Your ride today....

[Dave 123]

This weekend I have from Friday night painted the lounge ceiling twice, rubbed down all doors and woodwork, given the walls 3 coats, under coated all doors and woodwork, purchased a new garden bench and teak oiled it. At about 5.30 this evening I picked up the step ladder to pack it away and put 2 dings in the ceiling paintwork. Oh, how I laughed......
I managed to get out for a short therapeutic loop at 6ish
http://www.strava.com/activities/339778101

Tomorrow night is gloss night....!

I've gone for a subdued colour!

 

[Jon George]

Managed to catch the rain on a little 17 miler from beginning to end - marvellous!

 

[Mike_P]

After yesterdays clambering around Nidderdale decided that the Vale of York would make a contrast for today; so twice yesterdays mileage with exactly (bar 2 ft) the same amount of climbing.
The state of NCN67 never fails to amaze, here are three pictures of the route heading south-east out of Harrogate showground with concrete slabs, gravel track and a poorly maintained lane all following each other
and then a further rough track awaits in the village of Spofforth
Not that Wetherby isn't without its puzzlement. NCN665 passes under the A1 in a subway which visually the concrete raft of the A1 passes over it with a fenced edge, yet the subway goes uphill!
Occasionally despite the horrors of the local, national and international news things can be found that show we still are a honest civilised society
Presumably there was a honesty box in there.

 

[NorthernDave]

My first serious ride in weeks, since my knee problems started.
A spin round a few local roads to warm up, then out to Scholes, Barwick and then Aberford, before going 'off road' down NCN R66 through Parlington Woods, then the bridleway across Garforth golf club, then up through Barnbow / Manston and on to home.
15.14 miles at an average 12.5 mph. I deliberately didn't push too hard, using the gears to keep things easy on my knees so was pleasantly surprised with the average speed.
Fingers crossed everything seems OK so far...

Edit: forgot to say that I saw a lot of cyclists out today, probably the busiest I've seen it on this route and lots of them were in FPK - is there something on at the moment?

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Today's jaunt (love that word) is my last for a week or so. Changed work schedule means no commute and visiting mum in the hospital takes priority over evening rides. Sooooo...

I took a ride out to a big pointy thing which beams TV signals to the square-eyed masses in Yorkshire: Emley Moor Mast.

This is it from a distance...

And.. WOAH! this is it close up. It's 1,084 feet tall and is the tallest freestanding structure in the UK...

There's usually an ice cream van parked up in the layby where the above photo was taken, but not today . Nursing my disappointment I turned for home, taking a random "fields and stuff" shot while I was at it...

32.5 miles and 2,030 feet of climbing.
https://app.strava.com/activities/339540053

 

[Katherine]

Lovely, sunny, 30. 3 miles to Haydock, back via Culcheth. Having misjudged the last bit, I've just missed a metric half century.
However I did get a proper QOM, the last one appeared on my phone but never appeared on Dashboard.
I wished I'd set off sooner so that I could have done more miles, as I had to be back to collect daughter and pals from the Colour Run.

One of my favourite places to watch the changing seasons. It's countryside on one side and a busy duel carriageway on the other.

 

[TheDoctor]

Had a pleasant little ride near Shuttleworth, with a pleasant tea stop at Southill. Someone was flying a fecking noisy plane overhead.
Bloody Vulcans, coming over here, breaking our sky...
It was totally magnificent, very loud, and very very

 

[BrynCP]

Rode 48 miles today; more important for my progress it is the ride that pushed me over 200 miles for a week, the first in 1.5 years!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just a "quick" ride before the rain arrived this morning.

Set off with no real plan, which probably explains a lot. I stopped almost straight away, just to prove that sunshine did exist.

Before continuing (in my water resistant top, it was chilly out at 8am!) and heading off up hill. The plan developed into a find all the hills plan and that was exactly what I did.
Sadly along the Delamere forest area I had the worst overtake I have had so far since getting the recumbent trike. He had seen me well in advance (hi-viz, reflectives and my rear light on flashing whilst under dense trees) and decided that he was overtaking no matter what. He was so close to me when he went over to the other side of the road that I actually trying to steer off the road thinking that he was going to hit me. His speed was over the limit (and the limit was national) and the oncoming car was forced to an emergency halt. The worst thing about it was, the vehicle actually had a disabled wheelchair, keep 6 feet back from me sticker in the window! Neither myself nor the oncoming driver really knew what to make of it to be honest. Sad.

Further on and my chain decided it was time to come off in just about the worst place possible. A moment of "******" and a few others and time to just get very dirty hands and get that chain back on rather than find a tissue or anything else to avoid getting dirty hands. I am really going to have to do something about the front derailleur. It is driving me mad. You see the worst possible place in the picture below, for a chain to come off, well that was exactly where it decided to come off and jam itself... ahhhhh

Still some sunshine around, and still some hills and climbing to be done.... The cloud is developing but there is still sunshine. I rather like these hills and the lay of the land. It works quite well... anyhow today it was looking nice and it was my 1hr stop so refuel time and a photo before continuing the climb and heading off towards some more climbing.

At the top of the climb and alongside a mobile phone transmitter I was totally unable to get anything except an "Edge" signal so I could not check on the rain radar to see how long I had left to play with! Typically. So I decided to accept getting wet (there were big drops hitting me every now and again at this stage) and head off the ridge rather than back home along the ridge. Some time later, it was now raining enough to get you wet but leave the roads dryish and I decided it was time to head home. The entire ridge was looking as black as night and well, wet. Home was made just as the rain started in earnest. I would have stayed dryish were it not for the fact I have to put the trike away!

