- Location
- Inside my skull
Brief hour outing in the lanes at lunch today. No photos as taken pictures in these local lanes so often . I left camera behind.
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
It was: When I stopped it was almost completely silent except for the stream in the distant valley.
An average morning, which is fine by me. Warm, dry, and still. I have no problem riding in that sort of weather, so off I rode on the Jacko.
Into and out of Holbeck, over the Aire on Crown Point Bridge and up to Oakwood. Turn steep left by the clock, no more turns until Moortown Corner now. Two rights there and I am on my way to Wike Ridge Lane. Ride to Wike then take Forge Lane to the A61, I am going to ride through the Harewood estate in the downwards direction. Out through the gate on to the A659 and back to the A61 to cross the River Wharfe, pedal a bit further north and turn left for Dunkeswick. The next village on the way to Almscliff Crag is Weeton.
The road begins to rise at Huby, and stays that way as far as the crag just mentioned. And then descends in a most impressive way, with added extra gravel and mud on the twisty bits. All good fun. Through Stainburn to Leathley, just after that I had a dither, went past the bridge over the Washburn, changed my mind, U turned and went over the bridge. And climbed up to Farnley. It might be called a shortcut to Otley.
Back across the Wharfe there, queues of traffic, I chose Leeds Road to ride on. That is the A660, it was not very busy for most of the journey back to Headingley. A right turn there to head towards Kirkstall through two sets of roadworks traffic lights. At the bottom of the hill I turned left, for the change as much as any other reason. Weave through the town centre and back over the first river of the day on Victoria Bridge.
From there I have to cross one corner of Hunslet on my way home. Soon completed, smile happily in place after forty one miles and 2149 feet of upwards pedalling. Happy cyclist.
Ups and downs in plenty, and a map as well . . .
Into and out of Holbeck, over the Aire on Crown Point Bridge and up to Oakwood. Turn steep left by the clock, no more turns until Moortown Corner now. Two rights there and I am on my way to Wike Ridge Lane. Ride to Wike then take Forge Lane to the A61, I am going to ride through the Harewood estate in the downwards direction. Out through the gate on to the A659 and back to the A61 to cross the River Wharfe, pedal a bit further north and turn left for Dunkeswick. The next village on the way to Almscliff Crag is Weeton.
The road begins to rise at Huby, and stays that way as far as the crag just mentioned. And then descends in a most impressive way, with added extra gravel and mud on the twisty bits. All good fun. Through Stainburn to Leathley, just after that I had a dither, went past the bridge over the Washburn, changed my mind, U turned and went over the bridge. And climbed up to Farnley. It might be called a shortcut to Otley.
Back across the Wharfe there, queues of traffic, I chose Leeds Road to ride on. That is the A660, it was not very busy for most of the journey back to Headingley. A right turn there to head towards Kirkstall through two sets of roadworks traffic lights. At the bottom of the hill I turned left, for the change as much as any other reason. Weave through the town centre and back over the first river of the day on Victoria Bridge.
From there I have to cross one corner of Hunslet on my way home. Soon completed, smile happily in place after forty one miles and 2149 feet of upwards pedalling. Happy cyclist.
Ups and downs in plenty, and a map as well . . .
theloafer
Legendary Member
- Location
- newton aycliffe
had planned to ride over the Butter tubs today ... but after i left Richmond the rain started , jacket on and time for a re-think. thought it best to stay low in the valley so headed for the Dales bike centre to get a bacon+egg sarnie and coffee, and pick another route.
Decided to ride the Swale trail (last done 2018),inspired by @Cathryn post. plus once i got to the end at Keld if weather was good i could still get up to Tan hill.
you could see the trail has been well used since i was here last .. more new signs and a few more gates been added but it still was great fun, at the cafe had a sausage roll and chocolate cake + coffee ,and had a discussion about the merits of e-bikes.
then i headed up to Tan hill which was very busy so no time for a beer. off along the road towards Reeth for about 3 miles then took the turn for a short cut to Bowes (not for road bikes).
once at Bowes picked up the A67 into Barnard castle straight through till a left turn for Little Newsham-Bolam up to RoyalOak across the A68 down Brusselton bank to Shildon aand the cycle path all the way back to Newto aycliffe and home. bloody knacked but was a really good day despite the earl showers. 79 miles done
Morning Ride | Ride | Strava
Decided to ride the Swale trail (last done 2018),inspired by @Cathryn post. plus once i got to the end at Keld if weather was good i could still get up to Tan hill.
