Your ride today.... (part 1)

[Mattonsea]

A 30 mile jaunt around the forest. A bit of drizzle and a head wind but not much to detract from the joy of spring. The smells were hightened by the rain and all the blossom from the Hawthorn and blackthorn and the magnolias. Thanks to being educated by tweet of the day on Radio 4, my bird song recognition is coming along , a chif chaf goes chif chaf , amazing.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Very slow 30 miler with our lass, for some reason she really struggled today, think I might have to put some air in her tyres

 

[Cush]

Had intended to go out towards Alston and turn east over the moors somewhere South of Lambley but instead I took photos of my collection of 20 flags as the wind seemed right to catch them flying and then SWMBO junior came round with an invoice off a solicitor asking £165 for a doctors fee in addition to the £710 we have already paid for them to sort out the power of attorney for a close relation. Which has meant I have been busy all afternoon crafting a letter to the solicitor and having to go over it crossing out all references to legal crooks and sundry other naughty undiplomatic words.

 

[Rob3rt]

1st 25TT of the year yesterday, managed 8th with 56:40 (26.4 mph average) on the J2/9 course. Course PB by 58 seconds. Sounds positive yes?... It doesn't feel like it though, I deserved a faster time and a better position but spent over 20% of the course held up in traffic. Very frustrating!

I set off steady and covered the 1st 5 miles with a 28mph average, then hold up number 1 occurred, about a mile behind a queue of traffic that was unable to overtake a slower rider. I eventually got past this and picked up the speed again, but no sooner had I got back on it and I hit another hold up of the same nature. Time just being pissed away! Again, this eventually passed and I thought, well I am riding very strong so I will just smash it in the second half of the course which I expected to be fairly quick. But it was not to be, I got out of Tremlow and spotted some flashing orange lights up ahead.... a tractor with a big queue of cars behind it. From this point I dropped from 340W to 280W, and pretty much soft tapped for 5 miles stuck behind the procession. When I got to Chelford island, now not out of breath at all, I remarked to the marshal "why bother?", he replied "I know". Finally I had open road so just thought, "fark it, ride it like a 10TT". 376W for the last 7 mile and stopped the clock at 56:40. With a clear run, I am highly confident I'd have comfortably been under 56 mins.

I have good form atm I really hope I managed to get a ride where I can get a time/placing to reflect it soon!

Photos courtesy of Ken Norbury

 

[Brightski]

1st 25TT of the year yesterday, managed 8th with 56:40 (26.4 mph average) on the J2/9 course. Course PB by 58 seconds. Sounds positive yes?... It doesn't feel like it though, I deserved a faster time and a better position but spent over 20% of the course held up in traffic. Very frustrating!

I set off steady and covered the 1st 5 miles with a 28mph average, then hold up number 1 occurred, about a mile behind a queue of traffic that was unable to overtake a slower rider. I eventually got past this and picked up the speed again, but no sooner had I got back on it and I hit another hold up of the same nature. Time just being ****ed away! Again, this eventually passed and I thought, well I am riding very strong so I will just smash it in the second half of the course which I expected to be fairly quick. But it was not to be, I got out of Tremlow and spotted some flashing orange lights up ahead.... a tractor with a big queue of cars behind it. From this point I dropped from 340W to 280W, and pretty much soft tapped for 5 miles stuck behind the procession. When I got to Chelford island, now not out of breath at all, I remarked to the marshal "why bother?", he replied "I know". Finally I had open road so just thought, "**** it, ride it like a 10TT". 376W for the last 7 mile and stopped the clock at 56:40. With a clear run, I am highly confident I'd have comfortably been under 56 mins.

I have good form atm I really hope I managed to get a ride where I can get a time/placing to reflect it soon!

Well done Rob

 

[PeteXXX]

I rode my first Sportive today. The Quattro, starting and ending at Cogenhoe (pronounced Cookno!)
I wasn't at my best fitness today, possibly due to going out for a family meal with beer and wine to celebrate Mrs Pete and I not killing each other for the first 25 years of our marriage.

Two of us rode the 50 mile route whilst t'other two tackled the 84 but we stuck together for the first 40 mies before the routes diverged.
We were expecting to be soaked as the forecast was pretty grim, but apart from a bit of drizzle as we set off at 08:30 it stayed dry. The wind, however, was really strong with the beginning and end miles heading directly into it. Better than rain though!

As it happens, most of the roads we used are my regular rides I just had to pay to do it today though.... Still, as an event I enjoyed it.
I didnt take many pics today as it was more about the riding.

I did get a nice riding top though

As I rode from home to the start, and then back afterwards, I ended up on a Metric Ton.
Quite happy with that...




http://app.strava.com/activities/127486382

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

The showery weather wasn't very enticing today but it cleared this afternoon so I headed for Cound as I haven't ridden that way for a while and took in Acton Burnell, Longnor, Ryton and Condover on the way back.

The lanes are quite muddy again in places so I was glad to be using the knockabout bike for this. I'm slightly disappointed that the new mudguards don't keep the bottom bracket as clean as the old ones did, so some modifications may be done in the not too distant future.

