Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Cyclist33]

Heart warming!

 

[Dark46]

To be honest I'm not sure I have the energy to type in the ride of today. But once I've downloaded to Strava I will let you see where I've been . Thanks to @Donger for looking after the bike while I was taking abreak in Painswick. I'm now sat here with aching legs after 36 miles and over 1,700 ft of climbing.
Plus I've jumped to the top of the club on one downhill segment! I'll take any victory in any circumstances as they don't happen very often.

 

[dan_bo]

Hartshead pike, pennine bridleway to castleshaw today on the crosser. ...

 

[gavroche]

Had a lovely ride this morning from Colwyn Bay to Prestatyn and back. In all, 34 miles. The temperature was just under 6 degrees when I left home at 9.30 and it is about 14 degrees now but the sun is out and it feels warmer. I stopped for a cup of tea and biscuit at my son's in Rhyl on the way to Prestatyn. When I got back, I thoroughly cleaned the bike, ready for the next ride. I did have a clipless moment on the way back from Prestatyn when trying to go through a patch of sand. My front wheel just went from under me and down I fell on my right side. There was nobody about at the time so my dignity was saved. I wish the Council would clean those patches of sand across the cycle path though!

 

[Dave 123]

I've been side lined for 10 days with a chest infection, so other than 3 commutes I've not been out, and it showed!
We're in Devon for my MiL's birthday so my ride took me from Wembury through Spriddlestone and on to Brixton. I followed the A379 through Yealmpton and it was here that I started flagging. The lungs were ok, but the legs just weren't with it!
I decided to turn off toward Holbeton where Jo's gran and grandad used to live. All my grand parents were gone by the time I met them and I really valued knowing them whilst they were around, so I had that lovely warm, fuzzy feeling whilst thinking of them.On the way to Battisborough Cross I was passed by a young racing snake. I turned at the sign for Alston, all 2 houses of it..... Down I went, and more down on sh1te covered roads until I reached the inevitable up. It was eye poppingly steep and greasy, so with wheels spinning I made my way to the false flat before the bugger ramped up even steeper! It must have been approaching 30% at its steepest, and with slipping wheels it was fairly entertaining. There was a point where I thought I would have to dismount, but I didnt.... I was just stationary.... Suspended... Mid way up a steep hill in the arse end of.nowhere, where I wouldn't be seen if I collapsed to the floor in a sweaty, snotty heap. Somehow I got the pedals turning again, and I was laughing to myself thinking how I probably looked. I'm just thankful there was nobody to see me!
I had a swift decent into Yealmpton then back to Brixton before climbing back up to Spriddlestone, that energy sapping mile long bearable climb, until near the end the steepness doubles for 100 yards

I only covered 18.26 miles with an average speed of 13.5mph. I climbed 643M and my top speed was 37.38mph, but the vital statistic is that the chest infection has robbed me of my fitness. Next Saturday I'm doing "an autumn day out" audax with my brothers through the vale of Belvior, there are no 30% hills, but I'm slightly worried.....

 

[Goonerobes]

With the New Forest 100 sportive & the Gridiron 100 audax both taking place today just finding a route where I wasn't going to be swamped was my first challenge so I decided to start my ride going against the tide of oncoming cyclists & head into Wiltshire for what has actually become one of my favourite routes.

I've ridden a number of sportive's myself but this was the first time I'd ridden in the opposite way to one & I must say the sight of literally hundreds of bikes & a sea of florescent jackets coming towards me was quite an impressive one, although with so many of them saying hello I was starting to feel a bit like a nodding dog!

Once across the forest I left the madding crowds & passed through Fordingbridge before hitting the country lanes of Wiltshire & couple of little climbs on what was a slightly chilly but thankfully dry morning.

62.5 miles in all & a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning.

http://www.strava.com/activities/206435026

A very still river Avon at Fordingbridge.

Going up hill is worth it when you are rewarded with a view.......

