Your ride today....

[Saluki]

It rained all morning and I had a BBQ to attend, next door so I didn't think that I was going to ride at all. Actually, my legs were stiff and achey this morning after yesterday's 35 miler and the day before's ride plus nigh on 4 hours of climbing/aerobics/tennis/aqua aerobics/more aerobics/walking about.
However, after walking the hounds for an hour in the evening sun I thought that a bike ride might be in order. I decided to do the Drayton Sausage ride.


Out to Drayton via Hellesdon Low Road and back along the Marriotts and a quick hop up Oval Road, Costessey to home. 7 miles so not much of an exertion but it got my legs turning.
It was just nice to ride and my legs were not knackered at all. Another 20 miles on top wouldn't have killed me, although with not having proper lights on, the traffic probably would have, hence just a quick ride.
Back on the Marriotts Way on a roadie was nice. It's an old railway track which now forms part of the NCN Route 1 and it's hard and dry at the moment. A lot less fun on a Roadie when it's all soggy and muddy. That's when I take the CX.
The sun was getting low so I thought that I should get a wiggle on.

But it was a nice golden sort of evening on the trail and mostly deserted, except for a jogger who turned off before I reached him.

I stopped and watched the irrigator thing as sometimes it spins around and sprinkles the Marriotts trail, I was a bit warm. Naturally, it didn't sprinkle me.


7.13 miles in just shy of 30 minutes. That probably burned off the tiny slice of birthday cake that I had next door. It was a tiny piece too. Jade had catered for 15 people but word had got around her family and there was about 40 people there in the end and definitely not enough cake.

 

[Nomadski]

With perfect preparation the night before (getting smashed at a BBQ until the early hours) and my cycling buddy @themosquitoking feigning head injuries the morning after, I headed off later than planned to do a Surrey Hills RideLondon circuit as I hadn't done the 3 hills for quite some time.

After Saturdays blistering sunshine, I got everything together, got the bike outside, and it started raining. Took the bike back up (two floors....grr), added the mudguards and picked up a water resistant gilet and toe covers and headed back down.

Avoiding falling off at the roundabout I fell off last time I was here, all was good. The rain was persistent, but quite light, and last weeks Tower to Tower ride had given me plenty of experience riding in the rain (like my Kool Stop Salmon's being completely ineffectual when wet).

I huffed and puffed through Newlands Corner where I had a wee tea break involving a cheese and ham Panini and a Magnum as the rain had finally gone for good.

Enjoyed the flowing downhill section to Abinger Hammer before stopping for a quick photo op at the Church on a hill at Holmbury St Marys

A LOT of huffing and puffing up Leith Hill where I had got a PB last time out, but had stopped twice for quick breathers. This time I grinded all the way up in one go, interested if it was faster to just grind it out, than stop for mini breaks.

At the top, my bike reeeally needed a breather...

Then downhill towards Dorking, where a motorbike nearly took me out passing on the right of me despite me having taken control of the lane to make a safe corner at speed.

Another quick photo op outside the very lovely Denbies Vineyard where some very lovely liquid of fun is produced.

I had never done a sub 10 minute climb of Box Hill, in about 17 attempts, closest I ever got was 10.05, so I made sure I had plenty of water and was going to give it a real go. It's on my list of things to do before I move back 'oop north.

Having no idea of my time, I had a final pit stop with a coconut macaroon which was meh, and a tea which was yay! and headed off home via Sutton.

I felt good having done a slow leisurely paced metric century, a ride which I took at my own pace, but had a go at the hills which will provide the biggest challenge during RideLondon.

At home I found I had 70 trophies of one form or another, a PB up Newlands Corner, 55 seconds off my previous PB on Leith Hill, and a time of 9 minutes 54 seconds on the segment I watch up Box Hill!! To my bigger delight, all the various Box Hill full segments were under 10 minutes so I can safely tick that box off the list!

