Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Chrisc]

PS Oh yes - those latex tubes ... should you buy some?

Put it this way - are you the kind of person who can tell the difference between standard definition TV and HDTV, and does it impress you?

If your reaction upon seeing HDTV for the first time was 'So what!' then don't bother with latex tubes! The differences are there if you pay attention, but maybe that kind of thing isn't important to you.

When I saw HDTV for the first time, I stopped dead in my tracks and thought "WOW!" Well, I had the same reaction to the latex tubes. They make a significant difference to the ride quality of my very stiff bike while also allowing slightly improved performance. There is room to experiment with the trade-off between comfort and performance, but here is my one-word review - BUY!

Nice ride by the look and the tubes seem to be magic! I am definitely in the HDTV wow camp!
Going to better tyres was a revelation in smoothness so lets see how the inners affect things.
What tubes did you fit?

 

[i hate hills]

My ride on sunday was pretty awesome. it was another one of those community rides that has become quite popular hereabouts. this time the turnout was beyond expectation… there were about 5000 plus riders out on the roads that morning!!

View attachment 37841
Riders eager to start.

View attachment 37842
The officials flagging off the ride.

View attachment 37844
From Putrajaya to Bukit Jalil back to Putrajaya.. a total of 50km.

View attachment 37858
All kinds of riders & bikes.

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My cycling team goofing around during a group photo at the halfway break.

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Me & Tizzy, a part of the huge crowd.

Sure beats sleeping in on a lazy sunday morning lol.

One word WOW. Amazing sight all those riders. That must have have been a great experience to be a part of such a massive throng of cyclists. Thank you for sharing. All the best Mike.

 

[ColinJ]

Nice ride by the look and the tubes seem to be magic! I am definitely in the HDTV wow camp!
Going to better tyres was a revelation in smoothness so lets see how the inners affect things.
What tubes did you fit?

Riding over the cobbles gave more of a huv-huv-huv sound than the usual THUD-THUD-THUD, with correspondingly less shock transmission. I think there is a lowpass filter effect - the shocks still get through but they are smoother and much less bothersome.

I bought these - Michelin A1 AirComp latex. They have 60 mm valves which look a bit odd on shallow rims. You might be able to get ones with shorter valves if you shop around.

Read oldroadman's advice before fitting, and Globalti's earlier in that thread.

 

[nickyboy]

Titled: A ride with my new Best Mate; Davina

Well, actually I didn't exactly ride with her. She rides at the head of the cavalcade whereas the hoi polloi such as I have to suck up the exhaust fumes from the Range Rovers carrying the film crew.

Also, I should get my excuses in early. I had planned to do a reasonable distance with her but the boiler packed up and the plumber came this morning...yadda, yadda, yadda. Anyhoo....by the time he'd gone she was already in Stalybridge and fast approaching Glossop. The weather had been terrible all morning. Heavy snow but it cleared just in time but I was concerned that the Snake, at 1,600ft+ may be tricky....more of that later.

Chucked on my gear and out I went and there they were, dropping down into Glossop from Stalybridge. The other cyclists gave me a wave...all that is except my New Best ..she must have been concentrating on her Garmin or summat. Turned around and found myself in a long line of traffic. There was Best Mate and a couple of exalted cyclists at the front, then a pickup thing with a camera boom attached, a police motorcycle outrider, 2 Range Rovers, and some other car with a camera man in it. I had had visions of pootling along shooting the breeze and discussing Big Brother, this was not quite the same.

Oh, and it was slow. Now I know she had done a load of miles, and swimming and stuff. But still, it was slow. When they got into Glossop they took a route I wasn't expecting and finally started to climb Chunal (which goes to Chapel en le Frith, not to the Snake Pass). I had seen enough by then (ie nothing) so left them to it and ducked off onto a minor road that came out at the foot of the Snake. Sure enough "POLICE ACCIDENT" signs and the road closed. Now being a good cyclist I never let something like that put me off so up I went. And it got snowier, and snowier, and snowier. Finally a van stopped coming the other way and said the road was blocked with trucks stuck in the snow and there was no chance of cycling to the top. That was why my new Best Mate had gone another way, those range rovers and pickup trucks would never have made it, even if she had. Turned around, went home, made donation

 

[Chrisc]

Riding over the cobbles gave more of a huv-huv-huv sound than the usual THUD-THUD-THUD, with correspondingly less shock transmission. I think there is a lowpass filter effect - the shocks still get through but they are smoother and much less bothersome.

I bought these - Michelin A1 AirComp latex. They have 60 mm valves which look a bit odd on shallow rims. You might be able to get ones with shorter valves if you shop around.

Read oldroadman's advice before fitting, and Globalti's earlier in that thread.

Thanks for the info and link! :-)

 

[Glow worm]

Well that was embarrassing. I reckon I must have clocked up around 3000 miles since my last off. And where do I choose the next one? Only next to a bus stop in North Creake full of Mums waiting for their little'uns off the school bus! I was stopping to put something in a bin and forgot I was wearing my nasty brothel creepers with no grip. Big mistake as I dismounted on a wet road and went A over T.
Anyway, no damage or pain, just hurt pride. One mum asked if I was ok. Blimey she was lovely. .

The rain had stopped, the sun come out, so I'd taken an hour off work to go for a spin, clear my head and embarrass myself in front of some Norfolk mums. First, 3 miles to Burnham Market.

This is the view of the coast from the hill behind the village.

