Your ride today....

[theloafer]

rt trip out to Durham almost got lost in the university woodland area looking for some sculptures and artwork.. but had a blast ...

and also i had a tumble on the way there road rash and hurt pride

31 miles https://www.strava.com/activities/7698202825

 

[Andy in Germany]

Are the mushrooms followed by the giant bugs a sort of subliminal anti LSD message?

 

[Ian H]

Pub-run yesterday evening. I took the repaired fixed out again, and rode over to the start in Cranbrook. Sarah suggested a hilly route, followed by 'oh, you're on fixed are you?' and a grin. We bimbled our way through the lanes to Pinhoe and up Church Hill, then descended from Stoke hill (Sarah: 'You go ahead so I can laugh at your legs spinning.'). I got to about 30mph and about 175rpm, so she had a good laugh.

The circuit ended at the New Inn. After a pleasant evening with eight of us out, we returned home by direct routes in the darkness.

A sneaky pic taken by Richard

 

[DittonBayesian]

Bounced out of bed at 5:30am as supposed to be a fine morning for a ride, but Surrey looked like Pico Jano so ended up on the trainer for a couple of hours.

 

[Spiderweb]

I had a ride out from work on Wednesday. Another lovely evening, sunny and around 21°.
I cycled out to Naburn on the outskirts of York and took the Sustrans route to Riccall then on to Selby. Continued on one of my favourite roads winding through Wistow Lordship to Cawood then home via Biggin, Little Fenton, Church Fenton and Ulleskelf.
45 miles with an average of 15.5 mph.
Still felt sluggish nearly 4 weeks after Covid but really enjoyed my ride.

 

[fossyant]

Quick 23 miles this morning. Just a training run. Went round some tight bends near Dyserth, signs saying building site access, so read the road and kept out of the gravel. Same couldn't be said for the pick up driver coming the other way too fast, nearly lost it, copious amounts of brake skidding followed by more as there was an SUV not far behind me. Fortunately no bang. Phew.

 

[wafter]

Early-ish 5-6 mile egg run on the newly fettled Routier this morning, including extended / impromptu mild gravel action:

A bit later a quick 0.8 mile trip to the shop to get essentials (beer and ice cream); revealing an unprecedented number of roadgoing dickheads and setting a new personal record of around four bellends per mile

Finally a quick trip to the bottle bank became inevitably prolonged with some more budget gravel content - including a hill that almost beat me with the lowest 40/28 gearing on the Routier.. a terrible shot from the potatophone:

Nothing epic but as usual good to get out

 

[footloose crow]

Summer lanes....make me feel good

The plan was to do a 100km ride without using any A roads or B roads. Too many visitors right now, campsites bulging, beaches packed and the bigger roads are dangerous as drivers from 'up country' are caught out by the bends and sudden narrowing from two lanes to one. We looked for some deeply incised Celtic lanes under shady oak groves, grass running up the middle, brambles and gorse reaching out to scratch our arms on both sides. Surprisingly the plan worked out quite well...as long as you ignore four punctures and three new inner tubes and the fact that it didn't quite measure 100km. Two friends said they would come along - part of my group of 'older' cyclists. We are 'Last of the Summer Wine' in lycra.

Another bright sun washed day and as we rolled into Perranporth after 25 kilometres, the suncream scented breeze off the sea smelt of late August in Cornwall. The beach was packed, the village jammed with cars waiting to park, streams of families heading for the beach. There must have been 5.000 people on the beach and a 1000 in the water - tough day for the lifeguards. The air hummed with conversations who crammed onto every spare metre of beach like standing next to a huge human hive.

From Perranporth we headed on small lanes up a long hill - not the first hill that day or the last - across the man road at Goonhavern and then plunged back into he unnamed lanes of mid Cornwall.The lanes tourists don't find and to be truthful I don't always find the lane I wanted to be on either. They all start to look the same. Overhung, shadowed by granite walls, winding their way in an illogical pattern around fields that have been the same since the Bronze Age. They are all potholed, they all have grass up the centre and a layer of gritty decomposed granite along the sides.

The punctures were not mine. The first one we all agreed was snake bite and shook our grey heads with disapproval when Tony re filled his tyre from a CO2 cylinder. The pressure was indeed too low and a few kilometres on there was another stop and an attempt to mend the inner tube with a patch. It was an old patch, tired and lacking the energy to hold air and soon, around a hundred metres later, there was a third stop when the tyre flattened again. More vigorous pumping and a third inner tube and this time Tony vowed that if it happened again he would be calling a taxi.

No taxi was required after that however and we continued through the golden sunlight of a late summer afternoon, the ferns and gorse catching the light and a gentle breeze cooling us as we continued to ascend and descend across the grain of the land.

Another fine ride in the profound quiet of a lazy afternoon. I know autumn will come soon and the leaves are turning but rides like this will linger in my memory and help me through the wet and cold rides to come.

