Your ride today....

[Jenkins]

Out on Patsy #3 The Hybrid with studded tyres and lowered pressures for a little 11 mile jaunt. More than one driver didn't appear to give any consideration to how much slush/snow they sprayed over my legs as they passed at speed. (Most drivers, however, extremely considerate.)
Drying out a bit before cycling over to the pub.

Wood smoke and snow out near Nacton:-

View attachment 386667

You weren't the only one to suffer from slush this morning (I did day hello as we passed near St. Augustine's Church on Bucklesham road).

18 mile round trip up to Aldi in Ipswich for me. Started off nicely, but ice, snow and slush quickly played havoc with the rear mech on my Cube leaving only one or two useable gears. The first half of the trip out was on the back roads coverted in slush or soft snow where I could follow the wheeltrack of cars. However from Purdis Heath onwards, the overnight rain had washed away any grit, the snow had then fallen, been compacted by cars and then formed nasty icy ruts that my well worn Schwalbe CX comp tyres just couldn't cope with so I was all over the place and kept pulling over to let traffic past. Thankfully, the main road back was clear of ice & ruts but the amount of slush & water on the roads meant that every car that passed me gave me a soaking no matter how much room they gave. Almost every radiator in the house has now got clothing drying on it!

At least the trip wasn't wasted - they had one Millennium Falcon t-shirt left in medium!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Nice 2-3 hours in the snow on deserted back roads

 

[Threevok]

Did several miles in the deep snow - Did 2 miles in one direction and got blocked by fallen trees, so went in the other direction and get blocked there too.

It got very scary, when you could hear the trees creaking and branches falling all around

Had enough and headed home for coffee

 

[Jon George]

(I did day hello as we passed near St. Augustine's Church on Bucklesham road).

Apologies if I didn't respond - I hadn't stopped to lower my tyre pressures at that stage and was 're-discovering' the delights of a front wheel deciding to go in a different direction to the one I wanted.

 

[iandg]

The snow remains. Followed a gravel track out of town until it met the Pentland Road, Returned to town an d a lap of the Castle Grounds - the grounds were hard going with frozen footprints and the bike skidding all over the place.

View: https://www.strava.com/activities/1309065204/embed/08eb2d61e242291753560f2da246ca3d172dca06

 

[xzenonuk]

Just done a 10.4 miler, went around the Edinburgh airport area, loads of patches of solid ice and frost, no wind though so win

New tyres on the mtb are nice and grippy compared to what I had on it before

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I had Wednesday/Thursday off last week, but for various reasons, there was no ride

This week, I'm off Thursday/Friday
Friday sees a family funeral, so no ride then
A ride on Thursday?
Not sure yet, even if it's only over to 'Squires' (via 'Mary Pannal', & Ledsham), or Birkin Café (via FerryBridge & Brotherton), it'd still be a ride out

Then, I'm days-off;
23rd/24th (working 07:00 - 16:00, on 25th/26th)
30th/31st (working 13:00 - 22:00, on 1st)
Not sure if I'll get a ride those days

Normally, I'd be over at Haworth on the 31st, but didn't get an entry this year for the 'ALS'
So, there's no joining the rest of the idiots

 

[xzenonuk]

Just done about 22 miles ended up in princes street and had a angry guy and a punishment pass on the way back, apart from that it was decent if a bit chilly lol

 

[Jon George]

For the last few years, I've grabbed a bike (Patsy #3 The Hybrid) and cycled around town delivering Christmas cards. Every time I've made time to do so, however, it's rained, so it hasn't been as pleasant as I'd wished for.
But not today!
Studded tyres, bright sun and a crisp. cold winter feel to the air. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
I'm still feeling a tad knackered from the cold I had a week or so ago, so I didn't get them all done today, but I've penciled in Friday to finish it off. Another ride.

And here is pic I took to demonstrate that we do things differently in Suffolk.
I give you Seven Cottages Lane ...

 

[hondated]

Sorry. Not much typing due to frost nipped digits. 205km Audax yesterday with nearly 2500m climbing. Ice in England, riders off all over the place and snow on the Brecon Beacons. Wales is beautiful. Cake and jacket potatoes by the WI. I don’t think I could have asked for a better way to spend a Saturday. Long day mind: Up at 04:44 and into bed at 23:11. Think I’ll put my feet up. If I can find them.
View attachment 386595

Now that's what I call hard core, well done.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

The weather has relented a bit. 8" of snow and then -9C made the roads impossible. But a thaw has set in and we now have balmy 2C. The roads are clearing so out I went. I knew the first leg of the route would have been gritted so no worries. I thought I'd try the ungritted bits too. They weren't too bad, just some short sections where compacted snow was still ice. These bits didn't really slow me down too much overall although I was only brave enough to scoot at times. The thing that did slow me down was the brisk headwind at the start as well as legs that had all but forgotten what to do. The shelter of the lanes helped a lot and the penny dropped for my legs. I disturbed a Green Woodpecker on two separate occasions. Apologies my feathered friends. A Dunnock flitted across in front of me and piped a little hello from a twig in the hedge. The wildfowl are starting to gather on the Hams now. I think the reserve management have closed the sluice to bring the water levels up. Time for a proper visit soon. The ride North was much easier with that wind assisting. I just kept the pace easy and the pedal revs good. Lovely outing overall. 44 smiles

 

[Old jon]

What a long time since my last ride! I had to check to see which bike I should be riding, and as for a route I had no idea at all. I wheeled the Ellis Briggs out into the cold, a check of tyre pressures and all the other little things, then off went I in the direction of away.

