Your ride today....

[i hate hills]

Day one of holiday week . Not going anywhere but a week of cycling and chilling sounds good to me. Got out this morning to a strange thing ......NO wind at all . This never happens to me . The result 10 lovely MTB miles taking in the delights of The Hiill Wood , West Drums Horsey place , Montremind wood and finally snack time on the move as i consumed a months worth of protein in flies coming down Aldbar hill, oh and not forgetting the run past Burghill farm with sadly no farm workers to shout good morning too and scare the living b jesus out of . Never mind farmers theres always tomorrow .......and the rest of the week. Ride safe guys and gals . Mike.

 

[Mr Celine]

With the recent sustained improvement in the weather and apparent end of the gritting season I decided yesterday to swap the RS10s for my handbuilt summer wheels. Which of course meant a quick shakedown ride after work today. Which of course got extended a couple of times from the intended ten miles.

To test out the weight saving I picked a route including lots of local short sharp climbs that tend to get bypassed on the way to bigger hills.

This is the view southwards from the curiously named half crown corner, near the top of Lindean Hill. Carter Bar and the border on the horizon.

Gentle downhill from there before climbing again to another summit at Bowdenmoor. From here there is a fine view of the Eildon Hills. To the left is Eildon Mid Hill, so called because it is in the middle. In the middle is the Little Hill, which is the fourth highest of the three Eildon Hills. To the right is Eildon Wester Hill, so called because it is further south than the others.

From here I descended rapidly into Melrose, which is a bit of a white knuckle ride due to the state of the tarmac. I crossed the Tweed at the pedestrian chain bridge and climbed up the other side through the village of Gattonside. From the top of the hill there is a fine view looking back towards the Eildon Hills. On the left is Eildon Hill North, so called because it is further east than the others. On the right is Eildon Mid Hill, which if you've been paying attention you'll remember is in the middle.

One more bit of geography, the map -

Length 22.5 miles, height 2096 feet, average speed 13.8mph, max 40.1.

 

[Jenkins]

A week off work for me, but today was domestics and bike cleaning so I didn't get out until well after 3pm and, although it was a bright & sunny afternoon, there was a 20+ MPH north or north westerly wind. This meant the outward leg was a bit of a slog, but the return run was great fun.. Combined with hitting the sweet spot between the afternoon school run and rush hour resulted in very little traffic or hold-ups and 4 personal bests and 2 KOMs on Strava

https://www.strava.com/activities/1571999838

 

[Noodle Legs]

A week off work for me, but today was domestics and bike cleaning so I didn't get out until well after 3pm and, although it was a bright & sunny afternoon, there was a 20+ MPH north or north westerly wind. This meant the outward leg was a bit of a slog, but the return run was great fun.. Combined with hitting the sweet spot between the afternoon school run and rush hour resulted in very little traffic or hold-ups and 4 personal bests and 2 KOMs on Strava

https://www.strava.com/activities/1571999838
View attachment 409294

Rapido!!

 

[jongooligan]

Too tired to write this up yesterday, a train assisted ride along the length of the Northumberland coast. Rode up to the Toon and took the 9:25 train up to Berwick on Tweed where I was met by bright sunshine but a cool breeze coming off the sea. My aim was to get the ferry from North Shields to South Shields and then ride down to Roker and take the C2C path home. As the last ferry was at 8pm I thought I could take it easy and just soak up the scenery. What I hadn't considered was how slow I'd be on the off road sections or the navigational cock ups, especially around Blyth.
Wish I'd got some decent photographs of the scenery but I haven't so here are some of the least worst ones.

Northumberland beach, South of Berwick

Bamburgh Castle

Off road section near Craster

Hairy coo near Druridge Bay

It was an amazing ride but there was too much of it to elaborate on in a single post. The roughness of the off road sections (glad it was dry), the emptiness of the northern section of this route, the folly of riding on the spine road (effectively a motorway), the grottiness of Blyth after the beauty of everything that had come before it, the huge fire at Sunderland, the useless Garmin that would have me cycling in the North Sea. It was a marvellous way to spend a day.

The whole route, including the ride to the station in the morning came to 115 miles. No idea of speed (see comment about useless Garmin) but I set off from Berwick at 10:40 and got home at 7:30.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Those of you that know Otley will know Dunnies Cafe has gone and look at what is in it's place,i think it's stunning
A great day out,i love Otley and it's people.

