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Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
Sunday’s 200km+ ride saw me and my frozen spirit cover the Cranborne AONB, Dorset, the Somerset Levels and the Mendips AONB. AND it was dry! -3’c before 0630 and zero in the afternoon. Time to put my SPD sandals away.

Longleat House
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The Dorset escarpment overlooking the Somerset Levels
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At first I thought this was a mill, but it turns out this is just an ordinary home. The owner’s kids left the bath taps running and that’s it flooding out the front door down the drive.
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2nd day in a row, most unusual for me, but no other likely gaps in the wet for days...
13.98 miles, 9.1mph avg, upness not given for some reason.
Route: out of Tavistock on A386 (joy...) to Pitts Cleave and off left to join NCN27. Back into Tavy onto NCN270 and on my normal route toward Plymouth. Went as far as the ramp at Leg O'Mutton, then bottled it and turned around. Mistake on rwo counts. One, wimp-ass for not giving it a go like yesterday, abd two, it meant I ended up in the schools pedestrian traffic back in Tavistock.
Still, that bit closer to overtaking last year's mileage!*
*The sum total if which is less than 3 of @Heltor Chasca 's average weekend rides...
:biggrin:
 
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Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
2nd day in a row, most unusual for me, but no other likely gaps in the wet for days...
13.98 miles, 9.1mph avg, upness not given for some reason.
Route: out of Tavistock on A386 (joy...) to Pitts Cleave and off left to join NCN27. Back into Tavy onto NCN270 and on my normal route toward Plymouth. Went as far as the ramp at Leg O'Mutton, then bottled it and turned around. Mistake on rwo counts. One, wimp-ass for not giving it a go like yesterday, abd two, it meant I ended up in the schools pedestrian traffic back in Tavistock.
Still, that bit closer to overtaking last year's mileage!*
*The sum total if which is less than 3 of @Heltor Chasca 's average weekend rides...
:biggrin:

Don’t do yourself down. You EASILY do more elevation than any average rider. Don’t forget I have ridden through your land...And it scared me and my legs. My ears popped too.
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
Cold today so I layered up. Off around the north of the hills on a well worn route. Still well worn heading south. At Clencher's Mill the Glynch Brook was flowing strongly so I opted for the footbridge rather than risk the ford. The water had been a lot higher as the debris showed. Good foraging for one wagtail anyway. I stuck with tradition around the south of the hills and on the northward leg traffic flow looked heavy at Danemoor Cross. Flood at Upton would do that. The quiet of the Guarlford Road seemed to confirm that thought. Bit gloomy on the run back. That's the trouble with the clock change. 39 smiles
 

pjd57

Guru
Location
Glasgow
View attachment 490946 Bought a Ridley X Bow the other day. It's been used for commuting but I decided to take it back to its natural habitat with a ride around Cong Burn Woods.

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Ridley X Bow in Cong Burn Woods

First impressions are:
a) it's too small for me - not too worried about that as I won't be riding it for long periods
b) it's heavy, surprisingly heavy for a Ridley :sad:
c) those tyres are no good in mud - lots of side slipping and back wheel locks up really easily
d) it's overgeared for this type of thing

It was a lot of fun blatting around the woods though. I enjoyed it much more on this bike than I do on my son's MTB.

Now deciding whether to keep it or sell it on. If I keep it I'll replace the tyres and probably the cassette and chain.
Only 7 miles but I'm flipping worn out now.
Your hearts not in it , sell.
 

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Out again bright and early this morning to do a sort-of-repeat of yesterdays ride as I'd heard the river came up higher overnight. It was quite a chilly morning with a frost on the cars so I started out with my full winter layers on. No Doug this time - I asked but he said he couldn't cope with the saddle again today.

Quiet for a work day out on the roads - mainly because it's half-term here.

The river had indeed come up a lot since yesterday afternoon. It was out in residential streets at Old Coleham and at Victoria Avenue I couldn't get anywhere near the spot where I took my first photo yesterday. In the Quarry the funfair that I presume planned to be there all week was having to pack up rapidly having been caught out.

The flood barriers are doing a good job of protecting Frankwell. I went round to the carpark (which isn't protected) and couldn't get beyond the entrance road. Some of the cars that were at risk yesterday did get moved - the van I showed you yesterday wasn't one of them and just the roof and upper halves of the windows are visible.

I encountered a lost driver by the prison again - this one turned the wrong way down a one way street.:whistle:
I couldn't get far enough down Sydney Avenue to see the weir (or where it should be) and the cafe was inaccessable.

At Upton Magna there was a thatcher replacing the roof on one of the cottages. I overtook a group of cyclists shortly after the village then headed for Atcham where the flood plain looks much the same as it did but the flooded roads are noticably deeper. I took the alternative way round again but this time headed along the A458 to Cross Houses to see where the water comes up to at the other end (something I haven't done before). On this occasion the flood started where the road levels out by Cronkhill meaning that about a mile of this route is underwater. While here a van passed me heading into the flood and another one came splashing out of it. The driver of the second one stopped to chat - the first van was heading to rescue his wife's car that was stranded somewhere up the road. Oops!

