Your ride today....

[Donger]

Out in my shorts and short-sleeved top again today. A bit chilly at first, but it soon warmed up and I got in another leisurely 25 miler along the severn. I took a slightly different route this time, turning right at Saul and following a quiet little lane along the riverbank through Priding and onwards through Fretherne and on to Arlingham. Stopped for a couple of photos at the flood wall at Priding.

On the way to Fretherne, I came across a free-range chicken farm, where I became the centre of interest for these curious chooks:

Carried on along a very muddy little lane with views down to the Severn. You can see the cliffs that the river has carved out in the background.

Lovely light conditions in Arlingham, due to sunshine breaking through heavy grey clouds: Lovely spring blossom opposite the Red Lion, with the trees of the Forest of Dean (on the opposite side of the Severn) in the background:

At the end of the dead end road to Arlingham, I went off-road for a couple of hundred yards along the Severn Way along the top of the flood dyke. This next shot is of Newnham on Severn opposite, with the last of the floodwater from the latest monster tide still flooding the meadows on this side of the river.

Spring was definitely in the air today. Blossom and daffodils everywhere:

A cracking little ride today. Unfortunately, I was put on gardening detail by the missus as soon as I got back ... but a good day off anyway.
Get out there and enjoy this glorious Spring weather everyone. Cheers,
Donger.

 

[Saluki]

2 rides today. Woo hoo.

1st ride was on Eric the CX bike. Down to the hospital via Bluebell Road. The cyclepath has roadwork stuff all over it which is the perfect excuse to pee off the learner drivers and use the road. Faster and smoother anyway. There is not a lot of room on that road and the cars ignore the 20mph signs and try to push past but I was doing 21mph so they shouldn't have.
I did the extra loop of Cringleford again, as I had the time and Hubster was at the layby when I arrived. He'd just got there so my timing was good. From there we rode a couple of hundred yards to the UEA land entrance on Colney Lane and then over the park on the cyclepath and up Chancellor Road. I waited at the top for Hubster. From there, we went the short cut way home as I needed a wee.

I gave @StickBouncer a quick bell to check he was home, then jumped on his (my old) Defy 2 to deliver it back to him. I had a little PE bag with my trainers in and I put my fleece on as I was walking back home again. I took my iPod with a bit of Eric on as well, for the walk home. My word, the Defy feels different to my CX bike. The brakes My word, compared to disc brakes they were scary. I crept down the hill at a steady 19 mph, a good 6mph slower than I go down it on either of the Planet X bikes. Along the Marriotts Way and then gently along the cycle paths to SB's house.

From there, iPod on with copious amounts of Eric and a steady walk back home, including a quick scoot around Aldi for some eggs and milk.

9.28 on the CX and 3.05 on the Defy. I have gone through 2 targets this month so I've added an additional 15 miles to take me up to 300 miles for the year. Next month, I'll start doing some work.

 

[Goonerobes]

With the prospect of rubbish weather forecast for the weekend I thought I'd make the most of the sunny, but chilly, afternoon & get a reasonable ride in.

I decided on the New Forest & doing a couple of roads around Hale that I've only fairly recently just discovered but didn't do much when it was icy due to the nature of the narrow twisty descent. However, the narrow twisty descent is not much better in the dry as I rode most of it with the breaks on as I literally couldn't see what was ahead & around the next bend so this will now tried in reverse as a climb next time to save on brake blocks!

It was also a bit of a "pesky pony" day today too as whilst my first encounter was just to swerve & avoid them my second resulted brought me to a halt with the chain jammed in the front derailleur as I panicked to get from 20mph+ to a complete stop when they decided to block the whole road ahead of me!

Another chap just behind me suffered a similar fate & once under way we cycled & chatted together for the next few miles which made a nice change for Billy no cycling mates me & once we parted I headed for home, back across the forest with a nice 40 mile round trip under my belt.

https://www.strava.com/activities/273899214

The porkers were out again today & I must say as a non meat eater they do look a lot nicer alive!

