Your ride today....

[13 rider]

A bit of an adventure for me today. Last year 13rider of this parish led a forum ride that stopped at a small cafe in Twycross, I found it on the map, worked out a route and filed it away for a later ride. This morning I decided to do that ride. My route out took me out through Keresley and up Breach Oak lane, on through Astley and Ansley and on down Purley Chase, a descent good for a fast spinning 30mph on the fixed, trouble this morning was that the road was greasy under the tree's and at times the bike was moving round underneath me, not what I wanted at that speed. Round the big island on the A5 then left and into Witherley, left and right in the village and onto Sheepy Magna, right in the village and onto the cafe, which was closed. Right out of the cafe then left on the painted roundabout then right towards Bilstone and Congerstone, then on to the Bosworth Water Park where the Cafe was also closed, they were serving hot drinks in the shop but I decided not do. By this time I was back on familiar lanes so I worked my way through Far Cotton, past Shenton, where we were in the car yesterday, past the Bosworth Battlefield and onto Sutton Cheney where I turned for Sutton Wharf and a coffee stop. I followed a regular route back through Shenton, Upton, across the A444 through Atterton, Witherley and across the A5 and up Purley Chase, I followed my usual route back through Ansley and Astley then when I got to my right turn for Keresley I carried straight on into the outskirts of Bedworth then turned for Keresley and home. 52 miles covered, a lot of that on unfamiliar lanes, on a lovely bright and breezy morning


View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/13272294


View attachment 341134

The cafe in Twycross is closed every Monday . Good job you knew where the others were . We stopped at Sutton Wharf on a Xmas ride it was very nice

 

[Deleted member 1258]

The cafe in Twycross is closed every Monday . Good job you knew where the others were . We stopped at Sutton Wharf on a Xmas ride it was very nice

As well as the cafe in the cabin place that I went to I believe that the cafe in the zoo is open to passing trade but I didn't go up that far.

 

[gavgav]

With the rest of the week looking decidedly dodgy on the weather front, I headed out after work for a ride over to dads.

Route to dads was through Bayston Hill, up Lyth Hill, down to Exfords Green and then stopping for 20 minutes to chat to dad.

Route home was via Condover and Betton Abbotts, in light rain, as the forecast drizzle arrived about an hour earlier than suggested .

15.4 miles, nice uneventful ride.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

.....
15.4 miles, nice uneventful ride.

 

[gavgav]

Lanes are definitely much more pleasant than Town!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Lanes are definitely much more pleasant than Town!

Yes, I like riding the lanes and I can't help noticing that the people you're sharing them with get more polite the further you are from town.

 

[nickyboy]

The Snake Pass is my local climb. I wasn't planning on going for a ride today but I got back from Manchester a bit early and the sun was out and there was a pleasant NWerly. Just enough time to go up the Snake, turn around and back down again. Only 18km but about 450m of climbing all in

I think I hold the record for the most Strava ascents of the Snake. Not that I'm particularly quick, I'm just persistent. So I know exactly what wind direction gives the most help. NW is not it (something like SSW is about right) so when I went out I wasn't expecting much.

But you know when the legs feel right? Well today was one of those days. Spinning up in the 34/21 gear I felt pretty good. Managed to catch and pass another rider (not a common occurrence for me on a long climb). It was a bit of a crosswind at times and near the top where it gets exposed it wasn't much help at all.

Twenty two and a half minutes. I've been up the Snake 119 times and this was my 4th fastest. With the right wind conditions I reckon a PB could be on. Nice to know there's life in the old dog yet

Here is my secret super food that I reckon helped......Greggs Steak Bake. Remember where you heard it first

 

[colly]

I never knew that was called Dead Badger Hill.

Caught sight of you today on the A58, just approaching Carr Lane.

 

[Old jon]

I never knew that was called Dead Badger Hill.

Caught sight of you today on the A58, just approaching Carr Lane.

Ooops, it is not. For a few months last year it was decorated with one, LHS ascending just below the crest. It just seemed a good name. Were you riding?

