Your ride today....

[Elybazza61]

Little ride in from Waterbeach after some winter blues and a bit of the lurgy;mainly done to see how I'm feeling and to test the new Wahoo HRM.

HRM seems good but I'm still a bit achey and it seemed like relatively hard work considering I was giving the Helium another little test ride.

Was maybe going to do this months 100k this week-end but may leave it ti next week.

https://www.strava.com/activities/866912061

 

[Old jon]

Took advantage of a nice sunny afternoon to pootle around my usual 14 mile loop. Hadn't been out on the bike since last Wednesday (have been a tad under the weather), so it felt good to get out, even if the legs weren't being as co-operative as usual. Mind, a pretty stiff headwind in places might have had something to do with that.

Rode into Downham, dropped off the new Tesco magazine for a friend and spent five minutes or so convincing her outdoor cat (a feral she took on from a local business) that a bicycle isn't scary. Apparently my helmet was scarier than the bike, because as soon as I took my lid off, she came running for her treat stick and proceeded to apply copious amounts of white cat hairs to my black lycra leggings.

After fussing the cat, it was back on the bike out of Downham and onto the Hythe Road towards Way Head. Quite a few tractors out on the road today, and I think they were muck spreading somewhere as it got very stinky for a while. The hard frosts we've had these past couple of weeks have caused the road into Way Head to really deteriorate. It's passable at the moment, but some of those potholes are getting mighty big.

Saw a jogger coming the other way - he waved and said hello, and I reciprocated.

Onwards up the hill into Coveney. The whooper swans have moved to a field on the Downham side of Coveney since the last time I rode out this way. Had my obligatory stop at St Peters to blow my conk and partake of some Haribo and M&Ms before turning left and heading down the other side of the hill towards Ely. The four miles to Ely were pretty hard work into that stiffening breeze, and it had clouded over some, so by then it was starting to feel a wee bit nippy.

Encountered a cyclist coming the other way at a gazillion miles an hour - not sure he even noticed me as he was kind of riding head down and arse up.

Then it's up onto the A10 for half a mile to join the B1411. Now with a tailwind behind me, the climb up to Orwell Pit Farm wasn't too bad. Just where the road levels out at the top of the climb, I bumped into the same jogger as I had earlier - this time we both had a good giggle about it. He'd run about 5 miles while I'd cycled 12 in the mean time. Shortly after, I encountered head-down-arse-up cyclist again. This time he was huffing and puffing into the headwind, no longer going at quite the rate he had been earlier.

Saw a Heron near Black Bank on the run in home. I was out for just over an hour and a half, had a couple of stops, and didn't have the hammer down at any time, just rode well within myself.

Only downside was a close pass from a local builder's long-high trannie van a mile and a bit from home. He was coming the other way on a single track road with passing places, could have pulled over into the convenient passing place (and avoid the mud on the road) but didn't. Instead he drove straight through the mud, didn't slow down, and as a result I got bombarded. One clod was large enough to knock me and the bike sideways as it hit.

The mud hit my rear wheel, which acted as a cheese grater on said clod. You can imagine the mess. Front derailleur clogged, chain coated, rear brakes totally bunged up, a layer a finger thick on the chain stays, muddy legs, muddy arse, the full works. Now I don't mind a muddy ride - they're a bit of a given out here in the winter - but this was taking the mick...

You do fit a lot into 14 miles. Well done!

 

[Stonechat]

At Last! First ride on the road since shoulder fracture in mid Oct.

Have done a few spin classes, a couple of turbo rides, and Wattbike in the gym.

Went to Bushy Park via Laleham, Shepperton, and Sunbury and returned via Hampton Hill, outskirts of Hanworth, outskirts of Feltham and Ashford

Pushed the speed on as hard as I could maintain. Deliberately a flat route.

Good to be back on the road

21.1 miles @ 16.2 mph
So a good speed but next ride will test me on hills

Shoulder was not at all uncomfortable, if it did ache slightly it was because today as every day have done the physio's exercises quite hard

Great to be back

 

[cosmicbike]

At Last! First ride on the road since shoulder fracture in mid Oct.

Have done a few spin classes, a couple of turbo rides, and Wattbike in the gym.

Went to Bushy Park via Laleham, Shepperton, and Sunbury and returned via Hampton Hill, outskirts of Hanworth, outskirts of Feltham and Ashford

Pushed the speed on as hard as I could maintain. Deliberately a flat route.

Good to be back on the road

21.1 miles @ 16.2 mph
So a good speed but next ride will test me on hills

Shoulder was not at all uncomfortable, if it did ache slightly it was because today as every day have done the physio's exercises quite hard

Great to be back

 

[booze and cake]

I've seen that mini Hummer thing down near Kensington.

