Your ride today....

[HLaB]

A nice sedate start to 2022 for me. I
was thinking about a flat recovery ride Round the Forth but the thought of 42mph gales and New Year’s Day’s walkers on the Forth Road Bridge put me off. So I took a bimble up Knockhill instead. It’s a bit of an effort at first then a freewheel to Clackmannan normally. I had thought I’d get blown up and the descent would be enough to overcome the wind. Lol, I was wrong At least I’d got my choice of kit right as it was unbelievable mild again.
From Clackmannan I dropped into Kincardine and went through Culross and Torryburn to the A985 main road. I usually don’t go that way but I figured itd be quieter on NYD and it would have OK views of the Bridges. Then after cutting through Rosyth Dockyard my route took me through Inverkeithing and back up the hill to Dunfermline.

If you're interested in my photos, they are in the Relive video. Lol, I hope I added the best ones to it and not blurred duplicates but I've got my contacts in and everything looks blurry to me on a phone screen #auldageblindness 😂

https://www.relive.cc/view/vQvydWpej4q

 

[Dave 123]

First puncture of the year 😭

Bunch of pricks!

 

[craigwend]

Bunch of pricks!

Shard of glass - the pr*ck

 

[Dave 123]

Slightly less wet than yesterday, and the actual SUN came out for about 3 minutes!!!! I stopped and basked in it innit!
I went up the pine ridge road, overlooking a dank Modbury.

Animals seen were the Carswell cows, Dartmoor sheep and the Flete Estate Hereford bulls.

About 18 miles, my Garmin gave up after 8 miles.

 

[AndreaJ]

First ride of the year and 50km challenge started. It was actually dry for a change and very warm for January.
Set off to Loppington , Nonely and the longer, muddier way to Myddle which unsurprisingly was muddy although not as bad as it has been. Turned back to Burlton, Marton then through Weston Lullingfields , Bagley and Lee to Ellesmere. Up Swan Hill to Coptiviney, Breadon Heath and along Rowe Lane to Lyneal. More muddy lanes back to Loppington, Wolverley and home. 33 miles, more horse riders than cyclists out today.
Next door neighbour was busy cleaning his mountain bike when I got back, which was already cleaner than mine when he started, he didn’t want to do mine though😂 , he didn’t think you got that muddy on a road bike!

 

[Noodle Legs]

It’s nice to be back outdoors after a three month hiatus after a poor 2021 due to health issues. I’m a little less fit, a lot more fat but my mojo seems to be back! A local ish loop to Loughborough and back in fairly mild weather (if a little blowy) Never stopped off, just kept going and simply enjoyed my return to the great outdoors!

View: https://youtu.be/ESqX78b5JDM

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Despite what I had planned, my last ride of 2021 turned out to be a very short one round the block to test out some fettling.

I got something a little bit more substantial in today for the first ride of 2022 though; a variation of one of my regular routes - Condover, Cross Houses, Atcham, Upton Magna, Uffington and through the centre of Shrewsbury.

The roads weren't too busy at the start but I had three overtakes that were a little on the impolite side before reaching Condover - perhaps hangovers were affecting their judgement? In contrast, the best overtake on this stretch came from a lad on a rorty motorbike who, having come up very fast behind me, waited patiently for a safe place to pass.

After Condover, Lyons Lane was pretty quiet apart from a number of cyclists, who appeared not to be enjoying themselves very much (with one exception).

Through Berrington the lanes were quiet and I knew I had a pretty good tailwind when I hit 17mph up the climb out of the village. That tailwind carried on though Atcham and on the way to Upton Magna but sadly I lost it after taking the left towards Shrewsbury.

At Uffington there were some Christmas themed scarecrows in the village. The one that caught my eye was The Grinch in a Father Christmas suit.

I took the old canal path as far as Pimley Manor then, knowing that the path would likely be pretty muddy after that, headed into Sundorne and followed roads that mostly avoided the busy traffic to Heathgates and Spring Gardens. Sydney Avenue was as busy as I've ever seen it with people perambulating on a lovely sunny New Year's Day. The river was high so I couldn't use the towpath and instead headed past The Dana (Shrewsbury Gaol) and along Smithfield Road to get into The Quarry along Victoria Avenue. I thought that Sydney Avenue was busy but The Quarry beat it hands-down. I'm more used to seeing this many people about when there is a summer show on. It took some time to get along the length of Victoria Avenue, weaving around the crowds of people, then I headed away from town over English Bridge, through Sutton and back via Meole Brace.

