Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
Not sure if I want to give that a 'like' given the background. I read the blog entry as well. Your wife sounds a very strong person.
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Spoke story again.
22nd June 2019
Spokes arrived from SJS Cycles. Fitted the only one that was needed, straightforward apart from removing the old nipple which had inevitably fallen into the very deep rim. An hour or so cursing my lack of forethought. Wheel running about half a mm out laterally, radially a lot closer, but will ride and check and re adjust. In passing, this is the first 20 spoke wheel I have ever had to spanner. The front has even fewer . . .
24th June 2019
Time to try out the back wheel. A dull morning but warm, forecast thunderstorms and other unlikely weather so off I go.
There were vague thoughts of a railway station route in case of gremlins, aka poor spoke fitting, but decided not to bother, just go and ride. Oakwood then, after the Holbeck Triangle and a river crossing. By the time I reached here I had forgotten to wince every time the road clouted the wheels and riding was fun again. Not too much fun, of course. After passing the redundant park gates the road descends a bit to the bottom of Boot Hill, which then is pedalled up. It’s a demonstration of that saying that it never gets easier, you just ride faster. In this instance, not much faster. At last, the top is reached and the right turn onto Red Hall Lane. And a rabbit decided it wanted to race . . .
These little things have a warren along the side of the A 58, a bit further along from where I had just turned off it. This was one fit rabbit, happily keeping pace with me for ten or twenty yards then diving through the hedge when the animal decided it had showed off enough. I crossed Coal Road, onto Skeltons Lane and that rabbit’s bigger brother decided to have a play as well. Something on the bike must have been making a noise like a carrot. Reach Thorner Lane, turn left and escape the things. This is a good way into Thorner, downhill, mostly a fair surface and little traffic. Fun riding. Through the village, a good start on Church Hill then the temporary lights stopped me. Oh dear, but they turn green and I lurch into forward motion again. Starts on steep hills, hmmm. The next stretch of road is good though.
All the way to Bramham but turn left before crossing the A 1M. Another good road, Wattle Syke is the next junction, sort of the western end of Boston Spa. Not riding that way today, its more or less straight on to Wetherby where the roundabout outside the town provides a left turn back onto the A 58, to Collingham. Up and down a bit, stay on the same road and a distance further on are the traffic lights between Bardsey and East Rigton. Where I turned left to not quite ride up Rigton Bank. Three quarters of the first steep bit took just about everything from the legs. OK, walk, I’ll ride it next time. It flattens out to less than 20%, still steep but rideable and easing off all the way to Rigton Green. Turn right, not sure of the name of the road but eventually Milner Lane which after a nice descent takes me back to Thorner. Two road choices here, and I think I did this on autopilot, Sandhills again but up this time. Back to Skeltons Lane, no furry friends about, Red Hall Lane and again the A 58. Crossing the Ring Road, down the whizzy hill and turn right for the clock at Oakwood and the start of the rain. Been thinking of buying a good jacket, but thinking does not keep you very dry. Not far to home though, and today this last bit went well. Traffic lights were kind, so was traffic. The end of the street and then the sight of the front door. Home with a grin after thirty one and a bit miles.
A map of some tyre tracks
22nd June 2019
Spokes arrived from SJS Cycles. Fitted the only one that was needed, straightforward apart from removing the old nipple which had inevitably fallen into the very deep rim. An hour or so cursing my lack of forethought. Wheel running about half a mm out laterally, radially a lot closer, but will ride and check and re adjust. In passing, this is the first 20 spoke wheel I have ever had to spanner. The front has even fewer . . .
24th June 2019
Time to try out the back wheel. A dull morning but warm, forecast thunderstorms and other unlikely weather so off I go.
There were vague thoughts of a railway station route in case of gremlins, aka poor spoke fitting, but decided not to bother, just go and ride. Oakwood then, after the Holbeck Triangle and a river crossing. By the time I reached here I had forgotten to wince every time the road clouted the wheels and riding was fun again. Not too much fun, of course. After passing the redundant park gates the road descends a bit to the bottom of Boot Hill, which then is pedalled up. It’s a demonstration of that saying that it never gets easier, you just ride faster. In this instance, not much faster. At last, the top is reached and the right turn onto Red Hall Lane. And a rabbit decided it wanted to race . . .
These little things have a warren along the side of the A 58, a bit further along from where I had just turned off it. This was one fit rabbit, happily keeping pace with me for ten or twenty yards then diving through the hedge when the animal decided it had showed off enough. I crossed Coal Road, onto Skeltons Lane and that rabbit’s bigger brother decided to have a play as well. Something on the bike must have been making a noise like a carrot. Reach Thorner Lane, turn left and escape the things. This is a good way into Thorner, downhill, mostly a fair surface and little traffic. Fun riding. Through the village, a good start on Church Hill then the temporary lights stopped me. Oh dear, but they turn green and I lurch into forward motion again. Starts on steep hills, hmmm. The next stretch of road is good though.
