Your ride today....

[JPBoothy]

I managed to persuade my 16yr old son to get washed/dressed and out for a ride after I'd finished working from home today. It was only 10mls but a new loop that was without cars and, with the sun shining it made it a pleasant trip. I also get to keep my eye on one of my bikes that his lanky legs have conveniently grown into

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

All about bridges on tonight's 40km loop from bournville, kings Norton tanworth danzley, towards Henley then hockey heath earlswood.bournville View attachment 516895

View attachment 516896

Is that the bridge, at the canal junction, where the Stratford Canal leaves via the guillotine locks?

I had a look arounf there, & Kings Norton, when daughter lived just off Wychall Lane (for a while, whilst briefly at Brum Uni)

 

[colly]

I cleaned my bike yesterday. Nothing so unusual in that but because it was more that just a bit mucky I did a proper job, even pressure washed bits of it. But spending time cleaning threw up some problems that need attention right away. The first a bottom bracket bearing, which I knew was getting a bit worn and loose. In fact it sounds more like a bag of rusty bolts but will last a bit longer until I can get a new one sorted. More startling is one brake block almost down to the caliper. Then there is a worn out tyre, complete with sidewall split.

It was on the rear so my excuse for not seeing before is that it's not in my line of sight and logic has it that if you can't see it..........it doesn't exist.
So after a late up, a lazy breakfast, and a bit of emailing, I thought, being a lovely day, a ride was called for. But first......change the dodgy tyre and brake block.
The block was easy to sort out the tyre took a while longer.
Being tubeless getting the tyre off the rim was messy and a real b******. However I persevered and found the secret eventually, after some more major faffing got the worn tyre off, cleaned the rim and put on an old tyre and tube.
I finally got out the door just after 1.30.

No plan just went where I thought would be good. East Keswick and back seemed like a good idea. Prob 15 miles. At East Keswick I fancied a trip round Linton and Sicklinghall.
Looking SW across Wharfedale :

Which led to Kirkby Overblow, where I took a lane rarely used by me (or anyone judging by the amount of twigs and leaf litter) which took me to the main Harrogate / Leeds road. A left back towards Leeds and then on a whim a right to North Rigton.
It's a climb up but worth the effort if only to visit St. John the Evangelist church:

Which has a wonderful view for the long term residents:

So seeing as I was at North Rigton it seemed rude not to go up some more and give Almscliffe Crag a pass:

Looking the other way:

Down then through Stainburn and across the valley the view of Otley Chevin:

Down some more and eventually over The Wharfe at Pool and the familiar Arthington Lane. The valley side needs to be climbed and I chose Rawden Hill and Bedlam Lane:

Once up I passed The New Inn, closed and forlorn, for quite some time yet by all accounts. Which is a shame because for a pint and a meal it's good value.
Pass Eccup Whin which, in times past was I think a bit of a dumping place for Yorkshire water. It's been cleaned up now and is full of wild life of all kinds. Back home then via Stair Foot Lane Moortown and Lidgett Lane.
What started as just a swift run out turned into a really pleasant ride in the sun in some lovely countryside. It was cold under the tree canopy and in the shade but in the sun I was glad I only had shorts and a tee shirt on. Windy? Oh yes.

37.5 miles and 2988 ft of up. ( 12 ft more huh ?)

View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/47519591

 

[C R]

Five mile loop with oldest daughter. She was objecting about going out, but I think that by the time we got home she would have liked a longer route.

Nice ride, but a couple of very close passes from roadies. A bit blowy and cool. Rather enjoyable, if a bit short.

 

[Gunk]

View attachment 516859
Did my usual 40km loop through Market Drayton and Audlem. A few annoyances: strong headwind for most of the day, my cadence sensor came off somewhere and the GoPro mount came off. Luckily I managed to catch the GoPro before it fell to the road. On the upside: beautiful weather and almost no traffic. Saw several families with children out cycling.

View attachment 516860

View over the Cheshire plain.

cadence sensors and GoPro mounts, that’s an alien world to me!

 

[roubaixtuesday]

... involved bluebells

 

[Dave 123]

I had every intention of doing something moorland.
Down into Yealmpton via Puslinch hill. I stopped to look at more early purple orchids. Then it was over to Smithaleigh, through to Cornwood. I went past Fitsworthy riding stables and spied Georgia’s old dressage horse, Pearl.
I then went to Sparkwell, then took a dead end road. My lad rang Me at the top, so I stopped and talked for half an hour.

Back to Smithaleigh then through some hilly lanes to New England.

I came home via Battisborough, stopping to take a picture of a wonderful colour combination of early purple, bluebell, stitchwort and red campion.

In Noss Mayo I stopped on Popes Quay, and sat on a bench in the warm sunshine. A lovely little ride.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3331216376

 

[welsh dragon]

Just 10 miles for me today. A nasty cold headwind didn't make me feel the lurv today but I made the effort any way.

 

[Mike_P]

Another M&S shopping run on the ebike just now, a drop in the wind, now merely gusty rather than gusting. Free apple pie and quiche thanks to a credit card gift voucher this time. Must resolve that noise the ebike is making...

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

After not getting out yesterday (walked Idris instead which proved to be a nightmare - set out with a black dog returned home with a mud-brown one ) I made sure of getting out on the Raleigh this morning. A variation of my Harnage, Acton Burnell, Longnor route where instead of going to Berrington and Cross Houses as I've been doing lately I took a right at the King Street crossroads, into the dip and subsequent climb at Cantlop then a left just before Pitchford to take me towards Cound Stank and Cound.

