Your ride today....

[ianrauk]

And there you go.
Todays rides completes 15 calendar years of the Imperial Century a Month challenge.
100 miles on the dot for a ride through the Kent lanes to Ashford and back. Out early morning in the dark and 2° temperatures, though it didn't feel that cold. Sunny blue skies and low sun for the morning, starting to cloud over for the return. Temperatures never getting above 11° all day and a bit of a cheeky headwind for the return, but nothing to really moan about.
So, scores on the doors.
100 miles
Imperial century #361
Imperial century month in a row #181
Now...do I go for 16 years?

The Kent Hills

Aylesford

20ft Santa

 

[katiewlx]

I saw a 20ft inflateable snowman today, no pics sorry, those inflatables just give me weird vibes I dont know why, Im like nope not stopping here

but really happy with my two rides over the weekend,lovely weather, bit breezy today, but both days with lots of blue sky & lovely sunsets & not too cold, though it was one of those weird I still feel really cold, but I was boil in the bag cooking rides today, but that maybe due to whatever weird cold Ive got thats affecting my voice & making me feel not so great, to the point I wasnt even sure if I could or should ride this weekend, but it didnt seem to be affecting my riding, and overall managed to hit 110kms.

only downsides were, everyone seemed really miserable out yesterday, even other riders, didnt get a single wave back, and drivers were being insane, like Im on a single country lane and have a flatbed truck doing 40mph+ towards me, the road is covered in mud and slime and Im like please slow down or give me some space before I launch myself into a ditch to escape, they did neither though I managed to slew into some space just in time.

whereas today barely a soul out there, which was nice, peaceful and quiet, though I did end up meeting one of those festive tractor light parades on the way home, which was kind of fun to watch at least, even if it then really screwed up the traffic afterwards.

 

[FrankCrank]

And there you go.
Todays rides completes 15 calendar years of the Imperial Century a Month challenge.
100 miles on the dot for a ride through the Kent lanes to Ashford and back. Out early morning in the dark and 2° temperatures, though it didn't feel that cold. Sunny blue skies and low sun for the morning, starting to cloud over for the return. Temperatures never getting above 11° all day and a bit of a cheeky headwind for the return, but nothing to really moan about.
So, scores on the doors.
100 miles
Imperial century #361
Imperial century month in a row #181
Now...do I go for 16 years?
View attachment 795320
The Kent Hills
View attachment 795321
Aylesford
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20ft Santa
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They'll have to pop that Santa to get him down the chimney

 

[Big John]

Anyone else daft enough to go out in that sh1te today? Kit still on a sheet of polythene in the kitchen. Worst ride this year plus I got a puncture and struggled to get the thorn out of the tyre. Floods every few yards. Utter carp.

 

[PeteXXX]

Anyone else daft enough to go out in that sh1te today? Kit still on a sheet of polythene in the kitchen. Worst ride this year plus I got a puncture and struggled to get the thorn out of the tyre. Floods every few yards. Utter carp.

Yep.... A couple circuits of Salcey Forest with a mate.. Soaked, even though doubled up waterproof jackets!! It ran down my neck & filled me up with water 💦

13 mucky miles but quite fun in a masochistic way 😂 ☔

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A very wet one to the lowest point in mainland GB at Holme Posts, Great Fen. No aqualung or flippers needed despite being below sea level

 

[FrankCrank]

A very wet one to the lowest point in mainland GB at Holme Posts, Great Fen. No aqualung or flippers needed despite being below sea level



View attachment 795587

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P38 must be quite a rarity over that way, or any type of 'bent for that matter

 

[Ming the Merciless]

P38 must be quite a rarity over that way, or any type of 'bent for that matter

Yet to meet its doppelgänger. Bents are more common than tandems, but still rare to meet on the road.

 

[Donger]

All my winter kit was in the laundry box awaiting washing today, so when I grabbed the chance to get out on the bike it had to be in my summer kit. The only concession to the temperature was a short-sleeved base layer. I got some funny looks from the other cyclists I met out on the road, but can honestly say I was perfectly warm, generating all the heat I needed as I went.

I had to do another 19 miles to hit my bare minimum target for the year, and ended up doing just over 20, bringing the total to 1,001.4 miles .... the lowest total since I started counting back in 2009. Riding alongside the Severn in places, the floods have now receded. At Stonebench the road had almost completely drained,

but the owners of the houseboat were still taking no chances with their car:

At Epney the river level was quite normal for a high tide, but some big trees were being swept downstream.

In several places low lying fields were still flooded and most of the drainage ditches were looking quite full. I turned around at Frampton:

... and made my way home with a nice following wind. Probably my last ride of the year and, like most of my rides in the second half of the year, done on my Marin mountain bike. I'll be putting the Ridgeback road bike into the shop for repairs in January and then plan to start off with a bit more mojo and using both bikes equally in 2026. Happy Christmas everyone.

 

[geocycle]

It was worth waiting for. After two weekends with severe weather warnings for wind, rain or both, I was concerned when I would get my 100 km challenge ride done. With short days, uncertain weather and families the options might be limited. So when today dawned bright and sunny I jumped on the bike and headed out to Ingleton and then up to Ribblehead. The car park was very quiet and even the perennial coffee van had found other things to do. I took the obligatory pictures and enjoyed my flask before the ride down Ribblesdale. It was much cooler, no sunshine and clouds over the hills obscuring Penyghent. Worse, was the cold southeasterly headwind all the way to Settle. Lunch was procured from the Naked Man and enjoyed on a bench outside. It was interrupted by an increase in the wind that blew over a bin and my helmet from the table! I quickly cooled down and was very grateful to set off westward to home. It had been a much brighter day on the west coast than under the weather front covering the dales. Nevertheless, a brilliant day out, 107 km with 1170 m of climbing.

Pictures of Ribblehead and some amazing moss covered trees.

 

[VinSumRox]

Slightly gloomy weather for our Xmas/Solstice social ride, a 30 mile spin.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Winter solstice ride.

 

[PeteXXX]

Fairly early start, this morning, to get to the farm shop for opening time as it does get very busy at this time of year!

A bit mucky in places. I was going to go on my old British Eagle Touristique but it's presently mud-guardless..

A couple of cable ties & a bungee and we were off home 👍

I took a ride up the newly opened bypass and was pleased to see a decent shared user path alongside. Necessary, i reckon, as the area will soon be full of houses.

Back home for a coffee, shower, dog walk and a trip to Morrisons for me & the vet for the dog..

🎅

 

[FrankCrank]

Here in Nakhon Phanom, NE Thailand, for the Xmas period. Yesterday's evening ride along the Mekong, as far as the Friendship Bridge that crosses to Laos

This morning, a ride to Ho Chi Minh's house, he was in exile here for a while

A comfy bed he may have slept on

Then some time at his desk

 

[geocycle]

I had some extra presents to buy so decided to combine it with a ride. The big saddlebag was deployed and I headed out a Kirby Lonsdale. It was into an easterly headwind which really took the edge off the temperature but they were well above any likelihood of ice. After a walk around KL where I managed to squeeze several box of chocolates into the Carradice, I headed out westward over the hills around Old Hutton and Farleton. These minor roads were more mud than tarmac but enjoyable on gravel tyres. I headed over the hills around Beetham to the coast road along to Arnside. Lunch was obtained from the bakery while admiring the view across the Kent estuary. I picked a wiggly route back to nudge me over the 50 miles I wanted for a personal monthly challenge. An enjoyable dry if cold and overcast 82 km with 924 m of climbing.

Pictures of Ruskin’s View in Kirby Lonsdale and the Arnside viaduct.