Your ride today....

[NorthernDave]

Very frosty this morning and out just after 9am. I was wary about the roads but the sun was shining and main roads had been gritted so it was fine. Or so I thought.
I went south making for Featherstone where my son and his partner live because I had some things to drop off for the grand childers. Into the sun most of the time so was missing my sun specs something chronic.
Quite a nice run but the roads down there are busy, even on a Sunday morning. I'll probably be riding down there way more in the coming months so I'll have to find a quieter route. I don't mind riding in traffic but it's just so ****ing noisy.
Got to my destination at about 10.30, came into their road and with the sun low in the sky, and a section of road having been shaded from the sun, the corner was an ice sheet. Naturally I decided to fall off. No cars about and no real drama, a sore elbow and hip but what really pi**es me off is I now have a hole in the sleeve of my brand new winter cycling top.
To top it all Debbs was out and while Matt my son would be in, he works nights so would be asleep. Turn round and head back home.
After another noisy run back it finished up at 32 miles and about 1500 ft of up.


View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/19959131

Sorry to hear about the off - I was in two minds about a ride today and decided to delay it after a very slippery dog walk early on when it was very difficult to tell the difference between what was ice and what was just wet until you stood on it.
A check early afternoon saw the same state of affairs so no ride today for me.
The ice on the path and on the car windscreen haven't melted all day and another hard frost is predicted tonight.

 

[pawl]

Suggested to our lass yesterday that we should get up and go for a ride this morning, she hasn't been on the bike for 3 or 4 weeks. Got up this morning to see it is icy, she won't ride if there is any sign of ice, especially since just before Christmas someone she works with came off his bike and broke both arms.

We waited until 10:30 and it is still icy, so we decided I would ride the ice bike and she would drive to Abbey Park and we would meet at 11:30 for a coffee. I got there at 11:31 having done 14 miles and she is sat on the bench with the coffee. Beautiful sunny morning so after the coffee we wandered over to see animals in Pets Corner and then we headed home.

Took a slight detour and finished on 33 miles, got in to see Leeds were winning one nil, by the time I had uploaded my ride to Strava we had lost 2-1. Oh well at least I had a nice ride.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1345306283

Console your self with the fact that theFoxes drew and live to fight again.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Likes for all who got out today. I hope everyone who fell on the ice is okay.

Due to circumstances beyond my control I've only just got out for my second ride of the year. I was a bit slow and lethargic today so didn't get out until after lunch, which was just as well as it was icy here too.

I needed to drop something off with @gavgav which meant riding past the football ground on the way where I'd missed the crowds arriving (Shrewsbury vs West Ham today) and just the last few stragglers were turning up.

Having done my errand I headed south past Betton Strange, Cantlop and Pitchford to Acton Burnell. It worked out well doing the route this way round as I was on gritted roads for the first 3/4 of the ride and had the north-easterly wind behind me all the way to Longnor which was good.

There seemed to be a lot less traffic on the roads (might have something to do with that football match) but there were a few cyclists out and it was a pleasant trip despite the bitter cold.

At Longnor I left the gritted roads and turned into the wind. It was just as well I'd left the ride 'til late in the day as there was still a lot of ice about in sheltered spots. If I had been out earlier it would have been even worse. I took it carefully and managed to avoid any slips

I didn't fancy being on the main roads with the sun low in the sky so went over Lyth Hill (more icy stretches) and added a loop round the village to finish off.

20 miles at 12.9 mph average. Hot chocolate to finish off with.

Outside the New Meadow (officially the Montgomery Waters Meadow ). Just a few stragglers turning up in time for kick off.

Cantlop Bridge. A rare example of one of Thomas Telford's smaller bridge designs and recently named as one of the top ten places in the UK to play Pooh Sticks.

A quick snap at one of my regular spots.

Blue sky and long shadows at Hunger Hill.

 

[Mark Grant]

I had a fairly rare ride on my 29er today. Through Bushy Park, along the Thames to Richmond, up Nightingale Lane to the park for a lap of the MTB track then back home via Hampton Court. 30 chilly miles.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Went for a 30 miler with SinL but turned home and just did 16miles.
I was cold tired and the wind just done me..he carried on as training for an 80 mile ride in march.
I think the XC ride yesterday was hard on the legs so I'm not surprised
Plus a 44 yr old fit guy will always make a 52yr old not so fit guy feel shattered.
I was on my road bike but forgot to change to cycle from mountain.

