Your ride today....

[Donger]

No ride for me today ... or for a couple of days to come, by the looks of it. With only a road bike to go out on, I'm not about to head off down Elmore Lane any time soon:

I did nip out on foot (wearing some of my cycling base layers under my clothes) to catch a glimpse of what was predicted to be a four star Severn Bore at Stonebench. The landowner kindly let a few of us(along with a BBC local radio reporter) onto his land to get a view from the top of his slipway. The bore itself wasn't up to its billing, but it is always nice to find a new viewing point, and I'd cycled past this field hundreds of times, I'd never even known there was a slipway in it. The wave reached about a yard from our feet!

Some enterprising locals had set up a stall selling hot bacon sandwiches with the proceeds going to SARA (the Severn Area Rescue Association), but there was a very small turnout today .. a couple of cars, twenty or so pedestrians from Quedgeley and absolutely no cyclists.

I shall be trying to follow the bore again by bike later in the year, seeing if I can catch the same wave five times. There was no chance of that today as the lanes are all full of compacted snow and ice. This was Elmore Lane today:

The canal bridge was the only bit of road that was almost clear, and even that was slippy and icy.

Can't wait for this all to melt, however nice it looks. I want to get back out on my bike.
Donger.

 

[galaxy]

Thought I’d clear the lane today

 

[biggs682]

Well after a quick call from Wilf this morning asking if I would accompany him for a few miles this morning and take a few pictures of him I could hardly refuse .

I met up with Wilf at the bottom of our road and of we set .

At first I felt a bit chilled but once we got going it was ok and Wilf was down to his shorts .

With the flat section of Hardwater done it was time for the climb up past all the posh house's .

Surprisingly we both managed the climb without resorting to getting of and walking .

We headed for our preferred cake stop and we were met by a very apologetic manageress who had been late in and hadn't had time to get a cake done .

After a warming cuppa it was time to head home and try and bag a few more worthy pictures . All in all it was a nice bit of gentle exercise for the pair of us .

 

[delb0y]

The snow has actually vanished quite quickly here, but it's just a slushy horrible mess out there now. So no ride this weekend. Here's one from yesterday afternoon of Sustrans Routes 41 and 45.

 

[cosmicbike]

Well after a quick call from Wilf this morning asking if I would accompany him for a few miles this morning and take a few pictures of him I could hardly refuse .

View attachment 398336

I met up with Wilf at the bottom of our road and of we set .

At first I felt a bit chilled but once we got going it was ok and Wilf was down to his shorts .

View attachment 398337

With the flat section of Hardwater done it was time for the climb up past all the posh house's .

View attachment 398340

Surprisingly we both managed the climb without resorting to getting of and walking .

View attachment 398338

We headed for our preferred cake stop and we were met by a very apologetic manageress who had been late in and hadn't had time to get a cake done .


View attachment 398339


After a warming cuppa it was time to head home and try and bag a few more worthy pictures . All in all it was a nice bit of gentle exercise for the pair of us .

Looking at Wilf, I reckon he gobbled the cake before you had a chance

 

[Dave 123]

After a walk this morning I couldn't resist jumping on my mountain bike and going for a quick spin. The fields had nicely frozen ruts, and I was bouncing like crazy... I couldn't be bothered to let any air out of the tyres. There were a few sketchy bits where I nearly ricocheted into the ditch.

It was -2°c and the fog was dropping

I carried on to Caldecote and joined another bridleway, chasing Fieldfare as I went. In Bourn I joined the road and headed up toward Cambourn.
Then I joined another bridleway by the water tower. I've ridden this one in both directions, but today I lost the path and the snow was deeper here, about 7"...... and I got lost! Eventually I worked my way back around and came back via the roads.

