Mburton1993
Über Member
- Location
- Stalybridge
I meant more of a figurative ball ache, in that it's difficult. The literal ball ache is actually more of a gentle numbness.... I should probably tilt my seat very slightly down too. 😆
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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I meant more of a figurative ball ache, in that it's difficult. The literal ball ache is actually more of a gentle numbness.... I should probably tilt my seat very slightly down too. 😆
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
It's been quite a while since I last logged in so here are a few of the rides to get up to date:
28th of July: For the first time in more than two weeks I had a chance to get a ride in that wasn't a commute. A long ride appealed but then I thought that I might ease myself back in gently, so got the Hawk out for convenience and went to ride round my Dudgeley, Picklescott, Pulverbatch and Plealey loop as that should work fairly well with the wind direction.
The wind did work fairly well on the flatter section I was starting with to Condover then Ryton and Longnor. They seem to be getting on quite well with replacing the roof at The Fox so I'm hopeful that the reopening won't be too far away. A couple of other riders came the other way en route to Longnor and another further on along the old Roman road. Both of the fords on this bit of road were completely dry this time.
I thought I'd take a bit of a detour through Comley for a change and enjoyed the first bit of real climbing on this ride. Just as I turned into the lane for Botvyle a lorry came the other way, completely blocking the way, so I needed to go back a little bit to allow it past - the driver was appreciative. Said Hi to a cyclist taking a breather at the top of the climb here.
After crossing the A49 I turned towards Dudgeley but not before pausing at the bottom of the hill where there was a car stuffed into the undergrowth just by the bridge. The undulations through Dudgeley and on towards Leebotwood felt pretty good, although the wind felt stronger to ride against than I'd expected - I obviously had a quite good tailwind earlier.The proper climb to Smethcott was slow and steady, then I kept the climbing going as I headed up to Picklescott, which looks as pretty as ever.
The descent to Wilderley was good. I could see a van coming up the lane and expected to have to stop for it but fortunately it stopped at one of the houses before I got to it. By Wilderley I was feeling the lack of recent riding in the legs but did manage the climb into Pulverbatch alright.
After Wrentnall I had the road to myself until Plealey and, turning through the village, found the wind helping again. I thought I'd go through Great Lyth and over the top of the hill this time. I managed it okay but the legs have felt better.
28.4 miles at 12.3 mph average. Great to get out.
Passing through Ryton.
Bone dry at the ford on the old Roman road.
View to Caer Caradoc.
You can't park there mate!
On the climb to Picklescott.
Tempting but not open at the moment.
I have an audience at the top of the climb.
Pulverbatch.
The view from Oaks.
Looking back towards Caer Caradoc and the Longmynd from Lyth Hill.
28th of July: For the first time in more than two weeks I had a chance to get a ride in that wasn't a commute. A long ride appealed but then I thought that I might ease myself back in gently, so got the Hawk out for convenience and went to ride round my Dudgeley, Picklescott, Pulverbatch and Plealey loop as that should work fairly well with the wind direction.
The wind did work fairly well on the flatter section I was starting with to Condover then Ryton and Longnor. They seem to be getting on quite well with replacing the roof at The Fox so I'm hopeful that the reopening won't be too far away. A couple of other riders came the other way en route to Longnor and another further on along the old Roman road. Both of the fords on this bit of road were completely dry this time.
I thought I'd take a bit of a detour through Comley for a change and enjoyed the first bit of real climbing on this ride. Just as I turned into the lane for Botvyle a lorry came the other way, completely blocking the way, so I needed to go back a little bit to allow it past - the driver was appreciative. Said Hi to a cyclist taking a breather at the top of the climb here.
After crossing the A49 I turned towards Dudgeley but not before pausing at the bottom of the hill where there was a car stuffed into the undergrowth just by the bridge. The undulations through Dudgeley and on towards Leebotwood felt pretty good, although the wind felt stronger to ride against than I'd expected - I obviously had a quite good tailwind earlier.The proper climb to Smethcott was slow and steady, then I kept the climbing going as I headed up to Picklescott, which looks as pretty as ever.
