ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
No, showing off would have been standing on the pedals and shaking my 'bootay'....Now you're just showing off.
Your ride today.... (part 1)
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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I'd certainly call that showing off.
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
7pm this evening she says" let's go and do a quick 30 miles I've put on the Garmin" So off we go into Pangbourne, along the main road along the patchwork of tarmac and potholes they call a road a long there and after a couple of miles up a bloody hill along a narrow road where an impatient twunt in a 4x4 nearly hits an on coming car that just passed us safely.
Onwards to Upper Basildon, Buckelbury where that princess bird came from, Cold Ash, and then the very subtle but very long climb to Streatley via Hampstead Norreys then once at the top of Streatley Hill a very very fast 16% descent down to the river! Feck me that was a scary hill! 39.4 miles per hour and I had my fingers on the brakes most of the way down. Then a very sedate 5 or 6 miles back along the rolling main road, once home a cup of Hot Chocolate and some cheap Sainburys trifle. Well, it seemed silly not to. 34.5 miles this evening.
Onwards to Upper Basildon, Buckelbury where that princess bird came from, Cold Ash, and then the very subtle but very long climb to Streatley via Hampstead Norreys then once at the top of Streatley Hill a very very fast 16% descent down to the river! Feck me that was a scary hill! 39.4 miles per hour and I had my fingers on the brakes most of the way down. Then a very sedate 5 or 6 miles back along the rolling main road, once home a cup of Hot Chocolate and some cheap Sainburys trifle. Well, it seemed silly not to. 34.5 miles this evening.
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Session 2 of my Mood Management course at LIFT. Cycled over again, slightly overcast on the way in with quite a stiff breeze. Started out earlier today so I could have lunch in the community cafe before the course started. Wolfed down a delicious bacon, brie and cranberry panini with a side serving of coleslaw, tasty. The course went well, starting to learn how to combat the negative automatic thoughts. On the way back stopped off at the hardware store (a delightfullly old fashioned one) in Yate to pick up some junior hacksaw blades. No, I'm not about to start cutting up my bike, they're for my bookbinding. In the perfect binding technique you use a junior hacksaw to cut narrow 1 mm deep groves in the edges of the pages for laying the thread in before applying glue. I managed to get home just as the first few drops of rain fell, so the bike got put away dry. Yay!
http://www.strava.com/activities/158396894
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http://www.strava.com/activities/158396894
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ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
Another lonesome ride today, usual route and a little detour under the turning pool at the Kelpies.
At the moment you can only go so far along, as they still appear to be working on the paths, but it was nice to explore
My average speed is creeping up a bit - not that I am bothered about how fast I go, but it's nice to know I'm getting fitter!
I chose the right gear going up the hill this time and it was quite a bit easier, although I'm still not anywhere near sprinting up it!
A very enjoyable 12.5 miles.
A few pics...
The fountains were on....nice to sit beside for a cool off and a drink before setting off again
Work going on beyond the red barriers in the background
Looking back towards the Kelpies
At the moment you can only go so far along, as they still appear to be working on the paths, but it was nice to explore
My average speed is creeping up a bit - not that I am bothered about how fast I go, but it's nice to know I'm getting fitter!
I chose the right gear going up the hill this time and it was quite a bit easier, although I'm still not anywhere near sprinting up it!
A very enjoyable 12.5 miles.
A few pics...
The fountains were on....nice to sit beside for a cool off and a drink before setting off again
Work going on beyond the red barriers in the background
Looking back towards the Kelpies
robjh
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire - almost Essex
Finished work early again yesterday in Cov, and rode up through Lichfield to Cannock Chase. I took the downgraded ex-A5 past Tamworth and Hints, and in parts it is lovely and almost traffic-free (and with a surprising number of cyclists) thanks to a huge motorway-by-stealth built parallel to it, but around Tamworth the car-bound still manage to clog it up in the rush hour and I did a lot of filtering and overtaking here.
West of Lichfield I took a very steep little lane to the village of Farewell (!), and after Upper Longdon climbed to Cannock Chase proper, which is an area of high ground covered in a mix of deciduous woodland, pine plantations and open heath. It is real MTB country with loads of trails and many MTBers out in the fine evening weather, but I was on my 23mm tyres and whizzed happily around on the tarmac roads that run across the area. I went to find the German War Cemetery, which is in a lovely woodland location but was closed at this hour, and ended with a fast descent to Rugeley where I caught a train back to Birmingham.
51 miles to that point, then a few more to get home from New Street.
Lichfield cathedral :
Cannock Chase :
West of Lichfield I took a very steep little lane to the village of Farewell (!), and after Upper Longdon climbed to Cannock Chase proper, which is an area of high ground covered in a mix of deciduous woodland, pine plantations and open heath. It is real MTB country with loads of trails and many MTBers out in the fine evening weather, but I was on my 23mm tyres and whizzed happily around on the tarmac roads that run across the area. I went to find the German War Cemetery, which is in a lovely woodland location but was closed at this hour, and ended with a fast descent to Rugeley where I caught a train back to Birmingham.