you could see the trail has been well used since i was here last .. more new signs and a few more gates been added but it still was great fun, at the cafe had a sausage roll and chocolate cake + coffee ,and had a discussion about the merits of e-bikes.
then i headed up to Tan hill which was very busy so no time for a beer. off along the road towards Reeth for about 3 miles then took the turn for a short cut to Bowes (not for road bikes).
once at Bowes picked up the A67 into Barnard castle straight through till a left turn for Little Newsham-Bolam up to RoyalOak across the A68 down Brusselton bank to Shildon aand the cycle path all the way back to Newto aycliffe and home. bloody knacked but was a really good day despite the earl showers. 79 miles done
Morning Ride | Ride | Strava
Cathryn
Legendary Member
- Location
- Marlborough, Wiltshire
Massive salutes to you, what a ride!! Makes me even grumpier that we turned back early and didn’t do the whole thing!
Spiderweb
Not So Special One
- Location
- North Yorkshire
A day off today so out on the Tricross at 8-30am. Riding today with David from our village, his first ride since he had Covid. Just a short but enjoyable ride as David was really struggling, great to catch up.
20.33 miles with an average of 16.4 mph.
20.33 miles with an average of 16.4 mph.
AndreaJ
Veteran
Summer made a brief reappearance this morning and I have some time off before I start a new job at the beginning of September so rather than doing any of the jobs I had planned to do I went for a ride instead.
Set off towards the Moatshed, through Horton onto the Ellesmere road to Loppington. Took the first turning to Nonely before turning to Myddle. Took the usual turning onto Lower Road, Merrington and Old Woods turning off to Eyton and Baschurch.
Headed towards Ellesmere via Stanwardine, Bagley and Lee and round the one way system to Swan Hill, Coptiviney then into Welshampton. Turned off by the church to Lyneal, back to Northwood and home. 33.3 miles.
The big grey clouds don’t look like summer but it was actually warm again.
This is one of the worst lanes in North Shropshire which is unfortunate as it will be part of my new commuting route on the bike!
Set off towards the Moatshed, through Horton onto the Ellesmere road to Loppington. Took the first turning to Nonely before turning to Myddle. Took the usual turning onto Lower Road, Merrington and Old Woods turning off to Eyton and Baschurch.
Headed towards Ellesmere via Stanwardine, Bagley and Lee and round the one way system to Swan Hill, Coptiviney then into Welshampton. Turned off by the church to Lyneal, back to Northwood and home. 33.3 miles.
The big grey clouds don’t look like summer but it was actually warm again.
This is one of the worst lanes in North Shropshire which is unfortunate as it will be part of my new commuting route on the bike!
KnittyNorah
Über Member
- Location
- The Frozen North (of England)
Well, today was supposed to be 6.6 miles along the canal to a cafe, then cut down through the country lanes, using part of the Lancashire cycleway, for about 3 miles, to home. HOWEVER, once I reached the cafe, I was advised against doing so by a couple of lads (well, young men in their 20s) who'd been down that way a week or so ago - they said there were no cycleway diversion signs (there's a lot of roadworks for a big 'distributor' linking motorways and arterial road) at all and the ones they had previously seen earlier in the year had 'all disappeared'. They thought there might be a 'way through' but suggested the best thing to do would be approach it from the other direction to check, before planning to use it. Various drivers and random locals at the cafe all agreed.
So that meant 6.6 miles back instead of the planned-for 3-ish!
Never mind, what with multiple swan families, a small flock of Canada Geese, several herons fishing - one doing so in a very nonchalant manner standing on what looked like an old, semi-submerged landing stage on the far side of the canal; he glanced at me as I approached but immediately returned to his fishing - and moorhens walking about on some of the big water-lily type leaves (they only produce pretty, but somewhat underwhelming, buttercup-like flowers) for all the world as if they were in the Amazon, it was interesting enough, if a bit muddy in places. There were a few long grassy stretches where I chose to walk as I have 'city cruiser' tyres, which are fine on the hard-pack but definitely 'lose it' on grass.
