Your ride today....

[Mike_P]

GWS Northern Dave, hoping you are soon back

 

[colly]

Ouch Dave.
GWS.

 

[NorthernDave]

Nah, you win. That's an altogether different club from mine. Hope you feel OK in a day or two. Ice & Ibuprofen, as always (for the first 24 hours).

Ouchie @NorthernDave

Hope you mend quickly xxx

GWS Northern Dave, hoping you are soon back

Ouch Dave.
GWS.

Thanks all.

 

[bruce1530]

The roads were damp when I set off this morning, but it stayed dry. Headed southeast from Saltcoats, away from the coast. NCN73 to Kilwinning, then farm roads towards Stewarton. Quick coffee there, then back homewards via some farm roads that I hadn’t ridden before. 51k.

A nice pleasant Saturday morning trip, and a strava milestone - I’ve just realised that strava is now showing just over 6000 miles since I started recording.

 

[Mrs M]

Out just after 8 on the Giant with an eye on another metric half for the challenge.

Bit chilly first thing, but lovely and bright despite a forecast of greyness. Almost inevitably the bike steered me to Coal Road, then Skeltons Lane, but for a change I stayed on the A58 for a bit longer than turned onto Carr Lane to Thorner reversing a route I usually take out of there.
There is a bit of single track on there past some houses and as I was approaching (downhill) I spied a car approaching from the opposite direction, right on the crown of the road, so being a considerate sort of chap and in no particular rush, I stopped to let the car through. The driver thanked me by slowing down to walking pace for about 100 yards and purposefully looking the other way.
I set off again and almost immediately spotted another car approaching - however this time the driver ducked straight in to the side of the road and stopped on seeing me,flashed her lights to let me through and gave me a cheery morning as we passed (I said thanks).
Through the village and out again up Milner Lane, then Holme Farm Lane and follow my nose through the lesser Wothersome Dip and on to Bramham, where a skirt around the village saw me onto Toulston Lane and back out into the countryside.
I haven't been this way in what feels like ages, and was soon over the county line into North Yorkshire, then right to head along garnett Lane across the A659, then the wiggle over the A64, before the long descent down into Stutton.
I stayed on the main road through the village, dropping down over Cock Beck and then climbing up on the single track road towards the A162 - taking it very steady as there was what appeared to be the remains of a frost on the adjacent field.
A small group of cyclists caught me at the junction as I waited for a gap. I said "Morning", but I think they were more focussed on the traffic. Up the hill and left onto Raw Lane for the long and mainly gently downhill run to Ulleskelf, which seemed harder work than usual today for some reason.
A loop around the village and then I paused at the bench by the bus stop for an energy bar and a couple of pics:
View attachment 437920 View attachment 437923 View attachment 437924
This bench is still clearly the hot spot for socialising in Ulleskelf as in the bin today was an empty box of wine and empty box of Jaffa Cake misshapes. This place must rock when the sun goes down.

