Your ride today....

[derrick]

Nice ride out in the sun with dom, the aero wheels do make a difference, managed to sit on his wheel so much easier today, A few road works about slowed us down a little, but they are mending the pot holes so that's ok. got back to the pub had a couple of beers then home for a shower, just waiting for the timer to ping on the oven, then dinner will be served.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1464395731

 

[cosmicbike]

I am the opposite, still have wide bars on my Kona which I will change one day

Well if you need a set of 40cm let me know, got an as new set of Boardman Flite you're welcome to.

 

[colly]

Despite looking forward to and making vague but definite plans of riding while I spent a few days away............................it never happened.

Was it the snow ? Was it the ice ? Was it the cold or the wind ? Nope, nothing like that. I left my cycling shoes behind. What a silly arse.
So we drove down on Sunday after being delayed by 6'' of snow on the road we live on. Setting off at noon rather than at 9am, it was Sunday to Wednesday at a lovely hotel and spa on the edges of Rutland Water.
The place was good as were all the facilities. The local town of Oakham was a real nice place. Lovely views all round.
I've been riding once before around here a couple of years back on a 100 fixed ride so I was looking forward to cycling. Instead I managed a few miles walking around 'The Water' I took a couple of photos:



and then the battery on my phone ran out.

So while I've had a good time away. I could have been better organised.

 

[cosmicbike]

Imperial century challenge ride had to be done today or I was leaving it until Good Friday. Being a weekday I had the dogs to worry about who can't be left for 8 hours (not fair on them), but I managed an arrangement with SWMBO to pop home from work for lunch, so no time constraints. Just as well really as I wasn't fast today..
Headed out towards Windsor Great Park at about 0720hrs this morning, earlier than planned and I figured some miles around the park would keep me off the roads during rush hour. Went via the Wentworth estate, a little chilly at -1 degree C. I have no idea which hole this is, pretty sure it's not the 19th....

After leaving the park it was time for the usual Explorer square gathering, so some strange little bits of routing through Slyfield Industrial Estate and a very hilly housing estate before I got a decent run down towards Flexford. I've got a very annoying rattle on the bike ATM, definitely rotational, not drivetrain as still clicky when freewheeling. Even more annoying is that it goes quiet when you spin the wheels up when not on it...Ho hum, something to look at..
More square hunting found me on a horribly rough farm track with deep puddles and plenty of mud, plus a steep hill at the end up to the A31 (the reason I was using the farm track, won't find me cycling on the A31). The view from the Hoggs Back, farm track follows the tree line on the left

Once clear of the mud we had a new rattle and I found both bottle cages loose, so a quick pause at Christmaspie for them to get tightened.
Getting into the hilly stuff now as I climbed out of Wanborough and over the A31 at the Hoggs Back before getting into the Surrey Hills. My target was a café at Churt, the Orchard Barn, and very welcome it was too at 61 miles. Coffee and a rather tasty brie, bacon and cranberry ciabatta to keep me going, and boy did I need it for what came next.
MORE HILLS To be honest I struggled on the way home with the hills. Camp Hill nearly killed me (might have been easier if Julian Clary was cheering me on). A pause at Ash Vale for a choccy bar made me feel sick with 20 miles still to go, and I forced myself to follow the planned route and grab a stray square missed last time out.
Home after nearly 8.5 hours, 7.5 of those on the saddle, and 102.2 miles, my longest yet. Also my hilliest, with 4941ft of climbing.
Next time I'm having cake at the lunch stop too.

 

[Reynard]

18 rather blustery miles here, riding in and around Littleport.

Set off as usual via Downham Common and Black Bank to Littleport, then down Parsons Lane. Stopped off at the GP's surgery to pick up mum's prescription from the dispensary. I didn't half get some rather funny looks rolling up on a bike, but hey...

Prescription safely stashed in the back pocket of my jacket, I bimbled off through Littleport via Main Street and Victoria Street. The latter was closed for sewage works, but still passable on a bike. Had a good laugh at cars ignoring the "Road Closed" sign and then having to do gazillion point turns in order to reverse course.