I've since found out its not a one off, it is an electric city Hummer, and this apparently is a thing now, strewth. Going to need a long extension cable if they continue parking that far away from the kerb though.

 

[EltonFrog]

At Last! First ride on the road since shoulder fracture in mid Oct.

Have done a few spin classes, a couple of turbo rides, and Wattbike in the gym.

Went to Bushy Park via Laleham, Shepperton, and Sunbury and returned via Hampton Hill, outskirts of Hanworth, outskirts of Feltham and Ashford

Pushed the speed on as hard as I could maintain. Deliberately a flat route.

Good to be back on the road

21.1 miles @ 16.2 mph
So a good speed but next ride will test me on hills

Shoulder was not at all uncomfortable, if it did ache slightly it was because today as every day have done the physio's exercises quite hard

Great to be back

Excellent!

 

[derrick]

Nice little ride to Cambridge with a mate, stopped at the Copper Kettle for a full English breakfast, washed down with a couple of cups of tea.The ride out was nice and easy, we always get a bit of a tail wind. comining back was a different story, the wind picked up and it started to rain halfway home. My longest ride this year, and it deffo felt like it. Back home and showered now. Drinking more tea. Great day out. i now need to rest.
https://www.strava.com/activities/867297555#kudos

 

[Reynard]

You do fit a lot into 14 miles. Well done!

There's a lot more to see and notice when I'm out on the bike than when I'm driving.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Mrs 26 took the car to Rye Cross where she met up with Ralph R, June P and myself. I had a plan. Off to Broom's Green we went with chat flowing. Snowdrops were showing well and some early daffodils could be spotted too. Over the lump to Much Marcle had Mrs 26 gasping a bit but not as much as on the climb from Much Marcle to the top of the Marcle ridge. June and I paused there in order to allow a regrouping. Then it was lumpy up and down, mostly down to take to the delightful little lane alongside the River Wye for Hole-in-the-Wall. We stopped there to play Pooh Sticks from the footbridge. Who wants to "grow up"? Then the nasty 17% lump away from the river had to be tackled before dropping into Ross and our cafe stop.

The rain came on which wasn't too unexpected. Just a shower was the forecast. Now this wasn't a shower at all. Eventually waterproofs went on as we headed out of town. We made short work of the "compulsory" busy, fast and dangerous main road which leads trucks and other traffic onto the motorway. The safety of the lanes was welcome even tho' we'd only been exposed to the horrid for half a mile. Now we were faced with some ups and downs before Kempley where things get easier. June had a dental appointment so we stopped in Dymock to decide what the plan should be. She opted to come with us for Bromsberrow Heath where she could loop for Ledbury and the dentist. We three went by Bromsberrow for Rye Cross where Mrs 26 offered Ralph a lift back. Ralph accepted. I put my pace up a bit and found I could rattle well through the lanes for home. As I rolled in I noticed that the clouds were parting and the rain was disappearing. That's life I suppose. It had been a nice ride even with that rain. June is a strong lady for sure and Mrs 26 excelled herself today. She had been riding extremely well all day and especially so in the rain. 59 smiles today

 

[Mrs M]

At Last! First ride on the road since shoulder fracture in mid Oct.

Have done a few spin classes, a couple of turbo rides, and Wattbike in the gym.

Went to Bushy Park via Laleham, Shepperton, and Sunbury and returned via Hampton Hill, outskirts of Hanworth, outskirts of Feltham and Ashford

Pushed the speed on as hard as I could maintain. Deliberately a flat route.

Good to be back on the road

21.1 miles @ 16.2 mph
So a good speed but next ride will test me on hills

Shoulder was not at all uncomfortable, if it did ache slightly it was because today as every day have done the physio's exercises quite hard

Great to be back

Well done

 

[cosmicbike]

Bah! Nothing but commuting for me this week so far, and a visit from the P fairy not long onto the ride home tonight. Looks like time for a new front tyre, in fairness the current one has over 5000 miles on it so can't complain.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Then another day at the office... with a close pass from J17 EYE

You are picking busy roads for your rides! That was Paisley Road West?
I see from the map you started near the Roundabout of Terror, I failed my cycle instructor's course there, got terrified, had to redo the course

