Your ride today.... (part 1)

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postman

Squire
Location
,Leeds
Limeburn,Anymore of these.
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EltonFrog

Legendary Member
Platelets again today, not supposed to ride, though I think they might be over cautious, still didn't have much time for a ride anyway. About an hour ago I decided I wanted some ice cream, so I nipped out on the MTB down to the Co-op for some on the bike, just in me jeans and shoes no special gear. I felt liberated, I only did 3.6 miles.

I have still got a cold.
 
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Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Today looks like being the best day of the week here so it would have been rude not to head out this afternoon ;). Sans Doug again as he is still in Glasgow so I could please myself as to the route and decided to head to Melverley as it isn't too hilly and I could press on a bit.

I decided to do the route clockwise today - I almost always do it the other way usually, so it was over Lyth Hill, Exfords Green, Lea Cross, Westbury, Halfway House, Melverley, Pentre, Great Ness, Montford Bridge and back via Meole Brace.

After a slow start due to the climb over Lyth Hill I picked up a reasonable pace and by Lea Cross was into a good enough rythm that I was able to easily catch another cyclist. It was a chap down from Edinburgh who was cycling from Telford to Bishops Castle. We chatted for a short while 'til the next junction where his route went left and mine went right and I was on my own again.

After climbing over the hump at Edge I was onto the long straight to Westbury. Usually this is a bit of a pain as it is slightly uphill and you usually have the wind against you (nice the other way though^_^). Today the wind was light and I was able to cruise along quite comfortably.

I had a short drink stop just after crossing the Welsh border then pressed on again at a very satisfying pace (mostly 20+) through Coedway to Crew Green. Here I had the best and worst overtake of the trip - best in that the driver gave me more room than anyone else all ride but worst in that he did it without taking note that there was a car coming the other way :ohmy:. I'm not quite sure how they failed to connect.:wacko:

After Melverley I was onto the Severn flood plain which is nice and flat so was able to cruise along quite well on almost empty roads before the climb to Great Ness. Turning south the trend of this road is downhill, however the way it undulates you possibly wouldn't realise that so I wasn't able to cruise as fast as i'd hoped along this bit and this wasn't at all helped by the climb immediately after Montford Bridge.

The final section through the outskirts of Shrewsbury was always going to be slower than I'd got used to on this ride and the final mile of climbing just took the edge off my average speed. Still not too bad though - 33.1 miles at 14.8 mph average.

Just a couple of pictures today as I only stopped twice:

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1st drink stop and looking in the direction of Llanymynech.

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2nd stop looking back towards the Breiddens. There were picturesque shafts of light beaming down through the clouds and mist which have sort of showed up on the photo.
 
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Physio this morning, 3 weeks to the day post op and she thinks I'm amazing [are you reading this dr_pink!], so after that I cycle home to rest for a bit. After 5 minutes of map gazing [it covers our dining room wall] it begins to dawn on me that I am leading a 100 mile fixed gear ride in 12 days [I'm a bit hazy as to how that came to be] and that I am most certainly not ready.
The retarded part of my brain now worms it's way to the surface and suggests to me in a seductive voice that wouldn't it be wise to go out and check some of the route? Yes, I replied it would. The logical bit of my brain [there isn't a lot] said why not take the geared bike and take a sandwich and a piece of flapjack because it is midday and you have only had one slice of toast so far, good idea I replied. So it began.
For the fixed nutters riders here is your second hill, the first being a tiddler, this is a bigger tiddler, you have to squint, it's in the distance.
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This is Ketton, leaving Rutland behind now :cry:
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If you have a penchant for stone built houses and thatched cottages, this is the ride. Next is the hill up to Collyweston, I only wish my legs would flatten out the hills the way the camera does
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Just when you think you are at the top you turn a corner and there is another couple of hundred metres.
I took this because everyone else does and I didn't want to be left out, and yes I'm still on pink tyres, blame you know who......
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Left turn, just leaving clues for the fixed gang
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I think I would happily live in any of the houses in any of these villages I passed through. Another clue
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A stop in Great Gidding to munch a hot squashed crunchy peanut butter sarny and half a flapjack washed down by a bottle of lucosade and it was off again to the next village where I turned for home. What was that village? What is the ultimate destination in 12 days? Right turn here [don't Parish councils employ a lot of creative thinking when they name streets]
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On the way back, passing through a village beginning with L, I saw this tree that at first I thought was filled with pigeons, in fact they were Red Kites, the phone camera as usual does not do it justice, but here are a couple
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A few miles later after passing through a beautiful town with a large private school I had to water the hedgerow, and looking through the other side was the view of Rutland which was to approach fast after descending into the viaduct village at 40 mph, won't be doing that on fixed. Which got me to thinking that maybe, just maybe geared bikes might [with lots of carbon bling] catch on.
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4 miles after running along the county border I reach
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and just over 16 miles later I'm home. 77 miles including a 1 mile warm down in 4 hrs 40 mins. Ok it's not going to set the world alight but given my current condition I have to be reasonably pleased. Having just eaten a slab of cherry pie with custard I am very pleased plus my shoulder is holding up :thumbsup:.
I promise not to bore anyone now until post 100 mile fixed :hello:.
 

