Your ride today....

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The road bike was left at home today and the "beater bike" was selected for an easy ride. Made my way to Wrexham but decided to go via back roads I had not previously been on. A bit of an adventure, one particular road half way down became very agricultural!
Contrastingly the very next back lane (which I doubt sees more than ten cars a day) had been recently resurfaced with tremendously smooth tarmac and was a joy to cycle.
Went into some outlying Wrexham villages and found the Nant Mill Country park, looked lovely so have earmarked a day to go back in the car with Mrs. Slow.
On the way back found a nice roadside cafe where a sausage batch and a mug of coffee was consumed. (Special mention to the well mannered and pleasant girl who was serving)
A nice relaxing day that not even the headwind on the way home could spoil.
46 leisurely miles, no rush, no killing myself chasing speed, just proper cycling.
 

Shearwater Missile

Über Member
I got an unexpected ride in today as we were going out but changed our plans. So I went out on my Brettenham, route only this time aimed with a camera.
I get quite envious of some of the pictures that are posted on this forum. Sadly I can`t conjour up reservoirs, mountain passes, sunsets over water etc etc but thought that I`d just share a few pictures on my route today. Mainly country lanes that are pretty quiet and fairly flat, just a few slopes. All bar one driver were good to me. The one you ask ? Yes, the one. I was coming towards a left hand bend and knew that a car was behind me. To my utter amazement he decided to overtake on the bend. I could`nt see what was coming, neither could he and did`nt as he had to stop on the wrong side of the road as a car was approaching. Silly beggar ! He pulled in and stayed behind for all of about 10 secs and I was taking a primary position by then to stop him overtaking as another bend was coming up, it did`nt stop him as he overtook right on the bend. I must have been doing something right as he gave me a middle finger salute ! What had I don`t wrong, other than being a cyclist wearing lycra ? Perhaps he was showing off to his female passenger.
Other than that I had a good ride, also taking in an extra 3 mile loop past Brettenham Hall school and left towards Hitcham and left again on Dale Road and on to Buxhall.
Is it me or does it get harder starting off again after stopping ( for the photo shots) ? Try as I might I can`t emulate the speeds I was doing a couple of years ago where I would easily averaged 18.5 mph and on good days over 19mph. Perhaps it is age (61 soon) yet I still feel that I am putting in the effort. It does`nt really matter but just wondered why. Does anyone else experience this ?
The ride ended up at 26.1 at 17.9mph average, good conditions. 19 degrees, 7mph wind from the north and mainly cloudy.

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Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Just an easy one using the knockabout bike today; into town, through the Quarry then out of town along the old canal path heading for Uffington, Upton Magna, Atcham and Cross Houses where I extended it a bit heading through Cound Stank towards Pitchford and back via Cantlop, Condover and Lyth Hill.

It's still a little cool for July but fairly nice out, especially when the sun broke through.

At Meole Brace I met a group of riders all in the same kit who asked directions into the town centre (easy one that, just follow the road directly opposite where we were) then asked about getting to Whitchurch (a bit harder as the most direct route isn't the one I'd recommend). When I left them their support vehicle had caught up and they were having a conflab.

Riding through the Quarry was as pleasant as ever. The final packing up is being done after the food festival at the weekend, then there were a fair few pedestrians to negotiate. The canal path was dry and dusty today, then the lane to Upton Magna was fairly quiet but the one the other side of the village was busier as the school run kicked off.

I ha a fairly good tailwind on the way to Cross Houses then a very good one on the short main road section and the lane to Cound Stank. It couldn't last though and the last few miles were going to be into the wind so I opted for the climb over Lyth Hill so as not to have to face the traffic as well as the wind.

23.4 miles at 12.8 mph average.

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Sabrina passes the old brewery on one of her tours.

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Last time I was here with the bike the path was unrideable due to being chest-deep in water.

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Overlooking the Severn from the old Atcham Bridge
 

colly

Re member eR
Location
Leeds
Grandson's school sports day today. I couldn't miss that now could I ? I had to be there for 1pm for a 1.30 start.

From my place by the direct route its about 17 miles to Featherstone (or Purston Jaglin if you want to put on airs) but I had plenty of time and it was a beautiful morning so I set off around 10am and opted for fixed wheel and a route that took me east from Leeds out through Garforth, Aberford and Towton and on through Ullskelf and Cawood. Passing en route, Mrs B's Lakeside Kitchen.
I seemed to be making light work of it as I headed south through Wistow and into Selby. I stopped here for a drink and to check time and decided to plow on south to Snaith and turn right and west eventually.
It's about 7 or 8 miles down to Snaith and I began to feel the effects of a strong cross headwind. The forecast was for a 5mph easterly. It was in fact a 20mph block westerly.
At Snaith I got held up by a traffic accident. At the small roundabout in the town a woman had been knocked over in the road. It is pitiful to see such a sight. Poor woman laying there not moving. I could have squeezed through but while people were milling round and trying to help I deemed it best not to. To be honest it didn't look good and a little later I saw the Yorkshire Air Ambulance heading in the direction of Snaith.
Eventually the traffic was waved around and I made it to Pollington where I headed due west into the wind.
The next 14 miles were a slog. It was flat fortunately but it was also exposed and there was little or no shelter. Speed and time wise it didn't seem to make a lot of difference but effort wise it certainly did. I got to Featherstone in time at around 1.15pm despite the delay.

