Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Glow worm]

A great ride here today- 70 miles from home near Newmarket to my parent's house near the north Norfolk coast (Wells area). I can't remember a day of riding with such a consistent tailwind and I managed the trip in under 5.5 hours. For me, that's practically supersonic. On leaving my village, I took this pic across the fen from Swaffham Prior.

Then on through Wicken, past Ely. The cathedral looked great even on a grey day.

After Ely, I was flying along on the flat making 25 mph seem effortless. My bike weighs about 90lbs fully loaded- (40 odd kilos?) so it was quite fun bowling along. At the Norfolk border, I stopped to take this pic by the river Ouse. (The bike's front wheel's in Cambs, the rear in Norfolk)

Then on past Denver and Downham Market. At Watlington I headed up into the 'hills'. This is near Pott Row.

After that it was on into NW Norfolk via Anmer. At Houghton Hall the deer were lurking.

By now, 62 miles in I was getting a bit tired- still managed the last leg quickly enough and stocked up on lovely fresh local veg from a stall in South Creake. A brilliant day in the saddle- the bike is clean again now, and I've had a brew, so we're both happy.

 

[derrick]

Windy club ride this morning 40 miles at a moderate pace, 15 of us battled the wind but the rain stayed away, we even saw the sun for a while, first ride of the weekend so it was good to get out. only one flooded road we all manged to get through it without incident.

 

[Mark Grant]

I thought I'd take my MTB out today. I cycled the mile and a bit from home to the Thames then followed the river from Hampton to Hammersmith Bridge and back.
The stretch of Thames path between Hampton Court & Kingston had parts knee deep with flood water, it was easy going but harder on the return with the wind and the current against me!

18+ miles to Hammersmith

Then back again and home to clean the bike.

Then clean me!
So about 36 miles in all.

 

[totallyfixed]

Why would anyone want to go out cycling when sat in a cosy warm house and the predominant sound is the steady roar of the wind through the nearby trees. There are definitely times, and this was one of them, when you need a big dose of masochism to go out in the conditions that were present out there today.
So we went out.
Because the wind was roughly wsw it means if a tailwind is preferred for the run back then we have to go into the lumpy stuff. Because I care about lots of people on here I am not going to cause anyone to choke with laughter at the speed I was riding up those hills.
I took several pictures and made the usual mistake of taking one on a hill into the wind, by the time I had got the phone back into my pocket she had gone!

There are times when I wish I was not so tall and this was definitely one of them. Perhaps a good title for this one should be, "there may be trouble ahead". At this point still about 6 miles to go into the wind.

To show some solidarity with those suffering from an excess of the wet stuff, it isn't always easy where we live either, dr_pink having to move out quite a few centimetres to avoid this small lake.

Unfortunately 5 miles from home the rain got us and it was a race back, I did clock our average speed just to see how slow we could get, amazed to discover it was 15.2 but only 27 miles covered. It was enough, more than enough.

 

[coffeejo]

To show some solidarity with those suffering from an excess of the wet stuff, it isn't always easy where we live either, dr_pink having to move out quite a few centimetres to avoid this small lake.

Thanks TF, I needed a reason to

 

[Mark Grant]

Why would anyone want to go out cycling when sat in a cosy warm house and the predominant sound is the steady roar of the wind through the nearby trees. There are definitely times, and this was one of them, when you need a big dose of masochism to go out in the conditions that were present out there today.
So we went out.

It felt like I hadn't been out for ages because of the weather, so I think 'cabin fever' made me get out, and it was great!

 

[mooseracer]

A day of 2 rides again - out on the MTB again this morning battling wind, rain, hail and deep floods - once I forced myself out it turned into 22 miles of fun. Spot of lunch and then a 13 mile pootle with Mrs Moose as the wind had eased and sunshine was the order of the afternoon.

 

[totallyfixed]

Thanks TF, I needed a reason to

You are welcome cj, I deliberately didn't show you the flood that was over a metre across because I didn't want you to feel sorry for us , and if it rains this week there could be 2 of those monsters.

 

[gbb]

Managed half an hour on the turbo before boredom set in
Took the splint off my previously dislocated finger for a few hours, but its tender and feels very exposed and the thought of damaging it further fills me with dread, so i'd already decided I wont be riding this weekend.
The wife asked this morning..
'are you cycling today ?'
'hmm, I might have a short one'
'you're mad , I was only joking ..what about your hand ?'
'I was joking, there's no way i'm risking it'

 

[Spartak]

Out after lunch today, allowing the wind speed to drop a little !
Rode along the Bristol/Bath cycle track as far as Kingswood then onto the Dramway bridlepath

The first of many flooded bridlepaths today, stopped shortly after this photo for a pint of Thatchers Gold at The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, very enjoyable sat in the sunshine
Continued on to Pucklechurch via Coxgrove Hill & then to Hinton where a wrong turn took me down a very muddy lane to a dead end !
On finding the correct bridleway at Ring O Bells Farm it didn't take long to find some more floods !

