Your ride today....

[Noodle Legs]

Firstly, GWS @Old jon and best of luck tomorrow @Chris Doyle

Cheers @NorthernDave! Just been and registered to avoid the carnage tomorrow, even bought the jersey!

 

[hondated]

Oh ‘eck. Rather too much enthusiasm today. I left home with the intention of riding further along the road I found on Monday. The legs were doing well, both cycle track and roads were quiet, so I just went for it. Six or seven miles along the front wheel found a patch of sand on a left hand bend, by the time I had straightened it out, about half a blink of an eyelid, both wheels were in the gutter. Like a few around here, both sides of the gutter are vertical and deep and, as I discovered, not possible to ride out of. I flew instead, the bike was close to me but we were not attached. A group of cyclists stopped, and after the language was sorted out one of them called my girlfriend, and an ambulance. Bike into car, me into hospital and in a remarkably short space of time my gravel rash was cleaned, skull tomographed and scapula, clavicle and nearby other bits X rayed. Broken collarbone, which is one of those things really.

All credit to the Brazilian emergency services, the free ambulance, and the fire brigade, are run by the military. I was taken to a public hospital, which was busy. All the staff were so very good and cheerful, helpful even. Quite a number spoke English, a good thing for me, ‘cos I have very little Portuguese. Once our lass arrived things language related were a lot easier, but there were no problems, just laughter. Oh aye, we are really too old to be girlfriend and boyfriend, but one of the staff asked where my girlfriend was. Guess it will stick. Still grinning, it is so wonderful when the nasty bits have been sorted.

Very sorry to read this hope you recover quickly.

 

[jongooligan]

It was a beautiful morning; sunny, light winds but cool enough to be comfortable. It was perfect weather for a lumpy bike ride. It was the kind of weather where you need to keep your gob shut unless you like your protein flying, fighting and full of formic acid. More of that later.

Anyone remember the Durham Beast? It was a short lived sportive (I think) that ran from 2011 to 2014 (I think). Lots of gratuitous climbing, not my sort of thing because I'm big and heavy and don't do sportives but that's the area I was heading for. Over Waldridge Fell, down to where Waldridge drift mine was. Up to Daisy Hill, down to where Sacriston pit was. Up to Sacriston cross roads, down to where Witton Gilbert pit was. There's a pattern forming and it went on like this for most of the ride.

At Langley Park they were mending the road. Had to make a quick decision, walk through the roadworks or MTFU and take the steep route up to Esh. At Esh junction another cyclist was approaching from the left. 'Alright?', he asks. 'Until I climbed that f****r I was' I gasped as he rode away.

From there to Inkerman I saw only a handful of cars and one other cyclist. Most of the time the only sounds were my own wheels and the twittering of Goldfinches. It doesn't get much better than that.

At Inkerman I stopped to have a look at the beehive coke ovens, a link to the ride I did last week which included a visit to the winding engines at Rookhope. The iron ore that was dragged up that incline was brought to Inkerman/Tow Law by rail and smelted using the coke from these ovens. At the time they were built Tow Law was a hamlet with such a small population that Welsh miners and Scottish and Irish foundrymen had to be brought in to exploit the mineral wealth of the area. Can you imagine what the Saturday nights were like when that lot hit town on with their pockets full of money?

Dropped down towards Wolsingham but turned off to climb back up Viewley hill, passed the Brown Horse and headed towards Satley but took the road to Salters Gate before I got there. The quiet lanes I'd been on now seemed busy. The only other traffic along here was a horse.

Belting down towards the A68 I had a grin like a crack in a pie crust and that's where the flying protein comes in. A bee, straight between my lips. Before I could spit it out it had stung me on the bottom lip. Ouch!

Still enjoying the ride though and by now I'm on grass grown roads that see very little traffic. There are signs all over warning of unsuitability tor HGVs and the folly of trusting your Satnav. It really is fantastic cycling countryside.

Had to endure the A691 for a mile and a half but that too was quiet and I was soon at the turn for Hanging Stone. This was the last sustained climb of the ride so I gave it what for and reached the top with my tongue clattering in the front spokes. Only eight miles to home, nearly all down hill.

Easily the best ride of the year so far - 51 miles 3,850ft ascent

 

[Mike_P]

Aye mate, it is about having fun. Cheers, and recovery will be quick, I ain't hanging around!

Hoping you are right with that - mine took 5 months to heal last year, mind you I think the doctors were playing safe as everyone said I would feel every bump when I started cycling again but I did not indicating it must have been well healed.

 

[kapelmuur]

@Old jon , I've just read about your off, it had me wincing in sympathy.

Hope you mend quickly.

 

[Brandane]

Summer may have arrived in Ayrshire! I took advantage of the weather, fully aware that it might be short lived .
I haven't had many chances to get the "best" bike out since buying it in January, so it was today's weapon of choice. Nearly 300 miles on the clock now .

This is where I went, a 73 mile circuit.

Some pics from the ride:

Near the top of the beast of a climb (at least it is for old duffers of my standard!) that is Fairlie Moor. The islands of Bute and Cumbrae in the background.

Well done to some of our councils who are finally biting the bullet and resurfacing some of the minor roads around here. What a difference it makes to ride quality.

The bridge over the weir, at Bridge of Weir. Could there be a connection?

The furthest traveled Tesco trolley? The nearest branch is 5 miles away!

Dirty bar stewards. Have they no conscience? No need to answer that question....

I don't think the new bike was really intended for use on this type of surface, but the short cut was 3 miles of this on a reasonably level terrain, rather than a 6 mile roller coaster into Greenock involving a steep climb out. My legs with 65 miles in them by this point decided cleaning the bike afterwards was the easier option ...

