Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Donger]

Happy new year, everyone. Well, I got it off to a decent start, with a statement of intent his morning. Today was all about putting up some mileage to start the year, so with 3 hours to fill I determined to get in a 40 miler down the A38 and back. Things did not start well, as I was heading straight into a stiff souwester, and was finding it tough to make any headway. I expect many of you would recognise the scenario where you keep having to do that mental arithmetic thing to see how far you are going to get by the half way mark in your ride, and how much longer you can afford to keep going to hit your distance target. For me, the maths made grim reading, as I was going as fast as I could but still averaging under 11mph. - and starting to flag.

In that wind, I reckoned I could probably keep heading outwards for close to 2 hours, and leave myself just over an hour to get back, so I just kept grinding onwards towards the 20 mile mark. At about 18 miles, I was greeted with the grim sight of that two mile drag up to the Wyevale Garden Centre near Thornbury. Fortunately the hill sheltered me for once from the headwind, so it wasn't too bad this time despite already being nackered. Just beyond the crest of the hill I hit the half mile to go mark, and saw a sign for Tytherington Quarry half a mile to the left, so I took the turning. Phew was it good to stop for a few minutes. 20.1 miles in 1 hour 51 !!! A sorry 10.8mph average, but then I'm probably one of the least aerodynamic cyclists you will ever see on the road.

After a brief respite I headed off back home with a lovely tail-wind and a two mile down slope to get me started on my sprint. Wow! Suddenly it was worth all the effort, and I positively flew (by my standards) back home in 1 hour 8 mins, averaging a very easy 18.47mph over 20.1 miles. Door to door it ended up being a 3 hour 5 min ride, averaging over 13mph, and I was only 5 minutes late home. I'm getting quite good at this mental arithmetic on the hoof now. (Carol Vorderman eat your heart out).

I've had a rush of blood to the head and made arrangements to start having a go at the century a month challenge for 2015, by printing off application forms for audaxes in January and February. I mean business this year.

Cheers. Happy cycling, everyone.
Donger.

 

[Spartak]

Rode into Bristol earlier to meet up with the BTOTC cycling group.

Decided to ride along the 'Concorde Way' from Abbey Wood to Easton - signage seemed to disappear at the M32 roundabout !
Nice route along some good cycle lanes.

Met at the Knights Templar 'spoons pub near Temple Meads & enjoyed a nice lunch washed down with a couple of pints 8-)

A very welcome tailwind pushed us up the Railway path & home for some Christmas cake and coffee.

http://www.strava.com/activities/235250992

 

[Geoff Crowther]

Today, 1st January, first cycle ride of the year.

Hamish and I set out at 10am for a road bike ride, me on the Cube and Hamish on his, recently rebuilt 1980s Dawes.

I felt like a slightly challenging ride so, we left Hayfield out through New Mills then the A6 to Disley. Here we turned uphill and rode up past the old Moorside Hotel (now a young offenders institution; how the mighty have fallen) then, meeting the road from Whaley Bridge to Macclesfield we turned left to Kettleshulme, then right to climb up towards Windgather rocks. Riding past here towards Pym Chair is a section I've covered many times but today, we had a strong headwind and, despite the modest incline, I couldn't get out of my lowest gear!

Struggling to stay upright in a strong wind at Pym Chair, we turned left to descend into Goyt Valley by the Errwood Reservoir, where we stopped to sup from flasks and consume butties before the grind up to meet the top of Long Hill.



We turned right down towards Buxton then left up Old Road to Whaley Bridge. We had to resort to walking for the broken section of the track but battled valiantly with most of it before it becomes tarmac again near the Whitehall Outdoor Centre. We then had a glorious descent (mostly) into Whaley. We paused outside the town hall for a quick refreshment break before riding back to Hayfield, bypassing New Mills via Marsh Lane.



It was a tough ride, by my standards. We covered 26 miles at an average of 9.7mph, climbing 2633ft in the process. It's a route I've not done before; nor's Hamish but it was exhilarating, 'specially the descent into Whaley. The ascent from Errwood to Long Hill is hard!

Well, I've just set myself a target, on Garmin Connect, of 3000 cycling miles for the year so that's 26 down, 2974 to go.

I'm tired now, but Chrissie's just making tea, fruit cake and cheese.

 

[Saluki]

1st ride of the year and just a shortie as it was trying to rain, a bit windy and cold. A bit of a miserable day, weather wise really.

