Your ride today....

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Gareth C

Veteran
Location
North Pennines.
A kind of duathlon...

The kind where the first 90% is fighting the hills and headwinds on North Yorkshire tarmac and gravel roads…

… and the last 10% is a push up a bridleway in a forest surrounded by a million flies buzzing around my head*. Where are those headwinds when you need them?

Do you think there would be much call for a Duathlon like this?

* at this point my sense of humour failed!

It was a very windy day, and first day of practice in the ‘Ard Rock Endure that I’d ridden the last two years. I thought I’d take a trip down to see how things were going because it’s a lovely part of the world, and the event village would have wood-fired pizza ovens (= pizza for Gareth!).

To avoid a monster day in the wind, I parked up at the top of the Stang and rode down Arkengarthdale to Reeth, battered by the sidewind.

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Once in town I headed down to the event village for a quick look around, and then pizza, before setting off in a homeward direction, but via ‘Ard Rock sections 1 and 6. First up was a big climb with loads of enduroists out for their practice. The road is fearfully steep, and my cross bike proved the best tool for getting up the hill (but my heart was about to explode on reaching the top).

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My route then went via Marrick Moor, a bit of gravel road, becoming extremely rough near Holgate.

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Back on the tarmac, my mind was moving to how to get back to the top of The Stang. There were two potential bridleways, then a farm track, and finally (and worst of all), tarmac to the bottom and the monster climb back up to the top.

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The first two bridleways looked far too sketchy (at least the bits visible from the road), so I skipped these. The farm track was great, albeit back into the wind. Just before East Hope I entered the forest.

There was a bridleway heading up the edge of the forest – I took this knowing it might be a walk. Indeed it was. What I hadn’t bargained for was the lack of wind in the forest… which brought with it a swarm of flies around me for the duration of the climb. I nearly lost my mind with this distraction, and it seemed forever before I reached the section of forest that had been felled, and the wind was switched back on. Flies gone. A short ride along a shooting track brought me back to the car. What a hard day out!

https://www.relive.cc/view/1116951825
 

cosmicbike

Perhaps This One.....
Moderator
Location
Egham
More of a my rides in the past 2 weeks. Been in France visiting a few spots. Started in Le Mans, where I drove along part of the famous 24hr circuit, albeit slightly slower than the race cars in my campervan. A little bit of family riding around a little place called Le Grez to the local 'etang' (literal translation being pond, but rather a lake with it's own beach).
We were only overnighting on the way to our 6 night stay at Camping Le Paradis, nicely located on the D706 between one of the nicest villages in France, St Leon-sur-Vezere and the Roque St Christophe. The Tour de France passed by the campsite a few weeks back, so I got to ride part of the TdF route too. Quite a hilly area, but nothing steep, just long steady climbs which were actually quite nice.
The 'Roque'
27th July 2017 Roque St Christophe.jpg

A bit of street art at Lestrade ( I needed the breather from the climb)
30th July 2017 Lestrade Sub Art.jpg

And a little 'relive' thingy
https://www.relive.cc/view/1116018294

We also made the journey to Sarlat-la-Caneda, specifically to ride the 'voie verte', an old railway line, much like the Bristol-Bath path. A very nice 22 mile pedal, all off road, pretty much flat all the way. The longest ride ever for my 10 year old daughter, and for my slight older wife!
After a very enjoyable few days, we moved on to Ile de Re, a nice island just off the coast of La Rochelle and joined to by a 3km long bridge. Which kind of decided what my ride was going to be. I have never seen so many bikes in one place! Everywhere there were cyclist, places to hire bikes, places to buy bikes, fix bikes etc etc. Miles and miles of dedicated, and a lot of the time, mandatory, cycle paths. Very good ones too. Made it over the bridge and back
1st August Ile de Re - La Rochelle Bridge.jpg

Over 100 miles of very enjoyable riding all told. Next year I'm going back armed with the road bike...
 

gavgav

Guru
More of a my rides in the past 2 weeks. Been in France visiting a few spots. Started in Le Mans, where I drove along part of the famous 24hr circuit, albeit slightly slower than the race cars in my campervan. A little bit of family riding around a little place called Le Grez to the local 'etang' (literal translation being pond, but rather a lake with it's own beach).
We were only overnighting on the way to our 6 night stay at Camping Le Paradis, nicely located on the D706 between one of the nicest villages in France, St Leon-sur-Vezere and the Roque St Christophe. The Tour de France passed by the campsite a few weeks back, so I got to ride part of the TdF route too. Quite a hilly area, but nothing steep, just long steady climbs which were actually quite nice.
The 'Roque'
View attachment 366123
A bit of street art at Lestrade ( I needed the breather from the climb)
View attachment 366124
And a little 'relive' thingy
https://www.relive.cc/view/1116018294

