Your ride today....

[andytheflyer]

Cut the lawns and waited until the weather forecast caught up with the actual weather and the threat of more showery downpours receded before getting out for what should have been (and would normally be) a simple 30 miler on the 'bent. Fairly quickly had to re-route as the flooded section near the old railway bridge a couple of miles from home is still flooded from Thursday's rain. Was flooded yesterday morning and it looks deeper today. Yesterday's early 18miler was a breeze.

Up and over the Mid Cheshire Ridge S of Tattenhall - some short sharp climbs here that demand lengthy spinning in my 23" bottom gear, before heading for the Dee valley at Alford, but at around 20 miles and heading up the steep hill into Holt for a cake stop at Hildegaarde's I began to really feel it in my quads.

The last fairly flat, but with the 200' climb up to home at the end, 13 miles was hard work. Never really felt as though I was getting on today. Bike in perfect nick, no binding brakes, tyres at maximum recommended pressures.

Legs really tired now, and quads aching - but not sure why. Average speed in the typical range despite my new Marathon Racers. Disappointing.

Wore a pair of lightweight tights under shorts rather than my normal (tight) bib longs, I wonder if the lack of compression made a difference - or was it just one of those days?

Better find some speed soon - Anglesey Lanes 100k audax in a month's time!

 

[Deleted member 23692]

As mentioned earlier, today's ride was out to the Drover's Rest (Cumbrian Pub of the Year) at Monkhill for their beer festival.

The outward journey was a simple 6½ mile [pretty much] straight line run through the back streets...

However after enjoying great company and imbibing many fine ales, my beer scooter kicked in to the way back...

Most odd!!

 

[Donger]

This "Metric Century a Month" lark doesn't get any easier. How some of the other contenders keep rattling off multiple qualifying rides every month is beyond my comprehension. Today's (and May's only) 100km ride for me was the 106km (66 mile) "South Glos 100". The weather forecast was grim, but despite driving through heavy rain on the M5 on my way to Alveston and some occasional nasty black clouds, there wasn't a drop of rain on the ride.Vicious headwinds throughout the return 30 miles made this a bit of an ordeal, though.

Started with my usual preparation of a mug of green tea and a big bowl of sweet porage.

The rain had just stopped when I arrived at the start. My gamble of opting for a stow-away light rain jacket paid off big time. Reckon I would have boiled in the bag if I'd gone with my Gore-Tex jacket. It stayed dry, and the sun even made an appearance later on.

A map from my trusty "Flat Nav" (which got me round again without incident):

Some nice Cotswold villages visited today:

..... and a gorgeous valley described intriguingly on the routesheet as the "valley where time stood still" near Kingscote (which I recognised as one that I had already earmarked as a special treat for one of our club rides). I had to get into a precarious position with one leg balanced on a steep grass bank to take this shot .... then almost fell off my bike as I felt something brush up against me. I looked down and found a big hairy lurcher enthusiastically sniffing my crotch! Fortunately he was well trained, and understood the command "B*gg*r of!".

The strong wind really started to sap my energy round about that point, and I barely got above 8mph on the flat for the last 20 miles.... in fact at one particularly exposed point near Kingscote I couldn't have gone faster than 7mph if you told me a sniper was trying to take me out. This put me in serious danger of not getting round the 66 mile course in under 7 hours. In the end I bust a gut to make it in 6 hours 56 mins, and found there were still at least a couple of dozen riders still out on the road. This little lot didn't help, though ... there must have been at least 100 cows going in for milking, and it must have added at least 7 or 8 minutes to my time, as most of them stopped and stared at me on their way across the road.(Of course my pub stops may also have added a tad to my overall time!).....

After drinking about a gallon of water and having a long hot soak in the bath, I'm getting back to normal now ... but man am I going to ache tomorrow. Still, got another of these to document my challenge ride..... 5 down, 7 to go. What have I done?

