Your ride today.... (part 1)

[coffeejo]

Lots of hills, rain and wind yesterday. And by wind, I'm talking about the swirling sort that attacks from all directions but never once helps from behind. Passed a gateway on one descent and got shoved to the other side of the road by an invisible hand. Decided it was too far to walk home to take risks and stuck to a sedate pace after that - never made it over 30 all day. On the other hand (and even scarier than finding myself on the wrong side of the road on the approach to a blind corner) was the discovery that I actually enjoyed the climbs. They were fun. I even accelerated on the approach to the summit of one hill to stop G overtaking me at the last moment. What is happening to me? Send help urgently.

 

[craigwend]

 

[Ron-da-Valli]

So.. yet another solo 100+ miler today. I think a few of you must have been wondering where the report of last weeks ride was? Well, there wasn't a ride. It was Father's Day and I felt a little guilty if I buggered off out for the day. So my challenge of 12 100+ milers in 12 weekends in a row failed. Never mind.

So, I was billy no mates again today so decided to do the ride I did 2 weeks ago with @Trickedem, but this time in reverse. A hilly little number not help by a ferocious headwind for the last 30 miles whilst heading east. Westerly was fun though.

Ruined a brand new tyre due to a country lane pothole. Descending about 25mph when hit it. Caused a nice explosion. Huge snakebite in the tube. I changed the inner and was back on my way. At about 5 miles further whilst following another cyclist. The replacement tube decided to let go with a very loud PSSSSSTTTT. Fugget. The cyclist stopped and asked if I wanted a spare inner tube. Wasn't going to turn that down as the snakebites was unrepearable and the replacement now had a mighty hole. (So if you are reading this Mr Cyclist in West Malling - You Sir are a fine gentleman). I then checked the tyre and found that the pothole had damaged the tyre rim. Which caused the second tube to fail. So placed a boot in the tyre to get me home the last 20 miles.

Apart from that, it was a lovely ride. Not too hot or sunny. A bit windy as I said and a tiny bit of rain.

Kent field full of Poppies.
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The Kent lanes were glorious (apart from potholes)
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These 2 Alpaca chaps took a great interest in the bloke with the camera.
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And...hot off the press from the Sevenoaks Chronicle. It's a mad world.
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So here's the route. 103 miles at a 15.5mph avg. With plenty of climbing. A figure of eight, clockwise then anti. 16th Metric century of the year.
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Did you buy a copy of the paper? We need to see that cat!!

 

[ianrauk]

Did you buy a copy of the paper? We need to see that cat!!

Try THIS site, it may be in there...

 

[Ron-da-Valli]

Rode Chester & North Wales CTC "Bob Clift Memorial 100 Ride. Got soaked during the first 3 hours then stayed dry after that. The second leg back from Macclesfield was into a brute of a headwind.
Big respeck (down wiv da kids me!) to Dave a club stalwart. He's 76 years old and said to me at the start, " I'm riding with the slow group. I don't want to push too hard, I've got a partially collapsed lung!"

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I got out for a tour to Melverley today. This is becoming a regular route as I like all the flat bits.

To start with I was riding against a north westerly wind which seemed a lot stronger than the 10mph that the met office claimed. However, the return leg was a lot nicer with 20 to 25mph cruising for long stretches. Obviously at this point the stated wind speed was absolutely correct and it was all my own effort.

Nearing home I went over Lyth Hill. A car and caravan turned into the lane just ahead of me and I wondered if they were going the right way as there is no campsite off that road and it's not really an ideal road for taking a caravan. It turned out that they had gone the wrong way and I had to wince at the display of inept reversing, accompanied by sounds of breaking plastic.

Only about a mile from home a twerp in a silver Vectra spoiled the mood a bit when he decided that he didn't need to wait for a cyclist and barged past the parked car on his side of the road, forcing me to brake and swerve out of the way. Not impressed!

Today's figures are 33.7 miles covered at an average speed of 14.4mph. I hit a fairly respectible top speed of 31.4mph on the way round as well.

Near Nesscliffe. Disappearing into the distance we can see the Long Mountain, the Stiperstones and the Long Mynd.

The improbably shaped Breiddens from the same viewpoint.

Near to Nox and looking across to the double hump of Earl's Hill and Pontesford Hill.