Just about 12 miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/1433801196

 

[Mrs M]

Not today admittedly, but I got the bike out Tuesday.
I'd planned on meeting up with GetActive Bolton. They organize rides of an hour or 2 with a cafe stop for new/returning cyclists at a gentle pace.
I've almost lost the will to ride due to this f***ing stroke sapping all my strength and energy away but at the same time, I need to get out of this bloody house sometimes.
Sooooooo, I spoke to the ride leader on Monday just before I went to see the diabetic nurse as they meet at the diabetic cntre. Luckily not too far away for me.
Got all my gear on, snow tyres fitted and set off with 15 minutes to spare. I got there 2 mins before they were due to meet up. No one there. Gah! Bloody weather!
I figured as I was already out I might aswell go for a pootle.
I decided to go through Queens Park and along the Middlebrook Trail towards Horwich. Most of it was covered in a still fluffy coating of snow and the tyres were doing a brill job of keeping me upright at the cost of dragging like a snow plough. It was nice being the only one stupid enough to be out cycling in this weather. Very peaceful.
By the time I reached Lostock, my legs had given up and I had to dismount and walk up the barely 8% hill to Chorley New Road.
I decided to cycle along the footpath going up Victoria Road as close passes are often here and I was going so slow that the bike was wobbling all over the place. However, drivers seemed to be behaving themselves as the trip to Boot Lane and home was incident free and quite pleasant.
Luckily, Erin is now making her own way to school and back these days so I was able to rest when I got in. Erin made me a mug of tea when she got in
8 miles today.

Well done to you (and wee Erin for getting to school and making tea)

 

[Mrs M]

I was abandoned today as Mr M and his brother were away golfing
Bit rainy first thing so footered around for a while, toddled along to the local cafe for lunch, then some shopping.
Brightened up so did the laundry then had a wee swim.
The boys were just arriving back when I was setting off for an early evening ride.
Tried a slightly different route but as always ended up stopping to admire, smell and listen to the sea. Find it so relaxing
Some wee pics of the views and my new friend “Mr Arbuckle” (the fat bike) I love it

 

[13 rider]

View attachment 398389 View attachment 398388 View attachment 398387 I was abandoned today as Mr M and his brother were away golfing
Bit rainy first thing so footered around for a while, toddled along to the local cafe for lunch, then some shopping.
Brightened up so did the laundry then had a wee swim.
The boys were just arriving back when I was setting off for an early evening ride.
Tried a slightly different route but as always ended up stopping to admire, smell and listen to the sea. Find it so relaxing
Some wee pics of the views and my new friend “Mr Arbuckle” (the fat bike) I love it View attachment 398386

You seemed to have picked a good week to go abroad here

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

The road conditions were a little better today so I've ventured out to do a variation of my Acton Burnell loop.

I started off heading up Lyth Hill again. The drifts are still there at the sides of the road but, having been ploughed and gritted, the road is pretty clear up to the first viewpoint which was full of parked cars and the adjacent field was busy with people tobogganing.

The road where I gave up yesterday is still completely impassable to cars but enough people had clambered over the drifts to form a compacted path which I partly pushed and partly rode over to get down to Little Lyth where a plough had been through as far as the main road. The A49 is completely clear now but the remnants of 6 foot drifts are still there to see, so no wonder those lorries got stuck.

I carried on with care to Condover then on to Great Ryton where I found my first properly unrideable bit of road. I could have walked it but looking across the fields, noticed that vehicles were moving on the other access to the village so went round to that instead.

Getting into the village was easy enough from this side but it hadn't been cleared quite as much out the other side and I found going very tricky in the compacted but slushy snow. Riding down the middle of the road seemed better until I hit a snow drift and the bike suddenly came to a dead stop and stayed upright when I dismounted. Further on it got even more tricky and the tyres could not cope at all, so I ended up pushing again for a while.

I was pleased to get to Longnor where the road had been cleared and gritted and I was fairly confident of the road being clear the rest of the way back. The wind is still quite strong and being icy I made slow progress against it. The route was quite picuresque with sculpted snow blown through the hedges much of the way and the remains of bigger drifts that the ploughs had cut through.

The Cantlop to Condover road hadn't been gritted but enough traffic had been along it for it to be mostly clear, then after Condover I found the remains of some quite big drifts. The reports on the radio yesterday hadn't been exaggerating and this section from the village to the A49 is still reduced to one lane most of the way with a channel cut through by the snowploughs.

I found the A49 really quiet - only one car overtook me while on there and three came the opposite way. I think people are either out sledging or staying home in the warm.

19.1 miles today at 9.8 mph average. A bit slower than I'm used to on this route and I feel like I've ridden about 50 miles rather than under 20.

Drifts still there on Lyth Hill Road but the lane is much clearer and easier to ride.

Following the compacted path over the drifts that stopped me yesterday.

