Your ride today....

[Dave 123]

I feel a bit of lurgy coming on but after being cooped up in Natwest office all morning I've just been for a nice windy 31 mile loop taking in Barrington Hill (as greasy as David Cameron) and old Wimpole hill.
At Longstowe I didn't fancy going home so I turned left toward the Gransdens and got another windy hammering. The strong wind wasn't blowing the heady fragrance away from the Ouse valley bait co though, I could taste it for at least 30 seconds!.
Not many people out, not much wildlife either, just a kestrel.
Not my fastest ride, not my slowest...

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/888569215

 

[Goonerobes]

In contrast to the lovely blue sky'd photos on the previous page, today was thoroughly miserable down here in the not so sunny south.

Knowing that it was forecast to rain overnight but stop around around breakfast time this morning, I had planned a 3 & a half - 4 hour route into the Test Valley again but on some different roads to the last few weeks. However, it must have poured overnight as there was standing water everywhere & a persistent drizzle that looked as though it would never stop so a plan b was needed as I knew my intended route was likely to have flooding issues.

The obvious answer would be to stick to the New Forest as the roads are pretty good to be fair but I've ridden there twice this week already so a shortened version of my Test Valley route seemed doable & as luck would have it the drizzle eased so I finally set off around midday but not before attaching my rear mudguard to try & stay something resembling dry.

After the usual brief encounter with the forest I headed north-west up though West Wellow & towards the village of Lockerley. Turning west towards East & West Dean the roads are mostly country lanes with potholes a plenty, mostly full of water, so it was a case of dodge the puddle or risk going in a hole! A few spots of rain greeted me as I reached Alderbury but this was soon gone as I headed down to Downton & back up to Redlynch & a final few miles through the forest before home.

43 miles in total & I only passed 5 other cyclists today which is most unusual for a weekend so I guess the rain put a lot of people off today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/260994270

The first crocuses I've seen so hopefully spring is just around the corner!

I didn't quite manage a route that avoided big puddles so it looks like Sunday bike washing for me again.

Leaden skys over the Hampshire countryside was the story of the day today.

 

[arranandy]

77km this morning. Up to Strathaven, over the Ardochrig then out to Eaglesham before coming home via EK and Bothwell. It was pretty windy at times but stayed dry, also a bit milder than of late. Rode most of it at tempo so it was a good training ride as well. Only downside is I think the chain and cassette on my winter bike is on the way out.

 

[Racing roadkill]

In contrast to the lovely blue sky'd photos on the previous page, today was thoroughly miserable down here in the not so sunny south.

Knowing that it was forecast to rain overnight but stop around around breakfast time this morning, I had planned a 3 & a half - 4 hour route into the Test Valley again but on some different roads to the last few weeks. However, it must have poured overnight as there was standing water everywhere & a persistent drizzle that looked as though it would never stop so a plan b was needed as I knew my intended route was likely to have flooding issues.

The obvious answer would be to stick to the New Forest as the roads are pretty good to be fair but I've ridden there twice this week already so a shortened version of my Test Valley route seemed doable & as luck would have it the drizzle eased so I finally set off around midday but not before attaching my rear mudguard to try & stay something resembling dry.

After the usual brief encounter with the forest I headed north-west up though West Wellow & towards the village of Lockerley. Turning west towards East & West Dean the roads are mostly country lanes with potholes a plenty, mostly full of water, so it was a case of dodge the puddle or risk going in a hole! A few spots of rain greeted me as I reached Alderbury but this was soon gone as I headed down to Downton & back up to Redlynch & a final few miles through the forest before home.

43 miles in total & I only passed 5 other cyclists today which is most unusual for a weekend so I guess the rain put a lot of people off today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/260994270

View attachment 81026

The first crocuses I've seen so hopefully spring is just around the corner!

View attachment 81027

I didn't quite manage a route that avoided big puddles so it looks like Sunday bike washing for me again.

View attachment 81028

Leaden skys over the Hampshire countryside was the story of the day today.

Ahh, my neck of the woods, I was going to extend my ride up through Alderbury to Salisbury, but I was dodging the showers, and I thought better of it.

 

[LarryDuff]

First 50 miler of the year this morning. Fairly blustery but the rain held off as forecasted until after we got back. I really enjoyed it.

 

[Dark46]

Just a quick test of a smudge over 6 miles. Biggest problem was Buses and headwin, so I cut it short.

