Your ride today....

[Goonerobes]

The brisk breeze coming up directly from the south made todays route choice a little more complicated as I usually head west or east which would mean crosswinds & when you & bike combined only weigh 78 kilos is a little hazardous so a kind of north south plan was hatched for todays sortie.

Some overnight rain had made the roads fairly wet & in places muddy as I headed up through Plaitford & out of the forest & onto the Test Valleys collection of country lanes. First up was the Ashmore Lane climb, a nice shallow 4% incline peaking at 8% for the last few hundred meters, before dropping down to a nasty bend where I had come off last year on ice so caution was in order before I continued on the soggy roads through West Dean & West Tytherley before turning back south.

The start of the return journey consisted of a whole host a short sharp ups & downs, back to West Dean & then west to Whaddon & south to Alderbury, which with the combination of muck & grit on the roads will probably mean some new brake pads may be in order!

Familiar forest roads made up the final leg of this 50.3 mile round trip which was most enjoyable & it didn't rain for a change!

https://www.strava.com/activities/452676795

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Bike cleaning time!!

 

[Diggs]

So bibshorts in December, who'd have thought it! So mild out today.
30 mile loop via Herongate, Bulphan, Horndon on the Hill and back to Billericay

And I spotted this beauty

Winter bike with shorts?

 

[LarryDuff]

Nice 25 breezy miles this morning. So mild.

 

[derrick]

55 mile ride with the gang, Last group ride before Christmas, Stopped at the Weatherspoons in Hertford on the way back, Had a nice full English washed down with a nice cappuccino, Then finished the ride back home, Had our normal sprint down the Ridgeway but got a stitch halfway down, Something to do with the breakfast. Have had a great year riding with the gang, No more riding with them all till the new year, But we have arranged a pub crawl one evening in the week.
https://www.strava.com/activities/452660193

 

[Racing roadkill]

Mild but windy metric today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/452773512

Lovely ride home as well. 19th December, positively warm, and sunny

 

[NorthernDave]

First ride since last Sunday, first time out on the road bike in 13 days...
The rubbish weather hasn't helped, but I need to look at my work life balance.

Anyhow, out at half eight, before it was properly light (Leeds seems to have moved to the Arctic Circle, winter light wise this year), although it was incredibly mild.
Coal Road then Skeltons Lane to Thorner, up Main Street and then Milner Lane at a fair lick with the wind at my back.
Right onto Thorner Lane and then thinking I'd be clever and 1)avoid the mudfest on Jewitt Lane and 2)add an easy bit of extra distance to the ride, turned into Bramham Lane to cut back towards East Rigton. Nice scenery but mud everywhere, dragged out of fields and off verges by tractors with no attempt to clear up. Shortly before East Rigton I swung left onto Compton Lane to head towards Collingham and found the first mile or so of this was just as bad. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now!
Down the hill into Collingham, left onto School Lane then across the A58, over the bridge and on to Linton, crossing a much subsided River Wharf.
Instead of pushing straight on towards Wetherby, I took a left on Northgate Lane to add a little more mileage on and looped round to the fringes of Wetherby on Sicklinghall Road.
Left at the roundabout onto the A661 up the hill and on to Spofforth, then across the causeway and straight up the hill towards Little Ribston. Again, the wind was behind me and I was flying along at over 30 mph on the flat.
Right at the junction and looping back round towards Wetherby and into the wind that had been pushing me along and progress slowed a bit...
Into Kirk Deighton where a prize plum in a silver van passed within about three inches of my right elbow despite having the whole road to use.
Down into Wetherby and past the bike shop on Horsefair, where I resisted the temptation to see what they had for sale in "The Heap"
Out towards Walton, with the wind at my side now and I had my first serious wobble of the day as a gust caught me on the bridge over the A1(M). Unscathed, I pushed on, passing two brand new gritters with snow ploughs attached coming the other way (do they know something that we don't..?), before heading towards Thorp Arch into the teeth of the wind.
Stopped on the bridge over the Wharf for a bite to eat and a photo:

