Your ride today....

[jongooligan]

Wanted a steady bimble after yesterday's exertions so dropped down through town and took the C2C path westwards past Old King Coal.

Hardly anyone about on the cycle path but I could hear the distant hum of traffic as the school run rush hour got under way. It didn't drown out the song of the chaffinches and skylarks though so all was well with the world.

I was taking it easy so took the time to snap one of the Beamish Shorthorns.

The next section of the track is a bit rough compared to the rest of it but it's rideable on 25mm tyres and by East Stanley its back to tarmac (and dog muck and broken glass). Mebbe doing Stanley a disservice there as the area is much cleaner these days and I haven't been spat at by a local for over fifteen years. The two riders taking up all the path here pointedly took an age to let me pass and saw me off with a peal of angry tings. I think they were trying to make the point that I should have a bell on my bike.
Off the path at Annfield Plain where I took to the lanes through Burnhope and Holmside. Lovely countryside around there and it gets even better riding over Waldridge Fell which is only a couple of miles from home.
20 miles at an easy pace.

 

[mgs315]

Been thinking about how on earth I’m gonna get through next years Tour of Flanders sportive. Come to the decision that the only way I’m gonna get up them hills is by riding more hills.

So, 30 miles taking on 7 hills (5 with kickers above 10%) it is then.

Ow.

 

[cosmicbike]

Finished work at silly o'clock and had to get up early for domestic duties. A short utility ride on the Brompton first thing and when I got home was too awake for bed, so out with the RT-58. A nice, if windy, steady amble up to and around the park, getting there by my now normal route through the Wentworth estate. The golf club is getting ready for a ball whacking contest of some kind.
I did pause for a photo today, somewhere I've taken before but from the other side. The Jubilee statue, with the Queen looking down towards her castle

25 miles all told today, lacking the miles a little this week but apparently there's bills need paying

 

[pawl]

Found them! I 'd find these hard to swallow!

View attachment 408410

Cut them into small pieces will make them easier to swallow.
Hope your not to far away from local A&E

 

[pawl]

After a few days rest from killing myself going too hard on a ride whilst recovering from a a dodgy chest I thought I’d try again four days before my first sportive of the year, Tour of the Peak.

The roadie is in the LBS having some minor surgery (a new drivetrain) and so I dusted down the “Old Faithful” Trek Hybrid and set off down towards Market Bosworth on a bit of a mooch round the lanes. “Nothing too heavy,” I said to myself. Just a nice little tootle around one of my favourite areas for cycling.

The anomaly I believe to be called “the Sun” had disappeared and made way for some grey skies but it was still quite warm and thus the shorts came out yet again......

...Ahem, I digress! The hybrid I have is a 15kg lump of aluminium with a suspension seat that leaves my arse in bits and has just standard pedals on but oh my days I forget what fun it is to ride! I’ve had it for 8 years and I just love the thing, it has never let me down!

I stopped after about 10 1/2 miles for a drink and to rest my numb derrière and took a couple of photos before heading off back towards home. It should be noted that there was little wind and that also made for pleasant riding save for one section of road which had been resurfaced and thus the bike stuck to it like you-know-what-to-a-blanket but this was only a minor thing.

Getting home and reviewing the garmin stats I was absolutely flabbergasted to discover that my average for that ride was a dead even 17 mph! I can barely hit that on my road bike let alone the hybrid! Once I peeled myself off the floor from the shock , it dawned on me that the secret to increasing my average is not to try!!

So it’s a little over 19 miles in an hour and 10, breathing easy and feeling pretty darn good! Roll on Sunday!!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1560497702

Check out Quest to Test the Chest.... on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/1560497702

If it’s that bit of road I was on on Wednesday it seems to have settled quite well

Good luck with the Spotive.