Anyway, back on the bike and past the airfield and into Church Fenton and the long straight-ish road over the railway line and all the way to Barkston Ash, then a spin up London Road to the Saxton turning where it was left and between the fields all the way into the village.
Through there and it has to be said a bit of a slog up past Linda's Bench into a bit of a headwind, before dropping down onto Copley Lane for the familiar run to Lotherton Gates.
I realised I was probably going to come up just short of a metric half if I took the direct route, so looped round via Hook Moor into Aberford, getting the benefit of a lovely tailwind all the way up Bunkers Hill past the Almshouses and into the village, hitting both sets of temporary traffic lights on green.
Got flagged down by a lost motorist needing directions and once I'd sorted him out, the ups and downs of Cattle Lane beckoned.
Approaching the farm I was passed by a cyclist on an flat bar bike who to be fair was shifting along - but when he got about 100yds beyond me quickly pulled in with a deflating rear tyre.
This is where it all went wrong, and I got membership of the same club @MikeG has been in today (post above).
I slowed down to check he was OK / had everything he needed - he said yes he was fine but I'd unclipped my left foot in case I needed to stop. As I went to set off again I'd slowed down too much and wobbled over to the right, where my still clipped in right foot, at the very bottom of the stroke, refused point blank to unclip while my "free" left foot waved uselessly in the air.
I had time to utter a very quick 'Shoot' before I was sprawled all over the road.
The other cyclist helped me back up and to the side of the road as a passing motorist also stopped to see if everything was OK - knee hurt, ribs really hurting where (I think) my elbow had been sandwiched between them and the tarmac. Clothing all intact, which was something.
As someone is bound to ask, the bike is virtually unscathed, being protected from the worst ravages of the tarmac by several stones of idiot. A very little bit of scuffed bar tape, the bar end plug came out (but went straight back in), there is a scuff on the side of the pedal and a tiny mark on the saddle edge and that's it, so I got away with that, especially as I fell onto the transmission side.
To be fair, it's the first proper clipped in moment I've had since I switched to 'proper' pedals in the spring, so it was probably overdue. Bloody embarrassing though and a bit painful but nothing Dr Ibuprofen and a bit of time won't sort.
The cyclist offered to ride on with me once he'd fixed his puncture to make sure I was OK, but once he'd insisted for about the fourth time that he was OK sorting it I pushed on as my knee was giving me a bit of gyp and I wanted to make sure that I got home while I still could.
I said thanks at the time, but never thought to ask their names, so if you were the other cyclist (wearing a Tour de Yorkshire top) or the chap in the BMW, thanks again - fortunately it wasn't anything serious but it's nice to know that there are people out there who take the time to check on others.

I don't think I've ever descended down Cattle Lane to the bridge more steadily, and I just sat and spinned up the hill into Barwick, but fortunately once I'd got the knee moving again it settled down. The ribs were a slightly different matter though so I just took it steady.
Through the village, more up before drop down into Scholes, enlivened even further by 3 stupidly close passes in the space of a mile or so, then down the hill on Leeds Road and local roads to home, avoiding the usual road as it was surface dressed over the late summer and is now lumpy as owt and I didn't fancy getting shaken about on that on top of everything else.

32.74 miles (52.69km) in 2h 41m at a steady average of 12.1mph with 1,548ft climbed and an average temperature of 8.1°C

So, another point in the Half Century Challenge and an eventful ride that I won't forget for a while. The knee is a bit banged up and developing a lovely bruise but it's nothing that won't sort itself out, although how I didn't hole my nearly new(!) bib tights I have no idea - the blood will wash off and they look like they'll be good as new. The ribs are a bit more painful - I'm 99% sure I haven't broken one (I've done that before and remember the pain) so I'll just have to take it steady for a few days.
I've clipped in and out goodness knows how many times prior to this without incident, and have managed to successfully unclip both feet multiple times on the remainder of the journey so I'll just have to put it down to the law of sod.
Or that magpie that I didn't salute. Bloody magpies.

And to end, the map:
View attachment 437919

Ow GWS xx

 

[LarryDuff]

Roads very wet and lots of debris on the roads including a lot of big sharp stones.

 

[colly]

Out around 7am.

I felt tired and uninspired from the off so went due north up to Wetherby and Walshford.
Turned round and came straight back. Some days are simply like that.

27miles and about 1100ft of up. Fixed.

 

[gavgav]

Out just after 8 on the Giant with an eye on another metric half for the challenge.