Dead chuffed, it being a week since my last ride, the hangover, carrying mudguards the whole route, a fair bit of the journey being rained on, I really enjoyed it!

https://app.strava.com/activities/334935719

 

[Donger]

A whole week without a ride, and I was bursting to get out today. Should have been out with @gordyfinbar, @Dark46, @maltloaf etc and the rest of the club today, but I'm on my hols this week in sunny Languedoc instead. Weather "scorchio" today (35c), so spent most of it in the pool. Fortunately I got out early and avoided the worst of the heat. Started off from St Nazaire de Ladarez, the hill village we are staying at. Not a cloud in the sky, and about 21c already by 7.30am.

Rode down the valley of the river Orb ....

...... through the St Chinian AOC vineyards as far as Roquebrun. The sun was getting a bit hotter by this point, and dozens of cyclists were out and about from Beziers with their clubs or in ones and twos for a Sunday ride in the hills... At on point an old chap on a bike, wearing his local club kit, stopped me for a chat. I was pleased to be able to chat away in French, and I got him to take my picture for me. Sod's law.... it wouldn't download on Cyclechat! At one point he mentioned that he was heading up into the mountains from Beziers (must be a 60 mile round trip at least), but that he "wasn't quite on form today". Turned out he was 80 years old!!! That put my own efforts into perspective. A beautiful ride today, with very little flat road, but totally manageable hills. Great views everywhere, and was accompanied by the constant sound of cicadas.

Made my way back via Cessenon sur Orb, where there were massive trout in the river, and people preparing to go kayaking ...

A lovely 18.2 miler before breakfast, and a great start to my hols. Plan to get up and out before 7am tomorrow for more of the same, but probably heading southwards towards Beziers. Came across this mobile butcher on my route...

Shame there wasn't a Cyclechat photo challenge to find a Frenchman wearing a beret. I've been coming to France for years and had never seen one before. Oh well, I'm off to bed now .... early start tomorrow.
Enjoy your own rides everyone.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[themosquitoking]

With perfect preparation the night before (getting smashed at a BBQ until the early hours) and my cycling buddy @themosquitoking feigning head injuries the morning after, I headed off later than planned to do a Surrey Hills RideLondon circuit as I hadn't done the 3 hills for quite some time.

After Saturdays blistering sunshine, I got everything together, got the bike outside, and it started raining. Took the bike back up (two floors....grr), added the mudguards and picked up a water resistant gilet and toe covers and headed back down.

Avoiding falling off at the roundabout I fell off last time I was here, all was good. The rain was persistent, but quite light, and last weeks Tower to Tower ride had given me plenty of experience riding in the rain (like my Kool Stop Salmon's being completely ineffectual when wet).

I huffed and puffed through Newlands Corner where I had a wee tea break involving a cheese and ham Panini and a Magnum as the rain had finally gone for good.

Enjoyed the flowing downhill section to Abinger Hammer before stopping for a quick photo op at the Church on a hill at Holmbury St Marys

A LOT of huffing and puffing up Leith Hill where I had got a PB last time out, but had stopped twice for quick breathers. This time I grinded all the way up in one go, interested if it was faster to just grind it out, than stop for mini breaks.

At the top, my bike reeeally needed a breather...

Then downhill towards Dorking, where a motorbike nearly took me out passing on the right of me despite me having taken control of the lane to make a safe corner at speed.

Another quick photo op outside the very lovely Denbies Vineyard where some very lovely liquid of fun is produced.

I had never done a sub 10 minute climb of Box Hill, in about 17 attempts, closest I ever got was 10.05, so I made sure I had plenty of water and was going to give it a real go. It's on my list of things to do before I move back 'oop north.

Having no idea of my time, I had a final pit stop with a coconut macaroon which was meh, and a tea which was yay! and headed off home via Sutton.

I felt good having done a slow leisurely paced metric century, a ride which I took at my own pace, but had a go at the hills which will provide the biggest challenge during RideLondon.

At home I found I had 70 trophies of one form or another, a PB up Newlands Corner, 55 seconds off my previous PB on Leith Hill, and a time of 9 minutes 54 seconds on the segment I watch up Box Hill!! To my bigger delight, all the various Box Hill full segments were under 10 minutes so I can safely tick that box off the list!

