Your ride today.... (part 1)

[ScotiaLass]

Well it was quite an eventful, before and after, ride today!
My lad came with me (he's 20) and we were meeting up with my ex at a certain spot, which has a tunnel leading through to a housing estate.
It's not the best of areas but we're local and never usually get any hassle from anyone.
I said to the lad we'd wait in the tunnel to shelter from the wind.
So we're standing there minding our own, when two lads of about 14 approached. Both on bikes, one smoking.
As they got nearer, the one smoking pulled a wheelie and as he touched the front wheel back down, he swerved deliberately into me, missing me by millimetres.
Well, I wasn't letting that go! So I shouted ''you little c*nt!'.
As they rode away laughing I heard his mate say 'She called you a c*nt'.

By this time my lad was off his bike, gloves off and was about to leg it towards them!
I stopped him
There was an older guy there, I thought he was with them, and he started shouting stuff....we couldn't hear what as they were at the other end of the tunnel by now.
I decided to ride up to the one who was mouthing off, and told him that yes, I had called him a c*nt, because he was acting like one! I also told him I had the incident on video (the go-pro wasn't running but he didn't know that!)
He wasn't so brave when I faced him up and he moved away and stopped gobbing off, and looked worried.
The man came over and I was ready to leg it at this point! He actually told the lads to f-off back home, and told the lad that he was in the wrong and he had saw what had happened. Phew!

Anyway, that was about it! The ride was good...wet, muddy, bit of a headwind but a nice 15 miles all the same. The boys left me on the hills but I bombed it on the flats, while they chatted at the back like old grannies

I got home and while I took a shower my lad washed Priscilla for me
I used some new shower stuff I got for Christmas. Mistake!!
I should know better, as I have a lot of sensitivities, but I've had a reaction to it....swollen, burning, red and itchy skin!

I am waiting to see if it dies down a bit before possibly visiting A&E for anti-histamines, which I had to do the last time I had a reaction! <insert medical gif here>

 

[EltonFrog]

Cor! Blimey! What a contrast to my last ride!

Bloody horrible ride today.

First off I had to do a 1.5 mile run, I won’t go into that here, and then the Fragrant Mrs P and I decided we would cycle to Oxford along route 44 the route 5 from Didcot via Abingdon to Oxford to participate in the vending and consumption of luncheon.

We got togged up, it was bloody cold today, and grey, greyer than a pair of old man’s pants, and a bit misty and cold, very cold. I had put on my feet warmer thing on my shoes and I think I must’ve pulled my back doing so, co the ride going in to Didcot and on to Sutton Courtney was not very comfortable. We stopped briefly at the Hanson Way path to read the sign and as I straddled my bike…jeezuz the pain that went through my back, made me quite near feint! For a few minutes I couldn’t move, eventually I let the bike fall between my legs and I staggered to a fence to prop myself up, stood for a while, then decided to lay down on the floor, and put my feet up on the fence.

That seemed to help after a few minutes. Robins seemed to think I was a giant worm or something as they hopped around me to investigate. I eventually go back on the bike and we took it easy to Abingdon, had some lunch there. We then decided to come back, no point going on in pain, plus it feckin cold and grey and miserable, in fact the only colour we had seen all day was the robins.

Anyway we got back, had a hot shower, which helped my back a bit. Now I need to decide what I am going to do tomorrow to sort my back out.

Not a lot in the way of photos, the route wasn't very nice, the weather was pants.

Dirty Bike

Robin investigating the big worm.

This looks like it should be a nice path, actually it was horrid, strewn with litter, and a terrible surface.

A grey day in Abingdon.

The water pump in the cafe in Abingdon Town Hall basement, fed water to the town up until 1945.

A library photo of the town hall 'cos the one I took was pants.

 

[roadrash]

oohhh, nasty hope you sort your back out ok .

 

[EltonFrog]

oohhh, nasty hope you sort your back out ok .

Thank you.

 

[EltonFrog]

83 miles of pure Joy today riding up the Karpaz Peninsula in Northern Cyprus
http://cyprusonabianchi.blogspot.com/2015/01/leggit-to-dipkarpaz-and-back.html?spref=fb

I hate you!

