Your ride today.... (part 1)

[PeteXXX]

Not a great vid as I was holding the phone with one hand and steering with t'other, but here's a few minutes of a ride through the tunnels last December.. On the way back the headwind was horrendous, amplified manyfold by the tunnel!

 

[Gareth C]

A trip to Scotland

Took a ride out with Kevin and Adam on Sunday – driving up through the fog to Kielder, where we persevered with the weather, and were rewarded with a spectacular cloud inversion, and plenty of new trails since my last visit (2000).

The route was up towards the observatory, along the northshore, back onto singletrack through downed trees, and onto a nice section before the border at Bloodybush. Fast descent to Newcastleton via a bit of trail centre.



Lunch at Newcastleton in Scotland, then back along Kershopeburn on tired legs in the fading light, arriving at the car just before dark.


Starting off in the fog


Stopping for a breather when the uphill starts


Single track climb to towards the observatory


Onto the north shore


Back onto single track, with beautiful cloud inversion


Into the forest


Downed trees due to adjacent felling: a bit of bush whacking was in order


Eventually back onto single track again


Welcome to Scotland


Waiting to descend to Newcastleton – lunch time?

A proper mountain bike day out.

Oh yes, I was trying out my birthday GoPro too…

View: http://youtu.be/kpqgayNosFo

 

[Jon George]

Went for a gentle 19 mile wander South-East of Ipswich. Must confess to jumping on the wheels of a couple of younger bods near Holbrook without asking/telling them, but they were very nice about it and gave excellent hand signals to warn of drain covers and the like. I sped past them at the top of a hill near Brantham calling out that I expected them to retake me going up the other side, but when I glanced back as I reached the summit, they were still spinning some way behind. I will take my minor (and undoubtedly, temporary) ego boosts anywhere I can.

An overcast view of the Orwell.

The gates leading to Freston Folly.

And one for those of you who are aficionados of Radio 4's Cabin Pressure at Tattingstone.

 

[Goonerobes]

With a free afternoon & a bit of chilly sunshine it would have been rude not to get the bike out so without putting an awful lot of thought into it & mindful that the roads are still rather wet down here I set out on one of my regular 30 mile midweek rides around the New Forest.

All was going well up to the 12 mile mark when I spotted a number of people on horseback in the distance. Once closer I realised it was the local huntsmen with whom I'd previously exchanged "pleasantries" & left them in no doubt as to what I thought of there "sport". Whilst I'm always very respectful of our horsey friends when I come across them & slow down & try to give a warning without spooking the horse I probably didn't do diplomatic relations an awful lot of good today as they were getting rather twitchy when I decided to hang around & photograph their activities which I'm not 100% sure were legal.

http://www.strava.com/activities/220579273

The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable.

 

[Peteaud]

My day off today and as Mrs Aud was working most of the day it was bike ride time.

After Saturdays ride where my feet got wet and cold i decided it was time for the winter artic boots to go on. Although these are a bit too warm at times i prefer this to cold feet.

Set off down the local cycle path / old railway line and then followed the wet gloopy back roads to Barrington where i said hello to Susan Bond (don,t ask me why i just say hello to her, although she may have been a complete fruitloop for all I know, anysway i sheltered there one day from a rain storm and have always said hello ever since) before heading to the start of the moors.

Coming back via Ilton the military helicopters were playing the normal low flying games and i watched for a while. I always think one day a hannible smith type guy will try to arrest me for watching!!!!

Back home, feet still warm hot, jacket muddy but yearly target done


A few pics

Cycle path

The Stop line cycle path

Barrington

St Mary's Church, Barrington

The Resting place of Susan bond!

bike shot, note the ass saver

Autumn Colours.

 

[Glow worm]

Just a quick 12 miler here before dusk as I'd been working from home in a small room all day and the walls had started closing in.

A fairly usual route for me, over to Burwell Fen for some owl spotting then on to Reach village to watch the starlings come in to roost. It was a lovey light as the sun dipped under the cloud..

One of the bike on Reach Lode Bridge..

At the pool where the starlings come to roost, a falcon, possibly a peregrine was chasing them, making them panic and the flock formed some spectacular shapes..

The evening's final score on the owl front finished - short eared owls 2 - barn owls 3. It was heading for a score draw when I spotted a third barn owl near Swaffham Prior.

The short eared owls are truly spectacular - I would definitely recommend a visit to Burwell Fen to see them before they head off again next spring.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just a quick 12 miler here before dusk as I'd been working from home in a small room all day and the walls had started closing in.

A fairly usual route for me, over to Burwell Fen for some owl spotting then on to Reach village to watch the starlings come in to roost. It was a lovey light as the sun dipped under the cloud..

View attachment 62120

One of the bike on Reach Lode Bridge..

View attachment 62121

At the pool where the starlings come to roost, a falcon, possibly a peregrine was chasing them, making them panic and the flock formed some spectacular shapes..

View attachment 62122

View attachment 62123

The evening's final score on the owl front finished - short eared owls 2 - barn owls 3. It was heading for a score draw when I spotted a third barn owl near Swaffham Prior.

