Your ride today....

[wafter]

It's now been over a week since I last used the Genesis thanks to various consipratorial circumstances and a significant loss of mojo.

Today I ran out of deodorant so across town I wafted on the ofo to pick up some more. Rode out most of the way on the tow path and had to wait a good 5-10 minutes while the lock was in use at Sandford. As if the journey couldn't have got more exciting I also scored 30 fish fingers on offer for a bagain-tastic £3.50 while in Tesco, as well as some low-calorie Halo ice cream on promo - which isn't as nice as the Oppo alternative.

On the way home I picked up a tube of copper grease for the impending brake rebuild on the car, got close-passed by a bus and resolved to start training myself to stop using my other foot (i.e. putting my strong foot down and keeping my weak foot on the pedal, which feels very strange) to make my cycling a bit more ambidextrous in a desperate bid to add some goal-oriented purpose to the vacuum of meaninglessness that is my existance...

Finally I rode past the Yaris-muppet's house and it's still there; now having been reduced to £1400 on Gumtree

In total probably about 10-12 very slow miles that have now resulted, yet again, in a sore arse. Despite my sedate pace not the most enjoyable ride thanks to the oppressively overcast and humid weather, but I do feel a little more perky for getting outside. Hopefully out the same way later to see some mates, and perhaps a proper ride outside the city tomorrow..

 

[Daninplymouth]

Tried a new route today just a 30miler but half of the ride I’d only done 1way which is mainly downhill. This seemed to be a good 45mins of all uphill work and felt tough so had to find some flatter roads just to up the mileage. Guess that’s the joys of living in the southwest we don’t seem to have much in the way of flat rolling roads it’s all Uk and down I swear

 

[Gunk]

Just a short 15 mile ride this afternoon to get familiar with my new bike, it was lovely, seat was a touch low and the end of the cable for the front mech brushed against my leg when the smaller chain ring was selected (both now sorted) Average speed was 15 mph and some of that was through town, I was surprised for steel framed bike how quick it was

.

 

[Andy in Germany]

About to buy a train ticket to go and visit the family at the weekend. I'm going to pick up my longtail Xtracycle (seen here, ironically carrying the frame of my current bike) because I need a spare bike and the extra load carrying capacity will be welcome. This means I can't ride to the station like I usually do, so I need to catch the bus. Okay, so... I know where the bus stop is, but what is it called? Hmm. local maps offer no information so I'll have to go and look won't i?

Out of front door, on bike.

Front door wide open, but it's warm, and this is rural Germany and anyone able to find anything worth stealing in the apartment probably deserves it.

Round to side gate and to street -this is the other thing: you can't see my apartment from the road, in fact most people probably don't even know it exists. Ride a couple of hundred metres to the main road. The bus stop is the "Post". Realise there are two bus lines in the village and I think the other one is a bit more direct. Follow cycleway and a couple of back roads to the "Rathaus" (Town hall) .

I could probably have guessed that one in reflection.

Back through old part of village, to house, over front courtyard, through gate. Door still open, computer still on table.

Just for giggles I plot the route: 900m...

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Rubbish weather yesterday so I squeezed this one in today. I just made it up as I went along and ended up with Staunton as my turn around point. Quite brisk riding for the first half. And the grey start turned into a lovely early evening sunshine. 40 smiles

 

[Mark pallister]

Up and down the beautiful Northumberland coast

 

[Mike_P]

Two ebiked shopping trips today; discovered this evening in Asda whilst 😷 the self service tills do not work with gloves on. Two attempts therefore at improving my KOM time on the local 7% avg climb and it was not the lunchtime milk run to the Co-Op but the evening attempt that knocked another second off it, 12 secs clear now In all 6.16 miles with 528ft of the ebike motor justifying its keep.

 

[xzenonuk]

went from queensferry to boness ended up about 23 miles nearly .

https://www.strava.com/activities/3761640688

im still alive :P

starting to get back into this

nearly got wiped out by some twat towing a caravan near the start, such a close pass and then the thing he/she was towing nearly hit me.....

feel much safer using the main roads to edinburgh.

ride before this one https://www.strava.com/activities/3742162524

 

[Archie_tect]

Well, first off for a few years today... riding the NCR72 to Prudhoe avoiding a dog.

I'd approached slowly but didn't unclip as I'd normally do which just goes to show... sadly the dog ran back across the path, managed to avoid hitting it, just grazed an elbow + knee. Bruises forming nicely this morning! [Post edit: bike's fine, it landed on me!]

Carried on to the cafe at Prudhoe to get cleaned up then rode home via Ovingham to see our recently finished social rent housing scheme. Just over 23 miles instead of the 44 mile planned trip to Hexham. Takes 2020 total over 600miles which is better than last year.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

 

[Old jon]

British Standard Summer this morning. I have had plenty of practice at this one, here comes more! Wheel out the fixed and ride off.

Mizzle, drizzle and straight down persistent in varying amounts, by the time I reached Oakwood and its clock things were rather wet. Turn left and pass the posh Roundhay Park gates, the adjacent former tram terminus is now a car park, and continue to Moortown Corner and the Harrogate road. Turn right, noticing that there was little traffic about, and pedal north as far as the bridleway to Eccup reservoir. This is pretty well surfaced (with the odd aberration) all the way to the dam wall. Which was clear of parked cars, a very unusual state of things.

