- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
It's not been posted in for a bit but there is this: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/not-your-ride-today.197404/
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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It's not been posted in for a bit but there is this: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/not-your-ride-today.197404/
Shearwater Missile
Veteran
- Location
- Stowmarket
Thanks for that, I had not seen it.
It stopped raining here at around 11, so decided to go out for a spin at lunchtime. As soon as I clipped in it started raining again 
. It wasn't raining very hard, it was about 10C, so not too cold, and I really wanted a ride, so I carried on regardless.
Out up Hatfield bank, with some big puddles on the way to Stonehall Common, then Pirton, Croome and back via Wadborough.
Water, water everywhere would be a good summary of the ride. 14 miles to keep the legs busy.
. It wasn't raining very hard, it was about 10C, so not too cold, and I really wanted a ride, so I carried on regardless.Out up Hatfield bank, with some big puddles on the way to Stonehall Common, then Pirton, Croome and back via Wadborough.
Water, water everywhere would be a good summary of the ride. 14 miles to keep the legs busy.
Shearwater Missile
Veteran
- Location
- Stowmarket
It was a case of Elvis " It`s now or never", for a ride today. By the time I`d got the gear on it started to rain lightly, so not too bad even if it was into the wind. By the time I`d rounded the corner, so to speak, it eased and then it stopped after about 5 miles. Just an 18 miler again, just to keep my mental capacity in tact. I did note that there were even larger puddles that cover the roads in some places now, more than a couple of days ago. Trouble with Saturday cycling, more traffic on the roads so I keep busier roads to a minimum. So 18.3 miles, 614ft of climbing and 15mph average. However, withing 20 minutes of finishing the rain god appeared again. How lucky was I ?
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I didn't go out yesterday for a change, a couple of mates went out and said Aldwinkle whilst flooded was passable by the raised walkway. My Sunday ride was scheduled to go that way and I warned them it was flooded but they dismissed it saying we'd get by on the raised walkway. Lol, when we got there they decided the raised walkway was too dodgy and backtracked to Pilton.
Most folk had branched off by the time we got to the cafe and another decided he had no time to stop. That left just 4 of us. My mate was at the counter and there was a woman who was determined she was getting between us. So rather than talk to me over her, he let her go first. He didn't get anything of a thank you for it. It was a mistake though, she had a big order and took ages and by the time we were served the table we told the waitress we were sitting at was gone. So it ended up being the first time we sat outside this year. The wooden benches were a bit damp but not overly so and shielded from the wind it was quite mild and the sun even came out a few times!
Most folk had branched off by the time we got to the cafe and another decided he had no time to stop. That left just 4 of us. My mate was at the counter and there was a woman who was determined she was getting between us. So rather than talk to me over her, he let her go first. He didn't get anything of a thank you for it. It was a mistake though, she had a big order and took ages and by the time we were served the table we told the waitress we were sitting at was gone. So it ended up being the first time we sat outside this year. The wooden benches were a bit damp but not overly so and shielded from the wind it was quite mild and the sun even came out a few times!
Shearwater Missile
Veteran
- Location
- Stowmarket
Good manners are long gone, it`s a bit like letting a car in (out of courtesy) and they are either not ready or they just dawdle as if there is no one behind them.
Elybazza61
Guru
65KM pootle yesterday via Mildenhall (well West Row) ,Fordham and Isleham.
Got seed from Simpsons Nursery while passing through Fordham before coming home which was a bit tougher than I thought it would be due to not having that much of a tailwind* and a slowly deflating rear tyre.
* Was more of a crosswind which is not fun in a flat landscape with no hedges.
Got seed from Simpsons Nursery while passing through Fordham before coming home which was a bit tougher than I thought it would be due to not having that much of a tailwind* and a slowly deflating rear tyre.
* Was more of a crosswind which is not fun in a flat landscape with no hedges.
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Fun ride around Pitsford Reservoir with some friends today..
It was quite boggy in places..
After a coffee at the café, we fired up a disposable BBQ that I'd brought & had a catch up chat whilst the sausages were cooking...
Great to get a few miles in in reasonable weather including a rare bit of sunshine!!
Back home to get the hosepipe and clean the mud off the bike & pop clothes in the washing machine.. 👍
It was quite boggy in places..
After a coffee at the café, we fired up a disposable BBQ that I'd brought & had a catch up chat whilst the sausages were cooking...
Great to get a few miles in in reasonable weather including a rare bit of sunshine!!
Back home to get the hosepipe and clean the mud off the bike & pop clothes in the washing machine.. 👍
Shearwater Missile
Veteran
- Location
- Stowmarket
You had some sunshine ? You were lucky.
Shearwater Missile
Veteran
- Location
- Stowmarket
Yesterday was better weatherwise but no ride. Today it was just a grey murky ride of a usual 18 mile route, just to keep fit. I should have put my ski gloves on as that SE wind was certainly chilling along with the dampness in the air. 17th outing this year, so I should`nt really complain, but I will. When is it going to be drier and feeling so too ? Answers on a postcard please.
