Your ride today....

[Gravity Aided]

13.1 miles my distance this day, through rolling countryside to the grocery store for pasty ingredients, as that's what is on for supper. (rutabaga, not turnips). Quite windy, but a few degrees warmer and nicer than yesterday, and I saw a few riders out there as well, including a few running up and down a Strava Segment. I was on the Specialized Hardrock today, as I haven't figured out what racks I'll be using on the Sirrus, or if I'll just be using my Cannondale Bugger Trailer with that'un. In all, a fine day for such an errand, and fine dividends to be reaped.

 

[jhawk]

Finally got the bikes back in my possession! Will be doing some checks tomorrow, then hopefully headed off for a quick ride! Can't wait to get riding again! Will be taking a few pictures of the bikes once I've got them back up to normal order.

 

[arranandy]

Not today's ride or yesterdays but my ride on Saturday.

The word epic is often over-used to describe a bike ride but the ride I did on Saturday can only really be described as epic. I did the Mallorca 312 - a 312km cycle sportive around Mallorca.
It was the hardest day I've ever had - mentally and physically - on a bike. I really don't know where to start writing my summary of the day. Maybe I'll just let the stats speak for themselves but I'll add that I went through the full human scale of emotions - joy, elation, frustration, pain, a bit of sorrow and I'm not afraid to admit that I shed a few tears with about 20km when I realised that I was going to finish and finish well inside my 12 hour target time. My official finish position was 589th out of 1700ish finishers but that doesn't really matter as I proved to myself that I have the physical and mental fortitude to do a ride like this.

Anyway here's the Strava
https://app.strava.com/activities/292466107

And a photo of me after I'd finished with my finsher's t-shirt

 

[nickyboy]

A ride weekend...there's loads of pics and banter about my Manchester - Llandudno ride over on the ride thread and Rickshaw Phil's posted here already so I won't bore you with that one.
On Sunday, having got soaked and frozen on Saturday, I rode Llandudno -Holyhead. Amazingly, the day dawned bright and sunny. Heading NW of course what I didn't want was a NWerly....that's exactly what I got so it was going to be 70 miles of headwind. Massive breakfast and then on my way. The NCN5 takes you from Llandudno to Anglesey but it's fiddly and difficult to follow. I made a couple of smallish mistakes along the way but not too bad. Views were lovely

This is Llandudno South Shore looking over to Conway. Thankfully the cycle route takes you largely around rather than over those hills

There are two bridges that connect Anglesey to the mainland. The Menai bridge is this oldest and the one I took

Anglesey is great for cycling. Not too hilly but plenty of rolling up and down to keep it interesting. Very rural and the main A55 keeps all the heavy traffic off the smaller roads. Even on Sunday afternoon it never felt busy. Some of the little lanes were wonderful

Almost at Holyhead I started to feel hungry again. Found a little café in Treaddur Bay and proceeded to order Minted Lamb Burger & Chips, diet coke. Then felt I could squeeze in a bit more so had some carrot cake and a pot of tea. What was amazing (considering the terrible weather we had at the end of the Llandudno ride) was the sun trap of the café was so good I overheated in the sun and had to strip off to my thermal. Quick 5 miles to Holyhead train station then a 4 hour ride home, changing at Chester and Manchester. Little glass of red when I got in then crashed out. Weekend total was 170 miles, all of into a headwind. I hate you Weather Gods!!!!

 

[potsy]

Well I enjoyed the single-speed debut ride so much yesterday I thought I'd 'flip' the wheel and have a short go on the fixed cog.

One word- scary!!!

Anybody want to buy an 'as new' track cog?

