Your ride today....

[ColinJ]

I was still thinking about doing a 100 km ride, but once again when the time came I didn't fancy it solo in a chilly, blustery wind. This time, however, I did at least make the effort to get my monthly 50 km ride in. (I am trying to do at least one 100 km ride and one 50 km ride each winter month as well as my usual sub-50 km local rides. I will probably step that up to two 100 km rides in the spring and autumn, and hopefully a 100 km ride and a 100+ mile ride each month in the summer.)

I decided to extend one of my normal hilly loops with a tough mid-ride section that I have not tackled for many years. I was soon reminded why!

It was a hard ride, especially with that cold wind blowing. It was only 50 km/31 miles in length but about 1,100 metres/3,600 ft of climbing was crammed in, with several of the climbs being particularly steep - I used a 26/28 bottom gear on those and did not feel undergeared!

Route: Hebden Bridge, Pecket Well, Old Town, Height Road, Midgley, Jerusalem Lane, Booth, Midgley, Midgley Road, Mytholmroyd, Scout Road, Sowerby village, Sowerby Bridge ... then the brutal climb of Norland Road to Scar Head (at 22 km point), Norland Moor, descent to Ripponden ... then another hard climb (at 28 km point) - Ripponden Old Lane (presumably what people used to have to tackle before the much kinder A58 was built), then my usual way home - Blue Ball Road, Coal Gate Road, Hubberton Green, Steep Lane, Cragg Road, Mytholmroyd, Greenway, Hebden Bridge.

Profile:

A few pictures ...

Norland Road climb from Sowerby Bridge police station (MUCH steeper than it looks here!)

This should be a hint ...

Sowerby Bridge from Clough Head (Note - I climbed several times the height of those tower blocks in about 1 km!)

Ripponden Old Lane is much steeper than it looks here!

The forecast for the next week really is not looking good. I might resort to doing three 32 km Cragg Vale loops with a few extra kms round the block to get my 100 km ride in. At least then, I could call in at home and change into dry kit if need be.

PS As I was riding up the Keighley Road out of Hebden Bridge at the start of my ride, I noticed a commotion in a driveway on a bend on the opposite side of the road. When I drew level I saw the alarming sight of a cyclist flat out on his back with his legs raised against a wall. A small crowd had gathered and a couple of people were administering first aid. I don't know what had happened, but judging from the body language of the first aiders (relaxed about what they were doing, and smiling) they had it all under control. I didn't want to join the gawping crowd so I continued on my way up the hill. I hope the cyclist recovers from whatever it was that had befallen him. I'll check the local paper's website over the next few days to see if they mention it.

 

[thetribe]

Another slow and steady ride in the wind again today. I'm planning my first Imperial Century later this year and I'm trying a few steady rides in my unfit state to see how my average speed is when I'm not pushing. As I'm currently averaging 12-13mph and I'm not grinding on the climbs I'm hoping by later in the year it will feel easy(er)

https://www.strava.com/activities/257532000

 

[Cush]

Bought a Moon Meteon light at a local show on Thursday. So tried it out as helmet light last night but took the precaution of mounting my C&B Seen as well. Nice little 6.5 mile ride from Aglionby round to Warwick on Eden and back, 5 miles of narrow unlit road with a couple of small but trying climbs and two long straight flat stretches, very cold at 21:00 but strangely tranquil and enjoyable but a lot slower than normal on this route. New light worked well but I had not charged it up and it ran out of full power in the last 1/2 mile. It will now replace my cateye as my second light for coming off the 22;45 train. The combination of the C&B Seen and the Meteon was pretty powerful.

 

[Donger]

Four Follow the Severn Bore:
It's the time of year for bore watching again, so I got up early this morning to meet up with a couple of Kingsway CC riders and go following this local phenomenon and natural spectacle. This was to be quite a special one, as it was forecast as the highest tide for 19 years. Not only that, but it was to be one of only 5 or 6 "five star" bores this year, it fell on a weekend, it was during daylight hours and it was a glorious sunny morning. All these bonus factors combined made for a monster crowd today, with the lanes from Quedgeley to Framilode jammed with parked cars and people walking or cycling out to the best viewpoints.

Having previously lived in Epney for several years, I reckoned that the Anchor Inn was the best place to watch it, so we headed off for the promenade, - myself and Jimmy (@Dark46) and Bernie and her friend Dave. Got there in good time for the bore, to find that hardly an inch of the riverbank was not already taken.

The crowds continued along the road to Framilode, so we ditched our bikes on the left hand side of the road and squeezed ourselves in against the flood wall.

