Your ride today....

[cyberknight]

Slightly shorter club ride today which suited me fine as i rode yesterday to the mercia marina in Willington at a cracking pace to the cafe of close to 20 mph avg for 25 miles then we slowed down after the coffee stop but my hands and feet went numb even though it was warm enough sitting outside wasnt a good idea .Light rain showers started as we were close to home as forecast although not enough to be offputting .
just under 59 miles today in total and back in time to have sunday roast that didnt need warming up for a change

 

[cwskas]

I have not posted for awhile, but I have been cycling a lot to get ready for a ride this last weekend that was new to me.

The Texas Peace Officers Memorial Ride is to benefit the families of officers who died in the line of duty. I have quite a few riding buddies that are officers of one agency or another and many of them have ridden this ride before. I was accepted to ride in 2020 (someone has to vouch for you that you are up to the task) but due to COVID that years ride did not happen and neither did the rides in 21 or 22. In 2020 they were able to make quite large donations since there ended up being no expenses involved. But in 21 & 22, there was not even any organizing.

So, this was a rebuilding year with a smaller group, 37 riders, instead of the usual 100-200 riders.

It is a 2 day, 150 mile ride from San Antonio, TX to Austin, TX scheduled to arrive at the time of the yearly Memorial Service at the Peace Officers Memorial outside the State Capital building.

We had 6 stops on each day in different towns along the route. While I was able to ride the entire 150 miles, I could not at the pace required to make the established itinerary. I just kept getting farther and farther behind on longish hills or steeper hills. I had anticipated that fact and advised the ride marshals ahead of time that all they had to do is ask and I would get on the provided sag bus. I was not the only one that needed that, by the way. At one time 18 of the riders were on the bus due to the pace and the hills. On day 2, I rode the first 3 legs and then the final ride up to the capital.

We each rode in honor of a specific officer (some for more than one) and wore arm bands which we were able to provide to the families after the service. I rode for Sgt. Barbara M. Fenley, who died while helping evacuate residents during a fast moving fire in March 2022.

There were 8 of my riding buddies participating. This is before the 7am start on Day 1

Day 2 we needed to start at 6am. This was about 30 minutes later just before the sun appeared.

There were support staff of agencies all over the state

We had an escort everywhere we went and that was pretty cool

Just before we reached the Capital, the Austin FD greeted us

There was a very fine bag pipe corps from one of the cities which participated. The color guard was from a different city.

This is my brother and his wife, both whom have ridden this ride multiple times, in front of the memorial.

 

[cwskas]

A few more pictures and a video. I hope y'all don't mind.

Leaving one of the stops on Day 2
At the end of the clip are the truck and bus for riders that needed to drop on a particular leg.


from Day 1
Still in San Antonio city limits. Me on the trike.

This was a fairly level stretch and I worked hard to catch up, unsuccessfully. The were averaging about 17 mph at the time.

This was actually taken before the previous one I think.

Day 2
I love this picture taken by one of the ride marshals showing two cyclists providing assistance near the top of a long grade.

I am in the grey shorts, reaching for my phone to try and record the bag pipe audio. It worked out fairly well.​

 

[Datum2]

30/4
Topping and Tailing Cambridge

57 miles of very variable road and track surfaces. Sights included the 10.000 stripes cycleway between Addenbrokes and Gt Shelford, the Fendon Rd Dutch style Roundabout.
Noting that Swaffham Prior has two churches in the same grave yard although research says this isn't unusual. Seeing Burwell has a mighty big National Grid transformer station and that the drove roads towards Wicken fen were busy with cyclists and walkers. Not so busy in Upware though.

The Fendon Rd Dutch style Roundabout. Seemed okay on a couple of circuits but very wary as you should be when cars, bikes and pedestrians mix it for priority.

Todays starting point was the recreation field car park in Haslingfield and the snack stop was at the Wicken Fen Docky hut run by the National Trust.

 

[geocycle]

First of the month, first bank holiday of the month, so had to be the first ride of the month. Out to Ingleton and then up the steep climb to Twistleton scar to admire the lovely limestone and views across the valley to Ingleborough. Continued the climb through Chapel-le-Dale to Ribblehead where there were large groups of three peaks walkers, bikers and burger eaters. Up some more to Newby Head where the landscape becomes Big in all directions. Skylarks were belting out their full Vaughan Williams, rudely interrupted by lapwing and curlew. Then finally it was time to go down the aptly named Deepdale arm of Dentdale. The rock-bed channel of the Dee was looking wonderful and dippers played in the pools. I was pleased to see the Dent cobbles and lunch. Leaving Dentdale usually involves a climb and today’s was Gawthrop, spurred on by the knowledge that Barbondale was next. The long sweep down the empty valley took me to Kirby Lonsdale where tea and cake diminished my range anxiety, before heading home into a moderate headwind. 101 km with 1300 m of climbing.