Heading back I thought I'd go and be nosy at Allfield which is flooded as badly as I suspected. I got there just in time to see someone driving their BMW through it. It looked marginal and I really thought I might have to be calling for help but they did make it without flooding the engine.

I headed home over Lyth Hill (just as well as the A49 was very busy) and found the legs not happy on the climb - I need to get back to more regular rides again.

25.6 miles this time at 11.1 mph average.

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Todays view from Town Walls.

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Looking down towards Victoria Avenue from the bandstand. Yesterday this section of Victoria Avenue was rideable.

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Wellies needed for packing up the funfair.

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Victoria Quay.

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Remember the van from yesterday?

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Frankwell car park lake. The level peaked a couple of hours before I took the picture.

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Roof being rethatched at Upton Magna.

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Off to the rescue at Cronkhill.

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Cronkhill looks good in the sunshine.

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I thought this one was going to get stuck at Allfield - the photo doesn't show it at the deepest point. A closed road for building work in Condover is tempting people to brave the flood instead. I won't be surprised if somebody does need to be rescued.
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
View attachment 490978

I joined the Free Wheel North ride from Maryhill to Bowling this morning. Bright but cold , with a few icy patches about.
Nice easy going run with 19 taking part.
A few miles on my own later , took me to 30 today and over 5,000 for 2019

That’s an interesting bike. Nice. What is it?
 

PatrickPending

Legendary Member
Location
Leicester
A my ride yesterday report
64 Km
Blaby - Countesthorpe -Willoughby Waterlys - Ashby Magna -Dunton Bassett - Ashby Parva - Leire - Frolesworth - Claybrooke Magna - Monks Kirby - ClaybrookeParva - Ullesthorpe - Ashby Parva - Peatling Magna - Wiloughby Waterlys - Countesthorpe - Blaby

Nice weather though the roads still fairly wet in places from the day before - so cycled through a few pop up fords. Worst one being about a few Km from home on the way back - never seen this particular bit of road flooded so badly....luckily the pavement is raised a bit so I got on and walked a few 100m or so. Two cars stranded...apparently the BMW got stranded 6pm the day before and on the morning of the next day the Nissan (I think) driver decided to give it a go....I think they flooded their engine......



on the
road.jpg
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First ride in a while thanks to lurgies and life kind of getting in the way.

Nothing special, just an 8 mile round trip to Littleport this afternoon in the company of Wiggy #2, the Chartres, via Black Bank and Parson's Lane. Dropped off mum's prescription at the quacks, then stopped at the Co-op for milk on the way home. As well as 4 pints of milk, also acquired butter and bacon on yellow sticker.

Goodness was it nippy. I misjudged my attire somewhat, and I wasn't half chilled by the time I came home. In my defence, the last time I went out on the bike, it was shorts and short sleeve jersey weather... :blush:

The post-ride :cuppa: was really welcome.
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
Jules H and Margaret PR and me today. Cool with a bit of an easterly at times. Flooding was rerouting traffic which made my ride over much busier than usual. Flooding also.meant we couldn't get through the school so Longdon it had to be. More busy traffic at the Mythe and at Tewkesbury. We made into the quiet of the lanes for Kemerton. Around the Bredon Hill wasn't too bad but we had to dismount and allow the workmen at Ashton under Hill to escort us through some major engineering works. 2 red kites were wonderful to see. Soon we were dodging a bit more traffic at Evesham where the riverside cafe was well above a fairly normal level River Avon.
We headed for Hipton Hill to take us to the Lenches. Normal routing from Bishampton took us to the ford at Pinvin which was flooded. The footbridge had also been under but was clear for us. Just the standard run back by Kinnersley left me to dodge around the Upton floods on my run back.
Nice day out on a pleasant if cool Autumn day. 74 smiles
 
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EltonFrog

Legendary Member
A test ride on the Madone today , the first opportunity to I have had to ride it since the group set upgrade. Just 8.10 miles up the hill and round, I’m pleased to report that everything works and nothing fell off, just a little tweak on the front mech and the jobs a good’un.
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Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
Finally - a dry day coinciding with a day off this month! As a result I set out to get in the 50 mile ride for this month, but I may have gone a bit further than necessary. There was quite a stiff and cold easterly breeze so the route was loosly planned to head north(ish) then back south(ish) keeping the wind mostly from the side.

The long route was taken out to Martlesham, then up through Woodbridge and Ufford, taking the Pettistree turn off just before Wickham Market and into the lanes around Dallinghoo, Bredfield and Hasketon. I then cut across to Westerfield via Great Bealings & Tuddenham and then homewards on the regular Rushmere St, Andrew, Bucklesham & Kirton ride. By then, the wind had dropped a bit so I added a loop around Felixstowe just to up the mileage a bit.

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https://www.strava.com/activities/2828634203
(yes, that's further than I did for the 100k ride a couple of weeks ago)
 
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