Your ride today.... (part 1)

[gbb]

39 miles today, a mix of short commuting and a lovely early evening ride. I'd forgotten how nice it is to go out at this time.
Took the old Raleigh because it looked like rain (its mudguarded). Bugger, it's still a lovely smooth bike to ride, shame i'm just a bit stretched out on it...what wierd geometry they used to have
Did get caught in one shower but just sheltered under a large tree till it passed, lucky really because there's lots of heavy cloud, interspersed with nice sunny patches.
1 Red Kite and a fox scampering across the road, it's a while since i've seen one.

Just seemed to fly tonight...you never know when you set out how it's going to feel, but i hardly even got out of breath, even the hills seemed easy, perhaps its the Diclofenac i took this morning...doping scandal

 

[Timmo]

I downloaded Endomondo to my phone today and took it out with me, got to say I was very impressed with it and when having a look at my ride on the website the specs etc are just endless. Not bad for a free app (not sure how much the pro version is)

Feel free to have a gander at my ride today:
http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/qiWzA5grNEM

 

[coffeejo]

Just back from a great day out with the club - loaded the bikes onto a trailer this morning and went to Budleigh Salterton, then cycled to Exmouth. We got the ferry across the estuary, cycled upriver, had lunch at a very nice pub which was doing a BBQ ... I had a burger and then went back for a hotdog

We got another ferry back across the Exe and then cycled down the opposite side, stopping off for an ice cream en route back to Budleigh.

Good food, sunshine by the sea and lots of laughs.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I and a group of others went from Fort Matilda to Greenock and back today to see the Tall Ships Race. I didn't get any blisters, get sore wrists or get amazingly wet, but we did pass a couple of large ships loading up with containers and, of course, The Waverly passed too.
When we finally got to The Tall Ships, we 'parked' at the ladder just beneath the stern of the big Polish ship and had a good wander round.
On the way back we certainly got bounced about a bit and got a little bit wet, but we made it back to Fort Matilda going almost non - stop.

From the last couple of days racing and doing journeys, by bum is now red raw from the hard wooden seats and I keep rocking about as if I am still out doing it all.

Now, as for this Cycling mallarkey, I might actually do some of it one of these days!

 

[biggs682]

apart from daily commute , i had a half mile round the block on a single speeder just finished bolting together . just need to finish cleaning and fine tuning all the peices together then start using

 

[Christopher]

Took the long way into work to-day, lovely day in Lancashire. However I rode over something sharp & had a bad puncture. Noted that when I put the new tube on I can see it through a hole in the tyre. I am sure it shouldn't be like that. Time for a new tyre...

 

[gbb]

49 miles...15mph north easterlies took me north of the A47 toward Wisbeach...boring boring flat flat countryside, not a hedge in sight to keep the headwind off. So many Droves, Fen Drove, Swan Drove, Cant Drove this drove, that drove, its easy to get lost out there.
Stopped at about 20 miles for some breakfast at a cafe...£6.50 for my breakfast that'd cost £4 at my normal cafe stop ..still, it was nice.
One possible sighting of a Marsh Harrier, definately not a Red Kite or Buzzard. There's a population of Marsh harriers about 10 miles from where i saw this one, so quite probable.

Just a meander, where ever my nose took me.

 

[HLaB]

I had my first ride in a week after a bug, a mamoth 1.5miles

 

[G-Zero]

50 miles offroad, Lanchester Valley NCN14 to Consett, then L. on to NCN7 (C2C) Waskerley Way to Park Head Station nr. Stanhope for a bacon butty and coffee.

Stiff headwind most of the way back, coming out of the NE which is unusual for this time of year. Took 10 minutes longer than last week over the same route when there was no wind, but still enjoyed it.

 

[HLaB]

I had my first ride in a week after a bug, a mamoth 1.5miles

I went out with my brother tonight and ended up doing another 53 miles and strangely felt good untill 51 miles (a couple of miles after I left him) but thats another story

 

[craigwend]

Yesterdays (well it is now) commute in under 96 minutes (26.6 round trip) combined,
was my fastest of the year,

may have had something to do with overtaking a more serious looking 'roadie' then having to keep 'steam up' to keep in front of him for about 3 miles he did draft me for a few miles after too

 

[Michiel]

Just got back from a shy-off 29 miles around fallowfield loop and transpennine trail. Awesomely good right although might have pushed myself a little bit too hard as the last 4 and definitely the last mile were purely on character. Still all in all .. glad I went out for a while

 

[Brandane]

Another excellent day out as the summer of leisure continues! Took the bike by car to Aberfoyle, from there headed north-west up past Stronachlachar to the west side of Loch Katrine. Then followed a tarmac road (no cars allowed) over the north side of the loch for about 14 miles until it ends at a visitors centre.

After a quick ice cream break and a short conversation in schoolboy French with a couple of our continental visitors, it was off to the south side of Loch Venachar on an off road route to Callendar. A short visit to Callendar, then I headed back to Aberfoyle via the NCN route. That is, off road on forestry tracks up to Loch Drunkie (a bit of a climb!) and then joined the road known as the Dukes pass for the long descent into Aberfoyle. 51 miles altogether.

One of many great views today:

 

[HLaB]

Is the route around the northern edge of Loch Katrine all tarmac ?

How did you gain access to the track on the south side of Loch Venachar and what sort of surface is it ?
I have a road bike with 28mm tyres

presumably after Calendar you re traced your route back along the south side of Venachar?

Yip, its a reasonably wide tarmacked road (bikes & ped only). The Trossachs Ton runs along it and the majority of riders will be on 23mm tyres.

The Path on the southside is a bit narrower but is quite good but doesn't go the whole way, some hills get in the way; the Tton takes the B829 at Stronachlachar.

Edit I found this on the web, the photos will give you an idea perhaps.

 

[Brandane]

Is the route around the northern edge of Loch Katrine all tarmac ?

How did you gain access to the track on the south side of Loch Venachar and what sort of surface is it ?
I have a road bike with 28mm tyres

presumably after Calendar you re traced your route back along the south side of Venachar?

As HLaB says, the Loch Katrine path is wide, tarmac, and a very nice surface (much better than the roads around there!). I was on my Tricross with 32mm tyres.

To access the track to the south of Loch Venachar, head out on the road towards Aberfoyle (from the car park at the east side of Loch Katrine). You can if you choose, follow the road all the way to Callendar but it might be busy depending on the season. Where the road forks with the choice of Callendar or Aberfoyle, take the Aberfoyle road. You pass over a river, with a hotel on your right, then about half a mile later there is a not very obvious path off to the left, down a hill. This is quite rough, but after another half mile or so it joins up with the NCN route on a wide forestry track. This goes on for a few miles before joining a minor road that goes to Callendar.

To get back to Aberfoyle, I retraced my tracks back along Loch Venachar until the signs for the NCN route took me up a long hill on forest track to Loch Drunkie. Thanks to missing a sign, I ended up on the downhill section of the Dukes Pass much sooner than I was supposed to (no bad thing!). I am not familiar with the Dukes Pass road coming from the east side of Loch Katrine, it might be a better option to stay on the road rather than use the off road alternative.