Your ride today.... (part 1)

[chewa]

15 miles at lunchtime. Curtailed form my usual 20-25 by a visit from the "P" fairy. Only a slow, in the back tyre, but I decided to cut my route short as I didn't want to have to change it (weather was closing in). Stopped a couple of times to pump it up and made it home, but handling was decidedly "squiffy" for the last mile or so.

 

[cosmicbike]

Fancied a change today, so the road bike stayed home and the hybrid came out. Made a change to go out in 'normal' clothes rather than getting all togged up for the road bike. I wanted to avoid roads today, so set out through Egham and towards the Thames, joining the towpath at Runneymede Pleasureground. All a bit muddy, but once I got along behind the Veolia site it's a firmer surface if a little rough. Over the river at Staines Bridge then staying on the towpath (NCN 4 I believe) through to Chertsey. Quick spin across the Meads, and not giving in to the temptation to go round the BMX track, a brief bit of road before heading back towards home through the nooks and crannies route. These 2 looked interested in my muesli bar, until I took the photo when they decided to look away!

From here I headed round the back of Laleham Golf Club, not many golferists out today. I stopped on the approach road just before 11 o'clock, put the bike to one side and observed the 2 minutes silence. Fair play to the golf club, they sounded a horn at 11 and again 2 minutes later.
Back on the move and round the back of Thorpe Park via Monks Walk. Probably would have been better off with the MTB, plenty slippery on the hybrid. Quick stop for photo 2, my old stomping ground back when I was a Thorpe Park cleaner, the farm. Been closed for years now.

Through Thorpe, quick lap round Virginia Water and home.
A sedate 20 miles today in just over 2 hours, nice to have a chilled ride taking in the scenery once in a while.

 

[Jon George]

You just about had enough breath left for "Bitte, gehen sie langsamer!" (or something like that)?

Cheers, @ColinJ - I've learnt something today. (Okay, I had to copy/paste into Google translate, but the answer made me smile.)

 

[Jenkins]

25 miles and a face-battering from the wind for the first half. This is one of my regular routes that takes me through the villages of Bucklesham, Kirton, the Trimleys and the town of Felixstowe before a straight-down-the-barrel return along the old A-road to Ipswich. (With a slight detour through Nacton village.)

A similar pic overlooking Felixstowe to one I've posted before, but with the strength of the wind, I'm surprised it actually seems somewhat in focus.

View attachment 61435

Clifftops at the Dip next to the Golf Club?

Part of my regular commute.That area is regularly used by wind and kite surfers - you should see the speed they pick up in conditions like these.

 

[PeteXXX]

Yesterdays ride, as usual.
I was hoping to get out for a longish ride, but due to a late finish and a bit of a lay in, and having to pick my Granddaughter up from school at 15:00, I had to curtail my ambitions somewhat. Such is life...
In the end, it was late morning by the time I got going.

I meandered around some of the nearby trails in Lings Woods, where the mud was a bit sticky in places, and along back roads towards the Washlands. I chap riding in the opposite direction asked e if I had a pump with me as his tyre was slowly deflating, so we had a bit of a chat while he pumped it up so he could ride the last mile or so home before it went down again.

A bit swampy in places, so I diverted around this bit. I think the recently fallen tree is helping to plug the outflow from the stream.

Bike access from the back of the caravan park is a bit tricky, but possible with a few wiggles of the bars!

Once through the obstacle course, I took a ride, and push, up to the top of an Iron Age fort that commanded the area a long time ago.

It's about 45 degrees in places, and slippery. Even riding down it was a challenge

Arial shot of the fort. Quite impressive standing at the bottom of it, wondering how long it took to them pile it up without the use of JCB's and any kind on mechanisation!

Once back on the road, the p*ncture fairy struck. Feeling around the inside of the tyre before fixing the tube, I found 4 spikes of Blackthorn poking through. Not even the Slime could keep up with that, so I changed the tube, A few yards further up the road, the back tyre went down as well. Damn that fairy!

