- Location
- Egham
+1 for that, can I have it on canvas for the hallway...Love the first photo.
Your ride today.... (part 1)
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
- Status
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
BigonaBianchi
Yes I can, Yes I am, Yes I did...Repeat.
- Location
- Iskele TRNC & Mordor UK
gavgav
Legendary Member
Now we know why it's called Buftons Bank on Strava!!I had hoped to do my metric century for August today but was rather put off by how windy it is out (been gusting over 30mph according to Met Office) so did a shorter ride instead.
The route was south through Condover and Longnor to Cardington, then north east to Hughley and Harley (well, almost) before heading to Cressage, Wroxeter, Upton Magna, Uffington, Shrewsbury and back.
After enjoying a personal best average speed last time out I thought I'd change my tyre pressures to see how the bike rode, so put them up 10psi to 75 front and 80 rear (they're rated up to 85). The ride is more jiggly but it does seem to scoot along quite nicely. The way the wind flows round the hills in the area meant it was against me for the first 9 miles and strengthened as I neared the Stretton Valley, yet I averaged just under 14 mph as far as the first climb which I thought not too bad.
The climb up to Folly Bank is more sheltered so no problems here and the descent the other side was fun as always. A couple of miles beyond Cardington the road turns so that the wind was directly behind me which made cruising along quite effortless. I'd have been even quicker if not for the flock of sheep being moved between fields.The shepherd said I'd be okay riding slowly through the flock, and so it proved.
Between Harley and Cressage I considered cutting the route short as I knew I'd have the wind and gradient against me for the final section if I carried on. After taking a couple of minutes to have a drink and mull it over I thought I'd rather get the miles in so carried on.
Between Cressage and Wroxeter the route is a bit lumpy and twists so that I was getting a cross wind at best, but despite this progress was reasonably good. I could see that it was raining over towards Stretton by now and was hoping it didn't blow this way.
By Upton Magna I knew I'd be riding against the wind the rest of the way back so just took it steady and took a slightly shorter way back through Shrewsbury so there would be les distance on the washboard-surfaced cycle paths.
38.6 miles this time at 14.1 mph average.
Edit: This ride takes the Raleigh over 1000 miles for the year to date and my total mileage for the year to just over 2400 miles - well on course to beat 3000 this time.
I was concentrating on the ride so not much in the way of photography this time:
View attachment 52355
At Ryton - harvesting is in full swing locally. A couple of weeks earlier than recent years I reckon.
View attachment 52356
A glimpse of Caer Caradoc on the climb to Folly Bank.
View attachment 52357
The memorial bench for Graham Bufton at the top of Folly Bank.
View attachment 52358
Much later in the ride and heading out of Shrewsbury via the bridge at Castlefields.
Wind was particularly strong in places today, was not expecting to have to pedal downhill at around 13mph on a section of road that last time was well into the low 20s . Shorn of the pannier and the lost lock extension cable resulted in the hybrid hitting a new high of 29.4mph.
50 miles from home to Barnsley, up the TPT to Notton, then round the Wakefield Wheel. Well most of it! I turned south at Stanley Ferry instead of North. 2200ft climb and a south westerly to push against going home.
This was a bit of a test for me. Care of elderly parents had meant I hadn't got any real training in for 18 months. Mum passed away in Jan and Dad last Tuesday so time to get out there.
I'd really like to do the Exmouth Exodus next weekend, but 107 miles and 6600ft climb. I'm probably not fit enough.
This was a bit of a test for me. Care of elderly parents had meant I hadn't got any real training in for 18 months. Mum passed away in Jan and Dad last Tuesday so time to get out there.
I'd really like to do the Exmouth Exodus next weekend, but 107 miles and 6600ft climb. I'm probably not fit enough.
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
We did our three hills challenge again today, 24 and bit miles up three sodding hills. The wife wanted to try out the turbo nutter bastard wheels she put on her bike yesterday. Well they work, she dropped me on two of the three hill and she has never done that before. I wonder, was it the wheels or was I tired?
Loads of cyclists out to day, hundreds in fact, the Woodcote sportive was on and loads of clubs were out riding today too, as we were going up the third hill, Streatley which is a real bitch going up, a group was coming down...very fast... you can get up to 50mph on that hill. Anyway one of them had a blow out, it frightened the crap out of us, Christ knows what it did to him going down that hill!
Anyway that's probably the last ride for me until the London-Surrey 100 next Sunday.
Loads of cyclists out to day, hundreds in fact, the Woodcote sportive was on and loads of clubs were out riding today too, as we were going up the third hill, Streatley which is a real bitch going up, a group was coming down...very fast... you can get up to 50mph on that hill. Anyway one of them had a blow out, it frightened the crap out of us, Christ knows what it did to him going down that hill!