 

[BrynCP]

43 miles today, out of Hull into Hessle and over the bridge to North Lincolnshire and back. Slightly modified from last Sunday by going home via Anlaby and Willerby. Bit windy going out but the rain held off.

Got two short rides in the week too totalling 43 miles, so need to get out tomorrow now to take my weekly distance above 100 miles for the first time since January, but looking at the wind forecasts it's looking bad!

 

[Donger]

Took "Big Red" out for another fettling ride around the lanes today after my recent refurb and a bit more tweaking. Indexing now sorted, and shifters repositioned further from the handlebar grips for more comfort. Most of the gear changing problems are now sorted, but still getting a curious problem on hills.

Unless I already have the chain on one of the biggest three rings on the cassette before I drop onto the granny ring, the gears jam and the rear derailleur bends all the way forward..... If you stop, get off, and lift the rear wheel off the ground, the rear wheel then spins backwards until the derailleur is back in its proper position! As far as I can guess, the new 9 speed chain must be getting stuck in the rear derailleur, and this can only be down to two possible things:
(1) misallignment of the new 9 speed cassette with the existing 8 speed crank set or
(2) incompatibility of the existing rear derailleur with a 9 speed chain.
Reckon it'll be going back to the shop for a bit more fixing yet, but it's going to be very nice when it's sorted.

As for the ride today, it was only 13 miles, and it was spoiled by a Gloucester City Running Club event on the lanes near Elmore. I was going against the flow, and they were all over the road. You pass one on the right, then the next on the left ... then the right again and another on the left. It was like a chase scene from a Bourne movie. Then by the time I came round for a second loop, it was all over and they were warming down. Just as I started to overtake three more runners, two of them suddenly lunged across the road and started back in the opposite direction..... at which point I discovered that my brakes work really well now. Back out on my Ridgeback tomorrow for another club ride.

Cheers, Donger.

 

[fatjel]

Club run today .. Went out early and did 20 miles before the start.
Was cold , windy and wet which made the double egg, double sausage bacon and beans even more enjoyable
3 punctures on the way back. the last one was near home so I pinched a wheel off the carerra
Did just over 100km which makes the total for Feb 1000 km better than Jan but still some way off my goal for the year
https://app.strava.com/activities/261038436

 

[cyberknight]

Due to weather and family etc it was only my second club run of the year , got the nice bike out for the first run since before x mas.
Rolled down the hill from the house and tried to engage the big ring and ........... the fecker had seized up over winter .

Had a fiddle and its still stuck so went back home , by the time i had given up trying to get it loose it was too late to swap bikes

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Took "Big Red" out for another fettling ride around the lanes today after my recent refurb and a bit more tweaking. Indexing now sorted, and shifters repositioned further from the handlebar grips for more comfort. Most of the gear changing problems are now sorted, but still getting a curious problem on hills.

Unless I already have the chain on one of the biggest three rings on the cassette before I drop onto the granny ring, the gears jam and the rear derailleur bends all the way forward..... If you stop, get off, and lift the rear wheel off the ground, the rear wheel then spins backwards until the derailleur is back in its proper position! As far as I can guess, the new 9 speed chain must be getting stuck in the rear derailleur, and this can only be down to two possible things:
(1) misallignment of the new 9 speed cassette with the existing 8 speed crank set or
(2) incompatibility of the existing rear derailleur with a 9 speed chain.
Reckon it'll be going back to the shop for a bit more fixing yet, but it's going to be very nice when it's sorted.

As for the ride today, it was only 13 miles, and it was spoiled by a Gloucester City Running Club event on the lanes near Elmore. I was going against the flow, and they were all over the road. You pass one on the right, then the next on the left ... then the right again and another on the left. It was like a chase scene from a Bourne movie. Then by the time I came round for a second loop, it was all over and they were warming down. Just as I started to overtake three more runners, two of them suddenly lunged across the road and started back in the opposite direction..... at which point I discovered that my brakes work really well now. Back out on my Ridgeback tomorrow for another club ride.

Cheers, Donger.

Option 3: You are getting chain suck due to incompatibility of the new chain with a worn chainring. For me this was one of the signs that the last chainset on the knockabout bike was past its best.

 

[PeteXXX]

Smashing ride today with a mate. He called in for a pre-ride coffee and we set off for a 2 hour pedal around Cogenhoe, Grendon and Castle Ashby before heading home through Earls Barton and Sywell.

