Your ride today.... (part 1)

[sgl5gjr]

Just a quick one today.....with rain coming and life getting in the way... I decided(as I had a flu jab appointment) to mix a short ride with the jab...... so only a 4.05 mile for me today.... but average of 13.1 mph with a max of 22.9 mph...pity I had to stop for 4 sets of traffic lights....
Wont get any rides tomorrow as I have 1 late night and 1 early morning Airport runs to do........But I'm out Tuesday with my cycle buddy.......

 

[Pale Rider]

[QUOTE="vernon, post: 3310857, member: 858"a short break at Bedale where I was spotted by @Pale Rider. I might even had spotted him but who's to know.
].[/QUOTE]

@vernon and I have not met and I was in my anonymous silver Vauxhall hatchback so he wouldn't have seen me.

I nearly stopped for a word, but there's too many selfish folk driving their cars in Bedale to make that easy.

Shame about the disappointing pie in Bainbridge.

Steak and kidney is one of my favourite varieties and not as common as it used to be.

 

[Glow worm]

Currently in Malta for a short break. Had hoped to get to the far north of the island to a nature reserve today, but the Maltese bus system let us down. Only one thing for it then...hire a bike instead!

The hot sun of the last few days here has been replaced by cloud after a mahoosive thunderstorm last night. Started the ride at St Julian's near Valetta. Some nice bays here..

It's a nice place, but a bit too built up for me. The country bumpkin in me always has me seeking the nearest bit of countryside, so I found some just up the coast. Bizarrely, the cycle path on this bit is made of metal!...

Not really countryside as such, rather just land not yet swallowed up by the town. Pleasant enough though. This bit is a military firing range with a cycle path through the middle of it - a Clarksonian paradise!

A storm passed by out to sea and I watched a waterspout develop. Never seen one of these before...

Where it hit the sea there was a load of spray as it drew water upwards. Not really visible in the pic though sadly. More storm..

The area is full of hunter's shelters, where they shoot anything that moves in the sky. Turtle doves and honey buzzards are favourites for the guns. Unbelievable really. Bizzarely, quite by chance, this hunters shelter just fell over while I was there. Must have been a strong wind or something. When I left it was just a pile of rubble. What were the chances of that happening I wonder?!....

I had hoped to see more migratory birds if I'm honest. Though perhaps its for the best if they miss out on Malta altogether.
Just a few passing swallows and house martins in off the sea. Plenty of Sardinian warblers and blue rock thrushes, both fairly common species here (the latter is the 'bird of Malta').

Next stop Sicily...

A spot of rock pooling just left me depressed about the state of the place. Rocks coved in oil from a historic slick I guess. Plastic and crap everywhere too. This is the oil..

I discover the area is a protected Natura site..

Shame some of the locals don't seem to see it that way!...

A nice spin in just over 2 hours. Not sure how far I covered - probably not more than 10 miles or so. If the storms stay away, I hope to get out again later Mrs G permitting!

 

[Elybazza61]

Club ride today and somehow avoided the rain until we got back to witchford(nr Ely);had an altercation with a bloke in a people carrier and my saddle bolts came loose but a nice ride apart from that;

http://www.strava.com/activities/203074437

Oh and a nice double espresso and raspberry crumble cake in St Ives at the River Tea Rooms;
http://www.rivertearooms.co.uk/

 

[Freds Dad]

After working in the morning, then hesitating going out as it looked like rain I made the decision to go out and despite quite a strong wind it was beautiful afternoon on the Cheshire plain.
I stumbled across a time trial where lots of blokes with racing snake figures where riding round the lanes and unsurprisingly passing me at great speed, but I clocked up another 20 miles towards my October target.

http://www.strava.com/activities/203192854

 

[Goonerobes]

I'm not quite sure how to explain today's somewhat incident prone ride but anyway here goes......

After 5 hours of continuous rain, at 2pm it finally stopped. So suitably attired I set off to do a quick 50 mile circuit of the New Forest.

The first 15 or so miles were pretty uneventful other than the fact I'd forgotten to check the wind direction & headed into a brisk north-westerly. Then came incident number 1. This I will detail with the pictures below.

