Your ride today....

[cosmicbike]

A quick 4.5 miles this morning to get cash out for the Christmas tree that we had to buy today. By the time I'd spent a couple of hours fixing the bathroom floor it was lunch, after which I had an extended 16 mile trip to Aldi, which turned out really quite wet (with no wet weather gear on either) The rain came at about 6 miles, so the final 10 got me dried out again by the time I got home.

 

[Dave 123]

A quick 4.5 miles this morning to get cash out for the Christmas tree that we had to buy today. By the time I'd spent a couple of hours fixing the bathroom floor it was lunch, after which I had an extended 16 mile trip to Aldi, which turned out really quite wet (with no wet weather gear on either) The rain came at about 6 miles, so the final 10 got me dried out again by the time I got home.

How big is yer tree?

 

[TigerT]

My rides this weekend were very different.

Friday evening I got home from work a bit earlier than normal. As the weather forecast for the weekend was for rain all weekend I decided to go out for a short ride. It was about 10 degrees with no wind, but rain was was forecast for 7pm. I was ready by 4pm and headed out. I decided to head for Griefensee and ride around it as the sun was setting.

It was beautiful, on the ride out you can see the alps in the distance and with the sun low in the sky, there was an orange glow behind them. The lake itself was very still. I carried on around the top of the lake and back down the other side. There was a diversion at the end and it was pretty hard to follow in the dark. I missed the turn towards home so decided on an extension back through some local villages. I ended up doing 55kms instead of 40. The promised rain arrived a bit before 7pm and I got wet for the last 5 minutes - It didn't spoil the ride though.


Views of the Alps on the way out

A short pause by the lakeside

Beautiful reflections - The water was so still it was like a mirror.

Saturday, I wasn't hopeful that I'd get out - The weather forecast was for rain all day. It was raining lightly so I decided just to go out and see what it was like. I just headed out on to some local back roads. The rain was not so bad, but it was incredibly windy and the sky was black so I was sure more rain was coming. I eventually called it a day at about 30kms. That was enough to hit a total distance that I never dreamed of doing at the start of the year.

My previous highest total was just under 1400kms - Smashed it this year with a total now of over 4000. Might allow myself an extra slice of cake!

 

[cosmicbike]

How big is yer tree?

Big enough for me to need to repair the bathroom floor after putting it up

 

[Dave 123]

Big enough for me to need to repair the bathroom floor after putting it up

 

[galaxy]

Well managed to get out today. Bit blowing. Very nice. Only 14 miles but enjoyed everyone of them

 

[Biff600]

Just 19 muddy miles today !!!

Before and after pics, just going to give my carcass a scrub then I'll pop out and oil the bits that need to be oiled !

 

[cosmicbike]

Plans made last night to get up at 7 this morning and get the metric half ride in to complete the 2nd challenge of the year. Alarm went off, got turned off and I went back to sleep. So, out the door slightly later than planned at 0840hrs, and headed off into the blustery wind towards Datchet and Eton. I figured headwind all the way out and a fast ride back. The rain started after a few miles but never got bad enough to worry about, and after 12 miles I realised the planned route was never going to be long enough. Minor change and I slogged up Sheet Road with a nasty crosswind, had to use the small ring on the last bit which is unusual. A loop round to Acot then home through the park saw 33.1 miles done.
Just the metric century to go.....

 

[Spiderweb]

A lovely winters day in North Yorkshire. A ride from home to Cawood and Naburn where I stopped to help a chap who had a puncture, he’d replaced the tube but had forgotten his pump!
He had never seen CO2 gas before and was suitably impressed.
I crossed the river Ouse and headed on to Acaster Malbis, Bolton Percy, Tadcaster and to My work at Thorp Arch where I swapped bikes to give my new Fixie a tentative try around the industrial estate.
Back on to the winter bike and another 7 miles to home, great spin out.
36.4 miles in total with an average of 15mph.

