Your ride today....

[Simontm]

A quick one out last night. Was planning longer but got held up and couldn't find a front light for love nor money so had to be sure to be back before too dark. (Needless to say one light was staring at me clear as day this morning.)
Bushy Park



, Shepperton, Laleham, down the Thames to Chertsey, Woburn Hill, Weybridge where, thanks to Strava, to my surprise it was the first time I've ridden up Monument Hill.
Hersham, Esher, home.
28m, 1:24

 

[Stonechat]

Went out this morning, a bit sticky

Tried to do an ftp test, though I usually get these wrong.

Fast pace around roads round Chertsey

26.12 miles @ 17.1 mph with 502 feet climbed
https://www.strava.com/activities/1089253826
Perhaps a little tired from a cpouple of long drives on the previous tow days

 

[Dave 123]

A ride to the White Swan in Connington tonight. A couple of pints of Trelawney were had.
It was biker night

There were plenty of old geezers there, many with limps and hip replacements.... Mods, Rockers and leather clad modern Jap riders with humps on their backs.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1090147659

 

[gavgav]

My Cube is due its annual checkover and so I nipped it up to @Rickshaw Phil who has kindly agreed to provide his expert services, which are far better than the LBS

Having bought my new Carbon racer, I've not ridden the Cube since the end of April and so it felt like riding a tank when I got on it!! The upright position felt very unnatural and the seat felt blooming awful. Phil has some ideas around changing the set up which might make things a bit better though.

Just headed up to Phil's via an extended route around the village, to get rid of some pent up annoyances from a rubbish day at work and dropped the bike off.

Very warm but also very windy, which meant hard going climb up, but a nice tail wind downhill on the last section.

3.7 miles at 11.7mph avg (much slower than on the Carbon!!)

 

[dfthe1]

Bit late to the party, but this was my Sunday evening ride in Warwickshire, including Edstone Aqueduct and Wootton Wawen. The sunset was amazing, and lasted around an hour, changing all the time.

 

[Simontm]

Another quick one. Didn't really know where to go but knew there was an east wind so thought I'd vaguely go eastwards for a bit and exercise the legs. Chessington, Ewell, Stoneleigh, then onto the London Road. The wind was so strong that even the downhill into Morden I had to peddle to maintain some speed.
Through Wimbledon, up the hill, over to Putney then Sheen where I noticed Pearson has set up a shop, probably been there for years but the first time I noticed it.
Over to Kew, Brentford, Hounslow, Hampton, home.
31m, 1:55

 

[Reynard]

Wow, that's amazing @dfthe1

Had a lovely 17 mile ride this evening in spite of the very blustery conditions. Rode most of it into either a headwind or a crosswind.

Went via Downham Common and Black Bank to Littleport before swinging onto the A10 for the long drag up to Sandhill Bridge. From there, it's a drop down to ride along Branch Bank and Padnal Bank all the way to Queen Adelaide. Over the railway there, and into Ely, using the cycle path through Stour Green before crossing back over the A10 and climbing up to Orwell Pit before fizzing into Downham and thence home.

It's one of the more challenging rides I do (other than just adding distance) as the road is always undulating and there are a few nasty little climbs to be negotiated. It's funny how people think the fens are flat, because they ain't. Haven't been out this way since the end of April, and I'm getting better at this climbing lark because I didn't run out of gears this time.

Must've been a popular evening for cyclists to get out as I saw eleven on my way round - some grumpy, some friendly, but hey. One chap was very cheery while I was sat on a wall at Sandhill for a drink and haribo stop. Saluted him with my drinks bottle.

Spotted a couple of good places to go hazelnutting and wallnutting later in the year.

Oh yes, and the new glasses are exactly what I was looking for. No flies or crud in my eyes today.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

That hurt. My first mountain bike ride in 18 months. Mountain biking has started to be a bit like caving for me. Something I do very occasionally to remind me that I don't enjoy it that much. I couldn't face the rigid Saracen with cant I brakes you need to book a week in advance of wanting to use them!

