Your ride today.... (part 1)

[GrasB]

New maximal effort over 1 hour on this morning, very consistent effort level as well regardless of terrain. Even better than that it was on my fast recumbent, previously I've been about 10-20% down on my training bike. Had a wannabe roadie make the whole "Not so fast are you!" type comment, managed to last about 90s in front, when riding up hill, before burning out & getting left for dead.

EDIT: must have been a great ride over 90 min after my ride & I still feel really drained - this is a good thing after a maximal effort ride

 

[ColinJ]

"The Ride That Was Not Meant To Be"

Or so it seems ...

For once, I was well organised. With fabulous sunny conditions to look forward to, I had planned a scenic, hilly 43 mile ride and two friends were joining me. I fettled my bike in advance, made some drinks and put them into the fridge to chill, put my factor 30 on and waited for my pals to arrive.

We rode to Mytholmroyd and headed off up the long Cragg Vale climb. A couple of miles into it, I went to take a drink and realised that the drinks were still in the fridge at home. Damn!

We whizzed back down the hill and I left my friends at a cafe in 'royd while I dashed home for the bottles.

20 minutes later, I met up with them at the cafe and we set off back up the climb. They were setting a pretty good pace and I was just able to stay with them. Then we came to steeper mid-section and I thought I would do that at my own pace so as to save my energy for later in the ride. They had just got out of sight when there was a clunk as I changed to the 28 sprocket. I looked down and saw that the chain was wedged between the spokes and the cassette. I thought it was an endstop problem but it turned out that one of my jockey wheels had come loose. I tried phoning my friends to tell them what was happening, but I was in the part of the climb which has no phone signal. They would probably wait at the summit for me.

I scoured the road surface but could not find all the missing parts. Ride over!

To the several cyclists who completely ignored my plight - f@@k you very much! To the one who stopped to see if he could help - thanks for relaying my message to my pals at the top of the climb.

I had to take the chain and rear mech. off so I could freewheel back down to Mytholmroyd, then scooted the bike along the valley to home.

My friends got my message and are doing a shorter loop than originally planned. I will go and meet them for a coffee when they get back.

I will have a third attempt to do a ride later, on my Cannondale this time. That has a dodgy bottom bracket so I could potentially end up with problems there too!

Oh well. I should have enough parts in my junk box to repair the Basso. I'll see to that later. I definitely want to make the most of this sunshine.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

"The Ride That Was Not Meant To Be"

Or so it seems ...

For once, I was well organised. With fabulous sunny conditions to look forward to, I had planned a scenic, hilly 43 mile ride and two friends were joining me. I fettled my bike in advance, made some drinks and put them into the fridge to chill, put my factor 30 on and waited for my pals to arrive.

We rode to Mytholmroyd and headed off up the long Cragg Vale climb. A couple of miles into it, I went to take a drink and realised that the drinks were still in the fridge at home. Damn!

We whizzed back down the hill and I left my friends at a cafe in 'royd while I dashed home for the bottles.

20 minutes later, I met up with them at the cafe and we set off back up the climb. They were setting a pretty good pace and I was just able to stay with them. Then we came to steeper mid-section and I thought I would do that at my own pace so as to save my energy for later in the ride. They had just got out of sight when there was a clunk as I changed to the 28 sprocket. I looked down and saw that the chain was wedged between the spokes and the cassette. I thought it was an endstop problem but it turned out that one of my jockey wheels had come loose. I tried phoning my friends to tell them what was happening, but I was in the part of the climb which has no phone signal. They would probably wait at the summit for me.

I scoured the road surface but could not find all the missing parts. Ride over!

To the several cyclists who completely ignored my plight - f@@k you very much! To the one who stopped to see if he could help - thanks for relaying my message to my pals at the top of the climb.

I had to take the chain and rear mech. off so I could freewheel back down to Mytholmroyd, then scooted the bike along the valley to home.

My friends got my message and are doing a shorter loop than originally planned. I will go and meet them for a coffee when they get back.

I will have a third attempt to do a ride later, on my Cannondale this time. That has a dodgy bottom bracket so I could potentially end up with problems there too!

Oh well. I should have enough parts in my junk box to repair the Basso. I'll see to that later. I definitely want to make the most of this sunshine.

Thats a Sod, sometimes its not meant to be, better luck wit the next ride, when I left my water bottle at home I just brought a couple of bottles of water and stuffed them in my jersey pocket.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

"The Ride That Was Not Meant To Be"

Or so it seems ...

