Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Stonechat]

Ride day again for me, and once again I struggled to get going. Always the way when you have to go out, rather than going by free will. Still, following on from a decent bowl of porridge with blueberries in (one of the 'super foods' apparently), then half a banana I got the hybrid out and pondered my route. Rather bored with the Thames Path now, and since I'm mileage limited at the moment I ended up doing a circuit of Egham before finding myself at Maranello's on the A30. Choice of hills include Egham Hill and Tite Hill, neither of which I fancied, so chose Coopers Lane instead. Hmm, not my best plan, wet, slippery and steeper than I remember, but I made the climb without stopping which was nice. Past the Air Force Memorial and into WGP, avoiding the lakes as they are filming 'Tarzan' at Obelisk Lake (I saw Jane yesterday when dog walking, no idea who the actress is though..).
Nice whizzy down Egham Hill to finish, and my best ride to date since 'Episode 4'. 17.2 miles at 11mph average. Really looking forward to the rest day tomorrow..

Ahh you must mean Cooper's Hill Lane
I did it twice on the hybrid but have avoided since I have had the road bike. It is hard. and the bumpy section at the top before the posts is slippery
Yes you're right Tite Hill has a kick at the top.
Egham Hill, and turning right onto Middle Hill is a good way up. Also if coming from the other side Priest Hill is OK Crimp Hill is not too bad, but there are a couple of harder bits
This is very much part of my regular area

 

[postman]

My mojo has been a little low.I had planned to go to Burnsall today around 60 miles.I woke just after six and though too early.I then woke up around 8-15.feeling low.Could not be bothered,played on here while 9-30 then had shave and shower.then i remembered i had bough a cycling lapel badge that was faulty,so i got the mtb out and did a trip to Otley.That always cheers me up.so another badge purchase and an exchange, one latte and a nice ride home,has lifted the spirits.Now good news great weather coming next week.So a trip to Boroughbridge or Easingwold or both next week.

 

[cosmicbike]

Ahh you must mean Cooper's Hill Lane
I did it twice on the hybrid but have avoided since I have had the road bike. It is hard. and the bumpy section at the top before the posts is slippery
Yes you're right Tite Hill has a kick at the top.
Egham Hill, and turning right onto Middle Hill is a good way up. Also if coming from the other side Priest Hill is OK Crimp Hill is not too bad, but there are a couple of harder bits
This is very much part of my regular area

That's it, Coopers Hill Lane. Top half seems to be made of half bricks and rubble, was a tad slippery today. Normally I approach WGP from the Virginia Water end, so no hills to speak of just a gradual incline. Priest Hill is my nemesis at the moment, I've yet to do it in one go whilst in recovery, but it's day will come....

 

[Goonerobes]

It was with typical predictability that after spend hours cleaning my bike yesterday that it would rain just before today's little 31 mile sortie but hey ho off I set on one of my regular mid week rides through the New Forest which takes in Bolderwood Hill (by hill I mean incline but a hill by forest standards) which when I started cycling two years ago was a bit of a nemesis for me as an unfit 51 year old but thankfully is no more!

The whole area has quite a bit of wartime history given its proximity to the coast & of course the Spitfire was also built in Southampton & annoyingly I heard the sound of the merlin engines as one flew over along with the Lancaster bomber on its way to the Bournemouth air festival but by the time I'd faffed around trying to get my camera out they were gone into the distance.

Portuguese Fireplace from WW1

Canadian war memorial from WW2

http://www.strava.com/activities/186516551

 

[gavgav]

I have had a very stiff calf muscle since playing Cricket last Sunday. Not sure what I did to it, but resting it up this week hasn't improved it at all and so decided to try the opposite tonight and give it a good work out on the bike, to see if that loosened it up.

There was actually a bit of warmth in the air this afternoon, for the first time since about the end of July I think! It was extremely windy though, steady 20mph from the South West with gusts to 30mph.

Heading out through the estate the leg was still quite stiff and felt a bit crampy, but not really any worse than walking on it has been and so with the wind behind me I cruised to Uffington, Upton Magna, Rodington and Longden on Tern, keeping up a good speed and setting a couple of PB's on Strava segments that I cover regularly. After a quick sprint on the busier "B" road, I turned towards Isombridge and into the wind and it was a hard slog from there onwards (12 miles) back home. The Isombridge road is normally very isolated and quiet, but today I was passed by 2 cars from behind (who were patient) 1 BMW from head on (who wasn't patient) going far too fast, and the woman put her hand up to say thanks, as I swerved to avoid her!! Didn't have much choice did I you daft bat . Then finally a Pheasant took off in front, causing me to break pretty hard!!

I continued into the wind and quite dazzling sunshine to Withington, Upton Magna and home, including meeting a chap on a bike on the old canal path at the narrowest point (caused by the council never cutting back the plantation) where I braked and skidded on the mulch that had gathered in the heavy rain this week

The leg was still quite stiff at times, but seems a bit looser now that I have sat down at home and relaxed. Test will be in the morning!! I hope it isn't going to bother me too much, as I am off to the Lake District with @Rickshaw Phil a week tomorrow, with the bikes

19.3 miles at 12.4 mph Avg

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

The leg was still quite stiff at times, but seems a bit looser now that I have sat down at home and relaxed. Test will be in the morning!! I hope it isn't going to bother me too much, as I am off to the Lake District with @Rickshaw Phil a week tomorrow, with the bikes

If it's any consolation, my Achilles tendon is still niggling a bit after the ride at the weekend. Hope it eases as I want to get some miles in before we go.