& going back down the other side is fun too!

 

[Donger]

To be honest I'm not sure I have the energy to type in the ride of today. But once I've downloaded to Strava I will let you see where I've been . Thanks to Donger for looking after the bike while I was taking abreak in Painswick. I'm now sat here with aching legs after 36 miles and over 2,000 ft of climbing.

I only went along with the Kingsway CC for the first hour and a half today, as I'd promised to take Mrs Donger out for Sunday lunch. After yesterday's exertions on Horsepools Hill we went out up ...... guess where?.... yep, Horsepools Hill again. I did it on the middle ring again, and got to the top some way behind the leading 3, but some way infront of the other 4, so my ego has recovered a little from yesterday's failures. When we got to the top we carried on along the Cotswold Edge as far as Painswick Beacon before dropping down into the village of Painswick. At the top, some of the lads saw three deer running for cover. This is a really good spot for deer spotting. In Painswick I said my goodbyes, and headed off home by the shortest route ..... through Pitchcombe and then over Horsepools Hill yet again! 20.1 miles today by the time I got home.

Got showered and changed, and headed off out in the car with Mrs Donger for Sunday lunch in Nailsworth. Just before we got to Stonehouse I passed the 5 remaining Kingsway lads going the other way. I don't know where they took @Dark46, but he looked traumatised! Looks like I dodged a bullet today. I have attached a larger copy of his great group photo from his post above. A nice shot taken from above the clouds near Painswick Beacon ..... just a shame he isn't in frame too.

Cheers, Donger.

 

[Dark46]

Traumatised my legs are still aching lol

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Today was the day for the October Monthly 100km ride.... and it was also my Grandfather's 92nd birthday (something last month and even earlier this month we were not expecting him to make tbh) so it was a case of over to my parents' for a Sunday meal, look at everyone else eating the birthday cake (shop bought so I can't have any being allergic to dairy) and then a mad route home to make the 100km...

It started off with an icy start... the first frost of the season had arrived and whilst we were in sunshine, once the sun was up, everywhere else around us was in dense freezing fog...

(taken when I went up into the fields to feed the calf that is having to be hand reared)

Apologies to those who have seen these 2 pictures, but they are all I took today... once we dropped off the hill Cuddington is on, we disappeared into dense fog with visibility below 50m at times and actually making us have to slow down on descents we would normally be flat out on! Then it was back onto the normal commuting route and this was probably just as well because at least we knew what to expect the road to do when we couldn't actually see it.

After lunch we set out back home via the long way - alternatively known as Knutsford which is not really on our way back home at all ...
Numerous lefts and rights later and no stops (3 hrs and no rest stops!) we found ourselves at the bottom of the Acton Bridge Hill climb... a short sharp climb which put bluntly after 94km I wasn't looking forward to! I did make it up without stopping and without swearing, so it wasn't too bad, but I haven't done much for my Strava rankings on it!

Oh and we had one of those 'You haven't double checked the route have you moments...".... you know those stares you get when you head off down a dirt track on a road bike.... but apparently a ride would not be complete without me taking him off-road at least once...

102.9km in a reasonably fast time (for me that is!) average 22.0kph (so about 13.6mph...) which given the dense freezing fog and my asthma early on isn't too bad for this time of year...
http://www.strava.com/activities/206541409/overview

 

[gordyfinbar]

Some people find failure much more interesting than success. Anyone who is into schadenfreude might like this blog, then. After coming (literally) painfully close to getting up my nemesis, Haresfield Beacon last week, I determined to give it another go today. Robert the Bruce is said to have been inspired by watching the same spider try, try and try again until it finally succeeded, but that approach was starting to look more like the housefly batting itself repeatedly against a pane of glass approach to me. Something different was clearly required.

