Old Plodder
Living at the top of a steep 2 mile climb
- Location
- Surrey/Hants border
I think it's when they all huddle in the corner of a field under trees. Lying down they are chewing the cud.
Your ride today.... (part 1)
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
- Status
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welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Just a quick ride today. My depression has bitten me in the arse and, although I love riding, someone has nicked my mojo so I've not been out since the 19th August.
Tonight I rode my little 5 mile loop and added on an extra half a mile at the beginning. Nearly totalled by some plonker in a Saab who decided to go head to head with a Series 2 Landy. My money would have been on that Landy - just for information's sake you understand - the Saab backed off very sensibly.
Saab chap passed me blaring his horn. I am not sure what I had done to incur his wrath, I had rear lights on and a bright orange top. It's not like I changed my name to Hobbes and snuck up on him. Poor chap probably has a micro willy and is just letting me know. That'll be it.
5.61 miles in 23:18 so averaging 14 mph ish.
Tonight I rode my little 5 mile loop and added on an extra half a mile at the beginning. Nearly totalled by some plonker in a Saab who decided to go head to head with a Series 2 Landy. My money would have been on that Landy - just for information's sake you understand - the Saab backed off very sensibly.
Saab chap passed me blaring his horn. I am not sure what I had done to incur his wrath, I had rear lights on and a bright orange top. It's not like I changed my name to Hobbes and snuck up on him. Poor chap probably has a micro willy and is just letting me know. That'll be it.
5.61 miles in 23:18 so averaging 14 mph ish.
What were you saying about Saab drivers the other day?
welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Up onto the Cotswold Edge for a steady-paced 36 mile training ride today. Rode through a stiff East wind into Stroud (about 10 miles away), where I got caught in heavy traffic. They have a multiple roundabout like the "Magic Roundabout" in Swindon, but the traffic doesn't move as freely. I got stuck behind a few curb huggers for half a mile or more before eventually getting past and heading off up the Slad Valley. The steepest bit is at the Stroud end, but the gradient soon eases off and you carry on steadily, though relentlessly, uphill all the way through Slad to Birdlip. For anyone who is new to cycling, I can really recommend this route up onto the escarpment, as it is way gentler (if longer) than any other route I know out of the Severn Valley.
Passed The Woolpack at Slad, but didn't call in for a pint this time. If you have ever read "Cider with Rosie", this is where most of it was set - the Ground Zero of Laurie Lee Country.
Once up on top of the Cotswolds, there was quite a stiff easterly wind today, and a couple of tractors towing trailors of hay blew thousands of bits of hay or straw all over me. They seem to have huge multi-storey haystacks in the fields round there, and all the farmers seem to be getting the hay in at the same time.
When I got to Birdlip, I took a little detour to the Barrow Wake Viewpoint, from where you can get great views of the limestone escarpment and the Vale of Gloucester, but it was a bit hazy today. In good weather it is one of the best views around, but you have to get out of there before dark - when it becomes a seriously dodgy hangout for quite squalid goings on. Somebody once got a picture into the Citizen (newspaper) by putting up an official-looking brown sign saying "Official Dogging Site" on the main road near Barrow Wake! My niece lives down below the Air Ballon roundabout and has to have blackout curtains in her bedroom window because of all the flashing headlights. (Apparently it's a way of saying "Yoohoo!"). I didn't hang around for long in my lycra.
Went back along the escarpment, which runs parallel to the Slad Valley. Birdlip Woods and Cranham Woods are fantastic to ride through, with a smooth road surface and some big sweeping downhill curves to swoosh along all the way to Painswick. You get lots of really good views of Gloucester and the Severn Vale between the trees as you go.
From there, I hung a right and climbed up out of the village over a big long steep hill towards Painswick Beacon. We came along here on our club ride the other week, but I took it at my own pace this time, and didn't bother with the high speed descent into Upton St Leonards, but turned left instead and went along a narrow track along the escarpment as far as the village of Edge instead. I love this little track, where I sometimes come to watch deer an hour or so before sunset. They seem to live in the tree line along the escarpment, and come out to nick maize from the fields at dusk. I once had 3 of them leap across the road in front of me and scarper into the woods. There is a little "folly" (for want of a better word) near the Painswick Beacon end of the track, which I think is something to do with the nearby Prinknash Abbey estate. It seems to be falling into disrepair now, which is sad. What I like about it is the religious quotation "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills", and the fact that it is perfectly aligned for a fantastically framed view of the distant Malverns. Unfortunately the weather was hazy today, so you couldn't see the hills through the frame. On a nice day, it is worth a little detour if you are in the area, though.
Well, it has happened again! 10 minutes ago, my laptop went "pop", felt as hot as a wok and stopped working again. I have finished this off on Mrs Donger's laptop, and can only see reference numbers where the pictures should be. Hope they print out alright. Anyway, I'm off to give my computer a damn good thrashing with a branch, Basil Fawlty style. See you. Cheers, Donger.
Passed The Woolpack at Slad, but didn't call in for a pint this time. If you have ever read "Cider with Rosie", this is where most of it was set - the Ground Zero of Laurie Lee Country.
Once up on top of the Cotswolds, there was quite a stiff easterly wind today, and a couple of tractors towing trailors of hay blew thousands of bits of hay or straw all over me. They seem to have huge multi-storey haystacks in the fields round there, and all the farmers seem to be getting the hay in at the same time.
When I got to Birdlip, I took a little detour to the Barrow Wake Viewpoint, from where you can get great views of the limestone escarpment and the Vale of Gloucester, but it was a bit hazy today. In good weather it is one of the best views around, but you have to get out of there before dark - when it becomes a seriously dodgy hangout for quite squalid goings on. Somebody once got a picture into the Citizen (newspaper) by putting up an official-looking brown sign saying "Official Dogging Site" on the main road near Barrow Wake! My niece lives down below the Air Ballon roundabout and has to have blackout curtains in her bedroom window because of all the flashing headlights. (Apparently it's a way of saying "Yoohoo!"). I didn't hang around for long in my lycra.
