BigonaBianchi
Yes I can, Yes I am, Yes I did...Repeat.
- Location
- Iskele TRNC & Mordor UK
My ride today was amazing, fun, fast & hot with wonderfull views.
Your ride today.... (part 1)
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
- Status
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HJ
Cycling in Scotland
- Location
- Auld Reekie
HLaB said:
So what was the route of this extended ride? Just in case the Central Scotland crowd start to get a wee bit ambitious...
arallsopp
Post of The Year 2009 winner
- Location
- Bromley, Kent
ianrauk said:
In cleats too
The SMGTe would have been ok, as the seat back is easily adjusted upwards and brought to hand height. The Furai (which, typically, I was on at the time) is a little trickier, requiring I walk in the road with a hand on her seat back, whilst she rolls along the pavement. The height differential makes it almost possible, but not much fun.
The best piece of kit in both cases is a spare bungee, wrapped around seat support and clipped onto bar ends. That'll lock the USS steering and stop me from having to keep a hand within a foot of the floor as I go.
Fortunately, I had the bungee aboard.
Puncture repair held btw, and I'm 30+ miles on the patch already.
Today first long ride since coming off the Ibruprofen.
York via The Tea Lounge in Tadcaster. Tykes Tea Rooms closed very strange.
Anyway 66 miles going in was great sunny wind behind us.Oh my God coming back was purgatory wind,wind and cold.
Me and Dave were shattered.But felt ok without the Ibruprofen inside me.
Very pleased.
York via The Tea Lounge in Tadcaster. Tykes Tea Rooms closed very strange.
Anyway 66 miles going in was great sunny wind behind us.Oh my God coming back was purgatory wind,wind and cold.
Me and Dave were shattered.But felt ok without the Ibruprofen inside me.
Very pleased.
OP
OP
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
24 miles today, 19 of those after work...went like a steam train (for me anyway 
). Pushing 17 mph average, and i feel i could just keep going. Time time time there's never enough.
Took my camera although the scenery on my routes isnt that interesting. Stopped briefly to take a landscape shot (that didnt turn out very well anyway)...stowed the camera back in my saddlebag....and within seconds, a large Red Kite came straight over me, about 30ft away, 30 ft up.
Noooooo even though they've a lazy flight, i watched him for maybe 20 seconds, but still not enough time to get the camera back out
Coughed my guts up when i got back. Still on the tail end of a chest infection thats clung to me like dung to a blanket.
Fantastic ride, sunny and i can feel my skins tight...musta caught the sun
). Pushing 17 mph average, and i feel i could just keep going. Time time time there's never enough.Took my camera although the scenery on my routes isnt that interesting. Stopped briefly to take a landscape shot (that didnt turn out very well anyway)...stowed the camera back in my saddlebag....and within seconds, a large Red Kite came straight over me, about 30ft away, 30 ft up.
Noooooo
even though they've a lazy flight, i watched him for maybe 20 seconds, but still not enough time to get the camera back out Coughed my guts up when i got back. Still on the tail end of a chest infection thats clung to me like dung to a blanket.
Fantastic ride, sunny and i can feel my skins tight...musta caught the sun
OP
OP
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
Maybe of interest to Hilldodger ? This guy is on one of my normal routes...i see tonight he's got a new one ...
...there's always one in some dismantled or rusting state outside his house...maybe he's been busy over the winter.
The photo does'nt do it justice...the paintworks a real deep metallic. Some sort of flake ? Cant remember.
...there's always one in some dismantled or rusting state outside his house...maybe he's been busy over the winter.
The photo does'nt do it justice...the paintworks a real deep metallic. Some sort of flake ? Cant remember.
Auntie Helen
Ich bin Powerfrau!
- Location
- 47906 Kempen, Germany
Auntie Helen pops her Century cherry!
So... a trip to see Mum & Dad near Southend on a day with little wind and sunshine forecast all day.
Here I am, ready for the off.
The shorts seemed a good idea when I looked at the weather forecast but it was surprisingly misty and not as warm as I had hoped.
My trike was laden with all the goodies I will be taking on tour with me next month (including two changes of clothes, wash kit, phone and satnav chargers, two spare pairs of shoes, etc etc). The Abus lock alone weighs 1.8kg so I reckon I had about 10kg of stuff on the trike. It felt heavy to lift the back up but I didn't notice much difference on the road.
The misty conditions continued on through Colchester and further. Here I am crossing the Abberton Reservoir at about 10:00am. Where is that sunshine?
