Your ride today....

[gavgav]

Last nights little jaunt to test rack secureness was not without meaning. Today I intended to attempt my longest every ride, and my first 50 imperial miles. I was in no hurry, but as I wanted to spend some time around the lake at Virginia Water I was out by 0800. I went stocked for 4-5 hours with 3 bottles, lunch, Haribo's, cereal bar, and started in a jacket! As soon as I reached Virginia Water lake the jacket was packed into the pannier bag, but the trousers stayed the whole ride, never quite felt hot enough to warrant unzipping them down to shorts.
A steady start with a couple of laps of the , pausing for a photo. We used to ride across this bit as teenagers on our MTB's..
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After a couple of laps it started to get a bit busier, so I did a couple of shorter laps around the Polo Club & Savill Garden before heading out to the 'other side' of the park. By now I'd done 20 miles, so stopped at the Jubilee horse, the shade was welcome and another photo whilst I had cereal bar. Really clear day today, Windsor Castle in the distance.
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Decision time from here, it was either into Windsor and the river Thames towpath (flat), or the other way towards Ascot (not flat). I went the not flat way, simply because I'd done the river earlier this week. Out through Sunninghill is a nice pedal, and from there through Windlesham, Chobham and into Chertsey. By now it was near midday, and I was looking out for a lunch spot. Homewood Park sits just behind St Peters Hospital in Chertsey, and whilst I drive/ride by it regularly, I've never been in. Little explore found a lovely park with nature trail, all around a mansion. So, I found a bench in the shade, and out came the lunch box...
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A wonderful place to eat lunch, in the shade, and admiring Bottleys Mansion.
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Garmin said 43 miles at this point, so I headed homewards through Lyne, ended up having to put a little extra loop on to hit the 50.
50.5 miles

Well done!!

 

[gavgav]

Whilst there has been all this talk of a heatwave (South of Watford Gap maybe !) I headed out after work in the bitterly cold Northerly wind that has bothered Shropshire all day. I had 3 layers on, including wind proof jacket and I was still cold and wished I had my full finger gloves with me.....

I began by covering the new lanes i had discovered on Monday, but in reverse. Much easier going in that direction! In Berrington I had an unintended nostalgic moment when I took the left hand turn and passed the village hall that we used to take my Nan to Play Bingo at, when I was a wee kid. It dawned on me after passing both that and a very grand house, that I hadn't passed these on Monday and indeed I had taken the wrong road !

I quickly doubled back and headed along the road I wanted to Eaton Mascott and Cound, which i always think looks a stunning village.

I then began my main climbing of the ride, up onto Cound Moor and then up the steep bank to Kenley. I paused for a bag of crisps on my usual bench. It's a lovely spot where, on a good day, you can see the Welsh Mountains and Shropshire Hills, and it's a nice peaceful spot to sit and think. It was a bit cold for hanging around and so I pressed on towards Harnage Grange and then the lovely downhill section to Harnage and back into Cound from the opposite direction.

I must have seen about 20 pheasants on the ride and it was along here that I had my funniest moment on a bike in a long long while. A pheasant was in the road and saw me, panicked as they usually do, and proceeded to run head first into a gate, due to the gaps being filled by chicken wire !! It bounced off and looked even more gormless than they normally do!

I chuckled away as I retraced my tracks home, with lights needed in the gathering gloom.

There was another fowl situation as I pulled onto the very busy A458, where 2 ducks were waddling across in front of the traffic .

21.4 miles with 990ft of climbing.

 

[thatname]

Finally put my Garmin to good use and plotted some new routes out into Kent. Lovely lumpy loop ride from SE London to the North Downs and back. Discovered some cracking lanes and pretty villages, ridiculously steep ascents and possibly the steepest descent i have ever encountered. Throw into the mix a few long labored climbs up Starhill Road and Bower Lane my thighs now feel like logs but I have tan lines!

42 MIles with 3,230ft of climbing - 2hrs 38min

 

[13 rider]

Have you done Pollybotts yet? It is the hill that a few of the clubs use for their climbing competitions.

Yes I attempted it on my second every ride and had to stop halfway up .so it become a challenge to get it done managed it second attempt .climb it a least once a month it still surprises me at the right hand bend near the top when it kicks up again. but do find easier now six months on .never seen any competitions on it but in wouldn't surprise me it a bit off a test.

 

[ColinJ]

I did one of my loops in reverse today, realising I'd never done it the opposite way around, and it felt odd but I did notice a few different things, however I think I'll do it the normal way next time!

