sevenfourate
Devotee of OCD
- Location
- Lowestoft, Suffolk
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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I desperately needed a ride, after a dreadful week at work. I swear every week working in the NHS is now actually a Month, so I decided to head out in the early evening darkness, with much lighter winds than the last few evenings.
I’d thought of heading to Atcham, to see what the floods were like, which @Rickshaw Phil mentions above, but having seen that all routes that way were now closed, I gave up on that idea and headed South.
I firstly had to negotiate the queuing traffic nearby, caused by everyone having to avoid the Town Centre with it near enough cut off now by the floods.
I turned onto the Betton Abbots road, which was still busy with traffic coming towards me, but things quietened down on Lyons Lane. Rather annoyingly, when approaching the short sharp descent, I switched from big to small ring, the chain jammed and then decided to drop off 🤯 I coasted to a gateway and managed to get enough light to get it back on without too much trouble.
I continued on to Condover and then climbed up to Gonsal and Stapleton. I called on Dad for half an hour, for a chat and then set back out to Exfords Green and Annscroft. The Union Jack flag showed I’d got a nice tailwind back to Shrewsbury, which was enjoyable, through Hook a Gate, where a clown overtook me around a fast bend, giving me loads of room, but into the path of oncoming traffic. Lights were flashed and horn sounded, not surprisingly.
I turned off the main road, into Meole Village and onto Meole Crescent. A car had followed me, closely, around the Crescent, with cars parked on both sides, so no room to overtake. Approx 25 yards from the T Junction, there was a small gap on the right, not enough to safely overtake in, but of course mr BMW idiot decided to blast past, way too close, swerving to miss the next parked car at the last minute and then turned right at the T junction, where I turned left. Ironically his registration plate ended in “BEL” yes indeed you absolutely are one.
15.08 miles at 11.8mph avg.
I’d thought of heading to Atcham, to see what the floods were like, which @Rickshaw Phil mentions above, but having seen that all routes that way were now closed, I gave up on that idea and headed South.
I firstly had to negotiate the queuing traffic nearby, caused by everyone having to avoid the Town Centre with it near enough cut off now by the floods.
I turned onto the Betton Abbots road, which was still busy with traffic coming towards me, but things quietened down on Lyons Lane. Rather annoyingly, when approaching the short sharp descent, I switched from big to small ring, the chain jammed and then decided to drop off 🤯 I coasted to a gateway and managed to get enough light to get it back on without too much trouble.
I continued on to Condover and then climbed up to Gonsal and Stapleton. I called on Dad for half an hour, for a chat and then set back out to Exfords Green and Annscroft. The Union Jack flag showed I’d got a nice tailwind back to Shrewsbury, which was enjoyable, through Hook a Gate, where a clown overtook me around a fast bend, giving me loads of room, but into the path of oncoming traffic. Lights were flashed and horn sounded, not surprisingly.
I turned off the main road, into Meole Village and onto Meole Crescent. A car had followed me, closely, around the Crescent, with cars parked on both sides, so no room to overtake. Approx 25 yards from the T Junction, there was a small gap on the right, not enough to safely overtake in, but of course mr BMW idiot decided to blast past, way too close, swerving to miss the next parked car at the last minute and then turned right at the T junction, where I turned left. Ironically his registration plate ended in “BEL” yes indeed you absolutely are one.
15.08 miles at 11.8mph avg.
Imaginos
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Southeast Alaska
Ten miles in the rain without a raincoat 🙃. Shitty weather has been holding me back with only 75 miles so far this month. I can identify with some of you guys and your wet weather,it rains 120” a year here. We get landslides instead of floods when it’s bad.
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
I did a fairly tough Zwift session late yesterday afternoon. This morning we took the dogs for a walk, then I made the mistake of sitting down for an hour and a half.
I only went 10 miles but my little legs felt like blocks of wood!
surprisingly I saw 4 other cyclists on the dirty old lanes. Thankfully my Spa has mudguards!
https://www.strava.com/activities/8390861072
I only went 10 miles but my little legs felt like blocks of wood!
surprisingly I saw 4 other cyclists on the dirty old lanes. Thankfully my Spa has mudguards!
https://www.strava.com/activities/8390861072
Jameshow
Veteran
Usual route round the moor with a mate after my park run earlier.
I set the pace west till steeton before the climb of col du cobbydale to addingham, he beat me up the climb by 10m or so, and then set the pace to Ikley. But the time we got to the river section I was hanging on, the rise past the Indian finished me!
After him peeling off to Leeds I hit the wall😭 by the time I got to the garage past burley my self control gave in and I got a bar if chocolate and wine gums!! I rode home on the middle ring as the rain and wind started again! Not been so knackered before on that route!! Worse than my 100 two weeks ago!