As you can see, the river has returned to more normal levels after my last visit...
Up the hill into Boston Spa, then left and out of the village, before taking Bar Lane for the run to Clifford. Through the village and on to Bramham, tackling the Col de Town Hill before picking up NCN66 and the run down to Bramham Crossroads. Again, the wind was buffeting here, so I stayed on the cycle path and off the road.
At Bramham a nice lady in a 4x4 saw me about to cross the top of the A1(M) slip road and stopped, waving me across
The wind was so blustery here I briefly considered taking the A64 straight back home - or at least as far as the Fox & Grapes and then taking the back road to Barwick, but I'm not that brave - a single carriageway A road with a 60mph limit, loads of trucks, a blustery crosswind and nowhere to get out of the way? I don't think so...
So past the two police cars parked up watching the A1(M) and the roundabout and on to Aberford straight into the maelstrom.
If you know this road you'll know it's a fast mainly downhill run into Aberford, where even with modest talents like mine you can comfortably push 30mph for long stretches of it. Today I was pedaling a lot to do around half that speed but what the heck, it's a free cardio workout isn't it?
From Aberford, it was the familiar route on Cattle Lane to Barwick and then Leeds Road to Scholes and down the hill, before looping round to home.

So, 38.30 miles in 2hrs 47m at an average of 13.7mph (the average speed on the outward half was over 16mph, which gives you some idea how windy it was).

Had I paid attention to the wind direction on the forecast I might have chosen a different ride today (like maybe out to Otley and back) but it's all good - great to be back out there and get another metric half century under my belt (actually 61.6km).

 

[toffee]

Haven't been out in week's due to weather and other more important n commitments.

Weather was warm but very windy so much so that it nearly brought us to a standstill on a few occasion's.

4.5 miles in and I hear Mrs T shouting at me. Turn around and find out she has a puncture. What puncture, that's not allowed as we are both running Marathon +'s.

Twenty minutes later we set off again after taking one of the biggest shards of glass from a tyre that I have ever seen. Need to check it later as there is quite a big cut in the tyre.

Quite an enjoyable 38 miles. Might go out tomorrow if we have the time.

Derek

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Haven't been out in week's due to weather and other more important n commitments.

Weather was warm but very windy so much so that it nearly brought us to a standstill on a few occasion's.

4.5 miles in and I hear Mrs T shouting at me. Turn around and find out she has a puncture. What puncture, that's not allowed as we are both running Marathon +'s.

Twenty minutes later we set off again after taking one of the biggest shares of glass from a tyre that I have ever seen. Need to check it later as there is quite a big cut in the tyre.

A like for getting out but to the puncture.

 

[Saluki]

https://www.strava.com/activities/453010025/segments/10887033557

Home to the hospital again tonight. I went via Martlesham Village, not been that way for a week or two. I was going to go the Kirton - Bucklesham route but, at the Bucklesham School turning, I looked at the GPS and saw I didn't need to be there for another 30 minutes and it was only 7.5 miles so I thought I would keep going up past BT and along the road that has priority for cyclists, that goes up past Tesco. Lots and lots of litter there. All from McDonalds. It was like someone had lobbed rubbish, one bit at a time, from a passing car. People disgust me sometimes and I wonder what their homes must be like. Hip deep in rubbish, I should think.
Anyhoo. Along the A1214, cyclepaths sometimes, roads where the cyclepath is on the pavement. A couple of policeman, in their car, overtook me, slowed and said 'cyclepath to your left', I replied 'I'm doing 20mph, you really want me to go on the pavement'. The policeman laughed and they went past and off up the road.
At the hospital, I saw I had a couple of minutes in hand so had a go at a segment there. 5 seconds slower than normal but I'd got stuck behind a Ford Fiesta doing about 12mph Never mind. I think I'll give it a proper go on Sunday, next week, when meeting Hubster from dialysis. Pretty sure it will be a deserted bit of hospital road at 10pm on Boxing Day.

16.12 miles in just under an hour and 3 mins. Really nice to be out on the roadie again. This mild weather is brilliant.

