ABC Towns and Villages

[Aravis]

Joy's Green is going to have to be my J as well. It's looking like a 70 mile ride, though, so I'm not in a rush to get there (still out of shape from a slothful 2018)

That'll be a nice ride - in parts!

The A48 from Chepstow to Blakeney has some spectacular views as well as plenty of fast traffic. But if you don't use it at least one way you'll be adding quite a bit of climbing.

In the Forest itself I encountered a number of roads that have been recently resurfaced - properly - and were like billiard tables.

 

[Spinney]

That'll be a nice ride - in parts!

The A48 from Chepstow to Blakeney has some spectacular views as well as plenty of fast traffic. But if you don't use it at least one way you'll be adding quite a bit of climbing.

In the Forest itself I encountered a number of roads that have been recently resurfaced - properly - and were like billiard tables.

I've also discovered that my V is near Lydney.
I've done the A48 a few times, a loop from where I live, through Gloucester then down to Chepstow and back across the bridge. Usually OK, although I've had a couple of unpleasant lorry encounters in the 4 or 5 times I've done it.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

It's been a while since I completed the letter 'A' so I had some catching up to do and today was the day!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Decided to grab a ride in this exceptional February weather (before the Earth tilts back on its axis) to grab my Y. Z is going to be some time coming, possibly not till summer. We shall see but my last letter will almost certainly will involve a train in the logistics. Shorts and daffolils in February, who'd have thought? Think I have now pulled back into the lead but sure @Supersuperleeds will accelerate past to Z. A 70 mile round trip ride today.

 

[13 rider]

Q and R today on my commute home to get them in the correct order

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Decided to grab a ride in this exceptional February weather (before the Earth tilts back on its axis) to grab my Y. Z is going to be some time coming, possibly not till summer. We shall see but my last letter will almost certainly will involve a train in the logistics. Shorts and daffolils in February, who'd have thought? Think I have now pulled back into the lead but sure @Supersuperleeds will accelerate past to Z. A 70 mile round trip ride today.

View attachment 454981
View attachment 454982 View attachment 454983

I'm not looking to finish for a while.Y is a 40 miler round trip due south, Z is 45 mile round trip due north.

 

[craigwend]

H and H

 

[Aravis]

I'm not looking to finish for a while.Y is a 40 miler round trip due south, Z is 45 mile round trip due north.

You'll knock those off in a morning, won't you?

Does anyone remember David Walsh's biography of Sean Kelly, written in the mid 1980s? Following the Flandria/Maertens/Pollentier break-up in 1978, Kelly joined a new team, Splendor, which quickly acquired a reputation for being disorganised. The story went that early in 1979, a team official looked at the map of the day's race, and seeing that it finished at Ziel set about looking for accomodation in said town. The phrase "Racing to Ziel" sums up quite succinctly what we're up to here - as well as providing the name for a chapter in Walsh's book.

 

[burntoutbanger]

Firstly an apology. I've moaned in this thread that you're all going too fast, getting several letters in one hit, while I've plodded along at no more than one a week. The trouble with only one a week is I've found the challenge has become a little over bearing (I only really get one leisure ride a week, the rest are extended commutes). So with that out of the way here's my ride from today.

I had a route planned for a while but didn't fancy it last week. Today I felt full of beans when I woke, the bike was waiting in the hall where it had been prepped last night so out I headed for East Devon. I usually head west from home to take advantage of the prevailing winds on the return so heading east is a little unfamiliar but I had a route plotted in my GPS and I know the area well enough just not the lanes.

About 20km in and I was enjoying the ride a lot, still on familiar roads I had covered a

I knew I'd be leaving the familiar roads soon and heading into the lanes.

Into the lanes towards my next stop I suddenly felt really tired. Navigation wasn't a problem, the weather was good. The ride was becoming a bit of a Git. Knowing I would feel a compete Sham if I turned tale I stopped for a rest.

I had considered Honiton for my H while planning but realised I was missing a few Veloviewer tiles out this way so had devised a route to collect them. A stiff climb out of Gittisham and then a lovely few Kms along a ridge before dropping down a rather mucky lane towards Sidbury saw me collect six tiles.

A climb from Sidbury marked the turning point and I was now headed west towards home. Next target was just off the main road at the top of the climb. By the top I was struggling and expecting at any second to see an Angel playing a Harp.

Fordtunately the turning arrived and I was back in the lanes. On through Tipton St John and Woodbury I was now back on familiar ground and nearly home. Just time for one last sign then home for a big f...

Pronounced ''eed'.

74 km and a lovely ride in lovely weather. One lane I wouldn't ride again but that's the joy of this challenge and also the Veloviewer one.

I'm lucky enough to have a J about 40 km away so that will be next but maybe not next week.

 

[Mr Celine]

Consonant please Rachel...

H it is then.

The blotches on the sign are patches of lichen.

Vowel please Carol...

That's handy, the next place is ...

46 miles to get those two. There is a J only 17 miles away.

 

[Mr Celine]

[QUOTE 5553824, member: 9609"]Where ? I couldn't find one[/QUOTE]

Jedburgh?

 

[13 rider]

[QUOTE 5513329, member: 9609"]sounds a reasonable idea - I was going to go for a farm called "CrossHall"

anyway - Got a J this afternoon
View attachment 448795
and I never knew it was a royal burgh - I never knew that and I will have been through Jed a 1000 times[/QUOTE]
What this J

 

[iandg]

F,G and H. Not sure where there's an I on the island. There is Iochdar but that's right down in South Uist. Heading over to the mainland and south to visit my wife at the weekend. Pass through Inverness (but driving) so it looks like I'll be heading out past Irongray for a ride

View attachment 454799

View attachment 454800

View attachment 454801

B****r, Irongray's an area not a village, no sign - gets out maps

 

[Vantage]

I went out underclothed and froze for the entirety of this ride but I got 3 more signs

First up was C. Went through the village and couldn't see the sign I'd planned on using. Cold, wet and shivering I decided bollix to it and turned around to go home. 200 yards down the road my enthusiasm returned upon spotting a sign on the north end of the village.

Upwards and onwards I headed for my D. The sign I originally planned for was bit further on but I was relieved to spot this one on my way there.

The E I'd planned on visiting was a ride back down the exact same lanes I'd used to get to Darwen and I decided I was too cold and wet to bother with it today. So I took a more direct route home along a fairly fast main road back to Bolton and spotted this

 

[EltonFrog]

I went out underclothed and froze for the entirety of this ride but I got 3 more signs

First up was C. Went through the village and couldn't see the sign I'd planned on using. Cold, wet and shivering I decided bollix to it and turned around to go home. 200 yards down the road my enthusiasm returned upon spotting a sign on the north end of the village.

View attachment 455669

Upwards and onwards I headed for my D. The sign I originally planned for was bit further on but I was relieved to spot this one on my way there.

View attachment 455670

The E I'd planned on visiting was a ride back down the exact same lanes I'd used to get to Darwen and I decided I was too cold and wet to bother with it today. So I took a more direct route home along a fairly fast main road back to Bolton and spotted this

View attachment 455671

Above and beyond the call of duty.