DESPITE a late night packing merch, I’m awake and up by 7.30am.

It’s dry and I go a bike ride before breakfast – an hour’s jaunt along some of the more gnarly West Highland Way tracks.

I’m back with plenty of time for a shower and breakfast before a Zoom meeting with a pal who’s keen to work with me on a social media project for music industry management college course. Problem is, both the bike and I are covered in mud, so most of the ‘spare’ time is eaten up cleaning the bike!

I have a really interesting chat with Dylan and he’s got some really good ideas and thoughts upon which he’ll base his project action plan.

After our Zoom session I get some work done in the studio then finish off cleaning and lubing the bike…and find my chain is already worn to the point where it needs replaced. Eek!

In between times the rinsten spring ‘device’ I ordered arrives. It’s a simple spring-like divide that mounts between the saddle and seat post to help take the sting out of sudden, unforeseen jolts. The kind of thing that’s been killing my back on some of the more testing off-road rides.

I manage to get it fitted, but there’s no time to try it out before my afternoon/evening shift in the village shop. I’m hoping this £40 contraption works out a as much cheaper alternative to suspension seat posts etc, We’ll see.

Back home after my shift I make dinner and then we both catch up on some work and I manage to work out what kind of chain – and bluddy tools – I need to sort the bike.

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