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a.twiddler
Veteran
8/2/26
Recumbent Ride
Escape from Rainy imprisonment for a Muddy ride on the Rans
I’d recently fitted a front lowrider rack to the Rans as an experiment and had been itching for the days of rain to stop so I could road test it. The set up worked well on the old Linear so although the Rans is a different beast the same principles apply -to mitigate some of the rearward weight bias by being able to carry some load at the front. Today the rain stopped long enough for me to go on the rail trail to Whitegate and back.
So off I went, right out of the gate to Swanlow Lane and the traffic lights. There were some road works here, and oncoming traffic was being diverted with only one lane available for traffic going in my direction. Rather than stop in the queue I squeezed through on the left and nipped along an empty footpath to cross the road into an estate further along. Perhaps nipping isn’t something an onlooker might expect from this tandem length monster bike but nip I did.
A lazy ride through this estate, then through some bollards on to a bridleway. I stopped briefly to take some pictures
then to the end and left on Swanlow Lane again.
While stopped at the A54 roundabout for traffic, some random Audi driver beeped his horn while alongside. No obvious cause of annoyance, he wasn’t looking at me. Had his mate just driven past? It’s a mystery.
Straight on to Delamere St, very little traffic apart from a bus looming in my mirror. After passing some parked cars he’d dropped behind, and was still way behind by the time I turned off right into an estate road. Downhill, then left into a steep narrow lane leading to the sports complex. Strangely, it looked like the lane had been swept of mud until I reached the bottom where it was piled up near the barrier. The wheels were keen to follow the slope sideways to the left though the bike was generally going in the direction it was pointed. Through the barrier, then gaining speed downhill to get up the other side of the path through mud and puddles where me and the bike got a good, brief spraying before we got clear of it all. I wondered what the rail trail was going to be like.
Once through some nadgery right angle turns and across a car park it was plain sailing to a left turn on to Grange Lane. The weight of the panniers and frames on the forks didn’t noticeably affect the feel of the steering through all this. There was no real load in them today but it was promising for future trips.
Onward through an estate of houses ,down a dip and out into the countryside rolling easily up the other side. As the access to the rail trail came near I could see mud and a large puddle on my course but I got through there before gearing down and turning sharp left to get up the ramp to the upper level.
The surface wasn’t too wet but the tyres threw a certain amount of gritty mud about in places which accumulated under the front mudguard. It made me think about the benefits of a slightly narrower front tyre to give some more space under it.
Although the rain had stopped there was plenty of mud lurking about to waylay the unwary. Nevertheless he lack of rain had brought out walkers, dog walkers and cyclists.
I found myself making good progress up the gentle slope towards Whitegate. I was soon across the bridge over the Whitegate road and through the narrow entrance to Whitegate Station car park. Naturally I stopped at the conveniences to inspect the plumbing. Out again in a couple of shakes to head for the platform for some photos.
A few hundred yards after passing through the station bridge I turned round to head back the way I came.
Mostly downhill to Grange Lane, I made good progress despite the general squelchiness of the trail.
Right at Grange Lane, down the dip and up the other side again to turn right at a T junction then diagonally across the sports complex car park before following the path through its right angle bends to go between the playing fields, through another patch of mud and puddles to the exit barrier. Going up the steep lane beyond I passed a downhill cyclist. “All right, pal?” he said. “Fine,” I replied.
At a T junction beyond I turned right uphill again on an estate road to turn left at another T junction on Delamere St. Steady progress despite having the wind in my face until I was once more at the A54 roundabout. I could see that the road was closed to Swanlow Lane except for access which would give me a quieter ride today.
I waited for a gap then dived across and sure enough it was a pleasant trundle most of the way. I knew that the road was closed for a diversion at Townfields Road lights so I turned right after a traffic island into the Bridleway I’d followed earlier.
I came out through some bollards at the other end into Over Hall Road then left on to Beeston drive with a distant silhouette of Beeston Castle against the cloudscape as I freewheeled downhill to a left turn. I followed an estate road that snaked about to eventually reach my back gate.
Once back inside I considered that this had been a successful result to my lowrider rack experiment. There had been some audible vibrations which suggested that I might need to go round the fixings again to give them a tweak but overall I felt pretty good about it. As a continuation of the Linear experiment, which resulted in the front panniers giving that a distinctive “face”, this has the potential to do the same for the Rans.
The Spirit, having the pedals close to the front wheel, can’t be adapted like this, but already has the capacity for underseat panniers which with its relative compactness gives it a different kind of versatility.
Next, longer rides, more load carrying trials with the Rans.
Distance 10.09 miles. Max Speed 19.8 mph Average speed 8.4 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent. 285 ft. According to Bikehike.
Recumbent Ride
Escape from Rainy imprisonment for a Muddy ride on the Rans
I’d recently fitted a front lowrider rack to the Rans as an experiment and had been itching for the days of rain to stop so I could road test it. The set up worked well on the old Linear so although the Rans is a different beast the same principles apply -to mitigate some of the rearward weight bias by being able to carry some load at the front. Today the rain stopped long enough for me to go on the rail trail to Whitegate and back.