The descent to Wilderley was good. I could see a van coming up the lane and expected to have to stop for it but fortunately it stopped at one of the houses before I got to it. By Wilderley I was feeling the lack of recent riding in the legs but did manage the climb into Pulverbatch alright.
After Wrentnall I had the road to myself until Plealey and, turning through the village, found the wind helping again. I thought I'd go through Great Lyth and over the top of the hill this time. I managed it okay but the legs have felt better.
28.4 miles at 12.3 mph average. Great to get out.
Passing through Ryton.
View to Caer Caradoc.
You can't park there mate!
On the climb to Picklescott.
Tempting but not open at the moment.
I have an audience at the top of the climb.
Pulverbatch.
The view from Oaks.
Looking back towards Caer Caradoc and the Longmynd from Lyth Hill.
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
30th of July: The plans for the afternoon were curtailed so I asked my brother if he fancied getting out for a ride instead. He did 
and we set off to do a gentle ride around town as it's quite a while since he last cycled.
We started off well. There were a few other cyclists out and about, one of which I almost collided with head on as he joined Betton Street at speed on my side of the road.
I took Doug past the Abbey then along Underdale road which I don't think he has ridden before. If he has it will have been a very long time ago. Rejoining our regular route just before Telford Way we were onto roads we are both very familiar with down to the riverside and along to St Mary's Water Lane where we climbed into the town centre and meandered round to Victoria Quay. There was no sign of the boat at its dock and we carried on through the Quarry for our planned stop at The Coleham Tap (formerly the Crown).
The boat did come by while we were sipping pints (Thatchers Gold for Doug and Reverend James for me). Having had a good chat here we headed back via Betton Street and retraced our steps to Meole Brace on the cycle paths, avoiding the traffic.
11.6 miles miles at 10.4 mph average. Great to get Doug out for the first time in ages. It will take him a few rides to get back his cycling fitness.
At the Abbey.
Climbing St. Mary's Water Lane.
Refreshments at The Coleham Tap.
Watching the tourists go by.
------------------------------------------
2nd of August: Gav arranged a ride with Simon and Ben (who I was meeting for the first time). Simon had planned the route which was to take in some of his local roads around Craven Arms and Bishop's Castle. We took bikes over by car, with a bit of a false start when I found a broken spoke on the Raleigh after we'd already loaded it onto the car. A quick change over to the Galaxy was needed which hadn't been prepared so needed a quick check over and the tyres pumping up. Despite all this we arrived on time and were able to have a bit of a chat before setting off.
We headed out onto the A49 initially which was quite busy and there was much blowing of horns as the traffic struggled to get moving. We were fine though and soon turned off onto the A489. This wasn't as bad as the A49 but is still quite busy and seemed to be quite popular with motorcyclists too. A Netherlands registered campervan overtaking into a blind corner wasn't ideal. It's quite a scenic road and I did enjoy it but I do prefer less busy roads.
We stayed on this road through Churchstoke before turning off onto the B4385 and heading back towards Bishop's Castle on the sort of road I like. The wind was helping now and we got along quite well at a nice sociable pace. This road climbs, gently to start with but with a sting in the tail as it steepens into Bishop's Castle. I know this road well so eased off at the start of the steep bit while the others charged at it on their lighter bikes. I caught up again at the top. Once in the town we headed for the Castle Hotel where lunch and a beer were had.
Moving on again we had a good bit of downhill to start then flowing roads to Lydbury North where we could keep up a nice fast pace. A group of other riders overtook near Brunslow and I was tempted to give chase - I was catching for a while but my stomach started to complain that this was too quick a pace after food and beer so I backed off again, knowing there were a few hills to come still.
We were all a bit more sedate through Purslow and the climb at Twitchen didn't seem too bad, although I do usually climb this one having a lot more miles in my legs. After Hopton Heath we took a longer way round via Marlow before heading back northwards to Clungunford and Broome returning to Craven Arms. Gav found a second wind in the last few miles but Ben started to struggle so got eft behind a bit and I feel slightly guilty at not waiting for him. He wasn't too far behind though at the end.
Almost exactly 40 miles at 15mph average. A good ride in nice company on some roads I know well and some I haven't ridden before.