Dead chuffed, it being a week since my last ride, the hangover, carrying mudguards the whole route, a fair bit of the journey being rained on, I really enjoyed it!

https://app.strava.com/activities/334935719

I didn't have head injuries, it was sleeping sickness and a chronic bad temper.

 

[Mike_P]

Decided to crawl westerly into the wind, albeit it seemed to be more of a southerly and hence became a nasty cross wind in places. My slow progress obviously annoyed this BMW driver who gave me mm of clearance

Turning north I decided to drop into Nidderdale on the hope that it would be sheltered from the wind, no such look it seemed to have tunnelled it into a north easterly somehow! Eventually reached another section of National Cycleroute 67, remember this is supposed to be Derby-Northallerton so why on earth it turns into the Pennine foothills after Wetherby is beyond me. It leaves the main public highway just below the peak of Clint Bank and descends a pretty rough lane, the initial section being a quite rapid decent which is not fun in the other direction given its roughnness.

The way onto the Sustrans path is blocked by a gate as a difference to V barriers

and thereafter follows an undulating route ending on cobbles outside Ripley Castle, interesting when wet

After a brief ride along the road, 67 heads into the village car park

Regaining the dedicated route a Tdf memorial is passed by

The A61 is crossed in a cluttered manner with a cattle grid, steep decent and signalled crossing in quick succession

The route then after a short use of a road swings sharply alongside the River Nidd before climbing up to join the alignment of old railways ( the Pateley Bridge branch and then the Harrogate-Ripon line). Some sections are fenced and another oddly is not despite steep falls either side

 

[Gravity Aided]

7.1 miles this day, as I felt a bit under t'weather, and wound up just that. It rained , but I avoided the worst of it. Heavier showers were passing before and behind me, but I retained a moderate dampness throughout. No thunder or lightning, so all was well. 77F or 25C. A fine day for a ride.

 

[MikeW-71]

My ride (yesterday)

Up bright and early to drive to York for @middleagecyclist s imperial century ride. I figured this one would be a good route for a first attempt as it was pretty much flat relative to my more usual terrain.

Parked at the park-n-ride and rode the 2 miles to our meet up at the Minster and some lovely coffee cake courtesy of @User10119 to top up the breakfast . Then it was time to hit the roads, and once out of York I realised that it really was flat. I mean totally flat, barely even a rise in the road to be found anywhere. With only the quite stiff wind to compete with in places, I only used 2 gears over the first 50 miles . This is unheard of for me, as I am lucky to find even 5 miles of ground this flat at Carlisle, and we were able to easily hold quite a brisk pace and it felt easy, so I was happy to keep this up.

We had a quick coffee stop at Tescos in Goule before we got to the first climb at mile 51, just a gently warm-up, then a short steep one and a longer steepish one. We regrouped and waited for @growingvegetables who had stopped after the first climb and had then got stuck behind a tractor mower and raced it up a hill . That was to cause the premature end of his ride, sadly and he retired after the Bridge.

After 65 miles we arrived at our lunch stop, having made very good time, and we all tucked in to some welcome refuelling. We were right outside or next stage, crossing the Humber Bridge, after which came the final significant climb of the ride before we returned to the flatlands. The Bridge was another new experience, and then out and onto the climb. It takes a while but the gradient is not bad, just get into a rhythm and spin it out. After that comes a great descent and a chance to get some proper speed up.

Once back on the flat, the wind was against us more than it had been on the outward leg, so the pace dropped a bit. I was starting to feel tired and my neck was getting very painful and stiff. I tried to keep stretching it as much as I could. I looked at the Garmin. 85 miles done, this was already my longest ever ride, with 20 miles to go. Come on Mike, keep turning the pedals, you can do it! An hour later, and I was having a mild panic because my tired brain was reading the wrong area of the Garmin screen. we had been riding for 7hrs 30 mins (displayed at the top) and my brain had latched on to this as being the "time of day" (which is displayed bottom left ) and hence I thought I was going to be late to collect my car! I've never been more relieved to be told I was wrong and it was only 6:30, panic over

We had been looking for a pub to stop at, but the first was closed for a private function, the second was closed for refurbishment, so we elected for the bar at York station. Once a quick drink was downed, it really was 7:30 and I said my goodbyes to be sure of getting back to the park-n-ride in plenty of time. For a laugh I thought I'd see what was left in the tank and whizzed up to the car park at 20mph , obviously there was something left there!

