Your ride today....

[Buck]

It was a nice day today but this morning was committed to the Remembrance service at our local church where my youngest was parading with his fellow air cadets then marching to the local British Legion. Great service and very proud of him.

As it was, I got out early afternoon and after climbing out of the village thought I’d go on a climb I’d not done in a long time so, I headed down to New Mill and then on the steady climb up past Hepworth and onto the tops. (That road was longer and steeper than I remember!) The sun was still out and the autumn colours were lovely but it was a little fresh despite being wrapped up.

After a short stretch I then turned towards Penistone and then back towards home heading over the head of Ingbirchworth Reservoir and then up back onto the tops and the steady pull up Broadstones Road. I’d hoped to go a bit further but a problem with my stoma meant I couldn’t continue so I headed back home.

As some of you know I was seriously I’ll last year (hence the stoma I have) and not back outside on the bike until May this year and with a massively reduced strength and stamina level so to then find I’d got myself back on track with my planned mileage having chased it all year, was a good feeling.

I have only committed myself to a 100 miles per month from May to December which I know is quite low compared to some of you guys but for me it’s massive and all being well I’ll get there and perhaps a bit further 👍🏻😁

Today’s ride: 19.2 miles and 1,578ft of climbing.

 

[Reynard]

Sunday 10 November

It had been a very late night or perhaps an early morning by the time the wine ran dry. The sun glared through the curtains, the clock was already racing towards mid day. Madame Crow has borrowed an e-bike as part of her relentless quest to find an easier way to cycle with me and we must get up and go out, but only after some cups of tea.

It has to be a short ride, as tomorrow morning before daylight we go to Los Islas Canaris in search of warmth. First though, testing the e-bike. It is a proper sit up and beg, weighs 26kg and Madame dresses appropriately for such a stately vehicle with a bright yellow vest and long flapping trousers.

View attachment 492506

So began our comedy ride out of Truro and down the long hill to Tresillian. Madame rode in great style, upright, gazing about her proprietorially and with not a question about hills or the length of the ride and I followed in her considerable wake, in my lycra and drop bars. It is slower than I thought. I begin to feel the familiar frustration as I brake continuously to avoid rear ending her bike.

But then.... a small hill and the distance between suddenly grows. I change down a gear, begin to puff, catch up again and overtake on the flat that follows. Madame dwindles to a small yellow dot behind me. Another hill, steeper and longer and halfway up as I grind my way relentlessly upwards in a paroxysm of asthmatic wheezes and lactic fire, a yellow clad, upright Madame passes greeting me with a nonchalant sentence that drops from her lips without even the slightest gasp or gulp for air. She waits for me at the top and then as I arrive sweating, floundering and suffering from oxygen deprivation she smiles sweetly and starts off again.

Revenge is mine on the next long down hill and I leave her far behind. But now on the final hill back into Truro I am passed again. I look later to find I have a new Strava PB on that hill and I am still left dwindling in her wake.

In the afternoon we visit Clive Mitchell's Emporium of Temptation and there is a carbon fibre, Ultegra equipped, electric road bike with a 40% saving on RRP. It weighs under 14kg with the battery and motor and they can be removed to leave a sub 10kg road bike. It is at least three levels above my bike, great wheels, a beautiful bike. I am admiring it when Madame who has the full attention of an employee informs me it is now hers. So I have an e-wife now. We will go e-biking and I will follow her yellow vest around Cornwall until my thighs grow or I give up and become an e-husband, an Electric Crow.

I should not have been drinking tea while reading this...

Laptop has been suitably wiped down, but I'm still giggling. Love your way with words xxx

 

[Stonechat]

Yesterday actually managed to get out ona club run after a while (been doing indoor training when otherwise unablet o go out~)

Destination was Clandon .
Earlier route through Laleham and Addlestone. Road was closed in Adddlestone for Armistice service. We were diverted and it too a while to get through.
ThenThrough New Haw, Ripley East Clandon and Waset Clandon (I could have joised one other to do two extra hills, but for some reason I didn't)

Return route via Send, Ol Woking and skirting Chobham

41.2. miles @ only 14.7 mph1017 feet climbed

https://www.strava.com/activities/2854935599

 

[pawl]

It was a nice day today but this morning was committed to the Remembrance service at our local church where my youngest was parading with his fellow air cadets then marching to the local British Legion. Great service and very proud of him.