From there it was up to Sandhill, crossing the railway and the river and heading down along Branch Bank. The daffs on the river levee are in full bloom now and they don't half look fabby. There are a few narcissi among them now, and the odd very brave tulip. The blackthorns along there are now in full bloom compared to Friday, however. A left turn at the end to join the A10 for the run down to Camel Road - really hard work into a gusting headwind despite it being downhill. Onto Camel Road, past the garden centre and the sports centre and back into Littleport proper.

Instead of doing the shorter Station Road loop, I went back out to Sandhill and repeated the above loop before heading home. The last three miles were really hard work due to picking up that horrible headwind again and the tank was beginning to run dry. Any further than this and I really need to pack a banana and a Mr Kipling in my bar bag...

However, the wind was in the right direction for me to smell the crisps being fried up at Corkers on the other side of Pymoor. Oh maaaaaan...

Feel really tired - but very virtuous. And I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

 

[Jon George]

If my computer hadn't stopped for a while I might have topped up the miles to the round number. But who needs OCD? 59 smiles

Such a flippant attitude to enjoying oneself on a bicycle should be awarded some sort of prize.

 

[PeteXXX]

Yesterday’s ride, as per..

Being the first day of Spring, I dressed up in my Winter gear. Lucky, really, as within half as hour it was sleeting gently straight into my face.
Still, happily, it only lasted for a while.

I’d uploaded a route I’d made onto my Elemnt for a 50 mile ride, and stuck to the plan.
Though the villages, eventually got to Cold Ashby to revisit the first Trig Point in the UK.

Next village was Welford, where an old tee stump had been transformed into Postman Pat and Jess the cat.

From there, I had a few miles to go before food. My halfway stop was going to be Sibbertoft gliding club.

Nope.... shut! Don’t you just hate it when that happens!!

I ended up sat outside feasting on a banana & a Mars Bar nstead of hot food and coffee
As there were no more cafes en route, it was going to be a dry run..

Back through the lanes, there was still snow and slush around. Generally though, the roads were dry.

Heading back homewards, I had a tailwind, which was nice (and part of the plan)

Once back home, sat in a sheltered corner, it was quite warm.

52 miles, in sleet, cloud and occasionally sunshine.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1462417781

 

[13 rider]

Yesterday’s ride, as per..

Being the first day of Spring, I dressed up in my Winter gear. Lucky, really, as within half as hour it was sleeting gently straight into my face.
Still, happily, it only lasted for a while.

I’d uploaded a route I’d made onto my Elemnt for a 50 mile ride, and stuck to the plan.
Though the villages, eventually got to Cold Ashby to revisit the first Trig Point in the UK.

View attachment 401011

View attachment 400997

Next village was Welford, where an old tee stump had been transformed into Postman Pat and Jess the cat.

From there, I had a few miles to go before food. My halfway stop was going to be Sibbertoft gliding club.

View attachment 400999

Nope.... shut! Don’t you just hate it when that happens!!

I ended up sat outside feasting on a banana & a Mars Bar nstead of hot food and coffee
As there were no more cafes en route, it was going to be a dry run..

View attachment 400996

Back through the lanes, there was still snow and slush around. Generally though, the roads were dry.

Heading back homewards, I had a tailwind, which was nice (and part of the plan)

View attachment 400998

Once back home, sat in a sheltered corner, it was quite warm.

52 miles, in sleet, cloud and occasionally sunshine.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1462417781

We rode by postman Pat on the Market Harborough cafe meet up as we rode post I think @Supersuperleeds shouted it's postman Pat just as a real postie walked by , made him and us laugh

 

[Donger]

My back is now fully recovered, and the snow has all but disappeared, so Metric Century a Month Challenge ride for March finally done at the third attempt. Glorious sunny (if a bit breezy) day in Gloucestershire today. Headed out without a game plan and just went where the fancy took me. After Stroud, I avoided the traffic on the A419 Cowcombe Hill and took an alternative climb up through Chalford and the land that time forgot:

A beautiful, quiet little climb, though quite steep in places. Having overtaken a couple of horse riders, I felt compelled to keep plugging away until Frampton Mansell, rather than be seen gasping at the side of the road.