I had 45 minutes to get home, showered and changed by this time, so my ride ended up as 11.6 miles in quite mild weather. Certainly warm enough to be happy in my shorts, though I got lashed by some nettles a couple of times.

http://www.strava.com/activities/218090887

 

[subaqua]

a lovely ride apart from the 20 minutes of heavy rain that got me soaked. Leytonstone to Battersea power station . best bit was along the Thames path from Vauxhall Cringle street. ( what a great name Cringle ) . looking forward to ride home now. Google said an hour I did it in 50 woo hoo

 

[subaqua]

a lovely ride apart from the 20 minutes of heavy rain that got me soaked. Leytonstone to Battersea power station . best bit was along the Thames path from Vauxhall Cringle street. ( what a great name Cringle ) . looking forward to ride home now. Google said an hour I did it in 50 woo hoo

took the longer route home.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

91 miles with 1664m climb with a group of 18 German riders today
cyprusonabianchi.blogspot.co.uk

 

[Jon George]

Clifftops at the Dip next to the Golf Club?

Spot on.

 

[Donger]

The cooker repair man turned up nice and early today, and the car was in for a service, so I had a couple of hours to spare for a bonus ride along the lanes this lunchtime. I've posted quite a few pictures of the Severn, and of Frampton village green before now, so I thought I'd focus on some of the other bits of my regular route that I always notice, but for one reason or another, never seem to stop to photograph. This first one is the canal swing bridge on the edge of our estate - the gateway to the countryside. This comes too soon in my rides for me to normally want to stop for a picture:

Next comes a nice punchy little hill up to Elmore Court, with a war memorial for the fallen of Elmore, and a nice little black and white cottage. This shot is taken facing downhill, on a stretch where I always try to hit 30+mph on my way home, so I never stop to take piccies. Coming the other way it never feels right to stop half way up a hill. The next one is also in Elmore. I just like the name of the farm:
:
At the 5 miles from home mark, I hit Longney, with its riding stables and another quaintly named property and St Laurence's Church:

Next comes the village of Saul, with some unusual, quirky houses. This is one of my favourite ones:

Finally, at Frampton on Severn, ignoring the canal and the village green this time, we have a lovely old tythe barn and a lytch gate apparently to nowhere. (It actually leads to a long, muddy track running across the fields for about half a mile to the church at the top end of the village).>

On the way back home today, I crossed the canal one more time at Hardwicke, by the Pilot Inn, (a common meeting point for cyclists, where I have started quite a few group rides in the past). It's a nice place to sit on the grass on a Summer's day, with a pint in your hand, watching the boats go by:

Cycle ways 41 and 45 around here (South of Gloucester) really are a pleasure to ride and, apart from during the school run, are quiet, mostly traffic free lanes with lots of points of interest and wildlife (rabbits, quail and pheasants galore, plus the occasional hares and birds of prey). My usual ride is exactly 20 miles, so is also good for the occasional time trial, or just for stacking up the miles by fitting in quick rides whenever I have an hour and a half to spare. I also like to fit in as many new and different rides as I can, but I just never seem to get bored of these lanes.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