The Bontrager Ti was quickly prepared and checked and off I went this morning. I anticipated that two circuits of the Red route on Cannock would take about two hours with a couple of stops to enjoy the view. It took me an age to find the helmet I had last worn 18 months ago but, eventually, and with a family of spiders evicted and relocated to log shelter I was ready.

The first 100m or so we're enough to tell me I needed more air in the tyres. It took quite a lot actually over the next few hundred more to get this right. I really thought I would only be able to do one lap. My hands were hurting so much but, after a while I was picking the lines better (you have to do this when you only have 50mm or so of travel) and holding the bars with less of a death grip!

I managed to get up the major climb in the middle ring (36 x 26) and so decided to reward myself with the second lap after all. I thought with my daughter suffering on her D of E hike, I should hurt a little too.

Two full laps in 1 hour 45 with a few minor stops for drinks, getting enraged insects out of the stupid plastic hat and one mechanical where the brake quick release well, quick released!

Weather was great, plenty of dust and the bike shop up there doesn't sell brake pads for HS-33s!

I don't think it will be another 18 months before I go again! Much more physical than my usual road rides of similar duration!

 

[Buck]

After a three week lay off from the bike following another bout of gastroenteritis I managed to get out on Friday for an hour but that was just a pootle around and was simply about just getting back on the bike - https://www.strava.com/activities/1083416021

I was determined to get out tonight and put some more miles in although I was still not firing on all cylinders. I wanted to get a 20 mile ride in and the weather despite being blustery was lovely and the temperature was perfect - lots of other cyclists out tonight making the same decision!

Out of the village and staying on the A629 into a noticeable headwind I then turned off and headed through Upper Debby and then across the Barnsley Road to take me on the rollercoaster lanes past Deffer Wood and then a right through High Hoyland and dropping down towards DArton before a right turn and the steady climb into Cawthorne.

Once through Cawthorne a short spell on the main Barnsley Road before I turned off and took the steady but noticeable climb upto Gunthwhaite Hall and back into Upper Denby.

By now the shaking roads in my neck of the woods had discovered a rattling headset so this was remedied with a few turns of the allen key and (hopefully) all sorted!

Heading out of Upper Debby a nobber passenger in a yellow Vauxhall Adam shouted W*nker at me as they drove past - goodness knows why but I did shout something less than polite back to him about him being a daffodil to match the colour of the car!

I decided I wasn't going to do the extended ride that I had as an option so at the main road I took a left then right and rode across the reservoir dam with the midges out in force - literally clouds of the little sods and a definite mouth clamped shut to stop involuntary protein supplements!

Up the hill that is Horn Lane than onto Broadstones Road back towards home and the usual descent into the village before a shower and relaxing sit down!

Looking at Strava I'd managed a few PRs so more than happy with those as I certainly wasn't pushing it - hopefully that means my base fitness is OK and just need to get some more miles in (especially as I am joining a few fellow CCers on Saturday to do the York Hull York Century ride!)

22.3 with 1745ft of climbing

https://www.strava.com/activities/1090133440
https://www.relive.cc/view/1090133440

 

[iandg]

I was in the lab until midnight so had some compensatory rest. Sun was shining so added some lieu time and took the day off.Spent the morning playing with the Genesis but in the end decided to go off road on the Surly.. Hit the local trails then called into 'Bespoke' (Stornoway's new cycle cafe) for coffee and cake before heading home. Second ride on the 47c Smart Sams - they're the dog's...........

View: https://www.strava.com/activities/1089466350/embed/028624d5b803a65ce376d41e8f2aaa7a35c6e048


https://www.relive.cc/view/1089466350

The Cross Check - with 700x47c tyres

Satellite Image - no cloud

 

[Katherine]

After a recent reminder of how enjoyable and empty, the road up through Belmont and over the moors to White Coppice is, I decided to use my extra day off go back and do the route again that comes back down through Angelzarke and Rivington. It was a hot wind today, unfortunately behind me when I was going down hill and with fresh legs. The headwind and crosswinds on my return were a nightmare. I don't think I will be tempted to do the steep hill up past Angelzarke for quite a long time. Apart from that I had a lovely ride. 41 miles and 2659 feet of elevation. Getting a third best time on Strava on segments that I have only done 3 times shows how rubbish my legs were today.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

A bit of a tour on the knockabout bike before lunch today. It was a route I know well: Over Lyth Hill, Exfords Green, Oaks, Pulverbatch, Wilderley, Walkmills, Leebotwood, Longnor, Condover and back home via Lyth Hill again.

