Your ride today.... (part 1)

[EltonFrog]

38 miles up into the Blackdown Hills. Was meant to be challenging but fun. Challenging? Yes. Could also be described as agonising, exhausting and soul-destroying ... though coming back off the hills via Staple Fitzpaine was indeed fun and is my new favourite descent.

View attachment 17328
West Buckland church - photo taken against the sun as I liked the effect of it silhouetted against the Blackdowns.

Like that photo.

Staple Fitzpaine. What a great name.

 

[coffeejo]

Staple Fitzpaine. What a great name.

The etymology is almost as good:

Around the crossroads at Staple Fitzpaine there are several large sandstone boulders. They are called devilstones and are said to have been thrown by the Devil from Castle Neroche (some went over Staple to land in the Witch Lodge area, another he tossed back over his shoulder into West Buckland). According to legend if you prick them with a pin they draw blood. The English word 'Stapol' means pillar or post and it is thought likely that this gave the village the first part of its name.The second part of the name comes from the Fitzpaine family who owned the manor between 1233 and 1393.

There are loads of great names in the area. Piddle Wood, Booby's Copse, the village of Beercrocombe (home to Beer Street). Oh, and there's a road in Taunton called Lady Lawn. I nearly fell off my bike the first time I rode past there.

 

[EltonFrog]

There are loads of great names in the area. Piddle Wood, Booby's Copse, the village of Beercrocombe (home to Beer Street). Oh, and there's a road in Taunton called Lady Lawn. I nearly fell off my bike the first time I rode past there.

I think I'd like to visit Booby's Copse.

 

[numbnuts]

I only did a quick ride today just 6.5 miles, but I rode like the bats out of hell

 

[coffeejo]

I think I'd like to visit Booby's Copse.

There's also a Nappy Copse. I don't want to go there. Or Cock Hat Covert.

 

[EltonFrog]

Not today, but a ride down Kirkstone Pass on the 18th October last year. My first video on my new camera on that day and today is the first time I have uploaded anything on the tube of U. I hope it works and I beg your indulgence.


View: http://youtu.be/aJ6ybkiLmM8


Distance: 27.02 mi
Time: 2:44:56
Avg Speed: 9.8 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,620 ft

Avg Speed: 9.8 mph
Avg Moving Speed: 10.7 mph
Max Speed: 42.1 mph

 

[Standoff]

Fifty miles in the dark. Too soon. Not fit enough. Not recovered from the thirty two days ago (especially backside) which was first long ride since September. Lesson learnt. Oh and I need some over shoe things...feet were like ice. Cheap Chinese light was only positive. Don't feel particularly good at the moment...

 

[EltonFrog]

Fifty miles in the dark. Too soon. Not fit enough. Not recovered from the thirty two days ago (especially backside) which was first long ride since September. Lesson learnt. Oh and I need some over shoe things...feet were like ice. Cheap Chinese light was only positive. Don't feel particularly good at the moment...

Take it easy there fella, no point in making yerself ill. Get some over shoes they are fab.

 

[Old Plodder]

First time on the bike this year for me.........20 mins on the turbo........hope to be fit enough again when we get the nice weather.

 

[EltonFrog]

16.10 today on a cold foggy morning. Will it ever be warm again?

 

[Paddygt]

Not today, but a ride down Kirkstone Pass on the 18th October last year. My first video on my new camera on that day and today is the first time I have uploaded anything on the tube of U. I hope it works and I beg your indulgence.

That scared the poo out of me just watching it!!!! And you did this on the bike featured in your Avatar??? Amazing

 

[Jussi Halonen]

A nice looking blonde at the party I'm attending. Hopefully.

 

[EltonFrog]

That scared the poo out of me just watching it!!!! And you did this on the bike featured in your Avatar??? Amazing

It was great fun, but of course I had to come back up that hill!

I was riding this https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...&bih=672&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&authkey=CJ7Wt7bKtvKIXQ

42.1 mph down that hill according to my Garmin.

 

[guitarpete247]

Just rode into town to get some theatre tickets for March (The Killing of Sister George) at local theatre. Off work so used bike not car as had daylight. Too late to go out after work at the mo so not able to get out much, busy at home and shopping at weekend.
But did 13 miles on MTB as seen here on Sports Tracker .

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just a quick run on one of my regular routes today out to Acton Burnell.

It was snowing lightly this morning which should give an idea of how cold it was out. I wasn't sure whether I'd encounter any ice so I took the precaution of dropping my tyre pressures a bit to give a bigger footprint. This worked and the bike felt really planted throughout the ride but it also felt noticably slower than normal.

Despite this I did manage to catch up and pass another rider (one of only 4 cyclists I encountered today - I wonder why) . When he noticed me coming up behind him he seemed to take it as a challenge and stood on the pedals to make a break for it. That lasted just over half a mile before he ran out of puff and I was able to sail past.

There is snow on the Long Mynd and a little bit on the tops of the Lawley and Caer Caradoc. I took pictures but as it was a bit misty they haven't come out brilliantly. This is about as good as they got:

The snow capped mountains of Shropshire.

If the promised snow comes over the next few days I should be able to get some proper pics.

Todays trip was 18.75 miles at an average of 12.1 mph