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 of 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...

 

[Mburton1993]

A longer test of the new (2nd hand) runaround:

A 20 quid Cross FXT30 (Argos home brand)

It came with the lights and I had some spare accessories from my old Apollo Evade to add: bottle holders, mud guards, bar ends, saddle bag, and the commuter tyres. Borrowed the seat cover and frame bag from the road bike.

 

[HLaB]

A slight change to my Saturday ride today, a couple of us fancied a change and we mostly did a paceline. So without too much effort we averaged 19.2mph for the 49miles with the group. PS I can't believe we're half way through October and the weather is still good. The temperatures have finally dropped though. On Thursday's commute I was in shorts and no knee warmers, but today I was in full bib longs (first time of the year). We passed one or two brave folk who were still in shorts though 🥶

 

[Binky]

Cracking ride in the warm sun only spoilt by a thorn

Spare tpu installed with a fair amount of faff as not put one in before so was concerned about pinching it, especially as it was a job to get tube in as little stretch in tpu unlike butyl so took me way longer than it should.
However, another 30 miles on it and all good so guess I got it right.

 

[katiewlx]

colder than it has been of late, made me swap to my 3/4 knicks for their likely 1 outing this autumn but even though I went long sleeve jersey too, it wasnt thermal, so actually still felt a bit cool, but it was manageable whilst the sun was out.

and I know I routed via a pumpkin sales patch just to see what I could see from the road for a photo op, yes Im that much of a shutterbug, which meant I was heading for somewhere there would be loads more cars than normal as you can only drive to this place, and in the end the traffic was too busy for me to stop, but sheesh the way people were driving around those roads, youd think they were I dunno, you are on roads barely bigger than single width car and your are only leaving a cyclist in a head on situation just not hitting room, at 40,50 even 60mph, absolute see you next tuesdays.

so that was fun.

then my weather app in the morning had said no rain till 3pm, it was mistaken by at least 90mins, on my way home I got caught in a shower, which was intense in bits, but I kept going as all I could see was blue sky around it, but it made things alot colder, and damper than Id have liked, you know like you start riding in different bitts of the road to avoid gulleys and become super focussed on turn in/lean angles, white lines etc.

but I got home and when I take my phone out of my jersey pocket its complaining about moisture, and as soon as I put it on to charge, it almost bricked itself. Like Ive ridden through worse rain than that today, my jersey was barely damp when I got home, and more prolonged rain and flooding, with this phone, and never had a problem with it and moisture ingress.

hoping a stint in the airing cupboard will dry it out

 

[Ming the Merciless]

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.

This bridge 😁

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Been following the Greenwich Meridian to East Coast exit.

 

[Donger]

Another 22 miler yesterday with a couple of old friends from my working days. One of our "cyclocrawl" series of get together rides, putting the world to rights in the Anchor (on the riverbank at Epney), the Passage (on the riverbank at Arlingham) and the Red Lion (also Arlingham). Quantities of Guinness Zero consumed and not much of our 6 hour "ride" spent actually on our bikes. The ride itself required detours along the banks of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal due to the lanes becoming a rat run while the M5 is closed between Junctions 11 and 13. Lovely mild weather .... I thought. My mates were a little chilly, but that was my favourite type of cycling weather, and I was fine in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt .... possibly for one of the last times this year.

 

[a.twiddler]

17/10/26
Recumbent Ride
Ride to Tarporley on the Rans

As I puffed to a halt on the steepest part of Sapling Lane between Eaton and Tarporley I wondered if I was getting a bit past it for this sort of climb. It’s a long time since I had to get off and push up anything, and I hoped today wasn't going to be the day I started a new habit. On my last ride I’d done the route via Beeston and Burwardsley to Harthill against the grain without feeling as if I was going to die, or getting below 3rd gear. I’d done today’s route from Tarporley to home in the downhill direction some time ago and remembered that it was steep. Once actually faced with it today, it felt steeper than the climb to Harthill. I pulled in to the side and with some careful balancing of the brakes fumbled a Kit Kat out of my bag. Once my breathing had settled down I chomped my snack before psyching myself up for the rest of the climb. Several cars came by uphill before I got going in 2nd gear. Getting breathless again before very many yards I wondered if I might need to stop again but found myself able to start changing up.

Ahead, beyond a crest, I spotted a wall ahead which I realised was opposite the junction with Cobblers Cross Lane at the top of the hill. I pressed on then gratefully parked the bike against a salt bin next to the road name and took a photo. I was quite pleased to have been able to climb this hill.

It had been a little cool today on starting out, but pleasant in the sun. The weather has been a bit unwelcoming this last week so I decided to get out on the bike while the going was good.

So, left out of the gate and freewheeling downhill with quite a brisk following wind. Since it would be mostly downhill on the way back, a bit of wind assistance on the way out would be the least worst option.

Once the road levelled out on Hall Lane some steady pedalling ensued until I reached the dip for Darnhall bridge lights. I stopped uphill from the lights hoping that a car might come along and trigger them but they obligingly changed while I was waiting. The downhill and following wind gave a welcome boost towards getting up the other side.

Making good progress generally, I rounded a bend to find two cyclists turning out of the entrance to Ashcroft Airfield towards me. Maybe stopped in the entrance out of the wind for a break? They were a couple, with the female cyclist all in pink. They waved as they went past, I waved back.

I was soon in Hickhurst Lane, still with a following wind. The cyclists that I met coming the other way seemed to be making hard work of it. I wondered how it would be when my turn came.

It wasn’t long before I passed the entrance to King’s Lane, and the road started its climb towards Eaton.

At last I came to the dip into Eaton, looking forward to the downhill rush which would help my climb up to the cross roads by the war memorial. Sadly, my plans were scuppered by road works with traffic lights and a queue of traffic, resulting in a steady slog to the cross roads.

Once across, level then a slight downhill which encouraged me to pedal in anticipation of the forthcoming climb. It was not too bad at first. Just take it easy, and I’d get up it, I thought. Then, after a bend, it steepened.

Once I’d got my breath back at the top I turned right and followed Tarporley Road to the junction with the A49.

I was tempted to follow the long downhill on the A49 to the right but that would take me on to busier roads before I got back on to the roads I wanted to get to. I decided to go back towards Tarporley and turn into Forest Road.

After travelling down Forest Road for a mile or so I turned back. There was a steepening downhill into Tarporley and I’d had enough of hills for today.

Right at the end of Forest Road, left into Sapling Lane. I was just going to let the Rans loose down the hill but once I got going the eye watering, chill head wind blurred my vision so much that I was on my brakes most of the way down as I just couldn’t see if I got much speed up. A minor annoyance, but any downhill is a free ride. I pedalled easily up the slight rise at the bottom, and stopped to take a photo of the war memorial.

Once across the crossroads, I was able to get enough of a run up after the road works to get over the climb on the other side of Eaton easily and enjoy the downhill for a few miles along Hickhurst Lane. I passed a couple of cyclists stopped by the roadside and was expecting them to turn up in my mirror at any time but they never appeared. A bit of motivation to keep pressing on into the wind on the way home, at any rate.

Easily through the dip and lights at Darnhall, and despite the head wind I arrived at my back gate in good time.

A good ride, and worth another go at Sapling Lane to get a second opinion now I’ve done it once in that direction.

Distance 14.27 miles. Max 25.8 mph. Average 9.1 mph. According to Cateye Velo 7
Ascent 508 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[VinSumRox]

Out for a quick spin (27miles) as the weather was great (6c and sunny) up the Paddyslacks and back, quite a few cyclists out including a friendly group of students from Glasgow in the Borders for a cycling weekend. First ride this year in longs and long sleeves.