Your ride today....

[Spiderweb]

A steady spin from work on my old Trek. 28 miles with an average of 15.5 mph, back home in time to watch The Lionesses.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Didn't get out for the ride I intended today but did manage to get a few miles in, firstly test riding the Kingpin again after fitting a new chain (seems to glide along ever so smoothly now) and at last persuading the rear brake to stop the bike without everyone in the street knowing about it.

Later on in the day the folding bike had one of its rare outings to go across town and pick the car up from its service and MOT (had to have a new CV boot). After riding the Kingpin in the morning the folder doesn't half feel twitchy, edit to add; and the brakes are pretty feeble too. It doesn't feel terribly fast either but I think it's a bit deceptive as I managed to catch and overtake a couple of cyclists on the way.

Probably about 7 miles for the day

 

[Butchersbike]

10.6 mile pootle after work. Home to Kyre, Stoke Bliss. Up Stoke Bliss bank to Hanley William and some of the finest views in the three counties looking out over the Shropshire Hills, Clee Hill, Brown Clee, the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains etc. 862 ft elevation 11.7mph average. Sorry no photos!

 

[Glow worm]

A ride into the final country of my mini-tour, The Netherlands.

The part of northern Belgium I rode through first today seemed a big market garden area- lots of orchards. Not exactly rural, but not urban either, just lots of houses all over the place. Which makes it difficult when you need to dip behind a hedge for a pee and it's always another bloody garden!

Lots of slightly dull towns like this too.

Finally it got a bit more rural through a lovely forest.

I followed these two couples for a while after the woods. Just ambling along. Great stuff.

Got to a canal where you have to drive your own ferry across. Some kind of wire pulley thing- great fun.

The Dutch border. Yesterday I whinged about the lack of an obvious border on entering Belgium from France. Well, a proper red and white barrier job to mark the frontier on this cycle path. The old boy in the smart uniform to lift the barrier now missing of course.

Found my small hotel at Retranchement and nearby these beauties nesting next to a house.

47 miles today in the Sunshine. just lovely.

 

[Cavalol]

East Runton to Overstrand and back today, 5.50am.start. Another short one compared to most others, but a good workout and a fantastic ride. Some pushing involved (not allowed to ride bits of it) but the view was stunning anyway. Perhaps next time it'll be in trousers rather than shorts, as got ripped to shreds by golf club and lighthouse.
The great thing about riding solo is you can just set your own pace and not beat yourself up over times, it's far more enjoyable going slow to take in the scenery in places like this. Got a fairly decent (for me) march on on the road twixt Cromer and East Runton though on the return leg.

 

[Spartak]

Sunshine, hills & pub lunch.
Perfect day.

 

[geocycle]

Today’s commute went astray. Lovely views overlooking Lancaster toward the Lakes.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Lovely warm day with blues skies and sunshine. Time for a ride westward. The wind was from the east so that would be OK for a while. It was all the way out over Acton Green, Bishops Frome and Withington but I did have to get back. I headed south for Mordiford to cross the Wye and continue south to recross at Hoarwithy. The climbs from the Wye valley sheltered me to How Caple and on over to Much Marcle but the land opens up eventually and sometimes the hedges couldn't help. A banana kept the energy up for a while as I rounded the southern end of the Malverns but I was glad to get back in the end. 66 smiles

 

[Elybazza61]

Nice spin today with the better half from Lynn to Snettisham to see the sea

Cracking day for it and nice to chill out on the beach for a bit.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2487222374/overview


The bikes on Snettisham beach

Even got sand in my shoes

 

[Shearwater Missile]

As I had`nt been out on the bike since Monday I combined a ride and a trip out with dad (92 last weekend). If I go the short route to his at Elmswell it is only about 6.2 miles, way too short so instead I ventured up to Wickham Skeith via Stowupland and Mendlesham. From Wickham Skeith I then turned left to Finningham and to Bacton and taking the Haughley Road but turning right and down to Wetherden before the slight climb to Elmswell. As I was a bit ahead of time I added a bit on around Elmswell. By the time I arrived at dad`s I had covered 22.5 miles. It was a nice ride, not too many about for a Friday, just saw one buzzard. After spending the day with dad and doing his shopping I was looking forward to the ride home but this time I would take a quicker route as time was marching on and I wanted to be home by 4.30. So after leaving Elmswell I headed straight to Wetherden and the back road to Haughley and rejoining the main road at Tothill. I don`t like Haughley New Street for cycling and past the Travelodge and Ex Little Chef as some of the drivers don`t take prisoners, particularly the massive gravel trucks that use that road. It is bad enough cycling from Tothill, traffic was beginning to build up. I arrived home exactly at 4.30 with a total distance covered of 28.9 miles. The 6 or so miles back was into the easterly headwind but as it was only 10mph I must not complain and as it was blue skies it was almost perfect. Happy days, it`s whats summer is all about !

