Your ride today.... (part 1)

[cosmicbike]

Well my first ride today was great, no motivation problems, felt really comfy on the bike and extended my usual session to 15 mins, 3.1 miles. No cramp which was nice, and hopefully this evenings turbo trainer session will be the same. Still tired though

 

[Rob3rt]

Club group Wattbike session last night.

4x max effort standing starts
5 x 2 mins @ VO2 Max+ @ 75-85 rpm w 90 secs rest
5 x 2 mins @ VO2 Max+ @ 120-130 rpm w decreasing rest periods from 1:45 to 1 minute in 15 sec steps.

Tonight, core training!

 

[PeteXXX]

As I'm not at work until 15:00 today and the weather was nice, I grabbed to opportunity for a little tootle around on the hardtail..
Only did 17 miles, but took in a few of the local fields and bridleways near to Sywell Airport.

I saw a lane that I'd not been down before and found out why the sign at the entrance said 'unsuitable for vehicles'..
It got a bit narrow in places!

Sywell Reservoir is beautiful at this time of year but sadly they don't allow cycling around it, so I left the bike by the bottom of the steps and took a stroll up the dam wall.

There's some really good fishing here. My best was a 24lb pike..

Anyways.. Off to work now to earn a crust..

http://www.strava.com/activities/97330476

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just a quick shopping trip today because I am still dog sitting. Didn't get off to the best of starts, I decided to check my tyre pressures - big mistake. the track pump decided to inform me they were only at 60psi, would not inflate the tyres any further and then ripped out the valve core when I tried to remove it! Tis less than a year old, so wiggle will be getting an email from me shortly because it was a decent lezyne one. So over to the lezyne road drive mini pump (minus gauge) to try to do what I could. I can only get the pressure up to 80psi (feeble woman ) so that had to suffice.

Setting off is the usual dodgems with mud and speed bumps that can't be gone around, and at some point this morning some really kind sole has (finally) come along our lane and highlighted all of the reservoirs potholes that are man eaters... so it looks like we may be getting patched soon (I have tried reporting them but CTC rejects them because our lane is incorrectly marked as a) private and b) ending well before it actually does and has been like that for over 20 years).

Into town and back was relatively uneventful - I just missed a telling off from a police woman for a stopping inside some cones at a no left turn sign, where I needed to go off left... (I hopped off the bike before she spotted me and became a pedestrian pushing a bike up the road instead ). Scared the living daylights out of 4 teenage girls at a set of lights where there are new road markings... they for some reason were expecting me to stop at the first stop line and not in the 'bike area'... though technically all of these new bike areas (ASL's) are actually illegal to enter because not a single one of them has give way lines for bikes to use or a bike lane access into them... anyhow in theory I should have stopped at the first line I came to but in the wet and with the lights changing on me, I was never going to be stopping for the first line anyway... Then a slow plod uphill home on under-inflated tyres with around 5kg of shopping.

Back home and an enthusiastic welcome by Dusty the Irish Wolf Hound I am dog sitting for... now to take him for a walk and bring even more mud into the house...
Just a couple of photos of my lane - not too bad at the moment (what I really need is a couple of days of torrential rain to wash it clean...) , but enough to need to clean the brakes out at the end of the road and wash the bike down thoroughly once home again..

It's fine/OK providing you don't need to cross that central mud strip at any point during the 800m each way and you take it slowly, but some areas are better on the left and some are better on the right... http://www.strava.com/activities/97347734

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I got out for my longest ride for a while. Into town and along the riverside, to Upton Magna, Wroxeter, Cressage, Acton Burnell, Longnor, Condover and back via Lyth Hill.

It was pretty overcast and dull out so the lights got used on all of the busier sections. At Upton Magna I came across an unexpected road closure but the advantage of being on a bike is you're usually allowed to walk through the works area, saving a 3 mile detour.

There were also mobile works going on at Cressage - they were using one of the devices for burning off road markings on the edge of the road where there were no markings. Not sure what that was about - can anyone enlighten me?

Annoyingly the knee started giving me gyp again between 15 and 20 miles then again in the last couple of miles. Thought it had got better.

