Your ride today....

[booze and cake]

I went for a ride out to the Thames Barrier and back along the river, a route I've not done for ages. A shiny thing meets some other shiny things.

As I passed the Dome I did a double take and noticed this massive upside down electricity pylon that looks like its fallen from the heavens.

Closer look through the fence.

I looked it up when I got home and its an art installation by Alex Chinneck, more info here: https://inspiringcity.com/2015/10/1...ylon-sticking-out-of-the-ground-in-greenwich/
And a bit further along the river towards the central London.....

At the bottom right of the pic is a girl with a camera, she is trying to photograph the thing on the shore line in the centre of the pic, no its not a washed up dead body, its a seal doing a bit of sunbathing! I've never seen one in London before. I assume it means the river is a lot cleaner than it once was, either that or this particular seal is not in the mood for sharing a beach with others, and this is the only bit of quiet beach it could find in scorching summer holidays Britain. The zoom on my camera is pretty rubbish so this is as zoomed in as I was able to get.

A very humid day so I was glad for a bit of a breeze along the river on the rest of the route homeward. My liver is looking forward to autumn, this long hot summer just encourages cold beer consumption.

 

[Noodle Legs]

Today’s ride I shall entitle “Ghostly Gears”.......

......By virtue of the fact that my planned 20 mile leg stretcher in this lovely warm sunshine was thrawrted yet again by a familiar friend- ghost shifting.

Got around 5 miles in and was doing some interval work when the all too familiar clunk-clunk-clunk reared it’s ugly head yet again to knacker my plans for a quickie ...only this time it was on the new bike!

Managed to limp it home gently and get it on the stand for a closer look. Thankfully the hanger isn’t bent so I’m hoping a tweak to the cable and a good degrease and lube will do the trick. From spinning it on the stand all seems good but I shall try it out under load tomorrow.

Anyhoo, not what I wanted today but 13.6 miles in about 49 mins so I guess it’s better than nowt eh?

https://www.strava.com/activities/1787817378

https://www.relive.cc/view/1787817378

 

[Tizme]

I decided I would cycle to Cheddar for a coffee and yet another ride up the Gorge (47 mile round trip) - it was probably an omen and I should have turned around and gone home again when a wasp flew into the side of my helmet just outside of Glastonbury, not content with the impact it decided to sting me before it went on its' way! Slightly smarting I carried on, only to find my usual coffee stop at the bottom of the Gorge was closed. Going on to the next one I ended up with an "instant" latte, but at least I got up the Gorge fairly easily (everything is relative). On the last big climb of the day, up a very narrow country lane, I was followed by WVM who was slowly getting closer to my rear wheel, with about 50m to go he decided to go for it, I moved to the left and hit the crumbling edge and went down. He did pull over at the top and asked if I was ok, completely oblivious that it was his action that had caused it. Rather than start an argument I said yes I was fine and asked him to go on, rather than go through more of the same. "Oh no," he said, "I'm stopping here for a break" Was it really THAT necessary to get passed me in the first place?
Despite all that, did I mention I also had some rain and passed a church offering free tea/coffee and cakes on Wednesdays? (It's Tuesday today) it was a lovely ride!

 

[Dave 123]

A tandem ride tonight. Not far from home there were 2 blokes playing bagpipes in a lay-by..... nowt unusual there!
On through Toft and up to Kingston. On the way to the Eversdens a car to our rear was about to overtake us, it was a brow of a hill and he’d not seen the oncoming cyclist. I frantically waved my hand for him to pull back, which he did and the cyclist yelled ‘faaaaaacking idiot’ in a very plummy accent. So we saved Tarquin, hooray!

We went through Harlton and Haslingfield before stopping at the White Horse in Barton. Bitter shandy and some tapas

From here we headed down Barton Road and into Cambridge. We stopped on Garrett Hostel bridge

Out of town via Eddington, Girton and Dry Drayton.

I’d even remembered to bring front and rear lights, I’m getting good at this cycling malarkey!

