Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Peteaud]

Wednesday's ride was a bit different to both what I'd planned and what I usually do. I'd plotted a 66 mile ride with lots of hills. Lots. And then some more. But time ticked on, not least because I was waiting for a parcel, and by the time I'd left the house and stopped in the village to get some cash out, it was nearly one o'clock and I couldn't see me getting home until long after the sun had set since the aforementioned parcel was my new "bike-sized" digital camera and I knew damn well that I wouldn't be able to resist stopping to play with the new toy... Lots.

So ... I deleted the course on the Garmin and instead of heading south to the Brendon Hills, turned north and headed up into the Quantocks with no plan in my mind, just a resolution to do at least forty miles and no less than two thousand feet of climbing. The extra pennies (!!) I'd spent on getting the OS maps for the Garmin when I bought it last winter really proved their worth as I was able to spend the afternoon choosing where to go based on what it looked like or where it would lead, something I wouldn't have the patience to do with paper maps. My normal "don't get lost" plan BG (Before Garmin) was to plot a route, write and memorise the routesheet, and stick to it, no matter what. I've been a bit more flexible since but this was the first "freeride". And what a ride it was. Great fun.

I cycled through the undulating foothills of the Quantocks and then gained height on the eastern flanks. First though, a pause to enjoy the peace of the quiet lanes in the village of West Monkton:
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Up, up and up ... but not quite the scenery I was expecting:
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(I took that to make @potsy feel at home.)

A few miles along (and higher) and the usual beauty of the area is restored:
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I had a fun blast down the hills into this valley and then up and out the other side, heading to the village of Nether Stowey where I hoped to find somewhere for a quick stop. My luck was in!
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From there, I kept going north and explored the quiet lanes on the flatlands between the hills and the coast. Serenity was the word of the day.
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I was forced to abandon the peace and quiet and rejoined the loud, bustling world of Other People in Cannington, where I hopped onto the A39, planning to skirt round the edge of Bridgwater and make my way back into the hills for the return leg. It wasn't as bad as I expected, mainly because of roadworks which allowed me to filter past nearly a mile of slow moving traffic. I was too smug to care that I had just become the most hated person in Somerset!

Another half mile and I was able to leave the main road and get back into the hills, hurrah.

Another "wreck", this one much more aesthetically pleasing than the van:
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It was shortly after here that my "freeride" went a little wrong and my legs went on strike, claiming that they needed much more cake to keep cycling up the hill I'd chosen. So I pushed. And then got back on. And pushed a bit more. And got back on ... and then saw a couple of horses and their riders coming down the hill. I didn't think they'd cope very well if I toppled over sideways (a real threat by this time) so I took the opportunity to rest up and let them pass before getting back on ... and making it to the top! Woo hoo!

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Compared to that little lot, the rest of the ride was easy going, despite gaining more height so I could swoop down Buncombe Hill, which I'd climbed a week or two ago. I decided I was too tired to push it on the descent and keep my speed to 30mph - a wise choice since I nearly went into a pot hole, the main problem being my reaction times.

From there the bottom, back through the foothills to home and a long soak in a hot bath, much deserved I thought after 52 miles and 3600+ft of climbing - or 4200+ft of climbing if you include the section I walked!

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Nice quality pics, what cam did you go for?

 

[coffeejo]

Nice quality pics, what cam did you go for?

Thanks, I was happy with the results though it felt weird using it instead of my big camera. It's a Sony WX200 - more than I meant to spend but it manages to pack a lot of megapixels and a decent sensor and lens in an absolute tiny "body". Its case arrived first and I couldn't believe the camera would fit into it until it arrived!

 

[Peteaud]

Thanks, I was happy with the results though it felt weird using it instead of my big camera. It's a Sony WX200 - more than I meant to spend but it manages to pack a lot of megapixels and a decent sensor and lens in an absolute tiny "body". Its case arrived first and I couldn't believe the camera would fit into it until it arrived!

18MP (i just googled it ). Nice camera, with good reviews.

I found although its a bit of a pita over a phone cam, the pics are so much better.