 

[PatrickPending]

A nice 104Km ride in the sunshine - Blaby = Countesthorpe- Wiloughby Waterlys - Peatling Parva -Foston - Kilby - Wistow -Kibworth Harcourt -carlton Curlieu - ilston on the hill - Goadby - Glooston - Cranoe -Hllaton - Stockerston - eyebrook reservoir - Great Eaton -Drayton - Nevill Holt - Medbourne - Welham - Kibworth Beauchamp = Fleckney - Arnesby - Bruntingthorpe - Patling magna and Parva - Countesthorpe - Blaby

Seems the climb to Nevill Holt reaches 15%.....tested my legs. Got back for 2pm, think I'll sleep well tonight.

 

[13 rider]

A nice 104Km ride in the sunshine - Blaby = Countesthorpe- Wiloughby Waterlys - Peatling Parva -Foston - Kilby - Wistow -Kibworth Harcourt -carlton Curlieu - ilston on the hill - Goadby - Glooston - Cranoe -Hllaton - Stockerston - eyebrook reservoir - Great Eaton -Drayton - Nevill Holt - Medbourne - Welham - Kibworth Beauchamp = Fleckney - Arnesby - Bruntingthorpe - Patling magna and Parva - Countesthorpe - Blaby

Seems the climb to Nevill Holt reaches 15%.....tested my legs. Got back for 2pm, think I'll sleep well tonight.

Thats a lumpy ride for sure . Done Neville Holt twice before it's a bit of a brute

 

[Dave 123]

Just a quick ride out on my Cube tonight. The chain stayed in place too!

A run down Long Road into Comberton and dodging the potholes into Barton. Between here and Haslingfield is getting to be very holey too at the moment.
A right turn and I'm headed to Harlton and I'm starting to feel the chill in shorts and short sleeves!
Back over the A603 and through the Eversdens and Kingston.
Through Toft and back up to Hardwick. Didn't see one feathers worth of wildlife!

15 sunny miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/1562828570

 

[Noodle Legs]

If it’s that bit of road I was on on Wednesday it seems to have settled quite well

Good luck with the Spotive.

Thanks!

Between Barton in the Beans and Odstone where it was a bit clingy.

 

[Noodle Legs]

Thats a lumpy ride for sure . Done Neville Holt twice before it's a bit of a brute

Not had the pleasure of that one!

 

[Fonze]

Manky old day today, cool and windy, but anyway enjoyed a good 40km
Going through country lanes lovely smell of cherry from the trees, makes a change from horse sh1t
At Gorleston beach they are filming a Beetles film by Danny Boyle

 

[NorthernDave]

Off work this week but the first chance of a ride since Monday so out on the Giant this morning, with the 'best' bike waiting for it's new chain.

I don't normally cycle during the morning rush hour and this morning reminded me why. There are some very impatient / angry and above all cr*p drivers out there - if you dice with this lot on a daily basis then I take my hat off to you.

Coal Road to Skeltons Lane to the long descent into Thorner, through the village and up Milner Lane and along the ridge to East Rigton, round by the Green and up Compton Lane, which is effectively single track all the way along. As I approached the junction with Jewitt Lane a van turned in and headed straight for me. No slowing down, no waiting for me to reach the mouth of the junction, just full speed ahead. Fortunately I had just enough room to dodge him, but he passed close enough to have touched and I genuinely don't think he'd have stopped if he had hit me.
Anyhow, down the hill to Collingham and the usual wiggles across the A58 and A659 to head for Linton, with the expected lumpiness through the village taking me towards Wetherby. Into the town itself, hitting yet more traffic and along Horsefair, heading for the Church on the Corner for a different "Your Bike In front of..." pic, but on finding a funeral cortege arriving decided against stopping and looped back round to head out of town. Maybe next time.

Across the A1(M) and out past the racecourse with a nice tailwind, stayed on all the way to Walton before turning right for the road towards Thorp Arch.
Down and over the bridge and up the other side into Boston Spa and the long way via Bar Lane towards Clifford, where I stopped in the village for a photo in front of a different church (that gave me pics for the "Your bike in front of a..." church, wall, railings, gate and (possibly) water threads all at once!)