 

[Elybazza61]

Little commute with a quick espresso stop and a loop with what goes for a climb around here,overdressed today after the cooler mornings earlier this week;Sportful kit still rocks though and I really have to get the hand-builts organised for the cross bike.
Oh and 500k up on the Strava giro challenge

http://www.strava.com/activities/186824379

 

[Dave 123]

Just had an early morning ride with Mrs Dave, it's her longest yet at 30.06 miles, accomplished in a very respectable average of 13mph, and considering how windy it was that's a top effort!

She was fair scooting along at some points, so much so I was having difficulty cycling and taking pictures...

She says that the most impressive bits were a lack of clipless moments, and no shrieking involuntarily.

My garmin tells me that we went up 358m. I need to take her to the alps!

Edit- Look a the state of the road in the first picture, shocking!

 

[Old Plodder]

Edit- Look a the state of the road in the first picture, shocking!

If thats all you have to contend with, I wouldn't complain, try riding in Surrey!

 

[Dave 123]

If thats all you have to contend with, I wouldn't complain, try riding in Surrey!

It was quite smooth, but it's the aesthetics that worry me. Patchy Tarmac, crap in the gutters... When I was a lad I was brung up in a gutter.

I thought Surrey was dead posh like?

 

[brand]

I am not quite sure why cyclists moan about pot holes specially if you are on a mountain bike? Okay hidden potholes are extraordinary dangerous, that is deep ones hidden in deep puddles, as I found out. But now I try to remember to stand up when I am forced to go through one oh and slow down.
Risk increase on unlit road at night. Danger increase dramatically day or night on muddy roads and ones covered in loose gravel. Some of the rural roads have loads and loads of potholes and some roads can be defined as pot holes ie the whole of one side has sunk 1 or 2 feet. But at the end of the day give me potholes rather than mud and gravel at the harvest and plowing time.

 

[EltonFrog]

Today Was Bicester Bike Day http://nwbicester.co.uk/events/come-join-bicesters-bike-family-fun-day-august/ An event that is trying to promote cycling in and around Bicester. It wasn't well publicised and I found out about it yesterday by accident. Having a rare Saturday free, I thought I'd go down and check it out, and seeing as it was dry I took my Dawes Kingpin out on it's very first run there. It was just 10.5 miles out and back to the event. The bike behaved very well, though it was odd riding it, plus I had no helmet ( I fell just a teeny weeny bit naughty if I'm honest). and just rode in my trainers, jeans & T shirt.

There were a few stands at the BBD , a Co-op bike repair place- http://bsbcoop.org/contact-us/, the usual food things, a new bike company called Worx, local authority green initiative reps, a cycle recycle group, Plod doing bike marking/register, the local bike club and a cyclo-cross race track, it was all good fun and it was very well attended for such a small event, all sorts of folk on all sorts of bikes, the girl on the cycle Co-Op stand was kept very busy tweaking bike shaped objects.

A view from the bridge.

A smoothie machine.

Ready for the cyclo-cross

Eynsham based British Bike company Worx.

Let the games begin

My Dawes Kingpin @Fab Foodie, @Dirtyhanz , @roadrash out in the real world.

The kids racing.

Gawd knows!

 

[roadrash]

The kingpin looks fantastic , it did feel kind of wierd to ride the twenty at first , but they i bet you agree , they dont half put a smile on your face

 

[vernon]

My ride yesterday was a four hundred yard pootle on a 72" geared single speed 1947 Bates 'Best All Round' cantiflex tubed diadrant forked bike to test the brakes. The brakes need further adjustment and a suitable cotter pin replacement needs to be found before it's properly rideable.

It looked like this but with flat bars and original mudguards.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Today Was Bicester Bike Day http://nwbicester.co.uk/events/come-join-bicesters-bike-family-fun-day-august/ An event that is trying to promote cycling in and around Bicester. It wasn't well publicised and I found out about it yesterday by accident. Having a rare Saturday free, I thought I'd go down and check it out, and seeing as it was dry I took my Dawes Kingpin out on it's very first run there. It was just 10.5 miles out and back to the event. The bike behaved very well, though it was odd riding it, plus I had no helmet ( I fell just a teeny weeny bit naughty if I'm honest). and just rode in my trainers, jeans & T shirt.

There were a few stands at the BBD , a Co-op bike repair place, the usual food things, a new bike company called Worx, local authority green initiative reps, a cycle recycle group, the local bike club and a cyclo-cross race track, it was all good fun and it was very well attended for such a small event, all sorts of folk on all sorts of bikes, the girl on the cycle Co-Op stand was kept very busy tweaking bike shaped objects.

View attachment 54661

A view from the bridge.

View attachment 54662

A smoothie machine.

View attachment 54663

Ready for the cyclo-cross

View attachment 54664

Eynsham based British Bike company Worx.

View attachment 54665

Let the games begin

View attachment 54666

My Dawes Kingpin @Fab Foodie, @Dirtyhanz , @roadrash out in the real world.

View attachment 54667

The kids racing.

View attachment 54668

Gawd knows!

View attachment 54660

That first picture brings back memory's, the King Pin looks good.