I continue for a further 10 miles or so when on a rather fast downhill section a forest pony decides to cross in front of me , not unusual but not particularly welcome on wet leafy roads. Stopping a few meters short & cursing that I'd lost momentum I resume my journey & get back up to speed when behind me I hear a jingling noise & the patter of tiny feet!! Now its October so I rule out Santas reindeer & look behind to see a huge Great Dane sort of dog bounding down the road towards me , he catches up & starts to take an interest in my leg so once again I brake to a halt & with that he loses interest & runs back off. (I still cant see an owner)

Well that's 3 things so surely there cant be more? Wrong! On my next descent I spot a lady cyclist coming round the bend towards me. Nothing to worry about I think, its a single track road but there's plenty of passing space. That was until she looks sideways & then I see she has a dog with her & he's on my side of the road . Anchors on again & I pass slowly with a wry smile & decide to call it a day & head for home to order some new brake blocks!!

Incident 1: I've just come over the brow of a hill & see what looks like a dead donkey lying in the road. Well if he wasn't dead he soon would be, so I pull over to stop any traffic coming off the hill hitting him & with that cars comes from each direction & both stop to see what's up.

I explain that he could be injured (or dead) & all the passengers get out to assist. We're then joined by a mountain biker who's also a doctor so he checks his pulse & says it feels healthy & the donkey starts to move a little. There are now 10 of us there not knowing what to do so a chap decides to walk to a local house & ask if they know a number we could call for help. He comes back with the local who says that they are always playing at being dead & with that Dessie (the donkey), as he's now been named by one of the children from the cars, gets up, goes to his mum & starts suckling as if nothings happened.

Alls well that ends well !!

http://www.strava.com/activities/203163606

 

[ianrauk]

So a few peeps led by Cycle Chat's favourite Shalke supporter (we can forgive him that..just) @redfalo decided that Friday night was to be the Dunwich Dynamo lite ride. So gathered a small but perfectly formed band of merry gentlefolk at London Fields to head east to Dunwich.

We were blessed by mild temperatures and fantastic country lanes which sped the peleton ever onwards. First stop for breakfast was at Macdonalds in Sudbury. No knocking Macdonalds please. They opened their doors at 5am to a dozen hungry cyclists without a moan or a murmur but with pleasant, helpful smiley faces.

Sudbury was about 80 miles into the ride for both myself and Mr @rb58 , and we both had other home commitments that we had to return to which meant we had to leave the rest of the good people making their way to Dunwich, whilst we headed south and west (into a bloody headwind) to wards London and home.

Sorry I didn't have a camera but we were rewarded with a most stunning sunrise. The sky streaked with shades red's and orange as if an artist had just streaked a brush laden with paint along a canvas. Amazing.

So I managed to get home in time to catch some of Jnr's football training, though did get some funny looks from the other parents at my lycra gimp look.....
Oh yes, we also missed the forecast rain... deciding to lash it down as soon as I walked in the door to home.

So, 147 miles for the night/day. Imperial Century # 26 for the year.
Lovely stuff. Cycling with like minded people is just bloody good fun.

 

[bloodlett]

my ride today was awesome it was my first ride on my new bike ( last time I was on a bike the year was 1979 ) I rode 10 miles averaged 9.4 mph my avatar pic was taken today at the 1/2 way mark rested for 20 min.

 

[Gravity Aided]

10 miles today, out among the fields, as harvest is stopped for a couple of days after 2.25 inches of rain fell here in the last day or so. Temperatures dropped. We went from highs in the low 80s Fahrenheit to highs today in the upper 40's Fahrenheit. A cold day for college homecoming events, but went anyway and spent much of the day with family, but still got away for a 10 mile ride on my Trek 800.

 

[djb1971]

On the way back home.

I'm in love with this bike

 

[EltonFrog]

On the way back home.

I'm in love with this bike

You do take some nice photos you, don't ya.

What in the name of Dawkins is that bike?

 

[djb1971]

You do take some nice photos you, don't ya.

What in the name of Dawkins is that bike?

It's a Salsa Mukluk!

Today was its first proper outing. I'm still cleaning the crud off it now, just stopped for a cuppa, then it's the other side of it

 

[Donger]

View attachment 58169
Incident 1: I've just come over the brow of a hill & see what looks like a dead donkey lying in the road. Well if he wasn't dead he soon would be, so I pull over to stop any traffic coming off the hill hitting him & with that cars comes from each direction & both stop to see what's up.

I explain that he could be injured (or dead) & all the passengers get out to assist. We're then joined by a mountain biker who's also a doctor so he checks his pulse & says it feels healthy & the donkey starts to move a little. There are now 10 of us there not knowing what to do so a chap decides to walk to a local house & ask if they know a number we could call for help. He comes back with the local who says that they are always playing at being dead & with that Dessie (the donkey), as he's now been named by one of the children from the cars, gets up, goes to his mum & starts suckling as if nothings happened.