All in all, a fine ride today and really beginning to enjoy the Merida.

 

[Mr Celine]

Slightly hazy sunshine with a south east breeze which was gently enough to go with on the outward leg as it was never going to be a problem as a headwind. Heading up the Gala Water I saw three trains and heard another two. I stopped at Heriot to get a picture, but worked out that it was going to be 10 minutes until the next one and couldn't be bothered waiting. Almost three years after the line reopened the novelty of trains must finally be wearing off.

I headed west along the B709 up the Heriot Water then turned south to the summit and the start of the descent towards Innerleithen.

This road is close enough to Edinburgh to attract a lot of visitors, both on road bikes and in cars. Nearer Innerleithen there were loads of mountain bikes cruising back towards the village and the car park. I stopped in the High Street at Caldwells famous ice cream shop.

And had a honeycomb flavour ice cream. On looking at this photo I see the cone says 'large' but this is their small size.

After eating that, which didn't take long, I set off again, but it was far too nice an afternoon to take the direct 15 mile route home, better the 25 miles over the Paddy Slacks and home down Yarrowdale.
The map -

100 km at 14.9 mph with 4512 feet of upness.

 

[Slick]

Summer may have arrived in Ayrshire! I took advantage of the weather, fully aware that it might be short lived .
I haven't had many chances to get the "best" bike out since buying it in January, so it was today's weapon of choice. Nearly 300 miles on the clock now .

This is where I went, a 73 mile circuit.

Some pics from the ride:

Near the top of the beast of a climb (at least it is for old duffers of my standard!) that is Fairlie Moor. The islands of Bute and Cumbrae in the background.

View attachment 408921

Well done to some of our councils who are finally biting the bullet and resurfacing some of the minor roads around here. What a difference it makes to ride quality.

View attachment 408924

The bridge over the weir, at Bridge of Weir. Could there be a connection?

View attachment 408925

The furthest traveled Tesco trolley? The nearest branch is 5 miles away!

View attachment 408926

Dirty bar stewards. Have they no conscience? No need to answer that question....

View attachment 408927

I don't think the new bike was really intended for use on this type of surface, but the short cut was 3 miles of this on a reasonably level terrain, rather than a 6 mile roller coaster into Greenock involving a steep climb out. My legs with 65 miles in them by this point decided cleaning the bike afterwards was the easier option ...

View attachment 408929

All in all, a fine ride today and really beginning to enjoy the Merida.

That looks like a nice loop.

 

[Brandane]

That looks like a nice loop.

With the exception of the bit through Thornliebank, Nitshill, and The Hurlet to Paisley (where I took to the deserted footpaths to avoid the crazy traffic), it was a good route. If I do it again I'll cut across from Newton Mearns to Barrhead then into Paisley to pick up the cycle paths to Kilmacolm.

 

[Slick]

With the exception of the bit through Thornliebank, Nitshill, and The Hurlet to Paisley (where I took to the deserted footpaths to avoid the crazy traffic), it was a good route. If I do it again I'll cut across from Newton Mearns to Barrhead then into Paisley to pick up the cycle paths to Kilmacolm.

I pass the Hurlet all the time and my cycle to work is in that general area but I'm not sure where the path is you took. I probably need to get out more.

 

[Brandane]

I pass the Hurlet all the time and my cycle to work is in that general area but I'm not sure where the path is you took. I probably need to get out more.

The cycle path to Kilmacolm (or Lochwinnoch if you take the fork at Johnstone) starts at the end of the platform of Paisley Canal train station. If you mean the path I took at the Hurlet, it was just the footpath where the traffic splits into two separate carriageways on the Paisley side of the Hurlet. The footpath only runs on the north side, so you're into the face of oncoming traffic.

 

[Slick]

The cycle path to Kilmacolm (or Lochwinnoch if you take the fork at Johnstone) starts at the end of the platform of Paisley Canal train station. If you mean the path I took at the Hurlet, it was just the footpath where the traffic splits into two separate carriageways on the Paisley side of the Hurlet. The footpath only runs on the north side, so you're into the face of oncoming traffic.

Ah, I know where you are now. I normally turn off at Dykebar hospital and I have noticed the bike signs at canal station but have yet to explore them. Maybe I'll give them a go now.

 

[Old jon]

Hoping you are right with that - mine took 5 months to heal last year, mind you I think the doctors were playing safe as everyone said I would feel every bump when I started cycling again but I did not indicating it must have been well healed.

This is daft but true, sorry. The last time December 14th fell on a Friday I fell on some ice at the end of my drive, on my way to work. I went to work, wincing, and went to the hospital the following morning. 'Ooooh! you have broken three ribs and your collar bone.' I must be lucky, it all healed quickly. Fingers crossed this time.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

With the exception of the bit through Thornliebank, Nitshill, and The Hurlet to Paisley (where I took to the deserted footpaths to avoid the crazy traffic), it was a good route. If I do it again I'll cut across from Newton Mearns to Barrhead then into Paisley to pick up the cycle paths to Kilmacolm.

Or could you not come down Ayr road from Newton Mearns, cut through Rouken Glen Park, into Pollockshaws road - you can avoid the scary to me roundabout by keeping left, then crossing after the Darnley cut of - then into the park, then follow the cycling route through the park to Paisley canal.
Very scenic, OK on a road bike too.
Here is the bit from NM to Pollock park, I did not go into it in this instance, just to give you an idea.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1554109020

 

[Jenkins]

Just a short 4.5 mile trip to the local supermarket this morning, which was extented to a total of 19.5 miles. Effectively a variation of a route I've used quite often using a large amount of local bridleways and my regular commuting route and it took my mileage for the week to just over 200 again!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1566977874