Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Love that Galaxy, @Rickshaw Phil . That's a proper bike. Shame I've never seen one in my size.
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
I've been too pawly to get out on the bike this last fortnight thanks to a virus. 
Seeing pics of and reading about lovely rides has got me going green with envy.
I want to get out, but my get-up-and-go has got up and left... 
Seeing pics of and reading about lovely rides has got me going green with envy.
I want to get out, but my get-up-and-go has got up and left... 
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
@Rickshaw Phil nice bike, never seen one that colour before.
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Thanks.
It was a fortunate purchase as one of my colleagues borrowed it off her father, asked me to service it then never actually used it so it stayed in a corner of the warehouse at work for nearly a year until I made a cheeky offer. I'm told it was made to measure at extra cost (when Dawes still offered that service) and fortunately the sizing just suits me.
I hadn't seen one in that colour previously either but I believe @galaxy has one the same.
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
I'm still considering a dramatically long ride on May 6th (Gloucester to Bridlington), so I'm trying to prepare. I think it's going to be as much a case of conditioning the mind as the legs.
I didn't really have the whole day today, so I decided to do something a bit shorter than usual, but trying very hard to make it faster. The theory being that provided I coped OK, I'd feel I'm definitely on an improving curve and my confidence would get a boost.
The route for today was this - 102 miles, anticlockwise. For some reason RwGPS won't let me save the elevation profile as I've done before. Maybe they want some money. Anyway, it was largely flat until Evesham, then modest ups and downs thereafter.
I finished in just under 7¼ hours including stops, an average of 14.3 mph, much quicker than anything I've achieved on a comparable route in recent history, so that side of things was successful. Just for a while around 60-70 miles I felt I wanted to slacken off and take it easy, but "miles remaining" soon came down and I felt good right to the end.
I see others have commented on how cold the air was today. I didn't set off until 10 o'clock, when the sun seemed quite strong, but the weather forecast suggested I would need gloves and arm warmers. I believed the forecasters, and they were right.
It is amazingly dry around here at the moment, as can be seen in these two pictures at my final food stop. This is looking west towards the Malverns:
And northwards, towards nowhere in particular:
In conditions like this I feel I should be doing some long walks, but that would mean less time available for cycling. A dilemma indeed.
An excellent ride in lovely countryside throughout. It seemed like very hard work to gain an extra 1 mph, but it's good to know it's within my capability.
I didn't really have the whole day today, so I decided to do something a bit shorter than usual, but trying very hard to make it faster. The theory being that provided I coped OK, I'd feel I'm definitely on an improving curve and my confidence would get a boost.
The route for today was this - 102 miles, anticlockwise. For some reason RwGPS won't let me save the elevation profile as I've done before. Maybe they want some money. Anyway, it was largely flat until Evesham, then modest ups and downs thereafter.
I finished in just under 7¼ hours including stops, an average of 14.3 mph, much quicker than anything I've achieved on a comparable route in recent history, so that side of things was successful. Just for a while around 60-70 miles I felt I wanted to slacken off and take it easy, but "miles remaining" soon came down and I felt good right to the end.
I see others have commented on how cold the air was today. I didn't set off until 10 o'clock, when the sun seemed quite strong, but the weather forecast suggested I would need gloves and arm warmers. I believed the forecasters, and they were right.
It is amazingly dry around here at the moment, as can be seen in these two pictures at my final food stop. This is looking west towards the Malverns:
And northwards, towards nowhere in particular:
In conditions like this I feel I should be doing some long walks, but that would mean less time available for cycling. A dilemma indeed.
An excellent ride in lovely countryside throughout. It seemed like very hard work to gain an extra 1 mph, but it's good to know it's within my capability.
Crikey that's some amount of climbing you've done there and taking in some great pubs as well!I seem to be spending too much time riding my bike to post on CC...such is life! Anyway I took full advantage of the current sunny spell today to head out this afternoon towards Kirkstone via Outgates, The Drunken Duck (no pint there this time
), Skelwith Fold, Bog Lane (no floods to negotiate this time
) and down the B road into Ambleside, where the real fun began. I turned up the hill next to The Golden Rule and got stuck into 3 miles of pretty much constant uphill weighing in at an average 20%, though I'm sure some are nearer 25%....in the Cyclechatter's code there's no surrender
.They don't call it The Struggle for nothing...I really felt I'd earned my pint of Kirkstone Black in the Kirkstone Pass Inn as I enjoyed the views over the south Lakes. Then it was time to feel the need...the need for speed as I enjoyed a fast downhill run towards Troutbeck, stopping for a couple of swift halves at The Mortal Man before carrying on down Holbeck Lane(be warned and joining the A591. Luckily I turned off it at Waterhead and headed for Rydal via Under Loughrigg...onto the A591 again but mercifully briefly, thanks to that handy little lane just on the right after White Moss carpark. Another pause at Tweedies Bar to enjoy a couple of fine ales and catch up with old colleagues. The Sublime Chaos stout helped give me a bit of energy to despatch my old favourite Red Bank
and I enjoyed some fine views towards the Langdale Pikes from the track round Loughrigg Tarn. I much prefer this to the road , as you get much better views and fewer Rambo wagons. If you're lucky enough to get a clear still day, then you can see a magnificent reflection of the Pikes in the Tarn.