25 muggy miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1788249712

 

[iancity]

Not a ride, just wanted to say I absolutely love this thread. I genuinely find it inspirational

Its not too often i don't want to go out, or don't look forward to a ride, but if I do, a quick 20 minutes reading through everyone's adventures gets my juices flowing again.

If I could post pictures on here easily (never works for me, no matter what people suggest) I would be a regular contributor but as it is I just enjoy following everyone else

 

[welsh dragon]

Not a ride, just wanted to say I absolutely love this thread. I genuinely find it inspirational

Its not too often i don't want to go out, or don't look forward to a ride, but if I do, a quick 20 minutes reading through everyone's adventures gets my juices flowing again.

If I could post pictures on here easily (never works for me, no matter what people suggest) I would be a regular contributor but as it is I just enjoy following everyone else

You don't have to post photos. Yes we like seeing them, but just having people talk about the rides they have done that day is still brilliant, and very welcome.

 

[C R]

Not a ride, just wanted to say I absolutely love this thread. I genuinely find it inspirational

Its not too often i don't want to go out, or don't look forward to a ride, but if I do, a quick 20 minutes reading through everyone's adventures gets my juices flowing again.

If I could post pictures on here easily (never works for me, no matter what people suggest) I would be a regular contributor but as it is I just enjoy following everyone else

I only post photos half the time, the story, the route, what you saw, how you felt, that's as important as the photos.

 

[Noodle Legs]

I only post photos half the time, the story, the route, what you saw, how you felt, that's as important as the photos.

And I usually just post sh1te, but someone still reads it!!

 

[Katherine]

Not a ride, just wanted to say I absolutely love this thread. I genuinely find it inspirational

Its not too often i don't want to go out, or don't look forward to a ride, but if I do, a quick 20 minutes reading through everyone's adventures gets my juices flowing again.

If I could post pictures on here easily (never works for me, no matter what people suggest) I would be a regular contributor but as it is I just enjoy following everyone else

Great post! Yes, It's the best thread on the forum by far!

You don't have to post photos. Yes we like seeing them, but just having people talk about the rides they have done that day is still brilliant, and very welcome.

Ditto.

 

[Aravis]

An almost calm day was forecast today, with whatever wind there was going to be coming from the south west later. So it wasn't hard to decide which way to start out.

I tend to avoid the Quedgeley bypass these days; the lanes through Elmore and Longney are far pleasanter and have no real disadvantage. Once I'd joined the A38 there was nothing to dislike today with the lack of wind and I seemed to reach Almondsbury pretty quickly. In my head I was doing some planning for building a porch, and suddenly I'd be ten miles further on.

I picked a route through Easter Compton, Hallen and Henbury to pick up the Portway, alongside the river Avon. There was a time when I'd charge along the dual carriageway without a second thought; the wrong-side cycle track is rather bumpy in places but I'd rather be there nowadays.

Coming into Bristol that way meant I could pass under the Clifton Suspension Bridge, loop roung via Jacobs Well Road and ride over the bridge, which was quite elegant. Heading out towards the Avonmouth Bridge I found a route along the waterfront at Pill, which was new to me. Then through Avonmouth and along the sea wall at Severn Beach. I heard a curlew, which was nice. I know Severn Beach is a bit of a music hall joke, but there was a time when you could sit peacefully on the wall watching the sun set over the Monmouthshire Hills, with just the sound of the river. The bridge now totally dominates sound and vision.

Soon afterwards I found a useful cyclepath alongside the motorway, avoiding a nasty bit of busy road. For some reason this amused me intensely:

The watercourse I'm about to cross is not the boundary.

The wind gauges on the Severn Bridge were showing very little movement. Reaching Welsh soil, there's a lengthy climb past Chepstow Racecourse before dropping down to Tintern. The long-term temporary lights on the descent would be inconvenient to anyone cycling the other way. I left the valley at Redbrook, following the pleasant route to Coleford before the busy but just about bearable main road through Mitcheldean. There's a good way to avoid one particularly sharp climb by diverting south at Longhope via Blaisdon, the route the railway used to take.

I like the lanes through Huntley, Taynton and Tibberton - a nice finish to any ride.

 

[welsh dragon]

And I usually just post sh1te, but someone reads it!!

