Jon George
Mamil and couldn't care less
- Location
- Suffolk an' Good
Out on a ride this morning, I dropped into St Martin's church in Tuddenham to pay my respects to the cartoonist Giles. I had this weird feeling I was being watched ...
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
I was up before sunrise today and i am so glad i went out. Nothing massive in mileage,just over 15 miles along the Guided Busway to join the NCN55 Worsley and then onto the Bridgewater Way along the canal back past my house at Astley and on to Leigh and rejoining the other end of the busway back home. Along the canal i saw two Kingfishers and a Heron plus i bumped into my friend ( not literally ! ) who trained me for my Forest School qualification who was walking her lovely Springer Spaniels which if i was in the market for a dog,that would be the breed of choice.
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
@Rickshaw Phil , nice to see another Kingpin on this thread, I was starting to feel lonely.
Globalti
Legendary Member
@skudupnorth your third photo above is remarkable. What is causing the blue light right of centre? It's a photo of jewel colours only possible with a digital camera.
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Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
Yesterday I left Cambridge at 5.30am and drove to my brothers house on the Wirral. We set out for a ride at 9.15.
Out across Burton marsh
Then in to Deeside, Connahs Quay etc...
Then out into green and pleasant Wales. The roads were busy due to sunny bank holiday weather, and there were a few shouty pricks in cars.
We climbed up to the Ponderosa cafe. A million motor bikes were there.
A meandering route back gave us 67 miles. My longest ride in ages.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2647047195#kudos
Out across Burton marsh
Then in to Deeside, Connahs Quay etc...
Then out into green and pleasant Wales. The roads were busy due to sunny bank holiday weather, and there were a few shouty pricks in cars.
We climbed up to the Ponderosa cafe. A million motor bikes were there.
A meandering route back gave us 67 miles. My longest ride in ages.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2647047195#kudos
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
It is taken on my little Nikon digital compact. It must be how it picked up the shadow area near the canal crane as there is no natural or false lighting there. Well spotted, a different set of eyes always picks something different in a photo
Jon George
Mamil and couldn't care less
- Location
- Suffolk an' Good
lazybloke
Considering a new username
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
A pre-sunrise ride a couple of days ago, in beautiful morning light.
Port Isaac to Wadebridge, with mysterious mist hanging over the Camel Estuary. Onto the Camel Trail towards Bodmin until the bad surface got tiring, then reversed direction and took the better path down to Padstow. First ferry of the day over to Rock, and found John Betjeman's resting place at St Enodoc church (wheeled my bike carefully across the adjacent golf fairway but still left tyre marks, oops). Back to Port Isaac and grabbed a bowl of my son's Frosties for breakfast.
Port Isaac to Wadebridge, with mysterious mist hanging over the Camel Estuary. Onto the Camel Trail towards Bodmin until the bad surface got tiring, then reversed direction and took the better path down to Padstow. First ferry of the day over to Rock, and found John Betjeman's resting place at St Enodoc church (wheeled my bike carefully across the adjacent golf fairway but still left tyre marks, oops). Back to Port Isaac and grabbed a bowl of my son's Frosties for breakfast.
Attachments
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
What difference in the weather this week, last Sunday pissing down, today hot sun and bright blue skies.
Another bike ride to meet the Fragrant MrsP for breakfast after her lake swim, but this time I met her at the lake and a most marvellous breakfast at the Wet n Wild cafe at Berinsfield lake. Just over 21 miles out and back.
A couple of thatched cottages at Long Wittenham.
The Barley Mow pub along side the Thames at Clifton Hampden, famously mentioned in Jerome K Jerome’s Book Three Men in a Boat.
Clifton Hamden bridge.
Berinsfield Lake, somewhere in there the Fragrant MrsP is having a swim.
Just out and back today.
Another bike ride to meet the Fragrant MrsP for breakfast after her lake swim, but this time I met her at the lake and a most marvellous breakfast at the Wet n Wild cafe at Berinsfield lake. Just over 21 miles out and back.