 

[13 rider]

Target today was a metric century in to complete all 3 monthly challenge and beat @cosmicbike to it . Delayed start of 0930 while I waited for the rain to clear .Took the normal route to Swarkstone bridge .Today was the first time I'd been that way over it since running in the back of a car last time . Thankfully traffic was really busy and slow so safely over ,Turned left on to the long drag to Willington which was into a headwind .Finally turned off for Etwall and on to quiet lanes finally got my first veloviewer square at 26 miles . Still into the headwind on to Marston on Dove ,Rolleston on Dove and on to Burton .A quick there and back to grab another square then back down the cyclepath on the side of the A38 and back to Willington here I turned to Repton to take the hilly route home .On the long drag up past Foremark reservoir I slowly reeled in a rider who was wearing a Paris ,Brest ,Paris jacket from 2015 would have chatted if we weren't struggling up a hill . Plenty of more climbing out to Calke and past Staunton Harold reservoir . Onto Whitwick and the long drag upto St Bernards Abbey the last proper climb of the day . Quick descent through Oaks in Charnwood and Charley rd back to Newtown Linford and home . 73 miles in the bag and metric century challenge done . Considering the rain when I got up I managed to stay dry . Another steady ride for me at 14.6 mph I have lost some speed but there was 4300ft of upness and a horrible headwind

 

[8mph]

Today I ventured out for the first time in cycling tights and jersey using a route that I found on mapmyride.com. About a mile in the rain came down pretty heavily but I was pleased to note how well my cheap muddy fox jacket coped and glad to have a pocket to stuff it in once the rain stopped. The hills were nicely spaced out along the ride and the new Garmin stopped me from going awol in the unfamiliar lanes, I'm used to stopping and fumbling around with gloves, pockets, phones in order to get where I'm going. Tried to get back in 4 hrs but missed that by 2 minutes. I used to ride around in casual clothes without a helmet and get lost all the time but have to admit that I was cool, dry and on course with all the cycling-specific gear....who would have thought it?

 

[colly]

A cold, sunny, Sunday morning ride out to Ilkley. I used to go this way all the time, not so much recently. Time was, early mornings, Saturdays and Sundays were the only time I could find to get out.
I recall even a couple of years ago Sunday rides out to Ilkley being, even on the main A roads, generally pleasant mostly car free runs. Not today. Maybe not anymore. I fear traffic wise West Yorkshire may have hit that magic 'camel straw number' with regards to cars. Everywhere it seemed I was battling with queued traffic.
Anyway........................... despite all that I still made the most of it and came back via quieter roads for the most part.

All in all it was 39.5 miles with about 2000ft of up. Fixed.

View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/30089823

 

[colly]

View attachment 441938 View attachment 441942

Very nice looking bike. How you getting on with fixed?

 

[Donger]

Another amazingly mild day in Gloucestershire today. So shorts were the order of the day again for the club ride..... December or not. 39 miles for me, with a couple of extra miles at the start (just for something to do) due to being the first one to turn up. A loop out through various Gloucester suburbs to Brockworth, then up our one big climb up Fiddler's Hill past Prinknash Abbey to Painswick via Painswick Beacon. Our café stop at the Rococo Garden was a non-event, as it is closed until January 10th, so we moved on to the Upper Lock café in Stroud instead, before heading back home via Stonehouse, Whitminster and Frampton on Severn. Homing in on my 3,000 mile target for the year now .... just 71 still to go. Now just to get through all the Christmas meals and drinks without putting on too much weight before starting all over again on Jan 1st.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[Spiderweb]

Very nice looking bike. How you getting on with fixed?

Hi Colin, it’s my first ride out just around the industrial estate. The bike feels great, really comfortable and I’m getting the hang of it, I’m not sure about the gearing. I’ve changed the rear sprocket from 16t to 18t with a 48t up front, I will persevere but may need lower (easier) gearing for hills. I’m a spinner not a grinder, fingers crossed a fixie may strengthen my legs and I’ll be comfortable doing both.
You fixie riders have my respect.