Think I was tired from a physical week and doing parkrun running to and from this morning!
I set the pace west till steeton before the climb of col du cobbydale to addingham, he beat me up the climb by 10m or so, and then set the pace to Ikley. But the time we got to the river section I was hanging on, the rise past the Indian finished me!
After him peeling off to Leeds I hit the wall😭 by the time I got to the garage past burley my self control gave in and I got a bar if chocolate and wine gums!! I rode home on the middle ring as the rain and wind started again! Not been so knackered before on that route!! Worse than my 100 two weeks ago!
Think I was tired from a physical week and doing parkrun running to and from this morning!
cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
I love this thread and it has been essential to my progress. I love reading about the rides and seeing the photos! Very inspiring! One of these days I hope to be able to visit and ride some of these routes myself.
Thanks for the encouraging words.
Got out once last night‘s storm had blown through. Roads strewn with tree debris and a generous helping of puddles required some concentration. My route took me up to Burton in Kendal then onward to Sedgwick where I met the first proper flood closing the road. A short detour and Sizergh Castle was reached for a pleasant lunch in winter sunshine on the veranda. Still nice, so up to Brigsteer and the flooded Lyth valley before returning southward via Sandside and Silverdale. Lots of floodplain meadows doing their thing, big groups of swans, kestrels hovering and the first snowdrops of the year had attracted a crowd of admirers. 54 miles or 87 km with 835 m of climbing.
Pictures of River Kent, flooded fields and bike resting at Sandside.
Pictures of River Kent, flooded fields and bike resting at Sandside.
Jameshow
Veteran
Nice, so not fair compared to the ride I had last night. Still not talking to my mate!!🤣🤣🤣
Spiderweb
Not So Special One
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Out on the Dolan at 11am for a steady ride out to Knaresborough for coffee.
A bit nippy but a lovely steady ride of 44 miles.
A bit nippy but a lovely steady ride of 44 miles.
footloose crow
Über Member
- Location
- Cornwall. UK
15 Jan. Grey skies and hail showers
I have heard that people tattoo 'Shut Up Legs' on their knees and I assume they look down and read this uplifting message and try harder. Clearly this won't work in winter because my knees are covered with thick lycra. Anyway its my heart I want to shut up or just beat a bit slower and my lungs I would like to expand further. So as you can't write all of that stuff about hearts and lungs on your knees and you can't read it anyway unless you are wearing shorts and its all probably in my head because I have read the Mens Health section of the newspaper this morning about blood pressure and heart attacks, maybe its better to just mutter "Shut Up Brain' with every stroke of the cranks. I would write that on my knee if I wasn't so convinced I would probably mis-spell it 'Brian' instead.
Here comes another shower of hail and blimey it is dark already and only 3pm. I left the house under a cloud of wifely disapproval and instantly went under another cloud only this one was blacker and more threatening. Out of Truro, frightened by tyre hissing passes from Sunday drivers keen to be somewhere else in the rain, until I can get off this A road. Eventually I can - onto lanes leading up to the Roseland peninsula with far views across the flooded valley floor from my elevated ridge. Grey sky, winter dark trees, a thin layer of cow s**t washing out from the winter barns full of unhappy cattle and mixing with the mud running off the fields. Another brief shower of hail, hammering on my helmet, stinging my face.
There are a lot of ups and downs today and the ups are brutal. This is where I need my heart and lungs to do better or maybe its all in my head. Eighteen per cent, twenty one per cent. Eventually I feel just ten per cent is OK - "it's flattening out" I mutter. This is Cornwall, the land of short, steep and brutal hills. Luckily they are short and three minutes of of hoarse, throat burning, rib breaking cranking will get you to the top. Only then to face a steep, muddy and twisting descent around blind corners and my fingers locked on the brakes. Still if it wasn't fun, I wouldn't do it eh?
Having followed the Fal estuary for as far as seems reasonable this afternoon, it is time to cross on the ferry and head for home watching more clouds bubble up from the north west and knowing there is a headwind from now on.
The 'King Harry' ferry - two quid for a bike and three quid for a car. Outrageous. It used to be 50p for a bike. Pedestrians are free so maybe I will carry the bike next time......
I feel as if I have been out for hours, listening to my internal monologue, watching the hedgerows for some sign of Spring and I am surprised to see I have only been cycling for a couple of hours when I get home, my absence forgiven and even the cat pleased to see me back. It was good to get out and shake off the Sunday afternoon lethargy. Better than watching the rain from indoors and pacing around the house.
25 miles and 2600 feet of uphill. That is 0.5% of my distance target for this year so I only need another 199 rides like this.