However all was not peace and goodwill on the canal-side; there were a couple of places where a clear bird-murder had been committed with feathers and blood over a wide area, with a track back into the undergrowth and towards a hedge, or overgrown bit of rough ground along which the victim had been dragged. Mr Fox and his wife and youngsters would've dined well, though! Just past one of these murder sites, a swan - which I thought had got back into the water with the rest of its family - hadn't quite, and took clear exception to my cycling past. S/he made a determined suicidal lunge towards me. I swerved and skidded, as I had no wish to eat Swan Casserole or Swan Pie if it had stuck its head through the spokes as it seemed intent on doing, and ended up just still upright but the wire thingy which holds the front mudguard in place had twisted around as the wheel had slid sideways at an acute angle. I pushed the bike - with a horrible grinding noise - to a wider and drier bit of towpath where I managed to improve matters somewhat, then a guardian angel - a runner - came past, stopped to ask if I was OK and fixed the mudguard for me instantly; I simply don't have strong enough or large enough hands to do it. No lasting damage done! I warned the runner about the swans ahead and he said 'there's always one, isn't there?' Very true, all the other swan families were peacefully swanning about, but I wondered if one of the suicidal swan's children was a recent victim of bird murder, making him/her extra-protective?
There were a few showers of rain - but the beauty of riding along a canal is the ample supply of bridges for shelter during such events - and only one of them was a really significant shower anyway.
So I got home safely, and am now relaxing after a shower, food, and - most important! - two ibuprofen!
If I can cycle over 13 miles, and not be exhausted or in pain, what's my limit? It'd be about a mile in hilly country, but here in the flatlands ... LOL! I'm still (mainly) only cycling every alternate day, and every alternate ride at least is a short one, in the park, exploring the local cycle paths or a bit of the Guild Wheel - no more than four or five miles - but I think I'll plan a 15 mile ride for one day next week!
I can only think that I must have been lucky enough to retain a significant amount of my core strength during my years of relative inactivity caused by severe visual impairment.
ETA the water-lily-type leaves on which the moorhens were walking, were indeed a type of waterlily, Nuphar lutea.
So that meant 6.6 miles back instead of the planned-for 3-ish!
Never mind, what with multiple swan families, a small flock of Canada Geese, several herons fishing - one doing so in a very nonchalant manner standing on what looked like an old, semi-submerged landing stage on the far side of the canal; he glanced at me as I approached but immediately returned to his fishing - and moorhens walking about on some of the big water-lily type leaves (they only produce pretty, but somewhat underwhelming, buttercup-like flowers) for all the world as if they were in the Amazon, it was interesting enough, if a bit muddy in places. There were a few long grassy stretches where I chose to walk as I have 'city cruiser' tyres, which are fine on the hard-pack but definitely 'lose it' on grass.
However all was not peace and goodwill on the canal-side; there were a couple of places where a clear bird-murder had been committed with feathers and blood over a wide area, with a track back into the undergrowth and towards a hedge, or overgrown bit of rough ground along which the victim had been dragged. Mr Fox and his wife and youngsters would've dined well, though! Just past one of these murder sites, a swan - which I thought had got back into the water with the rest of its family - hadn't quite, and took clear exception to my cycling past. S/he made a determined suicidal lunge towards me. I swerved and skidded, as I had no wish to eat Swan Casserole or Swan Pie if it had stuck its head through the spokes as it seemed intent on doing, and ended up just still upright but the wire thingy which holds the front mudguard in place had twisted around as the wheel had slid sideways at an acute angle. I pushed the bike - with a horrible grinding noise - to a wider and drier bit of towpath where I managed to improve matters somewhat, then a guardian angel - a runner - came past, stopped to ask if I was OK and fixed the mudguard for me instantly; I simply don't have strong enough or large enough hands to do it. No lasting damage done! I warned the runner about the swans ahead and he said 'there's always one, isn't there?' Very true, all the other swan families were peacefully swanning about, but I wondered if one of the suicidal swan's children was a recent victim of bird murder, making him/her extra-protective?
There were a few showers of rain - but the beauty of riding along a canal is the ample supply of bridges for shelter during such events - and only one of them was a really significant shower anyway.
So I got home safely, and am now relaxing after a shower, food, and - most important! - two ibuprofen!
