Your ride today....

[wafter]

The Routier went back to Oxford today.

I felt somewhat tired after yesterday's ride but went out for a waft around the city pre-pub in an effort to make myself feel better for eating all the food today.

Did about 13-14 fairly sedate miles just moseying around, not a lot to report other than the slightly rubbing rear wheel continuing to irritate me and the upper edge of the DIY front mudflat making a lot of noise on the tyre after it's bottom bit got bent back on itself during some cobble-stone hooliganary on the high st.

Not sure how the top bit came to be rubbing but I had to chop the corner off to get home with any dignity

As usual it felt good to get out (still not sure about the new saddle, mind) but the seasonal shift brought with it a fresh wave of nostalgia as the autumn always reminds me of starting uni and the hope / optimism I once had...

 

[StuAff]

I was planning to do a ton today, Brighton and back, due to wind direction (whenever possible, tailwind home), but settled for a fraction under 80, as grinding into a headwind for 50 miles would have left me too knackered to get any of that back on the return leg (and judging by yesterday's 30 miler, naff all benefit in speed anyway), and I decided to spend less than ten hours out on the road, the average speed stayed resolutely at 11 mph or thereabouts.

I'd had an idea to mitigate some of the blowiness, and headed north rather than west at first, to gain a bit of hill & tree cover. North through Horndean to Rowlands Castle, then east by a somewhat zigzag route (due to the topography rather than navigation issues!) to Upwaltham, where Cadence Cycle Club, a recent regular cafe stop of my LBS's club runs, is located. A fraction under 40 miles on the clock. Take one look at the prices and think, nah- I'll be going to my fave stop later in the week anyway, and that's better value (IMHO). So another few miles, down to Chichester, and I 'make do' with the splendid pie and mash deal from Turners Pies (I've named the ride on Strava 3.14 ). Nom. Further south to Bognor, a quick pause on the seafront, then back to Chi before turning west to home. 79.71 miles in 8:27 door to door.

 

[Arjimlad]

I was planning to do a ton today, Brighton and back, due to wind direction (whenever possible, tailwind home), but settled for a fraction under 80, as grinding into a headwind for 50 miles would have left me too knackered to get any of that back on the return leg (and judging by yesterday's 30 miler, naff all benefit in speed anyway), and I decided to spend less than ten hours out on the road, the average speed stayed resolutely at 11 mph or thereabouts.

I'd had an idea to mitigate some of the blowiness, and headed north rather than west at first, to gain a bit of hill & tree cover. North through Horndean to Rowlands Castle, then east by a somewhat zigzag route (due to the topography rather than navigation issues!) to Upwaltham, where Cadence Cycle Club, a recent regular cafe stop of my LBS's club runs, is located. A fraction under 40 miles on the clock. Take one look at the prices and think, nah- I'll be going to my fave stop later in the week anyway, and that's better value (IMHO). So another few miles, down to Chichester, and I 'make do' with the splendid pie and mash deal from Turners Pies (I've named the ride on Strava 3.14 ). Nom. Further south to Bognor, a quick pause on the seafront, then back to Chi before turning west to home. 79.71 miles in 8:27 door to door.

Nice. As a native of Waterlooville (although I didn't cycle as far in my youth) those places are nearly all familiar. Do you use the trail passing next to the A27 by Farlington Marshes?

 

[StuAff]

Nice. As a native of Waterlooville (although I didn't cycle as far in my youth) those places are nearly all familiar. Do you use the trail passing next to the A27 by Farlington Marshes?

Yes. Rather a lot!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

A couple of rides to mention.

Monday: As @gavgav has already mentioned, he and I went out to tackle a ride over the Long Mynd. His write up has covered it well so I'll just add that for me this was the first ride with a newly fettled drive train on the Raleigh. I've raised the gear ratios slightly and also put a new tyre on. The changes feel good - subtly different but seems to suit the bike well so I'm looking forward to racking up some more miles on it.

42.9 miles showing on the clock by the time I got home, at 10.1 mph average.

Taking a breather at Minton after the first steep climb of the day.

Winding our way up the track from Priors Holt.

The view at the top of the climb.

Following the Portway towards the gliding club.

Glider coming in to land.........

.................... and one taking off very shortly afterwards.

At the summit (Pole Bank).

Headed down through High Park.

A stop at the Bottle and Glass, Picklescott.

.........................................................................................

Today: I'd missed out on a ride yesterday and thought I was going to today too, however it turned out I wasn't needed for dog sitting after all so I got the knockabout bike out and aimed to do a fairly quick local loop. This bike has also been recently fettled to replace a worn drivetrain so this was a good shakedown.