21.1 miles for this one at 12.6 mph average. Probably would have been quicker if not for all the walking pace riding through the Victoria Avenue crowds. I don't suppose that the strong headwind on the way home helped much either

I only took a couple of pictures and they are a bit "meh" so I'll leave them out this time.

 

[gavgav]

Despite what I had planned, my last ride of 2021 turned out to be a very short one round the block to test out some fettling.

I got something a little bit more substantial in today for the first ride of 2022 though; a variation of one of my regular routes - Condover, Cross Houses, Atcham, Upton Magna, Uffington and through the centre of Shrewsbury.

The roads weren't too busy at the start but I had three overtakes that were a little on the impolite side before reaching Condover - perhaps hangovers were affecting their judgement? In contrast, the best overtake on this stretch came from a lad on a rorty motorbike who, having come up very fast behind me, waited patiently for a safe place to pass.

After Condover, Lyons Lane was pretty quiet apart from a number of cyclists, who appeared not to be enjoying themselves very much (with one exception).

Through Berrington the lanes were quiet and I knew I had a pretty good tailwind when I hit 17mph up the climb out of the village. That tailwind carried on though Atcham and on the way to Upton Magna but sadly I lost it after taking the left towards Shrewsbury.

At Uffington there were some Christmas themed scarecrows in the village. The one that caught my eye was The Grinch in a Father Christmas suit.

I took the old canal path as far as Pimley Manor then, knowing that the path would likely be pretty muddy after that, headed into Sundorne and followed roads that mostly avoided the busy traffic to Heathgates and Spring Gardens. Sydney Avenue was as busy as I've ever seen it with people perambulating on a lovely sunny New Year's Day. The river was high so I couldn't use the towpath and instead headed past The Dana (Shrewsbury Gaol) and along Smithfield Road to get into The Quarry along Victoria Avenue. I thought that Sydney Avenue was busy but The Quarry beat it hands-down. I'm more used to seeing this many people about when there is a summer show on. It took some time to get along the length of Victoria Avenue, weaving around the crowds of people, then I headed away from town over English Bridge, through Sutton and back via Meole Brace.

21.1 miles for this one at 12.6 mph average. Probably would have been quicker if not for all the walking pace riding through the Victoria Avenue crowds. I don't suppose that the strong headwind on the way home helped much either

I only took a couple of pictures and they are a bit "meh" so I'll leave them out this time.

Good decision to leave the path at Pimley, as we didn’t yesterday and it’s a complete mud bath!

 

[Ian H]

A quick New Year's day ride for me (after various chores). No stopping, so no photos. 47k in just under two hours over the Blackdowns and back. https://www.strava.com/activities/6456112681

 

[gbb]

An ebike bimble aound local villages, Morborne etc. Nice out there, bright but blustery, plenty of birdlife, lots of Red Kite quartering fields, a couple of them almost inquisitively soaring 20 ft above me, a pair of Yellowhammer, stood watching one in a tree 15 ft away, everythings full of detail in the sunlight, fieldfare, lots of birds flitting across fields etc.
Lovely out there.

 

[Landsurfer]

Well, still a short ride .. but longer that the last. Centre of Rotherham to Newhall in Sheffield, mostly by the canal.

Weather was lovely, dry sunny and warm ... so summer cycling kit again with the addition of a beanie (Benny ) hat to keep my head warm as this has been recommended after my last incident.

Along the way, in Sheffield a fly fisherman trys his luck. I also fish the Don, Trout, Salmon and Grayling .... all are flourishing as the water quality improves .... although there is a theory that you can catch the Trout with magnets ...

The TPT is closed through Rotherham until July and the short but very confusing diversions have led to a few different routes along the banks of the canal ... they seem to change from week to week ...
Todays speciality diversion was via ......

13.6 miles today .... hopefully a 20 mile + ride in the next few days .......

