Your ride today....

[Old jon]

Monday! An excellent day to go for a ride on a bike, and the sun was shining too! Off I went, the part of my mind that thinks of routes was still asleep, and I trusted it to wake up soon enough . . .

After a visit to Holbeck, someone has to look at the water level, a ride through Hunslet and a haul up to John o’ Gaunts it seemed right to ride through Woodlesford and turn left at the bottom of the hill to go under the railway lines. On the way to Swillington from here the road crosses both the Aire and Calder canal and as a bonus ( ? ) the river Aire as well. Then climbs out of that valley and all the way through and beyond Swillington. This is fine though. The height loss to the roundabout at Garforth makes the legs twiddle quickly, did I say I was on the fixed? I was. So why did I turn right at the roundabout? To climb Garforth Cliff it seems. Hard work with only one gear but the legs managed.

From the top the road is vaguely level, but a brisk tailwind brought the speed up rather well through Peckfield Bar and all the way to the next roundabout which offers a left turn towards Micklefield. This bit lets the wind take revenge a little, which I reckon is fair enough. Through the village and on to the crossroads with the B 1217. Which Google Earth has just informed me is called Bunkers Hill. ‘Twas the A 1 when I was a lad. But, turn right there ‘cos I like the road to Lotherton Gates, especially with a tailwind again.

On the descent into Aberford I saw, and after the right turn passed, another cyclist. Said ‘Hi’, and after I turned left onto Cattle Lane he repassed me and we had a short chat, but he was now travelling faster than before, and the up and down road to Barwick is not one I can keep the pace on. By the time I crossed Cock Beck he had vanished into the distance. Still the climb up to Barwick to do, with some surprising gusts of wind here and there. More gustiness on the way to Scholes, after the crossing of the old railway line the wind began to freshen further. The A 64, Thorner Lane and Skeltons Lane were slow, though by Red Hall Lane I seem to have found a second wind, the personal type that is. So the ride home, down the hill and up again to the clock at Oakwood followed by more descent and the crossing of a corner of Leeds town centre all passed quickly. After thirty one point six miles the sight of my front door in the rain was welcome. A very enjoyable ride with a couple more degrees on the thermometer today. Did make me smile.

Maps are fun, if you do not have to draw them . . .

 

[cosmicbike]

My first 'me' ride since completing the weekend before last, nothing but commutes and shopping trips since then. After painting the ceiling I had time to pop out before sleepy time (night shifts). A very enjoyable circuit out to Chobham and back, lots of standing water, but the sunshine was trying to get through and the winds were light.
22 miles, back to the commute again tonight.

 

[Littgull]

I was determined to get out for a full morning on the bike now that the ice and sleet/snow had finally cleared up. Everything was saturated following the thaw and the heavy rain yesterday afternoon so I took my mtb.

I was out the door by 8.20 am and chose to ride a mix of rural/semi rural and urban lanes, tracks and quiet roads. Littleborough to Rochdale along the canal towpath then the ‘back road’ to Bury eventually turning right up Elbut Lane to the small village of Birtle. Thawed snow and rainwater was running off the hills (see pic). I continued along the very quiet track over the M66 pedestrian/cyclist bridge working my way down eventually to Walmersley Road which is the main road between Bury and Edenfield. It has a decent cycle lane along most of its route and after about a mile I turned left down Rowlands Road which leads to the pretty riverside village of Summerseat (between Bury and Ramsbottom). Rowlands Road is very cratered and potholed for the first half a mile of its length and these were all full of rainwater. Not a route for a thin tyred road bike but ok for an mtb. There is an alternative good surfaced road down to Summerseat which is just a few hundred yards further along the Edenfield Road. It’s called Bass Lane and is suitable for all bikes.

Once in the village of Summerseat, I rode past the popular Garden Centre and parallel to the very full river before taking the short but steep little climb up Peel Hall Road and subsequently to Greenmount. It’s a superb off road route (part of NCN 6) from Greenmount to Bury. About 3.5 miles with two bridges crossing the river and attractive woodland scenery. It’s called the Kirklees trail but is actually nowhere near Kirklees district!

On reaching Bury I took a mix of quiet roads and traffic free tracks for the 7 miles to Prestwich. It’s a good alternative to continuing on NCN 6 from Bury as there are parts of that route that become quagmires after heavy rain. I know this from recent experience!

At Prestwich, I again took quiet roads and lanes to the small village of Simister. It was hard to believe I was in such a quiet rural location when the hugely busy Simister island of the M62 was clearly visible just a few hundred yards across the fields. Onwards through Heys, Heywood and Castleton before getting back on the Rochdale canal.

Instead of riding straight home to Littleborough I diverted to Newhay to meet Mrs Littgull at my son’s house and walk their dog, Snoop, whilst they were at work. Despite a Met Office forecast of no greater than 10% chance of rain all day I copped a prolonged heavy shower when 2 miles from Newhey but soon dried off.