All in it was 48.3 miles with a nominal 1250ft of upwards. 16mph average. (not that I was counting like)

View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36722324



Sports day races:
Grandson Joshua came last in the egg and spoon race and a creditable 3rd place in a straighforward running race. He is now a bronze medalist.
 
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gavgav

Guru
Originally I had today booked as Annual Leave, to get over the excesses of my cricket club tour, to Cornwall, at the weekend, but I had to cancel that due to a course I’m on. However, part of the agreement was that, when I got back from Birmingham, I could finish for the day. I was back at 14:30 and so what else to do on a nice afternoon, other than get my challenge ride in for July?!

It was a bit blustery, when I set off, but from a mostly Northerly direction, meaning it would be behind me for a good proportion of the first half of the ride.

I fancied some hills today, and so went for probably the hardest ride that the Carbon will cope with, beginning by heading to Berrington, Eaton Mascott and Cound. The lanes are quite sandy and gravelly, from the recent heavy rains and so care was needed on corners. I then began the climbing up Kenley Bank and was playing roulette with a chap in a small white van who kept passing me and then pulling in at houses, only to then pass me again. I realised, at the top of the bank, when I passed him as he got out of the van, that he was the paper delivery “boy” (probably in his 70’s!)

The section from Kenley, to Church Preen and then Gretton, was mostly fabulous, due to the tailwind and a downhill trend, meaning I was cruising along nicely. I then got to Cardington and the hard climb up to Enchmarsh, before the exhilarating descent down the corkscrew, which was unobstructed today and meant I could get along nicely, hitting my top speed for the day of 30.7 mph.

I turned towards the North, but the wind seemed to have dropped a bit and so I still made good progress to Longnor, but had a moment crossing one of the fords along there, which only has a small amount of water in it, but the slick tyres still struggled and I felt the back end go, but managed to keep it upright :eek:

The lane to Ryton was still flooded completely across the road, which shows how wet it’s been recently, even with the most recent heat, but it was fairly shallow in the middle and so no issues getting through.

Next was Ryton and Dorrington, where there were streams of traffic along the A49, from both directions, and so I walked the bike along to the pedestrian crossing and pressed the button to enable me to get across.

I followed the lanes past my old primary school and then back around to Stapleton, where I called on Dad for an hour. When I set back out I could feel that wind had picked up again and that made it a hard slog back through Condover, along Lyons Lane and then home via Betton Abbots.

33.98 miles at 12.2mph avg, which I’m happy with on a route that has 1879 ft of climbing.
 

derrick

The Glue that binds us together.
Last night the other half and myself went for a quick loop. 24 miles to the pub, She is riding pretty strong at the moment, averaging 18mph over 24 miles. We had made arangements to have a drink with our very own iron man, She did it in Frankfurt on Sunday, A great aceivment,She has been riding with us this year to get her bike miles up.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2498733137
 

Aravis

Putrid Donut
Location
Gloucester
This is yesterday's ride. A new month, and a perfect day; challenge season is here again!

The plan for yesterday is here, aiclockwise in the lower loop, clockwise in the upper:

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Because I needed to be back mid afternoon I started as early as I possibly could without digging out my lights - 4:45am. This turned out to be perfect. after the first section up the A38 I reached the lanes heading north-east across Worcestershire when there was still next to nothing about. Just the skylarks, and the sweetest air imaginable. I had an objective to visit an ancient monument in Redditch, and to get there my route took me through the centre of the town. That was OK, but things became dramatically better on the way out as I found myself on a car-free bus superhighway (also open to bikes). Nothing comes entirely without price; there was a clear expecation on the part of the few pedestrians about that they didn't need to look to see what was coming, and the lack of heavy traffic meant the surface was noticeably rougher than I'd usually expect. The route took me past the target of Moons Moat:

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Shortly afterwards, at Coughton Ford, I met a young lady cyclist whose route coincided with mine for the next few miles, and we chatted about such things as being a very slow cyclist, swimming the length of Coniston Water (not me :notworthy:) and a shared affection for the Lench Hills, north of Evesham.

Turning eastwards I took the chance to revisit Exhall, a valuable prize in the A-Z Towns and Villages challenge, and also stopped to photgraph a couple of postboxes. One of which I've posted, contrarily, in the Your bike and a thatch thread.

Just south of Droitwich I successfully negotiated a threatening-looking road closure, then made for the river crossing at Holt Fleet. I always enjoy the drama of the crossing itself, but the unavoidable A-roads either side I find increasingly hostile. Maybe it's a contrast with the blissful hours earlier in the day.

I've always found that things improve dramatically south of Worcester on the quiet side of the river, and that hasn't changed. The customary water stop at Upton, then a meander through the Castlemorton lanes and back to Gloucester via Pendock.

