Your ride today....

[Dave 123]

My first of the year was on my own on the Spa. I set off through Dry Drayton a buzzard flying along with me perching in the hedge every few hundred yards.
At Oakington I turned toward Girton, I cycled past 3 miniature ponies in their field.
Into Girton and along Huntingdon Road and into Cambridge. Fairly quiet, mostly oriental tourists
Trinity college

Kings college

Corpus

I then crossed the river Cam at Lammas Land

Along Barton Road and into Barton. The Burwash Manor pigs were a bit shy...

The duck pond was devoid of ducks...

Home via Comberton and Toft.

20 miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/2048112823

 

[DCLane]

This morning was the Calder Clarion 5 mile TT, which was actually 5.8 miles.

Absolutely fine except I forgot we'd set my NeilPryde up for my 14yo with U16 gears and a shorter stem. So I upped the seatpost and rode a cramped TT on kiddie gears . Not a fast time but it didn't matter: https://www.strava.com/activities/2047998494

 

[The Bystander]

Just back from my first ride of the year and the first qualifying ride for another half century challenge. Started and ended in bright sunshine with hardly a breath of wind. Sadly that was only true for the first and last few miles of the ride, the rest of it was in persistent drizzle and mist. Still, I started and ended with a smile.

Happy New Year.

 

[Noodle Legs]

(Copied from 50km a month chatzone)....

Off the mark for January and 2019 for that matter with a nice but cool ride out to Sutton Wharf cafe stop near Market Bosworth.

Familiar rolling lanes for the most part and met up with a few familiar faces in the form of @13 rider, @Supersuperleeds, a recovering @tallliman and said hi and bye to @Lilliburlero as he had to get back.

The cafe was rammed and matters were not helped by one serving and so a quick 15 min break and chinwag in the cold outdoor seating area was all we got from there.

After setting off and saying goodbye to tallliman who was parked up nearby I carried on for a few miles with the other lads and peeled off from them just after Desford to head towards home which was slightly uphill and into a cold northerly headwind, which impacted on my average speed drop (not that I care though!)

36.2 miles in 2 1/4 hours.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2048457551/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1546354280

 

[JhnBssll]

First ride of the year this morning and first ride abandoned due to a mechanical Nothing major, the lefthand rear mudguard eyelet snapped where it goes in to the frame; it has done this once before in the same place I've already fixed it and made some changes to try and prevent it happening again which I'll pop in the fettling thread

I had planned a 53 mile route and was about halfway round and furthest from home when it happened, obviously, so had to call the wife for support I managed a bodge that allowed me to carry on for another 6 careful miles to a suitable meeting point where I loaded the bike in to the waiting car and drove home

I have yet to tell the wife that the rescue would have been completely avoided had I remembered to put the cable ties back in the saddle bag

Until then it was a lovely ride, I completed 32.7 miles so not a bad effort but still a little dissappointing to have not started the year off with the imperial half I had planned Tomorrow will be the first cycle commute of the year so a chance to ride the Charge which has sat looking dejected for a month or two

 

[steven1988]

Steady 10 miles for our clubs traditional new years day ride at Sherwood pines. 4 adults with 5 kids. Blue and green done and some epic riding from the 2 littlest riders at 6 and 7 years old.

We won't mention the tree incident though will we @RealLeeHimself

 

[Donger]

That's me up and running in the Metric Century a Month Challenge for 2019. Rode 101.4km (63 miles) today, out to the old bridge at Pershore via Tewkesbury and Bredon and back via Strensham and Tewkesbury.
First up: Ashleworth:

From there, I dropped down onto the Hams, passing the Severn's flood meadows on the way. Loads of cyclists out, and had to weave around quite a few twitchers at the bird hides too. I stopped for a look:

All the birds seemed to be on the other side of the road ... well the geese certainly were:

Lovely flat cycling all the way to Forthampton, a lovely little village near Tewkesbury, where I took my first drink:

I didn't stop in Tewkesbury, but just plodded on through Bredon and Eckington until I got to Pershore. I carried on through the town to the old bridge on the Avon for my next rest and something to eat and drink:

I did stop for a picture on my way back through Pershore. You can see the Abbey in this one:

For some reason I really started to flag on the way home. One of those days when the mileometer just didn't seem to be doing anything between the 40 and 50 mile marks. The old saying that a watched pot never boils seemed appropriate. Every single time I thought I'd done another mile I was wrong. Eventually dragged my backside into Tewkesbury again, and took a slight detour to look at the weir in the marina:

By then I was too tired to do much sightseeing around the old town, so I just turned for the Mythe Bridge and made my way back via Ashleworth and Hartpury (retracing my outward route). Got back to Quedgeley annoyingly four miles short, so I had to do a little loop around the lanes, taking in a stretch of canal bank before riding beside the Severn at Stonebench and then crossing the canal at Hardwicke. Flopped over the doorstep six hours after leaving home, feeling unusually tired. Still, I'm on my way.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[13 rider]