Anyway that's probably the last ride for me until the London-Surrey 100 next Sunday.
Last edited:
LarryDuff
Guru
- Location
- Hillsborough Co Down
After a frustrating weekend looking at hours and hours of torrential rain I got out for a very pleasant 40 miles in nice sunshine this morning.
Last ride of the Scotland holiday, planned a nice little 100k for myself, got the added bonus of wifey coming along at the last minute.
Went along the ncn7 from Maybole to Glentrool, then back to Maybole via Girvan, pretty hilly at first but the views and the descent into Glentrool more than made up for that early effort!
Up in the hills in the first half of the ride, lush.
Good spot by 'er indoors, visitors centre at Glentrool for a brew and cake.
The waterfallish river bit by the bridge at Glentrool.
Nice little rest in the sunshine at Girvan.
Back to the camp for a beer or ten and watching the sun set over Arran.
Blimmin great ride, I'd properly recommend the ncn7 if anyone is up that way, might post the gpx later on me blog for them that want it.
Went along the ncn7 from Maybole to Glentrool, then back to Maybole via Girvan, pretty hilly at first but the views and the descent into Glentrool more than made up for that early effort!
Up in the hills in the first half of the ride, lush.
Good spot by 'er indoors, visitors centre at Glentrool for a brew and cake.
The waterfallish river bit by the bridge at Glentrool.
Nice little rest in the sunshine at Girvan.
Back to the camp for a beer or ten and watching the sun set over Arran.
Blimmin great ride, I'd properly recommend the ncn7 if anyone is up that way, might post the gpx later on me blog for them that want it.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
I've been back from a nice ride for a whole cup of coffee now.
I decided to ride the nice 15 mile loop that I rode the other day but to not close the loop, so to speak but to head off to the hospital instead. This was a plan that worked well for me. At Wattlefield and Fundenhall, the fields were full of combine harvesters harvesting away. I turned and rode through Wreningham where an older couple were gardening away, we've seen them often before, and they gave us their customary glare as if we really shouldn't be in their village. The always look up and glare, it's not just us, they glare at other cyclists too.
From Wreningham I headed for Hethel and past the Lotus factory and test track (all quiet today) and along the cyclepath there. The sloes look like they are coming along and I'm going to go back and park at the end of the cyclepath later, with a container or two for blackberries. I might even take the little terrier with me. She likes fruit picking as she can go ratting.
At the end of the cyclepath I had to make the turn right/turn left decision. I turned left so still following my 15 mile route but then turned off to the right up Spinks Lane but got stopped for a good 5 minutes while waiting for the longest freight train on the planet to pass. When the crossing lights turned green, I crossed and headed off towards Hethersett, forgetting that I was going to have to turn right onto the Norwich Road out of Spinks Lane. I was there hours! Hours I tell you. When I eventually managed to get out of that junction I had a nice spin down through Hethersett to the A11/A47 roundabout junction, with the thoughtful cyclepath around it and on to the hospital.
I arrived there and the Garmin said 19.97 miles. Well that's just not on so I cycled to the car park entrance and back so my ride was 20.03. Might have overshot it
1:19.28 riding time through the lovely sunshine, dodging bunnies who were scattering so that they didn't get harvested. Might ride again in a bit as Hubster wants to ride down to the carvery pub some 8 miles away.
I decided to ride the nice 15 mile loop that I rode the other day but to not close the loop, so to speak but to head off to the hospital instead. This was a plan that worked well for me. At Wattlefield and Fundenhall, the fields were full of combine harvesters harvesting away. I turned and rode through Wreningham where an older couple were gardening away, we've seen them often before, and they gave us their customary glare as if we really shouldn't be in their village. The always look up and glare, it's not just us, they glare at other cyclists too.
From Wreningham I headed for Hethel and past the Lotus factory and test track (all quiet today) and along the cyclepath there. The sloes look like they are coming along and I'm going to go back and park at the end of the cyclepath later, with a container or two for blackberries. I might even take the little terrier with me. She likes fruit picking as she can go ratting.
At the end of the cyclepath I had to make the turn right/turn left decision. I turned left so still following my 15 mile route but then turned off to the right up Spinks Lane but got stopped for a good 5 minutes while waiting for the longest freight train on the planet to pass. When the crossing lights turned green, I crossed and headed off towards Hethersett, forgetting that I was going to have to turn right onto the Norwich Road out of Spinks Lane. I was there hours! Hours I tell you. When I eventually managed to get out of that junction I had a nice spin down through Hethersett to the A11/A47 roundabout junction, with the thoughtful cyclepath around it and on to the hospital.
