Your ride today.... (part 1)

[coffeejo]

Sunshine this afternoon after my appointment instead of the forecast rain. Celebrated by going the long way home. 22 mile roundtrip instead of 12.

 

[Donger]

Nice ride today. Just over 28 miles in all. Rode over to Stroud, hopping onto a nice cycle path along the Stroudwater Canal to saunter past a line of 30 or so cars being held up by a roadsweeper. (None of them were giving me any room, so I found another way and left them all behind me).Then took the old railway path from Dudbridge (Stroud) to Nailsworth, through the woods and above all the mill ponds down in the valley. A marked absence of free-roaming large dogs made this an even more pleasant experience than usual.
1. Dudbridge to Nailsworth old railway path

Stopped for a breather in the Cotswold edge village of Nailsworth, and a swift pint in one of my favourite pubs, The Egypt Mill (incidentally, they do one of the best Sunday lunches for miles around).

2. Nailsworth

3. The Egypt Mill

Then up a biiiiig long hill up to the Forest Green Rovers ground - surely one of the most rural in Britain with fields of sheep next door. From there you are immediately on a singletrack road with passing places, on the way up a mercifully gentler hill to Nympsfield Long Barrow. 4. Nympsfield Long Barrow

Took in the views from Coaley Peak , just a few metres away from the barrow. (The road just visible behind my bike is my staple hill climb, winding its way for a mile or so along the edge of Frocester Hill to Coaley Peak).

5. View from Coaley Peak

The final shot shows the pan flat Vale of Gloucester, with the River Severn glimmering in the distance, and the hills of the Forest of Dean beyond. I must have covered every inch of road between there and the Cotswold edge over the last six years. I really am lucky to have such beautiful and varied scenery all within 15 miles from home. Finished with an exhilarating 35mph glide down Frocester Hill and a following wind all the way back to Gloucester.

6. The Severn and the Forest of Dean, seen from Coaley Peak

7. Oh yes ..... and the sun even came out today. Hello to everyone on cycle Chat.

Cheers, Donger.

 

[hopless500]

60 miles yesterday for the New Forest Audax .Hill wimp and Hopeless were on good form and the cake consumption was kept to the minimum . We managed to stay on course with no deviations which was impressive. Even a full on gale on top of Stoney Cross did not hinder them .

Well, it did slow us down just a bit Being blown sideways didn't help much either

 

[alans]

For various reasons I've been up & down to the village like a pair of brides knickers.It's only a kilometre round trip but it's added up to almost 14km.


I feel almost giddy.

 

[IDMark2]

I set out to do a flattish ride today and one with plenty of stopping and admiring views, eating flapjack supplies and general bimbling. What I didn't think of is the wind. Well, I thought of it but having ridden in a stronger one on Sunday I thought I could probably handle this one.. 24kmh NW. No problem...

I wanted to get down to the Exe Estuary trail, that's generally SW from home so not too much of a problem, in fact a bit handy in most places. Once down at Topsham I spent a bit of time at the RSPB reserve and then moved on, past the Marines training on the assault course at Lympston (you may have seen this on the TV), and onwards down the estuary to Exmouth. From here after negotiating the town there's a path created from the old closed railway line to Budleigh Salterton for my second estuary of the day, this time it's where the River Otter meets the sea. When I arrived here I'd done 40k and now it got tougher as I turned back inland, obviously I'm at sea level here so it goes ever upwards and against the wind...and after Sunday I haven't got as much in the tank as I had thought... I don't think I got it out of the middle ring all the way home. By the time I got to Fairmile at about 60k, I had a choice of routes home, short sharp climb and a 2k drag afterwards with a short speedy descent home or a drag that's quite a lot longer up past Escot into Talaton but quite a deal gentler. I wanted to get home now, so short and sharp it was!

So with that I managed to do a ride about the same length as Sunday, 64.5k and with a bit more climbing, 720m. A lot slower though, heavier bike, wind and legs to blame! Ah well, the weather was nicer, didn't get wet..now, recovery.

 

[Glow worm]

The sun was out here today and the outside world looked too inviting to carry on staring at a computer screen, so I may have b*ggered off work a little early to enjoy it!

