Your ride today....

[mark st1]

Thanks great write up. Until a couple of weeks ago I hadn't really visited the Maidenhead area but dare I say it one of my friends arranged with a few of his other friends to meet there to go out on a motorcycle trip. We took in the local area and went through Marlow and I was amazed at how beautiful the area is as we made a way out via lanes to the Cotswolds. Whilst it was a great motorcycle ride as I rode along I couldn't help thinking how great it would be to cycle the area so your report as got me thinking again that I really must do that.

I'm quiet lucky around me is flat pretty much everywhere the further towards the Bucks Oxford area you go the hillier it gets some cracking downhills as well though.Some lovely roads around here you won't be disappointed .

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Margaret P-R said she fancied a ride out so Mrs 26 duly obliged. We took the Castlemorton lanes on the way out to cross Longdon Marsh and loop by Bushley Green for Tewkesbury. The pace went up to Bredon as this bit of road is uninteresting and carries more traffic than preferred. Once on the run up the Bredon Hill shoulder to Conderton we could reform into a social group again. We dropped then to Beckford where the cafe called strongly.

Refreshed the girls wanted to check out the Silk Centre to which the cafe is attached. Being outnumbered I was the perfect companion. On then we rode around the flanks of Bredon Hill to head for Great Comberton. Mrs 26 suggested we go off road to do the Nafford Locks. So we did. Bit of off road on our road bikes is no problem. We then took to slightly unfamiliar lanes around Birlingham which gave us some lovely views of Bredon Hill not so far off. Then it was the standard run back to Upton by Strensham where we said our byes to Margaret. Then we two took to the standard run back. Gasping for a cuppa I was first in to make a pot. Mrs 26 was so grateful. I should have some brownie points now shouldn't I? 55 miles in rather warm temperatures.

 

[cosmicbike]

After a chilly ride in to work this morning, I was melting on the way home. 35 degrees at Heathrow according to my Garmin. Took what I thought would be a cooler route home but made little difference, and that wind is still fierce..

 

[Basil.B]

37 miles this afternoon, hot but windy in places.

 

[srw]

Yesterday rather than today - I took advantage of leaving work on time (a habit I could get used to...) to get the bike out in the evening sun. Along the road through Burpham to Send, then back to Guildford via the Wey towpath. It's not exactly ideal for cycling, since it's a narrow stony track in the middle of a roughly mown narrow grassy path - but for evening pootling it's very pleasant. Even if pushing over one or two bridges is a bit of an interruption.

I was pootling so pootlingly that I was overtaken... by a jogger. Still, after 12-odd miles and something over an hour I'd worked up an appetite for a cheap beer and a chicken doner wrap in front of Quizzy Monday on BBC2.

 

[Donger]

I too just went for a pootle tonight. After Sunday's exertions in the Welsh mountains, I was starting to ache a bit, and just needed a hair of the dog. Number 1 bike was in the shop for a service, (new chain rings, chain, cassette and bar tape), so that meant a long overdue run out for Number 2 bike, my old Saracen Skyline. A lovely warm evening, with a gentle breeze made the perfect conditions for a pootle down to Splatt Bridge at the far end of Frampton on Severn. (That's the Severn, and the Forest of Dean beyond in the background. Gloucester and Sharpness Canal in the foreground):

Time for a quick swig, then back home via the waterfront at Epney. Still plenty of water in the Severn for this time in August:

A nice little leg loosener before sundown. 20 more miles towards my year's target.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[Dave 123]

After my ride from work I sat on the sofa....

It was after 6pm when I headed out into the 4 strong winds, @cosmicbike is right to moan about this wind.

I just did a loop around the Gransdens. The most interesting thing I saw was an old Lagonda sports car, circa 1930's. I was gassed for the next 30 metres!

Sweaty and windy which beats cold and wet!

