Your ride today.... (part 1)

[PeteXXX]

I had that on a cycling holiday in Spain. On a very windy day, I tried riding a road up a gorge into a tunnel. I could barely even get to the entrance to the tunnel, and then came to an abrupt stop as the wind coming through the tunnel must have been accelerated to about 50-60 mph. I did an unplanned trackstand in a 39/29 gear which I just could not turn, and then the front of the bike lifted and I got blown backwards off it. The bike actually took off and was about to disappear over a railing and fall down into the ravine below but I managed to get hold of it and wrestle it to the ground. At which point, I too "turned back, deciding it really wasn't safe"!

Looks like a fabulous holiday - I hope you enjoy the rest of it!

Imagine. the speed if that'd been a tailwind!!!!

 

[ColinJ]

Imagine. the speed if that'd been a tailwind!!!!

Well, I did get the main wind as a tailwind back to the hotel. I didn't get the ram effect of the gorge and tunnel, but I was spinning out at 40 mph a lot of the way. (It is slightly downhill most of the way back so I could normally do over 35 mph without the tailwind, but my 53/13 gear wasn't high enough to pedal much faster!)

When I got back into town, wheelie bins were getting blown down the pavement, so that gives you an idea of how strong the wind was!

 

[Gravity Aided]

I was thinking perhaps, 'fandabidozee', would suit my terribly retroboy 80's status

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGcsuT3MRAg

 

[Cubist]

Oh there's no better way than with both feet off the ground.....

@Fnaar to the forum
@Fnaar to the forum
Smut opportunity, I repeat
Smut opportunity......

 

[djb1971]

On the way home this morning

 

[ThinAir]

Today's ride was much shorter than I wanted it to be.

Losing this six stone has now become an even higher priority, as today's ride has highlighted I'm far less fit than I was 12 months ago hauling 21st around is much tougher than I thought it was!

Onwards and upwards

 

[cosmicbike]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGcsuT3MRAg

Hmm, nice but I was thinking more along the lines of Gene Hunt in Ashes to Ashes.

Anyway, a quick (in the loosest possible sense) 16 miles for me this morning whilst the youngest tried the new school. Ride took longer than I expected so nearly ended up at school in lycra, but those lucky parents were saved by a whisker this time..

Hopefully get out again tonight as I don't feel I've done my 'quota', I like to do 20 miles each time out. Who knows, I might even get the nod to take the road bike....

Edit: I did have one downhill at 28mph. Fandabidozee went through my mind, but I settled for a somewhat self-conscious 'weeeeee' with both feet firmly on the pedals

 

[coffeejo]

After 300+ miles riding my new Ridgeback Panorama with its more relaxed geometry, getting back on the Orbea this morning was a bit strange but felt a bit like coming home as well. Shame I was only taking it into town for its service and had to carry everything I needed today in a cumbersome rucksack which lessened the fun - rucksack, bike and I nearly ended up in the hedge on the first corner since I forgot about it and therefore the need to make allowances for it unbalancing me.

 

[Donger]

After 300+ miles riding my new Ridgeback Panorama with its more relaxed geometry, getting back on the Orbea this morning was a bit strange but felt a bit like coming home as well. .

I'm a committed Ridgeback Panorama rider myself. Takes my weight well and will go anywhere. Personally, I'm happy to never own anything else. I am thinking of getting a couple of spare wheels made up with 700x28 tyres though, to improve my speed on local road rides. I've only got a cheap Halfords computer, so I could get another one just like it and programme it for the smaller wheel size and have an interchangeable set-up.

 

[ScotiaLass]

I had to go to the LBS again today as they were closed yesterday for a local holiday.

So, I set off with the lad in tow, as he wanted to go via the college to hand in some paperwork for his engineering course in August and I did something today which I would never have dreamed of doing before!

We headed from the college, back to the cycle path (via a quiet road and passing the house I was born in!) and then up to the park, where the intention was to ride through it.
My son pointed out it would be easier, and quicker, to go up the main road (through 3 roundabouts) to the end of the high street where the LBS is situated.
Now usually I would have a fit at the thought of riding on the road, but today, for some reason, I felt okay about it.
So we did. It was fine. No close passes, did well on the roundabouts and felt quite chuffed with myself!

