Your ride today....

[Old jon]

Some of the hillier bits today, especially downhill. And then I took the fixed out and remembered too late that downhill is hard work on that. Ah well, I may learn.

One of my favourite bits of downhill is Black Hill Road, and an easy way to reach the top, hang on, easy? Who am I kidding? It is easy to start with. Hurtle around Holbeck and find the towpath at Office Lock, ride up the towpath to Viaduct Road and down that road to the start of the less than easy. Up, quite a way up, to Headingley. On from there to the Ring Road, still up, and across that to take the right at the next traffic lights. Church Lane then takes the route across Adel Dam.

Followed by some more ascent to the top of Black Hill Road. On the fixed it is a whole new carry on, descending that sort of hill. Fun in the ‘ I hope I manage this ‘ mould. Anyway, manage it I did, and will manage better next time. Only need to make the legs spin faster.

Anti climax after that, really. Turn left at the bottom of the hill, A 659 all the way to Otley, find the A 660 going to Leeds and follow that. A spatter of rain started just as I reached Headingley, I wonder if there was a cricket match on? The rain kept falling all the way back home, gently, and stopped just as I turned into the end of the street, thirty one and a bit miles after leaving it. Tired, smile, no camera.
But we do have a map

 

[EltonFrog]

Just back from a little ride on the Kingpin to get some milk, just over 4 miles, well there's no point in starting the car up for that is there. A warm but overcast day, families are out having picnics along the route.

A bench a long the track, there are a few of these in different styles made by local artists.

Under the old railway bridge, over a 150 years old that bridge.

 

[mjr]

Rain forecast this afternoon, so I popped to the pub for a Friday early afternoon pint at the community-owned King's Arms Shouldham in the last of the sunshine before returning to work on some tricky customer support requests. I returned through the warren that is a route I'd love to do more often than I do, but it's a challenging ride because it involves tarmac, sand track (actually very deep sand in places at the moment), stone road, rutted grass track, dirt road and stonedust road... the rhododendrons were out and looking lovely with the foxglove:

Then it was on past the big trees:

And the banks next to the bridge over the drain have gotten so worn down that it's quite a step and necessary to lift the bike on/off it now:

The only thing which stopped it being pretty much a perfect ride was the thunderstorm arriving when I was within sight of home!

 

[Stonechat]

Another ride in Devon, not much time so got out early.

Aim was to do hill repeats of a tough local hill
It proved to be too tough, very steep (more than 20%), and narrow. The centre of the road had gravelly loose stones like so many round here. It was almost impossible to hold a straight enough line, rear wheel on the gravel would spin.

So just kept doing the other hills
Only 11.3 miles, but lots of hills, one at around 20%, easier in opposite direction.

1624 feet climbed so highest feet/mile ever for me
Speed was meagre 9.8 mph!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1017113684

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I was a bit tired after yesterday's miles but Margaret PR asked for a ride so, being a gentleman, I couldn't say no. Out through the Castlemorton lanes for Bromsberrow allowed us to take a slightly different route to Kempley. Now we took to relatively unused lanes over Gwynne's Hill and Lyne Down (or up it should be) for the cafe at Much Marcle. A quick couple of coffees and we took to a little used diversion at Rushall to take another lane which I haven't ridden for many a long year. At Ledbury we headed for the bike shop where Margaret picked up her new bike, leaving her old one for a service. The new machine rode very well as we looped by Eastnor for Bromsberrow and a return through those well used lanes. Nice outing today with my friend. 53 smiles.

 

[numbnuts]

Southampton Naked Bike Ride sorry no photos

 

[EltonFrog]

Another late afternoon early evening ride today, this time on the MTB, up to the Ridgeway again to meet the Fragrant MrsP who today was walking 24.8 mile back from work, as you do! I met her just outside Streatley then did a very slow ride back with her. Another nice evening.

The old railway line again.

In the other direction.

Green innit?

The Ridgeway.

 

[cosmicbike]

A nice, cool commute in to work this morning, gave the sunburnt head a rest Had some really heavy rain at the airport today and I was thinking about a wet ride home, but thankfully all cleared and a nice pedal home. Looks like I may have to service the PF30 BB on the Boardman again, disappointing as it's only done 6000 miles....