We also made the journey to Sarlat-la-Caneda, specifically to ride the 'voie verte', an old railway line, much like the Bristol-Bath path. A very nice 22 mile pedal, all off road, pretty much flat all the way. The longest ride ever for my 10 year old daughter, and for my slight older wife!
After a very enjoyable few days, we moved on to Ile de Re, a nice island just off the coast of La Rochelle and joined to by a 3km long bridge. Which kind of decided what my ride was going to be. I have never seen so many bikes in one place! Everywhere there were cyclist, places to hire bikes, places to buy bikes, fix bikes etc etc. Miles and miles of dedicated, and a lot of the time, mandatory, cycle paths. Very good ones too. Made it over the bridge and back
View attachment 366126
Over 100 miles of very enjoyable riding all told. Next year I'm going back armed with the road bike...
I stayed at Sarlat, with @Rickshaw Phil about 14 years ago and it's a stunning area.
 

gavgav

Guru
This has been the week from hell at work, with the go live after rolling out a phase of an Electronic Patient Record in 3 weeks (last phase took 3 months and went well, so of course the Project Managers learnt from that.......NOT!) After 10 hours overtime and a poor forecast for tomorrow, I was in desperate need of a ride and so chose a hilly route in the lovely warm evening sunshine, with a strong wind blowing.

Out to Betton Abbots and then onto the lanes to Berrington and Cound, before climbing up to Evenwood and then the steep climb up Kenley Bank. I was passed by a Tesco delivery van, speeding up the lanes, just before the climb and then, when descending towards Harley, I met him coming back up and he had grumpy look at having to stop and move over:headshake:

I then turned onto some easier terrain to Harnage Grange and crossed Cound Moor, before looping back to Cound and then re-tracing my outward route home.

21.2 miles at 12.3mph avg with 1265 ft of climbing and feeling much more chilled out than I did at 5pm today!
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
Last day of the Semaine Federale. I rode the 'P3' 101km route at a rate of knots, with a friend for a while, then following various wheels, or solo, passing endless lines of cyclists.

on a descent 2km from my destination there was a crack and the bars went all floppy, ceasing to be terribly effective in steering the bike. I managed to grab the stem to steer with and fished for a lever to brake with.

I came to a halt still upright. Checking, I found one bolt of the two-bolt clamp had broken. Tightening the remaining one held the bars just enough to limp home.

I might swap to a four-bolt stem.

Here's the ride.
 

swansonj

Guru
My ride today: the Prudential Ride London. Seriously. The route goes past our home, so with the annual hoopla, and so many people here doing it, it is hard to avoid it getting under your skin. On the other hand, organised rides with thousands of cyclists, compulsory helmets, marshalls and waymarks, all the competitiveness and time-comparing and grumbles about other cyclists, are anathema to me (if you enjoy them, good for you, each to their own). Not to mention the trifling fact that there's no way I'd get round the course within the cutoffs.

So, having got the bug for night cycling from the Fridays, I decided to do the route as a solo night ride, making a circular route by starting and finishing in Leatherhead where we live.

Left Leatherhead 8 last night. Reached the normal finish on the Mall at 1030. Then joined the normal outward route. Minor variation to avoid the worst of the A4, crossing Hammersmith Bridge instead of Chiswick. Richmond Park at 1130, the whole park belonging to just me and the biggest herd of deer I've ever seen. Newlands Corner at 2, Leith Hill at 3, Box Hill at 4. Then, because I hadn't done the first stretch from the Olympic Park to central London, I'd only done 90 miles, so I did the Box Hill loop a second time to make the requisite 100. Home in ten hours (see what I mean about not meeting the cutoffs?:smile:)
 

delb0y

Legendary Member
Location
Quedgeley, Glos
Normal Saturday ride, trying to increase the mileage very slightly each time. 73 miles today around the Cotswolds in the general direction of Tetbury. Highlights were not having to get off on any hills for a change, seeing a very fine buzzard and later a beautiful deer in the midst of field of maize / barley / corn (I can't tell the difference) with just it's head above the crops. Would've made a lovely photo. Downside was getting absolutely drenched coming through Minchinhampton in a mega storm and then being scared to death coming down a very steep and narrow and car lined road with water everywhere and only the Tricross brakes between me and disaster. If there's one reason I would like to swap bikes it's to get some good brakes. The Garmin did it's usual thing - was fine for half the ride, sulked for an hour or two leaving me to navigate myself, and then woke up and start giving me directions when I was close enough to home to know where I was anyway. Legs are tired now.
 

