Your ride today.... (part 1)

[colly]

You know what it's like.
Tired after work, you have your meal, clear up, sit down, stuff to do but......tomorrow will do won't it ? You are sleepy, well, not sleepy as such, just lethargic. You can sit there, slob out in front of the telly and watch whatever is on and take nothing of worth from it, then slope off to bed later still feeling like crap.
Well you CAN sit there or you can go for a ride instead:

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/2007489

I don't feel lethargic now.

 

[colly]

Finally picked up the courage to get back on my bike after snapping my coccyx 6 weeks ago. Not the first time I have injured it,

Er? Ouch. Not for the first time either ?

To misquote Oscar Wilde ' to break one is unfortunate, to break two is beginning to look like carelessness'

I hope your recovery carries on well.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Another good blast today after spending half the morning speaking to assorted recruitment goblins... through Bradpole, Nettlecombe [past the Marquis of Lorne..]. West Milton, Loscombe [is this a track or a road hehehe], down assorted twisty lanes to Melplash, then Waytown, Pymore, Bradpole and back home again to whip up a couple of apple cakes.

 

[PeteXXX]

I was working this afternoon so I only got the chance to pop over to a mates to to return a crank puller I'd borrowed to fix my SS bike. Only 17 or 18 miles but I diverted via Abington Park on the way back as it's a much nicer ride than the straighter route home.

Some of the local mums jog around this pond with their buggies for a bit of exercise. Good luck to them, it was blowing a hoolie Across the open space there!

By the time I stopped fannying around taking pics, I had to get a move on to get home in time for shower and lunch before work.
Shame, I could have gone for a really decent ride!

Still, gotta earn a crust, eh....

 

[Cush]

Eh this is the ride that did not take place "Thank Goodness" I had intended to catch the train to Newcastle podle up to the Uni for a lecture, podle back to the station and catch train back to Wetheral but I spent too much time in the garden in the morning, So had to catch the bus to Ncl. After the lecture a quick dash via the metro to the station to find that a train that is normally busy but not over crowded was full to the gunnels with hardly standing room, there was one bike on but because of the luggage in the bike area it would have been very difficult if not impossible to get another bike on. This raises the question. I was on a cheap ticket for that train, if I could not have got the bike on would I have been allowed to use that ticket on the next train?

 

[nickyboy]

Too cold to stop and take photos today. Zero when I left Glossop and a balmy 2 degrees when I got back. Reversed the loop I did Sunday so that front-end loads the climbing. Three incidents worthy of report:

1) Holme Moss is getting a lot of work done to it, presumably in preparation for the TdF. Dropping down towards Holme there were a couple of gangs working away. When I went past the first gang I got wolf-whistled! Given I am thirteen and a half stone and an ex rugby player I suspect they didn't mistake me for some svelte, lycra-clad beauty. However, I feel like a piece of meat and am not happy being objectified in this way.

2) For the first time ever I got shouted at to "get a f***ing move on". Van driver, what a surprise

3) On the tops got passed by a guy and we rode along for about 7 miles and had a nice chat. He was proper serious, telling me about the races he had won this year but nice guy. Googled his team when I got back, Strategic Lions, turns out it was John Tanner, ex-Olympian and National Road Race champion. He was a bit slow for me but I held back so as not to embarrass him

 

[asterix]

When i was out on Tues, I found the potholes diabolical after the lovely French roads. It occurred to me that the TdF riders would be quite at risk doing fast descents on such surfaces. I remember that they resurfaced the Puy Mary descent in the Massif Central just before it hosted the etape and TdF.

Good of you not to embarrass John Tanner, I'd have done the same.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Same as yesterday's ride only very slightly quicker and slightly faster faster and a lot drier and marginally more fun.
Annoyed (won't use the word that first came to mind) a female audi driver in a queue when i had to pull out to go around some parked cars - realised her engine was not running and wasn't starting up very quickly, so sprinted uphill (yeh - I know, promise not to do it too often) and got in front of her, which annoyed her for reason and she made her feelings known a little later on passed the traffic lights when she finally caught me up and overtook me... roared passed me, but still gave me loads of room - probably something to do with my ninja impression dressed in all black, but with lights on...
Later on I managed to run over a squirrel... the squirrel did a' which way shall I run' act in front of an oncoming car, and then settled for trying to get between the front and rear wheels of my bike. It failed and I felt the rear wheel go over it, but once I had stopped and walked back to the scene of the 'incident' (dangerous corner at the best of times) there was no sign of it, so I guess it must have just been bruised rather than hurt badly. (I would have killed it is ncessary becauses I won't leave any animal dying in agony and a heavy D lock can be quite handy at times....)
Hopefully I will get out on the mtb on Sunday - that will be a bigger test of my poorly coccyx than the road bike has been...
http://www.strava.com/activities/95210709

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I've been off the bike for over a week again, so took the opportunity to get out this afternoon on one of my regular routes before it went dark.