Not much to report for the first half of the ride other than the wind was behind me on the climb to Oaks which made it a little easier and I enjoyed being on these lanes in some nice warm summer conditions.

By the time I got to Leebotwood there were threatening clouds to the south and as I got onto the old roman road I felt a couple of spots of rain so made the most of the wind direction and pressed on as quick as I could to avoid getting wet. As it turns out the rain didn't come to anything but I still enjoyed trying to beat it to home.

24.3 miles at 13.4 mph average (very quick on this bike on a quite hilly route)

No photos today as I forgot to take my mobile with me.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

The climb to John o’ Gaunts concentrates things a bit,

It does now, with the M1 access

I still miss the hump-backed bridge that used to be down just after that skew railway bridge

turn left and cross both the Aire and Calder canal and the river Aire itself and then enjoy the two step climb up to the quite gentle but still up ride through Swillington.
There is the reward of the drop to Garforth roundabout, where there seemed to be a club ride travelling roughly the same way

When we used to live in Stanley, I headed up that way a lot
For some odd reason, I only ever felt 'warmed up'/ready to press on, by the bridge at Garforth railway station

but they went straight on where foolish me turned right to ascend the cliff. Did I say I was riding the fixed? My legs will tell you all about it. Straight on at Peckfield Bar and right at the next roundabout to make my way via Sherburn Bends to, inevitably, Sherburn

Garforth Cliff
It's a decent view from there, over past the site of 'Kippax Castle', & the old Isolation Hospital (where static caravans are) - Cliff Top Park?)
I wonder how long it is, since Savills closed?
Do you remember this??

The track's still there, in places, & the tunnel-mouths




A fairly steady run over, 'Peckfield Bar', the Selby TurnPike bar was supposed to have been on the eastern side of the roundabout (one book I have, states, where the grassy 'triangle' is)
I guess it was far too much work, to remove the embankment, that the A63, used to access the 'GNR' (the remnants of it are behind the hotel, & sweep back in after the caravan site


Oh!, & it goes without saying, but 'Beware of Motor-Bikes' around there
My bikes all have a visitors badge, on the top-tube

http://www.squires-cafe.co.uk/index.asp

 

[Gravity Aided]

Can still see the original, though.
http://www.durangotrain.com/
DRGS replaced by D&S after they refurbished the line and brought it all back to life, justa few years after it was abandoned. I think it may be one of the last narrow gauge trains left in the U.S.

 

[Simontm]

So thought I'd go for a long trek today. Up to Eton where I somehow took the wrong turn and ended up at Eton Bridge instead of heading upriver. No matter, over into Windsor and follow the Nbr to Maidenhead which turns into...the...most...boring road ever. Just a straight road of tedium.
Then onto the Bath Road enlivened by many a close pass but then a lovely church at Littlewick....

Into Reading where I'm impressed by the cycleways by the canal but realise it's time to turn for home.
I stopped by this church...

For a banana which prompted an old fella to ask if I was OK and was the banana for cramp! I reassured him that I was just refuelling and set off again. This time heading for Wokingham. Never been to the place but it has some nice historical streets...

And more nice churches...

Headed from there to Bracknell, Ascot, Sunningdale where I ran out of drinks just where there's sod all shops.
So up and over Longcross to Chertsey where I dived into the petrol station for a drink. Over the Bridge and into Lower Sunbury, Hampton Court then home. Pleased that for the majority of the ride, my pace was steady although I should have mapped the return better rather than having to keep stopping to look at my phone .
78miles, 5:00