This was way TOO deep for me to cross so I had to turn back & retrace my route back to Pucklechurch.
Along the new Greenway from Coxgrove Hill to Westerleigh before tackling the RUPP to Ram Hill, passing through this .........

A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, 31kms in total.
Got home & Little Spartak had made some Choc Rice Krispie cakes, they went down well with a mug of coffee.

http://www.strava.com/activities/112190580

 

[HLaB]

Got up early yesterday (Saturday) for the Early Birds Ride (took the long way to the start to avoid the floods). On the actual ride I p'tured fortunately a rare occurrence. That was followed by somebody else p'turing. That was no bad thing as the garden centre cafe we had passed a few times doesn't open until 10am. We were still 20+ minutes early but the manager came out and told us to come in Lol, a wee while later I p'tured again (what was I saying before); I shouldn't have gave up when I found nothing in the tire the last time. Maybe not related but I managed to shake loose my mudguard brackets perhaps when I cycled on the flats to get to shelter; found one bracket but not the other The GPS track is missing 8.2miles as I forgot to switch it back on after the p'ture

Got up early again today (Sunday) and cycled out to meet some folk for a ride to a cafe, the bloke we helped last week came back, so it was a pretty relaxed ride again, so I tacked on an extra wee solo bit to make it a ton; I also wanted to retrace yesterday's route to see if I could find the bracket but no

 

[Chrisc]

Yesterday we had a shortened clubrun from Holmfirth being filmed for BBC Look North.
Conditions were pretty bad up around Holme village and the roads were better suited to
sailing than cycling but it was a bit of fun and we should be on telly on Tuesday night. :-)
Pictures here.

 

[PeteXXX]

Yesterday a couple of mates and I popped up the Brampton Valley Way to Market Harborough and then on to Foxton Locks. As the ride there was fairly easy, we knew we'd suffer with the wind on the way back..

Me on the left & Bob.

The old rail track was as mucky as usual and the tunnels were just as dark as I only had my small light with me.

This is looking straight up one of the ventilation shafts. During the summer, there are usually ferns growing from the cracks in the brickwork.

After a refreshment stop in Mkt Harborough we rode to Foxton up the main road and wished we had used the more sheltered canal bank as the headwind was nearly stopping us dead at some points.
Foxton Locks are well worth a visit if ever in the vicinity.

There's two sets of five locks, plus loads of history around them to check out.

This is a bronze ( I think) mould of the canal basin.

And some old bits and pieces outside the museum.

As we saw an ice cream sign outside the shop, I though it rude not to have one

We decided to head back via the canal bank to Mkt Harborough and were confronted by an obstacle course..

As we didn't have a boat to go round it, we decided to go through/over/under it!

Someone had phoned the canal people and informed them that there was a tree blown over. We had a chat to the chap who told us that he'd been sent out with a bow saw to clear it up.. Bit optimistic, we thought!

As expected, the ride back was a struggle against the wind, with several stops to rest the legs and consume a flapjack or two.

50 miles in all which int bad on an MTB I reckon..
Back home in time for tea and a bottle of wine

http://www.strava.com/activities/112210885

 

[potsy]

Had a little Monday jaunt on the TPT and canal today, very muddy in places but the lack of wind after recent blustery days was very welcome.
13 miles at a leisurely pace to spot any photo opportunities, bike and boots are in need of a wash now.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Yesterday a couple of mates and I popped up the Brampton Valley Way to Market Harborough and then on to Foxton Locks. As the ride there was fairly easy, we knew we'd suffer with the wind on the way back..

View attachment 37816
Me on the left & Bob.

The old rail track was as mucky as usual and the tunnels were just as dark as I only had my small light with me.
View attachment 37817

This is looking straight up one of the ventilation shafts. During the summer, there are usually ferns growing from the cracks in the brickwork.

After a refreshment stop in Mkt Harborough we rode to Foxton up the main road and wished we had used the more sheltered canal bank as the headwind was nearly stopping us dead at some points.
Foxton Locks are well worth a visit if ever in the vicinity.

View attachment 37818

There's two sets of five locks, plus loads of history around them to check out.
View attachment 37820

This is a bronze ( I think) mould of the canal basin.

View attachment 37822

And some old bits and pieces outside the museum.



View attachment 37823

As we saw an ice cream sign outside the shop, I though it rude not to have one

We decided to head back via the canal bank to Mkt Harborough and were confronted by an obstacle course..

View attachment 37824

As we didn't have a boat to go round it, we decided to go through/over/under it!

View attachment 37825

Someone had phoned the canal people and informed them that there was a tree blown over. We had a chat to the chap who told us that he'd been sent out with a bow saw to clear it up.. Bit optimistic, we thought!

As expected, the ride back was a struggle against the wind, with several stops to rest the legs and consume a flapjack or two.

50 miles in all which int bad on an MTB I reckon..
Back home in time for tea and a bottle of wine

http://www.strava.com/activities/112210885

That brings back a few memory's, its been years since I last cycled to Foxton Locks, in the 1980's when I was riding with a touring club the locks were sometimes a tea stop on the way back into Coventry.