Your ride today....

[Paul139]

Bit of a different ride today. Mrs Paul bought me a taster session at the Lee Valley Velodrome. Really enjoyed it. I've never ridden on track before nor had most of the other dozen or so people there, but by the end of it we were all riding at a fair old speed and allowed to overtake each other.
We had a couple of instructors who were very friendly and professional, and were happy to answer all questions that they must of heard hundreds of times from apprehensive riders before.
When you look at the banking from the spectator areas it looks steep. When you're on the bike and about to go on it it looks.....STEEP!!
As I mentioned,towards the end of the session for the last fifteen minutes or so we were allowed to ride at our own pace and overtake each other and man it's hard work. Much tougher than I thought.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to go again.

Mrs Paul surveying the area.

Inside the pleasure dome.

Me in full flow.

 

[summerdays]

Bit of a different ride today. Mrs Paul bought me a taster session at the Lee Valley Velodrome. Really enjoyed it. I've never ridden on track before nor had most of the other dozen or so people there, but by the end of it we were all riding at a fair old speed and allowed to overtake each other.
We had a couple of instructors who were very friendly and professional, and were happy to answer all questions that they must of heard hundreds of times from apprehensive riders before.
When you look at the banking from the spectator areas it looks steep. When you're on the bike and about to go on it it looks.....STEEP!!
As I mentioned,towards the end of the session for the last fifteen minutes or so we were allowed to ride at our own pace and overtake each other and man it's hard work. Much tougher than I thought.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to go again.

View attachment 85997 Mrs Paul surveying the area. View attachment 85998 Inside the pleasure dome. View attachment 85999 Me in full flow.

I watched a session earlier in the year and thought it looked really good fun, I was tempted to try myself.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Bit of a different ride today. Mrs Paul bought me a taster session at the Lee Valley Velodrome. Really enjoyed it. I've never ridden on track before nor had most of the other dozen or so people there, but by the end of it we were all riding at a fair old speed and allowed to overtake each other.
We had a couple of instructors who were very friendly and professional, and were happy to answer all questions that they must of heard hundreds of times from apprehensive riders before.
When you look at the banking from the spectator areas it looks steep. When you're on the bike and about to go on it it looks.....STEEP!!
As I mentioned,towards the end of the session for the last fifteen minutes or so we were allowed to ride at our own pace and overtake each other and man it's hard work. Much tougher than I thought.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to go again.

View attachment 85997 Mrs Paul surveying the area. View attachment 85998 Inside the pleasure dome. View attachment 85999 Me in full flow.

Screw that, it looks like too much hard work.

 

[Paul139]

I watched a session earlier in the year and thought it looked really good fun, I was tempted to try myself.

Screw that, it looks like too much hard work.

@summerdays You really must sometime. It's great.

@Racing roadkill It is hard work, my lungs were bursting and it was my first time riding "fixed" and all that braking by using your legs to put resistance on the pedals is telling on the knees tonight.

 

[biggs682]

Woke up by the cat being sick with a fur ball at 5.35 so only one thing to do, get the bike out and go for a ride.

Headed out of town towards Great Doddington followed by a quick descent and along hardwarter and up to Grendon down past the fishing lakes at Castle Ashby below then up and down through Whiston then along towards Earls Barton and Mears Ashby with Sywell village next and then along past the airfield and Beckworths and down the mad mile to home just over 23 miles and a very nice ride indeed.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Post went funny ?? But ive changed bike to top pic..

Well @ColinJ if had a fiddle as you sugested.

flipped stem and a inline post..see how it goes ,I dont really want to sell this or put flats on it

 

[BigAl68]

A gentle fourty miles or so around bath and Bristol. Just stopped for cider and peanuts on the river before hopefully doing another 20 odd out to Radstock and back via the two tunnels. It's lovely and sunny if a little windy.

 

[gbb]

Bike computers been faffed for ages so reading a post t'other day about Galaxy S5 apps, I've downloaded mapmyride..and first ride recorded is...19.6 miles,same ride as last week along to Whittlesey etc...average speed 14.2 mph.
Now I have a new benchmark...Each ride I vow to get back to somewhere near where I used to be.
Nice day to be cycling but very blowy out in the open.

 

[Deleted member 23692]

I had to run an errand across town today so I took my 'urban' bike, as I don't have to dress up in silly clothes to ride it

And it was its first time out since I ditched the standard Schwalbe Road Cruiser tyres for some Vittoria Voyager Hyper ones which I picked up from PlanetX for the bargain price of £7.99 a few weeks back. What a transformation! Its way quicker and far easier to pedal . The bike's now gone from a chore to a pleasure to use. I'm so glad I bought 4 tyres now

The outward journey was a reasonably direct route through town using cycle tracks and other off road tracks to avoid the traffic. The return journey got extended to take in the new by-pass, then along the Caldew cycleway before nipping home through Hammond's Pond, where I stopped to talk to a few ducks, and take a piccy.

and a map

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

A superb West Lothian Clarion ride today, from East Calder Sports Centre out through Muireston and Woolfords Cottages, looping north through Forth, Shotts, and Harthill, turning for home via Blackridge and the excellent Cup Cake Cafe. Sheltered enough to sit outside enjoying the sun with our egg rolls and cupcakes . 62 miles by the time I got home.