Went back along the escarpment, which runs parallel to the Slad Valley. Birdlip Woods and Cranham Woods are fantastic to ride through, with a smooth road surface and some big sweeping downhill curves to swoosh along all the way to Painswick. You get lots of really good views of Gloucester and the Severn Vale between the trees as you go.
From there, I hung a right and climbed up out of the village over a big long steep hill towards Painswick Beacon. We came along here on our club ride the other week, but I took it at my own pace this time, and didn't bother with the high speed descent into Upton St Leonards, but turned left instead and went along a narrow track along the escarpment as far as the village of Edge instead. I love this little track, where I sometimes come to watch deer an hour or so before sunset. They seem to live in the tree line along the escarpment, and come out to nick maize from the fields at dusk. I once had 3 of them leap across the road in front of me and scarper into the woods. There is a little "folly" (for want of a better word) near the Painswick Beacon end of the track, which I think is something to do with the nearby Prinknash Abbey estate. It seems to be falling into disrepair now, which is sad. What I like about it is the religious quotation "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills", and the fact that it is perfectly aligned for a fantastically framed view of the distant Malverns. Unfortunately the weather was hazy today, so you couldn't see the hills through the frame. On a nice day, it is worth a little detour if you are in the area, though.
Well, it has happened again! 10 minutes ago, my laptop went "pop", felt as hot as a wok and stopped working again. I have finished this off on Mrs Donger's laptop, and can only see reference numbers where the pictures should be. Hope they print out alright. Anyway, I'm off to give my computer a damn good thrashing with a branch, Basil Fawlty style. See you. Cheers, Donger.
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Spartak
Powered by M&M's
- Location
- Bristolian
Great ride & write up, Donger
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
Rather than the usual WNRttP, I decided to do my own ride this evening. I have a ten mile loop that goes out to Preston (up a biggish hill for round here) and then a different way down the hill.
First time I've done it on the Brompton. I think I'm gettingbetter slightly less hopeless at climbing on the Brommie. Maybe I won't collapse and die taking it round Provence...
First time I've done it on the Brompton. I think I'm getting
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Normally they are lovely. This one was in a hurry. His reg number was Letter Letter Number Number WTF which made me smile.What were you saying about Saab drivers the other day?
i hate hills
Its my day to be brilliant
If its no SAAB drivers its Tesco delivery drivers
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Saab drivers are normally lovely. It's the Audi-Doody drivers that always give no quarter, then the Merc drivers and the 4 x 4s that are the regular buttwipes. There are a lot of Saabs around our way, on account of having a really good indi Saab dealership on the doorstep.
Elybazza61
Guru
Bit of a wet commute in today but Sportful no rain kit kept me dry-ish;took a variant of my usual route now I'm using the cross bike.
http://www.strava.com/activities/186380393
And a couple of rubbish phone pics of a wet and dirty Planet X,although the rain did actually clean it up a bit.
http://www.strava.com/activities/186380393
And a couple of rubbish phone pics of a wet and dirty Planet X,although the rain did actually clean it up a bit.
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Trying to get out at least once a week, so a short loop today as it's overcast and looks like rain 
(It's August, I'm in the middle of France, what is going on?)
So St Cyr is the first stop.
There used to be a lot of these about not so long ago, not as ornate as this, but not many left now.
This is just outside St Cyr, with the church in the background
A short distance away is St Auvent - this is a view of the valley of the Gore from the village.
St Auvent has a copy of the grotto of Lourdes, created by the local abbot, during the late 1940's. Apparently it has 20,000 visitors a year, although on my 2 visits I didn't see any (it wasn't Sunday though)
The river through the grotto site
Started to rain within 3km of home - what is going on with this weather?
28km in just over 1hour 10min
(It's August, I'm in the middle of France, what is going on?)So St Cyr is the first stop.
There used to be a lot of these about not so long ago, not as ornate as this, but not many left now.
This is just outside St Cyr, with the church in the background
A short distance away is St Auvent - this is a view of the valley of the Gore from the village.
St Auvent has a copy of the grotto of Lourdes, created by the local abbot, during the late 1940's. Apparently it has 20,000 visitors a year, although on my 2 visits I didn't see any (it wasn't Sunday though)
The river through the grotto site
Started to rain within 3km of home - what is going on with this weather?
28km in just over 1hour 10min
- Location
- Egham
Ride day again for me, and once again I struggled to get going. Always the way when you have to go out, rather than going by free will. Still, following on from a decent bowl of porridge with blueberries in (one of the 'super foods' apparently), then half a banana I got the hybrid out and pondered my route. Rather bored with the Thames Path now, and since I'm mileage limited at the moment I ended up doing a circuit of Egham before finding myself at Maranello's on the A30. Choice of hills include Egham Hill and Tite Hill, neither of which I fancied, so chose Coopers Lane instead. Hmm, not my best plan, wet, slippery and steeper than I remember, but I made the climb without stopping which was nice. Past the Air Force Memorial and into WGP, avoiding the lakes as they are filming 'Tarzan' at Obelisk Lake (I saw Jane yesterday when dog walking, no idea who the actress is though..).
Nice whizzy down Egham Hill to finish, and my best ride to date since 'Episode 4'. 17.2 miles at 11mph average. Really looking forward to the rest day tomorrow..
Nice whizzy down Egham Hill to finish, and my best ride to date since 'Episode 4'. 17.2 miles at 11mph average. Really looking forward to the rest day tomorrow..
- Status