Donger

Convoi Exceptionnel
Location
Quedgeley, Glos.
First time out for a couple of weeks today, after a nasty chest infection I just couldn't shake. After a few comments about my unusual saddle position (front pointing downwards towards the centre of my bars), I decided to adjust the angle of the seat the other day, and this was my first road test. While I was at it, I swapped saddles between No.1 and No.2 bikes, as well as fitting it much more horizontal than before. Jeez, it felt weird getting on it, and it took at least 5 miles to start feeling remotely normal. I felt further way from the bars than previously, and my back posture never quite felt right. Eventually dragged my sorry backside home after a 20 miler feeling like I'd been riding a bucking bronco. I can now imagine what rectal probing feels like, so please God don't let me ever get abducted by aliens. I'm adjusting the saddle again tomorrow - don't care how odd it looks.
 

Old Plodder

Living at the top of a steep 2 mile climb
I just measured my waist........jeez, how did it get that big!:eek:
Could be why I've not been riding so much lately.......:banghead:
Need to get out more!:training:
 

KEEF

Veteran
Location
BURNOPFIELD
Bored with my usual early morning route (11mls 600ft climbing blah blah) I randomly rode out of the village turning left instead of right with no plan and soon found myself on Longclose Bank 3km at14%.relentless no restart if you stop
I am a keen cyclist who cycles for pleasure and health reason not a masochist so why did I do this answers to the Cottage Hospital Burnopfield for exhausted cyclists.
 

cosmicbike

Perhaps This One.....
Moderator
Location
Egham
3 day since my last pedal, 2 of which were at work. History being what it is, I knew todays ride would hurt to start with, but with a target of 37.9 miles to hit the 500km for the month, I duly stretched lots, and ambled out into the hazy sunshine.
Sure enough , within a couple of miles the pain started, then progressively got worse. Normally I can go through it and it eases out if it's only one leg, but today was both so I gritted my teeth and struggled home after only 9 miles. Hugely disappointed as I really hoped I was over last years issue. I'll see if I can tweak things out today and perhaps get out tomorrow...
 

Peteaud

Veteran
Location
South Somerset
1st time out today for a while due to weather and other commitments. Really wanted to get out to test the new Conti GP4000s tyres i fitted at the weekend.

Really wanted to do a 40 miler but woke to horrible misty and damp weather. I had to be back for other things so decided to do a shorter ride and let some of the fog clear.

Set out, still pretty cold and damp and the roads flooded in a few places. Pretty uneventful ride apart from one bit.

Cycling up a quite backroad i reached a cross roads where a 4x4 was coming towards me, and in front a large pick up type van. The van pulled sharp left and the 4x4 came past. The van then carried on, and i put the power down, and cycled straight past a bird sitting in the road!!!

Errrr, was it me, stopped, looked back, it's still there. so, i turn road, lean bike against hedge and wander over, expecting it to fly away, it just sits there, ah i thought, its dead. No it was alive although i don't know what was wrong with it, so i picked it up and put it in the hedge as i didnt want it to get squished. No doubt a cat or a fox will have it unless it perks up.

The bird is a Chaffinch BTW.


Pics taken on my phone, sorry about the quality.
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Mo1959

Legendary Member
1st time out today for a while due to weather and other commitments. Really wanted to get out to test the new Conti GP4000s tyres i fitted at the weekend.

Really wanted to do a 40 miler but woke to horrible misty and damp weather. I had to be back for other things so decided to do a shorter ride and let some of the fog clear.

Set out, still pretty cold and damp and the roads flooded in a few places. Pretty uneventful ride apart from one bit.

Cycling up a quite backroad i reached a cross roads where a 4x4 was coming towards me, and in front a large pick up type van. The van pulled sharp left and the 4x4 came past. The van then carried on, and i put the power down, and cycled straight past a bird sitting in the road!!!

Errrr, was it me, stopped, looked back, it's still there. so, i turn road, lean bike against hedge and wander over, expecting it to fly away, it just sits there, ah i thought, its dead. No it was alive although i don't know what was wrong with it, so i picked it up and put it in the hedge as i didnt want it to get squished. No doubt a cat or a fox will have it unless it perks up.

The bird is a Chaffinch BTW.


Pics taken on my phone, sorry about the quality.
View attachment 43747 View attachment 43748 View attachment 43749 View attachment 43750
Poor wee thing. Maybe it had already been hit and stunned by a car?
How did you like the new tyres?
 

Bryony

Veteran
Location
Ramsgate, Kent
1st time out today for a while due to weather and other commitments. Really wanted to get out to test the new Conti GP4000s tyres i fitted at the weekend.

Really wanted to do a 40 miler but woke to horrible misty and damp weather. I had to be back for other things so decided to do a shorter ride and let some of the fog clear.

Set out, still pretty cold and damp and the roads flooded in a few places. Pretty uneventful ride apart from one bit.

Cycling up a quite backroad i reached a cross roads where a 4x4 was coming towards me, and in front a large pick up type van. The van pulled sharp left and the 4x4 came past. The van then carried on, and i put the power down, and cycled straight past a bird sitting in the road!!!

Errrr, was it me, stopped, looked back, it's still there. so, i turn road, lean bike against hedge and wander over, expecting it to fly away, it just sits there, ah i thought, its dead. No it was alive although i don't know what was wrong with it, so i picked it up and put it in the hedge as i didnt want it to get squished. No doubt a cat or a fox will have it unless it perks up.

The bird is a Chaffinch BTW.


Pics taken on my phone, sorry about the quality.
View attachment 43747 View attachment 43748 View attachment 43749 View attachment 43750
Aww poor little birdy, hope it perks up!
 
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