After riding the Raleigh the other day this one doesn't half feel like a heavy lump and that wasn't helped by having a headwind to start with. After a bit of a roundabout route to avoid a road that has recently had the hedges cut I headed round the old bypass then into The Quarry which was quite busy with people enjoying making the most of the last few days of holidays and nice weather. The towpath to the weir was just as busy, so the bell had plenty of use, and the old canal path had a reasonable number of people on too (more cyclists than walkers by now).

With the wind being an easterly I was expecting to be riding into it on the way to Upton Magna but it didn't seem too bad. After the village the wind started to help and I got along well to Atcham. Nobody splashing about in the river here today, but a group was just heading back to their car with some paddle boards.

Heading for Cross Houses I heard the vehicle behind me accelerate for an overtake on a blind left hand corner. This time they didn't get away with a clear road and the driver of the Merc coming the other way didn't look too happy at having to do an emergency stop (their ABS does work ). A slightly more sheepish van driver came past carefully when the road was a bit straighter.

The rest of the ride to Berrington, Condover and over Lyth Hill was much less eventful.

An enjoyable 22 miles at 12.6 mph average.

Despite my intentions I only took the one snapshot on this one. Looking upstream on the River Severn towards the Welsh Bridge and the theatre.

 

[Spiderweb]

A lovely ride after work today. 40.5 miles with an average of 15.3 mph.

 

[gavgav]

I began a couple of weeks Annual Leave at 4pm today and so celebrated with a short ride. The Carbon was back out for this one, on a warm but windy late afternoon.

I went through Sutton Farm and Reabrook, then followed the cycle paths up towards Heathgates. From there I turned West and for a short while had a tailwind through Castlefields and along the towpath, into the Quarry, which was a lot quieter than I thought it might be.

I crossed Porthill Bridge and then climbed up to Roman Road, and along to Shelton. The headwind seemed to be back, despite it being an Easterly 🤷‍♂️ and was there for the rest of the ride, no matter which direction I was going in!

I dropped down towards the Redwoods Hospital and had todays driving moron. A woman in a Peugeot 206, overtook me around a bend, into the path of an oncoming car and then swerved left across my path into the next residential side road. Some people simply shouldn’t be behind a wheel.

I then went through Bowbrook, to Radbrook and Nobold, Meole Village and home.

12.8 miles at 12.4mph avg

 

[Spiderweb]

I left work at 4.30pm for another extended ride home on the Tricross. Pretty windy again so was struggling at times but managed some wind assisted Strava PB’s too.
30.39 miles with an average of 18 mph.

 

[Jameshow]

I began a couple of weeks Annual Leave at 4pm today and so celebrated with a short ride. The Carbon was back out for this one, on a warm but windy late afternoon.

I went through Sutton Farm and Reabrook, then followed the cycle paths up towards Heathgates. From there I turned West and for a short while had a tailwind through Castlefields and along the towpath, into the Quarry, which was a lot quieter than I thought it might be.

I crossed Porthill Bridge and then climbed up to Roman Road, and along to Shelton. The headwind seemed to be back, despite it being an Easterly 🤷‍♂️ and was there for the rest of the ride, no matter which direction I was going in!

I dropped down towards the Redwoods Hospital and had todays driving moron. A woman in a Peugeot 206, overtook me around a bend, into the path of an oncoming car and then swerved left across my path into the next residential side road. Some people simply shouldn’t be behind a wheel.

I then went through Bowbrook, to Radbrook and Nobold, Meole Village and home.

12.8 miles at 12.4mph avg

Same happened to me driver come up a narrow lane at 30mph round a blind corner with me coming the opposite way at approx 15mph.

I just about squeezed passed, however the car behind me almost had a head on!!

 

[StuAff]

I'll be going to my fave stop later in the week anyway, and that's better value (IMHO).

…And I did. The Tea Cosy in Hurstbourne Tarrant (on the A343, NE of Andover). About 46 miles from this sofa by the most direct route- which I didn't take, apart from wanting to get the mileage into triple figures, I prefer to take a loop there rather than there-and-back. So, up Portsdown Hill by the steepest ramp (handily going past the local A&E…), Wickham, Bishops Waltham, Colden Common, Otterbourne (cutting south of the congested sprawl of Winchester), then north through Sparsholt, Crawley (no, not the Sussex one!), through Andover and then the A343, which from the west means you get the weeeeee 14% descent to the village rather than the grinding ascent (which burns off the cake you've hopefully remembered to eat in HT). First fifty miles done in 4:25 door to door, so pace rather better than Tuesday- only the occasional bit of headwind, crosswind not impeding progress much if at all.