I didn't take any photos in the end as we were keeping up the pace for much of it.
----------------------------------------------------
8th of August: Another chance to get out with my brother and we upped the mileage a little. We started off by going through Meole Brace, Nobold and the new Bowbrook estate which was all quite nice riding at a chatting pace. After going past the hospital I aimed to head to Porthill and into town but took a wrong turn on roads I don't often ride and found we were heading away from town instead. Once back on track we tried to head over the Welsh Bridge but seeing the queue for it was almost back to Pengwern Road we decided to go over Porthill Bridge instead and have our planned stop at Evolution Coffee in the Quarry. It's not bad but Doug did find his hot chocolate a bit too sweet for his liking.
Heading through the Quarry it was a bit fraught with lots of wayward youngsters wobbling about on their bikes with a few older cyclists trying to ride through the crowds much too quickly. The towpath was pretty busy too until after the railway bridge. We found a grumpy cyclist who expected to sweep around a corner without having to slow for anyone else but apart from that it was a good ride back to Underdale then Sutton.
The miles done on this ride complete a challenge that Doug is currently doing, so he was pleased. For me it was a gentle test of the Raleigh having had to refit an old rear wheel to replace the one with the broken spoke; when I went to replace the spoke it turned out that the rim was also cracked at one of the spoke holes, rendering the rim scrap. I can't tell which was cause and which was effect.
15 miles at 10.9 mph average.
A coffee stop rather than a pub stop this time.
When we got back I had a message that a parcel I was expecting was available to collect so I headed out again on the Raleigh since it was already out. Traffic was awful so I was glad to have taken the bike and not the car. About 3 miles extra from this one.
----------------------------------------------------
12th of August: Gav needed some new tyres on his carbon bike after they'd started to delaminate on his most recent ride. He picked them up in the afternoon and I was able to fit them in the evening, after which we headed out to do a quick test on one of his usual routes.
The evening was still really warm after a hot day. We found the roads were fairly quiet by this point in the evening and with little wind we were able to get along at a decent sociable pace to Betton, Eaton Mascott, Pitchford then back to Weeping Cross.
Gav seemed pretty pleased with the Vittoria Zaffiro tyres which on this ride he found more supple feeling than the Rubinos that came off. I may look for some in 32mm for when my Voyager tyres wear out.
16.7 miles at 13.4 mph average.
Not the greatest shot in the world but this was the sunset.
and we set off to do a gentle ride around town as it's quite a while since he last cycled.We started off well. There were a few other cyclists out and about, one of which I almost collided with head on as he joined Betton Street at speed on my side of the road.
I took Doug past the Abbey then along Underdale road which I don't think he has ridden before. If he has it will have been a very long time ago. Rejoining our regular route just before Telford Way we were onto roads we are both very familiar with down to the riverside and along to St Mary's Water Lane where we climbed into the town centre and meandered round to Victoria Quay. There was no sign of the boat at its dock and we carried on through the Quarry for our planned stop at The Coleham Tap (formerly the Crown).
The boat did come by while we were sipping pints (Thatchers Gold for Doug and Reverend James for me). Having had a good chat here we headed back via Betton Street and retraced our steps to Meole Brace on the cycle paths, avoiding the traffic.
11.6 miles miles at 10.4 mph average. Great to get Doug out for the first time in ages. It will take him a few rides to get back his cycling fitness.
At the Abbey.
Climbing St. Mary's Water Lane.
Refreshments at The Coleham Tap.
Watching the tourists go by.
------------------------------------------
2nd of August: Gav arranged a ride with Simon and Ben (who I was meeting for the first time). Simon had planned the route which was to take in some of his local roads around Craven Arms and Bishop's Castle. We took bikes over by car, with a bit of a false start when I found a broken spoke on the Raleigh after we'd already loaded it onto the car. A quick change over to the Galaxy was needed which hadn't been prepared so needed a quick check over and the tyres pumping up. Despite all this we arrived on time and were able to have a bit of a chat before setting off.
