Your ride today....

[Saluki]

Postscript from last Monday's Tour De Cochon. Regular readers may remember I drank more beer than is probably advisable during the course of a day's cycling around Suffolk and found myself crashing into hedges on the way back. And giggling. Well, the bruises have made themselves clear.

View attachment 108917

You want to get some arnica on that.

 

[ColinJ]

Today's local fog report: It was foggy this morning. It was foggy at lunchtime. It is foggy now!

Today's more interesting fog report: There was a break in the fog and the sun appeared, more strongly than I have ever seen it in November, despite me being nearly 60 years old! Time to get the bike out and make the most of that unexpected sunny interval ...

I did a little warm up along the A646 and then climbed to the hamlet of Mankinholes, along through Lumbutts, then down to Walsden where I turned and headed back towards Todmorden. It looked like I had another hour or so of sunshine to enjoy, so I turned up Bacup Road to get an extra couple of climbs and several more miles in.

There were multiple sets of roadworks with temporary traffic lights on the climb. A bit of a pain, but necessary as part of the local investment in flood prevention. Heavy thunderstorms can dump a huge volume of water up on the moors, and that all pours down streams and small rivers to the valleys below. There are many culverts under Bacup Road and they have been struggling to cope in recent times so this work is to improve drainage through them and hopefully lessen the chances of the valleys flooding in the future. I was considerate and allowed queuing motorists to go before me when the lights changed, to save them crawling up behind me as I ascended. So, I was not impressed when a motorist coming down the hill decided that the lights did not apply to him and he drove through his red light straight at me - MORON!

I got to the summit and toyed with the idea of continuing through Bacup, but there was a fair amount of traffic about and I wanted to avoid most of it so I turned and descended Bacup Rd again. I turned left halfway down and climbed to Sourhall and left there to climb over to Carr Rd. I thought I'd stop and take a couple of photos to show you just how good the weather was then ...

Be honest - does that look like a November afternoon in the UK!

In the first photo, you can see where I was headed - down Carr Rd into the shadowy A646, where I turned right and headed home. It only took me 5 minutes to get back to the A-road and in that time the misty clouds started to close in!

I passed the High School in Todmorden soon after the lemmings kids came out. Half of them seemed to have a death wish! I spotted a teenage girl and a teenage boy on the far side of the road as I was riding along and I sensed that they were going to cross without looking. The girl was on a micro-scooter and the boy was texting on his smartphone. Sure enough they began to cross immediately in front of me. "Oi!" No response. "Oi!" No response. "Oi!" No response from the boy, who continued to cross in front of me. I swerved round him and he still didn't notice! The girl did stop, and she had a look of blank incomprehension on her face - what on earth was somebody doing coming along the road towards her?

I was on high alert so when I saw another group ahead of me on the pavement on my side of the road I was already half expecting something to happen. Sure enough, a mock fight broke out and one lad was showing off to some girls and pushed 2 of his mates out into the road to where I would have been had I not decided to ride along the white line in the centre of the road just in case! Oh, and to cap it all, 2 of the girls then decided to step into the road to avoid the play fight! They all looked incredibly surprised when I suddenly rode past them...

By the time I got home, the mist/fog was back and I couldn't see any of the surrounding hills. I had managed a hilly 17 miles during that brief sunny respite - super!

 

[sanddancer]

Thick fog and wind along the river to work last night at 6pm.
Hoping for sun later at 7am on my way home.
might go the long way then.

 

[Elybazza61]

Last minute decision to commute this morning as there was no fog or mist;nothing spectacular and the Waterbeach to Cambridge cycle path was busy so just kept it steady.

https://www.strava.com/activities/425538543

1X10 conversion on the XLS working better now with a new cable and in-line adjuster fitted and the Axiom 'guards are good now after a little mod(ie cut with a hacksaw!) to the plastic rear seat stay mount so that the tie-wraps now grip properly and there's also more clearance.

Pic with flash showing the reflective tape and guards nicely

 

[Elybazza61]

Yes sir!

So did the fog lift out your way @Elybazza61 ? I didn't fancy it....

Not until later so didn't get out to Lynn as we had planned;still a nice couple of rides when the sun came out though.

 

[Old jon]

Having passed @postman's street before, on the ride to Lotherton you probably passed my workplace (Thwaite Gate)

As I rode along Stonegate Road, I was reminded of a bloke who taught me a lot about turning when I was an apprentice, mumbletylots years ago, he lived threequarters of the way up in a street on the left. Since starting to ride again, I often pass places that remind me of something or another. Thwaite Gate used to be the home of Twistgrip and Spanners at one time, I made quite a few bits for their customers over the years . . .

