Your ride today....

[Spartak]

Finished my decorating chores by 11:00 so was out on the bike by 11:30 ...

Took my old Ridley CX bike for a gravel loop out to Yate. Nice off roads sections past Brandy Bottom colliery and along Westerleigh RUPP before skirting round Yate and joining the gravel again alongside the railway line to Wapley bridge.

Very nice steady ride & home before the rain !

 

[wafter]

The usual Thursday utility run...

Left in a good mood which gradually soured as the cold bit, hunger gnawed and caffeine wore off.

Notable highlights included:

- Ran away from another interaction with a lady; this time one who complimented me on a suit jacket I was trying on (colour was good, sizing not)

- Spotted a roosting pigeon guarding an entire 8" sausage roll it'd somehow managed to acquire and haul back to its perch

- Didn't buy any furniture, either of the two suits or the quilted Ralph Lauren toff-coat I tried on

- did buy a hopefully-wool scarf, which appears to have been previously owned by a dog if the itchy neck and telltail hairs are anything to go by

- Treated myself to a halloumi wrap although I think they stitched me on the garlic mayo

- Sarcastically thanked a foreign couple on the tow path who continued to block my passage two-abreast despite the repeated use of my bell; his apparently sincere "thankyou" in return only serving to piss me off more..

Very glad to get home as the cold was really starting to make itself known. Just missed the rain but I'm supposed to be going out again in a bit to kickboxing, which is currently not an appealing proposition.

On balance it was good to get out as always, the autumn hues remain a visual treat however I’m seeing a lot more bare branches and many of the tow and cycle paths are littered with wet leaves, urging more caution.

We’re certainly getting to the stage of the year where getting out is increasingly an exercise in grit and determination, and any time in the saddle becomes a victory over prevailing conditions..

 

[ColinJ]

We’re certainly getting to the stage of the year where getting out is increasingly an exercise in grit and determination, and any time in the saddle becomes a victory over prevailing conditions..

I definitely suffer from that, and it has stopped me riding so far this week.

I was trying to psych myself up to go out this afternoon once the rain had stopped and the roads were drying up, but was actually quite relieved when a friend dropped in and distracted me!

We checked the forecast for the rest of the week and decided that Saturday is looking relatively good for a decent ride. Dry, with sunny spells, though a gusty cold wind blowing all day will probably make us cut the ride to 4 hours rather than the 6+ that we had been discussing.

 

[HLaB]

I forgot to take pictures, sorry, but today was my usual group ride. There was 3 of out at the start. There was supposed to be 4 but 1 p'tured on the way to the start and decided to go home for another tube before going straight to the cafe. Before we got to the cafe we lost one too, his kid was volunteering for something and he had to get back early.

After the cafe was rapid and whilst the 1.1miles from Kings Cliffe to Apethorpe was wind assisted, it was good to get a PR at nearly 50years old on route we have been doing for 13 years 👍

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Lovely bimble round Jodrell Bank in blustery autumnal sunshine.

 

[Donger]

Another beautiful day in the Shire. Got my 50km ride done for the month in lovely sunny (if a bit breezy) weather. Out down the lanes from Quedgeley towards Frampton and Arlingham.

The tide was still coming in when I got to Epney, and this guy was out collecting passing firewood just like we used to do when we lived there:

Frampton was looking lovely in the sunshine. It is one of my favourite places to walk my s.i.l's dog when we have him to stay. Some great autumnal colours today:

The last quarter of a mile to the riverbank dead end in Arlingham should always be a piece of cake as it is so pan flat. As often happens, however, it was straight into a stiffish prevailing wind today:

I got chatting to another cyclist at the riverbank .... a retired Londoner called Rab. We chatted as we rode back to the Farmer's Yard cafe at Arlingham, where we stopped for coffees before going our separate ways. Nice chat. I found the locals to be a lot less conversational though (either that or I need to liven up my anecdotes a bit):

Time for a hose down now. Glad I got that ride in before the weather changes.

 

[wafter]

Despite being due back at the homestead on Friday I snuck in (read: grenaded most of the day with) an out-and-back to the other side of the city for some much needed time on the rings as it was such a lovely morning.

Generally had a really nice ride and while it was tough to stick at what I was supposed to be doing, once all the dangling was out of the way and I'd been on the bike for five or ten minutes I was hit by a very welcome, palpable and somewhat unfamiliar wave of calm and inner peace

After a weekend of toil I got back to the flat today keen to squeeze in a utility ride before the treacherously early surprise-dusk descends. Did an off-piste work-ish errand which took me through some nice bits of the city before poking the usual supermarkets out of necessity. Typically for a Sunday there were very few bargains to be had so I mainly just got what I couldn't wait for.

I did spot an apparently free steel road bike outside someone's house. Ostensibly a white Specialized if the stickers were to be believed, however the Raleigh emblem on the seatpost clamp bolt and conspicuous rivet stubs on the head tube cast thier varacity into doubt.. I think it was essentially the same frame as my Routier with a more race-centric setup and a few later components (although the crankset was the same) It would no doubt have made a good pub bike but I already have enough so resisted the urge to tidy it up.

By the time I'd got to the end I'd had enough; what started as a warm, sunny waft having turned into a pretty cold and bracing ordeal thanks to the disappearing sun and mounting wind.

Good to get out but again very happy to be back in the flat, alone and with zero obligations to anyone else ahead of me for the rest of the day

 

[HLaB]

My Sunday ride went down to a place called Dillington today a pretty rural route until went through Huntingdon which was a total logger jam with traffic. We came back up the old A1 which is a bit more sheltered than the originally planned route.

 

[VinSumRox]

Local ride in lovely autumn weather.

unlike yesterday's ride.

 

[PeteXXX]

Only had the chance of a quick ride to the farm shop (plus a few diversions to make it worth going out,) between MrsPete coming back from shopping and me taking the dog to the vets.

A quite breezy 10 miles but not too cold. 👍

 

[Webbo2]

You need a longer mudflap on that rear mudguard.

 

[ColinJ]

You need a longer mudflap on that rear mudguard.

Not if Pete always rides alone!

 

[PeteXXX]

I'm always at the back.. 😂

 

[Spartak]

Short ride around Weston-super-Mare & Uphill this morning, very windy on the seafront ...

 

[PeteXXX]

After I dropped my daughter at the hospital for a 2 hour appointment, I got the Brommie out of the car for a bimble across town and back.. Better than just hanging around!

Just under 10 miles, I think.

Here's hoping the mudguards don't trigger an adverse reaction..! 😋