As it was, I got out early afternoon and after climbing out of the village thought I’d go on a climb I’d not done in a long time so, I headed down to New Mill and then on the steady climb up past Hepworth and onto the tops. (That road was longer and steeper than I remember!) The sun was still out and the autumn colours were lovely but it was a little fresh despite being wrapped up.

View attachment 492570
After a short stretch I then turned towards Penistone and then back towards home heading over the head of Ingbirchworth Reservoir and then up back onto the tops and the steady pull up Broadstones Road. I’d hoped to go a bit further but a problem with my stoma meant I couldn’t continue so I headed back home.

View attachment 492571

As some of you know I was seriously I’ll last year (hence the stoma I have) and not back outside on the bike until May this year and with a massively reduced strength and stamina level so to then find I’d got myself back on track with my planned mileage having chased it all year, was a goo













d feeling.

I have only committed myself to a 100 miles per month from May to December which I know is quite low compared to some of you guys but for me it’s massive and all being well I’ll get there and perhaps a bit further 👍🏻😁

Today’s ride: 19.2 miles and 1,578ft of climbing.

View attachment 492573


View attachment 492572

It was a nice day today but this morning was committed to the Remembrance service at our local church where my youngest was parading with his fellow air cadets then marching to the local British Legion. Great service and very proud of him.

As it was, I got out early afternoon and after climbing out of the village thought I’d go on a climb I’d not done in a long time so, I headed down to New Mill and then on the steady climb up past Hepworth and onto the tops. (That road was longer and steeper than I remember!) The sun was still out and the autumn colours were lovely but it was a little fresh despite being wrapped up.

View attachment 492570
After a short stretch I then turned towards Penistone and then back towards home heading over the head of Ingbirchworth Reservoir and then up back onto the tops and the steady pull up Broadstones Road. I’d hoped to go a bit further but a problem with my stoma meant I couldn’t continue so I headed back home.

View attachment 492571

As some of you know I was seriously I’ll last year (hence the stoma I have) and not back outside on the bike until May this year and with a massively reduced strength and stamina level so to then find I’d got myself back on track with my planned mileage having chased it all year, was a good feeling.

I have only committed myself to a 100 miles per month from May to December which I know is quite low compared to some of you guys but for me it’s massive and all being well I’ll get there and perhaps a bit further 👍🏻😁

Today’s ride: 19.2 miles and 1,578ft of climbing.

View attachment 492573


View attachment 492572

Well done..

It was a nice day today but this morning was committed to the Remembrance service at our local church where my youngest was parading with his fellow air cadets then marching to the local British Legion. Great service and very proud of him.

As it was, I got out early afternoon and after climbing out of the village thought I’d go on a climb I’d not done in a long time so, I headed down to New Mill and then on the steady climb up past Hepworth and onto the tops. (That road was longer and steeper than I remember!) The sun was still out and the autumn colours were lovely but it was a little fresh despite being wrapped up.

View attachment 492570
After a short stretch I then turned towards Penistone and then back towards home heading over the head of Ingbirchworth Reservoir and then up back onto the tops and the steady pull up Broadstones Road. I’d hoped to go a bit further but a problem with my stoma meant I couldn’t continue so I headed back home.

View attachment 492571

As some of you know I was seriously I’ll last year (hence the stoma I have) and not back outside on the bike until May this year and with a massively reduced strength and stamina level so to then find I’d got myself back on track with my planned mileage having chased it all year, was a good feeling.

I have only committed myself to a 100 miles per month from May to December which I know is quite low compared to some of you guys but for me it’s massive and all being well I’ll get there and perhaps a bit further 👍🏻😁

Today’s ride: 19.2 miles and 1,578ft of climbing.