 

[ColinJ]

I am down near Crediton (in the Exeter area) visiting my sister and I managed to sneak away yesterday to get a decent ride in. I wanted to do a metric century for my 'Lunacy Challenge'. I also wanted to explore a loop taking in Black Dog (which doesn't look as depressing as it sounds) and Littleborough (which is nothing like the one we have down the road from where I live, in Todmorden)! It struck me that the loop is almost 50 km so I could just do it twice and make up the missing distance round some local lanes, so that is what I set out to do.

The loop!

The forecast was for warm sunshine, and a fairly brisk, gusty breeze which would give a 'feels like' temperature of 17-19 C. The wind forecast was accurate but I swear that temperatures were 4 or 5 degrees higher than I was expecting. I had gone out with a long-sleeved light base layer, jersey, and gilet on. I stopped after a couple of hours and took the jersey off.

I liked the route. Most of it avoided the really narrow, high-hedged Devon lanes which can be quite frustrating (no views and problems with traffic needing to get by). This was more like it...!

I am not really riding enough to get properly fit so the ride felt tougher than it should have done. There were some very tough little ramps which hurt my legs, so much so that I felt tempted to wimp out after the first loop, especially because by then I knew exactly how many of those tough ramps there were! I toughed it out though and got on with loop #2 without stopping for a break at the end of loop #1, which had been been my original intention. I waited until after passing through Black Dog the second time.

One steep ramp got me on loop #2. It didn't even register with me first time round, but my back was aching so I hopped off and walked the top section of it the second time. I had a few drivers go by smiling as they passed me and I gave them a theatrical 'Aargh, what is THIS!' look. All in fun of course... I am used to steep hills in Yorkshire, but I am not particularly good at climbing them!

I was thinking back to how I was 16 years ago when I did The Other Fleet Moss Randonee at just over 20 km/hr including stops. IIRC, that had about 2,200 m of ascent in 200 km. Yesterday, I did 100 km with 1,650 m of ascent but only managed 13.5 km/hr! Advancing age doesn't help, and neither does having had 2 bouts of serious lung problems, but I'm sure that much of the problem is due to lack of kms in the legs - verdict: Must Try Harder!

PS @Ian H - I haven't forgotten that we said we would get together and organise a forum ride down here some time... I just want to get back to a better level of fitness for it! Maybe next spring or summer?

 

[Jameshow]

I am down near Crediton (in the Exeter area) visiting my sister and I managed to sneak away yesterday to get a decent ride in. I wanted to do a metric century for my 'Lunacy Challenge'. I also wanted to explore a loop taking in Black Dog (which doesn't look as depressing as it sounds) and Littleborough (which is nothing like the one we have down the road from where I live, in Todmorden)! It struck me that the loop is almost 50 km so I could just do it twice and make up the missing distance round some local lanes, so that is what I set out to do.

The loop!

View attachment 658839

The forecast was for warm sunshine, and a fairly brisk, gusty breeze which would give a 'feels like' temperature of 17-19 C. The wind forecast was accurate but I swear that temperatures were 4 or 5 degrees higher than I was expecting. I had gone out with a long-sleeved light base layer, jersey, and gilet on. I stopped after a couple of hours and took the jersey off.

I liked the route. Most of it avoided the really narrow, high-hedged Devon lanes which can be quite frustrating (no views and problems with traffic needing to get by). This was more like it...!

View attachment 658840

I am not really riding enough to get properly fit so the ride felt tougher than it should have done. There were some very tough little ramps which hurt my legs, so much so that I felt tempted to wimp out after the first loop, especially because by then I knew exactly how many of those tough ramps there were! I toughed it out though and got on with loop #2 without stopping for a break at the end of loop #1, which had been been my original intention. I waited until after passing through Black Dog the second time.

One steep ramp got me on loop #2. It didn't even register with me first time round, but my back was aching so I hopped off and walked the top section of it the second time. I had a few drivers go by smiling as they passed me and I gave them a theatrical 'Aargh, what is THIS!' look. All in fun of course... I am used to steep hills in Yorkshire, but I am not particularly good at climbing them!

I was thinking back to how I was 16 years ago when I did The Other Fleet Moss Randonee at just over 20 km/hr including stops. IIRC, that had about 2,200 m of ascent in 200 km. Yesterday, I did 100 km with 1,650 m of ascent but only managed 13.5 km/hr! Advancing age doesn't help, and neither does having had 2 bouts of serious lung problems, but I'm sure that much of the problem is due to lack of kms in the legs - verdict: Must Try Harder!

PS @Ian H - I haven't forgotten that we said we would get together and organise a forum ride down here some time... I just want to get back to a better level of fitness for it! Maybe next spring or summer?

Nice ride.

When are you back up north?

I think the Cornwall Devon hills are generally steeper than York dales hills more like the Yorkshire Moors tbh.

But your from toddy so I and see your view point!!

 

[ColinJ]

When are you back up north?

Early next week, to prepare for the Humber Bridge ride which should take place a week today (Saturday) from York.

