Your ride today.... (part 1)

[vernon]

Went out to do my first Audax of the season - an Eastern Peaks Mesh permanent route. On the Mesh it showed up as 100km exactly. On the roads it turned into 115 km.

Still I managed to average 12mph for my first ride over 40km this year which I consider to be satisfactory for my degree of porkiness.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've been commuting further than normal recently and took a day off yesterday. Back in the saddle today but I discovered about 2 miles into my ride to work that my legs had taken 2 days off. 24 miles of sheer pain. Mind you, the beer's tasting particularly good tonight and somehow I feel like I've earned it. I only hope my legs are back tomorrow.

 

[Kirstie]

Blimeygosh that was a stiff one! Just 25 miles of all-out-non-stop grind, hanging on to my husband's back wheel for grim death in dangerously windly conditions. I've got arse ache now.

 

[Archie_tect]

I've had it too... 32 miles,
up to Capheaton, discovered the cafe opens at 10
...across to Hallington against the wind and down to and up The Ryals and then a fast wind assisted run back home via Stamfordham!

 

[Tollers]

Probably did my toughest ride ever today. Only 47 miles, but with over 5000 feet of climbing i'm left in pain.

When i was a kid i used to lust over the Marin Bear Valley, so i was kinda excited when i rode through the town it's named after. Sadly the road wasn't so exciting and after the hills to get there i was already suffering.

Anyway. Tired, but proud of myself http://connect.garmi...tivity/87114067

I do enjoy chasing these 2 though ...

 

[Toeclip]

A bit breezy out but I managed to do my longest ride of the year at just over 76 miles.

 

[HLaB]

It was really windy/ changeable today but I decided to go for a ride anyway, 112 miles with a loop of Loch Earn in the Trossachs. The weather near the Loch particularly seemed to change in seconds! in between I managed to snap a few pics on my journey:
Kinkell Bridge


Mor Bheinn


Banks of Loch Earn


Lochearnhead


Bridge Street, Comrie


Edit For some reason the GPS missed out 2.36miles (maybe it was switched off when a gust blew over the bike just before the Comrie Photo) so it was actually 114.8 miles :-)
Edit Bejesus, at the west end of my ride (Glen Ogle) the met office recorded 38mph winds and 63mph gusts.

 

[craigwend]

Time to test my new tyres - Schwalbe Marathon + (had considered Conti Top Contact, but just silly prices...)

the weather forecast said the worst of the rain had finished; the clouds looked a bit dark, but no worry I had my baragain lidl/aldi rainjacket....


First seven miles all going fine a few spots of rain - nothing to worry about, tyres much better than my old conti top touring, maybe the extra pounds you can pump them up helped?, maybe the fact they had tread and were not a little bit 'slick' ...

A few spots of rain get a bit faster, time to put on the 'showerproof' rain jacket...

well the guy who said the end of the world was last week got it wrong - for the next 8 miles it ended on me, in a torrent of biblical proportions of wet stuff

arrived home - the garage was open, the family had taken pity on me, the girls even had a towel ready for me, most of my kit was so wet it went straight into the washing machine (half done!) or airing cupbaord - shoes & gloves...


So there you have it 'Schwalbe Marathon +' are rubbish! they cant stop torrentail rain (& there not hard to fit either ) don't know what the fuss is about

 

[HLaB]

I serviced my rear hub for the first time on Tuesday night and wanted to test it on Wednesday night but I had a rugrat attach himself to my ankles all evening and never got free till half eight. He done the same tonight but I managed to sneak away at seven for 54 miles, the first 20 miles are pretty slow but it was mostly climbing and into a headwind but judging by the 4 laps after, the job's a good one. I love cycling in the Perthshire hills at twilight, they are full of wild deer just now :-)

 

[gbb]

29 miles today, 8 miles commuting this morning and 21 miles this afternoon. Heavyish winds saw me down to 12 mph on the outrun, nothing in the legs, its all hard work at the moment
On the plus side, a nice easy tailwind once i turned back

One massive Red kite being mobbed by a crow, greenfinch and a green woodpecker.
East of england Showground (just up the road from me) is hosting the UK Modified Nationals, so Oundle Road's like Santa Pod, every kind of souped up car blatting along, music blaring out of open windows.

Got to get my mojo back....it really is hard work at the moment.

 

[Archie_tect]

Not allowed out until my S+D bug's gone. Yuk.

Suppose I could lay a trail....

 

[asterix]

A few miles on the flat..

I too saw a deer, in the road. It didn't run very fast as I was catching it up until it nipped through the hedge and bounded away over the wheat.

 

[endoman]

38 miles this afternoon, bit windy coming back, but very enjoyable, getting easier a month into cycling.

 

[WindyRob]

My work moves in early August and between now and then i get the odd opportunity to work from the new place; it's just under 9 miles. So today i cycle commuted for the first time in 2 years. Happy as a pig in poo!

August the 8th can't come quick enough.

 

[HLaB]

An eventful 108 miles for me today, I headed to Glen Quaich

I reckon these houses must have one of the best views in Britain



The camera phone doesn't do it justice and cant do 360deg either ;-)



Then at the end of at the end of what seems a road to nowhere a little path snakes up the hill, its actually the main road

Again the camera phone doesn't do it justice and somebody had a fire going, behind that smoke a road snakes up to the top of the hill; almost exactly where the smoke intersects the top of the hill is the top of the road.



At the top of the said road



And yes I cycled up ;-)



All normal so far!

On the descent to Loch Tay and Kenmore is where it got eventful.

Loch Tay



The 360 and compulsory bike spot.



The observant may notice a spoke missing from the front wheel, it popped at the start of the descent at about 55 miles (about 70 planned miles to go). I wrapped it round another spoke. When I got to the bottom a mini bus stopped and a cool driver (I think he said his name was Geoff) got out and removed it properly unfortunately he confirmed what I thought there was no lbs in the village. The wheel of course was fairly out of true so I loosened the barrel adjuster and continued as the bigger town of Aberfeldy was near by, on the way out I snapped this shot.



No lbs in Aberfeldy either ! so I phoned to say I'd be late home and continued on up out of the town. About Halfway up a fairly stiff climb (about the 70mile mark) incident number two snapped gear cable, eek. I had planned on a couple more hills but in a 52/11 or 38/11 I decided against it. I thought about adjusting the limit screws but decided against it. About 90 miles I got a phonecall offering assistance (a lift) I didn't want to take it but when they insisted I agreed, 18mile later I got picked up :-)