 

[coffeejo]

Note to self: next time you're tempted to get a huge sack of dog food in town, first check which direction the wind's going or it'll be an unnecessarily slow and painful ride home.

 

[Saluki]

As I have the Cycletta event on Sunday, I am trying to be vaguely sensible so I rode a new route which was 9.2 miles at a steady 13.5mph. From Wymondham to Wattlefield to Spooner Row and back along the big B road to Wymondham again. It should have been nearer 7.5 miles but we went straight on at a cross roads instead of right.

As we rode through Wattlefield, there was a Barn Owl flying along, just ahead of us and we paced him for about 1/4 mile before he decided to fly off to the left over a field. The camera on my phone is broken so I couldn't get a picture, which was a shame but I'd have been better off with a DSLR anyway.

As we rode along the B1172 back into Wymondham, Hubby said that we were keeping a steady 18mph along there until we got to the little roundabout and then went up the hill. My bike computer broke so I had no idea of speed, I was just riding at a steady pace without knackering myself.

A nice ride, might well go round again - more slowly - on Wednesday.

 

[postman]

It was ugly,not pretty at all.After two weeks and five rides where me the bike and the road or tow path felt as one.Today i felt as though i had lead in the legs.Set off early 08-45,i was going to Embsay Steam Railway other side of Bolton Abbey,nothing special nothing hard.Soon as i hit Eccup Res i new it was going to be ugly.Slow into Otley so i stopped for a brew and half an hour rest.
By the time i got to Nesfield and the Postman's shelter,i had another ten mins rest.
So then i got a battle between my head,legs and me.Well i won.Despite getting passed by a group of blokes who whistled past me also a few singles who did the same,i got to Bolton Abbey.
There i turned around and thought a bacon sarnie and a couple of Lattes will do nicely.Well i then made a brilliant decision,i stayed on the main road,Addingham and Ilkley,where i kept a real nice speed up on the big ring.
In Otley just after 12-00 .sat for one hour where i had the bacon butty and two lattes then a steady ride home.
Not pleasant but 47 miles in good weather,is better than ironing or cutting the lawn.

 

[matthat]

Not long got in from a solo 62 miles!! Headed towards liverpool on the main rds i fancied some proper tarmac and was able to keep pace with rush hr into town. Went straight through town past the pier head and out towards Crosby, I picked up the sea wall at crosby marina and headed onwards towards waterloo and hightown. Didn't like the small sand drifts on the sea wall had to keep getting off the bike to lift it over them and the 1 drift i thought i'll plough through sand went everywhere and onto chain!!! Grrr so need to clean that asap. Finally got to southport and had a brew at a friends house then off out towards churchtown to visit an old elderly ex neighbour who was very pleased to see me and served more tea always good. So 32 miles down and return trip to go, Headed towards ormskirk over whats called the moss and met a chorley cyclist not a cc'er but pleasant chap only side by side for ten mins before we went our own ways. Got to ormskirk and then headed towards aintree where i picked up the TPT towards home. Whilst down the TPT i bumped into a group so stopped and chatted and they were part of an NHS initiative get fit for life. Basically they are all in recovery from surgery or illness and are on an organised gentle ride as part of there recovery. So after a bit of a chat I've passed my details on to possibly volunteer helping get people out and about. So all in a pleasant 62 miles with one puncture and a big smile on my face.
http://app.strava.com/activities/62750715

Spot the iron men!!

 

[PeteXXX]

Having finished work at 03:00 this morning and in bed by 04:00 I almost regretted planning a 50 miler today. Still, the weather was too good to miss a ride out and waste my days off a'stinking in the pit...
I'd arranged to meet a mate at Salcey for a cuppa at about 13:00 ish so was up at 08:00 to pour coffee and porridge down my neck thenget the bike ready for the day.

I started out on a regular route that get the legs pumping, Cogenhoe, Whiston, Castle Ashby & Grendon then decided to scope out a few new roads to take friends on in the future (It's easy to get stuck on the same routes!)

I rode down towards Olney then picked up a lovely back road through Weston Underwood to Stoke Goldington and Hanslope with a diversion to Tyringham where I nearly bought a house but didn't realize that the numbers at the bottom of the sign was the price, not the telephone number so my offer might be turned down.....

Onwards and upwards I thought...



Had a chat with an old cow hanging out beside the road for a while. Got no sense out of her though...

