Your ride today....

[chriswoody]

I'm down in the South of France at the minute on a family holiday and as usual I managed to sneak the bike down on the back of the camper van. We're staying to the South of Hyrese and to the North East are some enticing looking hills. A route was mapped out and we set off into lovely Autumn weather of 25 degrees and sunshine.

The first kilometres are really not nice, there is no cycle ways and the French drivers are giving no quarter. After a while though we turn with relief onto a beautiful segregated track.

After a while a turn away from the coast and start to climb. First we hit a lovely village in the hills.

Then the road continues to climb steadily towards Col Babou. After several kilometres I turn from the road and with relief at last head onto rough gravel roads into the hills.

The Scenery is amazing and despite the relatively low altitude it's tough going. I top out at just shy of 600m and follow a maze of gravel roads. Its tough chunky gravel that's a real bone shaker on my rigid gravel bike, a classic example of underbikeing.

I'm heading back now but the route continues to be hard and unforgiving as we head downhill.

I then see a sign for a Stone age monument and can't resist. A short five minute walk takes me to a small knoll where an old Neanderthal burial mound is preserved.

After this the last downhill kilometres await on rough gravel before a scary road section finishes a lovely ride. 79km covered with 1000m of height gain.

 

[sevenfourate]

**Last night:

I was having a lovely Evening ride home from work last night:…(Screenshot from a quick video I took of passing Mutford Church)

When: Tink-tink-tink-tink-tink…….was the noise as I cycled around some roadworks 5 or 6 miles from home. I realised it was something (Probably metallic) rotating with the rear wheel and slapping the mudguard with every turn. I anchored up sharpish - to an already / immediately; completely flat rear, a big ball of metal swarf / shavings just behind me. And a 1cm split in the tyre…..

My wife was around luckily: and gave me the ‘Lift of shame’ 🙁

Upon getting home: even a temporary repair looked pointless. The carcass of the Gravelking Slick being paper thin. Compounded by being “1/2 worn” too…..

And now needing one new rear @£50 odd; and the front still being half worn - I searched around and found the next weight / puncture protection level up on sale (*Road tyres in 35-40mm / 650b sizing being very limited) - and bought a pair of those instead:

It was a lovely warm, dry Evening to this point too 🙄

 

[Elybazza61]

A late start this morning after waiting for the rain to pass to do a long-ish route using some roads I haven't been down before or not for a while.

Usual route out via Coveney to Sutton and Earith and then to St Ives before getting on the busway, turned off to head south via Swavesey and over the A14 on the impressive bridge.

Not the nicest view from it though

From there to Boxworth and Elseworth and the old 428 alongside Cambourne before turning off to Bourne and then a stop in the village of Kingston.

And then on to the Eversdens, Halton and Haslingfield then Barton and over the M11 to head in to Cambridge.

Gate and radio dishes on the way to Barton.

Had a longer stop than I planned at the old shop and at Bicycle Ambulance plus a quick espresso and cookie at Kerb Collective coffee .

Out of Cambridge and on to Stow cum Buy and Lode and then turning off at Swaffham Bulbeck to Reach.

There were road closure signs up but I carried on and did see a car that passed me come back but arriving at Upware could nip through the pedestrian access at the works just before the bridge.

Was getting decidedly chilly now and since leaving Cambridge the wind had got up (20+ mph gusts apparently) so was slow going in places.

Out of Upware and the open road to Stretham wasn't much fun but slogged it there and over the A10 roundabout to Wilburton and the regular Grunty Fen route back home.

Nearly 122k at a 25kmh average so not shabby considering the headwind in places.

Now wine!

 

[wafter]

About 50 miles of uncommitted, inconsequential utility mincing over the past few days.

Yesterday's ride was reasonably novel in that it involved heading south to Abingdon in search for the Age UK outlet for wheelchairs for the old dear; proving ultimately futile since I didn't bother to take the full address and it turned out to be very well hidden from the road.

Still a decent ride on nice (if rough) off-road paths past the lakes; comfortable in a SS base layer in the conspicuously warm afternoon sun.


Today's was shorter and more routine; pushing myself out for a session on the rings as I'm unlikely to get the opportunity again for some days. Bailed upon the first visit to the park as there were kids everywhere; returning after a pint to find some remaining but at least the bars were free and I squeezed in a reasonable session despite the chaos unfolding around me / the occasional question.

The temperature was much more seasonally appropriate today; getting very chilly in the SS base layer and having to resort to a fleece once I'd cooled down from the first bit of the ride.

Good to get out but also nice to get home and nest after smashing a generous fish finger salad...