All the way to Bramham but turn left before crossing the A 1M. Another good road, Wattle Syke is the next junction, sort of the western end of Boston Spa. Not riding that way today, its more or less straight on to Wetherby where the roundabout outside the town provides a left turn back onto the A 58, to Collingham. Up and down a bit, stay on the same road and a distance further on are the traffic lights between Bardsey and East Rigton. Where I turned left to not quite ride up Rigton Bank. Three quarters of the first steep bit took just about everything from the legs. OK, walk, I’ll ride it next time. It flattens out to less than 20%, still steep but rideable and easing off all the way to Rigton Green. Turn right, not sure of the name of the road but eventually Milner Lane which after a nice descent takes me back to Thorner. Two road choices here, and I think I did this on autopilot, Sandhills again but up this time. Back to Skeltons Lane, no furry friends about, Red Hall Lane and again the A 58. Crossing the Ring Road, down the whizzy hill and turn right for the clock at Oakwood and the start of the rain. Been thinking of buying a good jacket, but thinking does not keep you very dry. Not far to home though, and today this last bit went well. Traffic lights were kind, so was traffic. The end of the street and then the sight of the front door. Home with a grin after thirty one and a bit miles.
A map of some tyre tracks
OP
OP
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
Last time I went out on the roadbike, I hurt for 2 days but it's just too nice out there not to. Just 16 miles this early evening, as much as I need / want. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
AndreaJ
Veteran
Checked the weather forecast this morning and it gave rain followed by more rain and thunderstorms for this morning, so I did what any sane person would do and ignored it and went out anyway. I went the "other" side of the road today and headed to Wolverley and into Loppington carrying on through to Burlton and turned to Myddle where there was a slight delay while some cattle crossed the lane, the farmers wife who was in charge of the roadblock saw a gap while the stragglers caught up and waved me through, unfortunately this got a bit mucky
. I carried on to Nonely, turned back to Commonwood to add a bit more distance and back to Nonely and Loppington , crossing the road towards Brown Heath, English Frankton then turning towards Colemere, just coming around Colemere there is an awful bit of road which has most of the surface missing, lots of potholes and lots of the bank washed into the lane, it's also quite a steep, narrow, down hill section this way, just where you don't want to meet a van coming the other way. He managed to squeeze past without any drama though and I carried on towards Lyneal, Northwood past the first turning for home taking the next one back into Whixall then Northwood towards the Moat Shed and back home. It didn't rain and there were no thunder storms although it was very warm. Had to wash the mud and cow shoot off the bike when I got home. 24 miles @ 15.9mph average speed , I never put any elevation down because I live in the flat end of Shropshire and there are not really any hills. The thunder , lightning and torrential rain did eventually arrive around 5pm.
. I carried on to Nonely, turned back to Commonwood to add a bit more distance and back to Nonely and Loppington , crossing the road towards Brown Heath, English Frankton then turning towards Colemere, just coming around Colemere there is an awful bit of road which has most of the surface missing, lots of potholes and lots of the bank washed into the lane, it's also quite a steep, narrow, down hill section this way, just where you don't want to meet a van coming the other way. He managed to squeeze past without any drama though and I carried on towards Lyneal, Northwood past the first turning for home taking the next one back into Whixall then Northwood towards the Moat Shed and back home. It didn't rain and there were no thunder storms although it was very warm. Had to wash the mud and cow shoot off the bike when I got home. 24 miles @ 15.9mph average speed , I never put any elevation down because I live in the flat end of Shropshire and there are not really any hills. The thunder , lightning and torrential rain did eventually arrive around 5pm.MrBeanz
Guest
- Location
- Ontario California
Thank you, yes very strong. She also donated a kidney for her first son (18 yrs old) that went on dialysis back in 2000. Doctors said she had the biggest healthiest kidneys he had ever seen. That one failed after one year so her son went back on dialysis (the one that passed, 19 years later). Then her second son faced kidney failure at age 25. Had a very hard time since, strokes, heart attacks. Now blind and confined to the couch, maybe 2 or 3 steps at most.
It really broke her up when the second son's kidneys failed as she would not be able to donate to him as well. So the first one gone at 38 and the second one at 33 is actually in worse shape than the older one, it was a surprise. So I hope she is strong enough to handle another because it will not be too long.
But yes, very strong mentally and physically. I don't think many really ever get over their own kids.
Sadly the kidney disease comes from the father's side.
Strong indeed! Back in 2000 she donated the kidney for her son. She had been riding hard and doing well. We did a 100 mile organized ride a week before the surgery to prepare her physically. She donated the hard way, 10 inch cut on her side before they developed the micro surgery.
She was down for about a month but she got back on the hybrid riding 1 mile at a time. 3 month later she was back up to 44 mile rides on her roadie. About a year after that we did some rides with forum members who insisted I sign her up for racing. She likes to ride hard but not for competitive reasons. Plus, one kidney and the docs said the most common cause of remaining kidney loss is an accident. No way I wanted her racing and piling up in a crash risking her only kidney. Of course if one donates, they are automatically placed at the top of the donor list if anything happens. But not worth the risk.
