Your ride today....

[DCLane]

My ride this afternoon was not interesting at all; just a wet and windy commute. However ..

... it was also the ride that took me past my 10,000 mile target for 2015

Last November in this thread I stated that it'd be ambitious. It was; 6 weeks ago I realised I'd be 200-300 miles short so set about extending my commute by 3-5 miles each day plus throwing in extra rides wherever I could.

 

[NorthernDave]

Water Lane (from 1:16 in the vid) has a Strava segment called Lady of the Night Road named after the one time frequenters of that stretch. These days they don't fit in with the "Urban Village" vibe so have been moved on to Holbeck Lane to the south. They're there when I ride home after 9pm and sometimes when I'm riding in at 5.30am. Undesirable they may be (in a community sense) but it hasn't stopped Holbeck looking like a complete sh*thole. I don't care how many gastropubs you throw at it.

Just thought I'd add a little local flavour

In the early 90's my ride home took me along Water Lane, past where the dalek now stands and where Tetleys was, then over Crown Point Bridge.
If I'd been working late I used to cycle that little bit quicker down there...!

It's good to hear that the area hasn't been completely gentrified.

 

[Old jon]

Water Lane (from 1:16 in the vid) has a Strava segment called Lady of the Night Road named after the one time frequenters of that stretch. These days they don't fit in with the "Urban Village" vibe so have been moved on to Holbeck Lane to the south. They're there when I ride home after 9pm and sometimes when I'm riding in at 5.30am. Undesirable they may be (in a community sense) but it hasn't stopped Holbeck looking like a complete sh*thole. I don't care how many gastropubs you throw at it.

Just thought I'd add a little local flavour

Full agreement here, never known Holbeck to be anything but that.

 

[galaxy]

Another 9 miles this afternoon, quite windy, delivering xmas cards. Apart from the posting ones, thats 35 miles this year just delivering local xmas card, id never of believed it.

 

[Gravity Aided]

My ride home tonight was a lot smoother due to the bike being serviced at the weekend(thanks Moores!).It was also wet and windy but still so much better than being on a crowded bus.

A far sight better than driving a crowded bus, too. But it pays the bills.

 

[Saluki]

https://www.strava.com/activities/454746336/segments/10930165622

Me again
The most direct route from home to hospital tonight. 10.99 miles I should have gone past the first car park entrance and in the 2nd, but it was howling it down with rain, my Altura NightVision is no longer as waterproof as it once was, neither are my Sealskinz gloves. In-wash nikwaxing in our near future I think.
My MTB booties are brilliant, waterproof and toasty, so my feet were warm. About 50 minutes was quite enough for me tonight. It wasn't raining when I went out, windy though. Very windy. I noticed a light drizzle after about 4 miles and just as I reached Sainsburys on the outskirts of Ipswich, it howled it down, proper stair-rod rain that hurts when it hits you. At that point, I got my head down and got on with it. I was already wet so it made no nevermind that I was getting wetter.

Turns out that I'd put my trainers in the car but forgotten a jumper and bodywarmer. I bought a new fleecy jumper at Asda. I was very glad of it as it improved my cold and shivery situation very quickly. As did finding a forgotten bobble hat in the car.
Tomorrow, the BBC have promised I will believe that when I see it.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Had a trip over to Wakerley Woods..beautiful day and the wind had gone..thank f...its been wicked of late.
the mtb trail is ok and quite clean...
the route i chose was a little muddy lol..its a quagmire of piste but good fun.
id think i did about 10 miles but it felt like 25 after all the mud ploughing..
i feel great after that too..the endorphin hit was very welcome as i get all fed up this time of year. No work and dark ..grrr

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Water Lane (from 1:16 in the vid) has a Strava segment called Lady of the Night Road named after the one time frequenters of that stretch. These days they don't fit in with the "Urban Village" vibe so have been moved on to Holbeck Lane to the south. They're there when I ride home after 9pm and sometimes when I'm riding in at 5.30am. Undesirable they may be (in a community sense) but it hasn't stopped Holbeck looking like a complete sh*thole. I don't care how many gastropubs you throw at it.

Just thought I'd add a little local flavour

Following on from this, I rode into work this lunchtime through this area and past a police crime scene. A young woman was murdered there last night. Police aren't explicitly connecting the victim to the sex trade but there is an implication in the news report. Regardless of what she was doing in the area, these are terrible events and I hope whoever did it is caught.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Following on from this, I rode into work this lunchtime through this area and past a police crime scene. A young woman was murdered there last night. Police aren't explicitly connecting the victim to the sex trade but there is an implication in the news report. Regardless of what she was doing in the area, these are terrible events and I hope whoever did it is caught.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Got out - bit of a break in the weather.

22.24 miles @ 12.3 mph av' and 2491' ascent.

