Your ride today....

[Diggs]

Ride felt a bit more lumpy ride this week, lovely and warm and I really enjoyed it (probably due to feeling that days like this may be numbered for the year),
Here's a quick still from my cheap cam showing it's not all hot hatches in Essex

 

[13 rider]

Two rides today first was a 2 mile round trip to fetch a newspaper saved getting the car out . Later in the afternoon a spare hour appeared so out with the bike .Out through Newtown Linford which was really busy as it was suuny and everyone was going to Bradgate park. Had to avoid a couple of numpty drivers who were to busy looking for on road parking as they are too tight to pay for parking in the park to notice the cyclist behind .up markfield Lane into Markfield and on to Botcheston , Newtown Unthank and Desford. Out on to some new roads them back down the A47 ( bit busy for my liking) and turned for Kirby Muxloe then Ratby ,Groby and Home .Just as I approached the last climb before home I became aware of two guys on roadies chasing me down so decided on a bit of a hill race at the bottom they were 10 yards behind so I hit the climb hard and fast go see if they follow .head down full gas I was aware of heavy breathing behind at the top I moved over and signaled a right turn and smiled as they passed breathing heavy not sure they enjoyed it as much as me hope they recovered quickly 18 miles done at 16.5 mph lovely afternoon ride in hot humid and windy (again) conditions

 

[Gravity Aided]

11.3 miles this day, off to the LBS to see the great tent sale and Corn and Blues Festival, as well as the completed Hyatt Hotel
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/whats-your-favourite-bit-of-brutalist-architecture.173550/page-16, as well as looking in the old stables, (now apartments), used to be where many of the Percheron Horses where imported to the U.S.. The Dillons were, in this area and in the States in general breeders and importers of draft horses, and this is a small part of the complex they used for shipping and receiving horses throughout the U.S.. (also ancestors on my Dad's side.)

 

[Mike_P]

Frustrating few days, North Yorkshire County Council in their wisdom decided to "resurface" the road outside my house by spreading tar on it and throwing loose chippings on top. In their typical inability to do anything right one end of the road has chippings that deep its nearly impossible to cycle through them going uphill and downhill, well forget it. At the other end the chippings run out and their is now the dried tar on top of what was a perfectly good tarmac surface without any blemishes apart from a single pretty level filled up trench running across the road.

So no choice but to use footpaths initially for a 26.3 mile ride via Wetherby outbound using largely NCN67. I however avoided the subway under the Harrogate bypass where I came unstuck a few weeks back, or rather stuck in mud and horse muck, by continuing past the turning and taking the next road signed to Spofforth.

Apart from a staggered crossing of the bypass this is a few straighter route that the twisty road NCN67 uses albeit coming the other way their will a lengthy climb.

Having skirted Wetherby using the cycle tracks along the old railway lines I headed west to Sicklinghall where the village pub is tempting on a hot afternoon with the road climbing uphill past it. The pub is the Scotts Arms named after former principal land owners in the area.

The village of Kirkby Overblow also has a pub on a somewhat shorter hill

Embarrassingly in Harrogates suburbs I found myself on one of my normal outbound routes and trying to turn it into a homebound route ended up cycling into a dead end road. Should have turned left then right, not right then left!

 

[PeteXXX]

Looking forward to a decent bit of weather today, I set off at about 10:45 do do a few miles before meeting up with a mate at his place at 14:00 to drink coffee and eat cake for a while before heading out on part two of my ride.

Initially, I was around the local villages, Cogenhoe, Whiston and Denton then a bridleway though Salcey Forest. I didn't stop at the cafe as it was heaving with folk enjoying a day out in the sunshine. From here, with a couple of hours to ride before 14:00, I carried on on a decent loop via Hartwell, Stoke Bruerne and Blisworth to watch the canal boats and barges chug through the tunnel there.

By one of the lock steps.

Not sure what was going on here?! There seemed to be a bunch of people camping at the far end of the field though. Probably a Northamptonshire witches coven happening now it's got dark!

I rode along a few of the canal banks, then to the East of the town and arrived a bit early at our meet, but the coffee was soon brewing.

We rode a 25 mile circuit, some on the old railway line, but most across byways and narrow country roads to Draughton and Maidwell (some of the hillier bits of road in the area) before checking out the old Saxon Church in Brixworth, where waited out a sharp shower for a short time.

