Your ride today....

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Well done @Littgull - I've ridden the cycle path alongside the A64 and while it's serviceable it's neither picturesque or fun.
If you choose to repeat the run (or if anyone else is interested), there is a choice of quiet, gently undulating country lanes that run almost parallel to the A64 - either the old York Road, past the turning for Askham Richard and through Healaugh and Wighill, or at Askham Richard take the turning for the more direct and even quieter option through Bilborough and Catterton, which drops you onto the cycle path just short of Tad.
Both are much nicer to ride than that cycle path! ^_^

Thanks @NortherDave, that's really useful to know. There's no substitute for local knowledge.
 

derrick

The Glue that binds us together.
Nice loop around Stanstead airport with a few club members, building up there stamina, the ride started with 10 of us, 6 deciding to do the shorter route, the 4 of us then going a bit further, stayed dry for most of the ride, a small shower on our way back, only lasting a couple of minutes, but it was pretty cold. came across a ford, normally a little trickle across the road, today it was a raging torrent, was a good ride with good company, everyone did well. 68 miles, still lots of training needed, we all have a 200 mile challenge in 6 weeks time.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1481600296
ford.PNG
 

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
My son & I rode 41 miles around Ullswater area yesterday. We started off with 12 miles around the lake to meet the rest of the family off the Ullswater steamer at Howtown, then we did a nice ride back behind Gowbarrow Fell to Dockray, then down to the lakeshore again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1479596069

After a bite to eat, waiting for a shower to pass, we had another crack at climbing the Kirkstone Pass. I am still getting over a viral chest infection so I needed a pause or three to admire the scenery. whereas the lad honked his way up to the top very quickly.

Gradientsign.JPG
KP Inn approach.JPG
Sykeside.JPG
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
My son & I rode 41 miles around Ullswater area yesterday. We started off with 12 miles around the lake to meet the rest of the family off the Ullswater steamer at Howtown, then we did a nice ride back behind Gowbarrow Fell to Dockray, then down to the lakeshore again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1479596069

After a bite to eat, waiting for a shower to pass, we had another crack at climbing the Kirkstone Pass. I am still getting over a viral chest infection so I needed a pause or three to admire the scenery. whereas the lad honked his way up to the top very quickly.

View attachment 402443 View attachment 402444 View attachment 402445

Stunning. Glad you are having a good time. I’ve been keeping up with you on Strava and I still have the pain of watching ‘the lad’ disappear away from us on ‘that’ Audax. We will not mention it again.
 

Slick

Guru
My son & I rode 41 miles around Ullswater area yesterday. We started off with 12 miles around the lake to meet the rest of the family off the Ullswater steamer at Howtown, then we did a nice ride back behind Gowbarrow Fell to Dockray, then down to the lakeshore again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1479596069

After a bite to eat, waiting for a shower to pass, we had another crack at climbing the Kirkstone Pass. I am still getting over a viral chest infection so I needed a pause or three to admire the scenery. whereas the lad honked his way up to the top very quickly.

View attachment 402443 View attachment 402444 View attachment 402445
Chest infection or not, looks like a good effort to me, nothing wrong with admiring the scenery on the way up a climb. Your link doesn't show your ride, just your stats to date.
 

gavgav

Legendary Member
I’ve been in the Half Century a Month Challenge for Four Years now and this month has proved the hardest of the lot. Every free weekend I’ve had has been like an ice age and I woke this morning having yet to do a qualifying ride. The rain was hammering on the window and the wind was howling and so I’d pretty much resigned myself to failing for the first time.........

At about 10:30 the rain had blown through and I had a window of 3&1/2 hours to get a ride in, before driving to Wales and I thought to myself.....I CAN DO THIS!!!

So I layered up against the strong Northerly Wind and dragged myself out. I set off up the cycle paths to Heathgates and then along Sundorne Rd and onto the cycle path to Uffington. There was a chap cycling in front of me, who I was slowly reeling in and indeed I caught him in Uffington and passed him with a friendly hello between us, before I turned onto the Upton Magna road.

Whilst climbing the hill the same chap caught me up and we had a friendly exchange about me not liking hills. We then got chatting and he was a really nice guy, called Robin, based in Telford. We cycled together and chatted most of the way, through Upton Magna, Withington, as far as Isombridge, where we went our separate ways. I hope we come across each other again, on the bikes, as he was very good company and helped pass away about 3 or 4 miles into the wind. :okay:

I then continued along the bone shaker road to Longdon on Tern. I spent most of this lane trying to get through floods without getting my feet wet. There were no fewer than 10 deep floods along the 3 mile stretch, but I managed it and then turned towards Rodington and Roden, negotiating 4 more deep floods. It hasn’t half rained around here over the last week!!