 

[numbnuts]

Southampton Naked Bike Ride sorry no photos

Oh yes there are form the Daily Echo

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.relive.cc/view/1017990365

June's Imperial ton ride completed.

Rustington convalescent home.

The British Airways I 360, and my bike.

The West pier.

A small dolphin in batter, and chips with mushy peas.

Customary beer shot.

Chichester harbour AONB.

Portsdown hill ( for the second time in one day)

147 miles done, I've ridden this ride a few times now, this time I let Garmin do the route. I won't be doing it that way again.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Southampton Naked Bike Ride sorry no photos

Never have I been more glad to not be in Southampton on my bike

 

[iandg]

Friday - Away on holiday next weekend so took the afternoon off and a spin around the Westside Loop to get my 50km /month challenge ride ticked off.

Wind assisted out across Barvas Moor then a tough head/cross wind Barvas to Callanish. Cake stop at the busy Callanish Visitor Centre (pot of Earl Grey, a bag of crisps, coffee and walnut cake and ice cream) then a wind assisted ride back home across Acha Mor.

Unfortunately I pushed the wrong buttons on the Garmin at the cafe stop so the GPSn track is in 2 parts, but adding the 2 tracks together I almost broke 3 hours (3-00-33) riding time for the 75km loop

Barvas Moor heading westward (the easy way)

View: https://www.strava.com/activities/1017819176/embed/d36e6410e28328018d0daec5e177ff419f58f4a2


View: https://www.strava.com/activities/1017821268/embed/33d612186e81adc8eb38134d7d9d5bac5bddb4fe

 

[gavgav]

My first ride for 4 weeks, after coming down with a stinker of a Virus that knocked me for Six. With a busy month ahead I decided to get my half century challenge ride in, despite the fact that I knew my legs would complain after the lack of riding.

The overnight rain had gone and so I chose the Carbon racer as my steed. Got it out of the shed, and attached the track pump to the front valve and it snapped . Decision to make, shall I swap to the hybrid, or change the tube? I wanted the extra speed and so decided to change the tube. Plus it was good practice, as I've not got the wheel off this new bike yet. All went smoothly, once i'd remembered where the quick release is on a Campagnolo front brake set and I finally set off 30 minutes later.

The wind was gusting strongly from a W/SW direction, which made the first half of the ride pretty hard work, but it was warm and sunny and I donned shorts and t-shirt for the first time this year. I headed down to Meole Brace island, which has been the subject of 6 months of chaotic roadworks, which no-one understands the point of. There is now a road and cycle path through the middle of the "Island". Apparently it's much better for cyclists, according to the council.....So I thought I would try it. If I take my normal route around the island and through the underpass, I have 2 roads to easily cross at traffic lights. This new route necessitates 5 sets of road crossing and takes much much longer. Utterly bonkers and I will be sticking to my normal route.

Continued up to Shelton and then out onto the road to Montford Bridge. About now I realised I had forgotten to put my micro pump in!! I had to hope that my bad luck had all been encountered already.

Turned onto the lanes to Shrawardine, Pentre, Royal Hill and Melverley, before crossing into Wales, over the narrow bridge. Just after here, I became aware of a car behind me and it sat there for a good minute, despite there being plenty of room for it to pass. I used my arm to motion to it to come through and they hooted their horn and motioned for me to pull over! How much ruddy room did they need? It was a Honda Jazz, not a Juggernaut and so I continued on, leaving them to decide where they were going to pass me. They eventually turned off behind me and hooted again, so they got a "V" sign back. I am all for people waiting for a clear place to pass and giving room, but there was room for 2 cars to pass here!!

At Crew Green I turned onto the busier main road, but out of the wind and cruised along quickly to Princes Oak, where I turned off and up the biggest climb of the day. Set my fastest time up the climb, on Strava, which proves that the smaller set of gears on the racer is not causing me a problem at all

I arrived at Westbury and then out onto another busy main road to Yockleton, but the drivers were really well behaved on all the main roads today, which was nice after the pillock in the Jazz! On the quick section, to Nox, I had a first on a bike ride, when I overtook a Steam Engine (Incidentally, about 2 hours later I headed out in the car, turned out of my estate and the same Steam Engine was in the layby stoking up the fire!)

