Your ride today....

[snorri]

One person whose incentive for a 'Ride today' was a little different to most.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45238768

 

[Biff600]

Just 20 miles on the MTB today, I've the rest of the week off work so hopefully if the wind dies down a bit I'll bee out on the road bike tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a few pics from todays ride

 

[bruce1530]

The “Round Stra’ven 50” for me today.

About 500 riders registered -and advertised as being the ride with the best cake stops! That’s probably true.

Weather forecast, according to the BBC, had been a bit rubbish all week, high percentage chance of rain in the morning. Fortunately, that was wrong.

Started at the school in Strathaven, most of the riders were in rain jackets and long sleeves/leggings. A few hardy souls had bare arms.

The drizzle had mostly stopped by 10.00, but it was very damp - it was more “low cloud” than rain. Roads were wet, and a bit slippy with mud.

We headed west out of Str’aven, on farm roads. Then we’d do a loop round the area, and back in the same route.

Half an hour later, it was dry. Roads were still wet, and some very big puddles, but the rain jacket was starting to feel a bit “boil in the bag”, so came off.

First section was lumpy, but no big climbs. Past a wind farm, on round Loudon Hill (the only part of the route I was familiar with!) and across the A71 towards another windfarm and Drumclog.

After about 20 miles of farm roads, we arrived at the village of Sandford, and Cake Stop 1.

And it was a good cake stop.

The event is a fundraiser for local charities, and the modest entry fee (£20) plus any donations collected at the food stops go to them. The local charities man all of the check points and road crossings, and organise the cake stops. Lots of sandwiches, home baking, tea and coffee. And bananas.

I left that cake stop, knowing that the next one was only 10 miles further on. Seems a bit close, I thought, but then I realised we were about to hit the hilly part of the route.

A short climb after the cake stop, then dropping about 100m as we came into Stonehouse. Then a steep climb, a drop as we came towards Larkhall, and then a long climb up towards Glassford, where we were rewarded with Cake Stop 2, which was of the same high standard.

After Glassford, it was onwards to Chapelton, Audlhouse, and then one more steepish climb before we joined the route of the 15 mile trip (which had started later) and headed back towards the finish at Strathaven, and the 3rd lot of cakes!

 

[colly]

View attachment 425750
Did a Coast 2 Coast Way of the Roses ride yesterday
Started in the dark, finished in the dark View attachment 425753 View attachment 425755 View attachment 425756 View attachment 425750

Well done that man (men). In one go? nice one.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I needed a ride out today to burn off some that adrenaline. So I saddled up and headed for the lanes as the wind was a tad blustery. I bumped into my acquaintance again so we had a bit of a chat. He's heading for foreign parts so no more chats till winter has set in. I took my usual route to Redmarley and on for Highleadon and Woolridge. Down on the Hams I had some assistance from the wind although it was more of a reduced hindrance really. I looped by Brotheridge Green on the run back which is always pleasant although an impatient youngster thought I should vanish from the narrow lane as he wished to go past. Well it just wasn't safe and I'm not able to disappear as if by magic. Anyhoo another pleasant outing despite the numptie. 48 smiles

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Nice one today into the forested part of the NL. My oldest’s longest loaded ride today so I treated her to an Audax restaurant (Texaco garage) for lunch. She deserves only the best. Her sister is a bit classier and was pretty happy with the Sunday Italian special on near the campsite we are at for the next few nights.

 

[Donger]

Metric Century a Month Challenge time again. It was today or never for this month, so off out I went. Did a roughly triangular route from Gloucester, first North Eastwards until just short of Pershore, where I hung a left for the Malverns. Then climbed up and did a slingshot around Great Malvern and back via West Malvern, British Camp and Hartpury. 65.1 miles in all (104.7km), so still in the challenge for my 44th consecutive month. The last 30 miles were a bit tough though .... straight into the teeth of a strong headwind. Enjoyed it though.
There are a pair of these wooden horses staring each other out across a roundabout in Tewkesbury. They commemorate a battle of the War of the Roses, and I've always liked them:

After that I happened upon the start of a vintage car show at Tewkesbury School, with little groups of classic cars turning up in twos and threes and putting in appearances over the next 5 or 6 miles. My favourites were a lovely old Austin Cambridge and a 1968 Ford Corsair in factory condition, Took me back to my childhood. Next up ... crossing the Avon on a lovely old stone bridge near Eckington:

After that, the Malverns loomed:

.... though this time I picked the easiest possible route up the East side, at Malvern Wells, from where the road led steadily but not steeply along the edge as far as Great Malvern, (you can see the line of houses showing the gentle gradient after the initial climb). After Great Malvern, the climbing started again past St Anne's Well and West Malvern. This picture was in Malvern Wells (Had to wear the Cyclechat shirt for this ride):

After an overcast start, the sun came out just as I started the climbing in earnest. (Typical!). Still.... it made for some great views across into Herefordshire and the distant mountains of Wales. I sat here for a while admiring the view and finishing off my drink:

A couple of miles further on, I came across the familiar sight of a packed out British Camp car park. There is a little booth there selling ice cream, tea and snacks, and I've used it several times before. Today I downed a life saving cuppa with a gorgeous chunk of soft and gooey date flapjack, and bought a bottle of fruit drink to replenish my bottle. After an exhilarating 38.3 mph descent to Welland, I then had a 25 mile slog into a stiff headwind in the sunshine all the way home ... which made sure I had no drink left by the time I flopped over the doorstep 6 hours and 25 minutes after starting out.
I do love that MCaM Challenge. Still in it, and got my (imperial) Eddington Number up to 57 today and brought up 2,000 miles for the year too, so feeling fine. I am going to ache tomorrow though.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[Serge]

Just 20 miles on the MTB today, I've the rest of the week off work so hopefully if the wind dies down a bit I'll bee out on the road bike tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a few pics from todays ride View attachment 425758 View attachment 425759 View attachment 425760 View attachment 425763

Was it a helicopter ride?

