It seems we have gravel in our heads in the form of ´Ear Rocks´. OK, it´s not really gravel as we know it (as Spock might say in Star Trek), ratherthey are calcium crystals.

I suffer from vertigo although I do not panic, but just feel uneasy when at a cliff edge or similar. Completely different to my normal phobia is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (Benigner Paroxysmaler Lagerungsschwindel) which has kept me off my bike in the last week.

In your ear (the Vestibular Labyrinth) are calcium crystals that move depending on your position and help keep you balanced. These ´Ear Rocks´ can over time or because of trauma become stuck in one of the semi-circular ear canals and this causes you to feel dizzy or faint.

A telling sign is that when lying down you can feel faint when you turnover and the room can seem to be rotating in one direction. Thankfully, a daily ritual of exercises can dislodge the stuck ´Ear Stone´ and this has been the case for me.

The causes in my case could be – age related, a bash to the head when I fell off my bike a short time ago or having my Wisdom teeth extracted recently.

I like to ride gravel and it seems that you and I have gravel, but ´not as we know it (Jim)´ in our heads.

We rode sections of the Gö Strade Bianche route before I lose my final Wisdom Teeth on Monday and this will also keep me off my bike for another week. The ride was a welcome relief and if you´ve had a recent head bash etc., and feel faint at times do get yourself checked over.

46km gravel and asphalt.

(The main picture is of the 19.6% gravel climb at Klein Schneen which has a feel of Tuscanny about it)

The Ride
Garmin Connect: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5694797176
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/4211913745