Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Hitchington]

Well, in case anyone hadn't noticed we have had a bit of snow so, having changed tyres on the knockabout bike the other day I had to get out and have a play.

I went over Lyth Hill and did figure of 8 route around the Longden and Exfords Green area. The snow was coming down pretty well but to be honest there wasn't too much under foot as the wind was blowing it round so much.

The biggest problem was that there were small drifts across the road whereever there was a gate or a gap in the hedge which made things interesting as the front wheel tended to kick to one side while going through it.

I bottled out on one descent (Lythbank) and decided to walk down it as I've been caught out trying to ride down a steep hill in the past. Not long after this I caught up with a snowplough that had passed me. The driver had to stop as his wipers had frozen up and he couldn't clear the screen.

I encountered one other cyclist who I could see in the distance but was faster than me so I didn't catch him.

Today's trip was 12.1 miles at a cautious average of 8 mph.

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Lyth Hill. The snow is blowing across horizontally.

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Nearing the top of Lyth Hill. White wall tyres anyone?

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At the top of the hill. Not much of a view today.

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Long Lane. A bit different to when I was here in summer.

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Snow sculpted by the wind.

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Not far from home now.

It's like watching the invisible man go for a bike ride

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

It's like watching the invisible man go for a bike ride

You mean you can't see me in my nice white suit?

 

[EltonFrog]

You mean you can't see me in my nice white suit?

No, but isn't that a white cat in the middle distance?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

No, but isn't that a white cat in the middle distance?

I didn't see it (so that's what the odd squeak was).

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I feel a bit smug as I hear all the bus services in Shrewsbury have been suspended due to the snow. Seriously, it's not that bad out there!

Well done, Phil: still not an snow flake here.
If the snow comes, all train and buses will come to a halt. We may as well half cycle, half walk up the road.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Well done, Phil: still not an snow flake here.

Thankyou.

If the snow comes, all train and buses will come to a halt. We may as well half cycle, half walk up the road.

Very true. This hasn't always been the case though. Trains could once cope with a bit of snow. So much for modern technology.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl4pJwcE7JI

 

[HLaB]

Got up to this this morning and after yesterday's commute (on main roads!) I decided no riding for me.

After a while though I decided to scout out the condition of the main roads in the light before Monday's commute. To my relief they weren't bad any more and I kinda got carried away and 3hours later I got back.

 

[r80]

Cracking ride today on the hybrid. 40mm Land cruiser meant I had about a dozen tank slappers (including one scary one where my brakes were clogged with snow at 20mph). Got beached in 8in of snow and rode over some ice which cracked leaving me in a 1/2 ft puddle. Another fun day in the snow

 

[DCLane]

46 miles in the snow on the Python MTB this morning, including going round in a circle because I got lost on top of the Pennines in a white-out; http://app.strava.com/activities/37977182

There was very little traffic up there; the only 3 people in the cafe on Royd Moor were myself plus two other riders from the same club

 

[Accy cyclist]

22.66 miles taking 1 hour 43 minutes, but i had to negotiate some seriously slippery side roads. So i'm happy that i stayed upright and did the miles and conditions i might have chickened out of last winter. Mudguards rule!!! I'm a convert!...but only for winter!

 

[craigwend]

dusted down the mtb (pic from 2010 in the snow)

just a short blast of 6 miles accross the snow, but some tarmac,

a lot of fun

 

[Phil485]

I did 7 miles on the mtb. Playing on local paths and some local roads. Good fun, playing in the snow and ice.
Still want to get another 50 to 60 miles in this month which might be tricky with the forecast.

 

[Hacienda71]

28 cold windy main road miles for me today . Wilmslow, Alderley, Congleton, Macclesfield and back to Wilmslow. Not the most inspiring of rides found myself swearing at myself and the bike on one section when the head wind was particularly cold and strong. Fortunately no one was in close to me to hear the profanities that I was coming out with. Also found I was losing chain tension on my winter bike when free wheeling I think due to a freehub that is getting old and sticky.
Better than watching TV though.

 

[Glow worm]

At last, some proper snow hereabouts, after a week of faffing about snizzling (I made that word up and quite like it- snow/ drizzle), I went out to have a play on my new Marathon studded tyres. I chose a 20 mile or so route out along the Lodes way, a largely car free network of routes out on the Fens north of Cambridge.

Just a light covering to start with here nere a village called Lode

I saw no one else out on bikes at all today apart from one roadie who had me chuckling as he whizzed past me on the road next to the cycle path I was on, and then inexplicably, dived onto the path just ahead of me. He was all over the place on the ice and slowed down to walking pace as I breezed past him and his no doubt slightly bruised ego. Talk about 'all the gear and no idea'! A bit further along, no one about at all....

The drains (or Lodes) as they're known hereabouts have started to freeze over- this is Reach Lode taken from the new bridge.

Close to Wicken Fen now and the highland cattle looked at home in the snow...

The verges next to this track are home to a glow worm colony. I hope they are tucked up underneath this lot...

Understandably, not much wildlife abouttoday, just the usual roe deer, flocks of fieldfares and a few lapwing and snipe, though I did accidentally spook a barn owl out of a verge at one stage. After a welcome brew at Wicken Fen cafe, I sauntered home as it began to get dark, on about 2-3 inches of fresh snow that was a real joy to cycle through, and I'm dead pleased with the studded tyres.

 

[Standoff]

Another hour of hell on the rollers. I hope I can still ride on the road without the leg pain I'm encountering on rollers!