For once, I was well organised. With fabulous sunny conditions to look forward to, I had planned a scenic, hilly 43 mile ride and two friends were joining me. I fettled my bike in advance, made some drinks and put them into the fridge to chill, put my factor 30 on and waited for my pals to arrive.

We rode to Mytholmroyd and headed off up the long Cragg Vale climb. A couple of miles into it, I went to take a drink and realised that the drinks were still in the fridge at home. Damn!

We whizzed back down the hill and I left my friends at a cafe in 'royd while I dashed home for the bottles.

20 minutes later, I met up with them at the cafe and we set off back up the climb. They were setting a pretty good pace and I was just able to stay with them. Then we came to steeper mid-section and I thought I would do that at my own pace so as to save my energy for later in the ride. They had just got out of sight when there was a clunk as I changed to the 28 sprocket. I looked down and saw that the chain was wedged between the spokes and the cassette. I thought it was an endstop problem but it turned out that one of my jockey wheels had come loose. I tried phoning my friends to tell them what was happening, but I was in the part of the climb which has no phone signal. They would probably wait at the summit for me.

I scoured the road surface but could not find all the missing parts. Ride over!

To the several cyclists who completely ignored my plight - f@@k you very much! To the one who stopped to see if he could help - thanks for relaying my message to my pals at the top of the climb.

I had to take the chain and rear mech. off so I could freewheel back down to Mytholmroyd, then scooted the bike along the valley to home.

My friends got my message and are doing a shorter loop than originally planned. I will go and meet them for a coffee when they get back.

I will have a third attempt to do a ride later, on my Cannondale this time. That has a dodgy bottom bracket so I could potentially end up with problems there too!

Oh well. I should have enough parts in my junk box to repair the Basso. I'll see to that later. I definitely want to make the most of this sunshine.

Probably not much consolation but at least it happened near the start of the ride. Would have been a lot more hassle if it had broken 20 miles from home.

 

[cosmicbike]

"The Ride That Was Not Meant To Be"

Or so it seems ...

For once, I was well organised. With fabulous sunny conditions to look forward to, I had planned a scenic, hilly 43 mile ride and two friends were joining me. I fettled my bike in advance, made some drinks and put them into the fridge to chill, put my factor 30 on and waited for my pals to arrive.

We rode to Mytholmroyd and headed off up the long Cragg Vale climb. A couple of miles into it, I went to take a drink and realised that the drinks were still in the fridge at home. Damn!

We whizzed back down the hill and I left my friends at a cafe in 'royd while I dashed home for the bottles.

20 minutes later, I met up with them at the cafe and we set off back up the climb. They were setting a pretty good pace and I was just able to stay with them. Then we came to steeper mid-section and I thought I would do that at my own pace so as to save my energy for later in the ride. They had just got out of sight when there was a clunk as I changed to the 28 sprocket. I looked down and saw that the chain was wedged between the spokes and the cassette. I thought it was an endstop problem but it turned out that one of my jockey wheels had come loose. I tried phoning my friends to tell them what was happening, but I was in the part of the climb which has no phone signal. They would probably wait at the summit for me.

I scoured the road surface but could not find all the missing parts. Ride over!

To the several cyclists who completely ignored my plight - f@@k you very much! To the one who stopped to see if he could help - thanks for relaying my message to my pals at the top of the climb.

I had to take the chain and rear mech. off so I could freewheel back down to Mytholmroyd, then scooted the bike along the valley to home.

My friends got my message and are doing a shorter loop than originally planned. I will go and meet them for a coffee when they get back.

I will have a third attempt to do a ride later, on my Cannondale this time. That has a dodgy bottom bracket so I could potentially end up with problems there too!

Oh well. I should have enough parts in my junk box to repair the Basso. I'll see to that later. I definitely want to make the most of this sunshine.

A like for the ride whilst it lasted, as opposed to the broken bike..

 

[welsh dragon]

Decided to go out today even though it was scorchio out there. Went to Mach, before I realised it was market day on Wednesday. There's been a market in Mach for 700 years. I don't know where everyone comes from I left Mach and went under the railway bridge. I was going towards the B4404, but there were road works, and it was very busy so I stopped to take a couple of photos then turned back towards town. on my way back, i saw a rather narrow lane and decided to see where it took me. Unfortunately, it proved to be unsuitable for my folder there is a rather strange building in Mach. I think originally it was the local blacksmith

i rode back through the park again and spent a while just riding round Mach. in the end though, the heat and traffic proved to be to much, but i enjoyed riding around town, even if it was busy.

 

[Saluki]

I got a nice ride in this morning. Back home by 8am. I couldn't sleep so dogs walked by 6.30, then 40 minutes of guitar practice and then I belted round my Wreningham, Hethel, Wymondham loop of 11.01 miles in 41:12 so very pleased with that.