The short eared owls are truly spectacular - I would definitely recommend a visit to Burwell Fen to see them before they head off again next spring.

I love your reports and particularly the pictures of the starling flocks. It had been something we were going to go out to watch this year so I will have to make do with your photos of them. Thank you

 

[Donger]

Between taking Mrs Donger to the dentist this morning, and the delights of being dragged round the shops this afternoon, in true Cyclechat manner, I somehow found time for a 23 miler round the lanes South of Gloucester today. Wore a short-sleeved jersey, for possibly the last time this year, and got away with it. Saw dozens of other cyclists in little groups of 3 or 4, but all of them were heading the other way. Every one of them greeted me cheerily, to the point that I almost hoped they wouldn't.

Enjoyed myself so much in the sunshine that I tagged on a couple of extra miles along the A38 on my way back . I've got Friday afternoon off this week too, so I'm hoping to fit in another 30 miler and a couple of serious hills while Mrs D goes for a drink with her friends. Hopefully this will generate enough endorphines to help me survive the Hubby's Taxi run with a car full of cackling women afterwards.

 

[Glow worm]

I love your reports and particularly the pictures of the starling flocks. It had been something we were going to go out to watch this year so I will have to make do with your photos of them. Thank you

Cheers SNSSO ! I hope you get to see them very soon.
I had taken my proper camera (as well as the one on my phone) to try to take pictures of the owls but I couldn't get the settings right- it's too complicated for me I think. I may try again at the weekend.

There were some serious birders out there with enormous lenses/ tripods etc. That involves driving there though and I'm not doing that!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Cheers SNSSO ! I hope you get to see them very soon.
I had taken my proper camera (as well as the one on my phone) to try to take pictures of the owls but I couldn't get the settings right- it's too complicated for me I think. I may try again at the weekend.

There were some serious birders out there with enormous lenses/ tripods etc. That involves driving there though and I'm not doing that!

I used to support the computers of one such guy... £10,000 for one of his lenses and the replacement costs of it would have been higher because it was so old. He let me use it in his garden once, nice but I'll stick to landscape photography, it is a tad easier. Ironically he wasn't very good at landscape photosn so we used to trade tips

 

[Spartak]

Me too, in a tunnel near Bristol. can't remember whether it was the Strawberry line or the Bristol to Bath railway path .... just remember I was finding it almost impossible to keep going in a straight line. You just seem to keep wanting to look down at the bars instead of at the horizon. Found another one in Birmingham seriously spooky. If there's one tunnel you don't want to wobble about in, it's a narrow one with a canal at the side of the path.

Rode thru the Strawberry Line tunnel on the Tasty Cheddar Audax last month - I also found it very difficult to keep in a straight line

 

[brand]

6 miles there 6 miles back total 24 miles? I forgot the documents I was suppose to take the solicitors. When I eventually finished I realised I hadn't been to the post office to send a letter recorded another 12 miles? Sod it stuck a stamp on it and put it in the letter box.
Now it's not as if I was knackered or it was a horrible ride it was all rural back roads but if you go for a 36 mile ride it has to be intentional or even a spur of the moment not because you have to. Enough I said, enough (with a Jewish accent)

 

[coffeejo]

6 miles there 6 miles back total 24 miles? I forgot the documents I was suppose to take the solicitors. When I eventually finished I realised I hadn't been to the post office to send a letter recorded another 12 miles? Sod it stuck a stamp on it and put it in the letter box.
Now it's not as if I was knackered or it was a horrible ride it was all rural back roads but if you go for a 36 mile ride it has to be intentional or even a spur of the moment not because you have to. Enough I said, enough (with a Jewish accent)

Scouser, Brummie or Home Counties to name just a few regional accents / non-accents of some of the Jewish people I know?

 

[brand]

Scouser, Brummie or Home Counties to name just a few regional accents / non-accents of some of the Jewish people I know?

Enough I said, enough

 

[totallyfixed]

My day off today and as Mrs Aud was working most of the day it was bike ride time.

After Saturdays ride where my feet got wet and cold i decided it was time for the winter artic boots to go on. Although these are a bit too warm at times i prefer this to cold feet.

Set off down the local cycle path / old railway line and then followed the wet gloopy back roads to Barrington where i said hello to Susan Bond (don,t ask me why i just say hello to her, although she may have been a complete fruitloop for all I know, anysway i sheltered there one day from a rain storm and have always said hello ever since) before heading to the start of the moors.

Coming back via Ilton the military helicopters were playing the normal low flying games and i watched for a while. I always think one day a hannible smith type guy will try to arrest me for watching!!!!

Back home, feet still warm hot, jacket muddy but yearly target done


A few pics

Cycle path

The Stop line cycle path

Barrington

St Mary's Church, Barrington

The Resting place of Susan bond!

bike shot, note the ass saver

Autumn Colours.

Bilmey! thought I was looking at Rutland for a minute there, very, very similar.