Your ride today.... (part 1)

[coffeejo]

Did a slightly different version of one of my favourite flat routes yesterday. Out to Langport, but taking in a lot more of the Levels than usual to the north-west and south-east of the town, including Burrowbridge to see the beautiful ruins at Burrow Mump. 57 miles all told, so about ten more than normal.

Absolutely shattered by the time I got home - there was a lovely breeze but it was hot, hot, hot. I got through 5 bottles of water and could have easily sunk another couple. Worth it though.

On the Levels - Northmoor Main Drain

Burrow Mump (must get there at sunset one of these days)

Heading towards Langport

I made a new friend at Muchelney Farm Shop (not really worth the stop but it was good to have a quick break)

Looking back. I'd not long skirted around the edges of the round hill in the background topped by the lonely tree.

 

[Sandra6]

Took the 29er out yesterday morning intending to flit round the park and back.
Had an awkward moment attempting to go up the riverbank - realised half way up I wasn't going to make it up and tried to jump off, but couldn't! Ended up waddling, straddled over the bike, to the top and then still didn't have the balance or agility to get my leg over the saddle smoothly. I'm glad nobody was watching.
After recovering my composure I decided to take a different road out of the park, and discovered a nice route. I didn't go to the end as I needed to get back, but my quick spin turned into an hour and a half.

 

[s7ephanie]

quick hour and half to town to collect 'drugs' from pharmacy !! (ashma pump etc !!) left home at 8.30 am - lovely morning i should have done more but only had 1 bottle of water and no money to buy another far too hot to go out again, managed a couple of hills/inclines that i have struggled with before
Even took dogs out at 6am for an hour !!

 

[Old Plodder]

I made a new friend ....
View attachment 25967 ]

I like your new friend.

 

[gavroche]

As I am not working till later this afternoon, I decided to go for a quick ride and ended up doing 34 miles along the coast between Colwyn Bay and Prestatyn. The cherry on the cake was when I found a £10 note on the road on my way back, about 1 mile from home. Should I go out again tomorrow, just in case?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

My ride today was the first ride in 70 days since getting ill, so what could possibly go wrong?
Well the bikes were still where I have left them, the chains were not rusty, the tyres were not flat, so it was with some relief that I picked up my inhalers, my iPhone, a water bottle, a snack and the camera and set out without any of the sensible items one might take when a bike as not been used for +70 days.

Well it seems that after 10 weeks on steriods, they have finally kicked in. My asthma (I'm a moderately severe asthmatic and have not had a single night since the 7th March without at least 2 asthma attacks) only grumbled the once, which is great news - now all it needs to do is learn to let me eat, drink & sleep!

I picked an easy route - the Whitegate Way which we happen to live at the start/end of and set out in the morning to avoid some of the rather warm temperatures we have been having recently - I'm a redheaded Scot with very fair skin and me & the sunshine do not mix: pink lobster time at anything above +20C and yesterday it reached 31C here... I had only planned to do around 5 miles, but did more than I should have done really 18km (just over 11 miles) in 1hr. http://app.strava.com/activities/66050311

I had to stop rather sooner than expected, my saddle was way too high, I have my shoes on, not my boots which is the most obvious explanation. Then it was a case of stopping again for some photos of the honeysuckle around here which along with the Elder trees is in full bloom and I love wild honeysuckle.

After that it was dodge the rather liquid deposits a horse with a bad tummy had left behind giving them a very wide berth and making sure that you kept your mouth closed - soo many flies... only ended up with 1 in my ear, but at least that spared me from consuming it! From there I ran into roadworks, luckily the delays were only caused by me deciding on whether to stop and photo them!

I guess on the way out I was not paying as much attention as I could have been, probably worrying too much about what could go wrong rather than enjoying myself because I saw so much more on the way back than I did on the way out... I just had to stop and photo this wonderful honeysuckle.

Also seen were numerous speckled wood butterflies, small heath butterflies and from a distance what looked like a meadow heath butterfly from its flight pattern.

And then it was a case of at 45 mins, everything started to hurt. left knee - always does this when I have been off the bike for a while and settles after few rides; left calf muscle - well that is the dog bite injury and is going to hurt, so I'll let it off; left wrist - 20 year old injury, 11 operations and was in plaster for 15 years, I guess I can allow it a few days... and then the thighs went - oh well. I knew I was pushing my luck trying for the entire length of the track first time back on the bike after 70 days (I suffer from a condition that causes muscle wastage and makes putting muscle back on rather harder than it should be), so I eased back and enjoyed the ride home trying hard to ignore my thighs complaining.

Once home, it was a case of treat time... this started with the fresh ripe strawberries hanging at the kitchen door.

and continued with a glass of cold sparkling homemade honeysuckle cordial.

Now for a cold shower! It was warmer out there than I had hoped for.

 

[john59]

Decided to give the legs a stretch after Sundays ‘Cheshire Cat’, so I went for a 71km ride. Weather was sunny at first then some light cloud.

http://app.strava.com/activities/66055174

Blacon






John

 

[EltonFrog]

45 mile today in two parts. 35 miles this morning to Banbury, had a coffee and came back a different way, so a nice loop, had to stop for about 5 mins on the way back, co a load of sheep were being herded down a main road!

then after lunch a 10 mile out and back to the LBS to get me gears sorted as they wee giving me grief this morning all sorted now.

A very hot day, but quite blustery here and there.

 

[numbnuts]

My ride today was in my kayak seven miles on the river Hamble.

 

[Cyclist33]

25 miles along the TPT this morning to get to work from Liverpool. Thoroughly enjoyable although it wiped me out because id done the reverser journey the previous evening as well as 60 miles over Frodsham, Delamere and across to Knutsford the previous day!

stu

 

[arranandy]

Another warm and sunny after work ride. Just over 35 miles round the lanes of EK and Strathaven. I could get used to this weather

 

[derrick]

22 mile ride with the other half, took her over a bit of a bumpy course, and she is doing really well, the last couple of rides has been like riding with a different person, she is loving her bike again.
I do need to get out on my own though.

 

[Cyclist33]

 

[Old Plodder]

Went out for a ride today as it was only going to be 73 degrees.
A few fairly big hills, beans on toast & coffee, a few more hills, 30+ miles.
Not a big ride, but it was on my single speed; well chuffed with my performance.

 

[EltonFrog]

6.2 mile today to the LBS and back for some sundry purpose which I am certain is of no interest to anyone.