Your ride today....

[Elybazza61]

Big ride yesterday to do this months 100k and the Strava Gran Fondo.

Nice day although the north easterly wind was a bit nip but first ride of the year in a summer jersey(sale Hoy Vulpine one from Evans Norwich);arm warmers and gilet on as well though as it wasn't that warm,no need for leg/knee warmers on and the new Giro Empires got a workout as well.

No set plan for the ride but headed south-east to get south of Newmarket and then free-style it from there;ended up heading to Six Mile Bottom then doubling back to Dullingham,the ancestral home of Coolinge and heading further east.

Got to Hargrave and then went up through Barrow back over the A14 and then headed home via Tuddenham,Herringswell before the final leg via Fordham and up through Wicken and Stretham.

Once back had 141kms on the Garmin and job done.

Well chuffed with the pace so and was nearly tempted to top it up to a 100 miles but will leave that for another day.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/ridley-helium-sl-build-finished.168530/

No pics as I was concentrating on riding without a stop and pacing my fluid and food intake for the years upcoming sportives.

 

[Poacher]

Noticed this intriguing sign while passing through Upton.

I'm always on the watch for new cake stops, so since I had time on my hands, I decided to go in for some escapement from the rotary pedalling action. The decor was rather sombre, it lingers in the memory, and reminds me that I ought to take them a swatch or two of brighter material. A sign at the counter said "Wait here to be seated", as a good citizen, I obeyed - for minutes on end. While there, I chatted to Tim, ex insurance salesman, apparently now acting on behalf of datatag; he uerged me to buy one as soon as possible, but I managed to fob him off. 'Tis so tiresome enduring the hard sell, oris it just me?. There's a sobering thought!
Eventually a waitress showed up, a round-faced grandmother, I'd guess. I mentioned my lengthy counter wait, and she replied "I've only got two hands!". At least the scones were delicious, but when I asked for seconds I thought she was going to clock me one. What a ticking off! Must have had a short fuse, eh? I wasn't going to linger solely to wind her up, so it was time to rol. Exit left to explore a side road up towards Hockerton, then towards home, gaining height along the way on a very minor lane, just wide enough for a cart i.e. really narrow. When a car came the other way I had to take to the verge, and got some mud on my front hub: lot of cleaning needed when I got home. I didn't take long in estimating my ETA, which turned out to be remarkably accurate.

Disclaimer: as anyone who's ridden with me can tell, I never, ever stop for cake during a ride. Everything you've read so far is fictional, and just me being a smartarse, except for the photo, which is genuine. No prizes for anyone who can spot all the clock and watch references, but there are some obscure ones, and possibly one or two accidentals!

Apparently there's some sort of watch and clock museum at Upton too, but it's only open to the public on three Sundays a year, on the days the clocks go forward/back and around midsummer.

Lesson (re)learnt today: when you hear a regular clicking noise from your front wheel, investigate it. I put up with it for a while, then it stopped. The reason it had stopped was that the thorn had worked through the tread and protection layer of my Durano Plus, and so was no longer hitting the mudguard on every revolution. This goes some way to explaining why I was so sluggish climbing the minor hills between Southwell and Thurgarton, even by my legendary lack of climbing ability. 52.9km at 21.2 kph, OK considering my lack of riding this year and the fact that the strong headwind I'd set out in had died away considerably by the time I turned round!

 

[Racing roadkill]

The weather was cr@p today, so I rode to my new dentist, got sorted, then rode home.

https://www.strava.com/activities/553231080
Then


https://www.strava.com/activities/553534727

About 31 miles in total

 

[Jamieyorky]

Day off work today, so met a mate for a ride before he went to work, headed north out of York, up to sherrif hutton, left at the roundabout, all the way to Easingwold, back to Linton on ouse where I left my mate for his day at work, got my head down and headed back towards York.

47.5 miles in total but the wind was c#@p today, felt like it was always a head wind.

 

[Donger]

Had the last pre-breakfast ride of my Channel-hopping mini break yesterday morning. This time I headed inland into dairy farm country around Wierre-Effroy and looped around back to the coast at Ambleteuse. More empty roads. 22 miles more of great cycling. Didn't want to go home.
Started off from Wimereux again, and climbed up gently through Wimille and up the Wimereux Valley to Pittefaux to the sound of the dawn chorus:

The countryside was surprisingly English, even with some bocage hedgerows in places, but the farms and villages all looked French. Came across this curiously named place. If my French serves me right the name translates literally as "Hell Hole". I rode through it warily, but it didn't seem that bad:

The previous night I had rounded off a lovely meal with a very tasty "Assiette de fromages de Wierre-Effroy". I like my cheese. Rode through Wierre-Effroy on this ride and past some of the cows that probably supplied my cheese:

