Your ride today....

[Dave 123]

I like that @Brandane , nowt like an impulse buy!

A tandem ride for us today. A slightly different route to Elsworth, and then to the top of the hill. There were huge flocks of starling about up there with big groups of fieldfare and redwing, plus a few lapwing.
Down into Hilton and out the other side. More starling and Lapwing, but with them was another bird. I said to Jo that they might be golden plover. They took off and flew low over us, indeed they were golden plover!

Our 3 main road crossings were the A1198 twice and the A428, we were lucky, no cars, didn't have to stop!

On through Croxton and Abbotsley seeing buzzard and kestrel before a warm up at Waresley GC

I do love their custard tarts, crispy pastry...!

On down to Gamlingay and then turn for home, all of it in a headwind. It's character building but it's tough on the legs. About 3 miles from home my thighs went ice cold and dead, all power had gone. I voiced this and Jo replied'funny that, I feel the same'. So we were left with the hill in Toft, then the 2 mile draggy slope into a headwind back to home. Progress seemed glacial. Eventually we got off the bike by the garage door, we both groaned loudly, that was a tough one!

This picture looks like I'm having an insertion, and at times today it felt like it.

37 lovely, sunny miles!


https://www.strava.com/activities/1345342278

 

[NorthernDave]

Set out to do 100km for the CC monthly challenge. Due to the cold weather I took my Trek MTB on it's Schwalbe ice spike tyres. Having done this route from Largs to Girvan before, I know it is almost exactly 100 km, or 63 miles in old money. A nice tail wind, and the train home.

Leaving Largs from the south...

View attachment 390430

Trek MTB with the snowy peaks of Arran in the background.....

View attachment 390431

On reaching Prestwick, 30 miles into the ride, I decided to visit an LBS which had a sale on. Bad move. I've been after something more exotic for a while and doing some research on line. This LBS is a Merida dealer and they just happened to have the object of my lust in stock. Last one in shop, heavily discounted etc... Long story short, I went to the pub next door for an hour and had something to eat/drink while they prepped the new bike. I then set off for the last 33 miles on this....
View attachment 390432

I will have to go back to pick up the Trek MTB next week. Due to the time spent in Prestwick, the ride was finished in the dark so just as well I transferred lights from the MTB.. Three trains and 2 hours later I had my new baby back home. Lovely bike to ride and looking forward to upping the miles this year.

This is worth so much more than a like! Chapeau indeed.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Suggested to our lass yesterday that we should get up and go for a ride this morning, she hasn't been on the bike for 3 or 4 weeks. Got up this morning to see it is icy, she won't ride if there is any sign of ice, especially since just before Christmas someone she works with came off his bike and broke both arms.

We waited until 10:30 and it is still icy, so we decided I would ride the ice bike and she would drive to Abbey Park and we would meet at 11:30 for a coffee. I got there at 11:31 having done 14 miles and she is sat on the bench with the coffee. Beautiful sunny morning so after the coffee we wandered over to see animals in Pets Corner and then we headed home.

Took a slight detour and finished on 33 miles, got in to see Leeds were winning one nil, by the time I had uploaded my ride to Strava we had lost 2-1. Oh well at least I had a nice ride.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1345306283

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Congrats to @Brandane for the new acquisition
My ride, ahem, on Friday, was a quick (by my standards) 30 flat miles to the harbor of Bowling and back.
I have some time off (after the festivities, as I work in catering), so don't want to lose to many miles because I don't have to commute.
The temperature was already around 0 Celsius when I set out because I did get up late then I tilly tallied about some more
Glad I did go though, it was very enjoyable, my feet started to get cold only when I was almost home
A few pictures from Bowling on a crisp, dry afternoon:


My ride today: as usual I did not want to go (I'm lazy when I'm off work) but as usual glad I went!
It was GoBike's annual Glasgow's cycling infrastructure ride: not that I rate those infrastructures highly, but it was motivation to get out of the house in -5 Celsius when I don't have to
The ice bike with studded tyres was used, a mini tractor that soon did heat me up.
Sadly, after 15 miles my toes, in spite of 3 pairs of socks and tinfoil (lol) got ready to fall off, so I headed home, via a wee diversion because this girl does not get out of bed for less than 20 miles
I have commuted the 5 miles to work in all weather for 7 winters now, but this was the first time my water bottle froze!
One of the group had frozen gear cables because he keeps his bike in the garage.
Some pictures of today's ride, around 20 of us, not bad considered only me and @flyingfifi have ice tyres.

 

[Donger]

First club ride of the year today, so I showed off the new Panorama (which rode beautifully). Seven of us set off on a flattish clockwise loop via Stonehouse, Frocester and Cam before stopping off for coffee and cakes at the newly re-opened Black Shed café by the canal at Slimbridge. The owner was very friendly and seemed impressed that so many of us had ventured out on a frosty morning like that.

There was frost pretty much everywhere, and patches of ice and slush persisting in the shadows on random bends here and there, so it was quite treacherous out there today - particularly between Frocester and Cam, where we all descended with our feet down, getting ready to crash. It turned out we had a strong following wind on the way out, but progress was so steady and careful that we didn't appreciate it until we battled against it on the way back ... barely able to get above 13mph at times. I never took my eyes off the road surface ahead of me all the way round. Just as well, it turns out, as one of my mates went over on a sheet of black ice just ahead of me as we approached Elmore. It looked bad, as he made one attempt to get up and then just lay there for 20 seconds or so. Fortunately he was just a bit stunned and winded, and his bike was OK .... I mean he was OK.