I like Otley too, & used to ride up there a lot

Are they apartments, or a retirement complex, that's built on the 'Dunnies' site
To reminisce

 

[Roadhump]

The promenade at Egremont was deserted which was a real bonus, Paddy'swigwam and the Liver Building coming into view. Then we were dazzled
View attachment 409214

That weirdly painted psychedelic boat is one of the Mersey ferries, it is named Snowdrop. A few years ago, we went on it on a Manchester Ship Canal cruise which goes from the Pier Head in Liverpool to Salford Quays. It was painted like a normal boat at the time, but a couple of years later was painted like it is now - there was something in the local news about it replicating the way they were painted in WW1 to confuse the enemy - just a bit of useless information in case of any curiosity.

That looks a great ride, must get the train across sometime and go round the Wirral.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

That weirdly painted psychedelic boat is one of the Mersey ferries, it is named Snowdrop. A few years ago, we went on it on a Manchester Ship Canal cruise which goes from the Pier Head in Liverpool to Salford Quays. It was painted like a normal boat at the time, but a couple of years later was painted like it is now - there was something in the local news about it replicating the way they were painted in WW1 to confuse the enemy - just a bit of useless information in case of any curiosity.

That looks a great ride, must get the train across sometime and go round the Wirral.

A 'Dazzle Ship'
Except they weren't those kind of colours

Also, the name of an album by OMD

 

[Dave 123]

So today's ride wasn't our intended ride..... though we did get into Wales, albeit the sh1ttiest corner!
Down through Puddington and across Burton Marsh, serious work going on

We then got a bit lost in the industrial estate before ending up on the Greenway into and out of Chester. I'd been aiming to go along the river, but never mind!

We stopped in Mickle Trafford for a drink and a toasted tea cake before coming back through the lanes

We had to stop in Ellesmere Port town centre for some stuff for my mum, that was like being in some sort of zombie film, or have I gone too Cambridge?

Anyway, nearly 30 miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/1573280921

 

[mgs315]

Off work early but the other half is unwell today so limited myself to a quick hour and a bit blast up a couple of local hills as the weather is far too nice to turn down.

Croydon out via Banstead to Chipstead, up Hazelwood Lane and down to Coulsdon, quick up and back on Farthing Downs then back to Croydon via the A23. Nothing mental on the 19 miles but new PBs on the climbs so training seems to be working.

Pollen galore today mind.

 

[welsh dragon]

A beautiful day here, so another opportunity to get out. 16 miles done in glorious sunshine.

 

[postman]

I like Otley too, & used to ride up there a lot

Are they apartments, or a retirement complex, that's built on the 'Dunnies' site
To reminisce
View attachment 409322 View attachment 409323 View attachment 409324 View attachment 409321

Retirement/care i think.I saw an old pal who said Dunnis (it says so in your photo) was a community hub,and is missed by a lot of regulars.I have got to say,apple pie and custard at £1 was a real dish full.

 

[postman]

Today in wonderful hot weather i did the tow path again,it's so relaxing.The canal dazzled in the sunshine,no photos i have got so many from previous trips.A stop at Robert's Park Saltaire,two little corned beef sarnies,a large sloppy pear and a double,two flaked ice cream all for £3,the ice cream that is.I was trying my phone cycling app out on battery saver but it drained fast,so i turned it off at Saltaire.At the moment i am sat here feeling a little faint and a bit dizzy and feeling a little sick,i might have been caught by the sun.

 

[welsh dragon]

Today in wonderful hot weather i did the tow path again,it's so relaxing.The canal dazzled in the sunshine,no photos i have got so many from previous trips.A stop at Robert's Park Saltaire,two little corned beef sarnies,a large sloppy pear and a double,two flaked ice cream all for £3,the ice cream that is.I was trying my phone cycling app out on battery saver but it drained fast,so i turned it off at Saltaire.At the moment i am sat here feeling a little faint and a bit dizzy and feeling a little sick,i might have been caught by the sun.

I hope you feel better soon postie.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

After a few days in Cardiff I got the Dawes out again for a ride in the sunshine this morning. I was doing a loop out to Melverley yet again but I varied it a little by going through Kinnerley, Argoed and taking to the very minor lane through Hendre which is new to me (nice rustic scenery, rough road surface).

I caught another cyclist while leaving Shrewsbury and we paused for a chat at Little Ness before parting ways. if you see this Barry.

On the way to Kinnerley I had to brake and swerve for a section of road that was more hole than road and disguised by the dappled shadows under the trees. My adjustments to the brakes on this bike have done the trick - they are now very reassuring.

I'd set out in pretty much a dead calm but a wind picked up as I rode round. It meant I couldn't cruise along as quick as I'd hoped along the straight to Nox, then it was quite hard work for the last couple of miles as I turned directly into it.

38.5 miles at 15.3 mph average.

Just a couple of snaps today to show off the nice weather. This is the kind of day I looked forward to a lot when out on my winter rides.