 

[Dan's Owd Man]

Spent most of the day uming and arhing trying to decide which bike to take for the ride,also where to go.
So at 2 o'clock i set out SW to do my Ashby-De-La Zouch , Swadlincote,Burton on Trent,Repton, Willington,Derby,Alvaston Home.
Decided on using the Viscount Aerospace Sport AKA "The Shopping Trolley".Not much of it original
The first 8 miles was mostly off road and disused old roads,up to the track around East Midlands Airport (hard pack and grass) fine when dry but very gloopy when wet.
Then on main roads to Ashby,Swad,Burton,just after Willington i went off road again to Derby,then from Derby along the river track back to Elvaston a total of about 18 miles off road.Need to fit a different seat
50 mile trip.

https://www.strava.com/activities/686345644

Sculpture on the Southern side of the Airport trail.

Burton Flour Mills

View attachment 141031

 

[Jenkins]

I hate wasps!

Finally got round to re-fitting the Superstar Components rear wheel to my Planet X last night as it had to have a spoke replaced and the rim re-trued after a breakage at the start of August - when I also got a wasp sting on my right thigh which turned an angry shade of red, put out an extra ordinary amount of heat and gained a few inches in circumference..

Today I took the bike out for a couple of hours for a spin in the countryside to the north and west of Ipswich only for one of the stripey b*st*rds to get inside my jersey and sting me on the right side of my chest. I've now got a succession of ice packs to go under my t-shirt hoping to minimise the effects.

Other than that the ride was lovely - clear blue skies, warm but with a decent breeze to keep the temperature down and surprisingly clear roads. Roll on tomorrow when a bonus day off work will see me at Rutland Water.

https://www.strava.com/activities/686124956

 

[Diggs]

Phew what a scorcher! Had an absolutely beautiful ride around Bewl Water. What a lovely place, lots going on, around and on the water. A little bit lumpy in places so gets the heart pumping, not just a pootle.

 

[macp]

Such a glorious ride home today. Its my little bit of bliss and chance to wind down from a day at work. It was hot but I had a tail wind and my legs felt strong so instead of taking my usual turn I took the alternative and much longer route. One of those rides where you feel you could just keep going & going. One day I will do it you know with my trusty steed loaded up and no real idea where Im headed.

 

[EltonFrog]

Three rides today , all on Boris Bikes in London, ride one was from Euston Station down to Regents Street to go and see the Terrence Donovan exhibition, then after a walk round soho, a pie and mash lunch in Carnaby Street and an Ice cream, we got another bike and road down to Lower Ground on the South Bank to look at the Thames and have coffee at the OXO tower, then a walk over the bridge to the ironically named Cheapside for some retail therapy then another Boris bike to Leicester Square for some dinner and cinema.

Carnaby Street

Pie n Mash

Carnaby Steet

St Paul's

Statue Bloke.

 

[galaxy]

Met the Mrs on the way home such a lovely evening. Perfect cycling weather.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Right, after yesterdays marathon effort, it was a much shorter ride today as I picked up my new Boardman Road Pro Carbon.

I was approached by three people in the car park as I was getting ready to ride off who wanted to chat about the bike, what was it, how good it looked and in one case, scarcely believing that Halfords sold such bikes - yes, I really did buy it here

Oh my giddy aunt, how much faster than my Road Comp is this beast? And that's with my legs all but empty after yesterdays efforts.
So, sadly todays ride was just a quick shake down and to get the bike up home, but I still managed to completed 8.25 miles (13.27 km), every single one of them with a smile on my face, even if I couldn't do the bike justice today. I think this is going to be fun...

View attachment 140741
The Garmin no longer resides at such a jaunty, unaerodynamic and frankly unreadable angle, but it was the only way I could mount it with the reflector still in place.
The reflector is now history and the balance of the universe has been restored.

I'm undecided as to leaving the (lovely and plush) black bar tape in place, or replacing it with some in green.

I really like the Boardman Pro Carbon. Mine's been absolutely faultless in the 3 years I've had it. The only thing that bothers me (slightly) about the new one, are the disc brakes. Interestingly the new SLR, doesn't have disc brakes, but it does have SRAM groupset, which is not to my liking. I hope you enjoy your bike anyway.

 

[Elybazza61]

Georgeous morning today and perfect for a single-speed ride in;

Straight run down the A10 to work with a little run through Cambridge to top up the distance.

https://www.strava.com/activities/686976292

The Weigh at journey's end;