Getting up some of these nasty little hills up the Cotswold Edge actually strikes me as being more like a spider trying to climb out of a bathtub..... they always find an easier way eventually .... up the plug chain, or over a convenient bath mat hanging over the side, or up the slightly easier slope at the head end of the bath. I decided to take @gordyfinbar's advice this time, and get up out of the saddle at the critical point and stand on the pedals for the killer part of the climb. I very rarely get out of the saddle, but hopefully that would make it easier.

Everything went well at first. Up out of Haresfield past the last few houses on the outskirts of the village .... up the lower ramps feeling comfortable .... up around the first two turns, getting steeper all the way .... still no problems ...up the first really steep ramp with the front wheel starting to skip off the ground (telling me the gradient was over 20%) ...up around the final right hander, where you get the depressing sight of a dramatic further gradient increase where the Cotswold way crosses the road ....ready, steady, GO!..... up three gears and standing on the pedals, breathing comfortably and initial wobble now under control.......and then it happened. The road surface, which had been bone dry all the way up until this point became wet and slimy all of a sudden, and the rear wheel spun, throwing me sideways....I recovered the first big wobble, but then over-balanced and had to put my right foot down. FAILED AGAIN! Couldn't even start off again, it was so steep at this point (25%) that I just pulled a wheelie before the bike even moved a foot. Turned round and dropped back down into Haresfield, where I turned right and rode on to the next right turn up the Cotswold Edge near Harescombe determined not to go home until I was at the top.I was not beaten yet.

Found a little right turn signposted "Harescombe" and decided to go for it. At an unmarked Y junction I then opted to go right and the road immediately kicked up noticeably. This road was muddier and wetter than the Beacon, and the surface was covered with leaves, twigs, conkers and other tree debris. After a few hundred yards, maybe half a mile, it started to look like a Cornish lane, entering a cutting with steeply banked sides and a deep gully at the left side where the tarmac just fell away vertically into a ditch. Here I met my first car coming the other way. The road was only just wider than a car, with very little room to pass, and nowhere to put my left foot down.... had to go for it and hope I didn't wobble ...... just squeezed past, wiggling my body to miss the wing mirror while riding only an inch or two from the edge of the tarmac with the ditch at least a foot or two below. Phew! .... Another steep section followed ... slippery surface again (really slimy mud) ... then a tractor came. Had to put my foot down and pull the bike out of the way. Took a slurp of my drink and thought about pressing on, then caught sight of the gradient and the narrow slippy road ahead. I kidded myself for a moment that it was unsafe, but basically I dipped out. Too steep, too soon after Haresfield Beacon. FAILED AGAIN!

Right! That was it. There was no way I was going home until I had got up to the top somewhere. So like the spider in the bath, I headed for an easier route. I rode past a further turn to the right and ignored it, as our club had done that one without me the other week and had struggled. Most of the lads had a very prosaic name for the climb, but @gordyfinbar referred to it more poetically as "Ladygarden Hill". I pressed on until I hit the main Gloucester to Stroud main road and went up the long, steady (2 mile or so) drag up Horsepools Hill as far as the church at Edge instead. A few years back, it took me three attempts before I could climb this one non-stop, each time gradually getting a bit further up than on the previous attempt. Nowadays I find it much easier and always get up comfortably in one, so I felt a pennance was necessary after my two failures, and I vowed to get up it in the middle chain ring for the first time.

Good news! Sailed up it easily on the middle ring, about 1mph faster than ever before. Followed that with a lovely 32mph glide back down Horsepools Hill and a sprint back home via Kingsway, taking the ride to just under 20 miles, with 3 big hills attempted. 90% of the first one done, 50% of the second one and then finally succeeded on the third one ..... Good climbing practice, I suppose, so not a wasted ride in any way. Back out again tomorrow morning for the first couple of hours of the club ride. Hope they are not doing any monster hills tomorrow, though.

Cheers. Donger.