It's another lovely sunny day. I was setting out while it was still a bit cool so started off with a fleece for a while and the wind stayed light until later in the ride.

I was slightly frustrated when an overtaking car forced the one coming the other way to take evasive action but chuckled when I saw them get held up by temporary lights a little way up the road (I didn't coz my turning was before that). Would it surprise you to learn it was a BMW?

Pretty quiet roads for the rest of it. Just six cyclists seen and three of those I was able to catch up with and overtake (widely of course) - quite good going by my standards.

24.8 miles at 15.3 mph average.

The old Cantlop Bridge. A survivor of many of this design that were put up during Thomas Telford's tenure as County Surveyor for Salop.

Nice spring morning in Acton Burnell.

Thought I'd include this one from yesterday: Idris has found a stalk from a previous crop and is trying to uproot it to bring with him.

 

[Old jon]

Maybe this should not be said, in case it hears and changes, but the weather is doing so well just lately. Not at all difficult to take the fixed out for a ride this morning.

Last month someone rode downriver from here, and wrote about it. So I tried it then, and this morning I had another go at it with the intention of riding a bit more than the eighteen miles I rode in March. First, the foray through Holbeck, with the novelty of the wind in my face along Water Lane. Reach the Armouries at Crown Point and take the riverside path, which is a lot busier than last time, do not think I will ride this way again any time soon. After crossing the canal the ride goes past Thwaite Mills. To the bridge with that awkward flight of steps.

From here, the river is sometimes to be seen on the left, canal always on the right until Fishponds Lock, just before reaching Woodlesford, cross the canal here. After Woodlesford Lock the surface becomes a bit variable, road tyres are OK in the dry. And after Lemonroyd Marina just finding the route is interesting, or maybe I wasn’t trying hard enough.

This morning, instead of returning to the road at Mickletown I carried straight on to what I would call Methley. Where what was a reasonable track for a bike turns into a path, for feet. Onto the road now, which is called Lower Mickletown. Turn left, this leads to the A639 at Dunford House. Turn right here to visit the other side of Mickletown on the way to Oulton. It seemed a good idea to ride through Rothwell, on the way past Carlton to Robin Hood. Straight across the A61 here, to Thorpe up the hill.

Wander around a bit, to find the Ring Road at Middleton, reach the Tommy Wass and realise the total mileage looks a bit low. Easily solved, ride around bits of Beeston I have not visited in quite some time, how things have changed! Twenty five miles ticked up just as the end of the street was reached, the smile was already in place for an interesting ride.

Pictures. The map, and a photograph, one of many, I took in 2012 at Thwaite Mills. Back then, only eight years ago, machines like the one pictured were being driven, I think by the waterwheels still, and totally unguarded. The two black rollers, slightly blurred cos they are moving, are about 18 inches diameter. This was just for visitors to see, I guess to demonstrate how things used to be . . .

 

[MontyVeda]

A slightly shorter version of my Wyresdale loop, found a couple of lovely lanes I've never cycled before ... and cycled past The Stork (a local pub) for the first time since it caught fire... it's looking in a very sorry state indeed

 

[Dave 123]

A fantastic ride today. Into Yealmpton, along the A379, turning to Ermington for the road up to Ugborough. It’s 5 miles long, between 3-10% and today it was into a headwind. I was jealous of the people coming the other way!

Then I went to Loddiswell, a nice climb up the valley. Into the edge of Kingsbridge then down to Salcombe. I had a paddle on South Sands beach and ate my flapjack.

A mooch around Salcombe town and the back up and out, nice long hills.
Then it was down the hill of certain death into Aveton Gifford . No speed wobble this time. 44mph was my top speed.
Modbury and home the flattest way via Creacombe

https://www.strava.com/activities/3335670558

 

[gavgav]

Less windy, than last night and so ventured out after logging off from work, in the lovely sunshine.

Immediate thought was where has all the traffic come from, as it was like a normal rush hour, more traffic than I’ve seen in about the past 4 rides combined!

Out through Betton Abbots and then turned down the lane to Boreton, where I found a family group out on a ride, parents on the bridge but kids playing in the ford (water variety) so I had to wait for them to disperse a bit, to walk the bike over said bridge.

Turned onto Lyons Lane and unfortunately found my first cyclists, since lockdown, who don’t understand the concept of Social Distancing, couple of blokes riding 2 abreast and within about 1/2 a metre of me. I leant against the bank and turned away, but really not appreciated

At Condover I turned left and then up the lane to Cantlop, before heading North to Shrewsbury and home via a loop through the Business Park.

11.5 miles at 13.8mph avg

 

[Donger]

Just 13.7 miles tonight. Not so enjoyable. Ever since my new chain was fitted it has been noisy. Not sure whether that is a thing with Shimano chains, as I think I've had KC chains in the past. There was also a bit of chain slippage on the new cassette which might be down to the quick link I installed when the new chain broke the other week. There was also quite a lot of creaking going on .... possibly from the saddle or seat post, I thought. The moment I arrived home, two bits of metal fell out of the saddle. The tensioning bolt on the Brooks saddle had failed. Annoying, but great timing, I suppose.

As to the ride, I did a figure of eight loop around Kingsway, Whaddon, Tuffley, Kingsway again and Hardwicke. Lovely weather again, but the roads were strangely busy all of a sudden ... in some places even busier than during more normal times. I have no idea what was going on, but it made Naas Lane a real rat run and quite an unpleasant experience. With that and the saddle failure at the end of the ride, it wasn't the best of rides, but still enjoyable in parts. They all count.

Cheers, Donger.