View attachment 492573


View attachment 492572

 

[Donger]

Interesting picture, @Jenkins. Could be the first in a "Your bike in front of a crinkle-crankle" thread. I once attended a lecture on surveying and mapping in which the subject of this almost mythical beast came up. For professional purposes, I kept a small file of photos as examples to pass on to colleagues .... who invariably thought I was pulling their leg when the name "crinkle-crankle" came up! I seem to recall that the East of England is the epicentre of the crinkle-crankle construction world .... something to do with economising on bricks, I believe, with structural strength of thinner, cheaper, walls being improved by wavy (or sometimes crenelated) construction. This shot of yours would have been the holy grail for cartography training purposes, and would quite likely be depicted on an Ordnance Survey map as a single continuous curve parallel to the road:

Here endeth today's lesson. Cheers, Donger.

 

[Donger]

Testing, testing. Please ignore unless similarly affected... I'm currently unable to get into this thread except after receiving an alert. Can find the thread in Cycle Chat Café, until I sign in, when it disappears. Can see nothing in New Posts or Recent Posts referring to the "Your Ride Today" thread either. I will be quietly liking the thread for the time being! Hoping by posting this one, whatever problem that might have been caused by my previous one will clear and resolve itself.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

crinkle-crankle

Bit like corrugated iron I guess. Stronger than a flat thin sheet.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Testing, testing. Please ignore unless similarly affected... I'm currently unable to get into this thread except after receiving an alert. Can find the thread in Cycle Chat Café, until I sign in, when it disappears. Can see nothing in New Posts or Recent Posts referring to the "Your Ride Today" thread either. I will be quietly liking the thread for the time being! Hoping by posting this one, whatever problem that might have been caused by my previous one will clear and resolve itself.

Site support?

 

[Donger]

Site support?

Already on it, thanks. P.S. SORTED! Somehow my system was set to "ignore" the thread. Many thanks to @Rickshaw Phil, who had encountered the problem before and was extremely helpful.

 

[jongooligan]

Been trying to mix things up so that I don't get bored with the same old same old this winter so did a short ride today on roads I don't usually ride. It was on the cold side of cool and the wind was quite playful when I set off down past Lumley Castle and then up through Great Lumley.

Dodged along Black Boy Road to see how the roadworks are coming on as I have plans for a bridleway ride later on in the week and the workies have had barriers across it. It's clear now. Then out through Hetton le Hole until I got by the school and took the road up to High Moorsley. Absolutely romped up the hill despite the wind - it's amazing what you can do without a hangover.

A zippy descent followed by a short climb brought me to the A690 dual carriageway where I was lucky to get straight across. I've been stuck here for up to 5 minutes in the past. The descent continues all the way through Leamside and down to Cocken Bridge where I crossed the Wear.

Now along the rabbit road into the wind and uphill (can't remember why it's called that, it's more of a rat run these days), over another Big Scary Roundabout on the A167 to take the 'quiet' lane past Kimblesworth Grange (the quiet lane is now also a rat run).

Finished with a grand finale of Fyndoune hill and Waldridge Fell to clock 21 miles with 1,400ft of climbing.

No pics today as it wasn't the weather for hanging about.

 

[Old jon]

Nine whole days since my last ride. And the legs were feeling it today, or maybe that was from walking around various Northumbrian castles last week. It were cold there an’ all.
I had replaced the front tyre on the geared bike. The piece of glass that caused the last puncture may well have cut through one or more threads in the carcass and I certainly did not want an egg in the tyre miles from home. 3993 miles is about twice the mileage I have had from any other tyre since I started riding again, so no complaints there. Pedal off to try the new one out. A bit cool with a few spots of rain, but also blue sky in view, which is all the encouragement I need. The route, no, the list of places to ride through, is all sorted out so into the depths of Holbeck to Office Lock and ride along the leaf covered towpath to Viaduct Road. No problems with the leaves but I was wary . . .
Once across the river it is uphill through Headingley and all the way to Lawnswood. I persuaded myself that this was good, keeps the blood flowing and the body warm too. Wonderful it was when the road levelled out a bit though. Stay on the A660, it was quiet this morning, and ride past the western side of Golden Acre Park for a change. Bramhope next and the confirmation that new houses are being built there. Right now the building site has notices outside. ‘Beware, Deep Water.’ It certainly does look deep too, makes me happy not to be buying a house there. Keep going. At the top of the rise by the Puritan chapel there is a brief sight of the other side of the Wharfe valley. Under rain clouds, which prompted a quick rethink ‘cos I had intended crossing that river and riding up to Farnley. Down Pool Bank anyway.