If I can cycle over 13 miles, and not be exhausted or in pain, what's my limit? It'd be about a mile in hilly country, but here in the flatlands ... LOL! I'm still (mainly) only cycling every alternate day, and every alternate ride at least is a short one, in the park, exploring the local cycle paths or a bit of the Guild Wheel - no more than four or five miles - but I think I'll plan a 15 mile ride for one day next week!
I can only think that I must have been lucky enough to retain a significant amount of my core strength during my years of relative inactivity caused by severe visual impairment.
ETA the water-lily-type leaves on which the moorhens were walking, were indeed a type of waterlily, Nuphar lutea.
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Booked Friday off work and headed south east once again with an earlier than normal departure for me of 1040. This time following the route of NCN67 through Follifoot then the A661 from Spofforth to a very congested Wetherby where I did a U turn to avoid one queue of vehicles. Subsequently managed to squeeze on the inside of another queue to gain the left turn I needed, picking up last Sundays route to the A162. The closure of part of the NCN over the Wharfe is from Monday to the end of October but is not that part really hampered by tree roots.
Then followed roads ridden on earlier in the morning by @Spiderweb to reach the 6th letter ABC of Wistow.
East to Sherburn in Element and two sets of TTLs – those at the junction encountered last Sunday took ages to change. Continued on the B1222 south east , turning off on the slip up to the old A1, now A63, to Ledsham and then further east to Kippax.
Down to the edge of Great Preston where, after a pause, I turned onto NCN697 branded as Linesway. Komoot had warned that it may not be passable on a road bike. It started out as a compressed surface and it was evident that the railway origins had been adapted with a climb up and drop off a bridge. The lower levels of it had a couple of muddy puddles sections with the worse bits just avoidable while there was an awkward staggered crossing of a rutted track. Further on correct railway levels seemed to have been retained judging by a couple of over bridges; beyond that under the A63 the surface was tarmac.
At the end of the NCN in Garforth I followed the on road route of the West Yorkshire Cycle Route, apart from skipping one point where for some reason rather than using roads between two points it takes a route including a flight of steps! The route headed towards the first missed turning of last Sunday; having subsequently looked at Google Streetscene I had noted a cycle route pass the junction and took that.
Headed north over the M1, the route was now also NCN66 and I followed that along the bridleway of Parlington Lane. It was initially tarmac as far as a farm and then a compressed soil/gravel/brick surface – I sought to avoid the lumpier bits. A track joined and a compressed gravel surface led to an increase in speed to a crossroads. Left and right were marked as private so straight on a far narrower lane, really a path, which split two ways. To the left a barrier with a gap next to it with a NCN sticker on the post; that lead to a tunnel that was pitch black. I did not have a front light and tried the mobiles torch – it made no impression on the darkness. Back tracked and took the right hand route – apart from a short section it was not suitable for cycling. The darkness of the tunnel, it was built to hide traffic from views from Parlington Hall, was evident as it was curved. Re-joined the lane beyond and on the edge of Aberford with properties served it deteriorated in condition.
North from Aberford a long queue of traffic was tailing back from Junction 44 of the A1 with A64. Overtook until close to the junction where a convenient gap in queue allowed a switch to the inside and onto the cycle paths around the junction to gain the road to Bramham. Further on Junction 45 was busy and having missed the right turn onto cycle path due to passing traffic found myself in the lane for the westbound A659 so continued that way, stopped and a U turn back to gain the road to Wetherby. The Nidd Gorge in Knaresborough followed, the cycle path on the A59 hill away and the bridleway section of Bilton Lane.
71.96 miles / 115.8km 3051ft climbed 14mph avg.
Weather was largely overcast with the odd spell of sunshine.
Then followed roads ridden on earlier in the morning by @Spiderweb to reach the 6th letter ABC of Wistow.
East to Sherburn in Element and two sets of TTLs – those at the junction encountered last Sunday took ages to change. Continued on the B1222 south east , turning off on the slip up to the old A1, now A63, to Ledsham and then further east to Kippax.
Down to the edge of Great Preston where, after a pause, I turned onto NCN697 branded as Linesway. Komoot had warned that it may not be passable on a road bike. It started out as a compressed surface and it was evident that the railway origins had been adapted with a climb up and drop off a bridge. The lower levels of it had a couple of muddy puddles sections with the worse bits just avoidable while there was an awkward staggered crossing of a rutted track. Further on correct railway levels seemed to have been retained judging by a couple of over bridges; beyond that under the A63 the surface was tarmac.
