Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Geoff Crowther]

2 flppin' miles this aft. Just enough to get out the village and set off up Chunal. On the first double bend, just as I was givin' it some welly ... flippin' puncture. Not a good place, so turned round, rode carefully back down hill to gateway by Carr Meadows. Removed tyre 'n' tube. Checked tyre; found a bit of glass. Stuck new tube in. Pumped up ... no joy. Got fed up. Just 2 miles from home so phoned Chrissie for a pick up. Got home and as I'm grumblin' and unloading bike from car, Chrissie notices front tyre on her roadie is flat too.

All fixed now ... at least the two punctures on my bike. Couldn't find owt wrong with Chrissie's. Valve not screwed up properly? Dunno. Same wheel we had puncture early last week and my fix from then was still intact and sound (checked in kitchen sink).

Puncture fairy? More like flippin' puncture witch! Completely lost faith in these Schwalbe PUNCTURE RESISTANT tyres. Mutter, grumble, winge.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

2 flppin' miles this aft. Just enough to get out the village and set off up Chunal. On the first double bend, just as I was givin' it some welly ... flippin' puncture. Not a good place, so turned round, rode carefully back down hill to gateway by Carr Meadows. Removed tyre 'n' tube. Checked tyre; found a bit of glass. Stuck new tube in. Pumped up ... no joy. Got fed up. Just 2 miles from home so phoned Chrissie for a pick up. Got home and as I'm grumblin' and unloading bike from car, Chrissie notices front tyre on her roadie is flat too.

All fixed now ... at least the two punctures on my bike. Couldn't find owt wrong with Chrissie's. Valve not screwed up properly? Dunno. Same wheel we had puncture early last week and my fix from then was still intact and sound (checked in kitchen sink).

Puncture fairy? More like flippin' puncture witch!

can't really give a like for your fairy visits...

 

[Geoff Crowther]

can't really give a like for your fairy visits...

No, don't blame you Emma. I don't like 'er either.

 

[dan_bo]

Excellent! Which 30 miles?

Failsworth-hartshead then pbw from dobcross over to crompton. You local?

 

[Geoff Crowther]

Failsworth-hartshead then pbw from dobcross over to crompton. You local?

Yep, Hayfield. Fancyin' givin' some of the PBW a go sometime. Comes through the village; done bits on MTB. Walked lots of it round 'ere.

 

[dan_bo]

Yep, Hayfield. Fancyin' givin' some of the PBW a go sometime. Comes through the village; done bits on MTB. Walked lots of it round 'ere.

I haven't done much down that end. Might sort something out for springtime...

 

[Supersuperleeds]

40 miles around the quiet lanes in leicestershire .did a loop around bosworth battlefield with coffee stop at visitors centre . got wet riding home must sort out some waterproofs and check weather forecast .overcast and misty all the the way round .must redo route in the summer it would be lovely nice quiet lanes little traffic

I was out that way yesterday, great area for riding

 

[Dark46]

It was my 16 th ride withe KCC today. As usual @Donger was along for the ride. I didn't know what to expect from today's ride as I got a groin injury in the week and have not been on the bike . I wanted to go regardless. The start was ok but as the ride went on I struggled more and more. @Donger ever the gent dropped back and stayed with me the last 8 or so miles.

It is always good to drop into the black shed for a drink, and the ride was the same as last weeks without the KCC loop at the end.
Some milestones were reached today, 1st was doing over 1500 miles in total so far this year, I'm now at 1534 miles. 2nd is again over 1500 miles on the Boardman, which now stands at 1512 miles.

 

[13 rider]

Supersuperleeds first time I've riden round there only been back cycling 2 months are really like the area could not see to much due to the gloom but can't wait to ride around the lanes again in better weather

 

[13 rider]

What a day for unprepared and untrained cyclists it was today. I headed out of Bath at about 9am up the big climb over lansdown and headed off towards wick. Plenty of cyclists out and lots of friendly drivers giving me plenty of room when they passed.

Cyclist in trouble number 1. Sat at the side of the road on a nice mountain bike and looking perplexed. Stopped to ask if he needs anything as I was carrying tubes, tools, patches and pump as normal and he tells me his disk break is stuck on. Out with the multitool, bleed the break a little and he can at least pedal home.

Back off on my journey out through Westerleigh to Chipping Sodbury to pop in for a cuppa and a bacon sandwich at my mums and I was ready to do a loop out along the ring road and back to Bath via the cycle path. Stopped at the Warmley waiting rooms to use their tardis toilet and a cuppa tea and see a family trying to fix an inner tube without any tools and a puncture repair kit that must have been bought in 1970. Glue was dry so gave them a self adhesive patch and off back to Bath.

