Your ride today.... (part 1)

[PeteXXX]

As I didn't finish work until midnightish, I got everything ready for today's ride before I went to work yesterday. Bike checked and lubed up, clothes ready to jump into this morning an 07:45, Porage in the fridge ready to cook this morning. Even the water bottles were filled. The forecast wasn't great, to be honest, but as the three of us had planned to do a Century ride that I sorted a few days ago, we were going whatever the weather gods threw at us. It was drizzling when I got up, and one of the chaps heard thunder rumbling around on his side of town, but by the time I left home, it'd stopped raining Not to be deterred by any more inclement weather, we met up on time at the Canoe centre.
Within half a mile of setting off, the p*ncture fairy struck Bob's front tyre. Grrrr. 20 mins later, we continued on our way.

Some of it was roads I'd ridden before, including the reverse route of Day One of the Women's Tour t'other week. When I route a ride, I like to try and put some new roads in, just to keep the interest going and to show and see different places.
We rode from Northampton to Rothwell and Desborough, the on through Pipewell to the hills around Medbourne and Uppingham.
We stopped at one of my favourite places, Medbourne Post Office, for a tea and some home made cake, and sat on the green outside for 20 mins just taking in the bird sounds and sunshine..

On the green outside the cake-stop.
The payback for the rest there is that it's straight into a Cat 4 climb up to Nevil Holt School, but the descent on the other side is wonderful! A mile long descent that, by the end, I had flies on my teeth I was smiling so much Well worth the effort getting up there..

We worked our way up Stockerston Hill to Uppingham, another Cat 4 and I was happy to get a PB today. From there, we were on undulating countryside across to Oundle where we called into the bike shop there to look at a few bits and pieces. What a friendly couple the owners are! Quite happy to top up our water bottles and lend a track pump to help sort out yet another p*ncture in Bob's front tyre that I noticed as he was wandering around the shop.

I can thoroughly recommend a visit if you're in or around Oundle. You couldn't ask for nicer people to run a bike shop

And it's right next door to this place! I must take the car there one day and fill the boot with a few barrels of this stuff

Back towards home via Brigstock (Hillbilly country) Burton Latimer, where we rode past my place of work, and through the lanes to get home.

Quite happy with the day as it didn't rain at all. It was warm enough to be nice, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable. The only rain I got was when I was sat in the garden at home enjoying a post-ride Guinness..

101 miles ridden, with 4,500 feet of climbing.


http://www.strava.com/activities/143504355

 

[cosmicbike]

Legs felt ok this morning, no doubt in part thanks to the morphine, so aimed for the town to get some new door keys cut. A very steady 3.4 miles at an average of 7.4mph, but really pleased with the effort and in no more pain now than before the pedal, so that must be good. What happens when I'm off the morphine is something else of course...

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Glorious weather in Leicester today, so went and did my second 100 miler in two days, boy was it hard, much kudos to all you lads and lasses that do long distance events, I am shattered.

I knew I would struggle, so rather than a loop I biked 50 odd miles out to the edge of Spalding knowing that when I was ready to quit, I couldn't.

105 miles of beautiful weather, my legs are gutted that the forecast for tomorrow is horrendous

http://www.strava.com/activities/143827271

 

[Stonechat]

Wow that is something - I am just planning a linger ride and 100 miles is not even on the radar for me yet,
Chapeau

 

[PeteXXX]

After yesterdays 100 miler, I just needed to stretch the legs a bit so I popped out to do a few bits and pieces. I called into a mate's to give him his £100 share of some recent lottery winnings but he was out. Never mind. Next time..

I'd headed around the top ring road, and a few side streets to get there, so to complete the circuit of the town I dropped down to the riverside behind Carlsberg and then along my usual Washlands bike paths and tracks.

Not a great pic, but lovely to see 6 or 7 cygnets paddling along behind mother or father.

One of the off-piste tracks leading from the main bike path, usually flooded or swampy but OK to ride now.

Next, and finally, was back up my usual hill to home through Great Billing village.

The old Post Office.

And

One of the two churches in the village. It always reminds me of a Greek Church.

A quick 22 miles in lovely sunshine. And I've still got the £100 in my pocket!

Edited link.. http://www.strava.com/activities/143826925

 

[Peteaud]

Day off work today and luckily Mrs Aud also had some time free so a pootle out to out favourite cake stop was called for.

Left with the sky cloudless and bright sunshine, although out of the sun in the shade it was slightly chilly. We headed out of town on our normal route up the old train line, along the old abandoned road and through the Village of Donyatt.

The old road.

The old road with mother nature taking over.

Climbing the small hill we turned off to Horton, before heading back across the main road at an easy crossing point, we headed through the brilliantly named Beercrocoombe and under the old Chard railway (closed as part of the beeching cuts, many of the old bridges still survive).

Old railway bridge.

