Your ride today....

[Donger]

Coming to the end of my Ardennes holiday, but I just had time for a little spin before starting to pack. Just the 9 miles this time, but covered a few little lanes near to the gite and discovered a lovely little village nearby as well as doing the tour of Lavacherie itself. All quite lumpy, as most of the Ardennes region is. Some photos:

So that's it for this holiday. 83.3 miles in 4 rides, all arranged around our schedule of day trips in the car. Loved all the quiet country lanes and the amazing RAVeL network of cycle tracks. In traditional manner, I recorded it all on "Flatnav":

Sadly, as we've now seen pretty much everything there is to see in Wallonia in our 5 holidays here, this will probably be my last chance to do any cycling around here. I 've never done any actual cycle touring in the area, but have built up a little network of opportunist 15-30 mile trips over the years. See next "Flatnav" image for my all-time rides in the Ardennes ... mostly Belgium but including a few little trips in Luxembourg and dipping my toe into Germany:

Can't recommend it highly enough, everyone. Over and out.

 

[Elybazza61]

Pleasant little 12km pootle around the City this morning on the Trek Multitrack, all glitches and noises gone too.

Down by the river;

Allotments;

Bypass river flyover walkway and bench;

Cathedral view from the park;

Picking up nom pastries to have with a coffee at home ;

 

[wafter]

Having managed to achieve marginally more than the usual bugger all this morning, an egg run was squeezed in on the Ragley.

Choosing to ignore the ominous storm front rolling in from the west on the radar in favour of what I could see / sense on the ground, I threw everything together and got out as quickly as I could.

Thankfully the rain held off for the most part; culminating in some lightish drizzle a few miles from home which was actually fairly welcome as I’d left myself somewhat over-trousered in my haste and was cooking a bit on some of the climbs. The strong wind made things pretty visceral but seemed appropriate for the season.

For a change the gods appeared to have been smiling on me; the ground still mostly cracked and dry despite the recent rain, the eggs plentiful (even if I could only fit one box in the rucksack) and the gate at the end of the forbidden track open - avoiding the need to yoink the bike over its barbed-wire wrapped top bar.

Returned via the park for a de-compressive dangle after yesterday's relatively heavy upper body session; yielding a few pops from the usual areas.

A nice 10 mile jaunt providing some very welcome respite from all the crap weighing on my mind and helping buoy my mood upon my return.

Very glad to get another chance to enjoy my growing appreciation of the Ragley before it inevitably goes away for the winter.

 

[wafter]

Pleasant little 12km pootle around the City this morning on the Trek Multitrack, all glitches and noises gone too.

Down by the river;

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Allotments;

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Bypass river flyover walkway and bench;

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Cathedral view from the park;

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Picking up nom pastries to have with a coffee at home ;

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That looks like a proper utility weapon - what's the rack / basket please?

 

[HLaB]

Quite a fast 4 up last night, two are really strong and I wanted back for a silly football game. We dropped the third guy a few times and held up to let him get back but he made a strong recovery to outsprint us all at the end :-)

View: https://youtu.be/5wSFRGp4Erw?is=xYEi-l6VBzxmC3R8



View: https://youtu.be/rcP1PvO1Jps?is=xbvm03MdxQNxFesk



View: https://youtu.be/D09JoQbEB1A?is=YlfgNm-rvEKPBbf4

 

[YMFB]

Longest ride so far on the new to me MTB, 21.16 miles of mainly droves.

 

[Elybazza61]

That looks like a proper utility weapon - what's the rack / basket please?

The rack is an old 80's Nimrod and the basket is a Wald with a Wizard Works bag.

Bike itself is a USA made Trek Multitrack with Tru-Temper tubing ,TRP mini v's and Shimano levers, XT/Altus 9-spd gears, Old square taper cranks with Hope chainring, original stem and seat post, Bontrager bars with Ergon grips, damaged Brooks Cambium, Mavic/Deore rear and SP/Halo front wheels,Terravail Cannonball tyres and Supernova lights with the rear fitted with a Drust mount.

It's all parts I had kicking about apart from the rear light hanger, can also fit a Topeak rear rack if needed.

It does ride really nicely now it's all dialled in, will stay as is at the moment but I may look for some nicer cranks (used Middleburns etc) , XT shifter and see if I can get a matching front Mavic rim; there's also the possibility of nicer stem and bars (will have to talk nicely to Sam at Freshtripe for that) but there's no rush.

 

[HLaB]

My usual Sunday ride today. There was 3 of out at the start and we had a good average of 19.7mph for the 29miles round to the cafe mostly into a headwind; the last 5 miles were fun though at 24.8mph, We met quite a few more folk at the cafe and the 2nd half round to the pub was a pretty relaxed 18.1mph for the 15miles round to the pub. We then parted way and I came home with my mate who has been racing all season albeit it was mostly tailwind assisted but he is in good shape and with him doing most of the work we were 23.2mph for the last 8miles :-)

View: https://youtu.be/_s7PCpvJdZo

View: https://youtu.be/8ebaCevQOPE



View: https://youtu.be/ZvESZzdSv8c

 

[sevenfourate]

Been busy cleaning / advertising / selling multiples bikes / spares and parts lately. All for the amalgamation of numbers; and the good of future cycling. However it’s not left me much time for cycling in the present !

