Your ride today....

[Rickshaw Phil]

Chapeau! I'm in awe of such a ride on studs in the freezing cold.

Thanks. It's only the second time I've done that kind of distance on studs. I seem to recall saying never again after the first time.

Having the Marathon Winters pumped up to the same pressure I usually run the ordinary Marathons at made them more manageable.

 

[Oxford Dave]

I waited until lunchtime before venturing out as there was quite a frost and patches of ice around this morning. I have been heading off in one of two different directions since I got my bike, but today I decided to combine the two, got home tired but certain I had covered at least 16 miles, only to find I had covered 13.7 - exactly the same as I had ridden on Sunday, despite being a different route! Oh well, it's all good, just puzzling.

 

[Donger]

Rickshaw Phil said: "I warily overtook wondering what was up when the driver called out "Neil!" - he'd mistaken me for a cyclist friend of his, which was a relief". Personally, I might have mistaken this for a drive-by knighthood for services to cycling web pages..... followed by "Arise, Sir Phil of Rickshaw". Great effort getting a hundred miler in during this weather, Phil.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Rickshaw Phil said: "I warily overtook wondering what was up when the driver called out "Neil!" - he'd mistaken me for a cyclist friend of his, which was a relief". Personally, I might have mistaken this for a drive-by knighthood for services to cycling web pages..... followed by "Arise, Sir Phil of Rickshaw". Great effort getting a hundred miler in during this weather, Phil.

Thanks.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I set my alarm early anyway and woke to another hard frost. I could have postponed yet again but decided to swap wheels for the ones with Marathon Winter tyres...

102.39 miles at 11.5 mph moving average. 10 hours and 50 minutes with all the stops. Very slow and hard work on the winter tyres but on the plus side, the legs felt surprisingly good most of the way round and I didn't have any issues with cramp.

I'm massively impressed that you managed that distance on spikes: I'd be impressed of you'd managed fifty miles, to be honest. When I put those on my bike my ambitions don't generally go further than a few K's to the tram stop...

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I'm massively impressed that you managed that distance on spikes: I'd be impressed of you'd managed fifty miles, to be honest. When I put those on my bike my ambitions don't generally go further than a few K's to the tram stop...

Thanks.

It isn't something I did lightly. I didn't expect to have another chance to get out until the end of the week or the weekend when the weather is expected to change, so I was getting worried and thought I needed to give it a try at least. It's nice to know it can be done on the studs but I'm hoping I won't need to again (not soon at any rate ).

 

[DCBassman]

My *walk* today - away dog-sitting, and much too cold for me to ride anyhow.
A circuit of Kitt Hill, near Callington, in Cornwall.
Lots of 4G going on here...

Over to one side of that, the trig point...

Our charge for the week

Looking back from the trig to the tower

Looking toward the north-west corner of Dartmoor

About a 3-mile walk, certainly several hundred feet of up!

 

[gavgav]

Out after work again, cold, but very little wind, as I took a route I haven’t done for absolutely ages, due to the likelihood of floods. A few dry days and so I thought I’d give it a go.

Headed up Pulley Lane, into Bayston Hill and then climbed up Lyth Hill Road, before taking the off road section, to the top of the hill. This was the part of the route I knew would have been flooded previously and indeed it was very muddy, with lots of deep puddles, but just enough space, on the edge of the track, to get past the worst of them without having to risk the water.

Nice quick descent to Exfords Green and then along to dad’s, for a chat.

Back out to Ryton, Condover, Betton Abbots and home. Lots of traffic about on the lanes, this evening, but all of them very courteous. Good Lights, in the dark, really do make drivers think a bit.

15.44 miles at 11.2mph avg

 

[gavgav]

Yesterday's ride:

The month is getting on and despite having eyed up several days that would work for a challenge ride, for various reasons (lurgy mostly) I hadn't able to get out to do that kind of distance. Monday had been looking very promising as the forecast was dry, sunny and with little wind after a cold start, however after the ride on Sunday which was quite slippy underfoot I realised that things probably weren't going to magically improve overnight.