At the end of the NCN in Garforth I followed the on road route of the West Yorkshire Cycle Route, apart from skipping one point where for some reason rather than using roads between two points it takes a route including a flight of steps! The route headed towards the first missed turning of last Sunday; having subsequently looked at Google Streetscene I had noted a cycle route pass the junction and took that.
Headed north over the M1, the route was now also NCN66 and I followed that along the bridleway of Parlington Lane. It was initially tarmac as far as a farm and then a compressed soil/gravel/brick surface – I sought to avoid the lumpier bits. A track joined and a compressed gravel surface led to an increase in speed to a crossroads. Left and right were marked as private so straight on a far narrower lane, really a path, which split two ways. To the left a barrier with a gap next to it with a NCN sticker on the post; that lead to a tunnel that was pitch black. I did not have a front light and tried the mobiles torch – it made no impression on the darkness. Back tracked and took the right hand route – apart from a short section it was not suitable for cycling. The darkness of the tunnel, it was built to hide traffic from views from Parlington Hall, was evident as it was curved. Re-joined the lane beyond and on the edge of Aberford with properties served it deteriorated in condition.
North from Aberford a long queue of traffic was tailing back from Junction 44 of the A1 with A64. Overtook until close to the junction where a convenient gap in queue allowed a switch to the inside and onto the cycle paths around the junction to gain the road to Bramham. Further on Junction 45 was busy and having missed the right turn onto cycle path due to passing traffic found myself in the lane for the westbound A659 so continued that way, stopped and a U turn back to gain the road to Wetherby. The Nidd Gorge in Knaresborough followed, the cycle path on the A59 hill away and the bridleway section of Bilton Lane.
71.96 miles / 115.8km 3051ft climbed 14mph avg.
Weather was largely overcast with the odd spell of sunshine.
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- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Yesterday's ride: I've missed some opportunities to ride this week so with a bad forecast for Saturday made sure of getting out on Friday. I had thought about heading up to the Long Mynd again but decided I wasn't in a hill climbing frame of mind so went for one of my regular longish routes instead to Longnor, Acton Burnell, Cressage, Walcot, Upton Magna and home.
Setting out, the traffic on the main road was constant and I may have had a very long wait if not for someone allowing a waiting bus to pull into the village and giving me the chance to get out. Heading through Condover was busier than usual as there are roadworks in Dorrington so quite a few people are trying to avoid the queues by coming this way. I wondered whether I'd find the lane from Ryton very busy with people trying to rat run from the other direction - as it turned out there were only a handful doing that.
After passing Longnor I had a tailwind which helped nicely along to Acton Burnell. I headed through Cound Moor and along to Cressage where I just found a handy gap in the traffic to cross over and head for Eaton Constantine. The wind helped reasonably wellup the climbs, I saw a nice cruising speed when the road levelled out and better still when I got onto the long gentle descent of Bluebell Lane.
I took the longer way to Withington this ,hoping to make the most of the last of the tailwind for the time being, but for some reason it didn't seem to be helping as much here. After Upton Magna I pulled into a passing place to allow a following car to pass, only for them to pull in to the very next one and stop.
I think they may have been lost and stopping to look at the map.
The run past Attingham Park was into the wind today so not as swift as I'm used to. Reaching the junction for the road to Cross Houses it seemed to be unusually busy so I thought I'd take Chilton Farm Lane instead, which is quieter but more undulating.
From Kingstreet to Condover seemed rather a plod into the wind this time but heading back up to the A49 I had it helping for a nice finish. I had a van overtake into the blind corner over the railway bridge which I thought was a bit dumb but nothing came the other way so the driver got away with it this time. The A49 itself was still quite busy but I had a good gap when it came.
A nice lot of cyclists out and about today.
33.8 miles at 14.7 mph average which pleasantly surprised me - I thought I'd been slower than that.
I only grabbed a couple of snaps this time:
My usual drink stop at the crossroads near Longnor. Taken to show off my new Carradice Carradry panniers. These are front panniers, so not as bulky as the ones I already have, but they have more capacity than a rack bag, which will be useful when the weather is iffy and I need to carry extra layers. First impressions of them are good.
I was really disappointed with this one but thought I'd post it anyway. A shot of Eaton Constantine and I was hoping to show off the bright colour of the dog rose growing in front of the barn - sadly the camera didn't capture how it really looked.