 

[mooseracer]

26 miles, 2 pubs and some lunch with Mrs Moose today. First time up a hill since getting back on the bike and although slow, it was ok. Very enjoyable day out on the bikes in glorious sunshine, albeit windy.

https://www.strava.com/activities/287769044

 

[13 rider]

Wasn't planning a ride today ,saving my energy for tomorrows ride spring into Rutland. Phone call from mate enquiring if I fanced a quick spin what the hell sun shining why not , worry about tomorrow tomorrow .So out with the bike Anstey ,Cropston ,Rothley ,Mountsorrel to mates house in Sileby. Quick refreshment stop then out Towards Seagrave then up big lane along paudy lane towards the a46 . Turned left towards Burton on the wolds .lovely steady descent on smooth tarmac ( wheeeeeeeee) into the village then headed towards Loughborough and turned towards Barrow upon soar up cotes rd and turned towards Sileby .I parted company with mate as I headed home through Mountsorrel and mate headed home. Got home 29.2 miles done at 13.8 mph so much for a gentle warm up .hope the legs hold out for tomorrow ,after tomorrows ride my weekly milage will be around 150 which is a BIG week for me monthly target is 200 early April I was behind target not any more

 

[Goonerobes]

Tough choice today, FA cup semi final with mates or out on the bike.......well given my disliking of the modern game & going to the hellhole that is Wembley the bike got the vote!

Another trip to Wiltshire beckoned (its the only place with anything resembling a hill around here), and a route was created with a mish-mash of roads I've recently found & some more familiar. However, this week the wind was in totally the opposite direction to last week meaning I had a tail/cross wind heading out & a head/cross wind on the return which I now realize is not preferable.

The route out took me quickly across the forest to Linwood where I took a new way to Alderholt & then on to Sixpenny Handley & up the first incline off the day at Tollard Royal. As this was about half way I planned to stop here for my rice-cake lunch & pulled over next to another chap who had come up from the opposite side of the hill & after a very pleasant chat to him we said our goodbyes & I was on my way now into the wind to Broad Chalke where the second & final little hill awaits.

With that negotiated it was downhill, with some scary crosswinds, to Damersham & Fordingbridge before heading back across the forest & with a killer headwind to home for, if my average heart rate reading is correct, a fairly leisurely 73.4 mile round trip.

https://www.strava.com/activities/287723743

Blue skys & some fab views, what more could you ask!?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

A great ride today but not the one planned. I'd intended to join @ColinJ for his forum ride today but just could not sleep properly last night which led to a later start than I'd hoped meaning there was no realistic way of making it to Spring Wood by 10am.

The day was too good to miss out on though so later in the morning I headed out for the Shropshire hills. The route was out over Lyth Hill, then to Pontesbury and Minsterley before climbing over the Stiperstones to Wentnor and on to the Long Mynd via the fiendish Asterton Bank to the summit then heading home down the Burway and home via Longnor and Condover.

It's wonderfully sunny out but quite breezy which helped on the way out to Minsterley but wasn't great thereafter. It's quite cool still too so layers were on and off at various points depending on whether I was climbing, sheltered or exposed to the wind.

I enjoyed the long climb up to the Stiperstones as the scenery looked great today but the wind at the top took my breath away a bit. The layers went back on and I got quite buffetted on the descent the other side. Fortunately it was a bit more sheltered in the valley and I enjoyed the run to Wentnor, then on to Asterton.

Once again I'd like to say I climbed Asterton Bank in one, but as usual I had to stop a couple of times to let traffic by (the tarmac is literally just wide enough for a car most of the way up). The first driver coming down said "You've got further than I would have" as he passed.

Nearing the top I was exposed to the wind again which made the last 100 yards or so even tougher than normal and meant progress across the top was quite slow. There were a few groups of mountain bikers up here which made me wonder where all the other cyclists had been today. At this point I'd only passed four other riders so far on the trip and the last of those had been back before Snailbeach.

Heading off the hill via the Burway, the wind saved me having to brake as hard as usual , I took a detour down into Carding Mill Valley then headed north. There were more riders over this side of the hills including what was clearly a club outing on a very mixed range of bikes including some vintage ones and a penny farthing (should have turned round and gone after them to get a picture ) I don't suppose anyone knows who they might have been?

40.4 hilly miles today at 12.2 mph average.

Near Tankerville and looking back down the valley that I've been climbing for the last four miles or so.

The visitor centre at The Bog (yes, that really is a place name) is open for the season.

As close as I get to the actual Stiperstones today.

Wentnor. Quiet and peaceful. With the sound of hens clucking nearby it had the feel of stepping back a few decades.

Leaving the village, a warning of what's to come.

Climbing Asterton Bank. I've just had to stop to let a car by so might as well get a photo of the view.

Fabulous at Pole Bank.

Plenty of visitors in Carding Mill Valley.

 

[Racing roadkill]

75 miler today


https://www.strava.com/activities/287838792