Back from work and now typing it up.
Bought myself a PB pressie. Some bone conductor headphones and they are awesome.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

http://summeronabianchi.blogspot.co.uk/
Bit late but here is Mondays ride

 

[ColinJ]

Thats a Sod, sometimes its not meant to be, better luck wit the next ride, when I left my water bottle at home I just brought a couple of bottles of water and stuffed them in my jersey pocket.

If it had not been such a hot day and the route had not had several thousand feet of climbing, I would probably have settled for that, but I knew that I would need at least 1.5 litres today and I had made carbo-drinks specially for the ride.

Probably not much consolation but at least it happened near the start of the ride. Would have been a lot more hassle if it had broken 20 miles from home.

Indeed. If it had happened on the descent to Littleborough, I would have caught the train back from there. If it had been further on, it could have been a right nuisance - I would probably have found the nearest bike shop and paid them to sort it out.

Speaking of local bike shops ... there used to be one in Mytholmroyd which would have been my port of call today if it had still been open. I noticed former owner Dougie Mansfield's name had been painted on the road when the TdF went up through Cragg Vale. The cyclist I spoke to today told me that DM had died recently, before he could see the sight of a lifetime - the pro peloton racing through his village. Yet another victim of the nightmarish Acre Mill asbestos factory!

A like for the ride whilst it lasted, as opposed to the broken bike..

I ended up doing only 13 miles in total. I have spent long enough in the sun today, with cafe stops and sunbathing so I will give the evening ride a miss.

I have found some spares in my parts drawer and bought a new gear cable to replace the old one, which was fraying. I'll fix the bike and do the ride tomorrow instead. (I just hope that the spokes in the back wheel were not damaged by having the chain jammed against them!)

 

[Donger]

Getting a bit bored with the Tour de France as it is getting a bit predictable, so I got out and did my own Tour des Malverns in the sunshine today. I'd never been up any of the hills to the South of the Upton to Ledbury road (A4104), so I started from South of Castlemorton Common and felt my way along the eastern edge of the hills and got as high up as I could. Starting climbing in the full sunshine at 12:00 ..... Mad dogs and Englishmen! Surprisingly lovely there. It was like The Shire, Middle Earth up there, with unusual houses and leafy lanes winding through the woods.



Eventually, I had to turn back towards Welland, down in the valley, but I got this nice shot of the heather on top of the Malverns by the top of Castlemorton Common first.


Once I'd done the bits that were new to me, I set off to meet an old enemy, in the shape of a half mile stretch of 14% hill followed immediately by another mile or so of slightly easier climbing up to British Camp (the top of the road, where Worcestershire gives way to Herefordshire). In the next shot, you can just make outpart of the nasty bit of the road as it picks its way past Welland Church. This stretch had beaten me on my previous two attempts. I'd got up it, but had been forced to stop on both occasions. This time I just got my head down and concentrated on the tarmac under my front wheel, and made sure I got my breathing right. Miracle of miracles, this time I made it up to British Camp without stopping. Celebrated with a rum and raisin icecream from the cafe at the top, which always seems to have a cluster of cyclist sat recovering. I compared notes with a few, none of whom would touch the climb up from Welland, a it is known as a b@st@rd round these parts. That made me feel good.


From British Camp, I headed off (upwards again, for a bit) towards Upper Colwall and West Malvern, where it was downhill all the way into Great Malvern, then upwards, ever upwards again and back across the middle of the range, just stopping for this picture when it was clear that it would be the last panorama of the Vale of Gloucester beneath. Slow going, but never felt better after 10 miles of climbing.


Just had time for another rum and raisin icecream from the cafe at British Camp before setting a new PB on the descent to Welland, doing 37.5mph despite my map holder with aerofoil tendencies. 23.9 miles today, very little of it flat. Lovely half day out. Very much recommended.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[welsh dragon]

Getting a bit bored with the Tour de France as it is getting a bit predictable, so I got out and did my own Tour des Malverns in the sunshine today. I'd never been up any of the hills to the South of the Upton to Ledbury road (A4104), so I started from South of Castlemorton Common and felt my way along the eastern edge of the hills and got as high up as I could. Starting climbing in the full sunshine at 12:00 ..... Mad dogs and Englishmen! Surprisingly lovely there. It was like The Shire, Middle Earth up there, with unusual houses and leafy lanes winding through the woods.

