Your ride today....

[mooseracer]

Today's rides were an attempt aborted at 6.9 miles after light failure, and then a slightly more successful 22.5 miles later in the evening

https://www.strava.com/activities/250880895

Not as many miles as I was planning at all.

 

[PeteXXX]

After finishing w*rk at 02:30 this morning with -3 ice covering the car, I needed to pop over to the other side of town this morning to pick up a pack of ball bearings to replace the ones I've used recently to fettle the rear of the SL4.
The sun was shining and I was in the mood for a nice spin, but, sadly, had to be back by lunchtime...

Quick view of the Northampton Lighthouse over a frozen lake.

I just missed a pic of the heron(?) sitting on it's perch waiting for a perch or summat. Still, I got it as it flew away...

Back home along pretty much the same route, using the cycle paths beside the River Nene and The Washlands

16.5 miles with only a couple of them on actual roads.

Off to w*rk now. Boooo

https://www.strava.com/activities/251064259

 

[BigonaBianchi]

40 odd miles around Larnaca the other day with a rider from Zurich
http://cyprusonabianchi.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[Jon George]

Bagged another 34 miles today by going the reverse way around a route I cobbled together the other day. (Basically, Ipswich, Woodbridge, Campsea Ashe, Easton, Debach, Ipswich)
The headwind going out was diabolical! And, of course, when I turned for home and rode the tailwind, I discovered I now had too many clothes on and flirted with boil-in-the-bag.

Still, it was great being out (not much work done today, I fear), and I am beginning to detect a build-up in my over-all stamina.

View of The Deben between Melton and Bromeswell.

 

[cosmicbike]

For once I'd actually planned my ride today, and had a number of aims. I bagged a Garmin 800 on the cheap during one of Halfords offers this week, so fancied giving the whole map function a whirl, so programmed a 36 mile route, taking in Hampton Court and a visit plus lap of the infamous Richmond Park. Now, 36 miles is a stretch at the moment, but the weather was kind, so I set of with my one mudguarded Trek into the rather harsh headwind. Made reasonable progress until I got to Weybridge where the traffic was heavy. Still, once out through there is was a slog on to Hampton, then new territory for me up to Kingston Bridge, where I paused for food and a photo.

I'm guessing the other bridge is for trains.
Now, so far I had not used the Garmin map, so told it to start the 'course', so far so good. Until the road I wanted was closed, that threw me. Cue large circuit of Kingston in lots of traffic, to be fair I got given loads of space but then I was being very assertive, taking a strong primary all the time. Totally lost, I ended up following the road signs back to Kingston Bridge, then home via known routes through Bushy Park and Lower Sunbury.
Never got to 36 miles, instead managing only 31.2. Never managed to get to Richmond Park either At least I stayed warm, Garmin never got above 3C

 

[Jon George]

For once I'd actually planned my ride today, and had a number of aims. I bagged a Garmin 800 on the cheap during one of Halfords offers this week, so fancied giving the whole map function a whirl, so programmed a 36 mile route, taking in Hampton Court and a visit plus lap of the infamous Richmond Park. Now, 36 miles is a stretch at the moment, but the weather was kind, so I set of with my one mudguarded Trek into the rather harsh headwind. Made reasonable progress until I got to Weybridge where the traffic was heavy. Still, once out through there is was a slog on to Hampton, then new territory for me up to Kingston Bridge, where I paused for food and a photo.
View attachment 79079

I'm guessing the other bridge is for trains.
Now, so far I had not used the Garmin map, so told it to start the 'course', so far so good. Until the road I wanted was closed, that threw me. Cue large circuit of Kingston in lots of traffic, to be fair I got given loads of space but then I was being very assertive, taking a strong primary all the time. Totally lost, I ended up following the road signs back to Kingston Bridge, then home via known routes through Bushy Park and Lower Sunbury.
Never got to 36 miles, instead managing only 31.2. Never managed to get to Richmond Park either At least I stayed warm, Garmin never got above 3C

Well, at least you managed to bag another 50k!

 

[Geoff Crowther]

-1.5C as we left home. Cold but bright. Out via backroads through New Mills to Lyme Park.

Negotiated some tricky ice down the little valley to the west gate then out onto the lanes towards Bollington with views across the Cheshire Plain.

Stopped at the Cafe Waterside in the old Clarence Mill by the canal. She, tuna mayo toastie; me, sausage and egg barm with tea & coffee respectively, followed by chocolate crispy cake & the MOST delicious teabread, with butter, of course. Then, return journey via the towpath on the frozen Macclesfield Canal.