So it was great to get out this Morning. In the dry. And in just a short sleeve jersey and Bib-shorts: without a single hint of being remotely cold at any point👌

Took my new favourite ( ?) route inland for 18 odd miles. Arriving at Caister on Sea:

Where the sun still hadn’t quite risen:

….and ‘we’ came across one of the local lifeboats marooned on land - and presumably being worked on 🤷‍♂️

Before pedalling a bit more on the homeward leg and onto Great Yarmouth:

Then further toward home and onto Gorleston Cliff-top: where the Sun was now fully showing itself:……

More cake earnt 😉

 

[wafter]

The rack is an old 80's Nimrod and the basket is a Wald with a Wizard Works bag.

Bike itself is a USA made Trek Multitrack with Tru-Temper tubing ,TRP mini v's and Shimano levers, XT/Altus 9-spd gears, Old square taper cranks with Hope chainring, original stem and seat post, Bontrager bars with Ergon grips, damaged Brooks Cambium, Mavic/Deore rear and SP/Halo front wheels,Terravail Cannonball tyres and Supernova lights with the rear fitted with a Drust mount.

It's all parts I had kicking about apart from the rear light hanger, can also fit a Topeak rear rack if needed.

It does ride really nicely now it's all dialled in, will stay as is at the moment but I may look for some nicer cranks (used Middleburns etc) , XT shifter and see if I can get a matching front Mavic rim; there's also the possibility of nicer stem and bars (will have to talk nicely to Sam at Freshtripe for that) but there's no rush.

Thanks - probably not a whole lot of hope for turning up one of those racks than.. although I'm still learning of what's about in this area; being pretty much the last thing on the new-build that I've not investigated in minute detail.

The bike sounds like a nice spec; I love the idea of rustling up something decent from parts-bin bits although sadly I've never really got on with the geo of older MTBs while my Luddite nature is corrupted by some modern appointments such as disc brakes and through-axles..

 

[geocycle]

Very autumnal today with a strong westerly wind suggested a shorter ride than usual along a relatively sheltered route. I headed through the wooded tunnels of the Arnside and Silverdale AONB before stopping for cake and coffee at Levens Hall. The route continued to Sizergh Castle then I paused to look for birds along the River Kent. An undulating view route home took me to 71 km with 846 m of climbing.

Pictures are of Levens Hall and River Kent

 

[Andy in Germany]

Very autumnal today with a strong westerly wind suggested a shorter ride than usual along a relatively sheltered route.

That's when I miss hedges. The view is more interesting, but when the wind picks up...

 

[richardfm]

No photos but my wife and I did a ride we have done many times before.
From our home in north Cardiff we cycled down the Taff Trail to Cardiff Bay and across the barage to Penarth. We cycled up the hill to The Pilot for a pint and some food. The pub is unassuming and doesn't look anything special from outside but has very good food and beer.
We continued in to Penarth town centre and enjoyed the hill down to the sea front where we got an ice cream from the kiosk at the entrance to the pier. Next it was along the sea front and up the hill at the end back in to the town centre. From here we went down the zig zag (https://maps.app.goo.gl/6VuCgLfrQMUdUfDr9) and along the road to Tesco to pick up some supplies. From there we crossed the river Ely on the Pont y Werin Bridge and followed the Ely Trail (very bumpy in places, surrounded by thick undergrowth and running alongside a busy main road for a mile or two) until we rejoined roads and went back up the hill from Fairwater to home.
Probably about 15 miles, very pleasant in the sunshine with very little wind.

 

[HLaB]

A bit sunnier today but still windy but fortunately not the 35mph gusts of yesterday as my Sunday group ride went into the flat Fens with Chatteris being the destination.

View: https://youtu.be/yZIFLcc3LB0


View: https://youtu.be/0miHeuLUsxc


View: https://youtu.be/vyDjd85h3z4


View: https://youtu.be/oHPtbdYTgok


View: https://youtu.be/-7eYDu5wOyI

https://youtu.be/bzb7EWwMI-Q
https://youtu.be/rbUzdFqUae4
https://youtu.be/utFtTGMfm4I
https://youtu.be/_sWkdVLpRb8
https://youtu.be/DoK_XC553CA
https://youtu.be/1uI8nJypjX4
https://youtu.be/rG6ySLFSRZU
https://youtu.be/JgItFGStl6g
https://youtu.be/ZutxMdTzZ90

Edit lol I just spotted I got a PR on a Fen climb 🤪

 

[sevenfourate]

A bit sunnier today but still windy but fortunately not the 35mph gusts of yesterday as my Sunday group ride went into the flat Fens with Chatteris being the destination.

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View: https://youtu.be/yZIFLcc3LB0


View: https://youtu.be/0miHeuLUsxc


View: https://youtu.be/vyDjd85h3z4


View: https://youtu.be/oHPtbdYTgok


View: https://youtu.be/-7eYDu5wOyI

https://youtu.be/bzb7EWwMI-Q
https://youtu.be/rbUzdFqUae4
https://youtu.be/utFtTGMfm4I
https://youtu.be/_sWkdVLpRb8
https://youtu.be/DoK_XC553CA
https://youtu.be/1uI8nJypjX4
https://youtu.be/rG6ySLFSRZU
https://youtu.be/JgItFGStl6g
https://youtu.be/ZutxMdTzZ90

Didn’t realise what a noisy bunch us cyclists are….. 🤣

Not surprising on the Dunwich Dynamo (And going through various Villages all night long) there was plenty of remits on the FB ride group to ‘Keep the noise down’ on the night.

Your camera / videos are great btw. Does it take long to save / edit / upload etc - a few after the ride as you have done ?