Hey donger thise beast climbs are pretty much impassable now til the spring . They just become to slippery with the debris from the trees and mud from the farms. Something to aim for next spring prehaps. How did you go when you left us this morning?
Gordon

 

[gordyfinbar]

I only went along with the Kingsway CC for the first hour and a half today, as I'd promised to take Mrs Donger out for Sunday lunch. After yesterday's exertions on Horsepools Hill we went out up ...... guess where?.... yep, Horsepools Hill again. I did it on the middle ring again, and got to the top some way behind the leading 3, but some way infront of the other 4, so my ego has recovered a little from yesterday's failures. When we got to the top we carried on along the Cotswold Edge as far as Painswick Beacon before dropping down into the village of Painswick. At the top, some of the lads saw three deer running for cover. This is a really good spot for deer spotting. In Painswick I said my goodbyes, and headed off home by the shortest route ..... through Pitchcombe and then over Horsepools Hill yet again! 20.1 miles today by the time I got home.

Got showered and changed, and headed off out in the car with Mrs Donger for Sunday lunch in Nailsworth. Just before we got to Stonehouse I passed the 5 remaining Kingsway lads going the other way. I don't know where they took @Dark46, but he looked traumatised! Looks like I dodged a bullet today. I have attached a larger copy of his great group photo from his post above. A nice shot taken from above the clouds near Painswick Beacon ..... just a shame he isn't in frame too.

View attachment 58899

Cheers, Donger.

Great pic

 

[ColinJ]

I decided to go and tackle a few minor undulations today, on a cycling route less-travelled.

I started off with my usual Cragg Vale climb but turned left half way up and headed down to Sowerby village where I turned left again and descended to Luddenden Foot, From there I climbed Solomon Hill and rode over to Booth, before plunging down into the dip, and then doing the tough Jowler climb. Left at the top to Wainstalls on the way up to Cold Edge. The ascent eases off for a while, but then the road heads upwards again to Warley Moor. The local council has finally surfaced that road. There used to be about a mile of unmade road with potholes, gravel and broken glass everywhere but now there is continuous tarmac. It is pretty lumpy tarmac, but still a big improvement when on a road bike. The negative - a couple of drivers went by a bit too close/quickly. The rough road used to put them off.

That was the highest point of the ride at about 442 metres. The road continues round the hillside, drops a bit, rises a bit and then drops a lot - very suddenly! That comes out onto the A6033, Keighley Road, just above Oxenhope. Another Left turn and then a steady 2.5 km climb to the summit of Cock Hill at 6% gradient.

The route finishes with a glorious 7 km descent to Hebden Bridge. I did most of the descent unhindered, only catching slower cars in the section down through the woods below Pecket Well. I don't really have a high enough gear for overtaking cars on descents unless they are going at less than about 25 mph, but these were doing about 35 mph so I had to settle for that.

Now, having gone on and on in my last ride report about how lucky I had been with the weather, for today's ride my comment is ****ing mid-October UK weather!





You expect the worst and dress for it, but then the sun only goes and shines all day and you overheat on the steeper climbs!

Only 39 km (24 miles for you imperialists!) but it felt like more!

I am going to make the most of days like this before the almost inevitable bad weather sets in. I still have about 750 miles*** to ride to hit my target for the year, but at nearly 3,000 miles for the year so far, this is turning out to be my best cycling year since 2007, despite my health problems of 2012/13. Onwards and upwards, eh?



*** Ok, I am sometimes an imperialist too! I try to stick to metric units but I am part of the crossover generation. I studied in metric units as a teenager, but have lived with imperial most of my life. Hopefully, illogical pounds, ounces, feet, inches and all the other daft dated units will die a death sooner, rather than later!

 

[G3CWI]

30 or so miles of sunny gentleness with the Macc Wheelers. First time that I have dared to ride my new bike in company due to my clipless ineptitude. They were very tolerant of my uselessness. But I didn't fall off!

A really enjoyable afternoon out.

