Your ride today....

[Glow worm]

A short circuit via the shop this afternoon here in north Norfolk.

Creake Abbey.

Thieving Cambridge bar stewards!

If there's a road- I'll always avoid it if I can. This nice bridleway a quiet way home away from the holiday traffic.

Back to Newmarket tomorrow after a superb few days in lovely Norfolk.

 

[i hate hills]

I was washing the car out the front earlier today and I heard the bell of the ice cream van somewhere in village. I knew it wouldn't come up my road so I grabbed a lady Godiver and jumped on the Kingpin to track it down, I found it at the other end of the village, purchased two Bunnies Ears ( one for the Fragrant MrsP) and wobbled home in first gear one handed. I managed to get both ice creams home without the strawberry syrup dribbling on my hand.

A very satisfactory 3/4 mile.

I would happily give you a double like for this amazing piece of cycling know how . Well done on getting the goods home in one piece.

 

[The_Weekend_Report_Guy]

Heading into the clouds..!

With this group.

Bout in between the mountains?

Skies were darker the usual

Images were not bad at all...

Another great view..

And at the top of the climb? A cloud..! With us in it.. This was a first for me..

https://www.strava.com/activities/934374803 the link...

75 km...
1395 meters of elevation
23.6 km/h average speed
Pleasant temperature... 15C average... Ok at the top was chilly..

 

[i hate hills]

Following on from yesterdays return in the saddle , i took my bike and my lungs out for a good workout round by Fourdon and Auchenblae today . The terrain really suited my bike as i have a MTB and was riding mostly in the mountains. Backside a bit tender tonight but things will get easier. Still smiling stupidly at anyone who passes me by.

 

[KEEF]

Today Burnopfield in the sunshine

 

[The Bystander]

For the first time since I don’t know when, I’ve been out on a bicycle every day this week.

Monday was a utility ride to get some groceries. Tuesday was a 50km leisure ride. Wednesday only just counts as it was less than a mile to the chippy for my tea. Thursday was another leisure ride. Friday was a test run up a couple of local hills to see how much easier they were with a new cassette giving an extra couple of teeth on my largest gear (answer: not as much as I’d hoped). Saturday I hadn’t planned on riding but the weather forced my hand so another 17 miles were added to the tally.

And so to today’s ride. I’ve never ridden 40 miles and I thought today might be the day (I was secretly thinking about my first imperial half century but didn’t want my legs to know). The weather looked promising but, although warmer today, it was less windy yesterday. I planned on riding one of my 50km routes with a little extra loop to start with and a longer loop than usual to end with.

I had three alternative loops in mind to end the ride with and in the end I chose the shortest. I could have easily ridden 40 miles and probably done the 50 but I didn’t feel the need to ride the extra just to hit some numbers. I rode 38.68 miles which was my longest ride to date and was enough for today and took my tally for the year over 1,000 miles The imperial half will have to wait but I did pass a nice year-to-date milestone.

Here’s the map importantly showing roughly where I clocked up the 1,000ml between Loddington and Harrington.

 

[nickyboy]

Cracking day out yesterday in the Peak District sunshine

This area is popular for the National Hill Climb Championships and several local hills have featured. There's one I've never tried, Curbar Edge, so I took a run out to have a go at.

Up over the Snake Pass, Bamford, Hathersage...then onto Curbar. It's more than a mile of 10% so a real tough challenge. Here's the start

I was doing OK until a reality check when three young racing snakes whizzed past me near the top. But I managed it OK. On through Hassop and Great Longstone where there was a charming wedding taking place

I was two and a half hours in and starting to flag a bit, porridge was a long time ago. Nine miles til the café stop so the biccies I popped in my pocket came in handy. Down Monsal Head then on to Litton and Tideswell. There's a nice café there that does great cheesy chips

Only 15 miles left and I was a bit worried about how tired I was starting to feel. But the chips, an egg custard and the coffee did the job. Two more hard hills between Chapel en le Frith and Glossop and I made it home.