The ride itself was pretty straightforward apart from dealing with the wind (26 mph gusting to 36 apparently) and having a shower chase me home from Longnor. There were only a few other cyclists out including 2 dealing with a puncture - I did stop to check if they were okay.

23.1 miles at 12.8mph average.

A moody looking Wrekin.

The oil seed rape is coming into flower, filling the air with its sickly sweet scent.

At the turn for Longnor and it's raining pretty well further up the Stretton valley. Someone's been playing silly devils with the finger post.

 

[gavgav]

The showery weather wasn't very enticing today but it cleared this afternoon so I headed for Cound as I haven't ridden that way for a while and took in Acton Burnell, Longnor, Ryton and Condover on the way back.

The lanes are quite muddy again in places so I was glad to be using the knockabout bike for this. I'm slightly disappointed that the new mudguards don't keep the bottom bracket as clean as the old ones did, so some modifications may be done in the not too distant future.

The ride itself was pretty straightforward apart from dealing with the wind (26 mph gusting to 36 apparently) and having a shower chase me home from Longnor. There were only a few other cyclists out including 2 dealing with a puncture - I did stop to check if they were okay.

23.1 miles at 12.8mph average.

View attachment 41666
A moody looking Wrekin.

View attachment 41667
The oil seed rape is coming into flower, filling the air with its sickly sweet scent.

View attachment 41668
At the turn for Longnor and it's raining pretty well further up the Stretton valley. Someone's been playing silly devils with the finger post.

Oh! The signpost was ok yesterday when I was there! Someone had a few too many last night?!

 

[Wayne Tully]

Back on the bike after the crash.

The headset 100% needed changing

Was also given a full service

A few of the club guys and myself did a lap of the Isle of Wight, nice gentle day ride round.

At the start

Top of the Needles

Me riding along

By the sea

He's a bit bigger than me

Finished

Was a bit wet and windy but a good laugh

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Back on the bike after the crash.

The headset 100% needed changing

Was also given a full service

A few of the club guys and myself did a lap of the Isle of Wight, nice gentle day ride round.

At the start

Top of the Needles

Me riding along

By the sea

He's a bit bigger than me

Finished

Was a bit wet and windy but a good laugh

I remember the Pirate at Blackgang Chine from family holidays when my lads were small, how much more of the Chine have they lost?

 

[PeteXXX]

Back on the bike after the crash.

The headset 100% needed changing

Was also given a full service

A few of the club guys and myself did a lap of the Isle of Wight, nice gentle day ride round.

At the start

Top of the Needles

Me riding along

By the sea

He's a bit bigger than me

Finished

Was a bit wet and windy but a good laugh

Great ride.. a few mates and I are thinking of doing the IOW sometime this summer.

 

[totallyfixed]

My last post on this thread probably for quite a while as I go in for a shoulder op tomorrow, very nervous about the whole thing but that is another story.
This weekend therefore was important for both of us to get some quality miles in, preferably memorable ones. Because there was so much other stuff to do on Saturday I chose a 30 mile route that was the hilliest possible in this part of the world, lots of arrows on the map of the route so we knew it was going to be seriously hard as we were going at it hard. It takes me about 11 miles to warm up, dr_pink much less and the first 5 miles is nearly all uphill so you don't get off to a quick start.
After that I only managed to snap off one quick photo, a familiar sight

The last 3 miles run into Oakham were gently rolling and the speedo never fell below 22 mph. A tough, memorable and hugely enjoyable ride.
Yesterday was intended to be a bit more sedate, probably my last ride though I may get out later when the rain stops for a short one. We took in a lot of our favourite lanes and were rewarded with seeing Buzzards, Red Kites, Kestrels and best of all, a Peregrine Falcon.
Another of our special lanes

Every year there are lambs in this field and they are always quite tame, they never seem to be afraid of our bikes

We went out prepared to get wet, but in fact not a drop of rain fell all day, the wind however made up for it. We were only a couple of miles from home, I was in front at this point riding into a headwind so I couldn't hear much. A few hundred metres further on I expected dr_pink to come through and do a turn but no sign, I looked back no one there! Obviously something was seriously wrong, I quickly turned around and headed back to find dr_pink sat at the side of the road with a car pulled up alongside. It turned out that a gust of wind had thrown the bike sideways and she had come off, the car had seen her fall and had turned around and come back to see if they could help, nice lady.
Back at home the damage was skin off shoulder and knee and sprained wrist but bike essentially fine just the brake levers needed straightening. A memorable ride for all the wrong reasons. 45 miles in all.
I will continue to read this thread and dr_pink hopefully will start racing again this month. Safe riding to all.

 

[coffeejo]

Hope @dr_pink isn't feeling too sore this morning and that the wrist heals quickly - and best of luck to you for the op.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Best wishes for the op @totallyfixed and I hope @dr_pink doesn't feel too bad after the off. Hope you both heal quickly.

(A like for the write up BTW, not for the incident)

 

[ColinJ]

Yes - a speedy recovery to you both, tf and dr_p! She is so light that it doesn't surprise me that gusting winds would be a big problem.