 

[Tizme]

Actually Fridays' ride. A circular ride from my village, Evercreech (by the Bath & West Showground) on the Two Tunnels Way to Bath and back via the Avon & Kennet Canal, almost to Bradford-On-Avon. 53 miles. https://www.strava.com/activities/1778752433

This made me chuckle:

On the cycleway! Obviously a Highways Engineers' idea of what a bike looks like!

 

[rugby bloke]

Bit of a ride report, bit of a bike report. Took my new Defy 3 out on a favorite rides, had a great time and I'm confident that its been money well spent. I changed from a medium to a small frame and it feels a lot more comfortable, especially riding on the hoods. The bike is certainly quicker, both on the climbs and on the flat. It just feels more eager and responsive. On quick descents on the drops the bike feels more twitchy and nervous than my old Carrera. I think is a combination of the a lighter bike a strong blustery wind and the change in frame size. I'll look forward to getting used to the new handling dynamics. The disc brakes were smooth, not many really steep descents so I'll have to wait to test them fully.

Other than that, a very pleasant ride. For any Northants correspondents I noticed a steady stream of cyclists between the Brixworth Road in Holcot all the way to the Old turn in Walgrave. It looked like a social ride but with a wide range of different club jerseys. I'm not sure if any one can shed any light on this ? As I was going in the opposite direction it was difficult keeping up a succession of waves, nods and "mornings" !!

Coffee and bike pic:

 

[Serge]

Bit of a ride report, bit of a bike report. Took my new Defy 3 out on a favorite rides, had a great time and I'm confident that its been money well spent. I changed from a medium to a small frame and it feels a lot more comfortable, especially riding on the hoods. The bike is certainly quicker, both on the climbs and on the flat. It just feels more eager and responsive. On quick descents on the drops the bike feels more twitchy and nervous than my old Carrera. I think is a combination of the a lighter bike a strong blustery wind and the change in frame size. I'll look forward to getting used to the new handling dynamics. The disc brakes were smooth, not many really steep descents so I'll have to wait to test them fully.

Other than that, a very pleasant ride. For any Northants correspondents I noticed a steady stream of cyclists between the Brixworth Road in Holcot all the way to the Old turn in Walgrave. It looked like a social ride but with a wide range of different club jerseys. I'm not sure if any one can shed any light on this ? As I was going in the opposite direction it was difficult keeping up a succession of waves, nods and "mornings" !!

View attachment 425827

Coffee and bike pic:
View attachment 425829

Lovely looking bike, but you definitely need to invest in a new water bottle.

 

[rugby bloke]

Lovely looking bike, but you definitely need to invest in a new water bottle.

Good point - I just grabbed the first bottle in the cupboard. I can see that some investment in coordinating bottles will be required. Not really thought about it until I looked at the photo !

 

[fted33]

Really nice looking bike. Have fun looking for green bottles.

 

[Serge]

Really nice looking bike. Have fun looking for green bottles.

I was thinking blue otherwise there'd be too much green on the downtube. I really am sad aren't I? I need to get out more.

 

[Mr Celine]

According to the met office my ride today was accomplished entirely in fog. Despite the clear (!) inaccuracy in that part of their forecast they seemed to have the wind direction right, or rather the constant westerly of the last three weeks was entirely absent. As I prefer to head out into the wind this was a welcome change, so I headed north east through Earlston and stopped at the top of the hill by Hume Castle.

It's actually a folly rather than a real castle, but does have a great view to the south from the 'battlements'.
Contiuing further east into Berwickshire I paused for reflection at the Hillary memorial. This is just off the B6460 and I'd often driven past the sign but never realised until exploring by bike a few years ago that it was a memorial to a pilot whose book I'd read when I was at school.

More explanation on the rear of the memorial -

I carried on for a bit more before turning south then back south west, where I had some Strava business to rectify. Leitholm village has a segment which I had done only once before. It also has a very nice pub where I'd stopped for a coffee and a cake and bumped into a former client and had a long chat with her. This had resulted in me being second slowest out of about 980 cyclists. Having rectified that, I stopped again for a picture of Hume Castle from the south. (Centre, on the horizon)

One of my original intentions had been to see the steam train which is hauling a special every Sunday during August to the Borders railway terminus at Tweedbank. I should have been able to see it on my way out, but according to real time trains it was running 160 minutes late. I returned via Tweedbank Station but must have just missed it departing back north. It had arrived three hours late, apparently due to a signal failure, but departed again two hours late after a shortened stopover. However, I did spot something new, or maybe just something I'd never noticed before, at the station.

A track pump and a collection of tools attached by cables to the stand. The tools didn't include a cable cutter.

Today's map -

56.3 miles @ 15.8 mph, 3183 feet ascent.