I'd worked out a short route with the potential to extend or shorten for today. Hubster not feeling the love at all but agreed to go. The New Year's Day ride has become a tradition now, even if it's a shortie.


It's just over 7 miles around and I can play about with it to my hearts content on days when I don't want a long ride but I do want a ride. You know the days. The depressed days, the really windy days and the days when I need to ride to keep my fitness up but really cannot be bothered to.

I rode off down Earlham Lane, to the Earlham 5 ways roundabout (it's a roundabout with 5 offs on it) then down past the UEA on the B1108 and then turned up Colney Lane past the hospital. We kept going up Colney Lane to Cringleford and then down through Eaton, along Bluebell and home via the cyclepaths from the 5 ways roundabout. I did a bit of a wiggle round the local estate to add half a mile and make a decent route up.

It was an impossibly slow 39:53 for those 7.21 miles but we got around and I only had to wait for hubster 5 or 6 times. I find it very frustrating to be averaging just a smidge over 10mph and having to wait. He's fitter than that, he really is. I think that he just likes to pee me off. Weather permitting, I'll get a nicer ride in tomorrow without all the stopping and waiting every 5 or 6 minutes.

 

[PeteXXX]

After very little sleep, due to the New Year stuff, fireworks and neighbours having a garden party under my bedroom window, I was awake at 07:00 ready to pop out for a few miles. I was then awake at 08:00 ready to pop out for a few miles. At just after 09:30 I set out

The wind was gusting to about 30mph for a fair bit of the way round. I'd planned to get the wind in my face at first, then a tailwind for the way home. Why does it never quite work out like that
Still, at least it was warmish, ie: no frost or ice to contend with!

After deciding my route, I had a couple of cattle grids to beware of. Definitely dodgy when wet. I usually ride across the riveted bar. Saves pinching the tyres too much. From here I wanted to ride a (private) track through a local estate, but the gates were closed as the landed gentry were blowing pheasants out of the sky as a New Year bit of fun (not for the pheasants, I wager!)
I turned back for a couple of miles to the A428 and thence to Olney, I was directly into the wind across open fields for several miles. Dashed hard work, but it blew the few remaining cobwebs out.

Weston Underwood has a few challenges of its own.. You can use the road, but I fancied trying out the Rocket Rons on slippery cobblestones for a laugh

The back road from Ravenstone to Stoke Goldington can be great fun, but not today. Having to pedal to get down the hill was silly!

I was getting a bit thirsty & peckish by now, so headed for Salcey, about 6 or 7 miles away from here. It's the woods on the horizon on the top right of this pic.

That'll do

I was on about 27 miles at this point, so did a few diversions and wiggles via Earls Barton, Sywell and Moulton to get back home on 50.5 miles.
Quite happy with that for the first ride of 2015.

Oh, and masses of KOM's to boast about for a day

http://www.strava.com/activities/235239087

 

[Accy cyclist]

12 boring miles on the exercise bike to kick off the new year.

 

[RedRider]

Just a buzz around town. Ten miles or less but saw some other riders...

 

[totallyfixed]

What a difference a day makes, less than 24 hours ago outside the house looked like this

Today the temp reached over 10C but it was blowing a hooley. It is always extra fun on fixed in strong winds. Unfortunately we had only got a couple of miles up the road when dr_pink's stay on her rear mudguard decided to part company with the rear triangle. About turn, into the wind and home for a 5 min repair, new mudguard stay cut to size re-attached and we were off again.
The first, but I doubt the last, snow pictures of Rutland 2015

The wind was pushing dr_pink around a fair bit and there was a climb of over a mile to get up, averaging around 6-8% and directly into a 20mph wind

More snow began to appear as we got higher

Tremendous fun, down to under 9mph average on the climb, proper grinding then later spinning at nearly 35mph which isn't too shabby as dr_pink is only on a 68" gear. Only 25 miles but a great start to the year. Ride safe everyone.
On a more sombre note our thoughts go to the relatives and friends of those cyclists that lost their lives today, as reported here on CC. Very distressing.

 

[Glow worm]

Just a short 3 miler here around the village to kick off the year after the dreaded manflu. It was good to be out in the fresh air again after being couped up indoors for days. Looking forward to another year of great rides and not feeling like a 90 year old Bob Fleming!