After a short stretch through Great Langdale, I turned off down the Hawkshead road, left towards Wray Castle and left again onto the Windermere lakeside path-always a favourite of mine, especially in the evening when the sun lights up all the fells on the other side. I saw hardly anyone until I got to the road leading back to Far Sawrey. The hill just after the ferry is only 16% so pretty much pancake flat really
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
10.7 miles this day, building up miles again, although I was on the slow but steady Gary Fisher due to the winds.
67F, 26C
Winds S12, gusty as well
Relative humidity 62%
Barometer 30.03 1018.3mb
Looked for a geodetic survey marker, but found a good place for stealth camping. Shame it's only a couple of miles from home.
67F, 26C
Winds S12, gusty as well
Relative humidity 62%
Barometer 30.03 1018.3mb
Looked for a geodetic survey marker, but found a good place for stealth camping. Shame it's only a couple of miles from home.
galaxy
Veteran
- Location
- Middleton On The Hill
Yes I do. Love it to bits. Unfortunately it doesn't get the use it needsThanks.
I hadn't seen one in that colour previously either but I believe @galaxy has one the same.
It was an adventurous day today, let’s take the bike for a train ride! So I did.
Leave the train at Hornbeam Park, up and out of the station and turn left, or east, to aim for Knaresborough and Low Bridge, then climb the hill away from the River Nidd. A bit of navigation leads out of town in the direction of Farnham and Copgrove, on to Bishop Monkton and ride up Main Street ( ? ) to turn right for Roecliffe and the tempting ladies waiting for the pub to open . . .
Silly Old Cyclist! Ah, well. Boroughbridge has more pubs, and they were open. A pint, grub also. Sorted. Turn south now, and ride through Aldborough and the Dunsforths, first visit in a long time, for me, and then Arkendale, Ferrensby and Knaresborough, riding along the riverside road ( Waterside? ) back to Low Bridge, navigation being disrupted by another pint. Cross the river there and turn right onto the shared use path that leads to Bilton Lane, just for a bit of climbing exercise. It is steeper than the video looks, so my legs told me.
It is always more fun to travel downhill, for me anyway. So from the top, stay on the same road until the Greenway crossroads, turn left and ride that surprisingly civilised ( they do these things so well in Harrogate ) path back into the town centre and catch the train home. The Garmin ran out of charge, so another guess for mileage, forty wonderful miles, OK, the Leeds ones fell a bit short of wonderful, but still.
And a bit of the route, blame the Garmin and me for running out of battery.
Leave the train at Hornbeam Park, up and out of the station and turn left, or east, to aim for Knaresborough and Low Bridge, then climb the hill away from the River Nidd. A bit of navigation leads out of town in the direction of Farnham and Copgrove, on to Bishop Monkton and ride up Main Street ( ? ) to turn right for Roecliffe and the tempting ladies waiting for the pub to open . . .
Silly Old Cyclist! Ah, well. Boroughbridge has more pubs, and they were open. A pint, grub also. Sorted. Turn south now, and ride through Aldborough and the Dunsforths, first visit in a long time, for me, and then Arkendale, Ferrensby and Knaresborough, riding along the riverside road ( Waterside? ) back to Low Bridge, navigation being disrupted by another pint. Cross the river there and turn right onto the shared use path that leads to Bilton Lane, just for a bit of climbing exercise. It is steeper than the video looks, so my legs told me.
It is always more fun to travel downhill, for me anyway. So from the top, stay on the same road until the Greenway crossroads, turn left and ride that surprisingly civilised ( they do these things so well in Harrogate ) path back into the town centre and catch the train home. The Garmin ran out of charge, so another guess for mileage, forty wonderful miles, OK, the Leeds ones fell a bit short of wonderful, but still.
And a bit of the route, blame the Garmin and me for running out of battery.
Roadhump
Time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted
- Location
- The flatlands of South West Lancs
Hope your get up and go gets well soon. Having a few days off myself due to manflu.I've been too pawly to get out on the bike this last fortnight thanks to a virus.
Seeing pics of and reading about lovely rides has got me going green with envy.
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
No pics today but a positive note all the same.
