Your ride today.... (part 1)

[nickyboy]

Toughest ride for ages yesterday. 52 miles, 5,000ft climbing and the wind....oh, the wind. Gusting 35-40mph, Woodhead Pass closed to high sided vehicles. Over the Snake Pass to Hathersage all tailwind so set a few PBs. Then a really tough headwind all the way to Monsal Head. Bottled out of Winnats (hard enough at the best of times but with a massive headwind?) and made the mistake of taking a main road to Chapel-en-le-Frith. Huge sidewinds, loads of trucks....so I took a detour through Tideswell.

Very pretty area...but really hilly and exposed and yet more headwinds. Finally got to Chapel and then over Chinley Head and Chunal with monster sidewinds back to Glossop. I was cooked and set my 3rd slowest ever time up Chunal

Still it's all good training I suppose but only me and a few fellow idiots out yesterday

 

[Toeclip]

Just a short ride of 12 miles this morning. I`m a bit late Compo but if you check out my http://cyclinginessex.blogspot.co.uk there a photo of the bike I was riding on Sunday it`s 24 years old touring bike.

 

[PaulB]

That was the scariest ride I've ever had! The wind was an absolute brute and pushed me towards oncoming cars and vans several times on a long, straight downhill. The wind would strike alarmingly from gaps, gates and fences in the dry-stone wall and forced me to come back early, after an hour, and convert the session into a run. Scary stuff, that was.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Yep - it is a tad breezy out there this afternoon. Just the 24 miles today.
Just back from my weekly physio and i have to say I was very impressed with most people's driving especially one lorry driver who was stuck behind me on the A54 through Middlewich all the way to the A533 Bostock Road, who just waited and waited and stayed behind me - in fact at times he was that far behind me I could not actually hear his engine due to the wind (but knew he was still there because it is a local company and it is the route to their office/depot). He failed to overtake on 2 seperate occasions when other drivers would have attempted to do so and never presured me allowing me all the space I needed to avoid the potholes and deal with the side wind from gates/roads/etc and when I finally got to a slower section (uphill where I turn right at the top) he still held back. Email has been sent to his company complimenting them on all their drivers - something like 10 of them overtook me today and every single one of them was great!
I just wish they could do something about the idiot female convertable audi driver who decided to undertake me whilst I was turning right at a roundabout on a main road junction! Anyhow - it was a shorts day - sleeves rolled up and if it had not been for that wind, it would have been a really pleasant ride - I just had to stop every time I wanted a drink, it was really that bad!
Oh and the rear wheel I dismantelled on Monday, tis running great.

 

[Get In The Van]

Nothing today but yesterday was chain gang day, we set off and got blown about......quite a bit, at one point we were doing 8mph into the wind and we were all pedalling hard! tail wind was great though, it was like being a pro, cruising along at 30-35mph without even trying .
a decent 35 miles and out of the wind not that cold.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

That was the scariest ride I've ever had! The wind was an absolute brute and pushed me towards oncoming cars and vans several times on a long, straight downhill. The wind would strike alarmingly from gaps, gates and fences in the dry-stone wall and forced me to come back early, after an hour, and convert the session into a run. Scary stuff, that was.

This, at one point I nearly stopped and walked.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

A hilly outing today. Blowing a gale too which dropped the pace to 8 mph on the way over the common. Went over the Marcle Hills and did some lanes I haven't ridden for ages. Beautiful part of the world and the wild daffs were in fine form on the climb to Woolhope Cockshoot. Came back by Coddington so had the last miles into that gale. My legs gave notice that I'd had enough. 53 miles and >3300 feet of ascent. A tough morning out but wonderful. 2 swallows too - so Spring is confirmed (?)