I turned into the wind, along the stretch to Poynton and it felt like a wall was in my way. From Bings Heath, it got a bit easier, with the wind at the side of me, or behind and I made good progress up East Haughmond, back to Upton Magna.

From here it was the Pelham Rd to Berwick Wharf, the rat run to Atcham and then the lanes up to Betton. It was on the short but steep and narrow section, along here, that I had one of the funniest moments I’ve had on a bike. A MGIF came up behind me, in a Vectra and was determined to squeeze past me on the narrow section, so put their wheels onto the saturated verge and began wheel spinning badly. They then went for another gear, got completely the wrong one and stalled it in the mud :laugh:.

I just laughed my head off and continued onwards, leaving them to fathom out how to get out of the mud and grow a brain cell whilst they were at it!

It was back into the wind again, to home, but I’d made the Half Century Challenge entry, by the skin of my teeth!!

31.9 miles at 12.1mph avg. The things you do for a Bronze Star!!
 

Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
After a dry morning I took the risk of getting the non mudguarded Giant Rapid flatbar out of the shed for a few hours of riding around while listening to football on the radio. After a couple of miles I came across the first full road width puddle, but thought nothing of it as that area is always like that. Kept going out to Newbourne, up to Waldringfield and then Martlesham having to slowly negotiate 2 large sections where the road was completely flooded on the way. A quick drop down into Foxhall...
Monument Farm Lane (1).jpg
then back up into Kesgrave and Rushmere where the heavens opened and I seriously considered giving up and getting the train home from Westerfield due to the cold and being soaked through. In the end I kept going and made my way home via Ipswich & Buckleshem.
A quick stop at home to change into a dry & clean jacket (the back of the other one was completely covered in road dirt) and gloves and to pick up a backpack for an extra run into Felixstowe to but some supplies for tomorrow's outing to Silverstone giving a total for the day of 39 miles.
Saturday.png
 
View attachment 402435 Finally got time to take the Spa Tourer to the airport and back via the Bridgewater Way tow path and found this amazing graffiti under the Chester Road bridge. Just over 40 miles covered with no rain but a cold wind

This one definitely belongs in the Street Art thread! :thumbsup:
 

Jon George

Mamil and couldn't care less
Location
Suffolk an' Good
A short run of 11 miles this morning. (I have a beer festival to attend later. :cheers:). Had to filter past two horse riders, only to encounter another immediately afterwards coming the other way. I made the comment: 'Typical. You wait all week for a horse, and then three turn up at once.'

Well, she thought it was funny. :whistle:

Jay has apparently been missed. This at Levington Marina.

Levington 1.4.18.JPG
 

cosmicbike

Perhaps This One.....
Moderator
Location
Egham
A quick check of the calendar earlier in the week showed that my chances for the imperial century beyond today were somewhat limited until very late in the month, and since the forecast was dry though cold I opted to get it in the bag early.
Up and out the door at 0558hrs (SWMBO thinks I'm mad) I headed off towards Old Windsor, before going North of the A4 into all new territory. I rarely go North of Heathrow as I have no real need to, so a bit of an adventure:smile: Through Iver, West Drayton and Hayes, before heading into Southall. A brief pause at the London Motor Museum
1 April 2018 London Motor Museum.jpg

Staying in the same locale, I made my 2nd planned stop to see IKB's Three Bridges
1 April 2018 Three Bridges.jpg

Southbound now and onto the A4, normally 3 lanes of madness, but 3 lanes of nothing this morning. Past the old Gillette building, looking somewhat sorry for itself, even the clock has stopped.
Through Brentford, where I encountered the idiot London bus driver. Seen them on YouTube lots, overtaking you then pulling straight across you to a bus stop. Maybe shared bus/cycle lanes aren't a good thing...Continued on round Kew, before Richmond then briefly into Richmond Park and up Sawyers Hill before getting a little lost around Twickenham stadium. Once past Kingston it was into the countryside, Esher, Ashstead, Claygate, Horsley and Effingham, before finally familiar territory through Ripley. By now I was rather shattered, and still had 25 miles to go. Poor planning on my part, nothing was open today which I should have thought about.
The last 20 miles were a real grind, but teeth gritted and job done.
100.37 miles in under 7 hours, fastest yet which may explain why it felt tough. Nabbed 61 Explorer squares too, which is nice:smile:
 

C R

Guru
Location
Worcester
Glorious sunshine early this morning, if a bit chilly, so set out for a short ride looping through Kempsey to Kerswell Green and Croome, then back via Wadborough and Littleworth. A bit over 14 miles in about an hour. I set myself a target of at least 50 miles per month this year, but due to weather and work travel I fell short in February and March, hopefully April will be better.

Saw a few cyclists on the way back, and also a couple of joggers. Everyone smiling and cheerfully saying morning, must be the sunshine.

The sky has been getting greyer as the day wears on, so glad I was out earlier.
 
Top Bottom