Quit racing many years ago due to an almost endless knee niggle that I attributed to a non-cycling incident in 2010. Over the years I've had countless sport therapist treatments for hip tears, ITB syndrome, achilles tendonitis etc etc and basically took it for "normal to me" Even something as simple as sitting at my desk became a chore as the knee niggle was always present after a ride. I ended up using my laptop more and either lying on the settee or on my bed just so there was no bend in my right leg.
A chance encounter two weeks ago with a Retul bike fitter and mention of wanting to look at shoes led to me having my feet put on one of these. It tells you how your arches fall basically. **not my feet below**
I was once a wannabe triathlete and had had my gait analysed at a running specific shop, turning out that I needed "support" shoes to run in. This is interesting because I'd never considered bike shoes,just blaming residual niggles from going for a run (sometimes as a brick off the bike) In the end I ended up with Specialized BG Blue footbeds for medium arches.
I knew physically that bike setup/geometry and cleat positioning were all fine and not making anything worse, it occurred to me this morning that the past 2 weeks have been the longest period of pain free sport I've had in years. Turns out after all that, my left leg was the problem and the right leg(the problem one I thought) just wasn't capable of the compensating it was doing. Grand cost of £23.99, puts the other expenditure into perspective a bit...
Sorry, had a thought provoking ride this morning
Quit racing many years ago due to an almost endless knee niggle that I attributed to a non-cycling incident in 2010. Over the years I've had countless sport therapist treatments for hip tears, ITB syndrome, achilles tendonitis etc etc and basically took it for "normal to me" Even something as simple as sitting at my desk became a chore as the knee niggle was always present after a ride. I ended up using my laptop more and either lying on the settee or on my bed just so there was no bend in my right leg.
A chance encounter two weeks ago with a Retul bike fitter and mention of wanting to look at shoes led to me having my feet put on one of these. It tells you how your arches fall basically. **not my feet below**
I was once a wannabe triathlete and had had my gait analysed at a running specific shop, turning out that I needed "support" shoes to run in. This is interesting because I'd never considered bike shoes,just blaming residual niggles from going for a run (sometimes as a brick off the bike) In the end I ended up with Specialized BG Blue footbeds for medium arches.
I knew physically that bike setup/geometry and cleat positioning were all fine and not making anything worse, it occurred to me this morning that the past 2 weeks have been the longest period of pain free sport I've had in years. Turns out after all that, my left leg was the problem and the right leg(the problem one I thought) just wasn't capable of the compensating it was doing. Grand cost of £23.99, puts the other expenditure into perspective a bit...
Sorry, had a thought provoking ride this morning
Today's was something different . I'm doing the Rutland Cicle Sportive on Saturday so today I drove to the start at Rutland Water did a few miles on the outward route then cut across and found the route again which was well signposted .The main target was to do the climb of Neville Holt a wall of a climb which being south of Leicester I hadn't done before. The roads leading to Neville Holt are rolling your constantly going up or down . Turned on to the Holt and your welcomed by the sight of a dead straight climb of at least 15% 
. Made up to the top without using bottom gear . Not sure about Sat when I will have 80 miles in the legs . On the next climb there was a clunk from the rear of the bike and the gears were jumping all over the place 
. They were ok in the lowest gears but the seemed slack in the middle of the cassette . Took it carefully the last 10 miles to the car trying to spin up the climbs without putting pressure on . 50.7 miles in the bag with 3000,ft of climbing just got to get my head round doing double that on Sat 104 miles and 6000ft .
Despite the gear issues it was a lovely ride on some nice quiet lanes . Still a bit nervous about Sat
Dropped bike in Lbs ( Julie's cycles Leicester ) and it looks like the rear derailleur is shot . They promise to have it back on the road for Sat
.In a way it's good it happened on today's ride and not on Sats
. Made up to the top without using bottom gear . Not sure about Sat when I will have 80 miles in the legs . On the next climb there was a clunk from the rear of the bike and the gears were jumping all over the place . They were ok in the lowest gears but the seemed slack in the middle of the cassette . Took it carefully the last 10 miles to the car trying to spin up the climbs without putting pressure on . 50.7 miles in the bag with 3000,ft of climbing just got to get my head round doing double that on Sat 104 miles and 6000ft .Despite the gear issues it was a lovely ride on some nice quiet lanes . Still a bit nervous about Sat
Dropped bike in Lbs ( Julie's cycles Leicester ) and it looks like the rear derailleur is shot . They promise to have it back on the road for Sat
.In a way it's good it happened on today's ride and not on Sats
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Hope you're feeling more chipper soon too Bike update . Back home with new rear derailleur fitted as the bush had gone in the old one . Massive thanks to Julie's cycles for the quick turn around all ready for Saturday now . My first big sportive around 900 riders and just 104 miles and 6000 ft of climbing to get done
Jon George
Mamil and couldn't care less
- Location
- Suffolk an' Good