I set my alarm early anyway and woke to another hard frost. I could have postponed yet again but decided to swap wheels for the ones with Marathon Winter tyres and hope that I'd be able to cope with the extra drag. Despite the extra time needed to swap the wheels I still got out on the road at 7am as planned and found the A49 busier than I'm used to at this time of the morning so had to wait for a gap to join it. Reaching Condover, I turned off the gritted main road through the village and immediately the ice tyres earned their keep as this road was white over and sparkling in my headlight.

After recrossing the A49, the road through Exfords Green and Plealey turned out to have been gritted (I wasn't sure if it would be) which made things easier. I used the cyclepath from Pontesbury to Minsterley despite it being white over, as I really don't like this stretch of road, then had gritted roads to use again to Westbury, Halfway House, Prince's Oak and Crew Green.

So far, so good. The spiked tyres had been useful in a couple of places but I was starting to wonder whether I'd made the wrong choice and the extra drag would be a hindrance now as the day warmed up. The road to Melverley was pretty much dry but not long after the village I started to ride over more and more frozen patches until it was mostly sheet ice. I overtook another cyclist who had decided to get off and push the bike due to the conditions.

Feeling happy that the spikes were coping well I bypassed Maesbrook and took the quiet lanes to Waen Wen and Ball which I knew would help with being sure of the mileage, however this added a couple of minor floods to splash through. Other vehicles had already been through but there was a scattering of shattered ice either side that had to be negotiated which crashed and tinkled under the wheels like breaking glass.

Reaching Oswestry I negotiated my way through the town and was really feeling the effort of the ride so far, to the extent that I wondered if I would manage to complete the rest of it. A bite to eat and a drink helped perk me up again and I carried on slowly on the undulating section to Gobowen then on to the marked NCN route to Ellesmere. Like the lanes from Melverley, there was lots of ice on this section. I mostly hardly noticed it but the front wheel did slide slightly on a deep layer of frozen mud at one point and I could feel the studs scrabbling for grip on one of the climbs.

At The Mount I found a 4x4 with trailer making very heavy weather of backing up to allow a milk tanker past. At one point the trailer was practically jacknifed. The lorry driver commented to me that "Some people just shouldn't be on the roads" as he came past.

I decided not to stop at Ellesmere and carried on to Coptiviney, Welshampton, Hampton Bank, and Northwood. I was finding that although I was slower than I'd like, the legs felt quite good provided I just accepted it and didn't try to push to go faster. From Northwood I headed to Dobson's Bridge, Whixall and Coton on roads which had more patchy ice, saying hello to another cyclist on the way - the first I'd seen probably since Oswestry. I joined the B5476 following another rider but didn't have the pace to catch them even if I hadn't been turning off at the next junction. I was running short of energy again so decided to have my lunch by Prees railway station as there was a handy wall to lean the bike against and a railing to lean me against.

Having stopped here gave about a mile for the legs to loosen up before the climb out of Prees which I don't generally look forward to (it was alright - I've felt worse when climbing it). The descent the other side was worth waiting for though and I got into a nice rythm on the way to Ightfield, Calverhall, Longslow and Longford. By this time the roads were mostly clear with just the occasional icy patch lingering. In Market Drayton I considered taking the shorter route through town but wasn't entirely sure whether I'd judged the distance correctly. I'd have to do a bit of climbing regardless so erred on the side of caution and took the tour round the town one-way system before heading out past the golf club for Sutton where I had another food stop overlooking rolling pasture on one side of the road and a field of elephant grass on the other.

I had only gone about quarter of a mile from this stop when a pickup overtook me very slowly then pulled in at the side of the road in front. I warily overtook wondering what was up when the driver called out "Neil!" - he'd mistaken me for a cyclist friend of his, which was a relief.