Setting out, the traffic on the main road was constant and I may have had a very long wait if not for someone allowing a waiting bus to pull into the village and giving me the chance to get out. Heading through Condover was busier than usual as there are roadworks in Dorrington so quite a few people are trying to avoid the queues by coming this way. I wondered whether I'd find the lane from Ryton very busy with people trying to rat run from the other direction - as it turned out there were only a handful doing that.
After passing Longnor I had a tailwind which helped nicely along to Acton Burnell. I headed through Cound Moor and along to Cressage where I just found a handy gap in the traffic to cross over and head for Eaton Constantine. The wind helped reasonably wellup the climbs, I saw a nice cruising speed when the road levelled out and better still when I got onto the long gentle descent of Bluebell Lane.
I took the longer way to Withington this ,hoping to make the most of the last of the tailwind for the time being, but for some reason it didn't seem to be helping as much here. After Upton Magna I pulled into a passing place to allow a following car to pass, only for them to pull in to the very next one and stop.
I think they may have been lost and stopping to look at the map.The run past Attingham Park was into the wind today so not as swift as I'm used to. Reaching the junction for the road to Cross Houses it seemed to be unusually busy so I thought I'd take Chilton Farm Lane instead, which is quieter but more undulating.
From Kingstreet to Condover seemed rather a plod into the wind this time but heading back up to the A49 I had it helping for a nice finish. I had a van overtake into the blind corner over the railway bridge which I thought was a bit dumb but nothing came the other way so the driver got away with it this time. The A49 itself was still quite busy but I had a good gap when it came.
A nice lot of cyclists out and about today.
33.8 miles at 14.7 mph average which pleasantly surprised me - I thought I'd been slower than that.
I only grabbed a couple of snaps this time:
My usual drink stop at the crossroads near Longnor. Taken to show off my new Carradice Carradry panniers. These are front panniers, so not as bulky as the ones I already have, but they have more capacity than a rack bag, which will be useful when the weather is iffy and I need to carry extra layers. First impressions of them are good.
I was really disappointed with this one but thought I'd post it anyway. A shot of Eaton Constantine and I was hoping to show off the bright colour of the dog rose growing in front of the barn - sadly the camera didn't capture how it really looked.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
To make life more interesting for citizens in south West Germany, the railway between Karlsruhe and Basel was closed last week. This is the main freight route from Rotterdam to southern Europe, but more importantly, it’s the main line between where I live and Beautiful Wife and family.
Obviously this mean things like “replacement bus services” and similar, which meant all kinds of problems.
Gradually a new idea formed: I could catch a train to the eastern edge of the Black Forest and then cycle the rest of the way. This would mean I could try out a possible route across the Black Forest itself, a step closer to finding a route all the way to Stuttgart by bike.
Thus your correspondent was to be found in Alpirsbach railway station last Friday, watching a local train disappear into the trees, and hoping he hadn’t forgotten something important…
The people running the national park in the Black Forest have realised that cycle tourists have money, and furthermore tend to spend it frequently, because there’s not much space on a bicycle for large amounts of food. They’ve therefore created a number of cycle routes along the valleys, including the Kinzig valley which runs from Freudenstadt, following a giant “U” shape to Offenburg in the Rhine valley.
This has been adopted to varying degrees of enthusiasm by different villages, but there was generally a traffic free if slightly wandering path between settlements, and best of all, this was all downhill; I sent a couple of hours following the signs, riding through extremely touristy towns, and generally following the valley,
It’s hard to get lost following a river valley: if you get wet you’ve gone too far one way, and if you find yourself climbing unexpectedly, you’ve gone too far the other.
Two hours and about 35km later I reached Heslach, which sounds like a suburb of Birmingham but which is at the southern part of the giant “U” of the Kinzig valley, and as such was where I had to start climbing.
This was the bit that had been on my mind: I had to climb up and over the watershed and into the Elz valley; the Elz empties into the Rhine, but rather helpfully goes past my apartment first, which is why I was aiming for it: once in that valley I would quickly be in familiar territory. Also it was downhill for the whole of the last 40 kilometres or so.
Unfortunately there was a whole lot of up between me and there. Very pretty up, though, with tree lined valleys and massive heavily roofed farmhouses. I had plenty of time to appreciate them, because they’d would appear high up above, and then I’d pass them on the same level, and finally lose sight of them disappearing far below.