Pictures are off Twistleton scar with bike, Deepdale and Dent viaduct, a bridge over the Dee and Dent.

 

[Dave 123]

Being self employed I worked today.

Once home I did 10 miles around the Battisborough loop. All very nice apart from a bell end in a BMW.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8991589362

 

[Oldhippy]

I overtook a BMW 3 times today he was clearly very grumpy about it. 😁

 

[All uphill]

On impulse I caught the train from Taunton to Yatton this morning.

There was a very varied selection of cyclists and dog walkers at the start of the Strawberry line; great to see so many people enjoying using their legs!

This route is very familiar so I didn't hang around. I must confess to getting a bit competitive with a young woman on a cheapie MTB - she maintained 15+mph for several miles. The muddy patches were fun with the bigger tyres.

Onwards through Loxton with the Frankie Howerd cafe and I started to feel tired after only 20 miles. My punishment for racing!

I've not noticed this before. Life was hard.

Eating my sandwich at Burtle church didn't help, nor did finding a bridleway blocked and signs removed.

Spotted this near Bridgwater. A Cletrac dozer.

I finally wised up, raided Tesco in North Petherton and sat in the churchyard for 30 minutes eating and drinking. Lovely church, shame the noisy A38 is so close.

Made it home.
40 odd miles.

 

[Oldhippy]

Two very different churches there @All uphill

 

[All uphill]

Two very different churches there @All uphill

I always prefer the simple ones.

 

[Ian H]

Grumpy old bloke ground his way round the next distance up. No pics (edit: okay, just a map).
https://www.strava.com/activities/8983718971

 

[Donger]

A beautiful sunny morning in the Yorkshire Dales. Being a bank holiday, I was expecting the roads to be busy, so I got out there early and ended up having the roads pretty much all to myself. I drove out along Wensleydale to the lovely village of West Burton to start a ride taking in mostly lanes I'd never previously cycled.

As this was more of a touristy ride of exploration than an exercise ride, I got a bit carried away with the photography and stopped three times before I even left the first village. These were Cauldron Falls in West Burton:

I then headed off up Bishopdale, climbing Street Head Bank and carrying on until the bottom of Kidstones Bank. Six years ago, when I was last in the Dales, I'd have had a go at it. Today I made a concession to Father Time and accepted my limitations, turning around when the going got tough.

On the way back along Bishopdale, I hung a left into Thoralby, with a view to climbing up to Aysgarth to take in the falls. The "20%" sign gave me an idea what I'd let myself in for, but I did enjoy riding through the village ...

and on up the first half of the climb before dismounting.After about half a mile of main road at Aysgarth, I hung another left and had the opportunity to test out my new 180 front disc on the 25% descent. Lovely to see these spectacular falls again, but unlike six years ago I had to walk back up to the main road afterwards.

After that came a couple of miles of main road before a right turn back to West Burton. Hardly any traffic encountered at all. At West Burton, I took one last left turn to climb on up a little dead end valley towards Walden. Didn't see a single other person on my side of the valley .... just a sheep farmer on a quad bike the opposite side herding up sheep with the aid of an enthusiastic dog. More lovely scenery, and quite a bit of climbing, but nothing too steep.

I was out for over two and a half hours for just seventeen miles, but with loads of stops to just drink in the scenery. Lapwings and oystercatchers provided most of the soundtrack, along with a solitary owl who was staying up late. Spotted a lovely brown hare and a black rabbit while I was out. Daffodils and lambs everywhere up here. It's like getting a second go at Spring. What a great ride.

 

[Oldhippy]

Keep stopping @Donger some great shots and countryside there. One of the many beauties of cycling everywhere is you can stop pretty much anywhere.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Keep stopping @Donger some great shots and countryside there. One of the many beauties of cycling everywhere is you can stop pretty much anywhere.

I remember taking one of the kids in a car for the first time in several years. They were most annoyed that when we passed something interesting on an Autobahn we couldn't stop to see it. (also: seatbelts, sitting on the back instead of the front, bouncing, and noise; they were not impressed with motorised transport)

 

[Jameshow]

Short cycle from verwood to Christchurch on the sopley rd. Meet up with sister and bil for a pootle along the prom with her three daughters.

Audi driver decided to block the bus stop and empty two bambinos and the beech stuff whist a bus waited for him to move!

Back up to verwood and the wind had changed to a northerly.