Bit chilly first thing, but lovely and bright despite a forecast of greyness. Almost inevitably the bike steered me to Coal Road, then Skeltons Lane, but for a change I stayed on the A58 for a bit longer than turned onto Carr Lane to Thorner reversing a route I usually take out of there.
There is a bit of single track on there past some houses and as I was approaching (downhill) I spied a car approaching from the opposite direction, right on the crown of the road, so being a considerate sort of chap and in no particular rush, I stopped to let the car through. The driver thanked me by slowing down to walking pace for about 100 yards and purposefully looking the other way.
I set off again and almost immediately spotted another car approaching - however this time the driver ducked straight in to the side of the road and stopped on seeing me,flashed her lights to let me through and gave me a cheery morning as we passed (I said thanks).
Through the village and out again up Milner Lane, then Holme Farm Lane and follow my nose through the lesser Wothersome Dip and on to Bramham, where a skirt around the village saw me onto Toulston Lane and back out into the countryside.
I haven't been this way in what feels like ages, and was soon over the county line into North Yorkshire, then right to head along garnett Lane across the A659, then the wiggle over the A64, before the long descent down into Stutton.
I stayed on the main road through the village, dropping down over Cock Beck and then climbing up on the single track road towards the A162 - taking it very steady as there was what appeared to be the remains of a frost on the adjacent field.
A small group of cyclists caught me at the junction as I waited for a gap. I said "Morning", but I think they were more focussed on the traffic. Up the hill and left onto Raw Lane for the long and mainly gently downhill run to Ulleskelf, which seemed harder work than usual today for some reason.
A loop around the village and then I paused at the bench by the bus stop for an energy bar and a couple of pics:
View attachment 437920 View attachment 437923 View attachment 437924
This bench is still clearly the hot spot for socialising in Ulleskelf as in the bin today was an empty box of wine and empty box of Jaffa Cake misshapes. This place must rock when the sun goes down.

Anyway, back on the bike and past the airfield and into Church Fenton and the long straight-ish road over the railway line and all the way to Barkston Ash, then a spin up London Road to the Saxton turning where it was left and between the fields all the way into the village.
Through there and it has to be said a bit of a slog up past Linda's Bench into a bit of a headwind, before dropping down onto Copley Lane for the familiar run to Lotherton Gates.
I realised I was probably going to come up just short of a metric half if I took the direct route, so looped round via Hook Moor into Aberford, getting the benefit of a lovely tailwind all the way up Bunkers Hill past the Almshouses and into the village, hitting both sets of temporary traffic lights on green.
Got flagged down by a lost motorist needing directions and once I'd sorted him out, the ups and downs of Cattle Lane beckoned.
Approaching the farm I was passed by a cyclist on an flat bar bike who to be fair was shifting along - but when he got about 100yds beyond me quickly pulled in with a deflating rear tyre.
This is where it all went wrong, and I got membership of the same club @MikeG has been in today (post above).
I slowed down to check he was OK / had everything he needed - he said yes he was fine but I'd unclipped my left foot in case I needed to stop. As I went to set off again I'd slowed down too much and wobbled over to the right, where my still clipped in right foot, at the very bottom of the stroke, refused point blank to unclip while my "free" left foot waved uselessly in the air.
I had time to utter a very quick 'Shoot' before I was sprawled all over the road.
The other cyclist helped me back up and to the side of the road as a passing motorist also stopped to see if everything was OK - knee hurt, ribs really hurting where (I think) my elbow had been sandwiched between them and the tarmac. Clothing all intact, which was something.
As someone is bound to ask, the bike is virtually unscathed, being protected from the worst ravages of the tarmac by several stones of idiot. A very little bit of scuffed bar tape, the bar end plug came out (but went straight back in), there is a scuff on the side of the pedal and a tiny mark on the saddle edge and that's it, so I got away with that, especially as I fell onto the transmission side.
To be fair, it's the first proper clipped in moment I've had since I switched to 'proper' pedals in the spring, so it was probably overdue. Bloody embarrassing though and a bit painful but nothing Dr Ibuprofen and a bit of time won't sort.
The cyclist offered to ride on with me once he'd fixed his puncture to make sure I was OK, but once he'd insisted for about the fourth time that he was OK sorting it I pushed on as my knee was giving me a bit of gyp and I wanted to make sure that I got home while I still could.
I said thanks at the time, but never thought to ask their names, so if you were the other cyclist (wearing a Tour de Yorkshire top) or the chap in the BMW, thanks again - fortunately it wasn't anything serious but it's nice to know that there are people out there who take the time to check on others.

I don't think I've ever descended down Cattle Lane to the bridge more steadily, and I just sat and spinned up the hill into Barwick, but fortunately once I'd got the knee moving again it settled down. The ribs were a slightly different matter though so I just took it steady.
Through the village, more up before drop down into Scholes, enlivened even further by 3 stupidly close passes in the space of a mile or so, then down the hill on Leeds Road and local roads to home, avoiding the usual road as it was surface dressed over the late summer and is now lumpy as owt and I didn't fancy getting shaken about on that on top of everything else.