 

[Donger]

Gorgeous sunny day, a great ride out to the pub with an old friend and 36.6 more miles done. A great day. Simon turned up at my house riding my old No.3 bike that I'd given him for Christmas and we set off down the lanes (and the canal path) to the beer garden of the Salutation Inn just past Berkeley. A couple of swans flatly refused to budge an inch from their place on the canal path, forcing us to pick our way around them on the outward leg and again on the return leg. Otherwise the ride was gloriously incident-free. Forgot I had my camera with me until we were 9 miles from home. I've always liked this row of houses by one of the duck ponds on the village green in Frampton on Severn ... but there are almost always several cars parked in front of it. Nice to see it without any cars and with the water lilies starting to flower:

The roads were nice and quiet, so I managed to get a shot of Simon on my old bike riding through Saul ( bike still looking in good nick):

A great bimble in glorious weather. Really looking forward to more of the same over the summer.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[Mike_P]

Defy had a run out on the frequently ridden route to Arkendale via Nidd this afternoon and down to Staveley so that its rider could take a snack sat on the village bench. Then up to the crossroads east of Farnham where its rider turned it back towards Ripley, so the bike was no doubt surprised as it was steered sharp left at Lingerfield for a less frequently used route to Knaresborough via Scriven. The logic was that it pass 3pm on Fridays when increasing numbers of motorists are in too much hurry occur, so I minimised the amount of major roads used to the minimum and largely downgrade, such as here passing the TdF commentative statues in Knaresborough

and then up the Beryl Burton cycleway. 25.56 miles 1327ft climbed Avg 13.3 mph

 

[Glow worm]

A nice easy ride today of just 21 sunny miles, from Retranchement Netherlands along the coast to Zoutelande near Vlissingen.

Lovely easy riding although with my old friend the fierce NE headwind that has been a constant companion since Dieppe on Tuesday. Picturesque here.

I think my Garmin has developed a sense of humour. Riding along the above cycle path, with no turn offs or alternative routes, it suddenly kept making that 'you've cocked up here, turn back now' sound. I mean where else was I supposed to be- in the sea?! I patted it gently and said- very funny, you're a right card, and it calmed down a bit and seemed to say ' had you going there didn't I? ' at least in my head anyway.
Funny what a few days on the road do to you.

Then the Breskens to Vlissingen ferry. I switched the bloody thing off by then.

The Dutch know how to do cycle/ ferry stuff pretty well.

The short ride of 8 miles or so from Vlissingen to my destination for the night, Zoutelande is wonderful. The cycle path takes you through dunes, forest and past cafes for cyclists. I think I am in heaven.

My wife has come over to meet me here and we arrived at about the same time at our hotel. Spending a couple of days here in seriously lovely Zoutelande before I head off riding to the Hook on Monday, for the night boat back to Harwich and the prospect of those wonderful crazy British drivers again I've missed so much!

 

[Stonechat]

A bit late but Wednesday’s ride
Unusually for me took on the cycling club’S London Sightseer Sportive

This started from Hampton Hill so A 9 or so mile ride over there.

I had 4 sides of closely printed navigation instructions, and a gpx file.
Even on the way over my Garmin 820 started playing up. Did not bode well
I found navigation initially to be tricky but doable, lots of early narrow track by or near the river.
The slight errors cost time and by the first checkpoint I was somewhat behind.
Iran was Hammersmith and second was Notting Hill.

When I could get the Garmin to work it was a great help

Eventually through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.
Came out eventually at Buck Palace and down the Mall.
Through Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Sq.
On foot eventually figured out where I needed to go
Up the Strand and Past St Paul’s
The city was a total nightmare.
Of course with the tall buildings, gps was off beam, and I struggled to fin the right road, round I cicles and back and forth

When through eventually past Tower Bridge and St Katherine’s Dock.
Up the river and another bit of difficult navigation, the path / track seemed to be missing, but found my way through to and round Shadwell basin
Eventually picked up Limehouse Cut, a canal

Was supposed to be on this for 2km, so having done much more winged my way by my own route to Olympic Park.
On arrival at the Velopark cafe, ther was no one to stamp my card, realised I was an hour out of time

Decided to bale out at this point.

Caught the Overground train from Stratford to Richmond and cycled back from there.

I did approx 56 miles and unknown speed
Part of the route that I managed to get from Garmin is herehttps://www.strava.com/activities/2482422823

 

[Dave 123]

I’m back in Devon for a few days, staying in Newton Ferrers. The first 2 days were rides in 40mph wind.

It’s only a 12 mile loop through lovely lumpy countryside, with views of the sea and the river Yealm.

Today it was hot and sweaty, could have done with a cooling breeze!