Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Soltydog]

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Potential traffic chaos New Forest style!

Some may see that as potential dinner

 

[Glow worm]

A superb 20 miler here today in the flatlands. Mild and sunny, barely a breath of wind.

Did a familiar route along the Lodes Way, over towards Wicken Fen. Lots of folk out today on bikes, and it was a pleasure to bump into a couple of 'Lodes Way Irregulars' including JME, author of this excellent local blog He was on his way back from Ely to Cambridge. I always prefer riding alone, but its always nice to bump into old pals.

This is near Wicken..

Wall to wall sunshine here today- was in a T shirt for a while. This is Burwell Fen..

Three short eared owls were hunting near the above spot, and near Reach village a little owl flew past me and perched on a barn roof. Just before that I watched the starlings do their thing before roosting on Tubney Fen...

A sparrowhawk was chasing them but seemed to be having no luck. How you can fly through that lot and come out with nothing is quite an achievement.

By now, an annoying clicking sound had developed on my pedals- it's happened before and I just spray with WD40 and it goes away. I know it's not recommended, but it seems to work. Back to the commute tomorrow - hopefully the click will have gone.

 

[gavgav]

After last week's mudfest I didn't want to get the Raleigh as dirty again so headed for the hills. The plan this time was to go out via Pontesbury and Minsterley and climb the Stiperstones before dropping down to Wentnor and climbing the Long Mynd.

It was nice and quiet on the roads at the start and I made reasonable progress over Lyth Hill and out through Exfords Green towards Pontesbury. Here the road into the village was lined with parked cars - a lot of people attending the Remembrance service which was just setting up by the war memorial. There was a film crew there too so it may be on the local news.

I pressed on and used the new cycleway alongside the road to Minsterley. Nice surface and it's a little raised so the view is better than from the road.

Getting to Minsterley it was just coming up to 11 so I stopped to see the service going on at the memorial here and take part in the silence. I was pleased to see how many motorists also stopped for the duration (there must have been about 20). Not seen that happen elsewhere.

Getting going again I was soon off the main road and onto the long climb up through Snailbeach, Stiperstones village and Tankerville. The visitor centre at The Bog was open and it was quite tempting to stop for a hot drink but I decided to carry on. I took a lunch stop at the car park for the Stiperstones where it was surprisingly warm out of the wind. I should really have put an extra layer on for the downhill bit that was to come but was lulled into a false sense of security.

I felt really by the bottom of the hill at The Bridges but had warmed up again by the time I'd climbed up to Wentnor and proceeded across the Prolley Moor to Asterton where I took on the infamous Asterton Bank. I'd like to tell you that I made it up in one go but I had to stop twice to let cars past and once because I was now overheating in my fleece.

After a photo stop at the top I pressed on again and noticed a group of mountain bikers about to join the road having come across the gliding club. They almost caught me up when I stopped to pass another car but when I next looked back they were trailing in the distance so it was a surprise when after the next small downhill section I heard the whirr of knobbly tyres and one of the riders shot past me (with a friendly greeting). Having done that he only lasted about a minute before suffering what I believe roadies call a blow up, allowing me to pass again.

I next saw the group at the summit where they commented about me "not hanging about on that thing". I was slightly less impressed when three of their number decided to show me their speed on the way down from the summit by passing at full-pelt while I was finding a line through a damaged and narrow section of the trail . Not cool guys It would be rude at a trail centre, never mind a public bridleway.

En route to the Burway I was greeted by the sight of a bank of fog being blown up the valley and over some of the hilltops creating a fabulous effect. I've got photos but my phone camera doesn't do it justice.

Descenting into the mist it got really cold and damp. Fortunately I did get the layers right this time and visibility was actually not bad - the worst of it was across the valley from me. I took a longer route back to try and avoid the roads I know get muddy and passed a microlight in one of the fields - not sure if they'd been up or were getting ready to.

A great ride covering 43.6 miles and I averaged 12.1 mph, which I know doesn't sound a lot but I'm really pleased with it for such a hilly ride.

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Looking to the Wrekin when climbing over Lyth Hill at the start of the ride. There's a fog bank lying in the Ironbridge Gorge - hints of what was to come.

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Minsterley and the remembrance service.

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Up by the old engine shed at Snailbeach.

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Further up the valley near Tankerville and looking back the way I've come. Still plenty of climbing to go.