We headed out onto the A49 initially which was quite busy and there was much blowing of horns as the traffic struggled to get moving. We were fine though and soon turned off onto the A489. This wasn't as bad as the A49 but is still quite busy and seemed to be quite popular with motorcyclists too. A Netherlands registered campervan overtaking into a blind corner wasn't ideal. It's quite a scenic road and I did enjoy it but I do prefer less busy roads.
We stayed on this road through Churchstoke before turning off onto the B4385 and heading back towards Bishop's Castle on the sort of road I like. The wind was helping now and we got along quite well at a nice sociable pace. This road climbs, gently to start with but with a sting in the tail as it steepens into Bishop's Castle. I know this road well so eased off at the start of the steep bit while the others charged at it on their lighter bikes. I caught up again at the top. Once in the town we headed for the Castle Hotel where lunch and a beer were had.
Moving on again we had a good bit of downhill to start then flowing roads to Lydbury North where we could keep up a nice fast pace. A group of other riders overtook near Brunslow and I was tempted to give chase - I was catching for a while but my stomach started to complain that this was too quick a pace after food and beer so I backed off again, knowing there were a few hills to come still.
We were all a bit more sedate through Purslow and the climb at Twitchen didn't seem too bad, although I do usually climb this one having a lot more miles in my legs. After Hopton Heath we took a longer way round via Marlow before heading back northwards to Clungunford and Broome returning to Craven Arms. Gav found a second wind in the last few miles but Ben started to struggle so got eft behind a bit and I feel slightly guilty at not waiting for him. He wasn't too far behind though at the end.
Almost exactly 40 miles at 15mph average. A good ride in nice company on some roads I know well and some I haven't ridden before.
I didn't take any photos in the end as we were keeping up the pace for much of it.
----------------------------------------------------
8th of August: Another chance to get out with my brother and we upped the mileage a little. We started off by going through Meole Brace, Nobold and the new Bowbrook estate which was all quite nice riding at a chatting pace. After going past the hospital I aimed to head to Porthill and into town but took a wrong turn on roads I don't often ride and found we were heading away from town instead. Once back on track we tried to head over the Welsh Bridge but seeing the queue for it was almost back to Pengwern Road we decided to go over Porthill Bridge instead and have our planned stop at Evolution Coffee in the Quarry. It's not bad but Doug did find his hot chocolate a bit too sweet for his liking.
Heading through the Quarry it was a bit fraught with lots of wayward youngsters wobbling about on their bikes with a few older cyclists trying to ride through the crowds much too quickly. The towpath was pretty busy too until after the railway bridge. We found a grumpy cyclist who expected to sweep around a corner without having to slow for anyone else but apart from that it was a good ride back to Underdale then Sutton.
The miles done on this ride complete a challenge that Doug is currently doing, so he was pleased. For me it was a gentle test of the Raleigh having had to refit an old rear wheel to replace the one with the broken spoke; when I went to replace the spoke it turned out that the rim was also cracked at one of the spoke holes, rendering the rim scrap. I can't tell which was cause and which was effect.
15 miles at 10.9 mph average.
A coffee stop rather than a pub stop this time.
When we got back I had a message that a parcel I was expecting was available to collect so I headed out again on the Raleigh since it was already out. Traffic was awful so I was glad to have taken the bike and not the car. About 3 miles extra from this one.
----------------------------------------------------
12th of August: Gav needed some new tyres on his carbon bike after they'd started to delaminate on his most recent ride. He picked them up in the afternoon and I was able to fit them in the evening, after which we headed out to do a quick test on one of his usual routes.
The evening was still really warm after a hot day. We found the roads were fairly quiet by this point in the evening and with little wind we were able to get along at a decent sociable pace to Betton, Eaton Mascott, Pitchford then back to Weeping Cross.
Gav seemed pretty pleased with the Vittoria Zaffiro tyres which on this ride he found more supple feeling than the Rubinos that came off. I may look for some in 32mm for when my Voyager tyres wear out.
16.7 miles at 13.4 mph average.
Not the greatest shot in the world but this was the sunset.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
The usual Saturday group ride for me today. The first half round to the cafe wasn't eyeballs out but it was a good 3up pace (19.8mph for 26.6miles).