And along the valley bottom road to Otley. The breeze has picked up a bit or maybe this is just because it is in my face, the munch stop by the maypole was welcome. Along to the bottom of Leeds Road, and the breeze is now helping, thank you. Back to the Dyneley Arms and the queue at the traffic lights, in fact all the way back to the building site in Bramhope. The water looks even deeper from this side of the road. Turn left at the roundabout and ride up Kings Road. Sort of expecting this to be a slog but it went pretty well. All credit to the wind then. Turn right, downhill for a while to Adel dam, a bit up to the church and then the climbing is done.
Down to Headingley, turn right and more down to Kirkstall. And for a change, also to miss those leaves, do no use the towpath. Kirkstall Road almost to the city centre, Wellington Street, Aire Street and back on the ( leaf free ) towpath under the train station. I have ridden this way a couple of times before and still there are bits of the cycle tracks that do not seem to join up well. Or at all. This could well be my fault. I have as much experience of cycle tracks as of elephant riding, that is sweet Fanny Adams. Suppose I should keep trying. But not today, there is a mile and a bit to home, briskly now, a hot shower is almost in reach. And a smile for the miles stacking up to thirty as I reached home.

The somehow familiar map

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Just had to get some fresh air. So hoping I wouldn't get caught in a nasty shower I headed off on the well worn White Rabbit loop. There was a short shower as I crossed the Marsh but it was nuisance value only. The wind was helping too. I had to ride into that wind riding towards Upton tho'. I knew the lane would be flooded so I dodged by Tunnel Hill only to find the flood had risen since yesterday and I couldn't get around Clive's Farm. So a bit of retrace was required but all's well that ends well. 37 smiles

 

[Reynard]

Interesting picture, @Jenkins. Could be the first in a "Your bike in front of a crinkle-crankle" thread. I once attended a lecture on surveying and mapping in which the subject of this almost mythical beast came up. For professional purposes, I kept a small file of photos as examples to pass on to colleagues .... who invariably thought I was pulling their leg when the name "crinkle-crankle" came up! I seem to recall that the East of England is the epicentre of the crinkle-crankle construction world .... something to do with economising on bricks, I believe, with structural strength of thinner, cheaper, walls being improved by wavy (or sometimes crenelated) construction. This shot of yours would have been the holy grail for cartography training purposes, and would quite likely be depicted on an Ordnance Survey map as a single continuous curve parallel to the road:
View attachment 492601
Here endeth today's lesson. Cheers, Donger.

A crinkle-crankle is also a type of picture, pioneered by the Victorians, which is made up of vertical slats placed perpendicular over a background image. Depending on the angle you're standing at, you can see three different pictures in the same frame.

 

[Donger]

A crinkle-crankle is also a type of picture, pioneered by the Victorians, which is made up of vertical slats placed perpendicular over a background image. Depending on the angle you're standing at, you can see three different pictures in the same frame.

Every day is a school day.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

@Buck

It was a bit wet, slightly further along the Don

This is just east of Oxspring, & a bridge that's normally run across during the 'Trunce' races
Both are off Old Mill Lane


View: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2574505845930065&set=pcb.2777486122295784&type=3&theater&ifg=1



View: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2574505975930052&set=pcb.2777486122295784&type=3&theater&ifg=1


The swollen Don is here
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/816087

Same location, less water
April 2010