56 miles all in, 5,700ft of climbing. 13.5mph average with is decent for me. Zillions of cyclists out, some obviously heading into the hills for the first time this spring. Those winter miles are coming in handy, legs felt a bit knackered but not too bad at the end

 

[Mike_P]

um.. breeze getting up, not to worry let head out

Killinghall traffic jam on the B6161 as usual a Sunday as it joins the A61 but this time due to broken down car further along the A61. Quickly followed by a further queue due to the crossing of NCN67. Through Ripley then up the A61, first right and along the lanes pass Nidd and Brearton. It was heading south to the B6165 that drew my attention to the crosswind. Down and up hill on the B road then turned off through Scotton, Farnham, Ferrensby, Arkendale to join the A168 - many will recognise the road as being the bit of dual carriageway that links the A1 at Dishforth to the A19 but south of Dishforth other than around Boroughbridge and Wetherby southwards it is one of the quietest A roads about; something that may change when the Allerton Waste Recovery Station opens

At Walshford something seemed amiss with a couple of fire engines down a road and plenty of smoke

South of Walshford I used the bridleway that parallels the A168 in the hope that the hedging would cut out the cross wind and was making rapid ground on another cyclist still on the A road when he too shot onto the bridleway - don't think he saw me!

At Wetherby I used the NCN routes along the old railway lines

Then came the climbs through Sicklinghall, out of Kirkby Overblow and out of the Crimple Valley This cycle track in the south west suburbs of Harrogate marked the end of the latter climb.

Strava 37.4 miles 1558ft, Garmin 37 miles 2264ft. Suspect Strava is more accurate.

 

[Osprey]

Beautiful weather, short sleeved jersey and shorts, cycling seems so much easier and enjoyable. Lots of riders out on the Gower. A nice 37 miler for my metric half century challenge.

Port Eynon.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Just a group of 5 of us today, at least 3 fewer than normal which amazed me given the weather forecast! Me and my wife headed to nearby Willian to meet up with the other three who were coming down from Baldock. From Willian we decided to head south / southwest-ish, through Little Wymondley, St Ippolyts, and to Preston, through King's Walden, Lilley Bottom, and eventually up the steep climb of Chalk Hill, ending at Tea Green (near Luton Airport) where a pint was the reward for the hot climb. We started the ride back through Breachwood Green and Darley Hall, partly retracing steps through Preston, and going on to Gosmore and Hitchin. A really hilly route with lots of interest, short sharp ups and downs, and sweeping lefts and rights.... plenty of scenery too.

On a day like this I was hoping for an easy point in the 50 a month challenge, but sadly one of our riders was new and felt that 31 miles / 50k would be too much for him, so it was just 23 miles today. No matter, April's 50 is done, so it would have only been a bonus point anyway. Gorgeous day, and I even passed a man in a CycleChat jersey! (Was it you?)

Darley Hall in the background, near Breachwood Green:

In Hitchin town centre:

The White Horse at Tea Green, with our merry band sat outside, and the Tea Green water tower behind:

Preston: (Not that Preston).

 

[Donger]

Like @Supersuperleeds, I too was out in my Cyclechat shirt today, proudly wearing the colours. Mine left neat sunburn lines on my upper arms as it was a scorcher today in Gloucestershire. My fears of my brakes showing me up today didn't materialise ... apart from a few little squeaks, they behaved really rather unexpectedly well.

Today was my first ride with Eastgate Cycles since joining up, but I had ridden with them as a guest a few times before, including on this annual "Paris Roubaix" event. We met up at the Farmers' Club in Gloucester:

Always held on the same day as the real thing, the club lays on a 100km "Paris Roubaix" ride from Gloucester taking in a few lumpy, rutted or stony paths on the way for a touch of authenticity. Today we looped out to Ledbury, Eastnor, Castlemorton Common and Forthampton, taking in the rough ground down by the Severn on our way out of Gloucester and carrying on over the stupidly steep and winding path over the abandoned old bridge at Over and a rutted path into Highnam (the Trouee d'Highnam). I knew what was coming, so I got to the front of the melee and span my way up in a blur before pulling over on the old bridge to capture some of the carnage that followed:

Nothing but glorious sunshine today:

We pulled over for our first pub stop when we arrived in Ledbury:

... before heading off up through Ledbury:

... and onwards along the steepest part of the route over the bottom end of the Malverns at Hollybush and Castlemorton Common, via a lovely quiet lane with a water splash (ford) near Eastnor Castle.
Castlemorton Common:

All in all a great ride out today. We had a second pub stop in the Royal Exchange in Hartpury, after working up a thirst, slogging against the wind all the way from Forthampton. Finished at the Farmers' Club in time (for those who were inclined) to watch the end of the Paris Roubaix race on the telly. Most of us settled for a pint of lager and a free barbecue. I plodded my way home wearily after that for a long hot bath and a nap. 67.7 miles (108.9 km) for me today in great company and even better weather. That'll do nicely for my Metric Century a Month Challenge ride for April. Enjoy your rides everyone. Cheers, Donger.

 

[cosmicbike]

My first club ride today with the Hounslow & District Wheelers. Headed out on a lumpy, loopy route to Milford in perfect weather. Nice to finally meet @Stonechat , always good to put a face to the name.
Opted, rightly or wrongly, to sit at the back and observe the various shouts, signals etc etc. Nearly proved my undoing within the first few miles as I sat back with a chap as the group disappeared into the distance, only to find said chap had decided to go home. Bit of a sprint along Stonehills to catch the group, nice and easy I thought, only to find this was the slow group, and the ones I was with were the ones in the distance Ho hum, head down and cracked out a series of PB's to catch them. Some great roads today, and during one of the descents it clicked that this was what it was about, fresh air, country lanes and like minded company.
A cracking ride, and I hope to go out with them again.
66.1 miles all told, and the van got me to work tonight.

 

[iandg]

Busy all day (pretending to do the 'housework' while streaming the Paris-Roubaix)

Grabbed a quick spin on the local trails before tea.
View: https://www.strava.com/activities/935283206/embed/beb4909bd9a188e625f143dc9202b6771ef99bba


https://www.relive.cc/view/935283206

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Bosworth Battlefield the destination, 52 miles the journey. And what a great day for a bike ride, almost like summer. I dug out a pair of shorts but it was still a bit fresh when I left the house at eight thirty so I added a long sleeved summer jersey, if I'd gone out a bit later I'd just used a short sleeved jersey. I followed one of my regular routes out, Shilton, Withybrook and onto Monks kirby where I turned left through Claybrooke pava, Frolesworth, Broughton Astley and on through Sutton In The Elms and across the main road through Croft and Thurlaston, riding past the car boot sale I crossed the Hinckley Road and headed towards Desford but turned left though Peckleton and onto Kirby Mallory where I turned right crossed the Ashby Road and onto the cafe. First time at the Battlefield for a couple of years and was pleasantly surprised to see a small craft fair set up, I'll have to find out when the next one is, my Good lady will like that. Heading back I rode down to Shenton and picked up my regular route back through Upton, Atterton and on to Mancetter, climbed Purley Chase and on through Ansley and home. A very enjoyable ride in the sunshine. My pace was good and I was still going strong at in the last few miles, a very encouraging ride after struggling a lot on some of the winter rides I've done this year.

View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/13840105

 

[tfg71]

First time out since January. Left house and headed to Kelpies. Crossing Clackmannan bridge was slightly distracted by enjoying view saw the broken glass on the path, managed to look like a bronco rider going through it and scuffed my right shoulder along the rail. Kicked most of it to the side and carried on. Not far on felt the back of bike go funny and had to change inner tube. Couple of nice cycling gents stopped to see if I was ok. I thanked them and everyone carried on their way. Passed a few groups and individuals out and about everyone seemed happy. Shamed to admit it but had to call for a collection as couldn't face the hill back into town( last time I did it I thought I was going to collapse) I will get my stamina etc up this year. Felt good to be out even though my lazy legs just above knees were hurting and my bum was the same(hopefully this will get better with time). All in all I had a fun time even though it was only 14.5miles.