I was cycling into the sun now, so was lit up as much as I could, and was facing it much of the way through Stoke-on-Tern, Ollerton, Eaton-upon-Tern, and High Ercall. I stopped just after the short (and busy) main road section here to break open the jelly babies which gave a much needed energy boost to plod on through Rodington Heath, Withington (where the sun set), Upton Magna and Atcham. The road to Cross Houses is still closed to (most) traffic but it didn't stop someone in a Golf from blasting past me along here only to turn round and double back when they reached the closure sign at Cronkhill. I will admit that I laughed. (If they'd really known the area they'd have been better off turning left at the closure sign and going into Cross Houses via Brompton)

The last few miles back were in the gathering dusk and with it being so clear the afterglow of the sunset looked fabulous over the Stretton Hills. The A49 was busier than I would have liked but by this point I just wanted to take the shortest route to finish.

102.39 miles at 11.5 mph moving average. 10 hours and 50 minutes with all the stops. Very slow and hard work on the winter tyres but on the plus side, the legs felt surprisingly good most of the way round and I didn't have any issues with cramp.

View attachment 501466
Within sight of Minsterley before dawn.

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The view towards Crew Green before dropping down to Prince's Oak. Snow on the tops of the Welsh Hills.

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Crossing the Severn between Crew Green and Melverley.

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The gates of Cae Glas Park in Oswestry.

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Making heavy weather of passing one another naer Ellesmere. I wasn't quick enough with the camera to catch the moment when the trailer was jacknifed. Still icy on the road.

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A pause for a drink crossing the canal at Dobson's Bridge.

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At Prees. I'm about to go straight on at the junction and climb the hill.

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At St. Peters, Stoke-on-Tern.

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After sunset at the old Atcham Bridge.

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Afterglow over the Stretton Hills.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

 

[footloose crow]

21 January. South of the Camel

I need to feed the rat. It is gnawing away at me. The sky is blue and the wind light and yes it is cold but not so cold I can't go out and the month is disappearing, days passing, my sand clock running out. The GP this morning said I need to go slowly but I tried that already and it didn't work. So today I am going to feed my rat, my gnawing persistent need for the bike. Madame Crow declines to come and takes the car and I am left with the ancient camper van that has sat on the drive for a month, because I want to go somewhere new. I am tired of the steep climbs out of Truro. Or maybe just tired.

From from my elevated position on the A30 it is certain that today it will be a 'North coast day' as the high cloud persists over the south of Cornwall but it is clear all the way across the north coast. Nearing Wadebridge I can see in the distance the blueness of the Atlantic and a line of white, where waves are breaking on the Doom Bar.

The Camel Trail in winter is a much lonelier path than when filled with the mayhem of summer: heedless family groups, children wobbling, walkers aggressively striding along the middle of the path.The trail sits in the deep shadow of the valley and is overhung with trees. All the cold air from the last week has been gathering along the valley and it is cold, very cold. My tyres scythe the puddled ice. My lungs hurt with the freezing air and my nose streams a salty contrail as I speed along the path.

I am heading south on the trail for just a few miles and then will find a small back lane that leads through Wenn and Withiel and passes old four square, green tinged granite farmhouses with grand sweeping views of empty, bright green fields and hills. This is forgotten Cornwall. The lane shows that no one ever comes this way - the tarmac is broken, layers of mud from farm tyres, a central reservation of grass keeping me on my side of the road although the tractors take up all of it. Be careful on the bends, I tell myself after the first near collision.

The initial few miles undulate, lending me the feeling that I am fitter and weller than I will turn out to be. A right turn and suddenly the hill emerges, a near vertical wall of tarmac, 300 feet of 8% with bits of 18%. So OK, not vertical but steep enough for me. I struggle for breath all the way, my remnant lungs are not man enough for this. But a few weeks ago I was better and I will be again. Pause at the top, some jelly babies, shuddering breaths slowly easing. The views are good and the air clean and sharp. It is good to be alive today.