111 miles for the day, but I'm not sure if this will be done too regularly, my neck is still stiff and sore, and I'm not sitting on a saddle again until tuesday

It was another great CC ride and I hope I can ride with you guys again soon

http://app.strava.com/activities/334355916/overview

 

[Lilliburlero]

Hicks Lodge midnight ride.

The world famous Moira clock

Sadly, there were half a dozen or so police cars and a helicopter on site looking for a lady that had left her car in the car park and gone missing. I asked an officer if should go home, but he said it was ok for me to continue as long as I stayed on the trail side.

Need a little more light, me thinks..

Time for the solar storm to pay its way.

Trail start.

My favourite section is the old wood.

Random pic.

Back home.

A truly exhilarating ride that i`ll be doing again soon.

 

[biggs682]

An early pre work test ride for me today only 7 miles but the longest so far on this latest flying machine.
Route was up and out of the boro along to Mears Ashby then down to Wilby and back in to the boro .

 

[Hill Wimp]

Blimey i thought i might be the first to post today but @Lilliburlero beat me to it by 5hrs.

Anyway, first day of my holiday and two days before i set of around Europe with @hopless500 i got up at my normal time of 4am, had a cuppa, news catch up and cuddle with the cat and then set off for the beach to get some photos and collect some driftwood for something i am making. The day is clearly going to be a hot one as i had to stop after 20 mins to take my thin fleece top off.

Deal beach @5am

Film crew just starting. I could smell the bacon and imagined @coffeejo hurtling down the bank towards the food wagon. They are apparently filming the next series of The Tunnel. I just hope it's better than the last one which was dire.

Continuing on towards Kingsdown along the beach cycle path

The end of the cycle path, bit early for a drink.

All was quiet out on the water but someone else was up early to take advantage of such a beautiful morning.

I was going to have a coffee on the pier but the film company had commandeered it for filming so it was closed.

A short but glorious ride on a beautiful summers day.

 

[coffeejo]

Blimey i thought i might be the first to post today but @Lilliburlero beat me to it by 5hrs.

Anyway, first day of my holiday and two days before i set of around Europe with @hopless500 i got up at my normal time of 4am, had a cuppa, news catch up and cuddle with the cat and then set off for the beach to get some photos and collect some driftwood for something i am making. The day is clearly going to be a hot one as i had to stop after 20 mins to take my thin fleece top off.

Deal beach @5am View attachment 94016

View attachment 94017 Film crew just starting. I could smell the bacon and imagined @coffeejo hurtling down the bank towards the food wagon. They are apparently filming the next series of The Tunnel. I just hope it's better than the last one which was dire.

Continuing on towards Kingsdown along the beach cycle path
View attachment 94018 View attachment 94019
The end of the cycle path, bit early for a drink. View attachment 94020 View attachment 94021
All was quiet out on the water but someone else was up early to take advantage of such a beautiful morning. View attachment 94023 View attachment 94024
I was going to have a coffee on the pier but the film company had commandeered it for filming so it was closed. View attachment 94025
A short but glorious ride on a beautiful summers day.

Did someone mention bacon sandwiches?

 

[coffeejo]

Great pictures, Hils...nice to see your holiday hasn't affected your body clock

@hopless500 is going to have a conniption if Hilly insists on starting every day with the sun.

 

[Hill Wimp]

@hopless500 is going to have a conniption if Hilly insists on starting every day with the sun.

I had to Google that but so long as i can have a cuppa and have got my book i'm happy to sit in the sun and i promise not to poke things through her tent to make her get up

 

[hopless500]

Did someone mention bacon sandwiches?

 

[hopless500]

Blimey i thought i might be the first to post today but @Lilliburlero beat me to it by 5hrs.

Anyway, first day of my holiday and two days before i set of around Europe with @hopless500 i got up at my normal time of 4am,

Hope you don't think I can wake up at 4am too @Hill Wimp