Then as you think you can't come across anyone else when you have 6 miles to go and then I come across Mr Bean on a bike. This chap had a couple of grand trek madone and was trying to fix his puncture with the wheel still on the bike. I stop and ask if he needs any help which he said yes please. He has at this point been here an hour and has just stuck the third patch into his tube and air is still hissing out. I ask him would he like a tube as I have two with me and he tells me he doesn't know how to take the rear wheel off!!!

So I show him how to undo the QR and then fit the tube and just as well as his tyre was still full of glass... Even pumped it up for him as he wasn't able to keep the push on pump on the valve.

Just washed down the bike and still can't believe how many people head out without the most basic of kit with them. On the plus side plenty of good deeds done and hopefully a bit of knowledge passed on.

Big al seems like your due some cycling karma for all those good deeds nice to now there nice helpful people out there

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Supersuperleeds first time I've riden round there only been back cycling 2 months are really like the area could not see to much due to the gloom but can't wait to ride around the lanes again in better weather

It's an area I've ridden round a lot over the years, theres a lovely cafe round the corner from the visitors centre at Whitemores Antiques in Shenton and the station on the battlefield line at Shackerstone is also worth a visit.

 

[13 rider]

Thanks Dave r Im still a newbie and have not yet discovered all the lovely cafes yet

 

[Donger]

Puncture fairy? More like flippin' puncture witch! Completely lost faith in these Schwalbe PUNCTURE RESISTANT tyres. Mutter, grumble, winge.

If all else fails, get yourself some Slime innertubes. I swear by them. I think I've probably had half a dozen little punctures in my Schwalbes over the past 3 years, but have never been unable to carry on with a ride. Just add a bit more air and let them heal themselves. They might add a very small amount of extra weight, but unless you are Mark Cavendish, not enough to make much difference to your performance.
Donger

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I don't tend to experience many close passes and I aim to forget the ones I do but one has stuck in my mind from this morning. The last three letters on his number plate were EJT...

It's not often they acknowledge they're eejits.

I'm glad it wasn't any worse than that.

 

[gavgav]

I set out for a bit more new territory this morning, following NCN Route's 81 and 45, in the main, to Hawkstone Park. It was very dark and grey, so opted for full lights and they were definitely needed as it just got darker and darker the more I rode! It reminded me of the sort of sky you get on a Winter's day when a bout of Snow is due. No danger of that today, but drizzle in the air as I travelled through Upton Magna, Bings Heath, Poynton and Shawbury, before I turned onto the new roads at Moreton Corbet. It was quite chilly out, but I had layered up enough to ward it off and the early hills at Haughmond and Ebury had warmed me up nicely.

The road was officially closed at Moreton, but with no road workers about I crawled through the rutted, wet and muddy road, avoiding the raised Ironworks and paused at the ruins of Moreton Corbet Castle (Grade 1 listed building) for a quick photo.

Next destination was Stanton upon Hine Heath, which must be one of the ugliest villages in Shropshire and then some more climbing up to Booley, before I arrived at the edge of the Hawkestone estate and Chirbury Wood, which reminded me of the Lake District, including the hills!! I hadn't expected quite as much climbing as this, although, looking at the OS map to check directions, I should have done, as it went up about 300ft in 2 miles.

I passed right by the West Midlands Shooting Club, avoided being shot! and climbed up through to Kenstone, pausing for a bite to eat as I came out of the woods. Unfortunately it started to rain heavily here and it necessitated the 1st use of my new Waterproof. Impressed with it, as it doesn't boil me in the bag like my other one does. Annoying when it wasn't forecast though.

I branched off the NCN 45 and through the Hawkstone Park estate, passing the entrance to the Follies, which are closed at this time of year, but somewhere I want to return to for a walk and explore next year. The different coloured leaves were lovely, but unfortunately the poor light and heavy rain meant that the photo doesn't do it justice

I dropped down into Weston under Redcastle and had a nose at the Hawkstone Park Hotel and Golf Club, lots of golfers sheltering under umbrella's, before stopping for more food. It was raining heavily still and I was fast losing my mojo for winter cycling, just as this lovely little thing came bounding over and cheered me up!

I gave it some fuss for a few minutes, but I think it wanted food really .

I then re-traced my steps back towards home, as the only other option is the A49, which I will never cycle on out of choice, but added a variation from Shawbury to Roden and Rodington, through to Upton Magna. I could tell that I hadn't been out as much recently though, as the legs hurt for the last 10 miles.

The rain had relented by Shawbury and so things dried out nicely, other than the bike, which was filthy from the lanes. It then started to rain heavily yet again for the last mile of the ride to ensure everything was wet again by the time I got home . I have lost count of the number of rides where it has done that to me on that last mile!

Saw a few cyclists about, but more horse riders (9 in total) who all gave me big thank you's for using my bell to let them know I was there. One even commented that it was a "breath of fresh air to see someone using a bell"!!

Not my most enjoyable ride, mainly due to the rain and mud, but would like to head back that way again on a sunny day.

40.4 miles
11.7mph avg
1272 ft of climbing