I discovered that effect a few years ago. There are certain loops that I had done scores of times one way round before trying them in reverse. I got totally disorientated on one such ride. I couldn't believe that I was on familiar roads until I turned through 180 degrees to check that I was actually where I thought I was!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I discovered that effect a few years ago. There are certain loops that I had done scores of times one way round before trying them in reverse. I got totally disorientated on one such ride. I couldn't believe that I was on familiar roads until I turned through 180 degrees to check that I was actually where I thought I was!

I've noticed that it always feels harder in the other direction as well!

 

[Spartak]

Out on my MTB last night riding sections of the Cotswold Way.
Thru the Kilcot Valley then the climb up to Ozleworth & Newark Park. Then thru villages of Alderley & Hillesley before finishing at The Fox in Hawkesbury Upton for Pizza & Peroni 8-)

https://www.strava.com/activities/286158471

 

[ColinJ]

I've noticed that it always feels harder in the other direction as well!

That is one of the reasons why I usually stick to the other direction! Another factor is preferring left turns to reduce the number of times that I have to turn across traffic, though many of the places that I ride are pretty quiet anyway, unless I get my timing wrong and pass village schools when the kids are being picked up. (I got caught up outside a comprehensive school once and it took me about 20 minutes to cycle 100 metres! There were so many badly parked parental cars blocking the road that a policeman was standing in the middle of the road controlling the traffic in an attempt to sort out the chaos.)

 

[Elybazza61]

Usual commute route again this time on the Planet X XLS,pretty quiet ride in and the legs felt a bit heavy so kept it fairly easy.
Just hope the legs feel a bit better Sunday.

https://www.strava.com/activities/286357349

 

[mooseracer]

A bit further and certainly lumpier today

https://www.strava.com/activities/286472855

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I set out wrapped up this morning, even pausing only 100 meters from home to zip up my windproof jacket and put my long fingered gloves on! It was distinctly more than I had taken into account.
It didn't take long for me to meet someone who wanted a chat about the bike. I was more than happy to oblige. Today wasn't intended to be a fast push it ride, after the issues I had yesterday afternoon (an adrenal hypoglycaemic attack where my physio found me semi-conscious! Really I should have been out, but I wanted to get out and do something!), so having doubled my steroids and eaten a little extra and more carefully, I decided I would just take it easy and enjoy the day. All I needed now was the that had been promised! It duly obliged...

Getting there slowly with that sunshine.

Getting better, but I've only just shed the long fingered gloves, the windproof shower resistant top and donned the baseball cap!

I like this tree. It is a fighter. It has very little going for it, but it is trying hard to flower!

Further on and it has warmed up considerably and the butterflies are out on the sloes (I only know this because there were sloes here in the autumn )

Nearly home and the sun is well and truly out now, layers have been shed and it is way too warm!

https://www.strava.com/activities/286458091Strabegly 15.9 miles again. I may have to find a few more yards from somewhere! Back to my 7.7mph average - oh well. Tis better than not cycling at all....

 

[mooseracer]

Out on my MTB last night riding sections of the Cotswold Way.
Thru the Kilcot Valley then the climb up to Ozleworth & Newark Park. Then thru villages of Alderley & Hillesley before finishing at The Fox in Hawkesbury Upton for Pizza & Peroni 8-)



https://www.strava.com/activities/286158471

I imagine that's a good ride Ian, I sometimes come down from Hawkesbury Upton to Hillesley on the Cotswold Way....can't imagine enjoying the climb up the other way!

Peroni in The Fox is always good though

 

[13 rider]

Day off work household chores done ,hour to spare so out with the bike off through Newtown Linford passed Bradgate park and right on Ulverscoft lane lane swung left on to Pollybotts lane ( at @Supersuperleeds suggestion ,you can go off people) up the climb slowly but steady loads of people visiting national trust place today. Still dont know if I love this climb or hate it but I keep doing it .swung a left at the crossroads over the a50 into Markfield and turned to Thornton left into the village then left down past the resevior and back to Markfield and downhill back to Newtown Linford and home . 13.5 miles done at 14.2 mph .bit chily in short sleeves as the sun decided to hide behind the clouds just when you think summers hear the weather changes again.

 

[Spartak]

I imagine that's a good ride Ian, I sometimes come down from Hawkesbury Upton to Hillesley on the Cotswold Way....can't imagine enjoying the climb up the other way!

Peroni in The Fox is always good though

It was a tough ride, I spent most of it watching my mates disappearing into the distance !!

The pizza was excellent too

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Day off work today so decided to get up nice and early and do another imperial century. I combined a super extended commute to work route and then tagged on the normally Sunday ride I do with our lass. Was cloudy all morning but warm and a very light wind, fairly flat route with only 2,800 feet of climbing over just shy of 104 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/286461262