Was working from home at my parent's house in north west Norfolk so a sunny 10 mile or so circuit was the plan.

First, through Nelson's birthplace village of Burnham Thorpe. This is Norfolk, there's no song and dance, no nonsense, or squit as we say in these parts. A small plaque for one of Britains greatest heroes, is quite enough thank you very much!

Just a couple of years ago, there were almost no red kites in Norfolk. Now I'm really pleased to see them quite often hereabouts. This one flew right over my head at Burnham Thorpe.

Then I reached the coastal marshes near Burnham Overy Staithe. Barely a cloud in the sky and the wind had finally dropped. Almost like summer.

I sat on a bench for a while and, for the first time ever for me, heard a booming bittern from a reed bed close by. Just an unbelievable moment, and luckily there was no one about to hear me say 'f*ck me - its a bittern'!

I sat there for ages, just watching the birds, the tide come in and chatting to passers by. I wished I could just stop the clock and stay there forever- a wonderful spot.

A bit further along was Burnham Overy Staithe. Every coastal village in Norfolk claims to be the first where Lord Nelson learnt to sail. This is one of them and believed to be the most likely.

And looking back the other way towards Norway...

At Burnham Overy, the incoming tide wet the tyres...

Then back home via the 'hills'..

Lovely ride. Back to Newmarket tomorrow.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Well, I am disappointed - I only did 36 miles - I was annoyingly badly prepared, despite knowing of inevitable rain at some point, I did not wear my waterproof coat. I got rained on 3 times and by the third time, I was soaked through, fed up and wanted to cry.

Thankfully my boyfriend was on hand to come rescue me from the dark depths of Cranbrook - so frustrating that I was around 15 miles from home and I really wanted today to be the day :-( STILL.....I saw some lovely things on my travels and the rain did give me a lot of incentive to cycle fast....EVEN UP HILLS!!!!

 

[john59]

Out for a 46 km ride before work enjoying the sunshine. Just climbing a short hill 2 km form home and there was a loud bang from my rear Gatorskin tyre. This is what I found.

http://www.strava.com/activities/140957249





I'll have to inspect it more closely, tonight after work, to see if I can find the cause.

John

 

[GrasB]

Have you still got the tread depth dimples in the tyre? If not it may simply be a case of worn tyre not being able to hold the pressure in.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Out for a 46 km ride before work enjoying the sunshine. Just climbing a short hill 2 km form home and there was a loud bang from my rear Gatorskin tyre. This is what I found.

http://www.strava.com/activities/140957249





I'll have to inspect it more closely, tonight after work, to see if I can find the cause.

John

Was it those 2 oven racks falling off?

 

[hopless500]

Out for a 46 km ride before work enjoying the sunshine. Just climbing a short hill 2 km form home and there was a loud bang from my rear Gatorskin tyre. This is what I found.

http://www.strava.com/activities/140957249





I'll have to inspect it more closely, tonight after work, to see if I can find the cause.

John

That looks like a pretty knackered tyre to me...

 

[john59]

Have you still got the tread depth dimples in the tyre? If not it may simply be a case of worn tyre not being able to hold the pressure in.

Thanks, I'll have look tonight. I have noticed the dimples on my Grand prix 4000 tyres have the dimples but never noticed on the Gatorskins. I do run them at maximum pressure and they are my training tyres so you could be right.

John

 

[Dark46]

Yesterday I meant to post this put had some homework to so when I got in.
Ad I was getting close to the 100 mile barrier on the bike, I wanted to do a longer ride home to cover it. Will I was gone 58 mins of which there was a small 5 mins break, as there were a couple of hills. I ended up covering 11.6 miles, nearing home I saw a Policeman on the estate pointing a camera at me lol. I said "SurleyI wasn't going that fast " "no just 40 in a 30" lol

 

[Cush]

, nearing home I saw a Policeman on the estate pointing a camera at me lol. I said "SurleyI wasn't going that fast " "no just 40 in a 30" lol

I would have pleaded guilty and asked for copies of the ticket to be published in all the local papers along with my photo.

 

[biggs682]

my riding today was helping at a local special needs school with there pupils doing bike ability , what a great day