This was to be the first of my "pesky ponys" encounters today.

One more week of lovely quiet roads before the tourists arrive for Easter!

 

[Crackle]

[QUOTE 3606189, member: 9609"]The new milometer worked well and would appear to be quite accurate, read 1% less than my cycle computer.[/QUOTE]

Well at least you fitted it so it went the right way. Very easy to fit them to read backwards. You'd know if you did that though, it'd go kcilc instead.

 

[Dirk]

30 miles and 2100 feet of elevation gain today. Rode out around the coast to Croyde and then up to Georgeham. Over the top to Mullacott Cross and then along to West Down. Was going to stop for coffees at the Crown, but they weren't open when we got there! Never mind - on to Braunton along the A 361 and a left turn up the Old Barnstaple Road to Bradiford. Then through Pilton and ending up at Carb Cycles for coffee and cake. Back on the bike and along the Tarka Trail and home.
Very enjoyable ride out, although my buddy picked up yet another puncture and he also realised that trying out a different saddle was probably not a good idea.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just commuting miles again today but it gets a mention because with the sunshine and light winds the knockabout bike seemed to just fly along. I took a route I don't usually use on which the gradients are a bit more favourable than my usual way and averaged over 15 mph into work, arriving about 10 minutes before I usually do.

On the way back I took the main road to Atcham which is flatter, faster and shorter but is usually too busy for my liking. Today it was fairly quiet though and I enjoyed the fast (for me) cruising until turning onto my usual way down the lanes. I had the wind behind me for the last couple of miles so was able to cruise along pretty well and even overtook a rider from one of the local clubs (to be fair, he was taking it pretty easy - he did do a double-take when I passed though)

19.2 miles at a new commuting PB of 14.85mph average (I haven't managed to achieve 14mph average on this round trip before). The morning ride also took me over 1000 miles for the year to date.

 

[13 rider]

Two days off work but with household jobs to be done but managed to squeeze in two quick afternoon rides. Yesterdays was a quick 8 miler from home through Newtown linford pass Bradgate park and on to Ulverscroft and up my least favourite climb . Pollybotts lane but it has to be done ,I am being to find it easier but still don't like it. Then a lovely downhill of priory lane then back home managed to average 13.6 mph.
Today slightly longer 15 miler .again from home out through Newtown linford hung a right to Markfield and onto Thornton reservoir . round the dirt track around the edge plenty of fluff flingers (fly fisherman) not catching a lot .on through Thornton village and on to Stanton under Barton and back to Markfield and back home again averaged 13.4 mph . Both rides in broken sunshine if a bit chilly back to work tomorrow booo roll on the weekend

 

[13 rider]

[. Half way down I stopped to photograph the hill

@totallyfixed nice picture of a hill .Think it was the Grantham sportive a mate from work did it . I was soo hoping he was in that photo. I will have to ask him he got overtaken by a pink bike.

 

[Katherine]

Out in my shorts and short-sleeved top again today. A bit chilly at first, but it soon warmed up and I got in another leisurely 25 miler along the severn. I took a slightly different route this time, turning right at Saul and following a quiet little lane along the riverbank through Priding and onwards through Fretherne and on to Arlingham. Stopped for a couple of photos at the flood wall at Priding.
View attachment 83709 View attachment 83710
On the way to Fretherne, I came across a free-range chicken farm, where I became the centre of interest for these curious chooks:
View attachment 83711
Carried on along a very muddy little lane with views down to the Severn. You can see the cliffs that the river has carved out in the background.
View attachment 83712
Lovely light conditions in Arlingham, due to sunshine breaking through heavy grey clouds: Lovely spring blossom opposite the Red Lion, with the trees of the Forest of Dean (on the opposite side of the Severn) in the background:
View attachment 83713
At the end of the dead end road to Arlingham, I went off-road for a couple of hundred yards along the Severn Way along the top of the flood dyke. This next shot is of Newnham on Severn opposite, with the last of the floodwater from the latest monster tide still flooding the meadows on this side of the river.
View attachment 83714
Spring was definitely in the air today. Blossom and daffodils everywhere:
View attachment 83715
A cracking little ride today. Unfortunately, I was put on gardening detail by the missus as soon as I got back ... but a good day off anyway.
Get out there and enjoy this glorious Spring weather everyone. Cheers,
Donger.