A final 3.5 miles subsequently took me back home to Littleborough giving me a decent total of 41 miles for the morning. A highly enjoyable start to the week.


Some more pics included.

 

[Aravis]

After a weekend when nothing would have tempted me out (even if I'd been able to) today was a much better proposition. It was very noticeable how many serious cyclists there were out today - far more than I'd normally expect to see on a Monday in January. The weekend had been well forecast and no doubt many people had planned accordingly.

I picked out a northwards route, spending about the same amount of time on either side of the Severn. For obvious reason I chose my river crossings carefully today, though I nearly came unstuck near the end. Here's the route (anticlockwise). Vaguely bird-shaped:

I was quite late starting, which meant finishing after dark unless I could be quicker than I've been lately. I couldn't!

It was grey early on, with a little light rain. But by the time of my first stop near Elmley Castle the sky was the colour you like to see:

The hill behind is Bredon Hill, an impressive Cotswold outlier. Well worth exploring, though not, in my opinion, by bike.

Onwards through Pershore, the river was high but not yet dangerously so. A little further on, the little Bow Brook at Defford had acquired much larger dimensions and for a moment I thought the Avon had taken a new course overnight.

I worked my way up to Worcester through Croome Park and took the cycle track over the southern bypass. Through the middle part of the ride I was struggling into the strong wind, especially when heading over the Malverns to Ledbury. I ground onwards through Dymock to Gorsley, but by the time I turned for home the wind had largely evaporated. So I've some excuse for the extremely slow pace.

When I reached Upleadon Mill, I had quite a surprise, since normally there is little water to be seen:

I had a nice chat with a guy who I presume lives at the mill. Apparently the water had been over the road earlier, but it didn't stop the cyclists!

I finished well after dark with a smidgeon over 102 miles. Knees and ears bare today - not sure it was the best decision, but I was OK.

 

[derrick]

As the weekend was a washout, riding wise i took the opportunity to get out for a 25 mile ride with a couple of mates, warmest it's been for a while. stopped at the local bike shop, needed a Mavic shimano freehub as converting from campagnolo. plenty of banter going on in the shop, if only we could get him to sell coffee. after about 25 mins we where on our way again, nice enjoyable ride, got back home fitted the freehub and a new cassette, cleaned my own bike, jumped in the shower, then a nice cup of tea in front of the box with a couple of biscuits.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1369715405

 

[kapelmuur]

While much of the country has been in the grip of ice and snow, here in North Cheshire/South Manchester we have had rain - lots of it.

However, this morning dawned dry and mild so I decided to ditch the turbo in favour of an outdoor ride. I thought I'd take the Trans Pennine Trail from Altrincham towards Warrington. Big mistake!

Parts of the trail were more suited to canoeing than cycling, as can be seen from the photo.

I came off the trail at Lymm and took to the road. At the aptly named Wet Gate Lane a motorist kindly warned me that the road was flooded and the water covered some deep and dangerous potholes. So back on to the safer main roads.

Back home via Tatton Park where the sun shone briefly.

 

[hondated]

Not rude at all. (In fact I make sure i do them by telling absolutely everyone all about it in advance, so that there's no way I can back out!) We've got a week in Harlech coming up in the Spring, and I'm planning on riding the Llanberis Pass while we are there. Some time later in the year (I think) @Banjo has offered to join me on an assault on the Black Mountain from Sennybridge. That one has been on my wish list for a few years now. Then at the end of the Summer I'll be staying in the Vosges mountains in Alsace, so I've identified the Col du Platzerwasel and the Col de la Schlucht as my two previous TdF climbs that I'm hoping to do. (I like to try out as many climbs as I can that have been categorised in the TdF, just to get a feel for them). I've done 8 of them so far, so hopefully that will make it 10).

Thanks Donger you've definitely got a busy cycling year ahead of you then. I need to get back to the Alpes as its been too long since I did a few of the climbs. Must admit I did struggle but it is great to know you have done them and an achievement that stays with you forever.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I've had another long break between rides so took the chance to get out today while it's dry. Like the last ride I headed into town and through The Quarry to start, then out to Uffington, Upton Magna, Wroxeter and Cressage, then back via Acton Burnell, Condover and over Lyth Hill.

It's quite breezy out and that was helping to start with as I negotiated the marked cycle routes to Porthill and into The Quarry. I had something shouted at me from a white van but it just sounded like whaa, whaa so no idea what that was about.

After the rain over the weekend the river is high which caused a blockage on my route as the water is over the tow path. My alternative wasn't as simple as I thought either due to roadworks on the approach to Wyle Cop.

Having ridden over to Castlefields I was back on track and headed out towards Upton Magna, feeling the force of the wind on the way. It was more noticeable after I'd turned south heading for Cressage but being a south-westerly also slowed me down on the way to Acton Burnell too where I found more roadworks that I hadn't been expecting but was allowed through the closure when I asked nicely.