 

[Old jon]

The weather this morning seemed a little clearer than yesterday, so off goes I. As ever the enthusiasm does not kick in for a few miles, five or more. So I am pointing at Bramhope and wondering where to go. Down Pool Bank, turn right at the bottom for Arthington and the bottom of Harewood Bank. I was not going to make a large puddle of sweat by trying to ride up it, just turn towards Harrogate and take the next right to Kirkby Overblow and Sicklinghall.

On to Wetherby for a sandwich and home via the A 58, which is a lot quieter on a weekday. 38.5 miles in all, not a lot of mist, cold feet.

 

[Goonerobes]

Having fitted some SKS Raceblades to the winter bike yesterday & not being known for my mechanical prowess I thought I'd better have a little test run today just to make sure nothing fell off! So after a little sortie around the forest & some local lanes all was good apart from a slightly annoying rattle from the small guard on the back which I think I may now have fixed by using a shorter fitting on the offending part.

30 miles in all & it even rained for the last half an hour so they got a proper test as well!

https://www.strava.com/activities/425614510

 

[Saluki]

https://www.strava.com/activities/426021215

Home to hospital again. Yup, even I am bored now and it's only been a couple of weeks. The nights don't help as I can't see diddly squat and exploring in the dark is much more fun when you actually have a scooby where you are. I need better lights. I'll put them on the list of things to get, if I ever get any spare money.

I began to feel better about life in general, by the end of the road and had a nice ride. I rode to Trimley as usual and turned right and left just after the Sausage shop (must go there, maybe tomorrow if I can get Hubster out on a ride) and headed off to Kirton and then decided to keep going and go to Newbourne. I'm sure it's a really pretty village in the daylight. From there I crossed the A12 at a roundabout (sure I must have missed a turning or turned to early as I don't remember a bloody great roundabout in my route planning) and then went into to Ipswich on the Foxhall Road. It was relatively quiet for a busy road, being 10pm and all.
The road brings me, eventually, to the roundabout with the bike shop on it, near the hospital. I turned right there and to the hospital. Managed to miss the cycle path on the pavement bit to go down the cyclepath to the back of the hospital but no matter, I know the way around through the car parks, it's not the first time I've missed it.
13.87 miles in 58 minutes. Not too bad in the dark when I wasn't overly sure where I was going. Fun though. Deffo deffo need better lights. I have my Cateye Volt 100, which is good and another light from Planet X, which has suddenly got really pants, even though I put brand new duracels in before I came out.

 

[mybike]

Forecast was for rain yesterday, so I thought I'd get out early. Mrs MY had an appointment so it was an opportunity to try out a route I knew she wouldn't like. Pretty much every road from my home that leaves the town either goes up steep hills or is very busy. Now I'm still not very good in traffic and climbing steep hills is something I just can't do so the canal is the easy option. This route goes along the canal, then turns up Bullbeggers Lane before coming down the hill again and running parallel to the canal before I rejoin the towpath.

Shortly after leaving the canal I couldn't resist this shot, Autumn in the Chilterns.

At this point the hill was nice and easy and I felt confident of being able to restart.

I didn't take any more on the uphill stretch, which did defeat me but I know exactly where so I will be able to tell if I improve. Once I'd got riding again a driver in a 4x4 overtook me with great care and I waved my thanks. He waited at the crossroads, I'm not sure why, maybe he was just lost.

At this not a farm house I was attracted to the sign. There were other signs as well making it quite clear that casual visitors were not welcome.

The rather attractive house here was at the end of the hamlet, just before the downward section.

A view over the countryside. It's not far from home but I don't think I've ever been here before,

And back on the canal. Autumn is covering the towpath with leaves and making it tricky in places. Some of lumps of concrete are hidden.

The ripples in the canal caught my attention here, the photo doesn't do them justice.

Along much of the path you get wet whichever side you go off, thanks to the river Bullbourne. The canal itself might be preferable here.

On my return home the Canada Geese were waiting to greet me. I'm not sure how they rated my performance.

Mileage 9.6 miles max 18 avg 6.3 mph. Year to date, 369.4 miles, I've achieved over 1 mile a day over the year so far. My next target has to be 400 miles this year

 

[PeteXXX]

Blimey, I forgot that I hadn't posted my Coed y Brenin 'The Beast' ride a few weeks ago, plus a bit of a bimble around Harlech in the afternoon to spin the legs a bit. (I posted the Snowdon ride)
Well, better late than never I suppose.
Here we go. A mate and I had been planning a couple of days in North Wales for ages. We finally got there late October. Plan was, Coed y Brenin on Day one, and Mt Snowdon on Day 2, interchangeable depending on the Met Office mountain forecast for the Snowdon ride from Llanberis. (we weren't doing it if the weather was grotty!)

Coed y Brenin is a cracking MTB centre, with several trails of varying difficulty.