32.74 miles (52.69km) in 2h 41m at a steady average of 12.1mph with 1,548ft climbed and an average temperature of 8.1°C

So, another point in the Half Century Challenge and an eventful ride that I won't forget for a while. The knee is a bit banged up and developing a lovely bruise but it's nothing that won't sort itself out, although how I didn't hole my nearly new(!) bib tights I have no idea - the blood will wash off and they look like they'll be good as new. The ribs are a bit more painful - I'm 99% sure I haven't broken one (I've done that before and remember the pain) so I'll just have to take it steady for a few days.
I've clipped in and out goodness knows how many times prior to this without incident, and have managed to successfully unclip both feet multiple times on the remainder of the journey so I'll just have to put it down to the law of sod.
Or that magpie that I didn't salute. Bloody magpies.

And to end, the map:
View attachment 437919

Best wishes for a speedy recovery

 

[Old jon]

Some days are simply like that.

Absolutely bang on right!
But it took me all these words to say it:--

A dull morning, but I have been in Ambleside for the best part of a week and I felt as if I needed a ride. So I wheeled the geared bike out and started pedalling, with no real idea where to go.

The usual meander around Holbeck focussed what does duty as my mind and sort of warmed up the legs a little, and there I was. On the towpath again. The weather then conspired to piddle on my parade, which also had the effect of making things colder. But on I went, still in the usual direction to Viaduct Road where it always feels odd to cross the river and then descend some more to Kirkstall Road. Come to that, the canal being higher up the hillside than the river is not exactly intuitive . . .

Cardigan Road gave the exercise for lungs and legs, but the rain was becoming heavier. And colder. And wetter, believe it or not. I turned around. Just by St Chad’s enough was enough. I could make excuses about wet roads, wet leaves or just plain wet me, but the will went.

Down the hill to Kirkstall, back along to Holbeck, Hunslet and home. Twelve and a bit miles and the sight of my house restored the grin. I knew I would be warm and dry soon!

Garmins do maps rather well.

 

[Dave 123]

Hope your ribs are ok @NorthernDave

Out on the tandem today. First port of call was Girton to deliver post to the boy in his new house. We had a great tail wind to get there.

In through Cambridge and out to Trumpington. Mrs Dave was hungry, so we shared...

A portion of chips!

On through the Shelfords and Newton, before ANOTHER stop at the Moringa Tree cafe in Haslingfield

The bells were ringing for a Remembrance Day event.

Home via the Eversdens, Kingston and Toft.

Last Sunday I assisted Jo and the Hardwick WI planting bulbs on the green under the village sign, then watched them assemble their knitted poppy display

31 miles in shorts, a November bonus!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1958922198

 

[Aravis]

At Leominster you were 4 miles from my house. If you wevere
This way again doors always open. Kettles always on. Being a fatty there’s always cake too

I'm just catching up on this thread so I've only just seen this. At my speed I have to watch the time I spend stationary at this time of year, but I'm sure to be up that way again when we're back in the months of plenty.

 

[Noodle Legs]

How do.

Been a while.

This weekend’s rides I shall entitle “Stratford YHA club rides”

2 rides to report, 65 miles yesterday and 54 today.

Weather: shockingly bad overall yesterday despite a bright start we couldn’t have got any wetter, bright today but with really wet, muddy, lumpy roads and looking like I’d been in a cyclocross race.

Highlights:

•One rider off due to a jammed chain resulting in a nasty graze, bent hanger and dented ego.

•Another rider having three punctures and a blowout in the space of fifteen minutes.

•A well earned shower at the youth hostel followed by a really good meal in the evening at a local pub. (Little things.....)

•A good turnout at the memorial in Meriden today to pay our respects to the fallen. Pics:

Made it home

Today’s stats:

Mucky

•Bumping randomly into @cyberknight at Meriden and having a bit of a chinwag.

• 3 PRs on strava (not that I was trying)

• A tailwind pretty much all the way home!!!