My rides the last couple of days: on Tuesday went exploring the reopening of a riverside route closed off for ages because of the building of a new bridge.
I also wanted to check out the local roadworks for a ride the next day, today, well yesterday lol, that @flyingfifi was going to lead.
I live local to the cycling hub, while Fiona is 10 miles away, so it easier for me to pop along the road: we have been having road works for months in our area that have affected the cycling paths as they basically are pavements adapted to shared use, currently dug up to craters.
The workmen lied to me, told me they would be finished digging within the hour: indeed they were away on my return, but the holes were still all there!
This is the new shared path that greets me on leaving my housing estate:
Lovely!
Never mind, couple of miles dodging diggers then I'm joining the river path: this is the bridge they build to smarten up this previously derelict area in honor of the Commonwealth Games. It joins the suburb of Rutherglen with the river Clyde walkway. They call it "Smart Bridge"

What I really wanted to find, though, was the exit to the newly build (yet another!) bridge that connects the ex athletes village (now a housing estate) to the riverside path and to a recently opened children's activity park, the Cunigar Loop. I do family rides in summer, this is going to be a popular destination, need to go back and take pictures on a nice day.
The bridge to the athletes village over the Clyde walkway:

Anyway, I spent a good half an hour being lost in the village, all the houses look the same! Found my route in the end, then carried on along the river for another 10 miles, a pleasant late afternoon on the bike.

On Wednesday we did most of this route with the group Fiona was leading, so same again for me, around 35 miles in two days.
@flyingfifi seriously at work , our bikes at the coffee stop:

 

[Old jon]

Five degrees! That’s almost tropical, quick, out with a bike! And after the first couple of miles, it was warm enough.

I fitted yet another larger sprocket on the back wheel of the Quella yesterday, 20 teeth, so today was test ride day and time to have a ride of some longer hills on the fixed. Twenty nine and a bit miles later, I think the gearing is not far away now. The ride that gave me this impression started by riding through Holbeck to reach Office Lock and riding up the towpath to Viaduct Road. That is not too bad, the only hills are at the locks, and they are not very long. After leaving the towpath, Cardigan Road has to be ridden up. Surprisingly, to me anyway, it was not as lung busting as I had thought it would be. The same for the rest of the ascent to Lawnswood, it seems when you have no choice you just get on and pedal it. All the way through Bramhope, a fairly average bit of road, and I was debating. Do I ride down Pool Bank? Brave ( dee ay eff tee ) me did just that. The front brake squeals a bit.

Turn left for Otley, stop at the maypole for a picture of the bike and then, tired as the legs were, I have to pedal home. Up the Leeds Road, and again better than I had thought. All relatively straightforward now, A 660 all the way to Headingley, turn right for Kirkstall and find the towpath back to the town centre. Since Water Lane has been turned into a cul de sac I rode through the Dark Arches to reach Victoria Road, and then the nether end of Hunslet and home. Looking at what the Garmin told me, my top speed, backside bouncing off the Brooks, was down Pool Bank at 24.5 mph. Fixed is fantastic!
A map, how odd, and a bike. In whatever order

The bike is a lot dirtier than it looks.

 

[Basil.B]

First ride since December, 25 sluggish miles.
Felt rough at the end, legs like lead. Bike is filthy, roads are dirtier than I thought they would be.
Hopefully will fair better when I go out Sunday!

 

[The Bystander]

I hadn’t realised how much rain we had yesterday until I got out today. Much mud and many puddles.

I hadn’t realised how much the Met. Office had understated the strength of the wind until I got out today either. It was mild and stayed dry though so not too bad.

I headed north past Mawsley, over the A14 (crossing 1 of 6), on to Harrington and then dropped down into the valley past Thorpe Underwood where I encountered the first of the muddy roads which meant I coasted down with the brakes covered all the way. Up the other side and then on to a single track road to Great Oxenden. I had intended to take some photos but the verges were so churned up I stayed on the tarmac and kept going rather than stopping and risk sinking.

At Great Oxenden I turned onto the A508 Harborough Road. I was back onto minor roads soon enough and heading towards Sibbertoft via Clipston.

South towards Naseby, past the Cromwell Memorial (Battle of Naseby reference 1 of 3)

20170216Cromwell

• The Bystander
• 16 Feb 2017

and over the A14 again (2 of 6), into Naseby, past the Obelisk (2 of 3)

20170216Obelisk

• The Bystander
• 16 Feb 2017

and back over the A14 (3 of 6) to Fairfax’s View (3 of 3).

20170216Fairfax

• The Bystander
• 16 Feb 2017

Cross country on a single track road that went under the A14 twice (4 and 5) to Kelmarsh and back to Harrington.

A loop via Lamport and Old rather than the direct route home to get a qualifying ride for the half century challenge, but not before I crossed back over the A14 for the 6th and final time.

20170216route

• The Bystander
• 16 Feb 2017

A bit blowy, a bit muddy but mild and plenty of signs of Spring on its way.