At the cafe we bumped into a couple of mates who is recovering so the pace was more gentle, and the stop off at the pub 12miles from home made it gentler still 😂
At the cafe we bumped into a couple of mates who is recovering so the pace was more gentle, and the stop off at the pub 12miles from home made it gentler still 😂
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Yesterday: I'd been worried about getting my Imperial Century Challenge ride in for this month as I seem to have been very much in demand recently and I'd put it off once already when the weather was too hot. Yesterday did look good though but the wind direction wasn't what I'd hoped for so I changed my route plan.
At short notice it looked like my route clockwise around the north of the county would work best so I got myself up and about early aiming to do that. I was on the road using the Raleigh a few minutes after seven into a warm and bright morning with very little wind to start with, heading through Condover, Ryton, Stapleton, Exford's Green, Plealey and Pontesbury. I found the A49 surprisingly busy, as was the road through Stapleton and Exford's Green. The riding was good although I made a point of pacing myself as I didn't think I'd ridden enough recently to do a century.
At Pontesbury there was quite a bit of traffic about too so I decided to turn off down Bogey Lane and take a quieter way through the village. I had seen a bank of fog ahead of me on the way but it seemed to have lifted by the time I reached Minsterley. There was a smell of beef cooking as I passed the factory in the town.
The lane through Horsebridge seemed quite nice and easy this time and I was at Westbury in good time. I did think about having my first snack stop here but with the progress thus far I decided to go on to Melverley instead.
At Halfway House I decided on impulse to climb to Bulthy then Crew Green for a change. Much quieter lanes but the downside was that a couple of tractors came the other way towing trailers fully of cattle slurry. I was quite glad that the Raleigh has mudguards and a long front mudflap. The descent from Bulthy was as good as ever with some great views on the way down. I had the snack stop in a gateway just after Melverley as planned. A horse and rider came past while I was eating and the horse seemed a bit skittish - the rider said ironically "he's never seen someone standing by a bike before", I replied "I seem to be scary no matter what I do".
Starting off again it seemed to take a little while to get up to a cruising speed and I made sure of not pushing too hard to save the legs for later on. I took my usual route past Llwyntidmon Hall, Morton and Ball then into Oswestry the quieter and more pleasant way via Weston. I found water flowing down the road where there was an obvious burst water pipe - not the only one that was obvious in the current drought.
I passed the old hill fort on the way out of town then headed round the lanes to Gobowen and onto the NCN route to Ellesmere. The legs were feeling pretty good at this point and I was quite pleased with the progress I was making without having to push on too hard. As previously I detoured past Dudleston Hall then through Criftins where I caught up with a club ride, a couple of whom were struggling on the hills - they were mostly on touring bikes and of course I have no idea how far they'd already come.
At Ellesmere I had my elevenses stop by the canal then went round to Lee, Whitemere and Colemere. Nobody sailing this time at either club. The climbs on the way were a bit of an effort but managable. One driver ignored a passing place and just expected me to leap off the road for them. Thankfully the other drivers I met were much more polite as I went through Lyneal and made my way to Northwood.
From here through Whixall to Prees is pretty flat and there was some good riding. The strengthening wind felt like a crosswind but I realised looking at the data later on that it was actually still helping a little as it slowly swung round from the west to the north. I made good progress and the only issue now was that I was finding the saddle a little firm, as I often do on hot days.
The climb through Prees didn't feel too bad but Moreton Street was awful due to the bad surface. To Ightfield it's a gentle climb, which slowed things down a little and I decided to have my next stop a little earlier than I could have done as there is an old bus shelter here giving shade, a seat and a bin to dispose of my banana skins and crisp packets.
It took a little while to get back up to speed after that stop but, when I did, progress was pretty good to Longslow then Longford and into Market Drayton. I knew that the mileage was good at this point so I could take the shorter way through the estates on the edge of town to get to Sutton. There are a couple of short but sharp climbs here that I don't look forward to but were much easier on this bike. I knew that I should have the wind behind me from here, most of the way back home and it did make for some really good progress through Stoke-on-Tern, Ollerton, Eaton upon Tern and Little Bolas. The A442 was really busy as I approached but when I came to cross it there was a lull in the traffic just at the right moment.
