Your ride today....

[Donger]

Used the club ride out to Newent (via Churcham and Bulley) as s slingshot for an extended ride out to somewhere near the Malverns and back to get in my February qualifying ride for the Metric Century a Month Challenge. The club ride was quickish, as the Intermediates all joined us on the Chilled Group ride today, so I was hanging on at the back for most of the club ride. After a pleasant break for coffee and treacle tart at the Trioscape Garden Centre near Highleadon:

it felt cold for the first time as we got back on our bikes. We soon warmed up again with a quick sprint across to Corse, where I said my goodbyes as the others turned for home. My mate Rich (in the black kit, 4th from the right) is training for LE-JO'G, so he decided to keep me company and Pete (the guy in the red on the right) came with us for 10 miles or so before having to turn for home. As we got to Castlemorton, the Malvern Hills to our left suddenly disappeared completely under a dirty black squall and it started to sleet. Once through that, I judged I could omit some of my planned route as I'd done a little extra loop at the start of the ride, and we turned for Upton on Severn, where I sat on the natty new flood defences for a moment, having a drink:

Came back via the beautiful little village of Forthampton (near Tewkesbury) and the hams between Tirley and Ashleworth, where the bird spotters were out photographing geese in the flood meadows. Got as far as the top of the hill above Maisemore, from where you get a good distant view of Gloucester Cathedral, only to see it suddenly disappear, just as the Malverns had done earlier. This time we were riding through hailstones for five minutes as the clouds closed in. Once back at the ring road, Rich went his way and I went mine. In my case I ambled my way back along the cycle path, job done. 63,52 miles ridden today (or 102.2 km). A really enjoyable ride in mostly clear weather. Just a shame we had to battle against some vicious headwinds and sidewinds today. Not complaining about the tailwinds though!
Time for a long, hot soak now. Cheers, Donger.

 

[TeeShot]

Glad some of you had decent weather today. It was clear when we arrived at our cafe stop today, however 20 mins later......

 

[Glow worm]

Just a short 5 miler here this afternoon. I'm back in north Norfolk for a few days and rode through the woods between Waterden and Holkham (about 6 miles north of Fakenham).

Always a nice quiet lane this one. I've been riding through here since 1975 when I was 6, and I'm always relieved to see that unlike just about everything else in life, it's not changed at all in all that time (save for fewer elms I guess).

 

[graham56]

After a “blow out” last night, out this morning to clear my head.
I did a circular route Niuew Vennep, Lisse, De Engel, Sassenheim, Leiden, Hoogmade, Woubrugge, Leimuiden and back to base in Nieuw Vennep.
The wind was a killer, at times it felt as i wasn’t moving, so pleased when i got back. Let’s hope it’s not as bad tomorrow. Only two days remaining then back home to the UK. Doei

 

[Mr Celine]

Yesterday was perfect cycling weather, 7C, sunny with no wind but unfortunately I decided to go to the football instead, where my team were unceremoniously dumped out the Scottish Cup.
Today was 2C, sunny with a strong, biting northwesterly. I soon found some snow and very icy stretches and had to get off and skate past them.

The worst bits were those that had been in the shade all day.
Views of distant snowy mountains makes it worthwhile.

Only 25 miles. Back home to clean the salt off. I'm getting through rags like @Pat "5mph" .

 

[Pat "5mph"]

The ice and snow are back here too, @Mr Celine.
Don't know why, but for some reason I always thought you were in the USA lol

 

[Jenkins]

Made the mistake of going out this afternoon without checking the rain radar. Got to the outskirts of Ipswich and noticed heavy shower clouds off to the north and tried to work out if they were going to stay to the north and just miss my planned route. Unfortunately, at Westerfield, I realised that there was a much larger bank of cloud than I thought and so put in a bit more effort to get home before it hit. Failed by about 10 minutes and got caught hit with heafty and painful downpour of hail followed by freezing cold rain so added a little bit just to get in the metric 50.

As a result it's yet another bike to clean tomorrow - the only reason I didn't go out earlier was that this morning I was cleaning and lubing the MTB from yesterday's muddy ride and the cleaning, lubing and changing the brake pads on the Ventus commuter from Friday's wet ride to work.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1402868786

 

[delb0y]

Absolutely delightful ride this morning. Loved every minute - partly because it was a Monday morning and it's so much better than working, but partly because it was just the nicest morning I've seen for ages.

Got up at 6:45 with the aim of being out with the sunrise and was a bit alarmed at the weather and road warnings on the interweb. Set off and sure enough the roads (well, back lanes) were very icy, but the 50mm tyres were confidence inspiring. These sheep looked at me as if to say "We've got no choice, but why would you be out at this time voluntarily?"

Went over the canal and through the lanes to the river. Actually, 50mm tyres notwithstanding, there were a few moments when I thought, Delboy, what on earth are you doing? The lane from Fretherne to Arlingham was pure ice and frost and I crunched and crackled over it reasonably slowly, but still loved every second.