 

[Stonechat]

https://www.strava.com/activities/453010025/segments/10887033557

Home to the hospital again tonight. I went via Martlesham Village, not been that way for a week or two. I was going to go the Kirton - Bucklesham route but, at the Bucklesham School turning, I looked at the GPS and saw I didn't need to be there for another 30 minutes and it was only 7.5 miles so I thought I would keep going up past BT and along the road that has priority for cyclists, that goes up past Tesco. Lots and lots of litter there. All from McDonalds. It was like someone had lobbed rubbish, one bit at a time, from a passing car. People disgust me sometimes and I wonder what their homes must be like. Hip deep in rubbish, I should think.
Anyhoo. Along the A1214, cyclepaths sometimes, roads where the cyclepath is on the pavement. A couple of policeman, in their car, overtook me, slowed and said 'cyclepath to your left', I replied 'I'm doing 20mph, you really want me to go on the pavement'. The policeman laughed and they went past and off up the road.
At the hospital, I saw I had a couple of minutes in hand so had a go at a segment there. 5 seconds slower than normal but I'd got stuck behind a Ford Fiesta doing about 12mph Never mind. I think I'll give it a proper go on Sunday, next week, when meeting Hubster from dialysis. Pretty sure it will be a deserted bit of hospital road at 10pm on Boxing Day.

16.12 miles in just under an hour and 3 mins. Really nice to be out on the roadie again. This mild weather is brilliant.

Seems to happen when you decide to have a go at a segment (which I rarely do) that a slow bus or something holds you up

 

[biggs682]

Another early start ie 5.45 this morning and headed off towards Orlingbury then up to the red house crossing and down into sleepy Hannington next up was a new loop that took me through Old and Scaldwell and back into Holcot via the esplanade at Pitsford .

At the cross roads in Holcot decided to head home so straight across and up past the car boot site back over the main Kettering road and down into Sywell past the airfield then along to Beckworth's and into Mears Ashby where i decided to go home via Wilby .

A total of 25 miles in not bad conditions no rain just a bit of a breeze here and there , enjoy your day .

 

[derrick]

A little lonesome ride this morning before the other half got out of bed. 29 miles being on my own i could push a bit harder, Not having to wait for anyone feels good, Although there were a couple of miserable buggers out this morning, I said good morning to two guy's and they just ignored me When i got home the other half was up she made me a nice cup of tea and a croissant lovely. Have a good Christmas all, And here's to getting many miles in next year.
https://www.strava.com/activities/453212245

 

[Dave 123]

Today's ride was a reverse of the last few weeks Gamlingay route with my mate Joel who works at the LBS.
I've never seen so many people out on those roads as there were today, bloody fair weather cyclists!

It was good fun in the sun!
I've been told I'm off on the tandem next..... Happy days!

https://www.strava.com/activities/453232725

 

[Levo-Lon]

Just had a couple of hrs mtb..dry and clean..wind was chilly mind..
i didnt enjoy it today..just felt like i had nothing in my legs..but glad i tried

 

[13 rider]

After missing last weekend due to weather and having a cold .Really want to get a ride this weekend .Yesterday was a diy day patching up the house following having a new boiler fitted in the week .So this morning out on the bike a 0900 off From Anstey ,Cropston. ,Rothley ,Cossington first climb of the day full attack up Humble lane and a Pr on strava . Stopped at the top to recover and chat to a fellow cyclist . The next two cyclist up one off them was a work mate .so I invited myself along for part off there tide .I knew it would be quick was work mate is faster than me so 10 miles through Rearsby ,Thrussington and Hoby with me mainly hanging on the back as we batted along at 25mph ! .Thankfully they turned off at Hoby as I carried on so I could relax into my pace again . Asfordby ,Saxileby ,Grimston and then turned for home into a headwind ( one day I'll type a report that Dosn't mention the wind). Slower pace now through Willoughby on the Wolds ,Wymeswold ,Barrow on soar ,Quorn ,Mountsorrel ,Rothley ,Cropston and Home . 39.9 miles done ( no cycling ocd today) in warm if windy conditions loads of riders out today .This ride finished off my half century challenge were I have rode a metric and imperial half century once a month for the year .