I took a different way to last time through Ellerdine Heath then had another snack stop just past Heath Lanes. Again, earlier than it really needed to be and that could be one of the reasons why I was feeling pretty good still. Like the last one it took a mile or so for the legs to loosen up after the stop but they were feeling fairly good again by the time I climbed into High Ercall and joined a quieter than usual main road section for Rodington Heath. An unexpected road closure meant I took Drury Lane to get to Upton Magna but I had enough miles in hand that this didn't matter. To make the most of the wind direction I decided to head to Uffington, along the old canal path to Heathgates then round the inner ring road to Meole Brace then home. I used up the last of my water with a mile to go so I was pleased that I'd judged that pretty well on a warm day.
103.11 miles at 14.2 mph moving average. 8 hours and 36 minutes including all the stops. 3741 feet of climbing according to Strava which I found surprisingly low. If only all my century rides felt as good as that one just did.
The legs still hurt today though.
A nice early morning light on the hills seen from Ryton.
One of the views as I descend into Crew Green.
Oswestry.
The old hill fort at Oswestry.
Activity on the canal at Hindford.
But none at Ellesmere when I stopped for my elevenses.
Colemere; as tranquil as ever.
Lunch stop view at Ightfield.
Eaton upon Tern.
Final snack stop just outside Heath Lanes. Something about this little bit of road always puts me in mind of rural France.
At short notice it looked like my route clockwise around the north of the county would work best so I got myself up and about early aiming to do that. I was on the road using the Raleigh a few minutes after seven into a warm and bright morning with very little wind to start with, heading through Condover, Ryton, Stapleton, Exford's Green, Plealey and Pontesbury. I found the A49 surprisingly busy, as was the road through Stapleton and Exford's Green. The riding was good although I made a point of pacing myself as I didn't think I'd ridden enough recently to do a century.
At Pontesbury there was quite a bit of traffic about too so I decided to turn off down Bogey Lane and take a quieter way through the village. I had seen a bank of fog ahead of me on the way but it seemed to have lifted by the time I reached Minsterley. There was a smell of beef cooking as I passed the factory in the town.
The lane through Horsebridge seemed quite nice and easy this time and I was at Westbury in good time. I did think about having my first snack stop here but with the progress thus far I decided to go on to Melverley instead.
At Halfway House I decided on impulse to climb to Bulthy then Crew Green for a change. Much quieter lanes but the downside was that a couple of tractors came the other way towing trailers fully of cattle slurry. I was quite glad that the Raleigh has mudguards and a long front mudflap. The descent from Bulthy was as good as ever with some great views on the way down. I had the snack stop in a gateway just after Melverley as planned. A horse and rider came past while I was eating and the horse seemed a bit skittish - the rider said ironically "he's never seen someone standing by a bike before", I replied "I seem to be scary no matter what I do".
Starting off again it seemed to take a little while to get up to a cruising speed and I made sure of not pushing too hard to save the legs for later on. I took my usual route past Llwyntidmon Hall, Morton and Ball then into Oswestry the quieter and more pleasant way via Weston. I found water flowing down the road where there was an obvious burst water pipe - not the only one that was obvious in the current drought.
I passed the old hill fort on the way out of town then headed round the lanes to Gobowen and onto the NCN route to Ellesmere. The legs were feeling pretty good at this point and I was quite pleased with the progress I was making without having to push on too hard. As previously I detoured past Dudleston Hall then through Criftins where I caught up with a club ride, a couple of whom were struggling on the hills - they were mostly on touring bikes and of course I have no idea how far they'd already come.
At Ellesmere I had my elevenses stop by the canal then went round to Lee, Whitemere and Colemere. Nobody sailing this time at either club. The climbs on the way were a bit of an effort but managable. One driver ignored a passing place and just expected me to leap off the road for them. Thankfully the other drivers I met were much more polite as I went through Lyneal and made my way to Northwood.
From here through Whixall to Prees is pretty flat and there was some good riding. The strengthening wind felt like a crosswind but I realised looking at the data later on that it was actually still helping a little as it slowly swung round from the west to the north. I made good progress and the only issue now was that I was finding the saddle a little firm, as I often do on hot days.