Very windy and lots of flooded lanes - got to one 40m stretch of flooded single track and dithered. It was a long way to go back to a turning and each side was a very steep and slippery bank topped with hedges and barbed wire so that was no go. It did look deep.

Rode through and it got deeper and deeper and deeper - finally stopping about an inch or so below the hubs.

Was pretty hard to cycle through and my shoes ended up full of water.

Was going to do 35 miles but my feet became very cold so I aborted remainder of ride and settled for a 20.

Off to clean my bike now.

Happy & safe riding everyone.

 

[Stonechat]

Took advantage of the better weather for a last pre Christmas ride not too long but pushed it a bit, some fresh wind but not too strong

Went over Chertsey Bridge, headed up Holloway hill, bearing left through Stonehill, and to Chobham, taking then familiar back roads towards Valley end, turning right at the end towards Chobham COmmon, some nice downhill and downwind sections there, then turned off through Lyne and Thorpe Back over Staines Bridge and home

24.50 miles at 17.2 mph, 781 feet climbed, quite pleased with that speed.

https://www.strava.com/activities/454978560

 

[Elybazza61]

Couple of rides today;

A nice 20+k ride with the better half and her confidence is back and we kept a nice pace to get a nearly 20kph average;

https://www.strava.com/activities/454991073

Took advantage of the sunny day to do a longer ride on my own so headed towards Mildenhall via Isleham;quick stop for a snack and a pic of some tankers at the base(which is closing in a couple of years);

After a missed turn in Mildenhall,made my way back via Fordham and Soham and another pic taken from Stuntney hill towards Ely;

Oh and realised at Stuntney that the rear mudguard had been rubbing so would have been quicker.

Another 77kms towards the 10k for the year,but it's going to be a close run thing with 400+ to try and cram in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/454991227

Supposed to be out tomorrow for an informal Christmas eve club run but the weather looks a bit pants,,, and windy.

 

[13 rider]

Day off work suns out so out with the bike .Off through Newtown Linford where I became aware of a lorry behind me nowhere to overtake so he stuck behind He get a chance and starts to overtake nice and wide approaching a chicane just as another car comes the other way and he starts pulling in brakes on next thing I am right next to the curb in an ever decrease gap the rear of the bin lorry passed me and it actually hit my shoulder but lucky I stayed upright if I hadnt braked I dread go think what would have happened . Well I was incensed and started chasing the lorry ,when he turned into the pub car park just ahead I followed got the reg and company number email sent . The driver took the safe option and stayed in his cab while I ranted and raved until I got bored .I not sure what would have happen if he got out as I had lost the plot . It takes a lot for me to lose it but being nearly squashed was enough. So on with the ride trying to calm down but not enjoying it I so nearly turned back but decided to carry on. On up Ulverscoft lane and up my favourite climb of Polly Botts lane and carried on at the top up Whitcroft lane then out to Oaks in Charnwood pass St Bernard's Abbey and into Whitwick along a road called the dumps and if anyone knows Whitwick its an apt name . Along the road to Shepshed with traffic calming and priority flows approaching a pinch point where I have right of way two cars decide to dive through which was just about OK but then the HGV behind them decided he was coming through making me stop . I stopped in a nice awkward stop for him to struggle to get by .He starts gesticulating at me at which point I suggest to gets out and we discuss the highway code in a civalised way thankfully he decided to proceed on his way .So now I'm wound up again .On with the ride out to Belton ,Shepshed then turned for home along Charley rd got passed by three riders so I tagged along for a bit of a break form the wind and a bit of chat they were headed the same way as me so I had a bit of company for a couple of miles .but I got the feeling I wasn't entirely welcome so as I took a turn on the front and I don't think I upped the pace I became aware I was dropped them are well I just rode at my pace and was on my own again. Up Beacon hill the easy way then the fast descent into Quorn topped 40mph on the downhill . Into Quorn ,Mountsorrel, Rothley ,Cropston and Home .35.1 miles done in lovely conditions but I did not enjoy that ride I was still wound up when I got home over the hgvs but a coffee calmed me down
That's it till after xmas so merry Xmas everyone stay safe and hope Santa bring you everything you wish for.

 

[Old jon]

Clear blue shivery sky this morning. So off I went. The usual start bit and on to Crown Point Road, Regent Street, Roseville Road, past the Oakwood Clock and then the exercise of Boot Hill. Turned right at the top, Red Hall and Skeltons Lane and left into Thorner, which was its usual quiet self this morning. Travelled on to Bramhope and then West Woods Lane ( ? ) to Wetherby, which was a festering mass of almost static cars. My intention had been North Deighton, Spofforth and back through Linton and Collingham, the traffic was so dire I just wound my way to Linton



crossed the bridge and along to Collingham and along the A 58 to total 31.2 miles as I reached home.

 

[DCLane]

This morning I was part of a funeral cortege for the funeral of Des Robinson, 1952 Olympic cyclist:

And yes, this bike was there (Isle of Man TT winner in 1949)