Stopping off for a hot sausage roll, coffee and cake we sat in the sun for 3/4 hours just watching the world go by.

Time to get going back home and seeing as the helicopters were flying about we decided to go back via the old airfield that the RAF use for messing about on at Ilton.

Heading back the clouds had been gathering, and whilst not cold it had started to cool a bit, so we headed along the old trainline, through the old station and back into Chard and home.

Mrs Aud waiting for the train

Mrs Auds pic of a Cycling God

All in only a 23 mile ride but nice to just get out and amble about in the sun.

 

[EltonFrog]

19.08 miles today: After a bit of buggering about looking for my credit card I cycled along the K&A canal again to Reading for a little light shoppage. It’s a lovely ride in beautiful surroundings along the canal until you get about 2 miles from the centre of town then it starts to get a bit pikey and suburban. Some of the canal side is stunning and the wild life today was out and about, ducks, rabbits, swans, dragon flies and chavvy kids trying to start up stolen scooters under the motor way bridge.

A grounds man nearly offed me with the long end of his strimmer when he decided to bend down and pick something without looking around him. I couldn’t warn him ‘cos he had ear defenders on, he did apologise though.

I discovered quite by accident that Reading has lockable bike sheds on the ground floor of the MS car park, I made use if that, all you need is your own padlock and they are free to use, I was most impressed

I did my shopping in town; Reading is charmless carbuncle of a place, got on my bike and made my way back, where I saw the geese and gosling pictured below, by the A33 that goes over the canal, which bought a smile to face. Looking at the photo later I couldn’t help notice the start contrast to the family in foreground to the ugly conurbation that is being built in the background.

A panoramic of a lock near Theale, with two WW2 bomb shelters, the canal seems to have these all along it. Perhaps Hitler was planning to invade by barge.

Nice innit?

Try getting ya bike through that with full luggage. You can't I've tried it.

Not so nice!

Bike Shed.

Jurassic Golf anyone?

The car park

Happy Family

That duck in the distance was racing me along the canal. It won.

 

[FeistySquirrel]

Only a very quick spin today, sat around, bought out of my mind, and too late to do any serious mileage.

13.2 miles.

Again, nearly taken out by someone not checking mirrors, how ever; he did apologize about 600 times

http://www.strava.com/activities/143899758/analysis

Once again, Strava speeds are wrong... They where in fact;

Avg Speed:17.0 mph
Avg Moving Speed:17.7 mph
Max Speed:33.7 mph

Ohhhh yeah, broke the speed limit on one of the roads head wind too


I also did a short sprint down the sea front ... But I didn't press 'Resume' on my Garmin, and it took my a while to notice.. GRR

 

[john59]

@PeteXXX what the heck is that link at the bottom of your post?

Lol, I've just noticed it as well!

John

 

[PeteXXX]

@PeteXXX what the heck is that link at the bottom of your post?

WTF!! No idea where that came from! Gone now

 

[PeteXXX]

Lol, I've just noticed it as well!

John

Ditto!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

This morning was one of those mornings where I had to do that chant... "I will be warm enough, I will be warm enough, I will be warm...." for the first 1km in dense shade - it doesn't get sunshine and it stays cold... Once out and up into the village life soon warmed up in the ...
Not much to report about the way out... it was nice, pleasant, everyone seemed in a good mood and even the police car that 'caught' me breaking the 30mph speed limit into town only raised a wry smile when I gave him a sheepish grin!

Once on to the single track lanes, with the sun out it was beautiful and I could not resist the temptation for some photos...

The spots are swallows...

Some wheat (I think)... The swallows were having great fun flying around the field just above the crop.

Coming home again was also very nice, all the drivers seemed really helpful, either holding back and waiting until it was safe to overtake or even actually helping me at junctions including on guy on a slip road to a dual carriageway (70mph speedlimit) who held back and created a gap for me to get across on the cycle lane. Usually I just have to wait until the next light sequence further up the road and getting across usually needs 2 of these gaps and a miracle on the otherside!

I stopped to try to photo this cloud formation, but could not really get anywhere near enough of it in, or a decent foreground to really show what I was seeing... shame really but that's the disadvantage of only carrying the small compact digital camera.

There were loads of the white clouds (thin ones) all leading to the same point. I think I may have around 1/2 of them I this picture!

http://www.strava.com/activities/143923251 69.5km of glorious sunshine all day! (oh and 4 or 5 hours of gardening again! - they may run out of weeds some time soon (please!))

 

[Donger]

Beautiful sunny day today, so decided at the last minute to go out and do a variation of my usual Severnside ride. While out from Gloucester towards Fretherne on a 20 miler, I chanced upon another cyclist who just happened to recognise me from the Windrush Winter Warm-up audax back in February. "Weren't you wearing a "Fat Lad at the Back" shirt?" he asked. I thought that was pretty impressive recall, since I was neither doubled over in pain nor grimacing with the effort today, and I was wearing a different shirt. I guess I must be too distinctive and recognisable to risk taking up armed robbery as a new career move.