Between Ryton and Condover I was overtaken by another cyclist who had an impressively bright front light (I thought it was a car when checking behind me) but an incredibly feeble tail light. Hope he got home safe as he was barely visible once he got about 100 yards ahead.

33.1 miles done this trip at an average of 11.8mph.

Today's photography is mostly in monochrome as I thought it might look more atmospheric with being such a dull day.

A bit of autumn colour at Upton Magna.

Foundations and the front wall of the bath house, Viroconium (Wroxeter) with the Wrekin in the background.

En route to Cressage and looking towards the Lawley, Caer Caradoc and the Long Mynd.

A bit further down the same road. Even though it's almost December, a lot of trees are still in full leaf. This is apparently a reliable sign of a harsh winter to come.

Looking at the Wrekin again but this time from Cressage Bridge

 

[Peteaud]

Tonight was 1st "ride" on my new Turbo Trainer.
13.3 km Aguilar de Campoo-Olleros de Pisuerga!!!!

(hard work but what a cool bit of kit, BKool)

 

[ScotiaLass]

Just back....a little detour today as it was so nice out there and I felt like going a little further than my usual 10 miles.
So.......<drum roll>......15.15 miles
Not much compared with some on here but believe me, that's some achievement for me!!

Went my usual route to Helix Park then cycled along the towpath from Lock 1 to Lock 16, and on to the Falkirk Wheel.
Back via the canal towpaths to my village and hey presto....there's 15 miles!
It was a bit wet and muddy and I hate the walk through the Falkirk tunnel but it gave me a chance to test my new front light....which did very well!

At the Wheel - rather pained expression but apart from one large hill, it was downhill from here!

 

[coffeejo]

Just back....a little detour today as it was so nice out there and I felt like going a little further than my usual 10 miles.
So.......<drum roll>......15.15 miles
Not much compared with some on here but believe me, that's some achievement for me!!

Went my usual route to Helix Park then cycled along the towpath from Lock 1 to Lock 16, and on to the Falkirk Wheel.
Back via the canal towpaths to my village and hey presto....there's 15 miles!
It was a bit wet and muddy and I hate the walk through the Falkirk tunnel but it gave me a chance to test my new front light....which did very well!

At the Wheel - rather pained expression but apart from one large hill, it was downhill from here!

Won't be long before 15 miles seems like a short ride, well done. And that’s not a pained expression, it’s one of achievement. Candidate for a new profile pic?

 

[Glow worm]

Today's ride can be filed under 'bleak'! Very dull skies but luckily dry here for a 22 mile spin around the flatlands on a day off work.

My legs have been painful for a week and I was keen to get back in the saddle after a painful 20 mile commute to Cambridge on Tuesday. No pain at all today, which put a smile on my face despite the weather.

Headed out through Lode then onto the Lodes way up to Wicken Fen then back again via Reach and Swaffham Prior. Saw my first hen harrier (male) of the winter near where this bleak shot was taken.

Another first at Wicken Fen cafe- this time the first mince pie of the season with a welcome brew. Coming back had a cracking view of a marsh harrier. Other than that, pretty quiet birdwise, though large flocks of goldfinches where about, and a few meadow pipits, fieldfares and a couple of woodpeckers.

Had two rather unpeasant encounters, the first with an idiot driver who pulled right out into my path from a new car park near Burwell Lode, on about the only section of road in 10 miles or so. He heard my shout luckily and skidded to a halt just in time. Then, coming home, a dog walker didn't seem to realise the path is also a cycle route and had a go at me for riding. I couldn't have been going any slower around his horrible dogs wandering off lead all over the place. I always take great care around peds and dogs so was a bit miffed to say the least.

There are certainly a lot of very angry folk around, I'm just glad I'm not one of them. Best to let them just get on with it as they head inevitably toward their early graves! A quick stop at the bird hide near Reach and then home to wash half the county off the bike. It's now spotless again- until the next ride.

No problems with the legs at last, which is a huge relief.

 

[Peteaud]

Just back....a little detour today as it was so nice out there and I felt like going a little further than my usual 10 miles.
So.......<drum roll>......15.15 miles
Not much compared with some on here but believe me, that's some achievement for me!!