New Year so all challenges begin again like last year me and @Supersuperleeds had planned to start the imperial century challenge off again . @Supersuperleeds had plotted a route through Market Bosworth so @Lilliburlero would be joining us .Out the door at 0630 on to deserted roads .A slow pootle to the meeting point at 13.2 mph . Got to the meeting point at Market Bosworth first soon @Lilliburlero rolled in @Supersuperleeds was 5 mins late and announced he was full of cold and was struggling but decided to crack on but it would be slow . Odestone ,Newton Burgoland where we couldn't find @guitarpete247 home for breakfast not that he was expecting us . Measham on to within 2 miles of @Lilliburlero home with 80 miles to go .Through more quiet villages and into Burton on Trent at 0900 which was like a ghost town .Out the back of Burton to Hanbury where me and @Supersuperleeds descended Hanbury hill to grab a veloviewer square at the bottom only to climb back up . My wahoo said it topped out at 17% lots of it at 14% it was a bit of a brute . @Lilliburlero who we have yet to talk into joining velo viewer waited at the top .Along the Trent valley crossing the river at Walton . On to Harlaston were we did a 8 mile loop to grab some more squares . Then onto the cafe stop at Sutton Wharf which was rammed . I tried queueing for a bit but soon realised it was going to take too long so we're only an hour from home so gave up on refreshments . Sat outside as we had arranged to meet @tallliman and @Chris Doyle . @Lilliburlero set off first for home us catching the other 2 as they turned into the car park . Nice chat catching up it had been a while since we last rode together . @tallliman had been off the bike for a while before health issues and today's 8.5 miles was he longest ride for a while . The 4 of us set off for the next village where @tallliman had parked .Down to 3 now back to Market Bosworth ,Desford and Newtown Unthank where @Chris Doyle headed home to complete 50km .Soon me and @Supersuperleeds parted company to head home . Back to Anstey with 102 miles in the bag ,106 for @Lilliburlero and 108 for @Supersuperleeds despite having a cold he still out distanced us . He did spend more time than usual hiding at the back today . A nice steady ride at 14.8 mph in overcast and a bit of drizzle not too cold but the wind definitely got colder as the day went on. So 1 challenge in the bag for January

 

[13 rider]

Steady 10 miles for our clubs traditional new years day ride at Sherwood pines. 4 adults with 5 kids. Blue and green done and some epic riding from the 2 littlest riders at 6 and 7 years old.

We won't mention the tree incident though will we @RealLeeHimself

Tree incident ? Sounds like there's a story there

 

[derrick]

Starting of the new year riding with the girls, 5 of us went to Regents Park, a few laps of the outer circle a couple of laps of the inner circle, Then coffee and cake in the cafe, Nice social gathering, Then a steady ride back home, The roads where nice and quiet, came across a numpty on a motor bike, He thought he was the Doctor, ( Valentino Rossi )A real dick head, i had a puncture a mile from home, fixed that then made our way to the pub bangers and mash washed down with a couple of beers, Whats not to like.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2048282424/segments/51655543801

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just one of my shortish routes this afternoon to kick off the new year of riding. I did the clockwise version of my Acton Burnell loop and finished it off by going over Lyth Hill.

It's a bit grey here with intermittant light rain so the roads are pretty damp. A reasonable number of other cyclists out - mostly going the other way (I know there was one going in my direction from the tyre tracks but I never saw them).

I had a nice tailwind at the start so set off at a good pace but of course that meant having to ride into it on the way back. It wasn't too bad when I first turned into it but seemed to be strengthening by the time I got back to Condover which prompted the decision to head over Lyth Hill rather than plod against it on the exposed main road. It turned out to be a good decision as there was quite a lot of traffic by this time so it took a while to cross the A49.

17.8 miles at a more respectable than expected 14 mph average.

Sorry, no photos this time.

 

[NorthernDave]

An absolutely glorious day for a bike ride, so it would have been rude not to bag my first point in the Half Century Challenge.

On the Giant and well wrapped up (it might have been sunny but it was blinking cold!). Local roads to Barwick Road, then across Cock Beck for the long straight drag up to Scholes. Right at the Coronation Tree and more up, before the long descent through Barwick and down to cross Cock Beck again and climb up Cattle Lane for the lumps and bumps to Aberford.
A wiggle along Main Street and left onto Lotherton Lane and under the A1(M) and the climb up the hill, which felt like hard work today. Eventually I reached Lotherton Gates and bore left on the B1217 which after a few hundred yards of up crosses the county line into North Yorkshire and starts to drop down into the valley for the best part of a mile to the Crooked Billet pub.
Shortly after there it was right again up the sharp rise of Dam Lane into Saxton, before heading back out into the countryside on Headwell Lane with views across the expanse of the Lower Aire Valley stretching out in front of me.
A short sprint along London Road and into Barkston Ash, where once through the village it's the dead straight mile of Common Lane all the way to Church Fenton.
Over the railway bridge and through the village, getting passed by a couple of old cars, including an absolutely mint looking gold Fiat X1/9.
Right again onto Brackenhill Lane for the rural run along the bottom edge of the airfield, where i didn't see another soul until I was just about to cross the bridge over the railway line. Down the other side and more quiet lanes all the way into Ryther, where I saw the first car since Church Fenton, and stopped by the river next to the Christmas tree for a Snickers and a photo:

Back in the saddle and on towards Ozendyke, crossing the railway again and enjoying the near deserted road.
Into Ulleskelf and left again, heading to complete the circle back to Church Fenton and finally getting a push from the breeze
From Church Fenton I simply reversed my outbound route back to Barkston Ash and onto London Road, but pushed north a bit longer into the wind now and then left onto Saxton Lane for the run into the village. Through there and out on Coldhill Lane, climbing past Linda's Bench, before eventually dropping down onto Copley Lane for the run back to Lotherton Gates.
Down the hill to Aberford and then back along the ups and downs of Cattle Lane, across Cock Beck and the long climb through Barwick towards Scholes, eventually dropping down onto Leeds Road and the final crossing for the day of Cock Beck and then local roads up to home.