Having done the Black trail a couple of years ago, I knew what we were letting ourselves in for. It's quite a tough ride with steep rocky ascents, and different descents from rocky to sweeping flowing curves that were a tad slippery in places as it was a bit wet and drizzly on the day. Never mind, skin's water/mudproof!

Entry point from the car park... This was a quick circuit to get the legs moving before the main ride having been driving for 4 hours from Northampton..

Logging a few miles through the woods, one of the smoother sections being a fire road. Just after this, we saw a car with the two old dears in in looking quite bewildered. They'd turned off a narrow lane and ended up in the middle of nowhere. We couldn't really direct them back to civilisation but suggested they just turned round and returned the same way as they'd got there.... Off they tootled, with us following for a while as it was the track to our next descent. We came across a lane with muddy tyre marks onto it, so it looks like they 'escaped'!

There's a link ~~Here~~ for a couple of the descents if you want to watch the vid. One rocky and dodgy, the other is a brilliant flowing downhill, followed by the 'Serpents Tail'

Down by the River Mawddach, near the end of the ride, where we took the opportunity to wash a lot of the mud off the bikes before heading into the cafe for coffee and cake.

We finished the ride on an exhilarating 19 miles as a bit of the top section was closed due to some forestry work in the vicinity. I think the whole trail is about 23 miles(ish).

https://www.strava.com/activities/417436654



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ride 2, Day 1, later in the afternoon.. Harlech, including Ffordd pen Llech and Twtil.


As we were staying overnight in Caernarvon, we were quite close to Harlech, where a couple of challenges awaited.
Ffordd pen Llech, at 40% is the steepest downhill tarmacked road in the UK, and Twtil, a 25% hill back up to the Harlech Castle.

We had to take it really steady on the downhill as the road was damp and greasy, with mulched up leaving over some of it! The uphill was darned steep!
In the vid, when it starts, the road to the left just before the dark coloured 4x4 is the top of Twtil.. (I've edited the dunes and beach bit of the ride out)

We also had a ride on the beach while we were there to get some sea air before heading up to Caernarvon to our B&B

Messin' about on the beach..

Luckily, the bikewash was just big enough to pop the bike in!!

And out for an unpronounceable beer or two in the evening to wash the fish and chips down!

Two great rides on the Wednesday, with the real challenge to follow on the next day!! If I do ride Snowdon again, I'll do it on Day one instead of after these rides

https://www.strava.com/activities/417478276

 

[andytheflyer]

Work more or less done for the week (apologies - I'm almost retired - backing out gracefully!) and the clag appeared to be lifting for the first time since Saturday.
Decided on a bimble around the local lanes on the recumbent to try out my new Spacebar and rear light. Quickly ascertained that despite extensive fertling and testing in the workshop, the RD trigger shifter was fouling the Spacebar end and mangling shifting. Stopped to fettle but only manged a temporary version as the long ball driver I needed was not in my tool pack. Clag briefly cleared then came back with a vengeance so stopped at Cholmondeley Castle to add the Cree T6 to the front lights to complement the single flashing front. Made it over the sandstone ridge to Tattenhall for coffee and cake at Old Ma's place. Had a chat with a 'senior' roadie about recumbents. His opinion was that it must go like "sh!t off a shovel". If only......(it might with @arallsopp on board!).

On, in the gloom, to the Dee at Alford, then south along the valley past Farndon and back home by my usual route.
33 miles at 12.2mph. Not bad since I'm still coughing up crud after the past month's chest infection.

 

[Stonechat]

Due for a ride - was raining a bit, but not being hard enough I put off the ride, even a shower just after lunch, but could not put it off any longer

Rode over Chertsey Bridge, a Loop around Thorpe and a loop round some lanes towards Chobham
A bit blowy and some light showers, but pushed it on a bit and back the same way (i.e. via CHertsey Bridge)

24.05 miles @ 17.4 mph with 587 feet of climbing

https://www.strava.com/activities/426334303

 

[hedder2212]

4 miles home early ours of this morning.

Then 3 miles around the local park this afternoon. Couldnt be bothered putting any miles in today but im going to go for a longer ride tommorrow.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I don't usually post my rides but after @Katherine posted about her ride seeing so many wood carvings, I went out on Monday and snapped a few in the area of Cheshire near me.


First up an owl.

Next a buzzard

The buzzard is actually looking at this

Next, my favourite, King Canute

and finally, three saints outside the Catholic Church, the third saint is at the back

I did pass three other owls aswell and have just realised I went past a "green Man" carved into a tree trunk which is another favourite, will have to get a picture.

Yesterday I went over to Tideswell, very foggy, no carvings, unable to see the views round there and I expected the Cat and Fiddle on the way back to be similar, but it was totally clear up there.