coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
Seems to be the day for it
Your ride today.... (part 1)
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
- Status
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Gareth C
Veteran
- Location
- North Pennines.
That looks like fun!
Better than being on the trail centre there: it's getting really busy now - you're either pulling over to let someone who's been on your tail zoom past, or coming up behind someone slower and waiting for them to let you past. It's a great centre with the recent improvements (and more on the way), but personally I preferred my ride - once away from the man-made routes didn't see anyone all day!
Maybe I'm just anti-social...?
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
Spartak
Powered by M&M's
- Location
- Bristolian
Flat ride out to Chipping Sodbury this morning - lovely dry & crisp day but cold wind.
Sat outside the Waitrose cafe enjoying the winter sunshine then back via the Westerleigh Greenway.
Sat outside the Waitrose cafe enjoying the winter sunshine then back via the Westerleigh Greenway.
Gareth C
Veteran
- Location
- North Pennines.
Yes, it's attached to one of these. Treated myself to one of the new cheap/basic Go Pro's for my birthday last month, but haven't had much chance to use it yet.
I discounted helmet mounting (to much moving around), and handlebar mounting (too much shake).
djb1971
Legendary Member
- Location
- Far Far Away
It's great to get out when it's cold and frosty, especially when a cayk is in the mix.
Well jel
mooseracer
Guru
- Location
- Nr Bristol
Picked a cracking day to have off from work and headed out on a jaunt around South Glos, a bit of Wiltshire and some Gloucestershire for good measure. Beautiful sunny day, cold feet for most of the ride but not bad enough to shorten it - 86 miles of wonderful winter cycling.
http://www.strava.com/activities/225834685
http://www.strava.com/activities/225834685
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Sounds great!
I wanted to get out on a similar day up here, but I didn't have the time or energy for such a long ride so I had intended to just do one of my hilly little loops. I set off on the cycle path through the park in Hebden Bridge. The path on the south side of the park is in perma-shadow at this time of year so it gives a very good indication of what ungritted roads will be like. It soon became clear that there was a big risk of ice on my favourite lanes, so I decided to change my route ...
I exited the park and set off down the A646 to Mytholmroyd. I am used to riding that short stretch of main road on the way to doing my Cragg Vale loop. (I normally return on the Calder Valley Greenway to avoid the traffic which normally builds up while I am out.) I continued as far as Luddenden Foot before turning left to climb up away from the valley road. The A646 was not too bad when I rode down it at 1:45-2:00 - it starts to get busier when the schools finish, and then the evening rush begins.
I climbed Solomon Hill and then on up through Midgley village. That road had been gritted, as I knew it would, so conditions were safe. I could see a few iced-up puddles in the shadows of dry stone walls, but away from the extreme edges of the road, everything was ok.
The weather was lovely. There was a very cold breeze blowing but I was dressed for it. The sun was spectacular for December 3rd. I stopped to take a few photos and a couple walking by commented on how nice it was. Here's a picture taken with the phone camera pointing towards the sun. I realised that it would flare out, but I wanted to give a good impression of how bright it was out there today - a perfect antidote for my SAD!
I continued on my merry way through Old Town to Pecket Well, then did the long climb to Cock Hill where I did a u-turn at the Tour de France King of the Mountains line which is still visible across the road by the car parking area. White Van Man was standing beside his, er, white van, smoking a cigarette. He watched me slow down, turn and head back for the 4.5 mile descent to Hebden Bridge. From the look he gave me, I could swear that he was thinking "WTF are you doing, mate? You just cycled to the top of a big f**k off hill, only to turn round and go straight back down again. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"
It was a very chilly descent so I was looking forward to getting back into the warm. I did 3 loops of the local block to get my distance up to 17 miles, which now leaves only 102 miles to hit my 2014 target. Another 5 shortish rides will do it - I usually do either 19 miles or 23 miles. I should end up a few miles ahead by the end of December, though I won't be riding for a week or so over Christmas.
I will raise the bar by 10% for next year - 11 miles a day average, or call it 4,000 miles.
Stu Smith
Veteran
- Location
- Lancashire
Two cold rides so far this week. Better than the wet stuff.
https://www.strava.com/activities/225560274
https://www.strava.com/activities/225811444
https://www.strava.com/activities/225560274
https://www.strava.com/activities/225811444
Goonerobes
Its okay to be white
- Location
- Wiltshire
Another trip into the New Forest for me today, heading north this time up to Woodfalls & back for a 30 mile round trip. A bright sunny day & dry roads made it ideal cycling weather despite the chilly northerly breeze.
http://www.strava.com/activities/225836355
Blue sky's but a chilly New Forest today.
http://www.strava.com/activities/225836355
Blue sky's but a chilly New Forest today.
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
At the risk of being one of those annoying proponents of oneupmanship (you know the type ... you've been to Teneriffe, so I've been to Elevenariffe) , Hah!!...... Beat you today, Colin. (17.1 miles for me). Mind you, they were all pan flat easy peasy miles, and I was only out testing out my cold weather kit and checking a bit of bike fettling that I've been doing. Thought I'd take the camera with me, as there was zero chance of rain, so I stopped every now and then to take a few shots, mostly of places that I don't often photo.
This first one is of Elmore Court, our local manor house, which is about 1.5 miles from home:
Next, on my usual ride, comes the village of Longney. As the name suggests, it is quite a long, though very dispersed village, with scattered timbered cottages over several miles. These are the first ones you come to when leaving Elmore (I've always liked the twisty tree):
Then comes Longney church, which is next door to the riding stables, with its duck pond. (The ducks all buggered off at the sight of a massive man in bright yellow heading straight for the hedge):
Next comes a view of Longney Sands, seen from the Longney to Epney road. "Sands" might be a generous discription of the mud banks in this stretch of the River Severn, which you can see carving a precise curve in the mud. The hills of the Forest of Dean are in the background:
Then comes the waterfront by the Anchor Inn at Epney. For a few years my family lived 3 doors down the river bank from here, just out of sight in this shot. (Happy days). This is a nice place to while away a hot sunny Summer's afternoon with a pint in your hand, and is also one of the very best viewing points for the Severn Bore (for which next year should be one of the best for years):
Today, I only went as far as Saul Junction on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal . It is both a large canalboat residential marina and also a working marina including a boat repair works, a rowing club and a place for the big tour boats and canal dredgers to moor. Our cycling club sometimes calls in at the canalside cafe nearby on some of our rides.
A lovely trip out this morning. I always like it when it is cold but dry, and today was perfect, and without a cloud in the sky - although there was still a little frost in the darker corners, even by midday. I scuttled home via the A38, as I was at risk of being late back for a trip to the theatre with Mrs Donger. (Heaven forbid!).
Gotta love cycling in this weather.
Cheers, Donger.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
The 'block' I mentioned in my post is just under 1/4 mile in length. I usually check my GPS when I get back and do a few laps of that block to get to the next virtual milestone so on average I do xx.125 miles!
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