coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
Your ride today.... (part 1)
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
- Status
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I think the winter gear will be making a re-appearance!
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
It's just started 
here - first time in about 3 weeks. Hope it's dry for tomorrow night's pub ride. That or a few degrees colder. It's too warm to ride in waterproofs but too cold without them. I hate spring!
here - first time in about 3 weeks. Hope it's dry for tomorrow night's pub ride. That or a few degrees colder. It's too warm to ride in waterproofs but too cold without them. I hate spring!
Monsieur Remings
Guru
- Location
- Yatton UK
90 miles today in 4h 45.
Mother Nature made sure that I felt the whiplash of some pretty strong crosswind today, particularly on the ride home. Maybe time to change over the carbon deep-sections for something more sensible? The net result was I spent most of the second half of my ride on the drops, fearing each and every HGV leaving a gust of crosswind the other side of it, ready to send me into the gutter. My lower position made me feel a bit safer than higher up the bike.
And yellow lenses really are pretty weird. With those things it's always a beautiful day when actually, it was pretty overcast for a lot of the ride but nowhere near as bad as I expected.
Clevedon - Yatton - Congresbury - A38 - Cheddar Gorge - Priddy Crossroads - Cheddar Gorge - Wedmore - Glastonbury - Street - A39 - Bridgwater - A38 - WSM - A370 - Congresbury - Claverham - Clevedon.
Mother Nature made sure that I felt the whiplash of some pretty strong crosswind today, particularly on the ride home. Maybe time to change over the carbon deep-sections for something more sensible? The net result was I spent most of the second half of my ride on the drops, fearing each and every HGV leaving a gust of crosswind the other side of it, ready to send me into the gutter. My lower position made me feel a bit safer than higher up the bike.
And yellow lenses really are pretty weird. With those things it's always a beautiful day when actually, it was pretty overcast for a lot of the ride but nowhere near as bad as I expected.
Clevedon - Yatton - Congresbury - A38 - Cheddar Gorge - Priddy Crossroads - Cheddar Gorge - Wedmore - Glastonbury - Street - A39 - Bridgwater - A38 - WSM - A370 - Congresbury - Claverham - Clevedon.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Well I managed to get a lull in the weather when the gusts were only 34mph and met a few mates for a few laps round a local housing estate.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Its freezing and windy at the moment 
but at least its stopped snowing, so I took the opportunity to go out for a wee spin with my brother round Loch Leven in the knowledge that it was a NE wind for a change and we'd be blown back to his place. Typical though the winds eased off by the time they were behind us! I had thought of going over Cleish Hill (the shortest route) but the white verges we encountered en route changed that plan 
I ended up doing 46.67miles by the time I got home in the dark.
but at least its stopped snowing, so I took the opportunity to go out for a wee spin with my brother round Loch Leven in the knowledge that it was a NE wind for a change and we'd be blown back to his place. Typical though the winds eased off by the time they were behind us! I had thought of going over Cleish Hill (the shortest route) but the white verges we encountered en route changed that plan I ended up doing 46.67miles by the time I got home in the dark.
Monsieur Remings
Guru
- Location
- Yatton UK
100.7 miles today in 5h 26.
Normally of course, Thursday would be child-rearing day, but with the fairer half on Easter holidays, today like Tuesday, magically transformed into being bike riding day. The compromise? Meet you for lunch of course, down at my Dad's where my youngest is beginning to recognise lycra man who suddenly appears out of nowhere as his father. Some nice lunch and I set off home.
If I thought Tuesday was bad, today was a trifle on the brutal side. Talk about crosswind city, the way back was largely hideous...can I say that on a cycling forum? You know, about cycling? A few spots on the way I felt the lucky lash of Father Wind moving me onwards but mostly it was an utter b*st*rding slog, grinding out the miles with only my little Zipvits for a friend. Spent a lot of time on the drops again... it was kinda' necessary.
Normally of course, Thursday would be child-rearing day, but with the fairer half on Easter holidays, today like Tuesday, magically transformed into being bike riding day. The compromise? Meet you for lunch of course, down at my Dad's where my youngest is beginning to recognise lycra man who suddenly appears out of nowhere as his father. Some nice lunch and I set off home.
If I thought Tuesday was bad, today was a trifle on the brutal side. Talk about crosswind city, the way back was largely hideous...can I say that on a cycling forum? You know, about cycling? A few spots on the way I felt the lucky lash of Father Wind moving me onwards but mostly it was an utter b*st*rding slog, grinding out the miles with only my little Zipvits for a friend. Spent a lot of time on the drops again... it was kinda' necessary.
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
A very lumpy 39 miles this afternoon. Went up the main road to Dunster, hung a left at the castle and went up and up and and up and up and up to Wheddon Cross. The ride home across the Brendons is a bit of an oxygen-deprived blur but I hit a new top speed of 41.2mph. Am oh so very glad I had my eyes firmly closed and so couldn't see those numbers flash up on the computer! 