The cooker repair man turned up nice and early today, and the car was in for a service, so I had a couple of hours to spare for a bonus ride along the lanes this lunchtime. I've posted quite a few pictures of the Severn, and of Frampton village green before now, so I thought I'd focus on some of the other bits of my regular route that I always notice, but for one reason or another, never seem to stop to photograph. This first one is the canal swing bridge on the edge of our estate - the gateway to the countryside. This comes too soon in my rides for me to normally want to stop for a picture:
View attachment 61518
Next comes a nice punchy little hill up to Elmore Court, with a war memorial for the fallen of Elmore, and a nice little black and white cottage. This shot is taken facing downhill, on a stretch where I always try to hit 30+mph on my way home, so I never stop to take piccies. Coming the other way it never feels right to stop half way up a hill. The next one is also in Elmore. I just like the name of the farm:
: View attachment 61519 View attachment 61520
At the 5 miles from home mark, I hit Longney, with its riding stables and another quaintly named property and St Laurence's Church:
View attachment 61521 View attachment 61522 View attachment 61523
Next comes the village of Saul, with some unusual, quirky houses. This is one of my favourite ones:
View attachment 61524
Finally, at Frampton on Severn, ignoring the canal and the village green this time, we have a lovely old tythe barn and a lytch gate apparently to nowhere. (It actually leads to a long, muddy track running across the fields for about half a mile to the church at the top end of the village).>
View attachment 61525 View attachment 61526
On the way back home today, I crossed the canal one more time at Hardwicke, by the Pilot Inn, (a common meeting point for cyclists, where I have started quite a few group rides in the past). It's a nice place to sit on the grass on a Summer's day, with a pint in your hand, watching the boats go by:
View attachment 61527
Cycle ways 41 and 45 around here (South of Gloucester) really are a pleasure to ride and, apart from during the school run, are quiet, mostly traffic free lanes with lots of points of interest and wildlife (rabbits, quail and pheasants galore, plus the occasional hares and birds of prey). My usual ride is exactly 20 miles, so is also good for the occasional time trial, or just for stacking up the miles by fitting in quick rides whenever I have an hour and a half to spare. I also like to fit in as many new and different rides as I can, but I just never seem to get bored of these lanes.
Cheers, Donger.

Great write up and pictures @Donger, thank you

 

[Gravity Aided]

Just 4.5 miles yesterday on my trusty old Trek 800. It dealt with the weather well. I went around a loop near home, as I didn't know how much snow was going to fall. Turned out to be just flurries, but quite cold. -4C really requires the 3rd sock, which I did not have on, at that temperature.

 

[Col5632]

Before even getting on the bike the puncture fairy had paid me a visit on the roadie, so pumped the tyres up on the hybrid and away i went on that, forgot how much harder and heavier that bike is, its far more comfortable than being on the roadie but nowhere near as much fun

 

[Goonerobes]

Just when I was starting to get a feeling of deja vu from last autumn/winter when all it did was rain & rain in this little part of England a 2 hour window of dryness was forecast for this morning so this was certainly not to be missed.

The day got off to a mixed start with the postman getting me out of bed with my Wiggle delivery of some bike wash & more importantly a new rear mudguard, however, karma equalled out the good news when I realised that all my "longs" were still in the wash as its been too wet to get it done, fortunately though 3/4's were enough on a damp, breezy but otherwise mildish morning.

New mudguard fitted, I rather cleverly I thought, headed north west across the more open parts of the New Forest with the brisk south-easterly wind behind me before turning back along the more tree lined & sheltered roads for the return journey into the wind & as it turned out rain!!!

Only 30 miles but it was quite refreshing & having not cycled for three days seemed to give me a bit of a spring in my step.
http://www.strava.com/activities/218771203/

The leafy lanes around Hampworth.

Photobombed by a cow who wasn't there when I started taking the picture!

Ruby with her newly fitted mudguard which not only kept my behind but also my jelly baby stash dry!

 

[Jon George]

A 20 mile spin through Tuddenham, Culpho, Little Bealings, Kesgrave, Foxhall, Levington and Nacton.
I have always loved the change in the seasons and we are definitely in Autumn. This picture - taken at Playford - explains why there is so much mud on the roads and lanes at the moment, but the smell of newly-tilled soil if wonderful and so evocative of the rhythm of the countryside.

And, many, many years after I borrowed a photograph from a friend of a brook as the basis for a painting, I've finally stumbled on the spot where it was taken. (The friend couldn't remember.) These days I write about such images, but it was extremely pleasurable to discover the site. It was between Kesgrave and Foxhall - at a place I normally whizz through to gain some leverage on a steep little bugger of a rise immediately afterwards.