 

[PeteXXX]

With a bit of ice on the car windscreens first thing, I guessed it be a chilly start to the day! Beautiful sunshine though, and no wind worth bothering about.
I set of at about 09:00 ish on the Defy2 to call into a mates house for a coffee before riding some miles around the south of Northampton with him.
We set off by 10:00, got a mile or two down the hill, and Garry realised he'd forgotten his bottles. Quick spin back up the hill to his, get bottles, nip down the hill again to get on our way.
We used the old A43, now a bit of a back road since the dual carriageway, but we did come across an Eastern European artic driver following his twat-nav down a country lane that does, if you're brave in a truck, join up with the main road... Our route took us through Stoke Bruerne, Blisworth and eventually across to Salcey, where we actually didn't stop for cake, for a change!

I had to start heading in the direction of home, as I needed to finish my ride by midday, so we took a fairly direct route back to Northampton, only pausing to say goodbye as our routes separated. He was out for the day, partially in training for the Cambridge 100 this weekend.

I got home on 40 miles and would have loved to have been out for the rest of the day. Sadly, w*rk has got in the way of life again Booooo...
Nice to get out on the Defy, as I've not used it since December.

https://www.strava.com/activities/293492673

 

[jhawk]

Aaaaaaaaand, the weather is crap. Supposed to be crap for the rest of this week. Until it jumps up to THIRTEEN degrees next Monday.

 

[Spartak]

Not today's ride or yesterdays but my ride on Saturday.

The word epic is often over-used to describe a bike ride but the ride I did on Saturday can only really be described as epic. I did the Mallorca 312 - a 312km cycle sportive around Mallorca.
It was the hardest day I've ever had - mentally and physically - on a bike. I really don't know where to start writing my summary of the day. Maybe I'll just let the stats speak for themselves but I'll add that I went through the full human scale of emotions - joy, elation, frustration, pain, a bit of sorrow and I'm not afraid to admit that I shed a few tears with about 20km when I realised that I was going to finish and finish well inside my 12 hour target time. My official finish position was 589th out of 1700ish finishers but that doesn't really matter as I proved to myself that I have the physical and mental fortitude to do a ride like this.

Anyway here's the Strava
https://app.strava.com/activities/292466107

And a photo of me after I'd finished with my finsher's t-shirt

Bravo @arranandy

 

[Elybazza61]

A few rides to add on from last Thursday.

Had a later finish at work so did a commute home on what is usually the busiest road but was nice and clear at the time I left;nice tempo and the seat-post held firm this time;

https://www.strava.com/activities/291242765

Saturday was the club run with the moderate/quicker group;started with a full downpour for the first few miles,was then sunny at St Ives and on the return leg but cloudy again back home;

https://www.strava.com/activities/292278980

Today a steady commute in as I felt a bit weary with some strange segments on strava(gps glitches I presume);

https://www.strava.com/activities/293401904

 

[Elybazza61]

Not today's ride or yesterdays but my ride on Saturday.

The word epic is often over-used to describe a bike ride but the ride I did on Saturday can only really be described as epic. I did the Mallorca 312 - a 312km cycle sportive around Mallorca.
It was the hardest day I've ever had - mentally and physically - on a bike. I really don't know where to start writing my summary of the day. Maybe I'll just let the stats speak for themselves but I'll add that I went through the full human scale of emotions - joy, elation, frustration, pain, a bit of sorrow and I'm not afraid to admit that I shed a few tears with about 20km when I realised that I was going to finish and finish well inside my 12 hour target time. My official finish position was 589th out of 1700ish finishers but that doesn't really matter as I proved to myself that I have the physical and mental fortitude to do a ride like this.

Anyway here's the Strava
https://app.strava.com/activities/292466107

And a photo of me after I'd finished with my finsher's t-shirt

Gave you some Strava kudos for that

 

[BSRU]

A late start this morning due to the freezing conditions and some over indulgence at the weekend.
Managed a good 121km with just over 1000m of going up.

Last time I rode that route it was overcast and grey, not today though.

Eating some angel cake to aid my recovery, especially my legs.