It always amazes me that someone can write a tide table predicting the times and quality of bores almost a year ahead and get it so right. This was predicted to be a 5 star bore, arriving at 09:14. Sure enough, the wave stretched right across the river (the mark of a good 'un) and this picture was taken at 09:14 on the dot.

Plenty of surfers today, and a great tidal surge. One of the better spectacles I've seen over the years, watched by the biggest crowd I've seen in 40 years.

A couple of minutes after it passed, we struggled our way through pedestrians (and pedestrian speed traffic) to try to chase the bore along to Elmore Back, like I did last year. Got held up just a bit too much, and despite putting in a turn of speed, it wasn't going to happen this year. Got to the turning for Elmore Back (which is a dead end lane about a mile from the river) with only 2 minutes to spare, so we carried on to Stonebench instead, arriving about 5 minutes before the bore - as the road is straighter than the river. A handful of other cyclists had come out from Gloucester, and half a dozen or so had ridden in front of us from Epney for a second viewing. In this shot, Bernie is in the pink and @Dark 46 in the orange .... or was it the other way round?

At Stonebench, the bore was just a big swell, without any foam or a distinct crest of a leading wave. The woman next to me had only just finished saying "It's a bit disappointing, isn't it?" when this happened, and we all got to feel (and taste) the Severn Bore!

Jimmy (@Dark46) was busy filming a video of it and took the main splat. here he is again, looking a bit bedraggled, and (out of shot) with unusually clean cycle shoes:

His video was brilliant ... you could hear him getting thwacked and people squealing!
All great fun ... I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to follow the bore. By bike is the perfect way to get to see it more than once on the same tide. 13.4 miles today
Cheers, Donger.

(Ed) p.s. Got held up in Elmore by a Jaguar that wasn't going fast enough for me, and I had to hit the brakes. (Just had to mention that, folks).

 

[BigonaBianchi]

45 Miles 1221m Climb today with two friends Stephan and Anna from Germany and Hungary, lovely day out there, Sunny and 'crisp' (that's code for Brass Monkey wevver in the Mountains) but warm in the Sun. Log fire was raging inside the Cafe on top of the Kaplica climb.

The Turkish coast was visable from Cyprus today, with snow on the mountains there. Met a nice couple from England next to the log fire who had tooted 'good luck' to me on the climb up to the Castle. Nice fast downhills, luvly jubly

 

[andabby]

Was out this morning, nice sunny, but windy and still fair bit of frost on the road. was first time out being clipped to the bike, so was 21 gingerly miles around country roads, thankfully only had to unclip and clip twice, which somehow I managed without falling down.
Roll on the spring to get out and about more regular

 

[MikeW-71]

A bit windy today, but nice and bright and dry which brought Snow White out to play again with her new wheels. I'd felt a bit crap the first time I'd ridden them and I almost wondered if I'd wasted £250.

Felt really good today (probably the benefit of the 3 days riding last week ) so I decided on a flatter ride and go for some speed!

The money was not wasted. Wheeee! damn, these wheels are so nice, and they whistle in the wind . Grabbed a couple of PB's and rolled into my parents for lunch with a huge grin on my face. Neither the Pheasant that nearly clobbered me, or even the headwind on the return leg could annoy me today

Trundled back home for a nice 25 miles with perfect timing. As soon as I put the key in the door, a biblical hail shower came down

Weather looks stormy for the rest of the week, which will be why I saw quite a few riders out today!

http://app.strava.com/activities/257862124/

 

[13 rider]

Saturday ride this week due to tomorrows forecast. Set off Anstey to meeting point in Rothley via Cropston .After meeting mate we headed out through Swithland,Woodhouse Eaves up Maplewell road the worst climb on the route and out to Oaks in Charnwood and on past Mount St Bernards Abbey to meet ncn6 on to Belton and turn for home back into Shepshed and back to Woodhouse Eaves via Beacon hill up the easy way and a lovely quick descent back to Quorn then on to mates house in Mountsorrell .leaving me to head home via Rothley and Cropston .Got back to Anstey with 7 mins to spare as I needed to visit Building society, before they shut,good timing .On the ride we had all weathers set on its was cold but sunny and slowly warming up as we headed out the sky got darker then a bit of drizzle then sleet then glorious sunshine after I left mate and headed home the sky got darker again and started to rain but not to bad .Anyway really enjoyable ride lots of ups and downs but not the brutal climbing of last week mate was a lot happier 35.9 miles at an average of 12.7mph

 

[DCLane]

38 miles with my 10 year-old to the Oil Can Cafe in New Mill. It's the regular Ravensthorpe Cycling Club 'shorter' Saturday ride and he kept up with the slower of the two groups (borrowed photo from a different club).

 

[Dave 123]

Luckily my knee has recovered from my little black ice commute on Tuesday. Today was the day to do this months imperial 100.

I knew I'd be getting a headwind for some of this ride, but I wanted to clock the milage to Ely riverside as I'd like to do a there and back with Mrs Dave in the warmer weather and to see which way I'd like to do this longer ride with my brothers in spring...

So off I set at 8ish along quiet roads to Cottenham with the wind on my back, sun out but chilly. Up twenty pence hill to Wilburton and then a left through those right angled roads that take you to Witchford. It was along here that I inadvertently flushed a barn owl out of some rough grass, I watched him fly over toward a farm, then I lost sight of it. My next right angled bend took me in his direction and this time I flushed him out of the hedge, he must have cursed me!
On entering Witchford I overtook a little old man on his bike, Ely CC were coming the other way, I waved as I assumed one of them would be @Elybazza61.

On into Ely to meet a friend for a cup of tea at the Cutter, but I went a way so I could see the cathedral, because it's so beguiling!

Ely riverside....

So after a pot of earl grey with Rebecca it was on to the delightfully named Prickwillow, it's like the Wild West! There are some ramshackle places along there ( this is the point where Bazza says he lives in one, and I've offended him!)

Isleham, kennford, Kennet, Dalham, Cowlinge..... All these out of the way Suffolk villages have some beautiful houses, each one seems prettier or more impressive than the last. I'd love to know what people do to afford them as there doesn't seem to be much employment there!

An so I made my way to Saffron Walden and stopped in the market for a Danish pastry! I had to stop and take a pic of Audley End...

The next 6-7 miles were grim. It had been blowy in my face since going round the back of Newmarket but I now had a gradual trudge up into a head wind to Great Chishill, the highest point in Cambs, and where current pop sensation Sam Smith hails from. I stopped for jelly babies and a photo or 2...
The view to the left... Herts

To the right.... Sunny Cambs!

I'd saved the "biggest" climb (this is Cambs, stop laughing!) Barrington Hill, no ALP du Barrington for the last 10 miles, but it was fine.
Into Haslingfield and a man mountain appeared on my right shoulder, he slotted in in front of me... "Sit on my wheel, I'll take you back to cambridge...."

"Why, do I look that knackered?"

" well I caught you quite quick, how far you been?"

I looked down 94.94, I informed him "K or miles?" So I told him it was miles "hmmmm, no wonder, this wind is a bugger for you". It was nice to have had the company, I never asked his name, if I did he may have just said "Camouflage" (now that was a great song!)

I left my hero in Barton and turned for home, a few spots of rain on my lenses. I'd been so lucky with the weather.

101.75 miles

 

[Archeress]

Well I did manage to get out on the bike again today but it was tough levering myself off the sofa. I rode out to Warmley Station Tea Room on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path, via Downend. Warmley Station is my favouritest tea room in Bristol and does a nice lemon drizzle. I had the penultimate piece that they had along with a pot of tea. I changed up my route on the way back, navigating by feel. I wanted to visit the cycle shop in Downend just to see what they had. They had some nice looking bikes made by Roux which I discovered from them are a British company. They are quite economical but have some pretty nice specs. I shall have to look more properly at them when I do go for an n+1. From Downend, I changed up my route again and headed for the ring road cycle path, before passing under the M32 and heading for Parkway Railway Station and then heading through the many parks between Parkway and my home. 18.3 completed at an average of 11.3mph and an average heart rate of 136. I am pretty pleased with these figures as it was faster than I have done recently and my average heart rate is a lot lower than it has been before.

Ride is here: https://www.strava.com/activities/257954127/

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[Dark46]

Went to watch the Severn Bore this morning so just a gentle ride as loads of people about as it was the biggest Bore in nearly 20 years.

I went with @Donger and Berney and her friend Dave. I would really recommend to anyone to go apart from tasting the River Severn, which is don't want to do in a hurry again.

I don't know why but I dont be able to upload the video here on fb or instagram.

I had a milage of 13.7 and the bike once again is filthy! So are my Shimano shoes as it was the first time I wore them without overshoes. This was because looking out the window in thought it was dry and ok to go without them.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I had to abandon the full 200 miler due to kanckering my Achiles heel at Woking. 50 odd miles back with a sub standard Achiles was interesting.
Anyways 132 miles done.

https://www.strava.com/activities/258057843

I've just realised that the ride was a double metric, ah well, every cloud has a silver lining.

 

[AndyWilliams]

Evans Ride It - tried for 75 miles but massive cramp in both legs with 45 miles to go, had me cut it short. Spent time stopping . Disappointed but just one of those bad days.

 

[Diggs]

2 hours of sun, rain, wind, hail, but great fun