England : Rutland Rutland Ride Mon 4th June

[dr_pink]

I was wheezing a lot on the ride yesterday and I woke up this morning feeling very wheezy and my eyes were streaming. I reckon that I might be sensitive to the pollen we were exposed to riding past those fields of oil seed rape yesterday. I've never suffered from full-blown hay fever but have had this wheeziness at times in past summers.

I was chatting to TMN about this on the ride. I have just been diagnosed with asthma - after a few years of me and the asthma nurse trying to figure out what's going on - April/May last few years has been exceptionally bad. All this has happened since moving from Cambridgeshire, so probably a lot to do with change in surrounding crops etc. In Cambs oil seed rape never got to me at all (but we kept bees there - and it is well documented that eating local honey helps hayfever/pollen aggravated asthma). This year has been worse apparently - to do with the long wet period in April/May and the effect on the pollen distribution or something. May be worth a visit to your GP or if there's an asthma nurse in your local practice.

 

[Alun]

Looks like an excellent ride, wouldn't mind coming along on your next one TF!

 

[dr_pink]

I may be at the back with cycling but when it comes to cake then I'm
well at the front :-D

shame you couldn't make it to ours afterwards - caketastic! we still have lots left (I baked a bumper batch hoping to tempt Potsy along - but forgot to post the cake photo on here the night before) so pop round for a cuppa sometime! (although best be quick as TF will have finished them soon..)

 

[potsy]

Looks like an excellent ride, wouldn't mind coming along on your next one TF!

Me too Al, be nice to have a flat ride for a change

ps-Dr-pink, put those cakes in the freezer

 

[totallyfixed]

Ok last of the pictures, there are more but not quite so good quality:

Just having left the cafe and crossing one of 4 A roads but we never had to ride on one

The last hill!

Ice cream stop, his 'n hers [I won't mention the bikes ] ColinJ DESPERATELY trying to find his money

Picture captions welcome! Mine - dr_pink playing an imaginary piano to an attentive audience apart from oldfatfool who's hand is stuck in a tube.....

This is what happens when you tell them there are no more hills

ColinJ

Forgot to say, cycleruk left us a couple of miles after the cafe stop as he only lives 5 miles away and he cycled to Oakham for the start, see you soon. Poacher left us a mile from the end to ride back to Wymondham to get his lift back, hope to see you again before too long. Finally I snapped this one off as ColinJ was carrying his bike over the railway bridge, great to see you ColinJ.

 

[totallyfixed]

Looks like an excellent ride, wouldn't mind coming along on your next one TF!

I take none of the credit Alun, it's where I live that makes these rides so nice, in fact I have difficulty in choosing a route because there are so many options. There is a good chance I will do another in July, not sure of dates yet but watch this space.

 

[cornishjock]

still cakes left . Damn..I was only being polite in eating ...err...3...could've gone for 5 more at least...totally scrumptious. I must confess, still smiling from yesterday.....great company and beautiful scenery. As for the age time warp, I was also amazed at the youthful looks of ColinJ and TF (can only comment on those 2 due to knowing their age...oh and my good wife Janeyb who doesn't look a day over..32 35 29 !) ....must be a cycling thing for sure. I've done nights for 12years, which has prematurely aged me (I'm 27) , but I'm now hoping after a few more years (decades) of riding, I may in fact counteract that and bask in the joy of being told that I also look far younger than I really am.
Until then
CJ aka Jonny

 

[ColinJ]

The wheezing problem seems to have lessened during the day. It might be a problem if I lived somewhere different but there isn't much oil seed rape round my neck of the woods. It helps not having proper summers too, I suppose!

I sat next to a slightly pissed but interesting man on the train back from Oakham. We had a rambling conversation about political & military history - Hitler not learning the mistakes of history and turning on Russia, the UK/USA copying the Russians and going into the Afghan mess, the bombing of the King David hotel in Jerusalem in 1946, 'Coventration' and so on ...

 

[cycleruk]

Ok last of the pictures, there are more but not quite so good quality:




Forgot to say, cycleruk left us a couple of miles after the cafe stop as he only lives 5 miles away and he cycled to Oakham for the start, see you soon. Poacher left us a mile from the end to ride back to Wymondham to get his lift back, hope to see you again before too long. Finally I snapped this one off as ColinJ was carrying his bike over the railway bridge, great to see you ColinJ.

Looks like the ride back for every one was a good one (even the weather looks like it was getting beter!).
The ride was another cracker, rutland really is a nice place to ride and it was a pleasure to meet some old and new faces. I headed back to the shop and spent some time looking around before heading off to take a quick look at the trails, i think a new bike bulid is in order! .

Looking forward to the next rutland ride tf see you soon all

 

[Angel-Diva]

Yes I think you are right DP i'm sure I will give in to the cleats and handlebars soon! It looks like I have had a 'pub' stop rather than cake stop!
Yes TF has bravely offered to help with the downhills... in the meantime I am going to seek a local hill and do some practicing - preferably out of the public eye!! Janey is my inspiration!

The only reason you wiggle side to side is those handlebars - so much harder to climb on them. It won't be long before you're tempted to exchange them back for the original drops I bet!

I also hear that TF offered to take you out to train you on downhills... Janeyb has also signed up (now keen to beat her new record...!)

 

[Angel-Diva]

Aww.. thanks

shame you couldn't make it to ours afterwards - caketastic! we still have lots left (I baked a bumper batch hoping to tempt Potsy along - but forgot to post the cake photo on here the night before) so pop round for a cuppa sometime! (although best be quick as TF will have finished them soon..)

 

[Angel-Diva]

Look forward to seeing you at the next one

Looks like the ride back for every one was a good one (even the weather looks like it was getting beter!).
The ride was another cracker, rutland really is a nice place to ride and it was a pleasure to meet some old and new faces. I headed back to the shop and spent some time looking around before heading off to take a quick look at the trails, i think a new bike bulid is in order! .

Looking forward to the next rutland ride tf see you soon all

 

[Angel-Diva]

Yes another ride in July please!

I take none of the credit Alun, it's where I live that makes these rides so nice, in fact I have difficulty in choosing a route because there are so many options. There is a good chance I will do another in July, not sure of dates yet but watch this space.

 

[Janeyb]

Yes I think you are right DP i'm sure I will give in to the cleats and handlebars soon! It looks like I have had a 'pub' stop rather than cake stop!
Yes TF has bravely offered to help with the downhills... in the meantime I am going to seek a local hill and do some practicing - preferably out of the public eye!! Janey is my inspiration!

I've never been anyone's inspiration before - certainly not on a bike. But I've come up with a plan for next ride AD. If you pull on those brakes on a downhill - you're banned from cake (toasties, crisps, ice cream etc) at the cafe stop. Let's see how quickly that'll get you racing downhill!

 

[Angel-Diva]

I can't stop laughing..very good!! Yes that will get me down those hills!

I've never been anyone's inspiration before - certainly not on a bike. But I've come up with a plan for next ride AD. If you pull on those brakes on a downhill - you're banned from cake (toasties, crisps, ice cream etc) at the cafe stop. Let's see how quickly that'll get you racing downhill!