I headed out to Acton Burnell via Condover and Pitchford, returning through Longnor, Ryton and Condover again. Lights went on for the whole trip as it was pretty dull out and a couple of the roads are busy.

Apart from being cold, the weather was fairly good for cycling: dry and light winds, so I was able to keep up a reasonable average speed without pushing too hard (still being careful of the knee, I don't want to pull it again). The new saddle was better too. After the last ride I reduced the tension of the leather and loosened the laces that stop the sides spreading out. It now has a lot more give in it and looks promising to be a good long-distance saddle when it's broken in properly.

It was quite nice to see a small number of other cyclists out. Making the most of the weather before it goes properly cold next week perhaps.

Today's tally: 17.3 miles at 13.3 mph average. Fairly happy with that.

Acton Burnell

Heading out of the village and looking towards the hills of Causeway Wood on the left and The Lawley and Caer Caradoc on the right.

At the junction for Longnor with The Lawley and Caer Caradoc a bit closer.

 

[stowie]

Am trying to lose weight (or at least work off the enormous curry I had the other day) and so decided to go for a ride today into central London and back.

Was waiting on the A10 near Kingsland behind a couple of lorries when there was a frantic beeping followed by "Hello Cyclist". There was a van parked behind me and the driver had got back in and wanted me to move left down the front of the lorries so he could push into the queue. He was pointing towards the ASL saying "there is a space for your there". The ASL was almost completely occupied by a lorry with its left indicator on. I declined the offer saying it was very kind he was thinking of me but I would rather not.

Then at Bakers Arms junction I was sitting minding my own business when a woman ran up next to me and her friend took a picture. She did kind of ask but I go the impression English wasn't her first language and she kept saying "photo, photo". I just looked confused and since I was at the red lights didn't really have many options. I didn't see the harm but now think I may be featuring on www.uglycyclists.com sometime soon..

 

[mooseracer]

15 miles on the MTB to pickup my car which I abandoned in a pub carpark last night

 

[derrick]

Eight of us went to Regents Park to do a few laps of the outer circle, had a lot f fun trying to get a good time, after 5 laps we stopped for coffee and cake, then onto Hampstead for a bit of hill climbing, we all had a good time, going to make it a regular ride, 36 miles nice bright day not a lot of wind, good morning ride.
http://app.strava.com/activities/95375153

 

[Hacienda71]

65miles for me today. Got up late and had to text the others to let them know I wouldn't make the rv on time. Met 400bhp and FrankW at Ashley then headed over to Delamere Forrest. Got as far as Knutsford when Frank came off on a slippery roundabout. Quick trip to the co-op to get some plasters to stem the flow of blood and then back on the road. Nice ride through the country with a 400bhp signature cross country section through some woods. The doggers, I mean dog walkers seemed quite surprised to see three lycra louts appear. Got to the cafe just before the crowds descended and had a bit of breakfast. @potsy shot for you mate.

Then a brisk chaingang back across the Cheshire plain. Good ride, weather wasn't too bad. All in all a pleasant trip.

 

[i hate hills]

Come to the thinking that nightshift is totally rubbish for me. Started off the week Monday ,Tuesday doing 10 mile each day then Wednesday dawned . Once up at 1pm i gave it a miss because i couldn't stick another day in the wind.I had things on Thursday and Friday so Saturday saw me out on a wee 10 miler . I was useless i was slow, every mile was a struggle. Putting it down to my body adjusting from n/s to normal mode........theres always next week i suppose....

 

[ScotiaLass]

A very cold 12 miles this morning!!
Decided to go early as it's always busy at a weekend. Nothing out the ordinary today - same route...but....
I got up the cemetery hill with only one stop (and a very short walk)!!!
I passed a man tending a grave ¾ of the way up and he looked at me as I passed (well I was wheezing and grunting ) and he smiled and said 'Keep going, you're almost there!'
I muttered something about hating 'this bl***y hill' and spurred myself on to the top!
I would have celebrated if I wasn't snorting like a hippo and feeling like my heart was going to punch it's way out of my chest!
In other news, I made it up the second hill into the village in a lower gear than usual, so that's progress right?
My thighs were numb with the cold but what a blast!
I'm going to buy some winter tights this week!

A stop at the lock

Lovely reflections this morning at the Kelpies!

Helix Park when I arrived

Helix Park when I left!