Your ride today....

[BianchiVirgin]

A very windy 64km and 961m of climbing today thro' the Mournes and Spelga Dam. Tough on the way out but better home as I had the tail wind.
Pleased with the 2hr 40 time given I was on my own.

 

[Lilliburlero]

One word...... Brilliant.

I can honestly say that today has paved the way for the best bike ride I’ve ever done (thus far!)

You know when you’re out riding and everything just clicks and slots into place? Well this was it for me.

So I ventured out on the CC Forum ride up to Lincoln, first meeting up with @Lilliburlero at 7am who by this point had already got 12 in and then riding a pleasant and sunny 15 miles to Cossington to meet up with @tallliman, @13 rider and @Supersuperleeds who, was impeccably dressed in his white rose emblazoned “YORKSHIRE” jersey and riding his new steed looking the business! Setting off just before 8am we ventured out through the rolling roads of eastern Leicestershire with hardly a soul about taking in the warming morning sun and the beautiful scenery which was recurring throughout the entirety of this ride.

After an hour or so we hit the first climb of the ride, which was a gentle but longish one where the views were a reminder of just how beautiful our countryside really is. We then crossed over into Rutland and the villages therein which, are just idyllic. It was quite a lumpy section of riding but the flowing banter mixed with everything else made it somehow so easy to navigate. We passed into Lincolnshire and under the A1 where we all reached the consensus that the “climbing was done because Lincolnshire is flat as a pancake”

Wrong.

The lumpyness (?) continued and the road surfaces a bit dodgy in places but we pressed on regardless. Before long we had reached the first cafe stop of the ride and beforehand there were three of us looking at the board but not being able to find the actual cafe, until we bothered to look over our right shoulders and see it in all its splendour!! And it didn’t disappoint either, the food and coffee was to die for!

After there it started to even out elevation wise and we rode another 20-25 miles to the next stop for a quick slurp and we were soon on our way again. Not long after there we hit quite a busy but very flat road so flat you could’ve ridden with a spirit level on the top tube and the bubble would’ve stayed between the lines! We bunched up for a four or five mile dash into Tattershall and this was a personal highlight for me as we managed to average around 20mph for that section.

The roads got flatter, the sun warmer, the wind lighter and it made for absolutely perfect riding as we landed on stop no.3 at bardney, where the drinks and banter flowed in equal measure! This was a quick ish stop as we had to make the train back from Lincoln which was leaving in 45 minutes from this point and so we embarked on the last stretch along the river where the pace picked up a little for the last 9 miles or so.

Needless to say we all made it back to Lincoln in time and that’s where I clocked off the garmin.

112.8 miles, in just shy of 7 hours.

Brilliant ride, Brilliant weather, Brilliant company, Brilliant cafes, brilliant everything. Roll on the next one!


https://www.strava.com/activities/1584577118


Check out CC Forum ride- Ton in the Sun on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/1584577118

Great write up @Chris Doyle . I must agree with you, everything was pretty much perfect. I thought the last Lincoln ride we did was going to be hard to beat, but this one knocked it for 6 and is by far the most enjoyable ride I`v ever done. Big thanks to @tallliman for picking the route, it was stunning

Just managed to get the 200 km up https://www.relive.cc/view/1585062244

 

[Noodle Legs]

Great write up @Chris Doyle . I must agree with you, everything was pretty much perfect. I think the last Lincoln ride we did was going to be hard to beat, but this one knocked it for 6 and is by far the most enjoyable ride I`v ever done. Big thanks to @tallliman for picking the route, it was stunning

It really really was. Now to start refuelling!

 

[delb0y]

Managed to find time for a short ride today - just 20 miles. Notable because yesterday I swapped the 50mm tyres that came with the Toughroad for some ultra skinny 38mm with more of a road tread pattern. Definitely made the ride easier and I glided along thoroughly enjoying myself and achieved my highest average speed of the year - which won't be mentioned as it's embarrassing in this company. Suffice to say it's pootle speed. I think these tyre will still be wide enough for a spot of adventure riding come the time I find some gravel tracks.

 

[Noodle Legs]

and I glided along thoroughly enjoying myself and achieved my highest average speed of the year - which won't be mentioned as it's embarrassing in this company.

It’s never embarrassing. The main thing is you got out regardless of how fast or slow you did it so it’s a big thumbs up from me!

 

[kapelmuur]

A day late, but yesterday the weather was so good and there was nothing on TV (!) so I aimed for a 50 mile ride.

Jodrell Bank, and it's cafe, is a handy 28 miles from home, so an ideal place to pause for refreshments. They had my favourite vanilla slices,as seen in the photo.

Having had a good rest I decided against returning by the same route and opted for a flatter parcours. Inconveniently it was shorter so I had to include several random loops to get to the 50 mile target.

Lovely riding in the sun on almost empty roads.

 

[Freds Dad]

Lovely pleasant ride around the leafy lanes with a few close passes from some supercars.

While I stopped in Knutsford around 11am for a coffee someone passed me wearing a CycleChat top.