Once I got to Salcey, my average speed was a stunning 12mph but, as I was stopping to check the map and taking some piccies, it wasn't surprising..

After meeting a mate for tea & cake at Salcey, I felt energized and from 38 miles to 50, I upped the average to16mph overall so felt that I'd redeemed myself somewhat!

I was nearing home and checked the mileage... 48! Couldn't have that, so turned left instead of right and added the final 2.

Really enjoyed the day, but need some sleep now, having done today on 4 hours kip

 

[EltonFrog]

Exactly 43 miles today, to meet the misses on the way back from another one of her mental 50 mile each way commutes. This the sixth one in a row. Lovely evening, sun was out, and not a bit of wind anywhere. Smashing.

 

[G3CWI]

Broken records and other things

I set out for a tootle round the Cheshire lanes but after a few minutes I decided on a silly plan. Could I beat my 10 mile time, my 20km time, my 50km time and my 1 hour distance in a single ride? Only one way to find out...

Dashed down J2/1 on the drops all the way; blasted down the A34 to Congleton; hit the A536 to Macc; diverted to North Rode and on to the A54. At the Bosley Cross Roads I could almost smell the success (or sweat). Up the A523 taking my favourite fast cut through across the canal to Gawsworth. Dark Lane and home again, home again, clippety clop. Pulled into the drive and reached for the phone to turn off Endomondo. No bloody phone. I couldn't believe it. All that aero riding meant that it fell out of the jersey pocket somewhere (on the plus side it may indicate a good posture). Total disaster. I was gutted to put it mildly; no phone and a 50km sprint wasted. Thinking fast - Endomondo was tracking me so maybe it would tell me where the phone was? And yes; it stopped by the Booth Hall roundabout. Jumped in the car. Diced with death walking up and down. No sign. Drove home via off-licence to drown my sorrows. Got home and rang the phone - last chance. Blimey; a woman answered. Cycling husband had found it. It was poorly (run over) but still working. Arranged to meet. G3 and phone reunited. But what about that lost ride...

By chance I had the satmap on the bike. A bit of fiddling and blow me if I hadn't recovered the data too.

So, the stats;

10 miles 28:44 ***PB!***
20km 36:51 3 secs off PB Grrr
50km 1:42:07 ***PB!***
1hr 31.93km ***PB!***

All that plus a ruined iPhone. Not so shabby. Just downing beer number 2 (dehydration of course).

 

[flatflr]

Good to get out with no silly wind today. Still recovering from the Ebola but managed 30 miles after work and managed to up the ave. speed by 1 mph to a lowly 17.5mph

 

[EltonFrog]

Broken records and other things

I set out for a tootle round the Cheshire lanes but after a few minutes I decided on a silly plan. Could I beat my 10 mile time, my 20km time, my 50km time and my 1 hour distance in a single ride? Only one way to find out...

Dashed down J2/1 on the drops all the way; blasted down the A34 to Congleton; hit the A536 to Macc; diverted to North Rode and on to the A54. At the Bosley Cross Roads I could almost smell the success (or sweat). Up the A523 taking my favourite fast cut through across the canal to Gawsworth. Dark Lane and home again, home again, clippety clop. Pulled into the drive and reached for the phone to turn off Endomondo. No bloody phone. I couldn't believe it. All that aero riding meant that it fell out of the jersey pocket somewhere (on the plus side it may indicate a good posture). Total disaster. I was gutted to put it mildly; no phone and a 50km sprint wasted. Thinking fast - Endomondo was tracking me so maybe it would tell me where the phone was? And yes; it stopped by the Booth Hall roundabout. Jumped in the car. Diced with death walking up and down. No sign. Drove home via off-licence to drown my sorrows. Got home and rang the phone - last chance. Blimey; a woman answered. Cycling husband had found it. It was poorly (run over) but still working. Arranged to meet. G3 and phone reunited. But what about that lost ride...

By chance I had the satmap on the bike. A bit of fiddling and blow me if I hadn't recovered the data too.

So, the stats;

10 miles 28:44 ***PB!***
20km 36:51 3 secs off PB Grrr
50km 1:42:07 ***PB!***
1hr 31.93km ***PB!***

All that plus a ruined iPhone. Not so shabby. Just downing beer number 2 (dehydration of course).

Blimey! What a palava, still, good effort though.