Back out turfing in the rain again yesterday, and a few more observations to make. First one is that annoying phenomenon when the mobile phone screen gets wet and the turf man icon gets a life of its own and jumps about like crazy. I’ve tried using cling film or a self-seal polyethene baggie and while that works after a fashion, is far from ideal. Kind of difficult to actually see the screen at times. My phone is a Google Pixel 8 Pro and is waterproof so getting wet isn’t a problem generally, but I do wonder if there’s something that could be done? A coating of some sort perhaps?
The next problem will be well known if you wear spectacles. I find it really annoying when my specs are anything but crystal clear. Wearing a cap with a peak helps in the falling rain but yesterday was that light floating Scots mist and I found myself stopping at every second or third zone to wipe the specs clear. I’ve been keeping a clean handkerchief in the handlebar bag just for that purpose. Lens coatings help but aren’t perfect. Mind you, once you wipe your specs clear you see it’s not as bad as you think, or perhaps it’s even worse.
Final mention is what a difference a few millimetres make on your mudguards. When I initially got the Ribble CGR SL, I fitted 30 mm wide tyres along with 45 mm wide mudguards and all was fine and dandy. Then I changed the tyres to 40 mm wide and I was getting soaked from wheel spray. So, bought and fitted a set of 55 mm wide mudguards and now so much better. Dry feet and dry legs. Bliss. Also allowed a bit more clearance between tyre and mudguard for those muddy off-road sessions.
A visit to my mum in Selkirk, down in the Scottish Borders, meant minimal time for turfing today but yet again fellow Team Scotland members Cruachan and Pedro_delb, along with my wife and fellow turfer ChoccyMuffin, had been through and cleared my local patch of Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith, some of which I was able to take again in the evening, a very dreich and misty evening at that. Hope to turf further afield tomorrow. Back soon.
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