So off I went, right out of the gate to Swanlow Lane and the traffic lights. There were some road works here, and oncoming traffic was being diverted with only one lane available for traffic going in my direction. Rather than stop in the queue I squeezed through on the left and nipped along an empty footpath to cross the road into an estate further along. Perhaps nipping isn’t something an onlooker might expect from this tandem length monster bike but nip I did.
A lazy ride through this estate, then through some bollards on to a bridleway. I stopped briefly to take some pictures
then to the end and left on Swanlow Lane again.
While stopped at the A54 roundabout for traffic, some random Audi driver beeped his horn while alongside. No obvious cause of annoyance, he wasn’t looking at me. Had his mate just driven past? It’s a mystery.
Straight on to Delamere St, very little traffic apart from a bus looming in my mirror. After passing some parked cars he’d dropped behind, and was still way behind by the time I turned off right into an estate road. Downhill, then left into a steep narrow lane leading to the sports complex. Strangely, it looked like the lane had been swept of mud until I reached the bottom where it was piled up near the barrier. The wheels were keen to follow the slope sideways to the left though the bike was generally going in the direction it was pointed. Through the barrier, then gaining speed downhill to get up the other side of the path through mud and puddles where me and the bike got a good, brief spraying before we got clear of it all. I wondered what the rail trail was going to be like.
Once through some nadgery right angle turns and across a car park it was plain sailing to a left turn on to Grange Lane. The weight of the panniers and frames on the forks didn’t noticeably affect the feel of the steering through all this. There was no real load in them today but it was promising for future trips.
Onward through an estate of houses ,down a dip and out into the countryside rolling easily up the other side. As the access to the rail trail came near I could see mud and a large puddle on my course but I got through there before gearing down and turning sharp left to get up the ramp to the upper level.
The surface wasn’t too wet but the tyres threw a certain amount of gritty mud about in places which accumulated under the front mudguard. It made me think about the benefits of a slightly narrower front tyre to give some more space under it.
Although the rain had stopped there was plenty of mud lurking about to waylay the unwary. Nevertheless he lack of rain had brought out walkers, dog walkers and cyclists.
I found myself making good progress up the gentle slope towards Whitegate. I was soon across the bridge over the Whitegate road and through the narrow entrance to Whitegate Station car park. Naturally I stopped at the conveniences to inspect the plumbing. Out again in a couple of shakes to head for the platform for some photos.
A few hundred yards after passing through the station bridge I turned round to head back the way I came.
Mostly downhill to Grange Lane, I made good progress despite the general squelchiness of the trail.
Right at Grange Lane, down the dip and up the other side again to turn right at a T junction then diagonally across the sports complex car park before following the path through its right angle bends to go between the playing fields, through another patch of mud and puddles to the exit barrier. Going up the steep lane beyond I passed a downhill cyclist. “All right, pal?” he said. “Fine,” I replied.
At a T junction beyond I turned right uphill again on an estate road to turn left at another T junction on Delamere St. Steady progress despite having the wind in my face until I was once more at the A54 roundabout. I could see that the road was closed to Swanlow Lane except for access which would give me a quieter ride today.
I waited for a gap then dived across and sure enough it was a pleasant trundle most of the way. I knew that the road was closed for a diversion at Townfields Road lights so I turned right after a traffic island into the Bridleway I’d followed earlier.
I came out through some bollards at the other end into Over Hall Road then left on to Beeston drive with a distant silhouette of Beeston Castle against the cloudscape as I freewheeled downhill to a left turn. I followed an estate road that snaked about to eventually reach my back gate.
Once back inside I considered that this had been a successful result to my lowrider rack experiment. There had been some audible vibrations which suggested that I might need to go round the fixings again to give them a tweak but overall I felt pretty good about it. As a continuation of the Linear experiment, which resulted in the front panniers giving that a distinctive “face”, this has the potential to do the same for the Rans.
The Spirit, having the pedals close to the front wheel, can’t be adapted like this, but already has the capacity for underseat panniers which with its relative compactness gives it a different kind of versatility.
Next, longer rides, more load carrying trials with the Rans.
Distance 10.09 miles. Max Speed 19.8 mph Average speed 8.4 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent. 285 ft. According to Bikehike.
Indeed! It did brighten up for a while ☀️
Elybazza61
Guru
Just a steady 25km on Zwift today ;
itboffin
Legendary Member
- Location
- Marlborough, Windshire
Dressed for a real (outside) ride then the heavens wept, back on the turbo.
I’m so over 2026 weather
I’m so over 2026 weather
Well, who would believe it, we had sunshine today in Worcester, and that riding partner you see there is indeed my shadow
I was overdressed! Alas, it started raining when I was about two miles from the end of my ride
It didn't rain too hard, so I didn't really get wet. It stopped raining when I got to the garage, and was sunny all afternoon. Just about 14 miles at lunchtime to relax between calls.
I was overdressed! Alas, it started raining when I was about two miles from the end of my ride
It didn't rain too hard, so I didn't really get wet. It stopped raining when I got to the garage, and was sunny all afternoon. Just about 14 miles at lunchtime to relax between calls.