I'd had a heavy cold this week, and wasn't sure I really wanted to do this ride. Was really glad I did, though, as I got to meet @Arjimlad, and meet up again with @jembullo ( who was riding it with his brother today) and we all had a chat in the beer garden of the Daneway PH at Sapperton. Sadly we got split up after that point due to the gratuitous cruelty of throwing in a beast of a hill straight after the pub stop. As usual, I got up it in one, but operating at an entirely different speed from everyone else. Also nice to see Louise Rigby, the wife of one of the organisers, again. I'm afraid I wasn't able to stay with her on the return to provide any worthwhile shelter, but we had a nice chat on the outward leg. (Sorry Louise, the photo didn't take for some reason).Once again, a local audax came up trumps again, with beautiful scenery and a very friendly atmosphere of cameraderie. Recommended, if you haven't tried one yet. Take a look at Audax UK's website.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[Gravity Aided]

4 miles the ride this day. I was fettling my Fuji Touring Series IV as I think we are finally past the chance of snow. I added fenders and a light from Aldi, got to the spot where I had my flat last week, and got another today. I patched it on the spot, and rode on home as rain was beginning. Try again tomorrow. I would have posted this earlier, but my electricity was out.

 

[Cush]

Carried out another PM on Fridays ride but it did not not start that way. Rode to town to get my train tickets for Tuesday. Then decided to ride to Dalston on the cycle / footpath. It was a pleasant ride and rather than carry at Dalston and cut across to Wetheral (three minor hillocks) I decided to reverse my route with a slight diversion. Very fast (for me) ride back to Carlisle, round the parks and back home. 20. odd miles. Good ride I think I will do it again using panniers instead of a rack pack and see if it makes any difference. As normal this week; more depressing news at home. This time Newcastle on the verge of relegation and Sunderland above them!!

 

[Keith Oates]

Yesterday and today the wind has been a major factor in the rides but I managed to enjoy both rides as the sun was also shining and so broke the 100 Km bracket with both rides combined. I actually enjoyed the part of the rides that were into the wind as well as the time the wind was coming from behind me, let's hope it stays that way.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[biggs682]

an early 17 mile ride today as a busy day ahead . From the boro up to and along to Mears Ashby , Sywell ,Holcot ,Hannington ,Orlingbury where they were getting ready for the days Waendel Walkers , Little Harrowden and back towards Hardwick and then down the mad mile into the boro all before 7am

 

[contadino]

All set for a new route. Set it all up on Endo, bike ready, just about to leave and the wife pipes up that she's coming...

She has an electric kit on her bike, gets off the bike and walks it down hills, powers full throttle up hills, has no sense of direction, no stamina, and if I'm further than a couple of metres away I'm being antisocial. But it's a lovely day so we agreed she'll come the first 5 km, then turn around and I'll do my ride.

That turning point happened to be at the top of a fairly long steep hill. So she breezes past me, not even pedaling, shouting 'Come on keep up!' At the top she goes 'I'm going this way', turns right and disappears round the corner. So that's my timings and my route down the pan.

So I managed to ditch her a km further on, ended up doing a different, well-trodden route. I guess I will sneak off tomorrow instead and try out the new route.

Which left me pondering.. Is it necessarily a bad thing to prefer being a solitary cyclist?

 

[Gravity Aided]

No. Mrs. GA is one of the best swimmers I have ever seen, but can't balance a bicycle, and that's all right with me.

 

[Archeress]

A ride with the club today. They had two rides today, a long ride of 50 miles to Batheaston, and a short family friendly one of 10 miles to Abbey Wood. I cycled to the meeting point uncertain of which I was going to ride and was thinking about riding the long ride, although my fitness is only fair to middling at the moment. Asking the ride leader of the long ride what was the terrain, all he said to make my mind up was "we're going up Lansdown Hill twice"! For those not knowing Bath, Lansdown Hill is a notoriously steep hill that goes for miles. At the top is one of the park and rides and if you're lucky you can get the front seat on the top deck of the bus and it is like being on a roller coaster on the first big drop.

So I set off on the family friendly novice ride to Abbey Wood instead. As the second most experienced rider in the group I was made Tail End Charlie, something I've never done before. It meant I had to be on best behaviour, something my fellow club riders have rarely seen, especially when I ride my MTB as I hoon it over the speed humps. We had 3 new people on the ride, but one was certainly not a novice. The 2 new women were very appreciative at the end of the ride and the ride leader and I seemed to have got them hooked. It was also a nice experience where women outnumbered the men 5 riders to 2, with the ride leader and tail end charlie both being women.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[sgl5gjr]

chuffed with myself...... having suffered a nasty bout of Sciatica (ouch) for 4 weeks now..... and apart from Riding customer bikes on road tests for a few hundred yds..... I managed to increase Friday's 3.4 miles with a 7 mile ride today.....