I have heard that people tattoo 'Shut Up Legs' on their knees and I assume they look down and read this uplifting message and try harder. Clearly this won't work in winter because my knees are covered with thick lycra. Anyway its my heart I want to shut up or just beat a bit slower and my lungs I would like to expand further. So as you can't write all of that stuff about hearts and lungs on your knees and you can't read it anyway unless you are wearing shorts and its all probably in my head because I have read the Mens Health section of the newspaper this morning about blood pressure and heart attacks, maybe its better to just mutter "Shut Up Brain' with every stroke of the cranks. I would write that on my knee if I wasn't so convinced I would probably mis-spell it 'Brian' instead.
Here comes another shower of hail and blimey it is dark already and only 3pm. I left the house under a cloud of wifely disapproval and instantly went under another cloud only this one was blacker and more threatening. Out of Truro, frightened by tyre hissing passes from Sunday drivers keen to be somewhere else in the rain, until I can get off this A road. Eventually I can - onto lanes leading up to the Roseland peninsula with far views across the flooded valley floor from my elevated ridge. Grey sky, winter dark trees, a thin layer of cow s**t washing out from the winter barns full of unhappy cattle and mixing with the mud running off the fields. Another brief shower of hail, hammering on my helmet, stinging my face.
There are a lot of ups and downs today and the ups are brutal. This is where I need my heart and lungs to do better or maybe its all in my head. Eighteen per cent, twenty one per cent. Eventually I feel just ten per cent is OK - "it's flattening out" I mutter. This is Cornwall, the land of short, steep and brutal hills. Luckily they are short and three minutes of of hoarse, throat burning, rib breaking cranking will get you to the top. Only then to face a steep, muddy and twisting descent around blind corners and my fingers locked on the brakes. Still if it wasn't fun, I wouldn't do it eh?
Having followed the Fal estuary for as far as seems reasonable this afternoon, it is time to cross on the ferry and head for home watching more clouds bubble up from the north west and knowing there is a headwind from now on.
The 'King Harry' ferry - two quid for a bike and three quid for a car. Outrageous. It used to be 50p for a bike. Pedestrians are free so maybe I will carry the bike next time......
I feel as if I have been out for hours, listening to my internal monologue, watching the hedgerows for some sign of Spring and I am surprised to see I have only been cycling for a couple of hours when I get home, my absence forgiven and even the cat pleased to see me back. It was good to get out and shake off the Sunday afternoon lethargy. Better than watching the rain from indoors and pacing around the house.
25 miles and 2600 feet of uphill. That is 0.5% of my distance target for this year so I only need another 199 rides like this.
Elybazza61
Guru
Still not been out for a 'proper' ride this year only the usual commutes to and from the train and today was no different.
Just under an hour and a half on Zwift and another workout to build up the fitness;
https://www.strava.com/activities/8396017222
Good news is the knee held up to the hard work
Just under an hour and a half on Zwift and another workout to build up the fitness;
https://www.strava.com/activities/8396017222
Good news is the knee held up to the hard work
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Staying on the Gower peninsula in South Wales at the moment as a birthday treat for Mrs D. She persuaded me to bring my bike, even though the weather forecast was horrendous. Turns out they had it wrong, and I was able to get in a real humdinger of a ride today. So glad I listened to her. Woke up to the sunrise across the Bristol Channel ....
... and knew this was going to be a good day. I had a ride around Swansea Bay planned, which would be mostly pan flat. Mostly so, but with the small matter of climbing over the Langland headland at both the start and the finish of the ride, so I could expect a mile or so of real climbing ... something I'd not done for several months. After the initial climb, there was a great little descent to the coast and some lovely little coves on the way round the headland to the Mumbles Lighthouse ....
.... and pier ....
After that I joined the great shared use path around the bay forming part of NCN4. Pleased to report that 9/10 pedestrians and 8/10 cyclists were sticking to their correct side of the path, and apart from one or two moments with loose dogs and a stretch of path that was covered in drifting sand from the beach, it was a real pleasure to ride. Swansea looked a long way away when viewed from the Mumbles ....
... but I was soon over by the tower blocks you can see on the opposite shore. There was one moment of heavy hail, accompanied by a rainbow, but it remained dry for the rest of the ride. On the way there, I recognised the old St Helens Stadium of Swansea RFC. Good to see that local club rugby is still alive and carrying on in Wales despite the introduction of the big franchise teams. The sight of this old stadium, seemingly unchanged by the passing years, immediately brought to mind the dulcet tones of Cliff Morgan doing the BBC TV commentaries on big club rugby games back in the 1970s. Swansea versus Ebbw Vale, Pontypool, Bridgend and the like.