Had to get through the unremarkable town of Marquise and past its motorway junction before finding the best bit of this ride. Caught sight of a hill that screamed out to me that it needed climbing:

and ended up on a beautiful little minor road through Bazinghen and along a ridge overlooking the marshes of the River Slack:

The road came out at the village of La Slack, near Ambleteuse, on the coast road. I had a few minutes to spare, so re-visited Ambleteuse one last time before heading back to Wimereux.
Ambleteuse:

My trusty "Flat-Nav" got me round without a glitch again, and without needing recharging. This was a true free format ride, where I just went wherever I fancied. Wasn't going to do a loop originally, but was just able to map read my way back via all the little roads that were marked green (symbolising scenic routes). I like my old school maps:

And just for good measure, here is the route (the pink loop, not the coast road from the previous day's ride):

Back down to earth now, with a bump. Got some bike fettling to do in a hurry, too. Now where to next?
Cheers, Donger.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Had 2 nice sunny rides on the mtb as i finished a job weds..
16.8 Thursday and 11.6 yesterday..
im feeling a lot better after a few weeks virus fighting..the sunshine makes you feel better anyway.
most of my trails were dry too..
Looks like a cold day today tho...

 

[biggs682]

Up and out by 5.45 am this morning and set of on my Wester Ross as i fancied a geared bike today rather than the Lee Cooper single speeder , had to stop after about 2 miles to put my skull cap on as my poor little head was cold .

It was here that i noticed an issue with the left pedal/shoe as it wouldnt let me unclip that foot so did a few trial unclips on the other foot and that seemed ok so onwards i went past Sywell Airfield down past the queuing cars waiting to get in to Holcot car boot .

Across the promenade at Pitsford Resevoir then next up was Scaldwell ,Old ,Walgrave ,Hannington ,Orlingbury ,Isham ,Burton Latimer and past the smelly weetabix factory and then Finedon and both Little and Great Harrowden before finally turning down the mad mile and home all in a trip of 30.1 miles which was very nice indeed chilly but bright blue skies .

Once home still couldnt unclip the left foot and further investigation the cleat mounting point has ripped away from the sole of the shoe so new pr of cleats and shoes

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Got up this morning, lovely and sunny but a bit nippy, (was ice on the flat roof) but when I got home from work last night I was only 32 miles short of hitting 5,000 for the year. So got the road bike out and in a complete contrast to my normal routes I headed into the cold wins and North. My Satmap has a straight line distance calculation on it, so I planned to ride out until the distance travelled and the straight line distance added together hit 32 miles, that way I knew when I turned to go home I could do a direct route and I would break the 32 needed. Doing this I know I will always end up doing a couple of miles more than I need to just in case I've done my maths wrong

Anyway I went straight through Leicester, hitting every light on red - if you know Melton Road/Belgrave Road then you will know it was stop start for a while.

So I went pretty much in a straight line all the way to Ratcliffe, then headed to Sileby and Barrow Upon Soar, out to Seagrave and Thrussington and back to Ratcliffe. By this time I had enough miles in the bag to head home, deciding not to go back through the city centre I went through Barkby, skirted around Scraptoft and home. Just shy of 39 miles done and my total average speed was over 16mph with the moving average speed hitting 16.6mph (Strava gave me 16.3mph)

Fastest ride for a while, cracking weather and the 5,000 miles bagged. Now I just need to get off my arse and clean the bikes, the commuter is a few weeks overdue a good clean

https://www.strava.com/activities/554004210

 

[Stonechat]

No ride but a bit of fettling, especially lowering the stem angle (I have adjustable stem)
Flipped the stem and now this is in the third lowest of 4 available settings
At 64 I started in the uppermost.
NOw I want to reduce wind resistance and my back will take it
.Repaired the innter tube from yesterday, oiled the chain. Also checked the cleat positions on the trainer.

Now to tomorrow's club ride.

 

[EltonFrog]

I had to abort my plans for the FRNttC at the last minute last night, so went out for a consolation ride today Just to Oxford city and back, had an early lunch in Pieminister in the covered market, a quick mooch about in the bike shop down the road and came home. Gawd It's blumen' cold today, feels like February and there were some idiots in cars today, I think they had been eating a packet of Dried Feckin' Prat Nuts.

33 point something miles.

 

[gavgav]

A lovely sunny morning but cold again and a nagging wind from the North/North West, which got stronger and stronger through the ride, up to 20 mph by the end. When will it ever stop being windy?!

Took the cycle paths up to Harlescott and then out to Uffington and Upton Magna, negotiating a number of walkers who were on a charity walk from the Severn Hospice in Telford, to the one in Shrewsbury

Turned left at Upton Magna and a hard section up East Haughmond and on to Haughton, up Ebury Hill and to Bings Heath, all of this in a Northerly direction and so tough going.