I arrived there and the Garmin said 19.97 miles. Well that's just not on so I cycled to the car park entrance and back so my ride was 20.03. Might have overshot it
1:19.28 riding time through the lovely sunshine, dodging bunnies who were scattering so that they didn't get harvested. Might ride again in a bit as Hubster wants to ride down to the carvery pub some 8 miles away.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
I am just back from No. 3 ride of the day. Having posted all about ride No. 1 I shall now proceed to bore you all to tears with rides 2 & 3.
Ride 2 consisted off around the block and feeling a lot of pain in my bits so back home after nearly 200 yards and taking the Charge Spoon off the bike and denuding the Giant Defy of his Spesh Riva BG saddle and dropping the seat 1/8" as the Riva is taller, if you are with me. Off we went again, past our new Morrisons and noted that the car park is rammed! Absolutely chokka. I know that we've had a Waitrose (V expensive) and a Co-op (nearly as pricey whatever the ads on TV say) for years but the lure of a proper, cheaper supermarket obviously has the good people of Wymondham overcome with shoppingness. Either that or they've been eaking out their food until it opens. It opened at 8am today BTW.
We rode down the Melton Road to Little Melton and the Village Inn to have a try of their carvery lunch. I say lunch, there is a carvery from about 11am to 9pm and it's not expensive. 2 huge cokes and a carvery apiece and change from £13 so we were happy. That stuffing looked like bricks in brickdust to me so I gave it a swerve. The roast potato was definitely fried but the mash was nice. I had turkey and hubster had gammon. Both very nice. Hubster tried the leeks, I didn't like the look of them but had extra cranberry sauce to make up for it.
At some point in the proceedings, my Garmin made the executive decision to save the ride there so when we got back on our bikes I had to turn it on, find satellites etc again thus missing out on 100 yards of ride. Hence ride No. 3. We decided not to retrace our wheel tracks but to go down the road 100 yards, hook a right and follow the road to Hethersett which is vaguely in the direction of home. This brought us out on the Colney Road, which was a bit grim.
Colney Road itself is not too bad. From Hethersett to Colney it's really fast and downhill, which rather means from Little Melton back to Hethersett it is somewhat of the up persuasion. So we got on with the job in hand and tried to ignore the coke sloshing about in our tummies. Most of the cars gave us a ton of room but then there was a Council Highways Department lorry who nearly had my elbow off. Hubster says he gave me about a foot of space. That put the wind up me a bit and we thought "bugger this he might have friends on this road who might do a better job" and took the first right we came to and into unknown territory. We cycled along heading vaguely in the right direction and eventually found ourselves in a village, probably Melton and then saw a sign for Wymondham and thought 'that'll do' and pedaled off towards home.
Eventually we came out on the Norwich Road and tried to turn right to Wymondham. We sat there for about a week until there was a space. The car behind us was not overly chuffed but he'd not have been able to get out of that junction any faster himself. He was probably fed up sat in his tin can on wheels sweating his backside off. Finally we were on our way again and we just headed straight in to Wymondham, on the Norwich Road, dived down a cycleway we've not been on before (it needs resurfacing and I need a new filling). It brought us out on Harts Farm Road which took an age to cross but then we were straight home through the housing estate, tractor dodging at Ayton Road, down the hill, under the bridge, back up the other side and then around the green a couple of times before turning off the Garmin at 8.02 miles home.
16.14 in 1 hour 15 minutes dead. I've burned the best part of 2000 calories riding today. I may indulge in some cake later. Certainly some wine.
Ride 2 consisted off around the block and feeling a lot of pain in my bits so back home after nearly 200 yards and taking the Charge Spoon off the bike and denuding the Giant Defy of his Spesh Riva BG saddle and dropping the seat 1/8" as the Riva is taller, if you are with me. Off we went again, past our new Morrisons and noted that the car park is rammed! Absolutely chokka. I know that we've had a Waitrose (V expensive) and a Co-op (nearly as pricey whatever the ads on TV say) for years but the lure of a proper, cheaper supermarket obviously has the good people of Wymondham overcome with shoppingness. Either that or they've been eaking out their food until it opens. It opened at 8am today BTW.
We rode down the Melton Road to Little Melton and the Village Inn to have a try of their carvery lunch. I say lunch, there is a carvery from about 11am to 9pm and it's not expensive. 2 huge cokes and a carvery apiece and change from £13 so we were happy. That stuffing looked like bricks in brickdust to me so I gave it a swerve. The roast potato was definitely fried but the mash was nice. I had turkey and hubster had gammon. Both very nice. Hubster tried the leeks, I didn't like the look of them but had extra cranberry sauce to make up for it.