When I reached Swansea Marina ...
... there were a couple of pedestrian/cycle bridges, so of course I had to cross both of them before turning for home. Never can resist a bridge. It ended up being a 17.4 mile ride in the end. Constantly interesting with loads of great sea views, and with a really challenging ride back up from Mumbles to Langland to finish it. Loved exploring a new place by bike, never knowing what was round the next corner. This is what I took up cycling for in the first place. The place we are staying at is not too shabby either:
Must get at least a couple more rides in while we are on the Gower.
... and knew this was going to be a good day. I had a ride around Swansea Bay planned, which would be mostly pan flat. Mostly so, but with the small matter of climbing over the Langland headland at both the start and the finish of the ride, so I could expect a mile or so of real climbing ... something I'd not done for several months. After the initial climb, there was a great little descent to the coast and some lovely little coves on the way round the headland to the Mumbles Lighthouse ....
.... and pier ....
After that I joined the great shared use path around the bay forming part of NCN4. Pleased to report that 9/10 pedestrians and 8/10 cyclists were sticking to their correct side of the path, and apart from one or two moments with loose dogs and a stretch of path that was covered in drifting sand from the beach, it was a real pleasure to ride. Swansea looked a long way away when viewed from the Mumbles ....
... but I was soon over by the tower blocks you can see on the opposite shore. There was one moment of heavy hail, accompanied by a rainbow, but it remained dry for the rest of the ride. On the way there, I recognised the old St Helens Stadium of Swansea RFC. Good to see that local club rugby is still alive and carrying on in Wales despite the introduction of the big franchise teams. The sight of this old stadium, seemingly unchanged by the passing years, immediately brought to mind the dulcet tones of Cliff Morgan doing the BBC TV commentaries on big club rugby games back in the 1970s. Swansea versus Ebbw Vale, Pontypool, Bridgend and the like.
When I reached Swansea Marina ...
... there were a couple of pedestrian/cycle bridges, so of course I had to cross both of them before turning for home. Never can resist a bridge. It ended up being a 17.4 mile ride in the end. Constantly interesting with loads of great sea views, and with a really challenging ride back up from Mumbles to Langland to finish it. Loved exploring a new place by bike, never knowing what was round the next corner. This is what I took up cycling for in the first place. The place we are staying at is not too shabby either:
Must get at least a couple more rides in while we are on the Gower.
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The Defy commenced its 2023 mileage count with 27.84 miles to Boroughbridge and back. Often accompanied by the annoying noise of something caught between wheel and mudguard. Outbound east to Knaresborough, north to Farnham and east through Ferrensby to Arkendale; I had decided to revisit the ABC of villages etc to redo those I had only taken a sportcam shot of rather than bike in front of sign.
Onwards over the A1(M) and north the A168 to reach Boroughbridge.
South-west through Minskip and Staveley, turning north west to Copgrove
South back to Knaresborough and the outbound route reversed; on Bilton Lane - two walkers had been passed by a number of cyclists in the opposite direction and I then rang the bell to overtake them from the rear only for one to walk diagonally straight into my path. Thankfully it was at a location where there was a unmuddy verge that was not servely rutted so walker avoided without any issues other than more grot between mudguard and wheel.
1436ft climbed, 13.2mph avg.
Onwards over the A1(M) and north the A168 to reach Boroughbridge.
South-west through Minskip and Staveley, turning north west to Copgrove
South back to Knaresborough and the outbound route reversed; on Bilton Lane - two walkers had been passed by a number of cyclists in the opposite direction and I then rang the bell to overtake them from the rear only for one to walk diagonally straight into my path. Thankfully it was at a location where there was a unmuddy verge that was not servely rutted so walker avoided without any issues other than more grot between mudguard and wheel.
1436ft climbed, 13.2mph avg.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Cafe ride ended up being 40 miles instead of 35 due to flooded roads forcing a U-turn. We did a couple that were 6" deep (feet dipping underwater; they were far, far too long to coast through so pedalling was required). The bit by the Thames at Waterhay defeated us, though, as it was very deep, murky, hundreds of yards long, and the wind was whipping it up.
This oldish video gives you an idea what it was like down there, but it's more frightening than this with waves on it.
View: https://youtu.be/K5kSD1BzeT0
We were heading the opposite way, so hit the long section first. Got about 50 yards into it and did a quick twizzle around.
This oldish video gives you an idea what it was like down there, but it's more frightening than this with waves on it.
View: https://youtu.be/K5kSD1BzeT0
We were heading the opposite way, so hit the long section first. Got about 50 yards into it and did a quick twizzle around.