A couple of thatched cottages at Long Wittenham.
The Barley Mow pub along side the Thames at Clifton Hampden, famously mentioned in Jerome K Jerome’s Book Three Men in a Boat.
Clifton Hamden bridge.
Berinsfield Lake, somewhere in there the Fragrant MrsP is having a swim.
Just out and back today.
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
A night in the Mold Ale House drinking lovely beer meant I had a lay in this morning at my sisters house.
Eventually I got into gear for a short ride from Mold, near to Moel Fammau and Cilcain and back in an elongated loop.
It was fairly hilly!
The Ford was dry
10 sunny miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/2649583337
Eventually I got into gear for a short ride from Mold, near to Moel Fammau and Cilcain and back in an elongated loop.
It was fairly hilly!
The Ford was dry
10 sunny miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/2649583337
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welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Back from a 17 mile bimble. Lots of traffic on the roads of course. A few walkers, 1 cyclist who looked remarkably like @Donger and a visit from the P fairy. I have slime in my tyres so all I had to do was put some Co2 into the tyre. I was very wary of using it because it is so powerful, but managed to get enough in to get me the last 5 miles home. Very hot and humid it was but there was a nice breeze in certain areas that was much appreciated.
Mr Celine
Discordian
- Location
- Waxing my moustache
Saturday's ride. It was hot and sunny so to avoid any temptation to take short cuts or do a shorter route I did the waymarked 4 Abbeys Cycle route. I'd never done it anti-clockwise before. Going this way it's 25 miles before the first Abbey, at Jedburgh.
![IMG_20190824_145752[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_145752-1-jpg.481741/ "IMG_20190824_145752[1].jpg")
This is followed by the hilliest part of the route, which has a bonus ruined castle at Cessford.
![IMG_20190824_153337[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_153337-1-jpg.481742/ "IMG_20190824_153337[1].jpg")
Looking in the other direction all looks rural and peaceful.....
![IMG_20190824_153422[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_153422-1-jpg.481745/ "IMG_20190824_153422[1].jpg")
But the noise, heat and dust of every tractor and combine harvester in the borders made it less so.
The next Abbey is Kelso.
![IMG_20190824_163458[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_163458-1-jpg.481743/ "IMG_20190824_163458[1].jpg")
There isn't much left of Kelso Abbey. Like all the Border Abbeys it was burnt by the English in the 'rough wooing' of 1544.
![IMG_20190824_163427[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_163427-1-jpg.481744/ "IMG_20190824_163427[1].jpg")
The heat and dust were getting to me, I bought some more juice and an ice cream but they didn't help much. At least I was now on the home leg.
Dryburgh Abbey is set amongst wooded parkland and isn't visible from the entrance. This is the 4 abbeys information board outside.
![IMG_20190824_173252[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_173252-1-jpg.481746/ "IMG_20190824_173252[1].jpg")
And finally Melrose Abbey. This is visible from outside but it's behind that tree and I was too knackered and too close to home to bother with a better pic.
![IMG_20190824_175809[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_175809-1-jpg.481750/ "IMG_20190824_175809[1].jpg")
The pre-dinner aftermath. (Duck breasts cooked in the chimnea with potatoes, beans and courgettes from the garden).
![IMG_20190824_192410[1].jpg](https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_20190824_192410-1-jpg.481754/ "IMG_20190824_192410[1].jpg")
The map -
63.5 miles @ 13.9 mph. 1256m upness.
This is followed by the hilliest part of the route, which has a bonus ruined castle at Cessford.
Looking in the other direction all looks rural and peaceful.....
But the noise, heat and dust of every tractor and combine harvester in the borders made it less so.
The next Abbey is Kelso.
There isn't much left of Kelso Abbey. Like all the Border Abbeys it was burnt by the English in the 'rough wooing' of 1544.