Some parts date back to 620 AD. Lovely old building..

From here, once the clouds had vanished, we dropped back down to the Brampton Valley Way as it gets us back to town quite easily. The rain had cleared a lot of folk off the track and back to their cars, as usually the weekends are best avoided as it's a popular day out for dog walkers etc.

One of the river crossings is a bit dodgy. Wouldn't want to be on a night ride across that side of the path!
We went our separate ways near Kings Heath, with me riding home to the south of the town along the river bank and Washlands.

On the final couple of miles, I drank the last of my water, and squeezed a Mars Bar out of its wrapper and drank that as well..

Home on 70 miles, feeling quite drained due to the unaccustomed warmth! (I'm glad I immersed myself in sunblock and wore a cap under my helmet or I'd have suffered a bit of burning, I reckon..)

https://www.strava.com/activities/374956845

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Some brilliant rides going on over last couple of pages.

 

[The Jogger]

Now not so brilliant

11m before breakfast something I don't normally do. Two 5.5m loops around my area, handy if it rains.
https://www.strava.com/activities/375382981

 

[Diggs]

Just an hour out as a lot on today. Good to see the NCN route has been properly resurfaced - plus back in time to watch the UCI's Vargarda stream


o

 

[MikeD111]

Managed to complete a nice 2 hours from Horsham, Gatwick then up and over the hills Home. As I turned in my road the heavens opened. Perfect

 

[Dave 123]

I was sat on the garden bench this morning when another inhabitant of this abode sat next to me and said " I think that you think it's too windy for us to go cycling...."

I laughed. "I don't think that at all"

When I saw the forecast wind yesterday I also forecast isobars full of excuses!

So off I went Billy no mates toward Bourn, a large group turned in front of me from the opposite direction, I'd just about caught them by the time they turned for Longstowe, I didn't fancy the maggot farm road today as the wind would have nailed me. Wimp? Yes!

On down the A1198 and turn in for Old Wimpole, at the bottom of the hill the cows were taking it easy....

A hop and a skip took me over the A603 and on to Orwell, the church looking good in the sunshine

The extension kind of sticks out!

Out of Orwell and a good 2 miles into a meaty headwind until I reach Barrington, along the village green it's blowing a hoolie until I turn west and up over Barrington hill, slightly wind assisted.

Barrington church before the hill.

The 5-6 miles home were wind assisted which I'll accept gratefully!

http://www.strava.com/activities/375461191

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.strava.com/activities/375488628

Just a quick one in the British Summer weather today. There was no point in trying to take photos, the visibility was cack.

I have just realised, that I am only 0.2 Km away from having ridden further than Jesus, this month.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Weather forecast for today (after 3 days continuous rain) was dire.

Woke up early, as Rooster Booster the village cockerel was a bit gobby today - and the sun was making a real effort. Weather Forecasters - presumably not paid on results!

So, having been off bike due to holiday/bad weather/ general disillusionment with cycling for almost 2 weeks, I got out and did my little 'not been on the bike much get my legs back up to speed' ride so that I could get my legs back up to speed.

Not long, not a big ascent and not 'quick' - although quick for me is only around 15.5 mph at the best of times.

So: 16.78 miles / 902' ascent / 13.92 mph av'.

Windy (which was nice) and very quiet on the roads (also nice).

Shower, glass of juice and now awaiting Baggies vs The Blues. Hope JM plays our new lads and hope we get a vital 3 points as our season has got off to a slow start.

RWGPS Wotsit:

 

[mooseracer]

Great riding @mooseracer
Keep up the good work ;-)

Sodbury Sportive next year ?

Definitely - I was considering the 60 mile route this year but although I expect I'd have got around, it would have been at a slow pace which would have annoyed me.....

 

[mooseracer]

Yesterday's ride and my longest yet post broken hip. In marked contrast to today it was sunny, hot and humid. Enjoyed the ride and looking forward to building my fitness back up over the coming weeks and months.

https://www.strava.com/activities/374746738

 

[Dave 123]

https://www.strava.com/activities/375488628

Just a quick one in the British Summer weather today. There was no point in trying to take photos, the visibility was cack.

I have just realised, that I am only 0.2 Km away from having ridden further than Jesus, this month.

View attachment 101307

But you look just like a Pratt.....!