 

[tallliman]

Great write up @Chris Doyle . I must agree with you, everything was pretty much perfect. I thought the last Lincoln ride we did was going to be hard to beat, but this one knocked it for 6 and is by far the most enjoyable ride I`v ever done. Big thanks to @tallliman for picking the route, it was stunning

It was a pleasure and a fantastic day out! Cafe at Corby Glen was one of the best I've been to.

Ps. I wouldn't try all of these roads if I wasn't hunting veloviewer squares.....

 

[Noodle Legs]

It was a pleasure and a fantastic day out! Cafe at Corby Glen was one of the best I've been to.

Ps. I wouldn't try all of these roads if I wasn't hunting veloviewer squares.....

Well all i can say is it’s a good job you did! Although I’m still not sold on this myself........

 

[PatrickPending]

Todays ride - 142Km Blaby - Wigston - Newton Harcourt - Great Glen - Houghton on The Hill - Ingarsby - Cold Newton - Marefield - Somerby - Little Dalby - Wymodham - Garthorpe - Stonesby - Saltby - Sproxton - coston - Wymodham - Edmonthorpe - Little Dalby - Somerby - Owston - Tugby - Goadby - Glooston - Cranoe - Tur Langton - Kibworth - Fleckney - Arnesby - Peatling Parva - Countesthorpe - Blaby.

Couldn't make 162Km...legs wouldn't let me - was a hilly ride,,,,and I didn't even make the vale of Belvoir....but a lovely ride nonetheless.

 

[TVC]

Today I lead the Black Horse Riders down to High Cross via Stoney Stanton with a stop at the pub in the Cove. There were nine of us, six women and three men, so we must be doing something right in the way we run things.

Major work was done on the tan lines too.

 

[C R]

Two rides today.

First one around the usual Kempsey, Croome way, but added a couple of miles diverting via Besford to catch a good view of the radio telescope antenna.

As I was framing the shot two cyclists went past towards Wadborough. After the photo I continued the other way, turning towards Drakes Broughton across Rebecca Road, then tuning back towards Wadborough caught up with the same two cyclists I had seen earlier. I turned right towards Stoulton to go the longer way to Littleworth, and as I reached the turn for Littleworth, the same two were coming up Station Road from Wadborough way. I was slightly faster, so didn't see them again. 18 miles at 15mph.

Second ride was with daughter two and son. They have been asking about cycling to school, so today we did a practice run. Not too bad, but son still has some way to go, he prefers talking rather than concentrating on the road, and his sister gets irritated because he forgets to keep up. They both still want to cycle, so we will probably do the school run in the bikes one day next week. 5.5 miles at 6mph.

May total now is 120 miles.

 

[Mr Celine]

Saturday's ride was a trip to my brother's house. This is normally 42 miles but it was such a nice day and with a tailwind the whole way I varied the route and took the opportunity to try a new route over the Lammermuir.
First stop at Ledgerwood Kirk-

Then a refreshment stop for an ice cream in Duns.

From where the direction changed to North West, which turned the wind into a crosswind. The valley of the Whiteadder Water becomes ever more remote, past Ellemford Bridge

and Cranshaws Kirk

to a spectacular bank of whins, as strongly scented as they were colourful.

Now the hard work, the 'Col de la Bothwell' as strava has it, 0.93 miles at 9%, though the steepest bits are more than that. The view from the top looking back south towards Dirrington Law was worth it though. The Cheviot was also visible on the horizon, though the camera phone can't penetrate the haze.

A short descent through the forest on very broken up tarmac followed by another steadier climb to another summit amongst the Crystal Rig windfarm.

across a short plateau suddenly revealing the view of the sea, Fife, Berwick Law, the Bass Rock and an old fashioned means of power generation, Torness power station.

Downhill from here.

The map -

55 miles @ 14.8mph, 3691' ascent.

 

[cosmicbike]

After a frustrating few hours with IT I decided on a pedal to clear my head. I've been wanting to get more miles in on the recumbent trike, so un-hung it from the wall, a quick once over and off we went.
No particular route in mind, so I pretty much auto-piloted through Wentworth golf club towards Windsor Great Park. One of the reasons the trike get used so little is my road confidence with it. I have no problems on my upwrongs, but for no logical reason the recumbent on roads makes me nervous. So more road riding required, starting with the A30 to Sunningdale, then back through the side roads and around WGP into Ascot, pausing for a quick photo

After squeezing through the pedestrian gate to get out, back down the High Street and more or less retraced my steps. Got shouted at as I came through Virginia Water, so stopped and had a chat with my boss who was also out on his bike enjoying the weather.
Home after 24 miles in wonderful sunshine.

 

[delb0y]

Cheeky little ten miler this evening - after work and before taking the dog out. I was feeling good - despite hay fever - so I thought I'd be a bit masochistic and try the closest hill to home, which also happens to be one I haven't tried in 8 years on account of last time it was so hard. For those who know the Gloucester / Quedgeley area this is the Harsecombe Hill that runs up past the fishing lakes and comes out by the church at Edge. I had to pause by a gate halfway up to let the heartbeat slow, but I made it without getting off and walking. According to RWGPS the steepest bit was 25% so quite pleased with that. Got up to 35 mph on the resurfaced main road coming down which was nice too - and these days that's plenty fast enough for me.

In other news just had the latest Western accepted too :-)