 

[cosmicbike]

Plans to get the metric half century ride in the bag today were flummoxed due to furniture collection and DIY, so I had to settle for a 5 mile utility ride on the Brompton into Staines and back. Hard going into the wind on the Brommie, and surprisingly warm in the sunshine this afternoon.

 

[Jon George]

I took a detour with Jay to the pub today and snapped this pic out near Westerfield.

 

[derrick]

Nice chilly ride to Hatfield Heath for a coffee, 45 miles a bit of wind on the way out, a little less on the way back, We did see a lot of other riders out in the lanes, Was nice to get back to the pub for a beer and a warm up, Then back home to try and fix the timer on the boiler.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1345364576

 

[Katherine]

this was the first time my water bottle froze!

After that happened to me last winter, I was advised to put a rehydration tablet in eg, a High 5 , because the salts raise the freezing temperature. I didn't think I needed one with not really losing much sweat in the winter, but I always use one now.

 

[Elswick Cotterpin]

Just a seven mile round trip this morning to the care home to visit my poor old Dad who has Parkinson's and escape from the house where my wife was listening to Steve Wrights Sunday love songs!

Bitterly cold north east head wind all the way there, one of those rides where you're reluctant to turn your head in case the wind finds a new way to torment you.

When I got there Dad didn't know who I was and he won't even remember I went to visit so I could have stayed home by the fire.. But a ride is a ride, and I missed Steve Wright.

 

[Katherine]

I was hoping to take the club B group out to the Anderton boat lift today and add a few miles for my first ever January metric century , but at 1 to2 degrees, it was too cold to stay out that long and my route was mostly country lanes that would have been too icy. So, we joined the A group to a new cafe stop in Rivington. We stayed on the ,main roads but still had to keep away from the edge to avoid icy patches. A cold but beautiful day and at 32 miles that was definately enough. I was glad of my new Conti 4 seasons tyres and my investment of birthday and Christmas money on some Northwave winter boots.
I've still got 2 weeks left for the challenge attempt.

We liked the cafe and there was a good selection of cake.

 

[colly]

This is worth so much more than a like! Chapeau indeed.

@Brandane Not many people go out on their own bike..........................and arrive home on their own different bike.

I stand in awe.

 

[Pale Rider]

Not many people go out on their own bike..........................and arrive home on their own different bike.

I stand in awe.

And given the time of year, not many local bike shops will have made a decent bike sale today, so @Brandane will have certainly cheered them up.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Days-off Friday/Saturday

Sadly I woke up early Friday morning (03:00 ish), with a hacking cough, streaming nose, & the inability to breathe efficiently
I intermittantly went back to sleep, but after my usual 06:45 alarm, SWMBO took one look/listen to me & told to me go back to sleep
I surfaced at 09:50

I spend Thursday barely being able to complete a full breath, or sentence, without coughs
'Ditto' most of Saturday

So no ride at all, either day

I had to get Joanne up, to take me to work this morning, as I didn't feel up to riding in (& definitely not running!)
By hometime, (17:00), it was a fair bit better
See what tomorrow brings, as I'm on 'early-turns' (be there for 05:00)

(days-off this week are Thurs/Fri)

 

[Brandane]

@Brandane Not many people go out on their own bike..........................and arrive home on their own different bike.

I stand in awe.

It wasn't perhaps as impulsive a purchase as I made it out to be! If only I could afford such things on a whim . I have been looking for a decent road bike for a while, and done my window shopping on this here computer. I've always had a soft spot for Merida for some reason; I think they are the forgotten man of the big manufacturers and therefore perhaps offer better value for money. I had a shortlist which included the Merida, and the Cannondale Synapse 105 carbon.. Went to Evans recently to look at the Synapse, but for some reason Evans have a knack of putting me off big purchases, despite the £700 off RRP.. Prefer the LBS route if possible - and yesterday it all came together, if a little unexpectedly. Sorry for going OT on the "Your Ride today" thread, but it does have some relevance as a PS to yesterdays ride!