Your ride today....

[twentysix by twentyfive]

The ankle is still a bit swollen but it seems to do most of what is required of it. Unclipping is still a bit tricky. Nevertheless it was a lovely afternoon so I headed out around the north of the hills. I met Ralph R coming the other way so we stopped for a chat. Having caught up I took the run around to Mathon and on down to Peg's Farm. Then on over the Munsley lump to ride south along the flanks of the Marcles. I'd been getting some assistance from the wind but now I headed east and north with sections of windy hindrance. My legs began to send "enough" signals but I ignored them as I continued north through the Castlemorton lanes. Just a zig and a zag left before I rolled home with a big smile on my face. That had been a good one. 51 smiles

 

[cosmicbike]

After wasting a trip round the M25, finding my training course cancelled and driving back home again, I cycled into work. Windy windy it was, hard going North up between the reservoirs. On the plus side, the ride home South through the reservoirs was much easier

 

[i hate hills]

Ten miler on the MTB this afternoon after work. Didn't feel great all day. Not sure if i'm in for something or if it will pass . Hard going today . Very unfit at this moment and the wind dont do me any favours. Never mind if i keep chipping away it will get better i'm sure.

 

[welsh dragon]

Ten miler on the MTB this afternoon after work. Didn't feel great all day. Not sure if i'm in for something or if it will pass . Hard going today . Very unfit at this moment and the wind dont do me any favours. Never mind if i keep chipping away it will get better i'm sure.

Well done for getting out despite not feeling well. A like for that.

 

[Arjimlad]

I rode to work & back yesterday but the evening was spent with 18 or so cubs in my pack.

I slung a large kitbag over my back with a track pump sticking out & rolled my way gently to the school playground we had booked for the evening.

We did bike maintenance.

I showed them how to mend a puncture (one cub attended with his punctured bike) and then how to check tyre pressures and clean & oil the chain. There were all sorts of bikes there, some cared for, some not, some made of cheese, some not.

They then belted off round the field. My pal showed up on his amazing one-off custom cruiser bike to wow them & open their eyes to different types of bike.

Next Monday they are due to go on a little ride along a quiet lane to a local village.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Got the week off work this week. Lazy day yesterday still recovering from Saturdays ride but decided I had to get out today. Took the opportunity to go check out a cafe for a future ride with @tallliman (and @13 rider and anyone else who wants to join us) and also tick off some more squares for the Veloviewer explorer squares.

The cafe at its shortest route is about 15 miles but I wanted to do more than 30 miles.

I headed out to Theddingworth were I needed to ride through three squares one of which only has 1 road on it and nothing else. When I got to the road there is a big sign saying private road and no right of way, unfortunately I never saw it by the time I got to the second sign warning of impending doom I thought I better turn around not knowing if I'd got far enough into the square or not.

From there went through Husband Bosworth and Welford before hitting Naseby. Took a slight detour off the route to take a snap of the monument

From there I took a fantastic single track road to Thornby, one of those that sees so few cars it has grass growing down the middle. From there it was the short climb into Cold Ashby and down the steep side and onto Elkington.

At Elkington I saw a bridleway sign to Winwick, now there is a square near there that has no roads in it so I know at some point I am going to have to go for a walk to tick that one off and another that only has one road from the south which means riding around below Winwick and back up. So I thought sod it detoured off the route and jumped on the bridleway thinking I would at least tick off the square with the southern road. Rode 2 miles on the bridleway which was pretty much a grass track through several fields, was just a tad bumpy .

From there it was back onto normal roads, through Yelvertoft, Clay Coton, South Kilworth and into North Kilworth for the cafe stop.

Cafe stop was reasonable, serves hot food as well as homemade cakes. Had a latte and carrot cake, sat outside and enjoyed a brief break. Will be using the cafe in the future. (cafe is Alfreds Cafe on the B5414 just as you come out of North Kilworth)

After the cafe stop it was directish route home and 53 miles all done. Once uploaded I checked the squares and got the private road one and the two near to Winwick

https://www.strava.com/activities/977994948

 

[Pale Rider]

My ride today included a trip to get a pic for the lost cycle path thread, a visit to the chemist, a park, and it finished with some local history.

Here's the 'lost' path.

Next on the list is Barnes Park, a traditional Victorian town park complete with bandstand.

There a path up to the tree line, quite steep over a short distance, so it's a job for the granny ring on the push bike.

Personal King of the Mountain points bagged, it's time to nip down to the chemist.

Better lock the bike to the railings, even though I will only be in there a minute or two.

Now for the history lesson.

This is a typical north east back lane.

The wooden shutters are where the coal used to be delivered from a horse and cart - the height is so the sacks could be emptied directly off the back of the cart.

The new bricks at the left of the pic would also have been a wooden shutter, but this time for the waste from the outside toilet to be emptied.

We have running water up here now and all sorts, but a mate's first house bought in the 1990s still had a working outside toilet, although by that time it had been plumbed into the sewer in the lane.

Most of the back yard walls have now been rebuilt with garage doors, as mine has.

The last pic also relates to back lane services.

On some corners you will see small pyramids of concrete.

These were to enable the coal cart to make the sharp turn by pivoting the nearside wheel against the corner.

The concrete stopped the wheel from snagging and damaging the corners of the bricks.

Who would have thought walls - and stretches of 1930s paths - could be so interesting?

 

[Gravity Aided]

So long as the honey cart doesn't spill.

 

[Con]

Did my first 50km+ ride today well 53.2 to be precise. I know that doesn't sound much compared to most of you lot but its a big milestone for me on my heavy old mountain bike so I'm well chuffed.

 

[I like Skol]

Went out in the evening sunshine for a little MTB blast with Jnr just before tea. It was glorious and we worked our way around to the top of Hartshead Pike, but not before the little guy took a tumble in the first half a mile....

He was a brave little soldier and didn't cry at all. We continued on and did a little over 8 miles. Also managed to fit in a pub stop and had a nice pint of Peroni sat in the sunshine outside the Hare & Hounds at Luzley. It's nice to be out of a sunny evening

 

[cosmicbike]

Went out in the evening sunshine for a little MTB blast with Jnr just before tea. It was glorious and we worked our way around to the top of Hartshead Pike, but not before the little guy took a tumble in the first half a mile....
View attachment 351644 View attachment 351645

He was a brave little soldier and didn't cry at all. We continued on and did a little over 8 miles. Also managed to fit in a pub stop and had a nice pint of Peroni sat in the sunshine outside the Hare & Hounds at Luzley. It's nice to be out of a sunny evening

Ouchy, liked for the ride, and I do hope Jnr got a pint too for continuing

 

[cosmicbike]

Tough day today, so no chance to get out until this evening to clear the head and spin the legs. Really couldn't be bothered which was a shame as the sun was out, but the wind was tough again. 12 miles

 

[i hate hills]

Well done for getting out despite not feeling well. A like for that.

Thank you WD

 

[Katherine]

An unexpected free evening after a cancelled committee meeting, so of course, I had to take the bike out.
A beautiful sunny evening ride out around Dunham.

 

[Old jon]

^^^ Wonderful pic, hope the ride matched it!