Nice pictures.

Nosy question: What was the black biro for?

 

[MikeW-71]

21 miles tonight after I got in from work. I had the (possibly daft) idea to try some interval training to see if it helps my hill climbing. OMG that hurts. I was supposed to be doing 1 minute intervals, but the first one I went much too hard and only held it for 20 seconds, a bit better with the next few, but still only managed 30 seconds each.

Got a while to go yet it seems

 

[Donger]

Nice pictures.

Nosy question: What was the black biro for?

I was wondering where that got to! Took it with me on my last audax in case there was a question to answer at the info control. (There wasn't).

 

[thetribe]

I was going to have a rest day today as I'd been out 3 days in a row and today at work was supposed to be crazy. It wasn't crazy and the sun was shining so I ignored the rest day and headed out, up and down the coast again. Averaged over 16mph for over 50% of the ride but the wind in my face killed me at the end of the ride and I ended at 15.8 miles @ 15.4mph. One of these days I'll actually listen to myself when I say I'm going for a relaxing ride


Out to Sea (again)


That spherical object on the left of the pic is at the bottom of someones garden and is a seat, I'd love it to be mine, sitting there with a book and the sound of the sea

https://www.strava.com/activities/273940178

 

[Elybazza61]

Nice in and out commute yesterday with the ride in being a very last minute decision on the way to the train station so no HRM which makes the Strava heart rate zones low(basically it's reckoned it was 126bpm all the way in).

Oh and another barn owl spotted on the Ely-Soham road.

https://www.strava.com/activities/273992985/overview

 

[Elybazza61]

I use latex tubes on my Cannondale (see a few posts back for a photo of it). I think they do make a subtle but significant improvement to the ride quality of the bike.

Certainly paired with the paves they seem to soften the ride a bit especially on some of the rough back roads around here.

 

[SpaCyclist]

I had another long (for me) ride planned yesterday - targeting over 100km for the first time since I started cycling again.

I seem to be fated with road closures at the moment. Last week I came across one - this week two. I am hoping that at least some of the closures involve filling potholes or road re-surfacing! My plan was a relatively flat run taking in Wetherby, Knareborough, Boroughbridge, Easingwold and back home. The first closure was on the road between Wetherby and Knaresborough. I decided to follow the signposted diversion along the A168 (very quiet) and A59 (very busy). I don't know why, but on quiet and country roads drivers generally seem to give me a decent amount of room, but on the A59 many of them hardly seemed to move out at all to pass me.
The run from Knaresborough round to Boroughbridge was and pleasant. Then I came across the second closure - on the road to Helperby. At this point I decided to change direction and head over to Ripon and Fountains Abbey. This started as a good plan. However, I thought I would be short on distance, so I carried on towards Pateley Bridge. This is where I found Risplith climb - with the dreaded 1in5 sign!. I just about managed to get up it in my "granny gear" out of the saddle for he steepest section, and carried on to Brimham Rocks. I had a stop in the sunshine admiring the views, followed by a steep descent to Summerbridge and return home via Ripley, Knaresborough and Wetherby.

My total distance was 101.8km, and I found I had climbed over 800m - both records for me, although my average speed was, not surprisingly, quite a bit lower than some of my recent rides.

I am glad I got a long ride in yesterday, as it is grey and damp here today .

The ride is here: https://www.strava.com/activities/273891876.