At the LBS the mechanic looks at my bike....tightens the headset (though it wasn't really that loose he tells me) then moved to the front disc brake.
He turns the wheel, looks at it...fiddles with it and hey presto - no more juddery brake!
Apparently my recent off had slightly bent the front disc! Ooops!
It's perfect now

We headed on to the Falkirk wheel where we had these bad boys (I had the one without the ice cream!)

(I think I had my finger over the lens lol)

Then back on to the towpath for the journey home.
We stopped to watch a heron and he decided he didn't like us watching him, and flew 100 yards up the bank, where he sat giving us the evil, beady eye lol

A lovely ride in the warm sunshine (and topped 25mph on the downhill !!)
I gave madam a good wash down - just some lubing to do now.
Happy day!

 

[stephec]

London - Brighton - London with @CharlieB @ianrauk @Michael Adu @toptom & James. A fast route down with Ditchling beacon at the end, fish & chips on the seafront and a lumpy route back via Devil's Dyke
A cracking day on the bike, 126 miles & a new top speed for me of 47.7 mph


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They're tasty looking chips, don't get many though do you?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I'm not sure what was going on on the road this morning, but I wish more days were like that. Everyone was really courteous and helpful, with really good passes or holding so far back I wasn't even sure they were ever planning on overtaking me... and no, I wasn't dreaming either. Part way into town, I suddenly remember that I have a route change and need to turn right (roadworks in town are making it chaos so have bailed to the local cycle path alongside the A556) and glancing back I realise that I can't get over. It's my fault, I normally get out much sooner, but I only remembered at the last minute, so down through the gears and glance over again, still can't get over... eventually I end up opposite the junction and stop on the left - its all I can do. Preparing to wait the queue out, the very last vehicle (female driver of a 4x4) stops and waves me out; there's no oncoming traffic and nothing in the junction waiting to turn right, so it can only be me she is letting out. I thank her and get over, expecting her to also be turning right, but no, she's going straight on. She had stopped simply to let me across the junction! (twas a shame it was totally clear behind her, but it is the thought that counts)... the rest of the day pretty much continued on in that manner!

Some Cheshire sunshine - shame it was as black as night in the other direction

The wheat (?) is nearly ripe

Coming home was almost identical, with drivers of all vehicles being helpful, holding back and safely overtaking me. And on one downhill section where even cars find it difficult overtaking cyclists (queuing traffic in the opposite direction usually blocks them), the vehicle in front of me, having caught a man on a mountain bike, actually realised I had caught both of them us, and pulled over to the left behind the mtb'er so that I could pass both of them on the downhill section before the next up, and then when he did catch me up, he held way back until he turned off right behind me... If only all commutes were that easy!

(there was one black BMW that tried to spoil the day, but a very loud yell at her as she tried to turn right out of a road whilst I was turning right into it got her attention despite her windows being up! which could explain why I got a 2nd place on the next strava segment! Still she didn't ruin a very enjoyable and strangely fast (for me) day's riding.) http://www.strava.com/activities/160390175 68km and a 21.9kph average which for my commutes is quite high!

 

[Rouge79]

How'd you get the speedo on the film?

It's a Garmin verb elite and when you use the verb edit software it automatically overlays off the speedo data , etc. You can configure which data you want to show

 

[MikeW-71]

After my exertions on the MTB and 3 well deserved days off, tonight was far too good an evening to go to waste, so I gave the roadie a blast out. It feels like a rocketship after the MTB, absolutely flying
http://app.strava.com/activities/160509758/

 

[Deleted member 23692]

It definitely was a lovely evening in these parts. I did my usually post-work Friday ride (albeit on a Monday) with slight variation to add another 8 miles to bring it to just over 30

... and it looks like a sausage dog balancing a ball on it's nose

30.1 miles / 200 ft ascent at 17.5mph