I was glad to turn out of the wind through Poynton and Roden, before cruising nicely to Rodington. The section between there and Longdon on Tern was ridiculously busy with traffic on the lanes, as normal. Rat run area!

I paused at Longdon to take a picture of the Tayleur Arms pub, which has been completely rebuilt following a dreadful fire a few years back. There is a picture of it in its gutted state somewhere in my ride reports from the past, so here is one of its new state

The section through Isombridge was nice and quick, helped by the wind, but the road surface just gets worse along there and I was glad to join the road to Withington and back to Upton Magna, for a better surface. I then continued along the Pelham Road, to Berwick Wharf, another dreadful section of road surface.

The straight to Atcham was good fun, cruising at over 20mph with the wind and I paused at Atcham Bridge for a photo of the River Severn in the sun

There is a bit more climbing on the next section, which with tiring legs was hard work and then I turned into the wind again for the last 3 miles home and it was really gusting now and I struggled to get above 8 mph!

32.4 miles at a slow 11.5mph with the wind

 

[derrick]

Great club ride this morning, 28 people turned up for the rides, It was supposed to be 2 rides going out an 80 miler and a 45 miler. but we had to split the 45 miler in to two groups, i took the faster ride 15 in my group, another 6 in the slower group, and the rest went on the 80 miler. bit nippy first thing but the sun was out, after an hour or so it warmed up a bit, we had one puncture, and unfortunately a dog ran out onto the road and one of the guys hit it, Don't think it was hurt the lady apologised and we went on our way. (The dog was on a lead.) Rest of the ride was uneventful, we arrived back at the cafe a couple of mins after the other group, Nice coffee and cake and a chat before heading of home for a nice hot shower.
https://www.strava.com/activities/554171585

 

[Old jon]

Surprisingly quiet out there today. With the weather being so bright and sunny I had expected some congestion on the roads. Maybe folk had checked the weather forecast? Anyway, I chose a few minor roads for today's excursion.
The average trail around Holbeck to reach the canal at Office Lock, ride to Viaduct Road, up Cardigan Road and on to the Ring Road at Lawnswood. Straight across and turn right onto Church Lane at the next set of lights. Keep on past the Alwoodley side of... Golden Acre Park and the road leads to the top of Black Hill Road. I do like descending hills. Turn right onto the A 659 at the bottom,

along to the A 61 and turn left. A mile or so on there is a right turn for Kirkby Overblow, through that and on to Sicklinghall and Wetherby, which was busy indeed. All the excuse I needed for the direct route home on the A 58 to complete 35.8 miles in rather fair weather all the way.

 

[ianrauk]

Another successful FNRttC. Being the magician that he is, Glorious Leader of Ride, Trickedem managed to magic the rain away just as 50+ odd, hardy cyclists left Potters Field at midnight. Only having to deal with light intermittent drizzle for a few minutes of the night and then staying away for the whole ride. bbbbbrrrrrrrr... it was cold though...throughout the night I was putting more and more layers on, but managed to get it right and stayed nice and toasty.. Getting out of London, even after midnight is a right pain in the 'arris, but once done, the roads open up nicely and the ride starts moving along at a very reasonable pace. The moon.. was full and shiney, The sunrise... absolutely glorious....Cycling with old friends and new. A fantastic nights cycling and a great SMRbtH, made even better by having the company of old partner in crime Arallsopp.

122 miles for the night/day. Century # 9 for the year, 175 over all, and a few future Eddington numbers for good measure.

 

[Goonerobes]

Having had rain all day yesterday I decided to take the number two bike today as I wasn't sure on the state of some of the roads for todays planned route which was to explore some new areas to the north of my usual Test Valley rides.

It was a chilly start to the day as I set off just after 9:30am, however, 2 miles in I reached down for a drink only to find I'd forgotten to get the bottles out of the fridge so it was back home again, (which really annoyed me) to pick them up & off again, into the northerly breeze which was to be against me for virtually all of the first half of the planned route.

There were no real hills scheduled today, just the usual little ups & downs & some longer gentle undulations as I made my way up through the rural Hampshire countryside, through Lockerley, Broughton & Over Wallop before reaching the roads I hadn't ridden before, just to the west & south of Andover.

Lunch was taken at Thruxton race circuit at around 33 miles in & the exploring continued east to Upper Clatford where I turned back to the south & finally got the wind on my tail as I headed back to Stockbridge, Houghton, Shootash & the forest for home.

67.5 very pleasant miles & the roads were better & dryer than I'd expected so definitely a route I will be doing again on hopefully a warmer less windy day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/554234037