The usual ride through Holbeck to Water Lane, and a left turn to Office Lock and the towpath happened almost automatically, and I am happy I went that way. The resident cob and pen, with cygnet, were in the canal as ever. Next lock along and there was a heron. Yes, I have seen a few on the canal, but rarely this close to Leeds centre. Then the heron was trumped by a cormorant, happily drying its wings at the side of the towpath. It barely flinched as I passed, this counts as the closest I have been to a cormorant. Ever. Great start to a chilly ride, the grin that started there lasted all the way around.

So, leave the canal at Viaduct Road, it is much too cold for any out-of-the-ordinary riding. Cardigan Road and through Headingley then further up to Lawnswood, all along the A 660. By the time I reached that far the fingers were still cold. ( How polite, they were f-f-f-freezing) So, having no wish to become much colder I rode along to the roundabout at Bramhope and turned right onto King’s Road. The last bit of uphill for the day and at the top turn right to pedal past the park entrance on Arthington Road and then right again onto Church Lane.



This, after one more right turn, leads back onto the A 660 and the drop down the bit so recently climbed, all the way to Headingley. Queues of traffic here but no hindrance to riding gently along to the right turn onto North Lane and a more or less straight line ride to Kirkstall. From there, cross the river and also the railway line and eventually finding the towpath again. A totally uneventful bit of the ride, except the cormorant was still there and still fearless. A swift ( ? ) traverse of a corner of Hunslet and I was almost home. The end of the street and the mileage just ticked over 20, it was good to be back and thawing out.

A bit of map, it does not feel the cold,

 

[derrick]

Nice ride this morning, woke up and all the snow had gone, We had planned the ride last night, was good to get out after last Saturday's aborted ride, temperature went up to about 8 degrees, i was a bit overdressed but hey ho, 36 smiles on a nice bright day, the roads were really quiet, we did try to stay on the main roads, as there was still a bit of ice the further north we went. Ended back at the pub for a couple of beers, then home for a shower,
https://www.strava.com/activities/1313761794#comments

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

This week, I'm off Thursday/Friday
Friday sees a family funeral, so no ride then
A ride on Thursday?
Not sure yet, even if it's only over to 'Squires' (via 'Mary Pannal', & Ledsham), or Birkin Café (via FerryBridge & Brotherton), it'd still be a ride out

I got out for an hour, but not much more
So, it was just a local circuit
Through Old Snydale, towards Featherstone
Past the Crematorium towards Pontefract, passing the old KOYLI Barracks (now offices), & the TA base next door
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/524328
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/581048

Then a right, at the 'Town End' roundabout (far better through-flow, than the old traffic-lighted junction)
I didn't go down here far, but turned left (Mayors Walk/Friarwood Lane) to loop around the Hospital ('Pontefract General Infirmary') - home of a 'Hermitage'
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/pontefract-hermitage-feb-16.t101902

Then back onto SouthGate, near Baghill Station
Back to the TownEnd roundabout, turning right, towards Tanshelf Station, the RaceCourse, & (further along) the M62

I passed the RaceCourse, & cut under the M62 (jct 31), with the 'Xscape' complex to my left, heading towards Glasshoughton
Sadly, there was no time to climb Holywell Lane, towards FerryBridge

Therefore, it was just back past ASDA. & along the new 'relief road'/Cutsyke bypass
This was absolutely filthy. due to the mixture of site traffic from the new houses being built/water leaching out of the remaining pit-stacks there (spoil-heaps),
I got plastered
The road isn't on this map, but goes from the '639' r/bout, to a new one, just north of the M62
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3856132


Back under the M62, then along the bypass/'relief road', passing the new Wakefield Police Station at Havertop
Then the stretch that goes around the south-east side of Normanton Industrial Estate
At the midway roundabout (WInterton Hill), it was a right turn. & back home

Yes, totally grotty

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Sunshine but a brisk, cold wind straight out of the north. Layering up was a no brainer. Straight into the lanes I headed to cross Longdon Marsh. My legs were complaining. 2 days in a row after that weather imposed layoff. I rounded by Bushley Green and began the headwind section after crossing a very well filled river. All that snow melt from upstream adds up for sure. The Strensham lanes gave me some shelter from that wind but it wasn't easy going. A pair of male Bullfinches flitted across in front at Showborough House. Very colourful for sure. Back over the full river the ride through the lanes was tough but thankfully the ice has melted enough for the unhindered passage of two wheels. Over the last few miles I waved at Bill D as he pedalled in the opposite direction. Me struggling into that wind and he getting it easy. Glad to have done this one despite the relative difficulty today. 35 smiles