Dave 123

Legendary Member
A Cotswolds ride today from just outside Chipping Norton.
We rolled down the hill into Chippy, then turned right forLittle Rollright. There were healthy hills from the off. Somehow we managed to dodge all of the showers today, not sure how.
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Into Moreton in Marsh for a brew at a twee tearoom. Nice crumpets lady!

Then we went through more villages, can't remember where, have a nose at my map on strava link

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We were heading for Hook Norton brewery when a spoke broke, so we went back to Chippy where the nice man in TY cycles fixed it for us.

A few hills, black clouds and a great day! Just about 40 miles


https://www.strava.com/activities/1118333620
 

pjd57

Veteran
Location
Glasgow
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Short ride to Celtic Park via Glasgow city centre.
Nice going.

Wet coming back a slightly different route.
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
Showers about today including thunderstorms. Just Steve E and Margaret PR and me. We delayed the start to allow a heavy shower through then headed out into lovely sunny blue skies. Margaret called The Mythe as we are planning an epic ride in Wales tomorrow. So off through the school we rode. Lovely coffee and chat at The Mythe. The clouds did roll over while we were supping our coffee but again we had blue skies as we saddled up. Our return was by the White Rabbit with Steve's route back from Upton. Nice wee one today and no bikes got wet. 31 smiles
 
A Cotswolds ride today from just outside Chipping Norton.
We rolled down the hill into Chippy, then turned right forLittle Rollright. There were healthy hills from the off. Somehow we managed to dodge all of the showers today, not sure how.
View attachment 366206 View attachment 366207 View attachment 366208
Into Moreton in Marsh for a brew at a twee tearoom. Nice crumpets lady!

Then we went through more villages, can't remember where, have a nose at my map on strava link

View attachment 366209
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We were heading for Hook Norton brewery when a spoke broke, so we went back to Chippy where the nice man in TY cycles fixed it for us.

A few hills, black clouds and a great day! Just about 40 miles


https://www.strava.com/activities/1118333620

Moreton in Marsh - The geology students' nightmare!!
 

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
We're staying in Aberystwyth for the weekend. OH planned a long, hilly ride (training, he said) so I got a pass to do something easier.

Started along the Ystwyth trail, towards Tregaron. The first part of this is mostly off-road, on an old railway track, with tarmac or firm gravel surface, and fairly flat. Slight irritations are having to stop for gates, but they are needed to stop livestock getting onto the track. And the odd slowdown for passing pedestrians, as it is a shared use path.
ride 1.jpg


After crossing the B4575 the signed route went up a very narrow stony track that didn't look like fun on my tourer, so I stuck to the B road, joined the B4340 and followed it all the way to Pontrhydfendigaid (I have no idea how to pronounce that!). There was a bit of 12% hill that I walked up.

From the P place, I sidetracked a little for a quick visit to Strata Florida Abbey - in the care of Cadw, but my English Heritage card got me in. There isn't much to be seen, but I had a cuppa before pressing on.
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Back to P, then north up the B4343, through Ffair-Rhos (I can guess how to pronounce that!). After climbing to get to Ffair-Rhos, I was rewarded with a splendid downhill - steep enough to ride at 30 mph without too much effort, with sweeping bends - neither the slope nor the bends needing white knuckles on brakes.

Descending on through the wonderfully named Ysbyty Ystwyth to Pont-rhyd-y-groes, across the river, then another long ascent, this one not so steep I needed to walk, but I did stop for a rest on a flat(ish) bit. Then more descending.

I had contemplated going down into Devil's Bridge, but the waymarked cycle route left the B road before getting into the bottom of the valley, so I turned off along the Rheidol trail towards Aberystwith. My hopes of a flattish ride were not to be, although none of the ascents were very long.
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The minor road joins the A4120 for a while before the waymarked route goes off down to the valley bottom. I had intended to follow this, but the A road is on the top of the southern edge of the valley, and I fancied some distant views, after lots of woodland and low-level scenery earlier, so I stuck to the A road all the way back to Aberystwyth. In spite of it being a sunny Saturday in August, the road wasn't busy, and everyone who passed me (the whole day) did so nicely.
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A tad under 40 miles, and a splendid day out!
 
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