 

[Mrs M]

On 3 March this year Mrs R had a bike accident which resulted in two broken arms and a smashed up bike. Over 6 months and three major operations later, this morning she went for her first serious ride. We did 23 miles from North London out to Potters Bar, Northaw, Cuffley back to Potters Bar and home. She conquered Cuffley Hill - which much be about 1:6 at some stages and even got up to 30mph on some of the downhill stretches. I'm really proud of her.

This is after 10 miles in Northaw

View attachment 58862

Here's me - just to show that we've got matching his and her's tops.


View attachment 58863

(Sorry about the legs @The Velvet Curtain - but they are the only ones I've got )

Just to show how far she's come - this was her in the A&E department immediately after the accident

View attachment 58864

Well done you Mrs R! Love the matching tops.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Foggy and this morning and it didn't seem to be showing any sign of clearing so I fitted the lights and went for it anyway. I haven't been up the Long Mynd for a while so that was where I was headed today (this will also act as a partial recce for a planned ride with @gavgav soon).

I started off with an irritation - the driver who followed me out of the village and knew damned well I was ahead of him gave me six inches of clearance as he passed. No need for that on a clear road.

The fog thickened as I left the village and within 2 miles I had to stop to give the glasses a wipe as they'd misted up. Fortunately though it thinned as I passed through Condover and the sun was breaking through by Great Ryton. Didn't stop it being cold though as I rode through Longnor and Leebotwood (via the old Roman road). That changed once I started the climb towards High Park. I can do this climb without stops but one was needed today to shed a layer.

Once up at the top I rattled across Wild Moor (it's a pity the National Trust has seen fit to resurface this path with such coarse gravel) and climbed up to the summit at Pole Bank.

After putting layers back on and chatting with a couple of walkers I continued down to the gliding club meeting a group who'd just come up Asterton Bank. They all looked knackered and admitted to having had to walk it.

I was heading down the bank and with the sky being clear that side of the hill the views were great. My next plan was to head across Asterton Prolley Moor and up to Medlicott. Last time I was here was when I still had the original gears on the Raleigh (31" lowest gear) and I found it pretty hard work. The hills round this village are actually steeper than I remember but easier today due to having better gearing. After Medlicott the road is gated and I was just getting to the first gate when a lady on a horse came the other way. She was accompanied by hubby (I presume) and children in a small carriage drawn by two Shetland ponies. Stood there holding the gate open I didn't think to get my camera out (although I'm a bit wary of taking photos which include other peoples children).

Further on this lane became really muddy until I'd passed through Coates farmyard. I'm glad I didn't have to put a foot down anywhere along here. Mudguards! - because sometimes it inna mud.

I was headed for Ratlinghope now and took the opportunity to take a couple of snaps while waiting for a car to pass. This was good as it meant I had the camera ready for the next car which was of 1920s vintage (I recoognised the gearbox whine before I saw it).

Carrying on I climbed over the Long Mynd for the second time today on the roads through Middle and Upper Darnford and up to Robin Hood's Butts before descending High Park. So as not to just retrace my steps I turned off for Plush Hill before descending into the valley via Gogbatch.

The return trip was good up until I had to use the usual short section of the A49. 2 close passes and one who gave me loads of room but stayed on the RH side of the road causing oncoming traffic to hoot, swerve and gesticulate at him (you have 3 guesses what make the car in question was)

37.8 miles, 2 climbs over the Long Mynd and 11.4 mph average (okay I suppose).

Foggy at the start and the field is steaming!

A pause to take of layers on the climb up to High Park.

At the summit looking over to the Stiperstones. It's nice and clear this side of the hills.

The group of cyclists I met near the gliding club. They'd found Asterton Bank does deserve its reputation.

There was a bit of activity at the gliding club - this one is on final approach.

Descending Asterton Bank. The locals don't seem bothered by the drop at the side of the road.

Down at the bottom of the bank.

The vintage car. For once I'm not sure of make and model.

Second climb over the Long Mynd - very wild looking countryside.

Back down in the Stretton valley and the hills look pretty moody with the cloud so low.