I won't be able to do this for ever, and it's good to hit days which are as perfect as this - 127.64 miles during which exertion was generally kept to a minimum.
 

welsh dragon

Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Another 17 miles for me. Not much to report. Lots of farmers on tractors, cutting grass, turning it to dry it, or Baling it ready to put it Into the barns for the winter. They might even get a second cut in before the Summers out.

Gorgeous day here. Really sunny and warm.

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Denis99

Über Member
Location
South Wales
Another nice day in sunny South Wales.
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Poacher

Gravitationally challenged member
Location
Nottingham
Wonderful day for a leisurely ride in the Vale of Belvoir. First I had to get there; about 5km of urban riding to get to and cross the Ladybay bridge in West Bridgford, enlivened by trying and failing to avoid a carpet of broken glass apparently deliberately spread across the cycle track. A brief respite along the towpath of the Grantham Canal before the shared use path alongside the busy A52 towards Radcliffe. Two Iceland lorry drivers decided the layby wasn't sufficient for their needs, and had parked on and almost completely blocked the path. I regret to inform you, dear reader, that I used some extremely offensive language to one of them. To his credit, he seemed genuinely apologetic - when he saw me getting my camera out - so I decided in a moment of unwonted generosity not to report him and his colleague.
It was sheer bliss to leave this busy dual carriageway and take a minor road towards Cotgrave, and even better to leave this in favour of the canal towpath. Riding along with nary a care in the world, I was stopped in my tracks by a wondrously fresh and sweet aroma. I knew damn well it wasn't me; turned out to be a mass of blossom on a wild rose.
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A little further on was this spectacularly coloured leaf. A common enough plant, but beautiful in its own right.
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I followed the towpath under the A46, on past Cropwell Bishop, leaving it at Oddhouse Farm to visit the Colston Bassett dairy for a gradely wedge of their superb blue stilton. 535gm for £7.10, and worth every penny!
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Then onwards to Harby, noting this obstruction in a small stream on the way. Could this be a Belvoir dam?
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Past Harby, took a very minor road to Dove Cottage, but resisted the lure of coffee and cake. Unusually, no other cyclists were there.On through Plungar, Granby, Barnstone and Langar, heading for Bingham. Just past the Tithby lane junction, wheat harvesting was in full swing. Two Buzzards, one being half-heartedly pestered by a Sparrowhawk, were circling over the harvest field, probably on the look-out for rabbits or other potential prey being flushed by the harvester.
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Along the verge were several drifts of distinctively pink Yarrow, the kind of thing that costs wodgy dosh in garden centres. I could tell you precisely where these were, but I'd have to Achillea.
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After a brief shopping trip to Bingham's fairly recently opened Lidl to grab a couple of pasteis natas, on the A6097 towards Gunthorpe and Lowdham, conscious of some very patient HGV drivers, and pulling in where possible to allow them to pass safely, hopefully building up some good karma in the process for other cyclists as well as me. I was hoping to get off the A612 at Bulcote and enjoy a traffic-free ride across Burton Meadows, but harvest brings danger for big people as well as little animals. As I read this sign, a tractor & trailer came along, and I'm very glad I didn't ride past, claiming as a cyclist, not a pedestrian, it didn't apply to me.
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Oh well, retrace route to Burton Joyce. Silver linings and all that, I had a Co-op 50p off creamcakes voucher and used it. Like I need more calories and cholesterol. Good job the Altura pack has a zipped extension option, but I still had to transfer the camera and glasses case to bulging back pockets in my shirt. Seeking quieter roads again, I took the diversion to Stoke Bardolph. Two Lapwings were flying around and calling repeatedly, but I never got a pic of either. Instead, here's an obligatory bucolic shot of the Trent, with sheep on the left and cattle on the right.
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And here's a totally gratuitous shot of swans enjoying the presumably luxurious weed growth in the outflow from the sewage farm.
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No computer on this bike, but my little Recta map rolling device comes out at about 65km, which seems about right.
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
Quite a good turn out at the Pot. Jules H, me, Margaret PR a returning from sojourns abroad Pete M and a guest appearance from Sara P. We took the northerly route to Drakes Broughton to head through Bishampton. Sara peeled off at Pinvin and Margaret at Bishampton. We three took a different to usual run on lanes I haven't ridden for a very long time. New tarmac for the other two. We paused at Shell to examine the ford before rejoining our usual route at Bradley Green. Pete was gasping for a cuppa but only 2 miles left. Mandy at the fishing lakes cafe sorted us some super refreshments before we began our run back. We took a fairly standard run south to Drakes Broughton where the southerly return was favoured. Lovely ride out in easy countryside and in perfect weather. 71 smiles
 

delb0y

Legendary Member
Location
Quedgeley, Glos
Lovely 16 mile bimble this evening. It's so nice to cycle on a still evening - makes the entire ride pleasant. Anyway, this one was notable for being like a Rolling Stone's lyric - I was "looking for my connection". Didn't find it, but I did find a derelict farm house about a mile down an off-road track and now I've looked on the map I reckon I can scoot around the edge of a field adjoining that farm and join up with another off-road track that I also explored this evening. Once I've joined the two it'll make a lovely off-road section in the middle of a local loop. Will try the connection again this weekend hopefully.

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