Somewhere over 15 miles at a very slow average with plenty of climbing for some tired legs.
https://www.strava.com/activities/340195141

 

[Glow worm]

Was away on holiday in Spain last week so had the bike in at my LBS for a thorough overhaul while I was away. With the rest of this week off too, I'm looking forward to a few rides, including up to north Norfolk tomorrow.

First up though, the 6 mile walk to the LBS. it's mostly across fields on tracks and bridleways and a lovely little nature reserve (SSSI) called Quy Fen. Sadly it's become a bit of a haunt for, shall we say, single men, to lurk. So I didn't hang about!

Near the LBS in Horningsea, I noticed someone must have had a spectacular mechanical failure, with a chain and what looks like a jockey wheel, some 25 feet up on a wire. Wish I'd seen that one!

A freshly fettled bike and I were re-aquatinted- new pedals, fresh cables a thorough strip down and re-grease. All the stuff I really should do myself if I could be arsed, or had the ability. I am an impressively useless fettler. Anyway, riding away it was like a new bike.

The ride home, along quiet tracks like this. Didn't see a soul for miles.

And another track.

This bit was a railway line. It's not officially publicly accessible, but its well used informally. It makes a great alternative to a nasty B road which I hate using.

Closer to home, the nasty B road does at least have a decent cycle path next to it. It's pretty unpleasant though being so close to 80 mph traffic. But it's mostly better than the road except at this time of year when it gets very overgrown. You can't get two bikes passing at the moment. Nice flowers though!

The 6 mile walk took 2 hours, the 6 mile ride home, a tad under 20 minutes. Boy am I glad to have the bike back!

 

[Puddles]

Very sad ride home today

All packed up and off the pitch by 10.30 (we had till 11)
We stopped at the local bakery for cake & coffee

Or milk and cake/egg sandwich for the small people

Then did the easy downhill to the Ferry where we had arranged for 2 ferrymen to be on it... and the big burly one lifted our trailer onto the ferry and off and helped get us over the seaweedy slimey slippery bits as it was low tide...

Then Dad pulled our trailer up the nasty steep hill with his electric bike....

Route looked like this

 

[nickyboy]

I've been doing a local loop of about 26km when I haven't got much time and need a good workout. At first I was about 1hr 5mins (it has two proper climbs and is lumpy all the way)........then after a bit I got it down to 1hr 1min 45 sec. One hour was my target

I was feeling a bit fed up cos 1min 45 sec is quite a distance. So I decided to have another go today. Gave it everything I've got and , with about 15 minutes to go I could tell it was going to be close. Up the second big hill (Chunal for you locals) I gave it everything and I was looking hopeful. Blasted down the other side into Glossop......only to find someone blocking the road reversing a horse trailer into a driveway (@Lilmo I hope that wasn't you cos I muttered some rude words under my breath). Had to slow right down from 40mph to about 10mph.

I live on a 16% hill so last max effort up there. Stop the timer.

1 hour 0 minutes 20 seconds.......bugger. Unfinished business.

 

[BSRU]

Managed a good 100km this morning with 1150m of going up.
The first 76km were the hardest part as I went up over 1000m.

Cool to start with but warmer later, quite a strong breeze later making some of the going up a little harder than usual.

Rolling countryside.

The only way is up this cat 3 climb.

Recovered with 1 or 3 or more dark chocolate digestives, cakes some to vanish very quickly in our house.

 

[jnrmczip]

So a nice little run to loch winnock today with 2 of the grcm guys good day all round. Not far off the 50 mile mark.

 

[Saluki]

Yesterday's ride (which I posted on totally the wrong thread)

Back now from a nice evening ride. Our original plan was to take the CXs out and go cake hunting, but it poured with rain so we blitzed the flat & gave our Terriers haircuts instead.
After 5, the sun came out and the sky went all blue and lovely so we thought we could go for a short ride.
We headed off towards Hellesdon and turned hard left down a road that we'd never been down before, up a short hill and back on to the main road that we'd started on. So, that's what's down there. Now we know. We could have looked on google maps but there is not much fun in that.
We turned towards Drayton, past the Today's Lifestyle Church and then up the small hill towards Horsford and then straight on to the A140 - which we crossed and headed on to St Faiths where we hooked a right. Hubster said what's wrong with left but I am not ready to go there yet as it leads to the local Crematorium. From St Faiths we rode through Spixworth and then up the North Walsham Road to the cycle/bridle/foot path to Catton and home via Sprowston, Mile Cross (at a bit of a pace as it's not the nicest area) and onto the Marriotts and home.
17.09 in a steady 1:15 and seconds. We really enjoyed ourselves and were very surprised not to see many bikes out.

Random picture of the Norfolk flatlands.


We did overtake a lad on a tatty, squeaky MTB/BSO. I said a cheery 'good evening' as we passed and a few seconds later we could hear him gasping for breath as he HAD to overtake the woman who had just passed him , we sat behind for a minute or so and when the road went uphill a tad, we scalped him as the hill was a bit much for him. Bless. It wasn't much of a hill either and I am a rubbish climber. I am starting to really enjoy hills nowadays though. How odd, as I aways loathed them.