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En route to The Bog and we get a glimpse of The Devil's Chair.

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Later on and I've managed to get up Asterton Bank. It doesn't get any easier.

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Above the clouds today.

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Caer Caradoc is just a hump in the cloud layer.

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One for @Donger who I know likes a road with a view. Not quite the Alps, but it's a long way down from the Burway, and there's no barrier. View attachment 61295
Back down in the misty Stretton valley now and about to head for home.

This is the sort of ride report that I love reading from you @Rickshaw Phil , much better than those rides to work

 

[Gravity Aided]

Some may see that as potential dinner

That would be me...

 

[Gravity Aided]

7.2 miles my ride today, about half of yesterdays' Goodwill Tour. Climbed to the trail to see the nearly completed road works and looped back home so I could walk the dogs before sunset. I would have started earlier, but I had to cut the lawn as I have to photograph stained glass in the church Wednesday, when I was planning to cut the lawn originally.

 

[Dark46]

You can't leave it there, mate! Get down the chippy for a bit of cod and chips. That'll take you over the line. Otherwise the weather will turn bad tomorrow, and you'll be sat at home straining at the leash, wanting to get out. It'll be like an itch you just can't scratch. Go on, just do it!
Donger

I'll be going out what ever the weather today now that I've got some overshoes ! I don't have to worry about taking the hair dryer to my shoes to dry them out

 

[mrmacmusic]

Thanks SL; it's not bad for 8 years old!
I don't quite know what it is about that bike, but I love it, and it always gets admiring comments from others. Must be the sunburst paint scheme I think. That one isn't actually the one I originally owned from new. That one was sold to my brother when I bought my Tricross in 2009. As soon as I did the deal, I regretted it. Then by pure chance I saw an identical one on e-bay a few years back, being sold by a member on here @mrmacmusic . Not planning to let this one go any time soon!

Nice to see the old Trek in fine form, and glad to hear you're enjoying it... I kinda miss getting rid of it myself!

 

[potsy]

20 miles today, mainly off road, cool and windy but a nice dry day.
Think I need @fossyant to come over with his cleaning stuff later

 

[djb1971]

Dirty boy.

 

[GrasB]

You trying to give @ianrauk nightmares posty?

 

[ColinJ]

20 miles today, mainly off road, cool and windy but a nice dry day.
Think I need @fossyant to come over with his cleaning stuff later

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That's the kind of ride I want a CX bike for!

I have plenty of towpaths, farm tracks, unmade roads and gravelly bridleways round here that my heavyweight MTB would be overkill on, but would soon see off my Basso or my Cannondale road bikes.

Since my Cannondale has been downgeared it has replaced my Basso as bike-of-choice for fairweather hilly rides, so the Basso has become redundant. I am thinking of replacing that with a CX bike to ride on light roughstuff, in bad weather, or when I want to carry things by bike.

The photos show why disc brakes, rack and mudguards are nice-to-haves.

I will have to see what Santa brings ... Meanwhile, I might have to put some mudguards back on the Basso. I eventually broke my Cruds when I rode over some twigs - 'they died that I might live'!

 

[gavroche]

Set off to go to Prestatyn and back, about 30 miles all round, but 4 miles into my ride, got a phone call requesting me to go to school to cover 3 lessons. So turned back and did not even have time to have a shower.

 

[ColinJ]

Set off to go to Prestatyn and back, about 30 miles all round, but 4 miles into my ride, got a phone call requesting me to go to school to cover 3 lessons. So turned back and did not even have time to have a shower.

Dirty boy.

 

[brand]

My ride today to work was a tad longer than normal after staying at the in-laws.. Ended when I rolled onto site at work and got my 3rd puncture of the week.. So can't wait for payday to buy better tyres than the Kendals I have now that are giving my poor wallet a dent paying for patches and tubes!! I need some gatorskins in my life!! Going to be a annoying cycle home on a low pressure rear pumped by hand

You will struggle to be beat Marathon plus for puncture resistance.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Commuting miles again today. Not much to report other than the low cloud was still hanging round the Long Mynd like it was yesterday (I'd have taken a pic but looking towards the sun it wouldn't have come out) and I thought I was going to get soaked this evening but fortunately the rain stopped just before I set out.

The nights are drawing in quite quickly now so it was almost fully dark by the time I got home. My lighting set up seems to work well.