 

[jayonabike]

First ride of the year. 'Kin Cold. 'Kin Foggy. 'Kin loved it.
I haven't been out on a weekend ride since the last week of November due to bad weather, Christmas shopping, working, Christmas, and the wife's birthday, so I was determined to get out today.
The weather was looking a bit iffy, it rained all day yesterday and the temperature today was hovering around freezing. A quick call to @toptom @Ginger James and another mate Dave and we decided to leave it till 10 and head out then.
My front light packed up on my way to meet the others (I've had it with exposure lights, they're crap) which didn't help as it was a tad foggy. Met up with the others and within 5 minutes we were cycling along country lanes. There was a little ice in places, but more slush than solid ice on the road so not really a problem. Legs were warming up nicely.
We decided to head out to Tring for a coffee via a couple of villages, Slapton, Mentmore and Long Marston. Mainly B roads with a few country lanes in-between. The fog thickened and the temperature dropped as we got further out into the countryside.
Halfway round I suddenly realised why I was getting hungry, I had forgotten to have breakfast before I left (had a bit of an emergency just before leaving, my lad spilt olive oil over the kitchen floor and hallway carpet. Bloody teenagers. So 10 minutes before meeting the others I was still mopping the kitchen floor)
The cafe stop was a welcome sight and the table by the fire was free. Gloves and hats were draped around the fireguard and coffee was ordered. I didn't order anything to eat, after the Christmas excess I need to loose a bit of weight so thought a ride on an empty stomach wouldn't do me any harm!
Nice and warm it was time to brave the elements again.

Ninja Cyclist?

Back on the road and after a couple of miles the feeling of warmth came back and we was going up Ivinghoe Beacon (Yeah thanks Tom)
Dragging half a stone of Turkey, sausage rolls, mince pies, cake, whisky and brandy in the form of christmas belly up the beacon was fun.
"The views from the top are amazing" he said

We all made it to the top and from there it was 1 more climb before the lanes back towards Hemel.

2 miles from home and we left James and extended our ride via Redbourn and the lanes towards Buncefield oil terminal where I left Tom and Dave and headed for home.
50 miles on an empty stomach at 15mph average. I'm happy with that.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

After yesterday's near misses with the ice today's outing was on foot, a 10 mile walk from the house over some of the northern summits of the Pentlands, started with Harbour Hill then both peaks of Bells Hill and a detour at the bottom for Kings Hill. Weather at this point absolutely glorious blue skies but very cold wind and lots of ice underfoot. Found a surprisingly warm sheltered spot for lunch then up Black Hill with a slight detour on the way for Gask Hill. Clouding over now, starting to look distinctly gloomy. Finished off with The Pinnacle overlooking Green Cleuch then the road down to Balerno and the bus home.

 

[Fubar]

Beautiful day for a ride up here, very cold and icy but main routes were fine - headed out for the 09:30 club ride and there was only 2 of us, steady ride from Dunfermline up to Kinross, Milnathort then heading east for Strathmiglo and a cafe stop at Pillars of Hercules (poached eggs on toast) - met up with the 9am group (faster) and joined them for the ride back via Glenrothes, Kinglassie and Lochgelly - nice bit of sport with the additional pace.

No photos, just Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/236638499

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Cor! Blimey! What a contrast to my last ride!

Bloody horrible ride today.

First off I had to do a 1.5 mile run, I won’t go into that here, and then the Fragrant Mrs P and I decided we would cycle to Oxford along route 44 the route 5 from Didcot via Abingdon to Oxford to participate in the vending and consumption of luncheon.

We got togged up, it was bloody cold today, and grey, greyer than a pair of old man’s pants, and a bit misty and cold, very cold. I had put on my feet warmer thing on my shoes and I think I must’ve pulled my back doing so, co the ride going in to Didcot and on to Sutton Courtney was not very comfortable. We stopped briefly at the Hanson Way path to read the sign and as I straddled my bike…jeezuz the pain that went through my back, made me quite near feint! For a few minutes I couldn’t move, eventually I let the bike fall between my legs and I staggered to a fence to prop myself up, stood for a while, then decided to lay down on the floor, and put my feet up on the fence.

That seemed to help after a few minutes. Robins seemed to think I was a giant worm or something as they hopped around me to investigate. I eventually go back on the bike and we took it easy to Abingdon, had some lunch there. We then decided to come back, no point going on in pain, plus it feckin cold and grey and miserable, in fact the only colour we had seen all day was the robins.