 

[Dave 123]

Prolonged sunshine!!!! Very blowy too, but great to have a bit of colour back.
12 miles on local lanes and a bit of bridle way.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6461507480

 

[Mike_P]

Sunday and it was meant to be a straightforward ride on the ebike to Lidl but turned out to be almost 26 miles!
Outbound via Bilton Lane I had a slipping chain and tweaking the barrel adjuster after a bit of delay seemed to stop the worse of it.

Down the Beryl Burton cycleway and alongside a higher than normal River Nidd, crossing it on High Bridge

Waterside was only slightly busy and now having confidence in the chain headed up Castle Ings Road

Rucksack full of store cupboard item, fruit, batteries for Garmin sensors and a bargain mini vice route reversed initialy; the low sun made the environs of Waterside more picturesque than normal.

Up the A59 hill / cycletrack and turned along Bilton Hall Drive back to Bilton Lane. The Wahoo declared it was about to shut down - flip I forgot to start it Now they do say things happen in threes…

2. Got home only to put hand in the, should be zipped, coat pocket for the keys only to find them absent Rucksack stowed behind a shed and headed back to Lidl where the keys it transpired had been found

3.En-route back to Lidl nearing the top of a climb their was a clatter and the latest 3D Varia mount had broken

25.93 miles and 1970ft vertically. Finally accessed home at 1pm; rain started half a hour later.

 

[chriswoody]

It's grey again, aside from Christmas day it's been grey for weeks and weeks. On the plus side, it's over 18 degrees warmer than my Christmas day ride, at a balmy 12 degrees celsius. I made up a new route today, combining some new trails with old and set forth into the gloom. 6km's of road riding bought me to the edge of the forest and I plunged inside onto the muddy trails.

The trial winds its way steadily north between the trees. Alternating at times between gravel and mud. The forest is a real mix of trees and I'm captivated by the regimented patterns of the pines in direct contrast to the Birch and Scot pine that also dominate here.

After a few kilometres a fork in the trail appears, normally I take the right fork and head off towards Wildech and beyond. Today though in a change to the normal program, I head left and onto unknown trails. The first kilometres are fast and interesting, the path under my wheels is compacted gravel and I make good time. I stop for some dried mango and a flapjack by some newly felled logs, waiting to be picked up, a reminder of the comercial nature of these forests.

Not long after my stop I'm crossing the main road that bisects this forest and starting to head back south again. The forest on this side of the road couldn't be more different. It's much wilder and muddier here, avoiding the worst of the puddles is hard to do and my pace slows as the mud sucks the speed from my tires. Between the trees are clearings with fields, though it's not obvious what they are used for. At the entrance to one field, I'm intrigued by a hunters stool, normally they are small structures, enough for one hunter at most to sit. This one though is a largish hut sat on the back of an old farmers trailer.

After a few more kilometres, I'm back onto familiar trails, out of the forest for a short while I'm weaving on bridleways between fields. one turn off later and I'm under three great windmills and into the full force of the strong wind I'd been aware of, but mostly sheltered from in the depths of the forest. The noise from these great turbines is quite loud and I'm pleased to return to the quiet of the forest.

The next new turn I make is to avoid a section of forest that has been turned into a quagmire by the forestry workers, my detour is actually on a nice section of Wald Autobahn and the steady hiss of gravel under my tires accompanies my higher speeds. At the end of the detour, a few turns bring me to the top of a short section of fun singletrack, weaving between the pines. The light is really fading now and I need to get a move on.

The last kilometres now await and before long the last of the gravel trails bring me out near to home. It's been a shade over 36km today with some nice new sections of forest traversed, certainly I can see me riding this way again, for now though it's coffee time.

 

[Landsurfer]

AND .....
As i was passing Meadowhall on the way back i came upon a young man pushing his top of the range super spaceship Colnago carbon cycle ... Super Record adorned..
He was dressed in the finest raiments of lycra, his shoes cost more than my bike ...... as for his Oakley glasses ... I dare not consider the cost...
“Can i help you” ... I stopped to ask ....
“Thanks, but i’ve punctured” .. the Prince of Cycling replied...
“Do you not have a spare tube ?” says I.
"Whats the point” .. replied the Prince ... "I’ve phoned Mum” .
"I can fix it for you” ,, .. ,,
" I’t’s ok, you can't fix punctures” ... replied the man child ...
"Oh, is that right” ... I replied, smiled ... and cycled off ....

I really hope there was a communication problem going on ... and not that he was just stupid .....