At some point in the proceedings, my Garmin made the executive decision to save the ride there so when we got back on our bikes I had to turn it on, find satellites etc again thus missing out on 100 yards of ride. Hence ride No. 3. We decided not to retrace our wheel tracks but to go down the road 100 yards, hook a right and follow the road to Hethersett which is vaguely in the direction of home. This brought us out on the Colney Road, which was a bit grim.
Colney Road itself is not too bad. From Hethersett to Colney it's really fast and downhill, which rather means from Little Melton back to Hethersett it is somewhat of the up persuasion. So we got on with the job in hand and tried to ignore the coke sloshing about in our tummies. Most of the cars gave us a ton of room but then there was a Council Highways Department lorry who nearly had my elbow off. Hubster says he gave me about a foot of space. That put the wind up me a bit and we thought "bugger this he might have friends on this road who might do a better job" and took the first right we came to and into unknown territory. We cycled along heading vaguely in the right direction and eventually found ourselves in a village, probably Melton and then saw a sign for Wymondham and thought 'that'll do' and pedaled off towards home.
Eventually we came out on the Norwich Road and tried to turn right to Wymondham. We sat there for about a week until there was a space. The car behind us was not overly chuffed but he'd not have been able to get out of that junction any faster himself. He was probably fed up sat in his tin can on wheels sweating his backside off. Finally we were on our way again and we just headed straight in to Wymondham, on the Norwich Road, dived down a cycleway we've not been on before (it needs resurfacing and I need a new filling). It brought us out on Harts Farm Road which took an age to cross but then we were straight home through the housing estate, tractor dodging at Ayton Road, down the hill, under the bridge, back up the other side and then around the green a couple of times before turning off the Garmin at 8.02 miles home.
16.14 in 1 hour 15 minutes dead. I've burned the best part of 2000 calories riding today. I may indulge in some cake later. Certainly some wine.
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
After yesterday's longer ride and me having to actually use the car this morning, I was informed by my OH that the housework could wait until tomorrow ( 
, 
, 
) and that I could come out to meet him from work... So I abandoned the housework (not yet started), shoo'ed my neighbour's dog out of our house (he prefers company and to be inside when it is hot out) and set out to meet my OH from work. I pushed hard, thinking I was going to be late, I wasn't.... 23.4kph for the first hour which for me is fast (14.5mph) with the average only coming down a tiny fraction on the way home (23.3kph average)...
Not much happened other than another sun tan top up and a touch of exercise, except for one notable conversation with my OH. He wanted to know where my speed had come from, it seems that on one of the flats I had left him behind and he only caught up with me again because of traffic
.... I'm slowly getting faster, honest....
http://www.strava.com/activities/175352596 44km's, 23 miles...
, , ) and that I could come out to meet him from work... So I abandoned the housework (not yet started), shoo'ed my neighbour's dog out of our house (he prefers company and to be inside when it is hot out) and set out to meet my OH from work. I pushed hard, thinking I was going to be late, I wasn't.... 23.4kph for the first hour which for me is fast (14.5mph) with the average only coming down a tiny fraction on the way home (23.3kph average)...Not much happened other than another sun tan top up and a touch of exercise, except for one notable conversation with my OH. He wanted to know where my speed had come from, it seems that on one of the flats I had left him behind and he only caught up with me again because of traffic
.... I'm slowly getting faster, honest....http://www.strava.com/activities/175352596 44km's, 23 miles...
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
My first ride outside since 14 June; that ride was over 300km, this ride was 12km and was a damned lot more painful - amazing how quickly fitness disappears 
Stonechat
Guru
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex
Those look serious hills
Good luck with the Ride London 100
gavgav
Legendary Member
A regular evening route for me, after work. Set out with some big Black clouds hovering above, but they only amounted to a few spots of rain, although there were strong gusty winds yet again!
Route was Uffington, Upton Magna, Rodington Heath, Roden, Poynton, Bings Heath, Ebury Hill and back to Upton Magna, retracing my path home.
Nothing to report on the ride at all, which is how I like my evening rides, as it means everyone has behaved themselves.
20.3 miles at 12.9mph avg speed
Route was Uffington, Upton Magna, Rodington Heath, Roden, Poynton, Bings Heath, Ebury Hill and back to Upton Magna, retracing my path home.
Nothing to report on the ride at all, which is how I like my evening rides, as it means everyone has behaved themselves.
20.3 miles at 12.9mph avg speed
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
Thank you, one of them is quite hard, Whitchurch, Streatley is a complete bastard, it's harder than Leith Hill, which is why we do it.
- Status