Anyway, that’s enough s**te from me.
https://strava.app.link/YgGkAVPeLR
https://strava.app.link/zm6f05ihLR

 

[cosmicbike]

The plan to get out before 9 was flummoxed by the P fairy. The front tyre on the Van Nic was rather squidgy, and not too much looking I found a slice right through the Gatorskin tyre about 8mm long. Whatever caused that on the last ride only just nicked the inner tube enough for a very slow deflation, but the tyre was a write-off, annoying as it was only 2100 miles old. Not to worry, raided the tyre store and found a 25C Gatorskin, fitted and we're off (25C on the front, 28C on the back, so I had to keep an eye on the back to make sure it didn't catch up too much with the front). Out just after 9, on the plus side I missed a big downpour whilst inside fitting the new tyre, so every cloud and all that....
Off out through Wentworth ball whacking course, then down to Sunningdale before a right turn and towards Windsor Great Park. In through Dukes Gate before heading up through Deer Park. The plan of a big loop round the outside of the park was binned as the road along Smiths Lawn/the polo club was closed (properly too, with Heras fencing). Instead I went past the Royal Scholl, did a couple of the little hills then aimed for the Air Force Memorial as my lad was on parade there today. No lock and I can't take the bike in, so rolled down Egham Hill to St Johns where my lass was on parade. 2 minutes silence done at the side of the road, watched by lass march back to the rendezvous point then home.
Stayed dry, and I actually enjoyed todays ride which makes all the difference. 31 miles

 

[13 rider]

Got up this morning seriously lacking motivation I have been suffering from a cold and having to work yesterday really not feeling it today . Pottered about just about to get changed when big Sister called so another cup of coffee and more faffing and Im finally on the road at 10.30. No plans but really wanted to get a metric century in . Headed to Quorn via Cropston ,Rothley got to Quorn to hear the last post at the war memorial quite moving . Had get off and walk through the crowds but then due to the closed roads the rest of the village was eerily quiet . On to Barrow had to do a detour due to closed roads around the war memorial lots of crowds again . Sileby ,Seagrave ,Wymeswold thanks to the tailwind I'm averaging ,17 mph but headwind home got to 50km ok but began to struggle the wind taking its toll . Ideas for a 100km were forgotten and a imperial half became the target . All the time my average speed is dropping as I struggle on . Got to my village still 7 miles short decision time turn for home and settle for 43 miles or press on stubbornly press on and turn away from home a loop around Groby on to Newtown Linford and finally home with 50.4 miles in the bag average had dropped to 14.8 mph . I think that's the slowest ride ever on the road bike . Last week I did 125 miles at 16.8 mph I think I'm not well . A really tough day on the bike at least I managed to miss the showers .

 

[Noodle Legs]

Got up this morning seriously lacking motivation I have been suffering from a cold and having to work yesterday really not feeling it today . Pottered about just about to get changed when big Sister called so another cup of coffee and more faffing and Im finally on the road at 10.30. No plans but really wanted to get a metric century in . Headed to Quorn via Cropston ,Rothley got to Quorn to hear the last post at the war memorial quite moving . Had get off and walk through the crowds but then due to the closed roads the rest of the village was eerily quiet . On to Barrow had to do a detour due to closed roads around the war memorial lots of crowds again . Sileby ,Seagrave ,Wymeswold thanks to the tailwind I'm averaging ,17 mph but headwind home got to 50km ok but began to struggle the wind taking its toll . Ideas for a 100km were forgotten and a imperial half became the target . All the time my average speed is dropping as I struggle on . Got to my village still 7 miles short decision time turn for home and settle for 43 miles or press on stubbornly press on and turn away from home a loop around Groby on to Newtown Linford and finally home with 50.4 miles in the bag average had dropped to 14.8 mph . I think that's the slowest ride ever on the road bike . Last week I did 125 miles at 16.8 mph I think I'm not well . A really tough day on the bike at least I managed to miss the showers .

You’re not the only one to struggle, I’d not ridden outdoors in over a fortnight and with all the zwifting I felt like I couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding this weekend!

Still a great effort mate.