*waves to all the cyclists who were merrily zooming down to Dunster as I crawling upwards. Barstewards the lot of ya!*
*waves to all the cyclists who were merrily zooming down to Dunster as I crawling upwards. Barstewards the lot of ya!*
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Great Ride and Great Company
The three of us first headed up Pilmuir Street to Crieff (a bit of an uphill slog if anybody knows it), we then cut along to Comrie and the Tullybonachar Cafe, where of course I had to order a Fruit Scone
After we were suitably refreshed we then headed to Loch Earnhead along the north bank of the Loch and down through the Trossach to Callender. True to their word the Police were busy with Operation Ironworks and the place was crawling with them (and not on Push bikes for a change
) as a few errant speeders found out
We had planned on doing the DCC TTT route but we missed the turn of to Dunblane
and headed to Stirling via the Raploch. We then headed towards Alloa where the speed was 19.1mph at that point; not surprisingly I began to run out of steam there too and I was delighted when it was suggested the cycle path to Alloa. The roads started to become quite wet at that point and although we got a few showers on the way, it looks like we traversed round the worst of it
We then headed by Clackmannan and along the coast to Dunfermline at a more sustainable pace and for the 102 miles in total, the average fell to 18.6mph (18.7mph moving). Needless to say I then cycled home slowly 
The three of us first headed up Pilmuir Street to Crieff (a bit of an uphill slog if anybody knows it), we then cut along to Comrie and the Tullybonachar Cafe, where of course I had to order a Fruit Scone
After we were suitably refreshed we then headed to Loch Earnhead along the north bank of the Loch and down through the Trossach to Callender. True to their word the Police were busy with Operation Ironworks and the place was crawling with them (and not on Push bikes for a change
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
Cheers for posting that, my legs no longer hate me so muchWe then headed towards Alloa where the speed was 19.1mph at that point; not surprisingly I began to run out of steam there too and I was delighted when it was suggested the cycle path to Alloa. The roads started to become quite wet at that point and although we got a few showers on the way, it looks like we traversed round the worst of itWe then headed by Clackmannan and along the coast to Dunfermline at a more sustainable pace and for the 102 miles in total, the average fell to 18.6mph (18.7mph moving). Needless to say I then cycled home slowly
Glow worm
Legendary Member
- Location
- Near Newmarket
A nice two part 38 miler from my parent's house in North West Norfolk (near Holkham) back home. Started out in rain showers around Syderstone so spent a while sheltering in some woodland where a nuthatch and I startled eachother in the gloom. The cold made me worry for the three early swallows I had spotted in the grounds of Holkham Hall yesterday. The blackthorn blossom is out though, and really stunning in places. The deer at Houghton Hall and a swooping red kite at Anmer were highlights (the 1st red kite I've ever seen in Norfolk) and the glide down the hill into King's Lynn via West Newton on the Sandringham Estate and Castle Rising was a joy. Great to see lots of folks out on their bikes despite the cold and damp. Some really courteous drivers too including a WVM who waited patiently for ages for me to puff past on a narrow lane and gave a cheery wave. I often feel there is no friendlier place than rural Norfolk and it is always a real pleasure to be there. As a fairly rootless person, it is the place I most readily call home, and with some pride too.
Dodging the 'trying to look hard but not quite pulling it off' hoodies around LynnSport brought me to King's Lynn station where a welcome cuppa was superb as always. I reckon they make by far the best tea in any railway station caff there. A quick half hour train ride to Ely from where I caught a rare but welcome tailwind that blew me home down Sustrans route 11, first alongside the River Ouse, (past a pair of gay ducks- two canoodling drakes anyway!) then through Barway, Padney and Wicken Fen, then onto the Lodes Way, (where I passed JME of the blog Keep Pushing those Pedals fame - I think he was engrossed in The Archers on his iPod as he often is, as he was in a world of his own!). A left turn down Swaffham Bulbeck Lode Drove then saw me home in time to listen to the Norwich match on R. Norfolk, where we were robbed by an utterly incompetent ref, but that's for another thread!
Dodging the 'trying to look hard but not quite pulling it off' hoodies around LynnSport brought me to King's Lynn station where a welcome cuppa was superb as always. I reckon they make by far the best tea in any railway station caff there. A quick half hour train ride to Ely from where I caught a rare but welcome tailwind that blew me home down Sustrans route 11, first alongside the River Ouse, (past a pair of gay ducks- two canoodling drakes anyway!) then through Barway, Padney and Wicken Fen, then onto the Lodes Way, (where I passed JME of the blog Keep Pushing those Pedals fame - I think he was engrossed in The Archers on his iPod as he often is, as he was in a world of his own!). A left turn down Swaffham Bulbeck Lode Drove then saw me home in time to listen to the Norwich match on R. Norfolk, where we were robbed by an utterly incompetent ref, but that's for another thread!
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
After the last few miles I've done, I decided to take the shorter slower bun run to the Loganlea cafe, only to find the faster group had stopped there too, subsequently my plans for a relaxed ride vanished on the hill after the cafe
Hacienda71
Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
- Location
- Wilmslow, Cheshire
40 miles mostly in the hills, Brickworks, Pyms Chair into the Goyt and out past the Cat and Fiddle down through Macc Forrest then back via Birtles. Apart from a lovely ride the most noteable incident was about three miles from home blasting along the shared pedestrian cycle lane on the A34 Alderley bypass, when the chap who was walking to the rhs for the last 200 yards decided to move to the left just as I was about to pass him at circa 25 mph. The avoidance measure I had to take, ended with a trip onto the grass back onto the tarmac and what I beleive a motorcyclist would refer to as a tank slapper in the vein of Randy Mamola. Not sure how I stayed on the bike. Must have looked good..........
Best ride so far for me. Just over 20 miles, and I was ready to give up and go home after 5. 5 days of commuting left me thinking I needed a good rest, but went out anyway.
All on local cycle paths, did my first sub 3-minute mile, and kept around that pace for around 6 miles. Average speed of 14.7mph - added almost 2mph in 4 weeks or regular cycling. Puts me dead on 100 miles for the week.
Hopefully I'm not suffering for it on tomorrow's commute
All on local cycle paths, did my first sub 3-minute mile, and kept around that pace for around 6 miles. Average speed of 14.7mph - added almost 2mph in 4 weeks or regular cycling. Puts me dead on 100 miles for the week.
Hopefully I'm not suffering for it on tomorrow's commute
Nearly there
Veteran
- Location
- Cumbria
Im still looking out the window thinking about it
- Status