At Nox I turned up the lovely scenic section towards Lea Cross, pausing at this small lake to watch the horses, geese and ducks for a few minutes.

I negotiated the horrid junction at Lea Cross and then climbed the short steep bank towards Annscroft. I then turned onto the road to the wonderfully named village of Hook-A-Gate and back to Shrewsbury. I passed the football ground, where crane's were in situ, lifting the pieces into the ground that will make up the stage for the Rod Stewart concert that is taking place on Wednesday.

32.9 miles and really good to be back out on the bike.

 

[NorthernDave]

I'm riding the cycling part of next weekends ITU Leeds World Triathlon tomorrow as a sighting run with three triathletes who are taking part in it, and I'm fully expecting to get my backside kicked up hill and down dale, trying to keep up with them. So today the plan was just for a steady ride to get a few miles under the wheels of the Pro Carbon and not do anything too excessive.

Local roads and down to Leeds Road heading for Scholes and as I started to get the hammer down to climb the hill it seemed awfully hard work. I don't know if it's my hayfever (high pollen count today) or the cold that's been lingering around for weeks but it just seemed hard work getting air into my lungs. Anyway, I eventually reached the top and cycled on past the Coronation Tree and up towards Barwick.
The long gentle descent into and through Barwick was welcome and I got a decent speed going on the drop down to Cock Beck but at the climb up Cattle Lane, I started huffing and puffing again and it was a slow climb to the top.
Into Aberford and right up, down and then up again past the Almshouses and the steady rise out to the road to Garforth, which continues to climb steadily all the way to the top, before a gentle drop onto the M1 roundabout and then in a generally downward direction into Garforth.
Right here under the railway bridge and onto Long Lane for the climb back into Barwick, enjoying the manoeuvre of the day from a teapot in a Disco towing a trailer who stayed well back until it was safe to pass, gave me plenty of room as he did pass and then virtually as soon as he'd cleared me, put the indicator on and turned left across the front of me into a yard entrance, all but stopping as he did so and causing me to brake hard and take avoiding action.

Anyway, into Barwick and the climb almost all the way back to Scholes where the huffing and puffing started again and I was glad to drop down the hill into the village and decided on a whim to carry on Main Street and add a longer loop home on, just to get a few more flattish miles in.
The always awful stretch on the A64 wasn't too bad today, then Thorner Lane (headwind) and a 90 degree turn onto Skeltons Lane (headwind) brought me to another 90 degree turn onto Coal Road (headwind). What the heck..?
What should have been a blast to home on local roads got extended when I started catching up with Morrisons delivery van heading in the same direction. It turned into our street and knowing our shopping delivery was due, I decided to leave Mrs ND to it and added another long loop on to keep out of the way

18.7 miles (30.09km) in 1h 20m at an average of 13.9mph with 948ft climbed and a maximum temperature of 18.0°C, although it felt warmer in the sun.

Quite a few cyclists out despite the early hour and all in a good ride, despite the hard work.

No pics during the ride as I didn't stop, but here's one from near Cock Beck when we took the dog for a walk later:

And to end, a map:

Fingers crossed tomorrows ride goes better!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Again I set out feeling a bit tired but it was a good gang who met up at the Pot. 9 out including Mrs 26 and me. Steve E and Sara P rode over with us from Malvern as did Mark L. Waiting at the Pot were Pete M, Margaret PR, John G and Jules H. It was a fairly standard run out to Pendock where Steve and Sara headed home for their individual family reasons. Our route continued to be a traditional one with chatter dominating the peloton. Newent saw us sitting outside for our refreshments.

John was keen to find a quick way home but stuck with us to Dymock before heading for Ledbury while 6 now took to the round by Ryton. Mrs 26 likes to go by Hollybush so off she went, meeting John G coming up from Ledbury. I had explained we were the ones cutting the corner off. At The Farmer's Arms Mark punctured so Jules called a pub stop. Very nice it was sitting there supping a pint of ale while Mark fixed his tyre. Now cafe legs were evident as we rode homeward with a peloton split at Little Welland for the Upton or Malvern bound folks. Tired legs climbed the last lump up and over onto the common. Lovely social one today all good for sure. 51 smiles