View attachment 58171

Drop the dead donkey!

 

[Donger]

Out with the Kingsway CC again at 9:00 this morning. Pleased to see a good turnout of 10 today, including 2 newcomers. We did a gentlish circuit via Standish and Saul Canal Junction, where we stopped for tea and a chat, then back to Kingsway before the remaining 6 of us started a second, much tougher, circuit incorporating my all-time nemesis, the beast that is Haresfield Beacon.Picture a 1.5 mile hill with a profile that looks like the side of a volcano. Every single bend you come round greets you with another ramp-up in gradient. Even when you think it can't possibly get any steeper, you come round a corner and, guess what? It does.

Respect to Jonah and @gordyfinbar, who both got up the beast in one. Quite an achievement. Personally, I got about 30 metres further than ever before before having to stop..... just up above where the Cotswold Way crosses the road, at the point where it is about 25%. My front wheel had been skipping occasionally for a few hundred yards, so I had started to zig-zag my way up the killer part. Within sight of the ridge across the road, where the gradient eases off visibly, I was just coming out of a zig-zag when the front wheel jumped up again, and I pulled a wheelie. So over I went. I got my foot down OK, but it was frustrating to fail again. Haresfield Beacon still has the better of me. The good thing, though, is that it is starting not to look totally impossible. Maybe I'll try it again soon, and attack the worst bit standing on the pedals instead of seated. While I was pushing the bike for about 75 metres, I caught sight of @Dark46 behind me, riding up the very worst bit in bursts of 2 or 3 yards at a time, stopping regularly but steadfastly refusing to walk. Chapeau!

At the top, it turned out that 2 of the others had got off and pushed their way up the same section as me, so I didn't feel so bad. A great descent down from Edge to Gloucester followed, with me hitting a PB fastest speed of 37.6mph on the way. Beautiful, though chilly, day today. Glad I had winter clothing and base layer on, but it was a lovely day to be out and about.. God, I love cycling.

 

[coffeejo]

I'm not quite sure how to explain today's somewhat incident prone ride but anyway here goes......

After 5 hours of continuous rain, at 2pm it finally stopped. So suitably attired I set off to do a quick 50 mile circuit of the New Forest.

The first 15 or so miles were pretty uneventful other than the fact I'd forgotten to check the wind direction & headed into a brisk north-westerly. Then came incident number 1. This I will detail with the pictures below.

I continue for a further 10 miles or so when on a rather fast downhill section a forest pony decides to cross in front of me , not unusual but not particularly welcome on wet leafy roads. Stopping a few meters short & cursing that I'd lost momentum I resume my journey & get back up to speed when behind me I hear a jingling noise & the patter of tiny feet!! Now its October so I rule out Santas reindeer & look behind to see a huge Great Dane sort of dog bounding down the road towards me , he catches up & starts to take an interest in my leg so once again I brake to a halt & with that he loses interest & runs back off. (I still cant see an owner)

Well that's 3 things so surely there cant be more? Wrong! On my next descent I spot a lady cyclist coming round the bend towards me. Nothing to worry about I think, its a single track road but there's plenty of passing space. That was until she looks sideways & then I see she has a dog with her & he's on my side of the road . Anchors on again & I pass slowly with a wry smile & decide to call it a day & head for home to order some new brake blocks!!

View attachment 58169
Incident 1: I've just come over the brow of a hill & see what looks like a dead donkey lying in the road. Well if he wasn't dead he soon would be, so I pull over to stop any traffic coming off the hill hitting him & with that cars comes from each direction & both stop to see what's up.

I explain that he could be injured (or dead) & all the passengers get out to assist. We're then joined by a mountain biker who's also a doctor so he checks his pulse & says it feels healthy & the donkey starts to move a little. There are now 10 of us there not knowing what to do so a chap decides to walk to a local house & ask if they know a number we could call for help. He comes back with the local who says that they are always playing at being dead & with that Dessie (the donkey), as he's now been named by one of the children from the cars, gets up, goes to his mum & starts suckling as if nothings happened.

View attachment 58171
Alls well that ends well !!

http://www.strava.com/activities/203163606

I had a similar donkey experience when I was in the Forest last week. It wasn't lying down, just standing there. In the middle of the road. Right outside Lyndhurst. Near the brow of a hill. Cars swerving all over the place. It took some doing and my lycra was covered in donkey hair by the time I'd finished, but I eventually heaved the stubborn beastie off the road. I didn't quite get a standing ovation from the passing drivers but I suspect that's because none of them had enough headroom. Lots of waves and thumbs up though.