One pot of tea, meatball panini and coffee & walnut cake (nom nom nom) and less than an hour later, off SE. Brief brain-fade between HT & Whitchurch as I turn SE rather than NW, back and forth before I finally return to navigational normality. From Whitchurch, a route I've taken many times with village names I can rattle off (East Stratton, West Stratton, Northington, Swarraton) down to Alresford. Slight detour from this stock route south of Kilmeston due to a road closure, then Meonstoke, Hambledon, Denmead & down the hill again to home. 102.68 miles & 5,218ft of climbing in 10 hours door to door, 8:21 moving (12.3 mph average). Lunch was definitely burnt off!

 

[theloafer]

todays ride was to test my memory ... i was shown a off road track last week , which i thoroughly enjoyed . so i went almost the same route to see if i could find it on my own ...lol it was a success . a short but enjoyable ride and gives me an other option when cycling through Darlington... which is no bad thing . just short of 42 miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/7742264591

also came across what looks like a old pack horse bridge.. and i had to ride over it

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Yesterday:

Another new month has come along and with it expected to be a busy one for me, plus it looks like the weather is about to break, I thought it would be good idea to get the challenge ride in early.

It wasn't light yet when my alarm went off but was by the time I got out on the road with the Raleigh. It was a bit cool and overcast out with the forecast showing a bit more wind than I'd like for a big ride and from the north east which isn't ideal for any of my regular routes. Lake Vyrnwy was out as I'd be coming back into about 40 miles of headwind and I don't think I'm fit enough for the South Shropshire hills just at the moment so it had to be a loop around the north of the county yet again.

I thought it would be useful to bank some extra miles at the start so headed to Condover, Ryton, Wheathall, Berriewood, Condover again, along Lyons Lane to Berrington and Cross Houses. Getting back on the saddle after a drink stop there was a rather worrying ripping noise - this turned out to be the hem of my fleece snagging on the saddle rather than the shorts splitting which is what I initially thought. Through Cound, Harnage, Cound Moor and Acton Burnell the roads were fairly quiet and the wind wasn't too bad at this point so it was all good riding. By time I passed the crossroads near Longnor I had more than ten miles extra racked up so that I could be flexible with the route later on.

I went fairly well on the climb over to Cardington then found the headwind on the way past Longville and Hughley which was quite blustery and hard to work against. I took the long way round through Harnage Grange to get to Cressage (found a lost looking van driver stopped in the middle of one of the junctions) then climbed up through Eaton Constantine and Uppington on my way to Walcot. The wind was right in my face on this section so it was a real slog and even the descent of Bluebell Lane wasn't as fun as it usually is so an elevenses stop at Walcot was quite welcome. Putting some suncream on seemed like a good idea as I'd forgotten to when I'd taken off the fleece I'd started in.

Refreshed, I plodded on towards Rodington Heath. Before reaching Roden I decided that I wasn't going to head for Market Drayton as I originally planned but instead aimed for Shawbury and Wem - going this way I had more of a crosswind which wasn't as hard to work against. After Wem I headed through Lowe to Whixall and Northwood. I reckoned that I could make use of the miles in hand here by going to Colemere. I picked up a tailwind at last and when I got to Colemere there was a picnic bench free so I could have a sit down to eat my lunch.

When I got going again the legs weren't very keen so it was slow progress on the hills to Whitemere, Lee, Tetchill and Rednal. Signs saying "road closed ahead" weren't what I wanted to see on the way to West Felton but thankfully it looked like the closure hadn't started yet. Despite having the wind helping I was pretty slow to Woolston, Maesbrook and Melverley - partly tiredness and partly due to finding the saddle a bit on the firm side still. This saddle has been great on big rides in the past so I don't know why I'm finding it an issue lately.

Crew Green to Coedwy isn't my favourite stretch of road, but wasn't too bad taking it slow, and the climb from Prince's Oak was even slower but I managed it alright. By Halfway House I was starting to worry that I'd misjudged the mileage then by Westbury it was looking pretty certain I'd have to find a bit extra from somewhere to get the ton. I had been hoping to avoid it but it looked like the best way to add a bit would be to head into the wind to Nox, which I did. The wind may have been against me but the gradient was mostly downhill which helped even things out a little and I got along steadily. The idiot of the trip found me at Lea Cross - overtaking into the face of oncoming traffic, on double white lines, just before the right turn I wanted to take.