Glorious weather and dry roads all the way up into the Cotswolds. This was a Spring scene in Sapperton:

I turned right before I got to Cirencester, and the season suddenly changed. At Coates, I took a leaf out of @User9609's book by using an improvised bike stand at the side of the road:

Came across a field of new lambs ... all togged out in plastic macs:

Headed back via Malmesbury and (shown here) Tetbury, where I demolished a Ritter Sport bar and most of my remaining drink:

Then followed a ten mile drag into a headwind that hadn't been forecast at all. I was relieved to arrive at the top of Frocester Hill, where I wanted to get a lansdscape view. Unfortunately I had a Landrover right on my tail and nowhere suitable to pull over. By the time I got 3/4 of the way down, I was able to pull into a farm gateway and get this shot. You can just see the silver strip of the River Severn in front of the hills of the Forest of Dean in the distance. The view from the top was ten times better:

Now home and hosed, and still in the MCaM Challenge for 2018. In fact that's now 39 consecutive months with at least one 100km ride, and it brought my Eddington Number (Imperial) up to 53. Today's ride was 100.6km (62.5 miles) .... which I was quite pleased with, considering I'd not planned a route at all. Must have taken all the right turns for it to add up to just the right distance without having to go round the block at all when I got home, and without leaving myself an extra ten miles or so at the end. Well done to @cosmicbike on keeping the Imperial Century Challenge going. That's quite a step up from last year. I've only ever done one of those, and I'm not keen to repeat it any time soon!
Cheers, Donger.

 

[mgs315]

Nothing major today, 14 miles in 50 odd minutes to blow out the cobwebs a bit after a week in Norway. Set a few new PBs on Strava including a top 10 trophy which was a bit of a surprise. I guess taking a week off any form of training bar body weight exercises helped.

A few people from the local club are going out for a 40-miler tomorrow but I think my night shift will end too late for that one so might be a pootle over to Box Hill for a coffee and a pastry later in the day.

 

[biggs682]

A slightly curtailed early morning ride .

Managed the first 2 and a bit miles with some clunky gear changes and then the di2 stopped changing at all so stuck to a flat 10 mile loop .

Fingers crossed once charged all will be rosy

 

[mgs315]

@biggs682 That’s a very fancy single speed you’ve got there today!

A few people from the local club are going out for a 40-miler tomorrow but I think my night shift will end too late for that one so might be a pootle over to Box Hill for a coffee and a pastry later in the day.

So yep the shift was too late so a trip to the Box was in order, expect muggins here forgot his bike lock so lunch was an energy gel and a bit more water! Coffee at home now instead.

Triban at Epsom

• mgs315
• 22 Mar 2018

Quick stop off on the way home.

Quick stop at Epsom Downs on the way home.

Noticed a while back I didn’t do too badly overall on a segment close to home so decided to take it on as I was passing it on the way home. Yes I was trying. I feel ashamed. Well apart from the fact I got the KOM woo! First one. Hopefully I’ll grow out of segment bashing soon?

 

[biggs682]

@mgs315 i wasn't impressed but hey ho , sorted now

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just a short one today as my brother wanted to get out for his first ride in about six months.

We headed into Shrewsbury and did a little loop through The Quarry. It was clear to see that Doug has lost a lot of fitness but he's been out now and I'll get him going further on the next one.

7.6 miles at 9.6 mph average.

Just to prove he's been out.

 

[gavgav]

Just a short one today as my brother wanted to get out for his first ride in about six months.

We headed into Shrewsbury and did a little loop through The Quarry. It was clear to see that Doug has lost a lot of fitness but he's been out now and I'll get him going further on the next one.

7.6 miles at 9.6 mph average.

View attachment 401110
Just to prove he's been out.

He kept that quiet when I popped round earlier!