That was the worst hill and todays ride is relatively flat for Cornwall. Despite this I am slow, even pushing on the flats is only yielding an average of 14mph and I am straight into bottom gear as soon as the road tilts up. I am torn between frustration at my pace and joy at being out. Neither emotion wins - it is just a stalemate that tips one way or another as the gradient changes.

I have a section now on a busy B road. Quarry lorries roar past and then a van with flashing lights. I wonder why. Then over my shoulder I can see a mobile home, one of those that is not mobile unless you have a low loader and it is creeping up on me, the wind blowing all sound the other way. It is a shock to see a house overtake you and I stop to let it pass safely as it needs the full width of the road. With relief after a few miles I can turn off this overly busy B road and then see ahead a 180 degree vista of sea as the north coast appears. Quiet lanes, all NCN approved and blue badged. Easy navigation and the Wahoo chirps and buzzes contentedly. This is like an Enid Blyton illustration of the seaside. Hedged lanes, sudden bends, then a new vista on every corner, a view across fields to the sea and a warming sun. The road drops and climbs but only very timidly as if afraid to upset me too much and I am grateful to it as my weak and flaccid thighs seem unequal to the task today.

Lunch on the beach, although I am careful not to get sand on the gears. Five surfers out, Middle Aged Men In Neoprene which is more acceptable it seems than my lycra. Despite the sun it is cold here with a wind off the sea and I will not linger long.

One last hill out of Harlyn Bay, holding up a line of VW Transporters driven by MAMINs as they try to get past. I am going as fast as I can boys and I will stop and let you pass as soon as there is a gateway. Padstow is relatively empty, this is the quietest month and I have a fast downhill all the way to Rick Stein's Fish and Chip restaurant and Lobster Farm. Too good and too expensive for me and I roll on knowing I still have a cereal bar in my pocket.

I need another rest. Sit out of the wind and feel the sun. Vitamin D for free. Six flat miles left along the Camel Trail back to Padstow. I can't understand why I feel so tired. But I am, so just get on with it Crow boy. Moaning won't help, show some grit.

Six flat miles. I should be able to do this at 20mph at least, the Strava record is 24mph and no one races along the trail for Strava points. Empty today, frozen puddles in the cuttings and then sudden sweeping views across the estuary, dotted with waders and mud feeders, white blobs at this distance. It is so clear and the water so blue it could be summer but my fingers assure me it is not. I cannot get above 15mph. I try until my thighs burn, but it is no good.

Wadebridge arrives but the Wahoo solemnly informs me I have only done 48km, sadly lacking, so I go past the campervan and back up the trail until it clicks over onto 50km. The rat demands it.

A drive home and my eyes want to close. The rat is quiet, fed with some cycling. It demands constant stimulation. It used to be climbing, then sea kayaking and surfing and now it is cycling, the last refuge for old men. I read yesterday that the average Audax member is 55 years old, so today I joined AUK. Someone has to do the 50k events. I will try a 100km this month.....but not yet, not yet.

 

[13 rider]

Another great write up @footloose crow . Done the camel trail several times in summer would love to do with no tourists on it although technically I would be a tourist
You also seem to be suffering from half centuryitus is must be contagious.
Was the climb near St Eval onto the plateau the old air bases are on ?

 

[footloose crow]

Another great write up @footloose crow . Done the camel trail several times in summer would love to do with no tourists on it although technically I would be a tourist
You also seem to be suffering from half centuryitus is must be contagious.
Was the climb near St Eval onto the plateau the old air bases are on ?

Thank you 13rider. I know the hill of which you speak but this one is Churchtown Hill after Ruthernbridge. Cat 4 hill, average 8%. The Camel Trail in winter is fast and clear - much more fun. But it sucks up the cold in winter and is always freezing.

 

[Vantage]

102 miles. On studded tyres!


@Rickshaw Phil

 

[EltonFrog]

I just popped out the garden centre via the Lynchway and Chilton and back, 6.19 miles to clear the cobwebs.

I just stuck my phone of I in a hedge and set it to auto to get the photo.