Your ride today.... (part 1)

[gbb]

29 miles today, a mix of commuting and fitness riding this evening for an hour.
Lethargic this morning, possibly wearing too much clothing plus a headwind, homeward bound was fast but had a niggly side wind for several miles.
This evening just paced round town to avoid most of the wind, maintained good pace and gave it beans three times and really went for it, 26 mph on the flat each time until the lungs were screaming. Accelerated really quickly on the Ribble, no evidence of frame flex given i was out of the saddle giving it rock all.
Thoroughly enjoyed today....

 

[Edwards80]

Last night I extended my commute to go through Tatton Park/Knutsford/Wilmslow. The sun was out and it was awesome.

This morning my wife cycle commuted for the first time. I rode with her to her practice in Salford and then down to Altrincham through Chorlton Water park (Might need a CX bike now for the 50 mtr's that isn't tarmac ) Quite a nice ride.

I also got scalped for the 1st time this year by a chap on a nice looking carbon bike. I stayed with him but was doing 30mph to keep up. No way I was De-Scalping myself at that speed

 

[Brandane]

May got off to a good start. Weather ok apart from a strong breeze from the north east, but it's been there for about a month now. Headed down to Fairlie then climbed over the dreaded Fairlie Moor to Dalry, and on to Kilwinning. Was going to call it a day there because of the headwind I was going to face to get home, but when I got to the train station I had just missed a Largs train, and next one was not due for an hour. Instead I hopped on a train going the opposite direction to Johnstone.

From Johnstone I joined the Sustrans route to Kilmacolm, then cut across Garshangan (Land Rover track) to Loch Thom, and down the Brisbane Glen to Largs. 44 miles without getting wet! The Brooks saddle on the Secteur is getting noticeably more comfortable after about 120 miles and a few coats of proofhide. Long way to go before it's as good as the one on my Tricross which has done a few thousand miles now.

 

[Hebe]

First dry morning in a few days! I tried out a low-traffic route to my gir's new school, then rode out to Caen Hill Flight and back with a 5 mile detour loop. Just under 12 miles total.

 

[toroddf]

62 miles today with a dubious start with some rain. Paisley to Dalry on cycle path. Fairlie Moor (with it's must be 33 % drop road...scary !). Largs. Inverkip. Up to Loch Tom on the now closed road (taken by a huge landslip), but bikes can barely pass with caution. The sun was now out. Went to the visitor centre for the new national park and got info about how to walk from Largs over the moor to Lochwinnoch. No paths so a compass and map must be purchased. .....Back to the bike again. Went over Loch Tom and Whinhill Golf Course. Down to Greenock and out past Port Glasgow to the steep hill up towards Kilmacolm. Took the Auchenbothie Rd down to the cycle path which took me back to Paisley again.

Hard bikeride with a lot of big hills and a lot of sun. Loch Tom as brilliant as ever.

 

[Brandane]

Up to Loch Tom on the now closed road (taken by a huge landslip), but bikes can barely pass with caution. The sun was now out. Went to the visitor centre for the new national park and got info about how to walk from Largs over the moor to Lochwinnoch.

That answers my question on the other thread re road closures then! Do you happen to know if that walking route from Largs to Lochwinnoch is do-able on a mountain bike? I have looked at it on an OS map and it doesn't look like it, but the map may be out of date if they have built some sort of path. Presumably it would follow the path of the electricity pylons from the highest point of Brisbane Glen. Glad you liked the Fairlie Moor road; I did it yesterday but unfortunately it was the opposite direction to the way you went. You think it's never going to end, going up the way .

 

[toroddf]

Brandane. There is no walking route and no possibility for a bike whatsoever. The new national park is virginal territory and has no structures in that area. No paths and no routes. Nothing but nature and Prince William picking you up in a Sea King if you get lost. I rather not, so it is down to compass and a map.

My plan is to take the bus from Paisley to Haylie Reservoir. Then walk over all the big mountains back to the visitor centre in the valley going down to Lochwinnoch. Then bus back to Paisley. People are reported to do it and tells about a wonderful walk.

This area is full of wonderful challenges and crossing Clyde Muirshield from Largs to Lochwinnoch is one of them. Regard this as my playpen, a lot bigger than the one I had when I was a small toddler.

Edit: I did the Moor Rd/Fairlie Moor from the graveyard in Dalry for the first time today. The other time/the first time I did this was from Giffordland. The climb from the graveyard was miles better. I really like this road and it goes straight into my top five/ten of the best mountain climbs in this area/Scotland. It goes on for a bit though, but I don't mind as I do it once a year.

 

[doctornige]

Following alecstilleyedye in his CycleChat jersey around the sunny (!) lanes of Cheshire. We covered 25 miles at about 16mph. The funny part was me with 18 gears adapting to Alec on a fixie. The poor guy looked like something from a silent film with his legs whizzing around at eff-knows-what cadence.

First properly nice day for a week and a half. Lovely.

 

[doctornige]

Wee 29 min run round Chapel, Chinley and Whaley. Warmup lesson learned.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

21.6 miles today whizzing allover Glasgow and outskirts: things to do, places to go! Pleased to report no sore bits whatsoever, considering it was my first trip over 5 miles in one go.

 

[Jenkins]

Tuesday just gone - had the day off work so, following a grey wet & miserable morning which was perfect for getting indoor domestic chores completed, the afternoon turned enough to get out for a decent fun ride for the first time in what seems like weeks.

Got in 40 miles from home into Ipswich and then round the outskirts and back home, via Westerfield, Claydon, Bramford, Sproughton, and Bucklesham. Don't know whether it was the good weather or relief at being out but I managed an average of 18mph over the distance (fairly flat - about 850ft of uphill bits with nothing major) on a Triban 3 needing servicing (see the "fettling" thread for details).

 

[doctornige]

managed an average of 18mph over the distance (fairly flat - about 850ft of uphill bits with nothing major) on a Triban 3 needing servicing (see the "fettling" thread for details).

That's good going!

 

[vernon]

I had intended to do my first century today (an over distance 150km DIY Audax) and was going to do it on my Dave Yates Randonneur for speed. As I was lifting the bike into my car to drive to the start at York I spotted a crack in the handlebar clamp so had to abandon the notion. So on to plan B on the Woodrup Chimera - besides the saddle still has some miles to go to before it's broken in.

I set out to do sixty four miles in a DIY 100km Audax and ended up doing seventy five mikes because I got lost around Aberford. It's my own fault I didn't take a map and relied upon a smart phone which was reluctant to engage the services of some satellites to tel me where I was and which route I should take.

Intended route: Meanwood/Leeds, Barwick in Elmete, Aberford, Sherburn in Elmet, Selby, Snaith and back. I got lost in the environs of Aberford. The lack of road signs at junctions was not helpful. Still, it was a good workout.

 

[The Brewer]

On my own today, but it was good and I took time for a cake stop and when near home a beer stop

Train up to the Wirral and zig zagged home to Wrexham. Done this route a couple times nowso am starting to look at going south towards Shrewsbury and home through Cheshire

 

[toroddf]

75 miles today down the cycle path to Ayr and over Tarbolton back to Paisley again. A very cold ride. Minus five degrees has been forecasted for Caledonian Etape so good luck to you guys.