My physio said I should leave off of cycling...me who runs a cycle business, lol..... for a few weeks.... yeah right... I had been on the Turbo for some 10,20,30 mins sessions over the past week between appointments....
I did find the left leg was a little "lazy" but with the spd's on...it doesn't stand a chance to not keep up.... going to rest tomorrow and go for a 12 miler I use for Mrs Sgl rides out on Tuesday - Onwards and Upwards

 

[Dark46]

Well todays ride was the first KCC ride on the Orro, after riding the Boardman Hybrid.

Only 5 riders today and no sign of @Donger, @gordyfinbar, @maltloaf or @Largie003. I had a route planned and ready to go. So we set off from the estate towards Edge. (Guess who forgot to restart their Garmin after loading the route?) Anyway the bike felt good and I felt more at home than I had for the last few weeks.

Going up Edge I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure Dave was still behind and I could see his bright yellow top, so I knew I could keep going. Edge felt really good and if my Garmin was working properly I swear it would have been a PB.

So after arriving at the regroup point after Pitchcome it was then I realised it wasn't Dave behind me.! I thought jesus I hope nothing has happened as I only kept going, as I thought I could see him lol. It was a worrying few minutes waiting. Then when he arrived we found out he had a couple of chain issues.

So it was down into Stroud and left towards Hawkwood College then straight on towards Bulls Cross on Wick Street. It was finally at Bulls Cross I realised that the Garmin wasn't recording! So cheesed off I thought of throwing it! But it was my fault, but I do want to get another.

From here it was up the end of Slad Valley and to Buckholt. The road surface really needs the council to do something as it's horrible?

I always enjoy the ride through Buckholt and I got upto just over 40 mph but was looking forward to what was to come.

So hear we are at the top of Portway hill and I am 6th overall on the decent and I would like to be further up. Well as soon as I was on the hill it was into top as soon as possible and just a dab of brakes around the right hand kink then let her go! As I straightened up I went for it but just dabbed the breaks around the blind kink. Then as soon as I could see itcwasca clear it was go go go! I couldn't really see as my eyes were watering but there was no way I was going to let off. It was only on the flat I started to break.

At the end of the high street it was left towards the bottom of Upton. Alan decided he was going to do Painswick Beacon but we were heading in the opposite direction. So it was right then left just skirting the outskirts of Matson. Passed the back of the new southbound Gloucester services and to the bottom of Edge again.

Instead of the usual left at Fagans roundabout we went along the Stroud road in Gloucester and passed St Peters school. The up and over and left at the roundabout the left at the lights.

From there it was through Tuffley and back through Copeland Park and in the Kingsway.

When I got in I downloaded my ride only to find a KOM on the Portway plunge woohoo!

 

[cyberknight]

1st attempt at a fast club run this year , i was ok till 50 mile mark and i just died but it was fun and my 1st chaingang style ride.
Untill then we were averaging 21 mph for the run, dropped to just over 20 for my total ride by the time i dragged myself home
https://www.strava.com/activities/301669696

 

[13 rider]

A change of direction today to avoid a charity ride on MY roads around Charnwood forest .So out to meeting point in Cossington but not before a quick detour up sharply hill and through Swithland before the Charity ride .Passed the start point for charity ride and loads of riders about good turn out. Arrived a meeting point to another work mate Craig waiting who I didn't know was coming ,with @Teddsie dropping out with a migraine the group was to be four .Me ,Steve the other Phil and Craig with everyone on road bikes and me on my hybrid I could see it be quick pace with me hanging on . So off up humble lane just before we joined humble lane a big group of bikes shot by the junction so we had to chase them down up the climb we nearly got them .so out through Radcliffe ,Thrussington,Hoby and Asfordby . I was right about the pace we got at 16 mph which is quick for me.After crossing the A607 we headed out towards Ashby Foville and on to Gaddesby where we recrossed the A607 into Rearsby and back to Thrussington ,Radcliffe and back to Cossington .The other Phil and Craig headed back there way and me and Steve road up to the lights at Rothley were Steve turned right and I went straight on towards home . In Rothley I started to mix we the charity rides heading for there second loop .So the climbs I did yesterday they were doing twice I said yesterday it would be HILLY didn't realise they were doing them twice. Between Rothley and Cropston I gave a female charity rider a nice tow and break from the wind as she headed back towards the climbs .I swung left at the end and she went right and wished her luck on the climbs .Back to home 40.5 miles done at 14.5mph which is quick for me over that distance legs feeling it now . Lovely ride in nice weather ,loads of rider out today not counting all the charity riders

 

[dan_bo]