Your ride today.... (part 1)

[jayonabike]

66 miles today. Met up with 2 mates at 9 a.m for a ride through Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Bedfordshire. Lovely blue skies, cold crisp air & glorious sunshine. Stopped at our usual coffee stop and then rode part of a different loop we do to extend the ride home. Great morning on the bike.

 

[Saluki]

We went out for a quickie this afternoon. We meant to go out earlier but my phone had no charge so we needed to leave it an hour to get it off 'gasping' and to at least 'decent' charge. We meant to follow a previous 20 mile route but left the map behind and figured that we could remember it. We nearly remembered it anyway. We did 19.99 miles and averaged 12.35mph which, bearing in mind the mud on the roads that we had to slow right down for, was fine. It was bloomin' cold though. Hubby forgot his gloves and only had his mitts, I forgot my buff so a right pair of numpties today.

 

[weebag]

6.6 miles today...recovering from sciatica and its all I could manage. Looking forward to some better runs soon.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

20 miles today. Through Manvers, up to Elsecar (nice steam trains ), Timberland Trail and TPT to the church near Tankersley then back along the road via Hoyalnd Common, Harley and Wentworth. Knackered now but smiling, and the little kneesies aren't hurting!

Yes and I do have a habit of saying hello to everyone, cos life's great!!

 

[Ron-da-Valli]

25 mile ride to Llandudno and back. As soon as I set off it clouded over. Decided to head to west for a change into the wind only to find it changed direction on the way back!

 

[Glow worm]

Another sparkling Sunday here. I had planned to go up into the Suffolk 'hills' behind Newmarket (some routes are as high as 350 feet altitude!), but bone idleness got the better of me, and I didn't want to risk altitude sickness. So I opted for a 17 mile loop of the flat country along the Lodes Way. I also fancied simply getting away from the infernal combustion engine, as much of this route is blissfully car-free.
This is a view of Devils Dyke near a place called Reach. Burwell Church in the background. The picture is taken from a bridge over the old Cambridge to Mildenhall railway line.

Near Wicken Fen they are using konik horses to graze the land. Not as close as they normally are in this pic sadly.

Many of the waterways hereabouts are called lodes. This is Burwell Lode looking north west from the bridge. (Good job I have a new saddle ordered!)

Another part of the route...

Then it was up to Reach Lode Bridge for some owl spotting. 5 short eared owls were here yesterday apparently, today I only saw 3 but well worth it. Seems like the presence of the owls has alerted the wider birding community as a lot more cars were parked around the place than last week (as close to the route as they could get). Lots of fellas about with them enormous tripod things. Shame serious birdwatching seems to be something that requires a car to carry all the kit around in. Luckily for me, I'm an amateur, and happy with bins and a bike. Heading home it was beginning to get really cold as dusk set in but another barn owl in pretty much the same place as last time (Swaffham Prior) made up for it!
Last pic, one of the ponds at Wicken Fen....

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Dry but cold here today and shock horror I tried a different route. I started off climbing over Lyth Hill to Exfords Green and then headed west to Arscott, Lea Cross, Hinton Asterley and Minsterley. From Minsterley I climbed over the hills to Habberley before heading to Pulverbatch and joining the route I often do to Wilderley, Dorrington, Condover and home.

I've never ridden the lanes round the Lea Cross and Asterley areas before so it was nice to try something new, although I could have done without the morons in an orange Corsa who screamed something incomprehensible at me at Lea Cross.

I only took a few pictures today and most of them have come out quite badly so this is what's left:

Looking towards the distinctive shape of Earls Hill and Pontesford Hill from Arscott.

Near Minsterley and looking towards the Long Mountain (not to be confused with the Long Mynd)

Looking down on Minsterley. It's not a pretty place in honesty. If you've had a cream based dessert from a supermarket, there is a chance it was made at the factory down there.

26 miles at an average 11mph this time.

 

[RhythMick]

Frosty 50 miles from home IN Silkstone to parents home in Eakring, lovely day for it.

 

[Lee_M]

Managed to get out for a 35 mile trip round Epping and ongar and managed to up my average to 17.2

Nice and sunny too!

 

[Lee_M]

20 miles today. Through Manvers, up to Elsecar (nice steam trains ), Timberland Trail and TPT to the church near Tankersley then back along the road via Hoyalnd Common, Harley and Wentworth. Knackered now but smiling, and the little kneesies aren't hurting!

Yes and I do have a habit of saying hello to everyone, cos life's great!!

Ooh I feel all homesick!

 

[coffeejo]

Another sparkling Sunday here. I had planned to go up into the Suffolk 'hills' behind Newmarket (some routes are as high as 350 feet altitude!), but bone idleness got the better of me, and I didn't want to risk altitude sickness. So I opted for a 17 mile loop of the flat country along the Lodes Way. I also fancied simply getting away from the infernal combustion engine, as much of this route is blissfully car-free.

If my parents hadn't moved to the wilds of west Wales when I was a nipper, I would have grown up around there.

 

[Thomk]

41 miles, an old hilly training route of mine. Too cold for my clothes despite the clear sky and sunshine ....or to be more precise, I didn't put enough clothes on .
I went slower than I've ever done that route before and am now bushed.

 

[coffeejo]

38 miles doing a variation of one of my favourite loops, heading up to the coast and then coming back along the borders of Exmoor. As the sun sank lower and lower, it got colder and colder and I was just starting to think that I should have gone out earlier in the day when I passed a gateway and saw this:

Cold toes and fingers? Totally worth it.

 

[MattHB]

just an hour on the turbo for me this evening. some FTP work. went well and I feel much more recovered after the massive dose of man-plague that Ive had for 2 weeks!

 

[HLaB]

I had a great ride up to Oakham to meet Totally Fixed, Dr Pink, Dave r, Kiwi Sal and Poacher for a fabulous Rutland Forum Ride and a great cafe stop (how many times can I say great, oh that was the Rutland Thread); I cheated on the way back and took the train