Then, remove a twig from under her rear mudguard, followed by the, rather obvious, 1/4 inch long thorn. Inevitably, after a short way ... puncture. Fixed, then off again. A6 from High Lane to Newtown and back to Hayfield through New Mills. Home, cold. Bikes ... filthy!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Hoar Park the destination 28 miles the journey. Day off work today, time off for good behavior, I spent the morning running errands and then ran my Good Lady to the hairdressers, that meant the afternoon was my own and the sun was shinning so I got changed got the bike out and headed of to see how my back coped with a longer cycle ride. Out of Coventry through Keresley and up Breach Oak Lane to Ansley and on to Hoar Park by the direct route, after a coffee and tea cake in their cafe I headed for the Arley's before turning onto the Tamworth road then turned through the lanes towards Maxstoke, when I got to Maxstoke I turned onto the route I use back from Middleton hall, riding down Packington Lane past the Golf Course I looked at my watch and realized I hadn't enough time to go onto Meriden so decided to turn down Kimwalsy Lane cross the Fillongley Road and ride down Harvest Hill Lane and back into Coventry down Washbrook Lane, when I got to the Coundon Wedge road roundabout instead of going straight on I turned left and rode into Holbrooks past the Royal Court Hotel. A cold afternoon with a strong bitter wind blowing, the sort that blows through you rather than round you, most of the roads were OK, just the odd frozen puddle to catch you out, it was only Kimwalsey lane and Harvest Hill that had patches of slush and ice on them, not the nicest afternoon on the bike, a bit slow and hard work but pleasant enough.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm losing track of how many sunny winter rides I have reported on recently, which is a good problem to have! I think it is #5?

Anyway ... I was going to do a 56 km/35 mile ride today to take some different pictures for y'all but I got a call from an old friend replying to a message that I had left for him last night about another old friend of both of us who died recently. We ended up talking for a long time about how shocked we were, the funeral arrangements etc. By the time the call was finished, I realised that I didn't have enough daylight hours left to do my planned ride and I did not want to do it in the freezing dark with rush hour traffic on my way back. I decided to nip out and do my standard Cragg Vale/Steep Lane/Greenway loop instead, so just 37 km or 23 miles. I took a few pictures from different positions to my previous ones. Here are the best 3 ...

Wind turbines from Coal Gate Road.

Distant Ovenden Moor windfarm from High Stones Road. (Are you getting the message about how windy these hilltops are! Bloody freezing recently, despite the sunshine ...)

Stoodley Pike in the winter sun, from High Stones Road.

You can see the Stoodley Pike monument from hilltops miles away round here, which is presumably why the good townfolk of Todmorden decided to erect it there to say 'Up yours, Napoleon'!

 

[xzenonuk]

no ride today, muscles still healing, got my self a moto g 4g though too use on my bike, yay strava and google maps when im lost here i come while my s3 can sit comfy in my room, oh ill be able to take pics now, beach on blackness looks nice on the coast line with a castle

next time i ride theres gonna be pics, only 5 mega pixel pics but better than nothing oh and ill make a strava account, might be healed good on sunday, im itching to cycle again

impressed with that phone for the money and cheap enough to be replacable plus water resistant apparently

 

[Dave 123]

My ride today will now take place tomorrow as the weather looks much nicer!

 

[Levo-Lon]

Cold muddy ride out today and I felt like my legs were on strike..still better to go out than sit around and the cafe was the usual nice and busy with cake and latte..
just hosed the bikes down,bloody cold water is not a good idea..

 

[Supersuperleeds]

After a week on the ice bike and suffering from a cold (not quite upgraded to man flu yet) I am knackered. When I got up this morning and saw it was ice free, I did a few chores I needed to do and got out on the Tricross. 26 peaceful quiet miles and now I feel even worse, but it was worth it, an effortless ride compared to the ice bike. Time to slump in front of the telly for the rest of the day.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

40 miles ish today through bright spring wild flowers in the sunshine with a kinky chain!
http://cyprusonabianchi.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-tale-of-spring-and-kinky-chain.html

 

[mooseracer]

Was intending to do a fifty today, the first 12 of which were with Mrs Moose who then headed off to complete a 30. Nothing much to note on the ride really, except it ended a little earlier than intended after a double visit from the fairy.

https://www.strava.com/activities/251529547#5891159958