Path cut by the snowplough at Little Lyth.

Wintery countryside at Great Ryton.

A bit easier after Longnor.

Acton Burnell.

Condover.

The main road from Condover to the A49 reduced to 1 lane in places.

 

[gavgav]

The road conditions were a little better today so I've ventured out to do a variation of my Acton Burnell loop.

I started off heading up Lyth Hill again. The drifts are still there at the sides of the road but, having been ploughed and gritted, the road is pretty clear up to the first viewpoint which was full of parked cars and the adjacent field was busy with people tobogganing.

The road where I gave up yesterday is still completely impassable to cars but enough people had clambered over the drifts to form a compacted path which I partly pushed and partly rode over to get down to Little Lyth where a plough had been through as far as the main road. The A49 is completely clear now but the remnants of 6 foot drifts are still there to see, so no wonder those lorries got stuck.

I carried on with care to Condover then on to Great Ryton where I found my first properly unrideable bit of road. I could have walked it but looking across the fields, noticed that vehicles were moving on the other access to the village so went round to that instead.

Getting into the village was easy enough from this side but it hadn't been cleared quite as much out the other side and I found going very tricky in the compacted but slushy snow. Riding down the middle of the road seemed better until I hit a snow drift and the bike suddenly came to a dead stop and stayed upright when I dismounted. Further on it got even more tricky and the tyres could not cope at all, so I ended up pushing again for a while.

I was pleased to get to Longnor where the road had been cleared and gritted and I was fairly confident of the road being clear the rest of the way back. The wind is still quite strong and being icy I made slow progress against it. The route was quite picuresque with sculpted snow blown through the hedges much of the way and the remains of bigger drifts that the ploughs had cut through.

The Cantlop to Condover road hadn't been gritted but enough traffic had been along it for it to be mostly clear, then after Condover I found the remains of some quite big drifts. The reports on the radio yesterday hadn't been exaggerating and this section from the village to the A49 is still reduced to one lane most of the way with a channel cut through by the snowploughs.

I found the A49 really quiet - only one car overtook me while on there and three came the opposite way. I think people are either out sledging or staying home in the warm.

19.1 miles today at 9.8 mph average. A bit slower than I'm used to on this route and I feel like I've ridden about 50 miles rather than under 20.

View attachment 398403
Drifts still there on Lyth Hill Road but the lane is much clearer and easier to ride.

View attachment 398404
Following the compacted path over the drifts that stopped me yesterday.

View attachment 398405
Path cut by the snowplough at Little Lyth.

View attachment 398406
Wintery countryside at Great Ryton.

View attachment 398407
A bit easier after Longnor.

View attachment 398408
Acton Burnell.

View attachment 398409
Condover.

View attachment 398411
The main road from Condover to the A49 reduced to 1 lane in places.

Fair play for getting out, not a chance I’m venturing out until it warms up!!

 

[Jenkins]

Today was the first day where the temperature has been above zero this week and, after four days of commuting (Wednesday was booked off work some time ago), I took the oppportunity to have a slow ride into town to get a little bit of shopping and to see what state the lanes were in. Thanks to the thaw and volume of trafffic, the roads were all passable but with snow banks all around - unfortunately they were all that dull brown colour from salt/grit/road dirt having been thrown up by the traffic. Not pretty, but a nice way to get a metric 50 in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1434288345

 

[PeteXXX]

After finishing w*rk at midnightish, I thought that a ride might be nice once I’d managed to drive home!

Laughing in the face of Emma, I set out......

The roads were too slippery to ride safely, so I was hoping to use my shortcut past Court Farm. As if!

Nope.... totally unrideable!!

Back home on just under 2 miles. Cold.
Still, it seemed like a good idea at the time
When I d/l the vid, I might just post it..

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

[QUOTE 5170977, member: 9609"]its just wonderful to know I,m not the only loon out there.

and BTW - your drifts look better than mine i'm feeling a bit out-done[/QUOTE]They are quite impressive. I'm pretty sure we haven't had conditions like this locally since the '80s.

South Wales and the West Country has had it much worse than us though from what I hear. Lots of places still completely cut off.

 

[Jon George]

[QUOTE 5170987, member: 9609"]I was waste deep in places [/QUOTE]
A bit nervous, were you?