View attachment 51254 View attachment 51264

Eventually, I had to turn back towards Welland, down in the valley, but I got this nice shot of the heather on top of the Malverns by the top of Castlemorton Common first.
View attachment 51263

Once I'd done the bits that were new to me, I set off to meet an old enemy, in the shape of a half mile stretch of 14% hill followed immediately by another mile or so of slightly easier climbing up to British Camp (the top of the road, where Worcestershire gives way to Herefordshire). In the next shot, you can just make outpart of the nasty bit of the road as it picks its way past Welland Church. This stretch had beaten me on my previous two attempts. I'd got up it, but had been forced to stop on both occasions. This time I just got my head down and concentrated on the tarmac under my front wheel, and made sure I got my breathing right. Miracle of miracles, this time I made it up to British Camp without stopping. Celebrated with a rum and raisin icecream from the cafe at the top, which always seems to have a cluster of cyclist sat recovering. I compared notes with a few, none of whom would touch the climb up from Welland, a it is known as a b@st@rd round these parts. That made me feel good.
View attachment 51265 View attachment 51266

From British Camp, I headed off (upwards again, for a bit) towards Upper Colwall and West Malvern, where it was downhill all the way into Great Malvern, then upwards, ever upwards again and back across the middle of the range, just stopping for this picture when it was clear that it would be the last panorama of the Vale of Gloucester beneath. Slow going, but never felt better after 10 miles of climbing.
View attachment 51267

Just had time for another rum and raisin icecream from the cafe at British Camp before setting a new PB on the descent to Welland, doing 37.5mph despite my map holder with aerofoil tendencies. 23.9 miles today, very little of it flat. Lovely half day out. Very much recommended.
Cheers, Donger.

Nice photos donger. Thanks for sharing.

 

[coffeejo]

I had several possible routes plotted for today but they all involved me leaving at 9am. As it was, my enthusiasm didn't kick in until very late in the morning and only after I'd decided to head east to Langport and the Somerset Levels (well, Moors really) instead of the hills to the north, west and south. It wasn't quite afternoon by the time I left but once the clock ticked over to midday, I had thoughts of mad dogs and English women as it was hot hot hot: so much so that when I stopped to chat to a friend who has been sensible and got her ride in early and was heading home for a cool shower, either the tarmac or her tyre had started to melt beneath her wheel!

The ride out to Langport was uneventful though an emergency stop was required when I passed this farm entrance:

I stopped at The Potting Shed just outside Langport for a spot of lunch (they do a lycra special - any drink and a home-made cake for £3).

By the time I left, I was feeling a lot more energetic so took a rather meandering route home, getting some hills in after all, though not til I'd made my way out of the flat lands.

I stopped to chat to some Kune Kune pigs and a gorgeous black cat, none of whom wanted their photo taken, but this buzzard was happy to pose. The quality of the photo is awful but I didn't dare get any closer in case it flew off.

60 miles, 2800ft of climbing and 5 bottles of water.

I'm really pleased I made the effort to go out, especially as bumping into my friend led to an invitation to go to hers tomorrow to watch Le Tour.

 

[coffeejo]

Starting climbing in the full sunshine at 12:00 ..... Mad dogs and Englishmen!

once the clock ticked over to midday, I had thoughts of mad dogs and English women as it was hot hot hot

 

[ScotiaLass]

For the third day in a row, I set off for a 15 mile potter.
Yesterday my gears had been playing up but today they seemed ok.
At the half way point though, I had difficulty changing down as I headed up an incline.
I cursed a bit then cursed a lot, as the realisation that a gear cable had snapped, set in!

I wasn't sure what to do, so tried to move the chain manually onto a ring that I could limp home in.
That didn't work and the chain slipped back.
So, I completed the last 7.5 miles in 19th gear.
I am so gonna hurt tomorrow!!

Priscilla will be going to the bike shop, probably on Friday...hoping it's not a long or expensive job!
PS if anyone wants to pop round and fix it, there's coffee and cake waiting

 

[welsh dragon]

For the third day in a row, I set off for a 15 mile potter.
Yesterday my gears had been playing up but today they seemed ok.
At the half way point though, I had difficulty changing down as I headed up an incline.
I cursed a bit then cursed a lot, as the realisation that a gear cable had snapped, set in!

I wasn't sure what to do, so tried to move the chain manually onto a ring that I could limp home in.
That didn't work and the chain slipped back.
So, I completed the last 7.5 miles in 19th gear.
I am so gonna hurt tomorrow!!

Priscilla will be going to the bike shop, probably on Friday...hoping it's not a long or expensive job!
PS if anyone wants to pop round and fix it, there's coffee and cake waiting

Hope You get Priscilla sorted out quickly SL.