Keep riding, the village of Eccup is next. How big is a village? Is it the number of houses, few in this case. Or is it area? The New Inn at Eccup is a fair distance from Village Road, which I guess could be the main street. And which I rode along to that awkward turn left, the opposite direction to the pub just mentioned. Five Lane Ends next, turn right to reach the eastern side of Golden Acre Park and right again to the top of Kings Road. And the first bit of downhill for a while to the roundabout at Bramhope. Where the state of soggy me decided to turn left and head home.

This is a well worn stretch of road. Lawnswood, across the Ring Road to reach Headingley and then down the hill to Kirkstall. Given the dismal dampness of the morning I guessed, correctly, that there would be few people using the towpath towards Leeds’ centre. And I was almost there before I remembered the camera hung under the handlebars.

A short diversion through Hunslet, just ‘cos right turns across four lanes of traffic are not my favourite thing, and a distance up the main road takes me almost home. Of course I was smiling, a hot shower was next! Twenty four miles and eleven hundred feet of up, a gentle ride that was a lot of fun, oddly.

Where I went . . .

and the ups and downs of it

 

[wafter]

As predicted the ofo got a second outing last night to a mate's house across town for (as usual ill-advised) beers and pizza in his garden, which was nice.. apart from procuring said beer which required a stop at the local Co-Op and suffering of the nasty chav slappers outside - i) spitting on the floor in front of me and ii) casually sitting on my bike while I was inside

Unsurprisingly the ofo continues to be horrible up hills, but in still, flat conditions it's a great tool for casually floating around on if you're not in a hurry.


Today I awoke to plentiful reminders of why I shouldn't have consumed what I did last night

As the days roll on so grows the weight of expectation to go out for a proper ride, and while I really didn't feel like it the weather was passable and I was probably unlikely to manage anything else productive if I stayed in, so ventured out for a sedate one on the CdF.

With no particular plan I headed out south-westish, the initial hill being made all the less pleasant by my aching joints and the headwind. I continued down through Abingdon, Culham, Appleford, Long Whittenham - taking the correct cycle route this time (rather than getting lost in a field) and found myself somewhat inadvertantly at Whittenham Clumps.

I figured it'd be nice to have a ride around and get some pics from the top of the hill, however the sign on the gate boldly proclaimed "no cycling". Upon closer inspection it did show a route along a bridleway, which I may or may not have followed as I rolled along a new-looking track (their justification for keeping bikes off was to prevent damage to historically-significant paths; which may or may not have been BS). This took me past the hill but I couldn't be arsed to go back so I carried on along what was a nice little path through some farmland

I eventually popped out at the Shillingford Hotel; contemplated buying an ice cream but the popup shop was closed, rescued an errant bee from the car park (although tbh it looked a bit worse for wear) and took a crap photo. Still loving the bike :

From here I headed north then eventually west into town from Wheatley; the cycle path that heads the wrong way along the side of the A40 proving even more horrible than usual thanks again to the headwind and my aching legs.

The ride was rounded of with a Megadeth-fuelled thrash (well, as much as I could) through town with the usual array of moving obstacles providing some entertainment.

Glad I got out but it wasn't the most fun ride in the world and I feel utterly knackered now. Muscles and joints ached for most of the ride, I felt really hungry maybe halfway in (that'll be the carb-hole left by the pizza, then) and while even a bit chilly to start with the weather was pretty muggy and oppressive throughout. Just under 37 miles and 900ft at 13.6mph and 116bpm for about 1200kcal burned..

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Straight away I climbed the Wyche to drop to Colwall and the meet with Margaret PR who was delivered by car by Graham R. As we rode out by Harbour Hill and on for Canon Frome we had a brief shelter under some trees as some drizzle was a nuisance. The Marcles were looming and soon we were climbing by Durlow Common which revealed some stunning views. Then at Canwood we stopped to admire the sculpture before emerging from the deepest lanes at Fownhope. At Capler Camp it was picnic time with a wonderful view of the Wye. We returned to the Marcles to cross the ridge with more views and dodge along by Bodenham and Gwynne's Hill to join the standard run back by Broom's Green and Bromsberrow. What a super ride with excellent company in stunning Herefordshire countryside. 70 smiles

 

[Mike_P]

After an uneventful ebiked shopping trip yesterday evening to Lidl this morning's to M&S and the office was memorable for definitely the wrong reason as the right turn at a crossroads was just possible by bike pass ambulances and their crews attending to a pedestrian under a car Thereafter I tried waving down approaching motorists but in hindsight they probably thought I was some nutter on a bike Quiche acquired from M&S, more papers from the office and back home to find when I dropped the phone into my pocket as I set off from home it had paused Strava😟

 

[postman]

Up and down the beautiful Northumberland coast

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My word how wonderful.My s.i.l has moved to Amble and i know how quaint and lovely their place is,but my word what photos,thank you for posting.