This was not a quick process.
See that valley in the distance? I was in that valley, and that was about halfway up the hill.
Eventually the pass came into view, with a low, squat restaurant in the lowest point. Unfortunately this was still a very long way above me. I could see cars flashing past at the top of the hill, but down here was silence except for the stream, and a middle aged asthmatic wheezing.
When I reached the top after some pushing, aching legs and a few phrases that the locals probably haven’t heard before it was an hour and a half after I started climbing; I’d travelled 8 km and climbed 400m (5 miles and 1300′). I stopped in the windswept car park that reminded me of passes in the Wales and the Pennines in the UK. I expired for a bit and worried about the 18% downhill ahead.
The actual descent was shorter than the climb and worrying combined: within an hour of rolling out of the pub car park I was 20km away, back on familiar roads and could see the big skies and vineyards of the Rhine valley.
Looking at the map later I realised that I’d been through Alpirsbach a long time ago, on a three day tour from Stuttgart; so I can theoretically claim to have cycled the whole distance from Stuttgart to Freiburg.
The fact it took more than a decade means it was possibly marginally slower than I usually am…
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AndreaJ
Veteran
The return of summer didn’t last very long and it has been raining most of the day. Having already got wet walking the dogs it was a choice between going out on my bike or carrying on with the hedge cutting, I didn’t think that electric hedge cutters and rain were a good combination so went on the bike.
I set off into Whixall as far as Hollinswood, turned off to Fenns Bank then back over the swing bridge to Alkington. Back into Whixall taking the longer way round to Edstaston, Foxholes, Poolhead where a suicidal squirrel somehow managed to dart across the road between my wheels rather than stay on the perfectly good side of the road which it was on! Carried on to the crossroads by Browns and turned back towards home. 20.7 miles and it even stopped raining.
This is what roads in parts of Whixall look like.
I set off into Whixall as far as Hollinswood, turned off to Fenns Bank then back over the swing bridge to Alkington. Back into Whixall taking the longer way round to Edstaston, Foxholes, Poolhead where a suicidal squirrel somehow managed to dart across the road between my wheels rather than stay on the perfectly good side of the road which it was on! Carried on to the crossroads by Browns and turned back towards home. 20.7 miles and it even stopped raining.
This is what roads in parts of Whixall look like.
Landsurfer
Veteran
A short ride on the new bike, first ride, to see if the time spent with the tape measure and sprit level had paid off in getting my position right .. It had.
The shorter top tube of the Ribble over the Jamis gives a more “over the top” feel to the bike but very comfortable.
The Selle “MAN” saddle is the first i have used with a perinnial cut out and was comfortable from the off ..
It took a short while to get used to the SRAM gear levers with their “double click down, single click up” workings and the Mavic freewheel is very noisy if, like me, your used to Shimano freehubs.
The Brakes ...
My first discs, my first hydraulic discs. Fantastic, smooth, powerful and well balanced .. love them ... but fixing them at the side of the road 30 miles from home won’t be happening. I would have been happy, in my ignorance, with cable operated discs but they weren’t available with the SRAM package.
When flicking the bike into a few tight corners around the locks there was a slight resistance that can only put down the the precession of higher mass tyres than i’m used to, i never normally ride anything bigger than 28mm and the 35mm tyres fitted to the Ribble must have a much greater mass.
Love this bike already.
And i beat the rain back to the van by seconds.
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Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Having done a mega "ride" on the wattbike yesterday, today was just a short slow recovery ride around Leicester bagging some of the LOROS rockets.
Here are a few of them:
And typical of Leicester, there were a couple of empty plinths, either nicked or removed as damaged would be my guess
Just under 14 miles in just over an hour, all photos are on my Strava ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/5833015139
Here are a few of them:
And typical of Leicester, there were a couple of empty plinths, either nicked or removed as damaged would be my guess
Just under 14 miles in just over an hour, all photos are on my Strava ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/5833015139
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Colin Grigson
Bass guitarist - Bad News
- Location
- Slovakia
A very hot and sweaty nearly 30km after lunch today - I stupidly ate 4 x chilli cheeseburgers from Burger King since I was out with my children buying school clothes - I wasn’t going to go out this afternoon but it looked so nice it was a shame not too …. but those burgers 