I arrived at Maldon and decided to stop for a cuppa after climbing that horrendous hill (which required me to use my lowest possible gear. A very low gear too!). The toasted teacake and butter, along with the cup of tea, were absolutely fab.
As I went to pay the lady behind the counter said, "How did you like cycling up that hill?" I said it was a bit knackering and she said, "I followed you up the hill and thought how hard it must be. Where are you going today?" I said to Southend and she said, "wow, you must have amazing legs."
Now this statement wasn't as thrilling as it could have been because:
(a) she was a girl and I would have preferred it issuing from a chap
( it was a supposition, rather than a statement of fact
Still, we get what comfort we can from this kind of random remark.
Off I trotted from Maldon and at this point my Garmin Satnav showed its worth again. I had plotted a route through Hazeleigh and Bicknacre which meant I got off the A414 pretty quickly (it isn't a nice road). The route through Hazeleigh was lovely although quite steep for quite a long time.
Someone from the YACF forum had given me some excellent directions from South Woodham Ferrers and I made my way through Rawreth/Rayleigh according to his route which worked really well and kept me off some busy roads.
I arrived at my parents' house at 12:50, having said to expect me at 1:00, so that was pretty good going!
Mum and Dad fed me tea, bread and cake and we had a natter. I didn't want to stay too long as I was anxious to get back in the hopes I could do my Century today. I left at 2:30pm and wended my way back northwards towards the nice part of Essex!
I was finally warm as the sun had come out at about 12:00 so I dispensed with the fluorey jacket for the afternoon stretch. Good thing, too, as I would have disappeared into the background with all the oilseed rape:
The downhill at Hazeleigh was much more fun than the uphill:
I had plotted my route home via the jam factory at Tiptree (rather than stopping at Maldon again) and fortunately got there before it was closed.
Once you've eaten your cake you can buy lots of jam:
After this stop the jacket was put back on again as it was getting cooler. My average speed was actually increasing as the day went on (odd, that!) and I got to Colchester slightly ahead of schedule. I knew I would arrive home with 86 miles ridden so, rather than go home and then turn out again, I upset the Garmin by going off-route and heading towards Manningtree where I bought some pizza for tea and some chocolate.
When I got to Manningtree I had done 91.5 miles and as I was locking the bike a passer-by struck up a conversation. "Is that bike comfortable?" he asked. "I should think so," I said, "I've just done 92 miles on it." He looked most awestruck and said, "You must be very fit." That 'must' again. Not "Phwoar, you're fit!" Ho hum.
That final 8.5 miles was actually quite difficult. I was feeling tired and a bit bored, having cycled the whole way entirely on my own. But the thought of the choccie when I got home, and the pizza, and the chance of a hot shower kept those pedals turning.
And here I am, home again, welcomed by the doggie and really looking forward to putting the bike away and returning to civilised clothing:
Here's dinner:
Here's the proof:
An enjoyable day and my cyclists' tan has come on well. I have discovered a disadvantage with recumbents, though; the front of my legs are quite brown, the backs white. Looks a bit silly but no more so than me in my cycling kit!
So... a trip to see Mum & Dad near Southend on a day with little wind and sunshine forecast all day.
Here I am, ready for the off.
The shorts seemed a good idea when I looked at the weather forecast but it was surprisingly misty and not as warm as I had hoped.
My trike was laden with all the goodies I will be taking on tour with me next month (including two changes of clothes, wash kit, phone and satnav chargers, two spare pairs of shoes, etc etc). The Abus lock alone weighs 1.8kg so I reckon I had about 10kg of stuff on the trike. It felt heavy to lift the back up but I didn't notice much difference on the road.
The misty conditions continued on through Colchester and further. Here I am crossing the Abberton Reservoir at about 10:00am. Where is that sunshine?
I arrived at Maldon and decided to stop for a cuppa after climbing that horrendous hill (which required me to use my lowest possible gear. A very low gear too!). The toasted teacake and butter, along with the cup of tea, were absolutely fab.
As I went to pay the lady behind the counter said, "How did you like cycling up that hill?" I said it was a bit knackering and she said, "I followed you up the hill and thought how hard it must be. Where are you going today?" I said to Southend and she said, "wow, you must have amazing legs."
Now this statement wasn't as thrilling as it could have been because:
(a) she was a girl and I would have preferred it issuing from a chap
(
it was a supposition, rather than a statement of factStill, we get what comfort we can from this kind of random remark.