 

[coffeejo]

18MP (i just googled it ). Nice camera, with good reviews.

I found although its a bit of a pita over a phone cam, the pics are so much better.

So much better than the phone. Apart from anything else, I don't need to take my gloves off to work the touchscreen! And it means I'm not faced with the worry of using up the battery and not being able to call for help if need be.

 

[Lanzecki]

A ride on the most pain riddled legs complaining, belligerent, and recalcitrant legs I've tried to cycle with. Stopped at 4km to try and warm up due to the cold headwind. Got to 6km and started looking for way to avoid the headwind. I turned around thinking I'll do 6km with a tailwind and the lack of windchill will let me warm up.

At 12km... Well I turned right onto my road. at 12.5km my legs stopped moaning. at 12.75km I was home with no interest in turning around again.

 

[G3CWI]

Poor ride today.Rain, hail, wind and occasional sunshine. Cold. Really struggled and my mate who normally struggles to keep up with me, dropped me

Back home, tired and fed up. Rare for me not to enjoy a ride. A rest day tomorrow I think.

41 miles. 12.1mph. 1 puncture.

 

[Pennine-Paul]

First ride since picking up a cold last week,
a little 5 miler just to loosen the legs in preparation for ColinJ's ride next weekend,
a cold wind and threatening hail/snow shower convinced me to seek the warmth of home.

 

[coffeejo]

Poor ride today.Rain, hail, wind and occasional sunshine. Cold. Really struggled and my mate who normally struggles to keep up with me, dropped me

Back home, tired and fed up. Rare for me not to enjoy a ride. A rest day tomorrow I think.

41 miles. 12.1mph. 1 puncture.

Just means you'll enjoy the next one that much more

 

[Lavender Rose]

Yeah I really enjoyed my ride today, especially as I wanted to get the train home half way through! But yes, I have three thin layers and still was cold....It was windy and only around 6 celsius. I obviously got hot a bit damp and then that got cold as well as the weather so I was totally cold and a bit miserable when I get home.....

 

[alans]

Dropped the ovloV at the licence to print money shop garage in Cheadle for new brake pads & rode home via Brookhouses,Huntley & Teanford.
Nice bright sunshine BUT an extremely strong headwind which was also very cold & the 8km distance was not enough to warm up properly.
These strong,cold winds seem to have been a feature of all my recent rides with the most annoying feature being that irrespective of the direction in which I travel it's always a bl**dy headwind.

& the return journey this morning to collect the car demonstrated that the wind issue persists.At least I managed to ride in an interval between

 

[Dangermouse]

Decided to test Eileens knee out today, only 20 miles but up some very steep hills, did the full seven hills around Scunthorpe and she did very well, got up all of them and at a decent pace too, very enjoyable ride up some 24% hills.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Best ride of the year so far. 60 odd km with two of the lads. 700 odd metres of climbing according to bikehike.

Home-Ewhurst-Shere-Peaslake-Forest Green-Ockley-Capel-Newdigate-Rusper-Home. Singlespeedtastic. Had to stop, but not get off, after a bit of 1:8 just north of Ewhurst to get my heart rate down, but otherwise good to go. Fitness is coming back, so close I can almost touch it.

Got hailed on hard, on a long descent. At speed. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Changed the return route to dodge the showers/hail/black clouds and 10 mins after getting home the heavens opened.

Glorious. Legs hurt in that wonderful "ain't it good to be alive" post-ride way. I will be grinning for the rest of the day.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Legs hurt in that wonderful "ain't it good to be alive" post-ride way. I will be grinning for the rest of the day.

I feel exactly the same today x

 

[Old Plodder]

Yeah I really enjoyed my ride today, especially as I wanted to get the train home half way through! But yes, I have three thin layers and still was cold....It was windy and only around 6 celsius. I obviously got hot a bit damp and then that got cold as well as the weather so I was totally cold and a bit miserable when I get home.....

One needs a jacket in this cold weather, or at least a gilet. Still Summer is on its way.....

 

[Lavender Rose]

I had a long strap top, then a stretchy long sleeve top and my pink dayglo karrimor shirt over the top. Should have had my jacket too....