The heat and dust were getting to me, I bought some more juice and an ice cream but they didn't help much. At least I was now on the home leg.
Dryburgh Abbey is set amongst wooded parkland and isn't visible from the entrance. This is the 4 abbeys information board outside.
And finally Melrose Abbey. This is visible from outside but it's behind that tree and I was too knackered and too close to home to bother with a better pic.
The pre-dinner aftermath. (Duck breasts cooked in the chimnea with potatoes, beans and courgettes from the garden).
The map -
63.5 miles @ 13.9 mph. 1256m upness.
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
Did my usual ride Stevenage - Hitchin for breakfast today. I went out via Todds Green, where currently there's roadworks to dodge, then past St Ibbs into Gosmore. Climbed up to Preston then the long hill down to Charlton and into Hitchin for Hatters Cafe. Bacon levels replenished, I then came back through St Ipployts for about 20 very hot miles.
I never actually did a write-up of my Side-to-Side Ride, from Carlisle to Newcastle. This was at the start of August.
Train from Stevenage - Leeds, then up the Settle-Carlisle line to, erm, Carlisle. At this point, I picked up the Sustrans route and headed off to Newcastle, where I'd get a train home,
Salient Points.
I'd forgotten my map, so I was entirely reliant on the Sustrans signs. This was a Bad Thing.
I saw on the news the night before I left, that the Settle Carlisle line was blocked by a landslip. Since this could involve different trains with bike policies, replacement busses and general unknowns, I opted to take the Brompton. Not a Good Thing either.
Well. It was chuffing hilly. Sustrans delights in taking you round five sides of a hexagon rather than use a direct road - at one point, I'd ridden for an hour and ended up on the same road I'd been on, and one mile further away from Carlisle. The final straw was being taken up about a mile of a one in seven hill. In short the whole trip was frustrating and far harder then it should have been. Newcastle was pretty good though, and the Settle - Carlisle line was very scenic. But next time, I'm going to Belgium.
I never actually did a write-up of my Side-to-Side Ride, from Carlisle to Newcastle. This was at the start of August.
Train from Stevenage - Leeds, then up the Settle-Carlisle line to, erm, Carlisle. At this point, I picked up the Sustrans route and headed off to Newcastle, where I'd get a train home,
Salient Points.
I'd forgotten my map, so I was entirely reliant on the Sustrans signs. This was a Bad Thing.
I saw on the news the night before I left, that the Settle Carlisle line was blocked by a landslip. Since this could involve different trains with bike policies, replacement busses and general unknowns, I opted to take the Brompton. Not a Good Thing either.
Well. It was chuffing hilly. Sustrans delights in taking you round five sides of a hexagon rather than use a direct road - at one point, I'd ridden for an hour and ended up on the same road I'd been on, and one mile further away from Carlisle. The final straw was being taken up about a mile of a one in seven hill. In short the whole trip was frustrating and far harder then it should have been. Newcastle was pretty good though, and the Settle - Carlisle line was very scenic. But next time, I'm going to Belgium.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Headed out on Saturday afternoon on the Defy having the previous evening fixed a puncture that it had developed whilst sat unused for a week and half – presume it was a slow one picked up whilst taking a short cut through the Country Park on the end of its last outing. While fixing the puncture the upturned bike fell over…
Ostensibly it was to be a short ride given the temperature but I ended up doing 60km. Up to Ripley where not using the by-pass was a mistake as a Food & Drink Fair had attracted more cars that the village car park and its overflow field could cope with so it was slow progress. Then the normal brief rejoining of the A61 northwards to the first turning right.