35.6 miles in all, and probably at record slow pace for a club ride .... but everyone enjoyed being out on a nice sunny (if freezing cold) day.
Take care on that ice, everyone. Cheers, Donger.

 

[Pale Rider]

Ice was an unwelcome feature of my ride with my Sunday morning group.

One of our number came off leaving his cul-de-sac, he was OK, but the bike will need a bit of fettling.

We did about eight miles to the small port of Seaham in County Durham.

No more fallers, although two of us have studded tyres.

The daft thing is it was mild enough to sit outside in the sun for our bait stop at Seaham Marina.

Studded tyres do a cracking job of keeping you upright in these conditions, so well done to @Donger and @Supersuperleeds for riding today witthout them.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Ice was an unwelcome feature of my ride with my Sunday morning group.

One of our number came off leaving his cul-de-sac, he was OK, but the bike will need a bit of fettling.

We did about eight miles to the small port of Seaham in County Durham.

No more fallers, although two of us have studded tyres.

The daft thing is it was mild enough to sit outside in the sun for our bait stop at Seaham Marina.

Studded tyres do a cracking job of keeping you upright in these conditions, so well done to @Donger and @Supersuperleeds for riding today witthout them.

I rode with studs today, blooming hard work but worth it for peace of mind. I would have been fine on the main roads but I love going down cycle paths and side roads too much. Hope your faller and his bike are okay.

 

[pawl]

I like that @Brandane , nowt like an impulse buy!

A tandem ride for us today. A slightly different route to Elsworth, and then to the top of the hill. There were huge flocks of starling about up there with big groups of fieldfare and redwing, plus a few lapwing.
Down into Hilton and out the other side. More starling and Lapwing, but with them was another bird. I said to Jo that they might be golden plover. They took off and flew low over us, indeed they were golden plover!

Our 3 main road crossings were the A1198 twice and the A428, we were lucky, no cars, didn't have to stop!

On through Croxton and Abbotsley seeing buzzard and kestrel before a warm up at Waresley GC
View attachment 390475
I do love their custard tarts, crispy pastry...!

On down to Gamlingay and then turn for home, all of it in a headwind. It's character building but it's tough on the legs. About 3 miles from home my thighs went ice cold and dead, all power had gone. I voiced this and Jo replied'funny that, I feel the same'. So we were left with the hill in Toft, then the 2 mile draggy slope into a headwind back to home. Progress seemed glacial. Eventually we got off the bike by the garage door, we both groaned loudly, that was a tough one!
View attachment 390474
This picture looks like I'm having an insertion, and at times today it felt like it.

37 lovely, sunny miles!


https://www.strava.com/activities/1345342278

 

[Pale Rider]

I rode with studs today

So you did.

Memo to self: read the sodding post properly before replying.

I see @colly took a tumble, so it looks like there have been cyclists falling off all over the country today.

 

[pawl]

Is that the Portuguese custard tart Pastieis de Narta,

Have tried a few in England,unfortunately they didn’t come up to the Portuguese ones.

 

[Dave 123]

Is that the Portuguese custard tart Pastieis de Narta,

Have tried a few in England,unfortunately they didn’t come up to the Portuguese ones.

I agree, they're not as good. But I do accept a poor substitute.

 

[Brandane]

This is worth so much more than a like!

One more like needed; please, somebody! As it stands there are 13 likes of that post and I'm a bit superstitious about that with it being a new bike .
Was out on the new toy again today and like it even more after a few personal tweeks. Replaced saddle with something better I had lying around, and changed the brake pads for some more rim friendly KoolStops. Then got the saddle and bars positioning more to my liking. Just a wee 15 miles or so today just to confirm what I thought - that this impulse buy was the right thing to do. Hoping to recoup some of the money with the sale of my Specialized Secteur which I will put up on the appropriate board in the near future (haven't got space for 5 bikes! ).

My home town, seen from the ferry going to Cumbrae (when it's nice it's VERY nice, but too often it's obscured by clouds and rain!)...

A hardy soul can be seen out in a kayak with the temperature somewhere about freezing:

First photo of the Merida, pity about the poor quality phone camera.....

 

[pawl]

I agree, they're not as good. But I do accept a poor substitute.

Agreed.I have only seen then two places in my neck of the woods,Cafe Nero and a suprise Morrison’s Cafe.

 

[Donger]

One more like needed; please, somebody! As it stands there are 13 likes of that post and I'm a bit superstitious about that with it being a new bike .
Was out on the new toy again today and like it even more after a few personal tweeks. Replaced saddle with something better I had lying around, and changed the brake pads for some more rim friendly KoolStops. Then got the saddle and bars positioning more to my liking. Just a wee 15 miles or so today just to confirm what I thought - that this impulse buy was the right thing to do. Hoping to recoup some of the money with the sale of my Specialized Secteur which I will put up on the appropriate board in the near future (haven't got space for 5 bikes! ).

I could unlike it if that would help.

 

[Brandane]

I could unlike it if that would help.

It would, until someone else comes along and likes it!