We know.

 

[Dave 123]

Not a ride, just wanted to say I absolutely love this thread. I genuinely find it inspirational

Its not too often i don't want to go out, or don't look forward to a ride, but if I do, a quick 20 minutes reading through everyone's adventures gets my juices flowing again.

If I could post pictures on here easily (never works for me, no matter what people suggest) I would be a regular contributor but as it is I just enjoy following everyone else

How are you posting them, and on what kind of machine?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Sometimes I scold myself for being lazy in my days off, but then, thinking abut it, I was not really lazy!
Yesterday, after doing the usual boring housework, cutting the grass, doing some weeding, I jumped on the bike to the vet's, rode on to the local cycling hub (Freewheel north at the Green) to deliver some home baking, rode to the shops, once home did some more baking then went to yoga!
This morning I forced myself out of bed to join the 10.30 hub ride, the Tuesday's ones being a sedate affair for beginners, but attended by all with a few spare hours just for the social side of it.
Overcast but a very hot day, we headed not far to the Botanic Gardens, using the riverside cycling path and Kelvingrove Park.
Some short, steep hills thrown in for good measure by the excellent ride leaders, to give the beginners a wee challenge.
On logging in to Strava this evening, I discovered that @Bobby Mhor was nearby, had I known I would have cycled to meet you!
On the way home, I stopped along the Clyde path to fill my water bottle with blueberries, as seems fashionable on CC at the moment
About 18 miles for me, a couple of pictures for you.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

Sometimes I scold myself for being lazy in my days off, but then, thinking abut it, I was not really lazy!
Yesterday, after doing the usual boring housework, cutting the grass, doing some weeding, I jumped on the bike to the vet's, rode on to the local cycling hub (Freewheel north at the Green) to deliver some home baking, rode to the shops, once home did some more baking then went to yoga!
This morning I forced myself out of bed to join the 10.30 hub ride, the Tuesday's ones being a sedate affair for beginners, but attended by all with a few spare hours just for the social side of it.
Overcast but a very hot day, we headed not far to the Botanic Gardens, using the riverside cycling path and Kelvingrove Park.
Some short, steep hills thrown in for good measure by the excellent ride leaders, to give the beginners a wee challenge.
On logging in to Strava this evening, I discovered that @Bobby Mhor was nearby, had I known I would have cycled to meet you!
On the way home, I stopped along the Clyde path to fill my water bottle with blueberries, as seems fashionable on CC at the moment
About 18 miles for me, a couple of pictures for you.
View attachment 426232
View attachment 426233
View attachment 426234

@Pat "5mph"
I passed through Kelvingrove as you were all having an outdoor lunch, damn, I missed home baking

Some photos from yesterday, as you can by Pat's and mine, it was a dullish day
Stewart Memorial Fountain, Kelvingrove Park

Some bloke lying wasted in a beetle, Langbank

Pollok House

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I decided I would cycle to Cheddar for a coffee and yet another ride up the Gorge (47 mile round trip) - it was probably an omen and I should have turned around and gone home again when a wasp flew into the side of my helmet just outside of Glastonbury, not content with the impact it decided to sting me before it went on its' way! Slightly smarting I carried on, only to find my usual coffee stop at the bottom of the Gorge was closed. Going on to the next one I ended up with an "instant" latte, but at least I got up the Gorge fairly easily (everything is relative). On the last big climb of the day, up a very narrow country lane, I was followed by WVM who was slowly getting closer to my rear wheel, with about 50m to go he decided to go for it, I moved to the left and hit the crumbling edge and went down. He did pull over at the top and asked if I was ok, completely oblivious that it was his action that had caused it. Rather than start an argument I said yes I was fine and asked him to go on, rather than go through more of the same. "Oh no," he said, "I'm stopping here for a break" Was it really THAT necessary to get passed me in the first place?
Despite all that, did I mention I also had some rain and passed a church offering free tea/coffee and cakes on Wednesdays? (It's Tuesday today) it was a lovely ride!
View attachment 426183

A like for writing it up but for all the stuff that went wrong. I hope the next trip is better.