The climb through Prees didn't feel too bad but Moreton Street was awful due to the bad surface. To Ightfield it's a gentle climb, which slowed things down a little and I decided to have my next stop a little earlier than I could have done as there is an old bus shelter here giving shade, a seat and a bin to dispose of my banana skins and crisp packets.
It took a little while to get back up to speed after that stop but, when I did, progress was pretty good to Longslow then Longford and into Market Drayton. I knew that the mileage was good at this point so I could take the shorter way through the estates on the edge of town to get to Sutton. There are a couple of short but sharp climbs here that I don't look forward to but were much easier on this bike. I knew that I should have the wind behind me from here, most of the way back home and it did make for some really good progress through Stoke-on-Tern, Ollerton, Eaton upon Tern and Little Bolas. The A442 was really busy as I approached but when I came to cross it there was a lull in the traffic just at the right moment.
I took a different way to last time through Ellerdine Heath then had another snack stop just past Heath Lanes. Again, earlier than it really needed to be and that could be one of the reasons why I was feeling pretty good still. Like the last one it took a mile or so for the legs to loosen up after the stop but they were feeling fairly good again by the time I climbed into High Ercall and joined a quieter than usual main road section for Rodington Heath. An unexpected road closure meant I took Drury Lane to get to Upton Magna but I had enough miles in hand that this didn't matter. To make the most of the wind direction I decided to head to Uffington, along the old canal path to Heathgates then round the inner ring road to Meole Brace then home. I used up the last of my water with a mile to go so I was pleased that I'd judged that pretty well on a warm day.
103.11 miles at 14.2 mph moving average. 8 hours and 36 minutes including all the stops. 3741 feet of climbing according to Strava which I found surprisingly low. If only all my century rides felt as good as that one just did.
The legs still hurt today though.A nice early morning light on the hills seen from Ryton.
One of the views as I descend into Crew Green.
Oswestry.
The old hill fort at Oswestry.
Activity on the canal at Hindford.
But none at Ellesmere when I stopped for my elevenses.
Colemere; as tranquil as ever.
Lunch stop view at Ightfield.
Eaton upon Tern.
Final snack stop just outside Heath Lanes. Something about this little bit of road always puts me in mind of rural France.
Last edited:
sevenfourate
Devotee of OCD
- Location
- Lowestoft, Suffolk
Nice !
**I’ve found a ‘secret’ stash of Sloe berries for later use; I’m keeping my eye on……
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I hadn't really appreciated how the berries ripen at different times over a period of weeks. There are some that are now overripe but plenty more that haven't even started to ripen yet.
At the moment I can still reach plenty of berries but there are lots just beyond my reach, given that I don't want to clamber into blackberry bushes/stinging nettles when wearing shorts! I might improvise a tool next time to help me get at them.
I have been using coin bags to hold 2 days worth each and putting 4 bags in each plastic container. That way I only have to defrost a bag every 2 days rather than defrosting the whole container and having berries go off before I eat them. When I have emptied the container I go and collect another 4 bags of berries.
I am quite surprised that I haven't encountered any other berry pickers at that spot this year. I hadn't noticed the bushes until I spotted a woman berry-picking there last year.
I did notice a woman picking berries at the side of the A6033 on my way back. My location is much quieter, and therefore not so exposed to potentially toxic vehicle exhaust fumes.
At the moment I can still reach plenty of berries but there are lots just beyond my reach, given that I don't want to clamber into blackberry bushes/stinging nettles when wearing shorts! I might improvise a tool next time to help me get at them.
I have been using coin bags to hold 2 days worth each and putting 4 bags in each plastic container. That way I only have to defrost a bag every 2 days rather than defrosting the whole container and having berries go off before I eat them. When I have emptied the container I go and collect another 4 bags of berries.
I am quite surprised that I haven't encountered any other berry pickers at that spot this year. I hadn't noticed the bushes until I spotted a woman berry-picking there last year.
I did notice a woman picking berries at the side of the A6033 on my way back. My location is much quieter, and therefore not so exposed to potentially toxic vehicle exhaust fumes.