 

[Biff600]

The weather was great today, so I took full advantage, fitted the GoPro, set it for a 1 second timelapse and headed out.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrU_kKVb8Rc&feature=youtu.be


For one point, what is the tune ?

For another point, who is it by ?

And for a final point, from which film does the line "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" come from ?

 

[The Bystander]

With the local radio station wittering on about sunshine, light winds and temperatures soaring towards double figures, a cycle ride seemed nothing short of an inevitability.

It can’t have been more than ten minutes into the ride when it clouded over, the wind picked up and a few spots of rain were felt. It never got any worse than that and it did brighten up towards the end of the ride.

The route took me to Harrington (as the start of most of my rides tend to) and then to Kelmarsh where I stopped to photograph my bike on front of a wall for the similarly named thread. On to Sibbertoft via Kelmarsh Hill (a climb of less than a mile with an average gradient of just 2%, max. 9%) that showed me that my legs weren’t really interested in cycling.

Kelmarsh Hill

• The Bystander
• 7 Mar 2017

For the first time today, but not the last, I engaged the largest sprocket and ground my way to the top.

No one was at the border post so I risked a brief incursion into Leicestershire

Leicestershire

• The Bystander
• 7 Mar 2017
• 1

and scuttled back into Northants at Welford.

Northant@Welford

• The Bystander
• 7 Mar 2017

Home via Naseby, Haslebech, Kelmarsh and Harrington as can be seen on the following map.

20170307_route

• The Bystander
• 7 Mar 2017

 

[cosmicbike]

Today was the day for my metric century attempt, and for once I actually had a route planned, and loaded onto the Garmin. Now I've not had a lot of luck using my Edge 800 to navigate, but I must have pressed the right button today as it was giving me turn by turn directions and a readable map, all I need to do now is remember what button it was!
For some time now I'd been intending to ride out to Velolife, a café/cycle workshop out Maidenhead way, but been struggling to overcome the psychological barrier of being 30 miles or so from home on me tod. Today dawned bright and chilly, so with phone, money and Soreen in pocket I headed out at just before half past 8.
Not knowing what the traffic would be like, I headed straight to Windsor Great Park and did a lap to make sure I wasn't on the unknown roads until after 9, hoping to miss the traffic. Turned out to be really quiet, and I settled into a nice pace along Drift Road, crossing over the M4 and heading towards White Waltham. I knew I was close when I spotted a light aircraft overhead, and after crossing the A4 I found myself on cracking country lanes all the way to Velolife. Not normally one to stop for sustenance (tight arse basically), I gave in and grabbed a coffee and rather large chunk of chocolate cake. The cake made itself known as I left the café into a brief uphill, before heading towards Crazies Hill. Here it became apparent that I should have used streetview to check my route, as the downhill section on Highfield Road was 6" deep in mud, so stuck to the tyre tracks. A mountain bike would have been better here..
Tracked back along Drift Road, by now my speed/cadence had stopped working, a brief pause to fiddle gave no joy so probably a flat battery. Coming straight home would have given me the 100km, but I fancied extending to beat my previous best of 65.9 miles, so ended up adding a bit to Lightwater.
Home on 70.8 miles. Decided I need to change the saddle on the Roubaix, sore bum bones!!

 

[Elybazza61]

No rides at all last week(apart from some small utility rides) so chomping at the bit today with the weather being good.

Nice opportunity to get the Helium out for a blat around as well.

Just a 42k loop out to Grunty Fen and then Sutton In the Isle then along the B1381 beside the Hundred Foot Drain to Earith and then Haddenham,Witchford and home.

https://www.strava.com/activities/891029607

 

[Elybazza61]

I decided to finish off the cabling job on the Boardman today, and re wrapped the bars in a splendid yellow SRAM bar tape.
View attachment 341093

then go and test ride it.

https://www.relive.cc/view/889749772

10 odd miles, and all is well

Just needs a black and yellow saddle(or all black)

 

[Racing roadkill]

Just needs a black and yellow saddle(or all black)

I'm on it