Anyway we got back, had a hot shower, which helped my back a bit. Now I need to decide what I am going to do tomorrow to sort my back out.

Not a lot in the way of photos, the route wasn't very nice, the weather was pants.

View attachment 76007

Dirty Bike
View attachment 76008

Robin investigating the big worm

View attachment 76009

This looks like it should be a nice path, actually it was horrid, strewn with litter, and a terrible surface.


View attachment 76010

A grey day in Abingdon.

View attachment 76011

The water pump in the cafe in Abingdon Town Hall basement, fed water to the town up until 1945.

View attachment 76012

A library photo of the town hall 'cos the on I took was pants.

I hope the back feels better soon.

 

[EltonFrog]

@BigonaBianchi Nice blog and photos today, it looks like a smashing place to ride.

 

[cosmicbike]

Well it was quite an eventful, before and after, ride today!
My lad came with me (he's 20) and we were meeting up with my ex at a certain spot, which has a tunnel leading through to a housing estate.
It's not the best of areas but we're local and never usually get any hassle from anyone.
I said to the lad we'd wait in the tunnel to shelter from the wind.
So we're standing there minding our own, when two lads of about 14 approached. Both on bikes, one smoking.
As they got nearer, the one smoking pulled a wheelie and as he touched the front wheel back down, he swerved deliberately into me, missing me by millimetres.
Well, I wasn't letting that go! So I shouted ''you little c*nt!'.
As they rode away laughing I heard his mate say 'She called you a c*nt'.

By this time my lad was off his bike, gloves off and was about to leg it towards them!
I stopped him
There was an older guy there, I thought he was with them, and he started shouting stuff....we couldn't hear what as they were at the other end of the tunnel by now.
I decided to ride up to the one who was mouthing off, and told him that yes, I had called him a c*nt, because he was acting like one! I also told him I had the incident on video (the go-pro wasn't running but he didn't know that!)
He wasn't so brave when I faced him up and he moved away and stopped gobbing off, and looked worried.
The man came over and I was ready to leg it at this point! He actually told the lads to f-off back home, and told the lad that he was in the wrong and he had saw what had happened. Phew!

Anyway, that was about it! The ride was good...wet, muddy, bit of a headwind but a nice 15 miles all the same. The boys left me on the hills but I bombed it on the flats, while they chatted at the back like old grannies

I got home and while I took a shower my lad washed Priscilla for me
I used some new shower stuff I got for Christmas. Mistake!!
I should know better, as I have a lot of sensitivities, but I've had a reaction to it....swollen, burning, red and itchy skin!

I am waiting to see if it dies down a bit before possibly visiting A&E for anti-histamines, which I had to do the last time I had a reaction! <insert medical gif here>

Soap for the mouth SL, though I imagine it sounded much like it did in my kitchen last week as I was putting up a new ceiling

 

[EltonFrog]

Soap for the mouth SL, though I imagine it sounded much like it did in my kitchen last week as I was putting up a new ceiling

Made me laugh.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

@BigonaBianchi Nice blog and photos today, it looks like a smashing place to ride.

Thanks! It's an amazing country for riding, lots and great scenery, traffic free roads mostly, and of course excellent weather

 

[Doyleyburger]

40 miler today, very fresh this morning and I think I may have found my new favourite pit stop. Met a couple of friends on route and headed off through Cardigan to the Cafe at Poppit sands. Met lots of new riders also which was good

 

[totallyfixed]

A tad chilly today as reported by just about everyone else, not cold enough for full fingered gloves but feet felt it a bit. Lovely and sunny when I set off [dr_pink thinks I am mad riding on ice so she is on the rollers], however 3 miles into the ride I meet this

The temperature dropped noticeably and the rear light was switched on, a couple of miles further on and I know I have to climb a 15% hill and wondering if I am going to get wheel spin, having no gears puts a lot of torque through the pedals so it could be "interesting". This is about a mile from the bottom of said hill

Plenty of grip as it turned out because for once the gritters had been out. The last couple of miles the roads were in the shade and 30mph on frost and ice was rather exhilarating

Only saw 2 others on bikes, they were on mtb's and looked slightly bemused to see me, I can only assume it was because I was on a road bike sans helmet.