My right leg cramped at the top of the climb at Shorthill but thankfully not very badly and it didn't happen again for the remaining few miles. The distance still looked really marginal as I plodded through Exford's Green (cursing the headwind) but by Hunger Hill I knew I could head the shorter way home via Little Lyth and still get the challenge distance - something I was pleased about as the A49 was pretty busy and I didn't fancy having to be on it twice.

101.08 miles at 12.9mph moving average. 9 hours and 45 minutes including stops. Quite hard going this time so I'm glad to have got this one bagged and finishing it in under 10 hours feels like a win.

A bit grey and misty early on as I look towards Caer Caradoc.

The view to the Wrekin from Atcham Bridge.

At Shawbury. Im sure there was a house just on the left there last time I was here.

Moreton Corbet Castle.

A pause for a drink at Wem.

Colemere.

Looking across the fields to Ellesmere College.

En route to Melverley: Country cottage in sought after location. In need of some modernisation.

The bridge over the Severn betwen Melverley and Crew Green could also use some TLC.

Looking towards the hills around Pontesbury. Only a few miles to go now.

 

[ColinJ]

I am taking it easy for a week (i.e. even easier than usual) because I feel like I am fighting off a cold. My ride today would not in itself be worthy of mention. I just did a few little local hills on my singlespeed/2-speed/twin singlespeed/'dinglespeed' bike en route to the shops.

What I liked about the ride, and why I am mentioning it, happened when I came out of Lidl...

I found a puzzled-looking older man staring at my bike and that led to a long chat. He had noticed that the bike didn't have derailleurs but wondered what the strange gear set-up was. He could see that it probably wasn't a fixed gear bike, but he couldn't quite figure it out. I explained that it had been a singlespeed bike for whizzing up and down the valley on but that I had later added a second gear so I had the option to manually switch to the other gear for significant climbs. I told him that I needed the chain tensioner because I don't have horizontal dropouts so I can't move the rear wheel back to tighten the chain. I said that he must be a cyclist because a non-cyclist would be very unlikely to even look at my bike, let alone be intrigued by it...

Yes, a fellow rider! Like many of us, he had cycled as a child but he stopped cycling when he was aged 16 or 17. Nearly 50 bicycle-free years passed, but finally he bought a used mountain bike when he was 65 years old. He said that he struggled even to ride along a short length of the Halifax Road, off which the Lidl store is located. That road only has about a 0.5% gradient along there. I sympathised with him, because I remembered how hard it was when I started again after only a 20 year break from cycling, and he was over 30 years older when he restarted!

He had stuck at it though, and soon got fitter. Eventually, he spotted a bargain bike at a stall at Todmorden Market. It was an Orbit tourer in very good condition which he got for about £50 and he has been riding it ever since. He has done thousands of miles on it. He said that he isn't quick, but he still enjoys his cycling, except for the occasional encounter with an idiot driver.

He is now 77 years old and he looks fit and chirpy. The benefits of regular exercise, eh? 'Use it or lose it'!

 

[Mike_P]

Couple of shots of a very quite Knaresborough this evening, also a Lidl trip - 13.53 miles with 797ft of entertainment for the ebike.

 

[wafter]

Some cracking posts here as always - epic distances and great photos


Following a day of forcing myself to do some work (which was very much like trying to run through neck-height treacle) I got out on the bike in desparation at about half six.

Did a few villages, found a new pretty decent bridleway as well as frequenting some known ones and don't think I touched an A-road once, other than to cross one.

The roads were mercifully quiet and for the most part the loudest sound was the rythmic whirr of the tyres on the tarmac with my alternating pedal strokes.

I had to stop fairly early in to tweak the headset bearing preload after some pretty noticeable front brake judder when braking sharply to turn off at the bottom of a significant hill.. thankfully maybe half a turn with the Allen key on the multitool sorted it and I was back on my way.

On the new stretch of bridleway I happened across three (probably Roe..?) deer near a treeline in a field that the path crossed. I clocked them when maybe 100yd away and while well aware of my presence they evidently didn't know what to make of me; just standing and watching as I gradually got closer, passed maybe 50yd away from the nearest one and stopped just beyond the treeline to see them casually saunter off

I also caught a brief glimpse of a hare and was escorted by a few bats down some of the lanes as the light dimmed.

As usual my excellent Moon Pulsar rear light did a sterling job of getting me not run-over, the cheapo USB front light that came with the Fuji died again after about an hour of use while my head torch started out fantastic and petered out to an irritatingly dim beam as usual.. yet another reminder that I need to sort my lighting out if I'm going to get any meaningful miles in when the darkness is properly upon us.


I've been down a hole again for the past three days but as usual this ride has really sorted me out. I can't overstate the benefit riding has on my mental wellbeing..