 

[TheDoctor]

A somewhat-blowy 20 miles on the WNRttP. Two pubs, in fact.
And lo! much beer was drunk. And some cyclists were drunk too

 

[compo]

I'm having a week off the bike this week, but I had to go to the hospital this morning for a blood test. Too early to use my bus pass and too tight to pay for parking so I went on my old MTB as not too worried if it gets nicked, which it didn't. Lovely going with a powerful tail wind but hard work coming home against the headwind. I blame the loss of blood for reduced oxygen carrying capacity. Total mileage, 4 miles!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Hey Ho. 0.7 miles to the shops and back. Much easier than walking and would be stupid to use a car

 

[HLaB]

After spending yesterday talking about cycling I was pretty keen to get out for a ride today. I had a dull headache and put off going out for a bit. I did go out eventually though for a slow 28mile ride. I headed into the wind at first and it seemed like Id be tight for time/light but probably would have been OK and I had lights on my bike but I decided to turn round anyway and enjoy the tail wind. The only thing of note was coming back into town on quite a large but quiet rbt a driver could have easily squeezed through but he held back. When he did eventually overtake I gave him a big and he gave one back

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

just back from another 'lunch with my mother' ride. It seems my step-father is going to be in hospital for a while longer, he has something worse than MRSA but I can’t remember what it is called. So she was needing more support and company. (I think I am going to get very fit cycling over to her house 2 or 3 times a week!)
I flew out: since re-doing the bearings last Monday, the bike has been good. Today was the first time that the outward journey was faster than the homeward journey. The very slight tailwind assistance () could have helped but something has knocked 15 mins off my time from last week! Each and every one of the 9 segments I go through on the way out was faster including improving a QOM I already held http://app.strava.com/activities/49561631 One thing I did spot was a patch of forget-me-nots coming into flower in a sheltered spot, which is great and there was a large area of hyacinth which was smelling wonderful. Sping has clearly arrived here in Cheshire and it is rather nice!

I then had a hugely entertaining morning teaching my 64 year old mother how to use a petrol driven lawnmower. note the driven bit, because she did not... then it was a case of her frantically hanging on for dear life because she didn't cotton on that she could use the lever like an accelerator pedal before I finally stopped killing myself laughing and went to her rescue! Tomorrow/next visit I get the wonderful joy of teaching her how to use a petrol strimmer!

Coming home was slightly harder work, into a headwind but a last minute alteration to my route has produced 1 of the 2 new QOM's that homeward bound created - only found out about it afterwards mind you. My OH had the afternoon only off work, so I programmed his Edge device to have the same route and we met at around my 2/3rds mark and he followed me home, but I think something must have happened on the main roads because the backlanes by then were murder which a constant stream of traffic not obeying the 40mph limit. http://app.strava.com/activities/49561630 . In all 41 miles or so in a little over 3hrs with panniers. Those new wheels of mine have now arrived - hoping they should add a few more kph to my speed when they get fitted over the weekend

 

[ste.pearson]

got in 54 miles today while the weather was so nice,paying for it now i think thats a bit too far for me at the moment but in my head i thought i could do it so thought what the hell

 

[EltonFrog]

Nice ride this evening, the sun was out though it was bit cool, first ride out with mits and short sleeve jersey. Rode a new route today too, which was nice.

 

[i hate hills]

Whay nightshift week over thank god. Had a 10 mile ride after tea. Set off up the Hillwood then took a right up West Drums road which takes me past the farms of Middle Drums and West drums. Then on to Ardovie and to the edge of Montreatmont wood. Cycled along the edge of the wood then i turned right to come back by Aldbar. Flew down Aldbar hill ( probs the best fun you can have up here in the daylight thats legal ). Then the steady climb back to Brechin up the Stannochy hill. Negotiated the set of temporary traffic lights without any "rude hand signals / sweary words / or death threats from other drivers. Stopped at Tesco for a cold 7up. Came home via the gauntlet that is Brechin High Street on a Friday night. Feeling really good, my bottom and legs not sore now so i consider myself broken in. Still very windy up here and i cant wait for calm days with the sun on my back. Good times. Ride safe everyone .Mike.