Your ride today.... (part 1)

[EltonFrog]

Since there was some forecast today, I was actually looking forward to going out. Unusually for me I even had a route planned which took me out through Chobham and into Sunninghill before heading off to Ascot. That was the plan, but a road completely blocked by a bus saw a minor diversion so I entered WGP at Dukes Lane. Saw some cows:
View attachment 73513

Shortly after this the sun came out, but did little to warm my toes, which after an hour felt like ice. Still, I manfully (......) pushed on and did a couple of laps of the park. I had cause to avoid the yummy mummy exercise class so a minor diversion down to the Totem Pole where I paused to take what turned out to be quite a good pic:
View attachment 73514

Back round and out via Blacknest Gate before ambling back through Virginia Water to home.
My target was 30 miles and over 2 hours on the move. Managed 31 miles and 2 hrs 20 mins, pretty pleased with that and it's my best since my op
And another plus, I got permission to buy a pair of Shimano MW81's so that should help with the toes

I was out your way yesterday, had a cuppa in the tea room at Runnymede, then had my hair cut in old Windsor

 

[cosmicbike]

I was out your way yesterday, had a cuppa in the tea room at Runnymede, then had my hair cut in old Windsor

What's the tea place like? It's under NT ownership now I believe. Never stopped there but often pedal past it

 

[chewa]

About 18 miles at lunchtime. Very cold, 2.5 degrees on Garmin in the shaded bits with wind from W or NW. Horrible muddy road past the works for the Queensferry Crossing so really slippy out of the village.

That, combined with mud in the guards already meant that my front tyre was acting as a large disc brake! I wondered why it felt so hard.

However, I caught up with my wife twice on her shorter route (which crossed mine) so wasn't all bad

 

[Levo-Lon]

Pines for a change..nice and dry ,lovely day

 

[EltonFrog]

What's the tea place like? It's under NT ownership now I believe. Never stopped there but often pedal past it

It ain't all that to be honest and the staff are idiots.

 

[Rasmus]

Felt good to be back in the saddle after two weeks away for work. Bit of a shock to the system, though, as the last of those two was in Cairo . Bitterly out in North Somerset this morning, but still an enjoyable 50 km with a few hills of differing difficulty.

 

[Dave 123]

I had the lurgy at the back end of the week so I only went just over 20 miles this morning, it was a bit blooming
I'm going out this afternoon to buy some new eyes as the low morning sun has totally ruined mine!
Buzzards, kestrels and Redwings kept me entertained today.

Not sure this ride will enter into @Donger's ride of the year thread, but it was better than nowt!

 

[chewa]

Trip on the MTBs to the Railway Museum at Bo'ness via Blackness Castle. used the John Muir Way - but very muddy and COLD![

 

[Dirk]

Quick 20 miles return trip to Landkey for a coffee, with missus on her Giant Dash 1 and me on my Focus Cayo 2.
Oooh! I do love Di2....

 

[mooseracer]

Made the most of the decent weather and got out for a nice 63mile ride this morning. Sunshine and light winds made for a most enjoyable time.

 

[MMMMMike]

A quick 40 miles this morning through the surrey hills, Stopped for a flat white coffee in G!ro Esher (Nice Coffee).
OMG it was cold early on, Beautiful once the sun came out.

 

[Goonerobes]

Brrrr , It looked as though it had been snowing this morning the ground was that white, so I left it until 10:30 before I set out to hopefully give the roads a chance to defrost a little.

My planned route was, I thought, a reverse version of a route I had done a couple of times in the summer, however, it all looked so different going the opposite way I couldn't honestly say I had actually done some of the roads!!

The journey took me north-west out of the New Forest & briefly into Wiltshire towards Downton before turning north to Alderbury & then east & back into Hampshire along National Cycle Route 24. Despite the chill the weather was absolutely glorious with clear blue skys & little wind as I passed through a host of small hamlets & along narrow single track roads, which in places still glistened with frost.

50 miles in all with the buff covering my ears from start to finish but you know what, I loved it & purely from a weather point of view this was up there in my top 5 favourite rides this year.

http://www.strava.com/activities/226712178/

 

[MMMMMike]

Nice Photos Goonerobes.

 

[ianrauk]

3 of us completed the 2014 Century a month challenge today. Myself, @rb58 and @Trickedem . A Kent and Surrey loop. I was a bit worried when leaving the house at 7.30am this morning as there was frost on the road. Last time (back in Feb) I went out in the same conditions I went arse over tit just out side my front door. So thought best to take things a little easier. It was a bright, cold, crisp morning. When the sun broke from the horizon it was a lovely sight after gawd know's how many previous days of maudlin grey drizzle.

There were patches of ice and frost on some of the Kent lanes but most of them were dry at least.. Well those that had car traffic. Hitting some of the more out of the way routes, they were very mucky indeed. Still in places having to take it a little easy until the morning's sun had melted the last of the nights frosts. It was still cold but the cycling kept the chill at bay.

Hollingbourne Hill, for those that know it is a killer. It's a long hill that starts off pretty easy but soon ramps up. This is the 13 day in a row of cycling so my legs were really feeling the burn on the climb. There was nothing I could do except keep it in the lowest gear and winch my way up....slowly.

From the top of Hollingbourne, what goes up, must come down. The pain of the climb was soon forgotten with a wonderful long descent down Stede Hill and from there it was 20 miles there or thereabout a level/down hill ride to Yalding for the halfway stop, where egg and bacon sarnies, beans on toast, mugs of tea, cans of coke and a kit kat fed the hungry trio.

So back on the road for the second half of the ride. I usually do this ride on a Sunday. Being a Saturday meant that some of the roads were much busier then usual with a higher ratio of numpty motons. But it didn't spoil the enjoyment of cruising along dry country lanes for mile after mile whilst mixing it up every now and then with some fast flowing A & B roads.

We left rb58 at Four Elms as he was heading north and over the downs to home whilst myself and Trickedem carried on west through Surrey to meet up with the A23 and the last leg north towards home.

So 108 miles for the day. 2014's challenge completed. the 4th year in a row for the 3 of us.

Roll on 2015's Century A Month Challenge... it's only a couple of weeks away

 

[cosmicbike]

I managed no less than 3 rides today, all of which were chilly. The bread run at 8:30, then a couple of drop off/pick up runs for one of my kids to attend a Christingle this evening. Only 8 miles in total, but it all counts