Then I headed up through Burnham Thorpe, birthplace of Lord Nelson and up the hill to Little Holkham. An old guy nearly drove into me no doubt due to the low sun. And being a complete doughnut of course. But it didn't spoil the ride.

This is the drive leading to Holkham Hall. I was too slow to capture a barn owl hunting just to the right of the track.

The Triumphal Arch at Holkham. There's a flat at the top. Not a bad gaff I guess.

Then back to North Creake (avoiding the bus stop!) On the way I saw 5 red kites circling together near the quarry. I've never seen a red kite in Norfolk before, though I had seen reports that they were back, so this was a real treat.

It's back to home ground near Newmarket tomorrow in the rain, so today's short spin in the sunshine was a real pleasure.

 

[Maverick Goose]

My ride today was accompanied by lovely blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Sea still very rough though

 

[welsh dragon]

Well that was embarrassing. I reckon I must have clocked up around 3000 miles since my last off. And where do I choose the next one? Only next to a bus stop in North Creake full of Mums waiting for their little'uns off the school bus! I was stopping to put something in a bin and forgot I was wearing my nasty brothel creepers with no grip. Big mistake as I dismounted on a wet road and went A over T.
Anyway, no damage or pain, just hurt pride. One mum asked if I was ok. Blimey she was lovely. .

The rain had stopped, the sun come out, so I'd taken an hour off work to go for a spin, clear my head and embarrass myself in front of some Norfolk mums. First, 3 miles to Burnham Market.

View attachment 37923

This is the view of the coast from the hill behind the village.

Then I headed up through Burnham Thorpe, birthplace of Lord Nelson and up the hill to Little Holkham. An old guy nearly drove into me no doubt due to the low sun. And being a complete doughnut of course. But it didn't spoil the ride.
View attachment 37924

This is the drive leading to Holkham Hall from. I was too slow to capture a barn owl hunting just to the right of the track.

View attachment 37926

The Triumphal Arch at Holkham. There's a flat at the top. Not a bad gaff I guess.

Then back to North Creake (avoiding the bus stop!) On the way I saw 5 red kites circling together near the quarry. I've never seen a red kite in Norfolk before, though I had seen reports that they were back, so this was a real treat.

It's back to home ground near Newmarket tomorrow in the rain, so today's short spin in the sunshine was a real pleasure.

Lovely photos. Thanks

 

[Old Plodder]

Just as an aside to the latex tube post, they need their pressures checked much more frequently, (or at least my old ones did).

 

[mooseracer]

Took advantage of a break in the weather - well the rain anyway, still windy - and headed out to Bath this lunchtime via the cyclepath. Bit of a loop back on road and it was a nice 33miler in the end. River Avon looking full but I've seen it higher for sure...just as I was thinking that I came to a flooded part of the cyclepath, despite overshoes wet feet ensued and it was alarmingly close to/over the bike's bottom bracket. Ah well it's tucked away in the shed now so out of sight, out of mind

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

just 68.75km... the usual 'commute/ride' over to my parents' home. Set out in full waterproofs in torrential rain, then after 45 mins it had cleared enough to not need waterproof trousers so stopped to remove them... My mum had rung me to say it was snowing at her end, but I hadn't really taken her seriously. however when I saw Mowcop I realised that she was actually telling the truth for once (her 6 inches of snow tends to be everyone else's 1cm of now!)... Anyhow before long I had sleet & snow, and then it cleared and we had blue skies and sunshine. I left their place in blue skies and sunshine as well, had a nice sunset (though nothing amazing, just nice) and seemed to managed the storm dodging quite well right up until Northwich where I got hit by a whiteout of hailstones... some interesting corners on a roundabout and then it was clear again.. headwind all the way home, at times blowing me around when it caught be from the sides (bouncing off houses in Middlewich) and just when I thought life could not get anymore interesting I ended up stopping to ring 999 for a fire! Quite an eventful ride really. No pictures - torrential rain setting off did not really inspire me to take the camera.

http://www.strava.com/activities/112657840

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It was a beautiful crisp morning when we set out, 18 miles and a puncture later (not mine ) it became a beautiful if slightly chillier afternoon.
Then @Ellebells and I went to do a leaflet drop for Glasgow's women library new programme of events.
This was the outcome:

We finished the drop: nothing stops a Belle on her bike!
Here is an unusual shop front of a local ladder supplier, taken a few minutes before the hail storm.
It was sunny!
Total milage for the day: 27.2 miles.

 

[LarryDuff]

Snow didn't turn up as forecast so I got out for a nice sunny albeit windy 12 miles at lunchtime.

 

[ColinJ]

Just as an aside to the latex tube post, they need their pressures checked much more frequently, (or at least my old ones did).

Yes, we mentioned that in the other thread.

I squeezed both tyres this evening, about 30 hours after they were inflated. I think I can sense a slight reduction in pressure.

I will just get into the habit of topping them up before each ride. It only takes a minute or so with a good track pump (like my Specialized Airtool).

 

[Justiffa]

It was a beautiful crisp morning when we set out, 18 miles and a puncture later (not mine ) it became a beautiful if slightly chillier afternoon.
Then @Ellebells and I went to do a leaflet drop for Glasgow's women library new programme of events.
This was the outcome:
View attachment 37927
View attachment 37928
We finished the drop: nothing stops a Belle on her bike!
Here is an unusual shop front of a local ladder supplier, taken a few minutes before the hail storm.
It was sunny!
Total milage for the day: 27.2 miles.
View attachment 37929

Lovely lovely pics Pat, thx for sharing