Off I trotted from Maldon and at this point my Garmin Satnav showed its worth again. I had plotted a route through Hazeleigh and Bicknacre which meant I got off the A414 pretty quickly (it isn't a nice road). The route through Hazeleigh was lovely although quite steep for quite a long time.
Someone from the YACF forum had given me some excellent directions from South Woodham Ferrers and I made my way through Rawreth/Rayleigh according to his route which worked really well and kept me off some busy roads.
I arrived at my parents' house at 12:50, having said to expect me at 1:00, so that was pretty good going!
Mum and Dad fed me tea, bread and cake and we had a natter. I didn't want to stay too long as I was anxious to get back in the hopes I could do my Century today. I left at 2:30pm and wended my way back northwards towards the nice part of Essex!
I was finally warm as the sun had come out at about 12:00 so I dispensed with the fluorey jacket for the afternoon stretch. Good thing, too, as I would have disappeared into the background with all the oilseed rape:
The downhill at Hazeleigh was much more fun than the uphill:
I had plotted my route home via the jam factory at Tiptree (rather than stopping at Maldon again) and fortunately got there before it was closed.
Once you've eaten your cake you can buy lots of jam:
After this stop the jacket was put back on again as it was getting cooler. My average speed was actually increasing as the day went on (odd, that!) and I got to Colchester slightly ahead of schedule. I knew I would arrive home with 86 miles ridden so, rather than go home and then turn out again, I upset the Garmin by going off-route and heading towards Manningtree where I bought some pizza for tea and some chocolate.
When I got to Manningtree I had done 91.5 miles and as I was locking the bike a passer-by struck up a conversation. "Is that bike comfortable?" he asked. "I should think so," I said, "I've just done 92 miles on it." He looked most awestruck and said, "You must be very fit." That 'must' again. Not "Phwoar, you're fit!" Ho hum.
That final 8.5 miles was actually quite difficult. I was feeling tired and a bit bored, having cycled the whole way entirely on my own. But the thought of the choccie when I got home, and the pizza, and the chance of a hot shower kept those pedals turning.
And here I am, home again, welcomed by the doggie and really looking forward to putting the bike away and returning to civilised clothing:
Here's dinner:
Here's the proof:
An enjoyable day and my cyclists' tan has come on well. I have discovered a disadvantage with recumbents, though; the front of my legs are quite brown, the backs white. Looks a bit silly but no more so than me in my cycling kit!
Headgardener
Armchair Cyclist
You live in a converted chapel Auntie Helen, wow that's cool. My ride was a nice easy 12.8 miles down to Calshot and back this evening. Lovely run down in the late evening sunshine but it was all uphill on the way back and it had got a bit cooler as the sun had set.
. My ride was a nice easy 12.8 miles down to Calshot and back this evening. Lovely run down in the late evening sunshine but it was all uphill on the way back and it had got a bit cooler as the sun had set.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
it was a tad hilly (bikely loses 1800ft) it makes Linlithgow look flat.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I done a hard 13.25 miles to just north of Inverkeithing (it took me an hour) so I thought I'd better not go further and turned back. The return took less than 45 mins I guess that wind was stronger than I thought.
NickM
Veteran
- Location
- Darwin's birthplace
Nice report, Auntie H - I enjoyed it. And you look fine in your cycling gearAuntie Helen said:
Two pairs of non-cycling shoes in your touring kit? Shoes are an awkward item to pack, even if you fill them with socks and undies. Heavy, too. MsM and I have solved this for our walking tours by getting Jingas[url="http:// - salsa dancing shoes.
They are very light, but pretty hardwearing, too. You wouldn't want to walk all that far in them, but they are fine for going from B&B to pub. They have the considerable advantage for people like us of packing flat. We recommend them highly for cycling and walking tours"] - salsa dancing shoes.
They are very light, but pretty hardwearing, too. You wouldn't want to walk all that far in them, but they are fine for going from B&B to pub. They have the considerable advantage for people like us of packing flat. We recommend them highly for cycling and walking tours.[/url]
arallsopp
Post of The Year 2009 winner
- Location
- Bromley, Kent
Excellent write up AH. I'm missing out on miles at the moment (being mostly desk bound) and reading your reports (just about) maintains my sanity.
Looks like you live in a lovely part of the world. I may well just have to pootle up and see you some time.
Looks like you live in a lovely part of the world. I may well just have to pootle up and see you some time.
Auntie Helen
Ich bin Powerfrau!
- Location
- 47906 Kempen, Germany
- Status