She rode really hard and actually killed many of our local forum members on forum rides of 60-70 miles. Including some self appointed highly decorated "SERIOUS" riders. But that's another story.
So she did very well and was a real butt kicker up until about 2 years ago when her younger son suffered a heart attack, major stroke, and several more to follow. Since she has spent so much time visiting and checking up on them she had put the bike aside and rode very little.
So now it's great to be able to get her back on the bike if even once a week. She is strong, I can say that, in more ways than one!
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delb0y
Legendary Member
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos
Just a swift 10 mile trip through town to do a delivery, tonight. Feeling my age. This is the second 10 miler dusk ride around town in three days and all life is there, these summer evenings. The parks are full of lads football training and dog walkers and groups of kids sitting around drinking cider. The mosque had just let out and everyone looked happy and just around the corner where the takeaways line the street the old-plate big black BMWs were double parked and the drivers and passengers were sitting on the bonnets talking and chilling and nodding in time to the conversation and the music coming from inside their cars. There were people on their doorsteps across the street just enjoying the evening, talking with neighbours, just watching the goings-on, enjoying the evening breeze. I saw plenty of lads drinking beer as they walked, some of them were smoking weed (I must confess to liking the smell) and some of them looked like it was 1972 again and they were on their way to a Floyd gig. The young kids were out on their BMXs and mountain bikes, popping wheelies and circling the girls and there was music coming from houses and flats and even mobile phones. Yep, it was grand and I liked it, and it reminded me that it was a very long time ago that I was 18!
On my first ride back after a 6 month-ish layoff I went down Crowcombe Combe, at the time I thought I'd quite like a go at getting up it:
I slogged all the way up and over the top before I realised I hadn't turned the Garmin back ON after I'd taken the photo
Does it count if you can't prove it? I'd really wanted to set it as a bench mark so I could gauge my return to fitness, so I guess I'll just have to give it another go later this week 
Stopped to take a photo (before the climb) of the Church in Bagborough and out of the church gate walks my old boss from the MT Troop of the Commando Helicopter Force. Had I not stopped to take the photo and then nearly choked on a swig from my water bottle I'd probably have missed him completely, he's just moved back after years living on Dartmoor.
Lots of climbing today, really enjoyed it, I love the sense of achievement after you've made it to the top of a climb without getting/falling off! 62yo, both hips replaced and I can still get up hills and smile at the top (it may look like a grimace and I may be blowing out of my proverbial but I made it
).
I slogged all the way up and over the top before I realised I hadn't turned the Garmin back ON after I'd taken the photo
Does it count if you can't prove it? I'd really wanted to set it as a bench mark so I could gauge my return to fitness, so I guess I'll just have to give it another go later this week Stopped to take a photo (before the climb) of the Church in Bagborough and out of the church gate walks my old boss from the MT Troop of the Commando Helicopter Force. Had I not stopped to take the photo and then nearly choked on a swig from my water bottle I'd probably have missed him completely, he's just moved back after years living on Dartmoor.
Lots of climbing today, really enjoyed it, I love the sense of achievement after you've made it to the top of a climb without getting/falling off! 62yo, both hips replaced and I can still get up hills and smile at the top (it may look like a grimace and I may be blowing out of my proverbial but I made it
).
pawl
Legendary Member
- Location
- Desford Leicestershire
My BIL had a caravan at East Runton Stayed there a few times in the mid late sixties.It is lovely area .From what i remember the roads in that area dispel the image of Norfolk being flat .
We wanted to get the Goatfell / Lochranza climb done early so went that way.
Dull day with one heavy shower , but we missed most of it at our coffee stop
Our last few miles back to Brodick were tough.
Combined hills and wind made it a bit of a slog.
But we caught our ferry with about 15 minutes to spare.
Great day out.
Almost forgot 5 miles to Glasgow Central for a train and another 5 on the way home.
£22 for the return train+boat ticket.
Well done. Where's the cafe?
Lagg.
If you go clockwise you get to it about a third of the way round, bit too soon.
So we went the other way.
Hard climbs either side , so it's straight into the hard stuff regardless.
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Thanks for that; I suspected it was that one but thanks for confirmation. The Arran loop is one of the best day tours in the country, Scotland in miniature. The best tour is, of course, from Killin up Glen Lochy, over the private hill road to Kennock, down Glen Lyon to the most scenic cafe in Britain, then up the Lawers hill and down to Loch Tay; and return to Killin. About 54 kms I think, but a day you won't forget.
Just my opinion; I'm not employed by the Perthshire Tourist Board!
pawl
Legendary Member
- Location
- Desford Leicestershire
Going to Aberfeldy next week.
Plan is train Glasgow to Stirling, then cycle the rest.
Two nights in Aberfeldy then ( maybe ) cycle back to Glasgow without using the train.
Not sure of the route , I leave that to my mate.
Bonus is no luggage. It goes in the car with our partners.
The downside of E bikes I guess.
The battery goes and you are left with a big lump of metal to get home.
I won't be surprised if stories of riders having to be helped off hills become common over the next few years.
