Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Goonerobes]

After Saturdays animal capers today's little 32 mile sortie into the New Forest was absolutely incident free & the only real drama was deciding what to put on for this extremely autumnal day of sunshine, showers & a south-westerly breeze.

http://www.strava.com/activities/204425975

It was a race across the forest with this rain cloud, which fortunately I won thanks to the tail wind!!

 

[PeteXXX]

Todays ride today..
A friend and I had txt each other several times yesterday wondering whether today or tomorrow would be the better day to get out for an off-road ride. We decided that today would be bad and tomorrow would be better, due to a cr*p forecast for today, but said that the final decision would be made this morning.
Due to an 02:00 finish at work and bed by 03:00, I didn't really want an early start! Nevertheless, after a text at 08:30 just after I'd woken up, we saw the forecast was wrong and that we should get out just after lunchtime today.. We met at a junction on the Brampton Valley Way halfway twixt his place and mine.

We weren't planning on riding too far so we were quite surprised to see how far we'd got!
Nevertheless, we struck on up the old railway track for about 8 or 9 miles before turning off towards Maidwell. After crossing the A508, we were back on lovely quiet back roads and bridleways (The McMillan Way at one point for a mile or so)
Apart from a really severe wind, the weather was great for October. Even the wind, after a chilly start first thing, wasn't cold at all, just strong over a few of the more exposed fields.

Me, heading back home just off the Brampton Valley Way. There's quite a few off-piste bits here and there if you know where to find them (the BVW can be a bit boring once it's been ridden umpteen times!)

Once back into Northampton, we took a small diversion to look at the house my friend is buying. It's nice and close to Harleston Firs so will be great as a base for future rides
I'm sure his Mrs won't mind us washing the bikes down in the garden every now and then

We then went to his present place for a coffee or two, and a chat for a while and told his Mrs our plans once they move... I think she was happy with our idea

Heading home along the river bank cycle path and under the Barnes Meadow Flyover, the graffiti artists are always busy.
I really like this Urban Art in the correct setting when it's done with a skilled hand.
After a blast along the path towards Riverside with a nice tailwind I thought I'd add a mile or two as I was enjoying the chance to get out on the bike, I cut through the Aquadrome caravan park via the Nene Way and up the bank towards Billing Mill

A more pastoral scene just before home. The mill pond by Billing Mill.

Six PB's on Strava, with 41 miles ridden on the Hardtail, about half of them over fields and tracks, hence a slow average speed. Great autumn afternoon out though.

http://www.strava.com/activities/204447329

 

[Elybazza61]

Longer commute and the legs felt the 15 rides in 17 days today so a rest period is needed I think;completed the Strava Mercx challenge(700kms in 20 days) with a day to spare so pleased with that.


http://www.strava.com/activities/204719846

 

[BigonaBianchi]

after just 12 miles today I aborted my ride and turned back. The heat was just silly, at 33c in the shade, and on th eopen plain here htere is NO shade. Lots of dust and a headwind whipping up the dust from the dry fields. Im just getting over a dose of sun stroke so the last thing i needed was another one. Riding earlier or later in the day is an option but it rules out distance rides given dawn and dusk times, and riding at night here isnt safe in the mountians given the sheer drops and sharp bends etc. If anybody can send me some of your rain and cool weather I'll send over some heat in exchange lol!

 

[Paulus]

4 miles to the local bike shop to buy a cable guide, and then back to the market for some provisions and then to the pub for a swift couple of ales, then home. A grand total of 12 miles in the rain.

 

[coffeejo]

First time on the bike for five days. Twelve miles, managed to dodge the rain there and back. Suspect I won't be as lucky tomorrow...

 

[EltonFrog]

Just been down the pub for a lunchtime drink with my neighbour, We went on our bikes, when we arrived at the Butchers arms some members of the Bicester Millennium Cycle Club was there indulging in some light refreshments, when they saw me turn up on my Dawes Kingpin they laughed a little, bollocks to them!

 

[Old Plodder]

Now that could have been at what you were wearing, cycling kit on a small wheeler does produce comments & funny looks sometimes, (I know, I used to ride a Moulton).

 

[coffeejo]

First time on the bike for five days. Twelve miles, managed to dodge the rain there and back. Suspect I won't be as lucky tomorrow...

I wasn't.

 

[EltonFrog]

Now that could have been at what you were wearing, cycling kit on a small wheeler does produce comments & funny looks sometimes, (I know, I used to ride a Moulton).

No, it was the bike, I was wearing jeans and trainers.

 

[Paulus]

Could it of been by chance that the club members were laughing at something totaly different and you just happened to turn up, or was it a case of them pointing and picking you out for merryment?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just back from the usual ride over to my parents' and back. I had expected to get the WWW act (warm, wet & windy) but risked setting off without waterproofs on... I thought for a few moments early on I was going to regret it, but within 30 mins it was clear it was the right decision for where I was cycling at the time... looking towards my parents home was another matter entirely, but the headwind was that hard that my normal time (1 hr 40 mins or there abouts) was extended somewhat to much closer to 2hrs () and by the time I arrived it had stopped raining and I never actually got rained on! Guess the headwind was helpful after all in that aspect . Going out, I saw 2 buzzards (one sitting still and allowing me to cycle within 2m of it! and the other flying off down the road in front of me) and 2 herons. the first heron was at a bus stop and stayed put allowing me to cycle within 1m of it! (I will point out that there is a canal on the other side of the bus stop...). I was a touch surprised that it let me get so close, but knew that stopping would scare it off, so didn't stop... Coming home the wind that should have been a really nice handy fast tailwind had swung around by 90 degrees into the wrong direction and was a combination of a side wind and later a headwind where my route turns west! Just my luck.... but I dodged all the rain - I could see it all around me, but it didn't rain on me. Drivers were a really strange mixture today from unbelievably helpful (me indicating right at a mini roundabout and the car to my immediate right who had right of way and would have been turning across my path, flashing me out and waiting until I was safely across the mini roundabout (its on a major A road and the surface is nasty!)) to unbelievable idiocy (Saw a Z4 nearly write itself off trying to overtake me with an oncoming car on a country lane - he ended up off the road momentarily before regaining control!). It has been one of those days...http://www.strava.com/activities/205274957 usual 69km commute but slow and daffodil hard!

 

[sgl5gjr]

Simple autumn cycleway Thursday Evening ride with the Wheelers..... we did a steady 6.4 miles on cycleways.... at 7.4 mph average...
Nice that cars are letting us cross the roads where the the cycle route 51 is now split due to a new road...
McDonald's were pleased to see us again for our end of ride milkshake.....

Holbeach tomorrow and Saturday... National Cycle Route No 1 there.....

 

[EltonFrog]

...or was it a case of them pointing and picking you out for merryment?

This

 

[EltonFrog]

This is the last evening in my village for me. After 13 years I shall be moving to new village and A new home. So the evening I went down to the local pub again on the Dawes kingpin and had a couple of pint with the chaps I am now back home slightly pissed and have discovered that riding a bicycle slightly pissed is fun but not safe. I have also discovered that the brakes on the Dawes kingpin are shite in wet weather.

The bike outside the pub, they wouldn't let it in!