, and ride the coast back home.

The strong North Easterly wind made sure that the lack of climbing didn't make it too easy for me. A quick stop part way in at Sizewell allowed me the chance to have a snack stop in the shadow of the Nuclear Power Station! 

Mid-ride coffee, cake and sausage gap stop

A lot is made of Fat Bikes and their ability to "float" on surfaces that would otherwise scupper a normal bike. I was impressed first hand in Finland how a couple of psi extra taken out of the tyres made a world of difference to float and progress on deeper snow. However the shingle between Minsmere and Dunwich has defeated me whenever I have tried riding it. I start off OK and gradually as I click down through the gears you know the inevitable is about to happen and you just hop off and walk. At first I thought it was my original Fatty's 1x10 gearing being too high, then it was too high pressures perhaps...fact is 4.0 tyres don't cut it when the going is as far from firm as it can be. This is irksome as the Fatty doesn't have the clearances for anything larger.

Fatty can just about cope with this size of gravel