Went my usual route to Helix Park then cycled along the towpath from Lock 1 to Lock 16, and on to the Falkirk Wheel.
Back via the canal towpaths to my village and hey presto....there's 15 miles!
It was a bit wet and muddy and I hate the walk through the Falkirk tunnel but it gave me a chance to test my new front light....which did very well!

At the Wheel - rather pained expression but apart from one large hill, it was downhill from here!

Thats one place i would love to visit.

 

[Archeress]

Just a little pootle round the city today, from my home in Bradley Stoke to Horfield Jobcentre to sign on. No troubles there as I have two interviews lined up one tomorrow and one on Wednesday. Then I cycled over to the Mall at Cribbs Causeway to meet my boyfriend John for lunch, a lovely savoury crepe with ginger beer in the John Lewis cafe. Then the run for home. I think it was about 10miles in all.

Hugs
Archeress x

An update on the interviews, I have had an offer from one, it is in Weston Super Mare, too far to cycle. The other, I achieved 93% in the assessment (a telephone role play (it's a call centre job) and a data entry and email test), and have been offered a second interview tomorrow. The second one is the one I really want, it is a very large office that has a small shopping mall for it's employees that contains a gym, creche, WH Smith, a Costa and a beautician. It is only 3 miles down the road so I would be able to cycle there and the wage is much better.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[welsh dragon]

An update on the interviews, I have had an offer from one, it is in Weston Super Mare, too far to cycle. The other, I achieved 93% in the assessment (a telephone role play (it's a call centre job) and a data entry and email test), and have been offered a second interview tomorrow. The second one is the one I really want, it is a very large office that has a small shopping mall for it's employees that contains a gym, creche, WH Smith, a Costa and a beautician. It is only 3 miles down the road so I would be able to cycle there and the wage is much better.

Hugs
Archeress x

Good luck

 

[Biker Joe]

Just back....a little detour today as it was so nice out there and I felt like going a little further than my usual 10 miles.
So.......<drum roll>......15.15 miles
Not much compared with some on here but believe me, that's some achievement for me!!

Went my usual route to Helix Park then cycled along the towpath from Lock 1 to Lock 16, and on to the Falkirk Wheel.
Back via the canal towpaths to my village and hey presto....there's 15 miles!
It was a bit wet and muddy and I hate the walk through the Falkirk tunnel but it gave me a chance to test my new front light....which did very well!

At the Wheel - rather pained expression but apart from one large hill, it was downhill from here!

That's very good .Well done.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Despite it being a bit breezy (gusting to 34mph according to the Met Office) I took the chance to get out this afternoon for a short ride on one of my usual routes. I started by heading into town and along the riverside through The Quarry, then out to Uffington, Atcham, Condover and back over Lyth Hill.

On my way to The Quarry I encountered a lad who seemed to have a problem with his bike. I offered to help but it was a broken gear cable which I couldn't do a lot about on the side of the road. He said it was okay as it wasn't far to Halfords. If you're on here; sorry I couldn't do more.

Carrying on, it was a pleasant ride through The Quarry and down towards the weir as the wind was assisting. The same applied as far as Atcham but turned into a side wind as I swung round to the south-west.

From Condover though it was a strong headwind which slowed me right down so nothing special on the average this time. I came close to a collision at Condover when overtaking another cyclist who suddenly swung across the road without checking behind her. Then about two hundred yards up the road the right hand stay on my front mudguard snapped off. I was able to jury rig it with a cable tie and will have to replace it sometime next week (I think I have one lurking round somewhere).

Something good was that despite my knee hurting on the last ride, it didn't feel too bad today. An adjustment of the saddle en route (moved to the rear by approx 1/4 of an inch) eased the pressure on it further. Hopefully it'll recover properly from here.

18.85 miles at 11.9 mph average this time.

Looking into The Quarry from Porthill Bridge.

And this is the bridge. It was presented to the town by the Shropshire Horticultural Society and the residents of Porthill.

A bit of industrial heritage on the road to Condover. The Severn Valley Railway used to cross the road here (the current preserved railway is only the southern half of the original line)

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Tonight was 1st "ride" on my new Turbo Trainer.
13.3 km Aguilar de Campoo-Olleros de Pisuerga!!!!

(hard work but what a cool bit of kit, BKool)

We could ride together virtually on there I think.