The intention was the normal loop round through Staveley and Arkendale but after Scotton I decided to up the mileage by going to Farnham by Scriven; the latter gives an impression of a village on its approach
but has been infilled significantly since, at a guess, the 1960s and appears as a continuous part of the suburbs of Knaresborough. On the climb out of Farnham I noticed most of the lower gears were slipping so forced to drop into the lowest, which at least did not slip, but had a noticeable clicking noise. Made a further variation to the route by going via Copgrove to Staveley, where I spotted a sheltered bench in front of The Royal Oak and next to a board describing The Staveley Circle walk, and more usefully a litter bin.
Whilst taking a snack a local bus ambled pass, empty bar the driver, on its tortuous route trying to serve as many villages as possible without, as a result, providing an attractive journey time to any of the main settlements. Decided that although it was warm the breeze was pleasant and the sun being that bit lower was less intense to a few weeks back to extend the ride somewhat through Minskip and Roecliffe on towards Bishop Monkton in a pretty low relatively flat landscape; the road obviously being a joining together of various farm tracks the way it turns sharply at farm accesses
Turned south at Bishop Monkton and the light wind showed its impact as a procession of then best times occurred, for once not battling a westerly or south-westerly. In Burton Leonard the County Highway department had finally realised the UCI Championships were approaching and had made a start on a much needed resurfacing – wish they had done more as it was really rough beyond the bit they had done.
Back to Copgrove and almost Staveley passing en route the local bus again now with two people on board, the driver and another driver stood next to him, before turning to Knaresborough and up the wall of the Beryl Burton Cycleway with more clicking noises. Back home it seemed that the rear derailleur mount must have got bent so, to avoid having to take the derailleur off, the less than subtle approach of whacking the back of it a few time with a hammer, with the chain stay held down on a block of wood did the trick and the clicking of a spoke hitting the derailleur stopped and the gears changed correctly. 37.45 miles 1676ft climbed Avg 13.8 mph.
Ostensibly it was to be a short ride given the temperature but I ended up doing 60km. Up to Ripley where not using the by-pass was a mistake as a Food & Drink Fair had attracted more cars that the village car park and its overflow field could cope with so it was slow progress. Then the normal brief rejoining of the A61 northwards to the first turning right.
The intention was the normal loop round through Staveley and Arkendale but after Scotton I decided to up the mileage by going to Farnham by Scriven; the latter gives an impression of a village on its approach
but has been infilled significantly since, at a guess, the 1960s and appears as a continuous part of the suburbs of Knaresborough. On the climb out of Farnham I noticed most of the lower gears were slipping so forced to drop into the lowest, which at least did not slip, but had a noticeable clicking noise. Made a further variation to the route by going via Copgrove to Staveley, where I spotted a sheltered bench in front of The Royal Oak and next to a board describing The Staveley Circle walk, and more usefully a litter bin.
Whilst taking a snack a local bus ambled pass, empty bar the driver, on its tortuous route trying to serve as many villages as possible without, as a result, providing an attractive journey time to any of the main settlements. Decided that although it was warm the breeze was pleasant and the sun being that bit lower was less intense to a few weeks back to extend the ride somewhat through Minskip and Roecliffe on towards Bishop Monkton in a pretty low relatively flat landscape; the road obviously being a joining together of various farm tracks the way it turns sharply at farm accesses
Turned south at Bishop Monkton and the light wind showed its impact as a procession of then best times occurred, for once not battling a westerly or south-westerly. In Burton Leonard the County Highway department had finally realised the UCI Championships were approaching and had made a start on a much needed resurfacing – wish they had done more as it was really rough beyond the bit they had done.
Back to Copgrove and almost Staveley passing en route the local bus again now with two people on board, the driver and another driver stood next to him, before turning to Knaresborough and up the wall of the Beryl Burton Cycleway with more clicking noises. Back home it seemed that the rear derailleur mount must have got bent so, to avoid having to take the derailleur off, the less than subtle approach of whacking the back of it a few time with a hammer, with the chain stay held down on a block of wood did the trick and the clicking of a spoke hitting the derailleur stopped and the gears changed correctly. 37.45 miles 1676ft climbed Avg 13.8 mph.
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