 

[PatrickPending]

Another my ride yesterday - 205Km to the vale of Belvoir - Managed to miss an organised event as kept coming across red arrows and a 'king of the hills' sign (up cuckoo hill). Still had fun - longest ride of the year - 2107m of climbing, and apparently 3739 calories used. The route? Blaby - Great Glen - Gaulby - Houghton on The Hill - South Croxton - Great Dalby - Whissendine - Wymondham - Waltham in the Wolds - Harby - Granby - Elton - Flawborough - Staunton in the vale - Bottesford - Belvoir - Croxton Kerrial - SaltbySproxton - Wymondham - Pickwell - Somerby - Tugby - Goadby - Glooston - Tur Langton - Saddington- Fleckney - Arnesby - Peatling Parva Willoughby Waterlys - Blaby - Photo taken just north of Croxton Kerrial

 

[contadino]

Yesterday I took my new bike down some of the back lanes to see how it deals with a slightly less than optimal asphalt. Anyway, it wasn't an issue really for the bike, although they left me totally knackered. These roads were about 50% tarmac and 50% gravel-filled pot holes and have been regular runs for me for years on a MTB. On a 35 year old sports tourer, with no suspension and a sight less air to cushion the shakes I tired much quicker than normal.

Anyway, the good news is that I can keep using the little back lanes. The bad news is that I need to get a helluva lot fitter before August when I'm heading to Tuscany to take a spin around the white roads of l'eroica before going to England for the C2C.

Oh, and I'm rather chuffed to have figured out that I can reach the brake levers from 'on the hoods'. Just about.

Anyway, my back is giving me jip since getting this new bike, so I raised the bars a little which made things a bit more comfortable when I went out this afternoon. I still feel like I'm reaching way too far forwards so I'm going to try shifting the saddle forward a bit to see if that helps. If I need a shorter stem it'll be a nightmare to sort out so best to investigate all other options before heading down that route.

And to be honest I'm getting a bit bored with these little 20km circuits. I want to get out and do some real distance but I kinda think I really need to get my position on the bike sorted first.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I was cursing this morning, bright blue skies, not a cloud insight and could I go out for a trike ride? nope...

So after seeing my new consultant and sorting life out - it officially stops on this thread again in 2 weeks time I spotted an opportunity to get a ride in between my parents arriving and me getting home again... so I took it and took my lunch with me and set off right out of the end of my lane to see if I could actually manage the short sharp climb up to the lights. And there started an really strange day with the first of the cyclists who wouldn't say hello to me. Really odd. Overtook me and wouldn't say hello, but then none of the others did today either - really odd.

Off down the rat run, a rural B road that is used as a race track during rush hour and school run time and worth avoiding, but I was well outside of those times, however it didn't stop some idiot nearly running the oncoming vehicle off the road whilst overtaking me!

One of the little rural roads, with the Pennines in the distance.

Then on to familiar territory - the Whitegate Way and some wild garlic or Ransoms.

It has turned green since I was last here!

Almost my first Pink Campion this spring. Not the best shot in the world, but I find it difficult to stand still enough to take macro style shots now and there was nothing handy to hold on to!

The view behind at my chosen lunch spot!

And in front... I had actually planned to have lunch at the mere, but the bench was in use and whilst I had no plans to use the bench, I had planned to use the area to the side of it to sit in the sun on my trike and eat lunch out away from the house - the first time I have done so in over 6 months!

And my trike. I have 2 weeks more use of her and then I am off her for a while. I don't know how long for at the moment, but all I can do is make the most of the next 2 weeks irrespective of the weather. But I won't be able to get out tomorrow I don't think, unless I get lucky and can work out how to take a packed lunch with me. I think that is something I am going to have to work on.

So just the 11.4 miles squeezed in between a consultants appointment and my parents visiting, but not long after taking that photo, someone turned down the dimmer switch on the sun and it went cold and well, dull. The weather front arrived. https://www.strava.com/activities/293533047 8.7mph!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Great photos

See the finger went in especially for you!