Grabbed the tow-path in Frampton to avoid roads:

and hopped off a bridge earlier than normal and headed up a lane that, despite living in these parts all my life, I'd never been down.

Talking of lanes I'd never been down, I'd deliberate planned a route that took me down one that supposedly ended in a bridle path. It was terrific. Found myself beneath a great railway bridge with the River Frome bubbling away alongside:

It would have been rideable on the Tricross, but the Toughroad was a joy on these back lanes. This bike is so comfortable it's crazy. I then popped out by a favourite photographic haunt - St Cyr's at Stonehouse:

From there it was another 10 miles or so on main roads - boo! - back to Quedgeley.

All in all a lovely ride, a smidgen under 30 miles. Not very quick - but I was stopping every few minutes for photos, there was all that ice, the tow-path, the bridle-path, the... Oh hell, I'm just slow! :-)

Oh and I used my new Yahoo Element, too. £2.49 from Evans, but that's another story. Lovely piece of kit.

Cheers
Derek

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Legs were a bit tired today but I headed out as the forecast for the next couple of days doesn't look good. I headed for the hedges on the way down to Longdon Marsh as the stiff breeze was quite a hindrance. The legs seemed to get the idea eventually but none of the up bits were easy. The White Rabbit is still standing and staring whilst the drifts of snowdrops in the wood at Strensham are a wondrous sight. I just rode this one as I felt as a leg turner. Great to get out in some bright and dry weather. 35 smiles

 

[PatrickPending]

My ride yesterday - 71Km - not sure how I had a headwind all the way - but it seemed like it
Blaby - Wigston!- Newton Harcourt - Houghton on the Hill - Ingarsby - Cold Newton (love the climb up to the road to Tilton!) - Tilton on the Hill - Skeffington - Rolleston - Ilston - Burton Overy - Kibworth Harcourt - Fleckney - Countesthorpe - Blaby!
Seemably going down every gated road I could find including ones where my only way of opening the gate was to wade through a deep puddle resulting in freezing cold wet feet! Was nice though - I feel rather out of shape as the hill out of Cold Newton was a struggle

Photo near Rolleston.

 

[Jenkins]

Bonus day off today - using up leave before the end of February. Just a short 4 mile shopping trip in the morning followed up by a much longer loop in the Suffolk countryside in the afternoon sunshine.

Out to Ipswich on the usual back roads then out of Ipswich via Wherstead, under the Owrell Bridge and up into Freston, Holbrook, Stutton and Brantham, then East Bergholt...

...and under the A12 to Hadleigh via Holton St. Mary and Raydon.
From there it was back towards Ipswich via Hintlesham but turning north at Sproughton and heading into Claydon and uphill to Henley where there's an odd sight to be seen thanks to the lack of leaves on the trees...

(it's a John Deere if anyone is interested)
After that it was down into Westerfield and the usual route skirting Ipswich home to complete a metric century for February. Back to the reality of work tomorrow unfortunately
https://www.strava.com/activities/1404332146

 

[cosmicbike]

Well my rides yesterday and today were rubbish Commutes both, but 3 miles from work last night the legs decided not to play ball, so the last bit of the ride was done standing up with minimal pedalling. Took some time to figure getting my boots off on arrival since I couldn't get to my feet..... Magic pills through the night and by going home time at 0700 this morning I could bend my leg, but no strength. Couple that with a nasty headwind and my slowest ever commute home, taking nearly an hour to cover the 9 miles.
Had to bring the van tonight, and it did at least make it clear why I cycle to work. 25 minutes to do little over a mile. I was jealous of the multiple cyclists that filtered by me tonight, even the pedestrians were getting there faster
Hopefully a night off the bike will see me right, I do hope so as the imperial century challenge ride is due on Sunday..

 

[Katherine]

Well my rides yesterday and today were rubbish Commutes both, but 3 miles from work last night the legs decided not to play ball, so the last bit of the ride was done standing up with minimal pedalling. Took some time to figure getting my boots off on arrival since I couldn't get to my feet..... Magic pills through the night and by going home time at 0700 this morning I could bend my leg, but no strength. Couple that with a nasty headwind and my slowest ever commute home, taking nearly an hour to cover the 9 miles.
Had to bring the van tonight, and it did at least make it clear why I cycle to work. 25 minutes to do little over a mile. I was jealous of the multiple cyclists that filtered by me tonight, even the pedestrians were getting there faster
Hopefully a night off the bike will see me right, I do hope so as the imperial century challenge ride is due on Sunday..

Fingers crossed!

 

[roadrash]

9.00 this morning looking out of the window, dry but frosty, I can cope with that I thought, out comes the recumbent trike, I had only been out half an hour when the wind picked up and it started with icy sleet and snow, it wasn't long before I was back home indoors with a brew, it was fekin freezing out . ah well theres always another day.

 

[Fonze]

Not ridden for 6 weeks, today did around 1 hour 40 mins, just under 40k with horrid head winds but chuffed with myself for going and not caving in ..