51 miles to that point, then a few more to get home from New Street.
Lichfield cathedral :
Cannock Chase :
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
14.1 miles today for a utility ride to the bike shop, I'm having an issue with my derailleur which they could not sort out there then, which was a bugger. I stopped at a posh cafe in Goring for a nice sandwich and a coffee, very nice it was the food there is very good but the staff are bit terse. It's very successful coffee shop the sort where the yummy mummies go and talk bollix about curtains and stuff, but there's something about the staff, a sort passive arrogance...I digress the food is lovely.
I got back on my bike and struggled with the gears up Goring Hill, then down Whitchurch hill, it has a lovely road surface and is very very fast, love that hill. No photos today I was too concerned with faffing about with the gears, a nice ride none the less.
I got back on my bike and struggled with the gears up Goring Hill, then down Whitchurch hill, it has a lovely road surface and is very very fast, love that hill. No photos today I was too concerned with faffing about with the gears, a nice ride none the less.
ThinAir
Do more.
- Location
- Finchley, London.
My first ride in a long long time... A cheeky 4miles, which was cut very short by a puncture, no spare tube or repair kit...
Living and learning. But I did get a couple of alright photos...
The bug has re-bitten and I'll be here a lot... Again...
Living and learning. But I did get a couple of alright photos...
The bug has re-bitten and I'll be here a lot... Again...
simon the viking
Guru
Went on a 37 miler today that took in 4 counties... Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire......The last one is the joker in the pack, a lot of people dont realise Burton on trent is that near Warwickshire (we are miles away from Warwick just close to the county)..... but I saw this sign between Tamworth and Measham.... and couldn't resist a photo
ThinAir
Do more.
- Location
- Finchley, London.
I know that sign.... I drive to Warwickshire a lot, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly I can get into the county, and then have another 90 minutes to get to my destination. Are you local to Burton, @simon the viking ?
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Contrary to what I said yesterday, I have been out for a ride again today. My sister wanted to get out on her bike so we headed into town and had a leisurely trip through The Quarry.
As alway it was very pleasant down there and a bit busier than yesterday - the different time of day will account for that.
We had a couple of moments, a driver helpfully waved us out of a junction where we had restricted visibility due to stationary bus. Nice, but I didn't entirely trust him, which was just as well as I'd have pulled into the path of a taxi. During this manouvre, Jen slipped on the pedals breaking off her chainguard.
Carrying on we had a close pass from a cyclist on the path approaching Meole Brace. The guy had obviously chased us from quite a way back to make a point of passing as he was really slow and plainly knackered once he got in front.
He didn't stay there either as he went the long way for some reason and came back onto the path behind us so had to do it all again (but not so close or as quick second time round).
7.3 miles this time at just 9.5 mph average. Not too bad though considering this is only Jen's second ride of the year.
As alway it was very pleasant down there and a bit busier than yesterday - the different time of day will account for that.
We had a couple of moments, a driver helpfully waved us out of a junction where we had restricted visibility due to stationary bus. Nice, but I didn't entirely trust him, which was just as well as I'd have pulled into the path of a taxi. During this manouvre, Jen slipped on the pedals breaking off her chainguard.
Carrying on we had a close pass from a cyclist on the path approaching Meole Brace. The guy had obviously chased us from quite a way back to make a point of passing as he was really slow and plainly knackered once he got in front.
He didn't stay there either as he went the long way for some reason and came back onto the path behind us so had to do it all again (but not so close or as quick second time round).7.3 miles this time at just 9.5 mph average. Not too bad though considering this is only Jen's second ride of the year.
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simon the viking
Guru
I live in Branston if you know Burton so the ride was Walton, (edge of) Alrewas, Tamworth. M42/A444 Island then Linton, Rosliston Home.... cracking weather and 2 and half hours of pure peace and quiet.....
ThinAir
Do more.
- Location
- Finchley, London.
I do know Branston - I grew up in Swad and Midway, before moving north about 11 years ago. I spend a lot of time in that area as family still live there, mainly ride around Netherseal, Coton, drakelow, Burton, Ashby etc... I'll get in touch when I'm planning a ride around there, if you fancy it?
simon the viking
Guru
Sounds like a plan only normally free on Sundays (as I work most Saturdays) so give us a few weeks notice and I will make sure Mrs V doesn't plan anything else.....
@cyberknight is local and I believe @MickeyBlueEyes is as well, so a local forum ride could develop if you like......
ThinAir
Do more.
- Location
- Finchley, London.
Sounds good to me
I work 3 weekends out of five, so Sunday would be good for me as well. I'll drop Mrs. TA off at my mothers for a few hours!- Status