 

[DCBassman]

Thursday: after days of lurgy(Covid -ve), dropped Mrs DCB at Lusty Glaze beach in Newquay for more Wave Project. Off to Padstow for Camel trail, with the Pine Mountain. Bike behaved impeccably, the Deore LX supplied by @nickb as smooth as one could wish.
Not so for the driver. Got to Wadebridge, had quite a long rest, and returned, more sedately. Just no energy at all.
10.48 miles, 12.5 average speed. Really good, considering how carp I felt. The gearing really suits me, but I will have to try and find a 170mm crankset, 175 feels wrong.

 

[Donger]

I am down near Crediton (in the Exeter area) visiting my sister and I managed to sneak away yesterday to get a decent ride in. I wanted to do a metric century for my 'Lunacy Challenge'. I also wanted to explore a loop taking in Black Dog (which doesn't look as depressing as it sounds) and Littleborough (which is nothing like the one we have down the road from where I live, in Todmorden)! It struck me that the loop is almost 50 km so I could just do it twice and make up the missing distance round some local lanes, so that is what I set out to do.

The loop!

View attachment 658839

The forecast was for warm sunshine, and a fairly brisk, gusty breeze which would give a 'feels like' temperature of 17-19 C. The wind forecast was accurate but I swear that temperatures were 4 or 5 degrees higher than I was expecting. I had gone out with a long-sleeved light base layer, jersey, and gilet on. I stopped after a couple of hours and took the jersey off.

I liked the route. Most of it avoided the really narrow, high-hedged Devon lanes which can be quite frustrating (no views and problems with traffic needing to get by). This was more like it...!

View attachment 658840

I am not really riding enough to get properly fit so the ride felt tougher than it should have done. There were some very tough little ramps which hurt my legs, so much so that I felt tempted to wimp out after the first loop, especially because by then I knew exactly how many of those tough ramps there were! I toughed it out though and got on with loop #2 without stopping for a break at the end of loop #1, which had been been my original intention. I waited until after passing through Black Dog the second time.

One steep ramp got me on loop #2. It didn't even register with me first time round, but my back was aching so I hopped off and walked the top section of it the second time. I had a few drivers go by smiling as they passed me and I gave them a theatrical 'Aargh, what is THIS!' look. All in fun of course... I am used to steep hills in Yorkshire, but I am not particularly good at climbing them!

I was thinking back to how I was 16 years ago when I did The Other Fleet Moss Randonee at just over 20 km/hr including stops. IIRC, that had about 2,200 m of ascent in 200 km. Yesterday, I did 100 km with 1,650 m of ascent but only managed 13.5 km/hr! Advancing age doesn't help, and neither does having had 2 bouts of serious lung problems, but I'm sure that much of the problem is due to lack of kms in the legs - verdict: Must Try Harder!

PS @Ian H - I haven't forgotten that we said we would get together and organise a forum ride down here some time... I just want to get back to a better level of fitness for it! Maybe next spring or summer?

Glad you didn't have to ask the way, Colin. A never-ending source of entertainment to the locals in those parts. I see you went through Woolfardisworthy (pronounced "Woolsery") .... which is not a million miles from Poughill ("Puffle"). I would at least hope that Black Dog is pronounced "Black Dog" but I wouldn't guarantee it.

 

[ColinJ]

Not so for the driver. Got to Wadebridge, had quite a long rest, and returned, more sedately. Just no energy at all.
10.48 miles, 12.5 average speed. Really good, considering how carp I felt

GWS!

The gearing really suits me, but I will have to try and find a 170mm crankset, 175 feels wrong.

A mate of mine is like that, but the other way round. He swears that it makes a huge difference to him. He was complaining that his bike had cranks that were too short for him.

He noticed that my old CAAD5 Cannondale (<-- see avatar) only has 172.5 mm cranks. (Spa Cycles were out of 175s when I ordered the chainset.) He was aghast when I said that I am not too bothered about crank length as long as it is 'sensible' for my height, say 170-177.5 mm. On one bike I had a 170 mm left crank and a 175 mm right one. That actually felt better to me than matching cranks because my left leg is shorter than my right so it meant I didn't have to tilt my toes down as much.

Glad you didn't have to ask the way, Colin. A never-ending source of entertainment to the locals in those parts. I see you went through Woolfardisworthy (pronounced "Woolsery") .... which is not a million miles from Poughill ("Puffle"). I would at least hope that Black Dog is pronounced "Black Dog" but I wouldn't guarantee it.

We get the same thing 'oop north'...

In my pre-GPS days, I was attempting to find my way back from Holme Moss via Slaithwaite. I wasn't sure where I was so I asked a local if we were in 'Slay-th-wait'. He refused to acknowledge that such a place even existed and he had lived in the area since he were a lad. I was puzzled ... I spelt it out - S.l.a.i.t.h.w.a.i.t.e. "Slough-it, lad, it's called Slough-it" (Rhyming with plough-it!) I think the younger generation now pronounce it 'Slath-wait'.

And Barnoldswick is pronounced 'Barlick' by the locals, but AFAIK they don't argue about it!

 

[ColinJ]

Oh, and I read recently that Appletreewick in Wharfedale is pronounced as 'Aptrick' by many older locals!