The wind was helping on the way through Pitchford, to Cantlop which was nice. I caught and overtook another cyclist on the way to Condover, then decided to round up the mileage by going over Lyth Hill. I was almost tempted to stick with the A49 as I'd have had a good tailwind up the straight, but didn't fancy sharing with all the lorries.

30.8 miles at 12.3 mph average. Not quick but it was never likely to be today.

High river level at the Pengwern Boat Club.

My way is blocked just past Greyfriars Bridge.

View from Castlefields Bridge looking downstream. You can't even tell there is a towpath at the moment.

Muddy lane and moody sky near Eyton-on-Severn.

The Wrekin from Cressage Bridge.

The ford on the way to Acton Piggott looks innocent enough. A closer look reveals that it's about knee deep today. I used the bridge.

 

[gavgav]

The miserable weather, over the past 2 weeks, has meant no cycling and so I made the most of a dry evening to get out for a short ride.

I’d seen on Twitter that the flood barriers were going up in Shrewsbury again and so I came up with an alternative route that would get me around 10 miles.

Went down to Meole Brace and then up to Nobold, Radbrook, Porthill and through The Quarry, as far as Greyfriars Bridge, where I knew I would have to divert off the Towpath due to the flood gates being shut.

I decided to head through Longden Coleham and climb up to Meole Brace, using a road that I hadn’t cycled on before. It’s quite a climb for a Town Centre road really.

Looped back through Meole Village and home with exactly 10 miles on the clock.

Seriously hope the weather is better this weekend, to allow for a longer ride.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

A quick short 12 miles today for me as I took in a loop through the surrounding 3 villages and country park.

Took a shortcut on the Trans Pennine Trail which got both me and the MTB covered in mud from head to toe.

A very happy hour spent pootling around followed by 30 minutes cleaning the bike down. She’s spotless again now

 

[kapelmuur]

The miserable weather, over the past 2 weeks, has meant no cycling and so I made the most of a dry evening to get out for a short ride.

I’d seen on Twitter that the flood barriers were going up in Shrewsbury again and so I came up with an alternative route that would get me around 10 miles.

Went down to Meole Brace and then up to Nobold, Radbrook, Porthill and through The Quarry, as far as Greyfriars Bridge, where I knew I would have to divert off the Towpath due to the flood gates being shut.

I decided to head through Longden Coleham and climb up to Meole Brace, using a road that I hadn’t cycled on before. It’s quite a climb for a Town Centre road really.

Looped back through Meole Village and home with exactly 10 miles on the clock.

Seriously hope the weather is better this weekend, to allow for a longer ride.

My Dad used to be flood warden for Frankwell, he used to be busy before the barriers were built!

 

[Donger]

Thanks Donger you've definitely got a busy cycling year ahead of you then. I need to get back to the Alpes as its been too long since I did a few of the climbs. Must admit I did struggle but it is great to know you have done them and an achievement that stays with you forever.

Time stops for no man, and I was quite a late starter in cycling. Being completely the wrong size and weight for a cyclist and close to retirement age, I have to think my days of being able to get up mountains are limited. I wish I'd started earlier, and I intend to take every chance that comes my way from now on. As I can tell you already know, there really is no feeling quite like that feeling of achievement you get when you drink in a hard-earned mountain-top view after a long grind of a climb. I may be slow, but I always tell myself I've just set another veterans' super heavyweight record! Must try to get in a few rides in the Pyrennees too, some time. It is always nice to spot a familiar climb when you are watching the TdF on the telly, and you get an idea of just how phenomenal those guys are when you recall just how much it hurts getting up just one of the many climbs they do every day in the mountains . You are right, it does stay with you forever.

 

[cosmicbike]

My commute home at 0330hrs this morning was hard going, I suspect due to having only eaten a packet of Hula Hoops and a Penguin. A brief utility ride after lunch got the legs going, so this evening a quick spin out to avoid the Tuesday night tripe that SWMBO insists on watching.
Back to the commute again tomorrow..

 

[pjd57]

Strange ride tonight.
From my house to Celtic Park.... fairly routine as I normally cycle to matches.
But tonight was an away game at Firhill against Partick Thistle, who for the non football people , play in Maryhill, which is where I live.

I'd arranged to meet up with a young guy who is cycling to every Celtic away game this season .
Big task to take on , but he's on track.
So I joined him for the shortest ride of the season , 5 miles.

A 15 mile round trip for me.
Great to be out now the snow has gone

 

[Jon George]

I popped out before work to get in 10 or so miles before the wind really decided to blow. This out near Levington overlooking The Orwell.

BTW Is the naming of a single-track lane -The Drift - only a Suffolk peculiarity, or is is common throughout the country?

(Coming back from work I was damn near blown to a stand-still!)