The Severn was glassy calm today, and I couldn't resist taking a few pictures:

1. The Anchor Inn at Epney. A perfect spot for watching the Severn Bore. I once raced the wave along this stretch of waterfront, and it was going at 14.5 mph. I used to go elvering on this bit of the river bank after my family moved to Epney. There used to be an elver station next door to the pub, where they would write you a ticket for the weight of your bucketful and then pay you for all your tickets at the end of the week. This used to be quite a useful supplement to the local economy. It certainly paid for a few pints in the Anchor with my brother. Sadly, the demand for eels from as far afield as Japan has led to overfishing, and the Epney elver station, along with the one at Framilode, closed long ago. If you zoom in above the bike, you can just about make out the Malverns in the distance.


2. The flood dyke at Priding near Framilode Passage, (accessible from Saul, but not from Framilode). In some places a brick wall, in others a grass bank. The river really does rise this high on a big tide.


3. Reflections of little fluffy clouds. May Hill, in the background, is visible from just about everywhere in Glos, and is reputed to be capable of growing only 99 trees in the clump at the top.Total twaddle, of course.


4. And still they keep crossing .... for reasons that have baffled philosophers since the invention of roads. This chook had obviously not seen Chicken Run, as it was heading back in to the local chicken farm between Priding and Fretherne. Perhaps he was on day release.


Bumped into the same cyclist, (a CTC member from Huntley called Paul, who turned out to be an accomplished LEJOGger), on my way back home, and we rode along together for another 5 miles or so. Always nice to chat with fellow cyclists as you go.

That's it for now. Cheers! Donger.

 

[postman]

A bonus day today.Our replacement garage door had not arrived in stock.But i did not find out till i rang,oh i am not coming,that's ok,but.Why not tell us,so at 10-30 off i go.Otley .
Now on Saturday i went to Embsay Steam Railway,now it is not hilly but my legs ached,and it was not till Monday that i understood why.My mate Dave is 70 i am 64,so for the past two years, rides i have planned have been going towards York,Knaresbrough,Tadcaster,Wetherby,Easingwold,Boroughbridge Linton on Ouse Benningborough Hall,all as flat as a pancake.
So today i started a training plan to add more uppy than flat.So out to Otley and up out of Askwith a nice one and a half mile rise.
Well i mentally broke it down into sections in my head.Focus on a tree go for it.A gatepost go for it.An entrance to a field go for it,well you get the idea,well i got up in one go no stopping,the last 100 yards or so i was doing 6mph,and shouting go on,gon go on.Puffing and panting i had made it.Next was a freewheel three miles or so back to Otley and a latte,Job well done.But after i left the ride home was me the bike and road melted into one,it was superb 31 only but it felt great.

the last picture is the mile and a half up out of Askwith.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

The lads I work with, one is living it up in Spain, the other building kitchen cabinets today..
Me? I said sod it..Gimme a holiday, boss

Now where would my personal Giro take place...

I'd promised myself a trip to the Isle of Bute so after watching some video footage the other night from the 2013 CC Ecosse 3 Ferries trip(on You Tube).

I caught the ferry from Wemyss Bay and soon as I landed in Rothesay, it was off along the road heading towards Ascog, the weather was sunny, sunny and sunny but a cooling breeze into the face on the first stage, a climb up past Mount Stuart (if on Bute, you must visit this place)..Rising up the steepest ascent I would come across all day then I was soon stopping around the war memorial to bag a geocache before heading to take a quick look at Kilchattan Bay (what happened in this hamlet in our '70s visits would surely be forgotten about by now). As you head down the gradual hill from the War Memorial, the panoramic view is one to savour,

The Arran Hills

Another cache bagged at Kingarth then it was down a side road to visit the ruins of St Blane's Church. On this part of the island views of Arran dominate the horizon and today Goat Fell and its environs looked fantastic...and maybe a visit

St Blane's Church

It was then back up past Bute Airfield, a grass field and as I approached the unmistakable sound of a prop plane passed overhead, swooped the entire length of the field then headed out Kintyre way.
I decided that a nosebag had to be at Ettrick Bay so 30 mile after I left the pier, I sat down to a burger and home fires, lovely...sod cake when delicacies like this are available.
I headed back along to join the road back to the pier but no, I decided to head out and check out the route to Rhubodach just in case I eventually do this 3 or 5 Ferries thing...

Nostalgia for any 3 Ferries cyclist

I turned back and was soon racing along the promenade road as I saw the ferry coming in to dock.
Safely on the ferry, I clicked and saved the Garmin...
46 miles of absolute enjoyment.
I know it is a popular cycle but if you haven't been..GET yourself across.
The cycle signage is excellent and the road surfaces are excellent and for the views?
Find out yourself