 

[Gravity Aided]

2.2 miles today. 1.9 with the Wheelers on their New Years Day Ride, and .3 miles down to a neighbors house to pay home owners association dues. Wonderful ride with the Wheelers, hot chocolate and schlag, and a few treats as well. Quite cold, but the Trek 800 worked out well with its different and narrower wheels and tires. Great day for a short ride or two.
-4C, winds WSW 18mph/G 24mph.

 

[derrick]

First ride of the new year, Was hard to get out of bed this morning after a lot of drinking last night, Well i made the effort met up with a couple of club members at 8-50 am, we then rode to Regents park to meet up with the rest of the club, the London roads were very quiet so it did not take long to get there. Then we all set off for Richmond park for a coffee and sandwich, was quite busy in the park, One of the girls had a fall in the park, rear wheel just slid out on one of the corners, she went down heavy and just slid down the road a bit, Her jersey did not come of to well, A dig in the side of her helmet, but she was not to badly hurt, a few bumps and bruises, we sorted the bike for her, then we were on our way, the rest of the ride was straight forward, apart from we forgot about the new years parade in London, had to do a bit of walking. Was a nice start to the year.
http://www.strava.com/activities/235262544

 

[Pat "5mph"]

New Year's day Belles on Bikes ride!
It's a tradition ... since I started it last year
It was mild here, but very wet and quite windy. Eight of us set out along the empty Glasgow streets having the fun of our lives. I had made a varied semi urban route, with a few hilly bits and some great downhills to match.
Shame those roads would normally be treacherous for traffic.
At the top of one hill I got a "well done" from a driver
Sadly the wind was getting stronger, so after about 15 miles we rode back to town for a coffee.
Weird happenings going on: suddenly two Dalek like creatures tried to cross the road

 

[cosmicbike]

After yesterday's miles I figured I'd have a break, but being the first day of a new year couldn't resist a couple of miles to the shops. Only 2.5 miles in a stiff breeze but that's 2015 underway

 

[gavgav]

Happy new year, everyone. Well, I got it off to a decent start, with a statement of intent his morning. Today was all about putting up some mileage to start the year, so with 3 hours to fill I determined to get in a 40 miler down the A38 and back. Things did not start well, as I was heading straight into a stiff souwester, and was finding it tough to make any headway. I expect many of you would recognise the scenario where you keep having to do that mental arithmetic thing to see how far you are going to get by the half way mark in your ride, and how much longer you can afford to keep going to hit your distance target. For me, the maths made grim reading, as I was going as fast as I could but still averaging under 11mph. - and starting to flag.

In that wind, I reckoned I could probably keep heading outwards for close to 2 hours, and leave myself just over an hour to get back, so I just kept grinding onwards towards the 20 mile mark. At about 18 miles, I was greeted with the grim sight of that two mile drag up to the Wyevale Garden Centre near Thornbury. Fortunately the hill sheltered me for once from the headwind, so it wasn't too bad this time despite already being nackered. Just beyond the crest of the hill I hit the half mile to go mark, and saw a sign for Tytherington Quarry half a mile to the left, so I took the turning. Phew was it good to stop for a few minutes. 20.1 miles in 1 hour 51 !!! A sorry 10.8mph average, but then I'm probably one of the least aerodynamic cyclists you will ever see on the road.

After a brief respite I headed off back home with a lovely tail-wind and a two mile down slope to get me started on my sprint. Wow! Suddenly it was worth all the effort, and I positively flew (by my standards) back home in 1 hour 8 mins, averaging a very easy 18.47mph over 20.1 miles. Door to door it ended up being a 3 hour 5 min ride, averaging over 13mph, and I was only 5 minutes late home. I'm getting quite good at this mental arithmetic on the hoof now. (Carol Vorderman eat your heart out).

I've had a rush of blood to the head and made arrangements to start having a go at the century a month challenge for 2015, by printing off application forms for audaxes in January and February. I mean business this year.

Cheers. Happy cycling, everyone.
Donger.

I was in your area today, heading down the A38 from Berkeley to Bristol, but in the car! Don't think I saw you, but there were a few cyclists about on the A38 and loads in Bristol near Clifton Downs.

 

[DCLane]

37 miles on an impromptu club run to the Oil Can Cafe, where they were busy doing brunch. Naturally I ordered something not on the menu and was told "we'll do it for you" . Windy but good to be out. Oh, and some new cars in there: