Your ride today....

[EltonFrog]

Another utility ride to the bike shop and Sainsburys today for an inner tube and some milk. A nice day so I took the Kingpin for a gentle pootle up the cycle track and through the ugliest housing estate in Oxfordshire.

The cycle track, field of maize on the right.

The Kingpin cockpit.

One of the wooden sculptures dotted along he track that are starting to look tatty now.

Strange riding along here without seeing the cooling towers anymore.

 

[fossyant]

Just short of 21 miles, mostly off road. Prestatyn golf course (NCN5) then through the village to the Prestatyn Dyserth path. On to Rhudlan then down the river path to Rhyl. Popped into Marsh Tracks for 3 laps (pump track), then stopped for a coffee at Harbour Hub Cafe, then hot footed it home to the caravan.

At least the pump track got the dog sheite off my Minions (tyres).

 

[Old jon]

Summer returned! Sunshine, blue sky and temperature over twenty. Pedal the fixed away for a ride around the flatter bits locally. Flatter bits my rump, the garthing reported over 1700 feet by the end of the ride. I will waste some time talking to them. Maybe.

The usual wander through Holbeck, followed by the well hidden delights of the ride through Hunslet and up to John o’ Gaunts. Part way along here it occurred to me that a shorter way would be passing the parish church, then I reminded myself there is no rush. Mostly downhill past the railway station at Woodlesford then turn left to cross the Aire and Calder canal, then the River Aire itself has to be crossed and the escape from the valley bottom. Uphill through Swillington earns a drop to the roundabout at Garforth. Third exit there, onto the A 63, follow the road up Garforth Cliff and through Peckfield Bar. Less than two miles to the next roundabout and turn right there, carry on to the B 1222 that takes me to Sherburn.

This road leads to Lotherton Gates, I can almost see my tyre tracks from the other times I have ridden this way. Some long views of fields before then, as the gates are reached there are trees for some welcome shade. Turn left then right and Lotherton Lane goes to Aberford. Some thoughtless parking on both sides of a very wide Main Street ( A 1 when I was younger ) had caused a traffic jam on the upslope here. Some drivers were not happy. I rode through and turned onto Cattle Lane for those wonderful ups and downs all the way to Barwick. This road was busier than average. Thought a bit and blamed the road closures for Leeds Festival. Or maybe Bank Holiday started early for some. Anyway, pass the maypole and the gradients ease for a while, then rise some more on the way out to Scholes. Which was rather quiet. Past the former railway station to the A 64 and turn left. The right turn a few yards later was easy this time.

Two lanes, Skeltons and Red Hall, take me to the A 58 where I turn left to cross the Ring Road and twiddle down that hill. Turn right, at the lights, and ride past that bit of Roundhay Park on the way to the Oakwood Clock. Down to the edge of town, the everlasting roadworks seem to be finishing now, aim for Crown Point Bridge to ride back across the River Aire. There is still a bit of Hunslet to negotiate before reaching the main road that takes me home, and I reached my front door after thirty four and a bit miles, complete with grin. A warm ride.

The garthing still does maps,

 

[derrick]

Nice solo ride this morning. A reccy for the Saturday club ride. The roads seemed really quiet for a Friday. Uneventful ride. But I ain't complaining. 50 miles at 17mph average.not much climbing. But I'll take that.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/JBwPZECeoZ

 

[Slow But Determined]

Nothing of any note today, just a short local ride.

Highlight of the ride was coming back on the cycle path from Queensferry to Chester seeing the miles of queuing traffic on the A494 going down the coast for the weekend.

Only a couple of years ago I would have been sat in it on my commute back from Manchester (probably cursing all the holidaymakers!!)

Tonight I will go down the local and raise a glass or two to the freedom of a push bike and the freedom from the shackles of work!!

 

[derrick]

Bloody he'll a few of you guys must spend more time writing about your rides than actually riding time.

 

[EltonFrog]

I got conned.

The Fragrant MrsP said ‘ I need cake, let’s ride the hybrids up to the garden centre cafe and have tea and cake’ so, two miles up the hill and we have tea and cake, then, then she said, let’s pop into Asda, I need a couple of bits.’ ‘Hmmm’ says I ‘ok then’, so we ride to the edge of town to get the ‘bits’ but they haven’t got what she wants. ‘We’ll pop down to Sainsburys then, off we go to get the couple of ‘bits’.

Bits turns out be a sixty quid shop, bags of sugar, bottles of pop, cheeses, fish, vinegar, fruit, heavy stuff, FFS! Good job I had a pannier with me, the bike was lop sided wobbling like a pissed Weeble on the way back.

No time for photos either, she doesn’t like stopping to look at stuff, just a map. Another 10.71 miles today.

 

[fossyant]

I got conned.

The Fragrant MrsP said ‘ I need cake, let’s ride the hybrids up to the garden centre cafe and have tea and cake’ so, two miles up the hill and we have tea and cake, then, then she said, let’s pop into Asda, I need a couple of bits.’ ‘Hmmm’ says I ‘ok then’, so we ride to the edge of town to get the ‘bits’ but they haven’t got what she wants. ‘We’ll pop down to Sainsburys then, off we go to get the couple of ‘bits’.

Bits turns out be a sixty quid shop, bags of sugar, bottles of pop, cheeses, fish, vinegar, fruit, heavy stuff, FFS! Good job I had a pannier with me, the bike was lop sided wobbling like a pissed Weeble on the way back.

No time for photos either, she doesn’t like stopping to look at stuff, just a map. Another 10.71 miles today.

View attachment 481415

A big shop on the Kingpin, or another bike... blooming heck no wonder you looked like you had too much pop !

 

[EltonFrog]

A big shop on the Kingpin, or another bike... blooming heck no wonder you looked like you had too much pop !

No on the hybrid!

 

[Donger]

Only 22.5 miles today, but a great sunny day out in the Cotswolds with an old friend and former colleague. We started out in Northleach and headed out to Burford via Farmington, Sherborne, Windrush and Little Barrington, stopping off at the Fox at Little Barrington for a pint and a chat.
The pump house at Farmington (Built with money donated by the people of Farmington, Connecticut):

At Burford, we looped round via Great Barrington, before returning to the Fox for another bevvie, barely seven miles after the first one. (You have to keep up a semblance of being on a bike ride). Roughly half the ride was a straight re-trace of our outward journey, meaning we saw a few places twice.
I think this was either Taynton or Great Barrington on the way back ... though it may have been near Sherborne on the outward journey:

Selfie time, back near Farmington:

Both at the start and the end of the ride, we came across film crews doing location filming for one of my favourite programmes ..... "This Country". Here are a few shots for any fans of the show:

The main characters, Kerry and Kurtan in the bus shelter:

Outside Kerry's house:

Not something you stumble across every day.
A nice little bimble for me today, though I think Simon found it hard going in the sunshine and over rather lumpy terrain. Good to catch up with an old friend. Cycling is not all about racing about, nose-to-the-bars for me. By the way, if anyone local to the Cotswolds likes Status Quo, one line-up of the band will be rocking it at the Fox at Little Barrington on Saturday.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[jongooligan]

I think this was either Taynton or Great Barrington on the way back ... though it may have been near Sherborne on the outward journey:

Brilliant. Sums up the ride perfectly.

 

[Donger]

Brilliant. Sums up the ride perfectly.

All so nice I forgot which was which! (plus two pub stops!).

 

[iandg]

https://www.strava.com/activities/2644163858

Just a short steady ride. The odd thing is that halfway through the ride I thought about an ex-work colleague (who I haven't spoken to for about 3 months) who is going through some sh1t with my previous employer. Got a message from that person this evening saying that they had been sacked - an(other) unfair dismissal. Seems the organisation remains the same.

 

[Reynard]

After a day doing mostly tedious stuff, I needed to get out and take advantage of the lovely sunshine. So at half five in the afternoon, I head out in the company of Wiggy #2, the Chartres.

Did a loop I haven't done in a while - it's an easy route to remember, because it's a left turn at every junction.

So out via Downham Common and Black Bank. At the top of Black Bank, it's a left turn to join the A1101. Past Westmoor Drove and Red Cow and Bells Drove all the way to Golds Hill. A nice tailwind at this point, so even on the hybrid, I'm going along at a fair lick - well, for me anyways.

At Golds Hill, it's another left turn to join the B1411. I haven't been this way since May, I think, and goodness has the road surface really deteriorated. I really wouldn't want to be riding down there on the road bike. Actually, it's getting to the point where a hardtail would be the bike-of-choice... An excuse for N+1, perhaps...

The left turn at Golds Hill brought me into cross-headwind, and I had that all the way along that stretch of the Hundred Foot. Had a bit of fun watching some peacocks in one of the gardens near the pumping station. From there, it's under the railway bridge at Primrose Hill en route to Pymoor. They've recently surface dressed that part, and the tar had melted in the sun. So that was quite entertaining, riding with gravel stuck to the tyres...

Once in Pymoor proper, it's past the Recreation Ground, onwards to O Furlong, Dunkirk and homewards bound.

A lovely evening to be out, especially with the heat of the day mostly gone. But that stiffening breeze made it a bit of a slog on the way home. Never mind, I had a fantastic ride of around 14 miles.

 

[fossyant]

View attachment 481257 View attachment 481256 View attachment 481255 View attachment 481254 First proper ride on my new bike today
Rode into Aberdeen as the maximum height on dropper post was a good 2 inches too low and cable needed adjusted, (beyond me)
Felt like I was on a wee clown bike with the saddle so low but rolled along nicely.
Sunny with a nice breeze so lovely day for it.
Dropped the new bike off and collected my Felt road bike at same time, new bottom bracket and gears now sorted Took the Felt to Mr M’s car and loaded it into the boot then went to Pret for lunch
There was a poor wee soul sitting near me with just a coke, so I bought him a sandwich.
Very well spoken and polite, drank his coke from a plastic cup while I swigged mine from the can!
He ate up, thanked me then shuffled away. Just a young guy, with a lovely smile, felt sad for him.
Anyway collected the bike, got a rear mudguard fitted and cut through Duthie Park on the way home.
Some wee pics from today.
New bike is called Selena.

The Maxxis Minions you've got fitted are outstanding tyres. They are fab - talking trail centres and natural stuff and they grip like stink. They are fine on tarmac too, if a little draggy. Been very impressed with them, having had 'quick' Schwalbe Nobby Nics. The Minions grip far better, but aren't too slow.