Down by t'mill before Hardwater Road climbs up to the old A45.

The last few miles home, cutting through the old ruined house in Overstone Park.

Great to get some miles in on the 1st day of Spring!!
A very pleasant, if extremely gusty, 25 miles before lunch and w*rk... Boooo


https://www.strava.com/activities/261392501

 

[BrynCP]

Well I managed to get out for just 22 miles, unfortunately restricted to 1.5hrs due to other commitments. Went out from Hull to Elloughton Dale and back via Cottingham. Usually I make two "climbs" out of this but but because of the wind and time restrictions, I left out one of the climbs.

26mph winds/40mph gust headwind going out, and as a cross wind on the fast, lengthy descent towards the end. Three patches of hailstone too, but fairly tiny so no harm there. Maybe I am mad, but despite the wind and hailstone it was actually a nice ride, the sun was out throughout and the roads were all quiet enough for the wind not to really pose a serious threat.

Also took my weekly mileage up to 107 miles, which while is less than half what I have done previously, it's about average for what I was doing earlier in the year.

 

[13 rider]

Nice ride despite more head winds !! .9am start of from Anstey to meeting point on Swithland lane in Rothley via Cropston .Met up with two mates and off through Swithland, swung left at the triangle to avoid Woodhouse eaves and the climb up maplewell lane but that means a shorter sharper climb after the climb which was a bit of a leg killer it was downhill to the cross roads and right on pass on he golf course dodging golfist as they cross the road without looking . After avoiding the golfist is on to beacon crossroads and left then right on to Charley road to Oaks in Charnwood ,on pass St Bernards Abbey and down Swanneymote rd to pick up ncn6 towards Belton and Shepshed back out of Shepshed and back to beacon crossroads .up beacon hill the easy way and then down the long descent into Quorn admiring the cyclist coming up the hard way a climb I've not attempted yet .Beat my highest speed going down reached 39.8mph would have been more but I had to brake as I caught the car up in front must admit its was slightly scary .On to Mountsorrell where we all go are separate ways and I head home via Rothley and Cropston to Anstey 36 miles done at a slower average speed of 11mph .slower speed was due to one mate really struggling from halfway he was just having a bad day .spent the return leg with him on my back wheel blocking the wind and dragging him up the hills .loads of cyclists out today all nice and friendly lots of hellos . Anyway another enjoyable ride (not sure mate would agree) and marches 50 k ride in the bag.

 

[Donger]

1st March. 44 mile club run took me to 525 miles so far this year - which is more than my best ever end of March total so far.

Thanks to Dean for sorting out my sticky front brake before we set off. Unfortunately my Ridgeback was complaining in all sorts of different ways today. Creaking, clicking, rubbing, front shifter steadfastly refusing to lift onto the big ring ...etc. This left me spinning like mad in the middle ring to keep up with a flattish and quickish club ride. When @gordyfinbar had to stop near Cam for a repair to a broken chain, I took the opportunity to lift the chain up onto the big ring, and I rode the last 30 miles or so on the big 'un. Suddenly I was flying on the flat, but really having to put in a shift every time we hit any kind of incline. @Dark46 was enjoying himself on his new carbon ride today and it was hard keeping up with him. Fortunately there were a couple of slower riders who still made me look respectable.

We made a rare foray into Berkeley, and onwards to the port of Sharpness for the first ever time on a club ride. A lovely place, Sharpness. they should sell postcards of it...(Sorry, my sarcasm filter is malfunctioning. What an armpit of a place). While the others were waiting up for the backmarkers at the main gates to the port, I left them looking at a bunch of derelict warehouses, a patch of weeds and a scruffy Russian cargo ship while I nipped to the viewpoint and took in the views of Lydney harbour on the opposite bank of the Severn, and the two Severn Bridges downstream.

Picked our way through the scruffy outskirts of the port and back up to Slimbridge and Frampton, mostly via the lanes. We did have an alarming moment when one rider got caught in the railway lines that came across the road at an oblique angle in Sharpness port and caused an off. Both rider and bike were OK, but he went down with a bit of a clatter. We notionally awarded him a "Hammond" for the achievement.

Despite all the stops, still did 44 miles in 3 1/2 hours, so we must have been averaging a decent speed when on the move. Oh well, I'm off to sort out my brakes and my gears now. I'm rather ashamed to say that both are probably just clogged up with road crud. I must do better.
Cheers, Donger.