Back on the bike and on up the hill, before the quick descent into Bramham, enlivened by more motorised muppets. In the village I took the right to climb up towards the A1(M) bridge - at this point I was undecided on the next bit of the route as I had one eye on a matric half and was thinking which way would involve the least riding into a headwind on the last leg.
As I approached the A1(M) bridge it was the busiest I can ever recall seeing it - when I'd crossed the A1(M) earlier at Wetherby I'd heard a few sirens but not really thought anything of it. However there was clearly a lot of traffic leaving the A1(M) southbound and using the parallel diversionary route via West Woods Road and Paradise Way, so I was glad I'd not gone that way and decided to head via Thorner.
Crossing the bridge I could see traffic at a standstill on the motorway beneath, so something serious was clearly up.
It's a steady climb up from Bramham but there is a reasonable amount of shelter from the wind, and at the junction I took Thorner Road to loop into the village the long way round. As I approached the dip, I got that sinking feeling and felt the rear tyre getting very lumpy, so stopped.
Yep, another visit and the second in three rides on the Giant.
Being an optimistic soul I decided to try pumping the tyre up and it seemed to be working so I set off again, but had to stop again after a few hundred yards as it clearly wasn't holding the air.
Had a proper look and found another chunk of pointy stone right through the tread and well embedded.
No problem, I had all the stuff with me, so flipped the bike over on the verge and set to. It was a right job to get the first (Park Tools) tyre lever in and I genuinely thought I was going to damage the rim. Try as I might I couldn't get a second tyre lever under the bead and all my efforts were simply damaging the sidewall and decals on the wheels and putting an unexpected angle of bend in the tyre lever rather than achieving anything productive.
Enough was enough, and I made the call of shame to Mrs ND to get Thunderbird 2 out (thanks @Tim Hall )and rescue me.
Thanks again to the riders who passed and offered assistance, and to the serious group of cyclists who purposefully looked the other way I'm sure you'll get your own special rewards soon enough.

21.17 miles (34.07km) in 1h 36m at an average of 13.2mph and with 990ft climbed.

No metric half today, but it could have been worse and my loss is Halfords gain as I've ordered a pair of Gatorskins to replace the OE Giant Gavia AC tyres, which clearly can't be relied upon.
And Mrs ND was treated to a very nice lunch at a restaurant we've been on about trying for ages, so it all worked out in the end.

And talking about ends, here's the map:

 

[13 rider]

Not had the pleasure of that one!

When we get around to doing a south of Leicester ride I take you up it if you want

 

[Noodle Legs]

When we get around to doing a south of Leicester ride I take you up it if you want

Deal!

 

[Glow worm]

I had to ride 7 miles to Fakenham, Norfolk, early doors but remarkably, the drizzle cleared just as I set off.

After a quick meeting I headed off, hoping to visit Pensthorpe nature reserve along an old railway line near the river Wensum.

There was no way through. - lovely nature reserve, 2 miles from a rapidly growing town, with an old railway line connecting the two- you'd have thought it would be a no brainier for the perfect walking/ cycle route, but this is the UK and only fences blocking the way greeted me. The only official,way to reach Pensthorpe is along a horrible A road - i.e., if you're not driving here you can f£ck off.

A major nature reserve, you can only get to by car. This is the UK folks.

Perseverance and bloody mindedness led me to the reserve along the old railway line, but I could have done with a machete. Honestly, the Dutch must just piss themselves laughing at us.

I headed away from the plethora of 'no entry' signs and barbed wire along what would be obvious potential cycle routes in any civilised country, and soon reached the old church at Egmere near Walsingham. Although I've climbed that tower for over 30 years, new 'Private no entry' signs have just popped up.

Honestly- as each day passes, the more I'm convinced my long held belief that the past was great, the present is $hit and the future just doesn't bare thinking about, holds true.

The (slightly blurry) woods near Quarles. One of the very few places that have not changed since I've been around.

Final pit stop at Creake Abbey. 26 or so miles here today.