32.1 miles (51.66 km) in 2h 32m at an average of 12.6 mph with 1,378 ft climbed and an average temperature of 6.0°C, although if definitely felt colder today despite the sunshine.

Always good to get a first ride in the bag and a point for the challenge nice and early, especially with the "Beast From The East 2" supposedly forecast to bring the snowpocalypse any day now.
Plus using MapMyRide, getting out early meant I was the fastest person on every course I crossed today - it won't last but I'll have that while it does!
It was great to be out on quiet roads too, even if there were less cyclists out than I'd expected to see.

And to end, the map:

 

[steven1988]

Tree incident ? Sounds like there's a story there

Just a small off into a tree for one of the kids.

 

[hondated]

Another session with the physioterrorist, so another early start. It was still dark! And I noticed my front light was not so very efficient, it needs a bit of a hood fitting. You may infer, correctly, that I do very little riding in the dark. But I will fix the light.

Leeds Bridge has been reopened to traffic in both directions just recently, which may explain why Crown Point Road was relatively quiet this morning. Crossing the river and riding along the side of the bus station was five minutes quicker than it has been this last year or so. Anyway, after the appointment I rode away through areas that I knew well fifty odd years back but could easily lose myself in now. Interesting. Found my way to the southern end of Coal Road, pedalled along that to Skeltons Lane and turned right. Turn right again when Thorner Lane is reached, left onto the A 64 and shortly turn right towards Scholes. The last couple of miles have been fairly flat, but the route now starts to rise and fall a bit, and in unexpected ways. I normally ride this in the opposite direction, oh, and I am riding the fixed which, err, accentuates gradients somewhat. So it all feels like a totally new to me route, loads of fun. Down through the village, up the rise to Barwick and enjoy the long descent all the way to the bridge over Cock Beck.



Then the road rises again. Intermittent alteration of gradient ( did I really type that? ) all the way to Aberford. Turn right to travel south towards Micklefield and right again at the crossroads, onto the B 1217 to head towards Garforth. Straight on to Micklefield, the A63 and then Garforth was an option, but I have not ridden a fixed down Garforth Cliff this century. It can wait until a little more fitness returns. Follow the Wakefield road through Swillington and across river and canal to Woodlesford. And the right turn to ride up the hill past the railway station. I was not looking forward to that, much. Still, after riding to the top things level out and lungs start working again. At the end of Holmsley Lane turn right and ride to the confusion of roundabouts and junctions that offer many different ways to reach the same place. Hunslet. Eventually, turn left to pass what was once the parish church, a lot of folk worship at the Morrissons opposite. Navigate around the end of the moor, near the Light Railway, and head for home. Just shy of 28 miles, a thousand feet of up tells you it was flat. The grin at the end is a fixture, lets say it was for the weather today.

The map may explain . . .

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very little indeed.

Rothwell - Got great memories of staying there when I went on a tanker driving course many years ago now at Smith & Robinson. Note on door when I arrived at digs telling me my dinner was in the oven and when ready to come up to the club. Revelation to me coming from Croydon.

Wish I'd stayed in.

Pam told me to go off on a ride as I was a bit glum this morning. I'd missed the end of the month long social ride on Friday because I didn't set my alarm properly.
I wasn't feeling great but thought, "what the hell, it'll do me good". So I got dressed and dragged the shiny Spa out for a pootle up to and round Rivington. It was a bit blustery so while I'd have a headwind outbound, I'd be pushed home
Through the estate and into Moss Bank Park. Behind me as I turned into the car park I could hear a dirt bike engine behind me...ugh. Nobbers are out again. As they came along side me to pass I called out and asked what they thought they were doing.
Passenger: "What are YOU doing?"
"No, what are YOU doing? You're not supposed to be on here with that thing."
He muttered something and the rider stopped the bike immediately after taking the right hand bend after the cafe heading towards Moss Bank Way. I too stopped, wondering what they were planning next. Next thing I knew, the dirt bikes rear tyre spun up and sprayed me and my bike with muck. I was stunned and just stood there glaring at them.
The fu**ers had a good laugh and went on their way.
A lady who was there with her child saw what happened and told me one of their names. I shook my head in disbelief and rode on towards Smithills Dean Road. Once there I phoned the police and reported it. Without a license plate or cctv footage there wasn't much they can do. Fair enough I guess. I've decided to dust off the cams and I'll remount them soon.
As I got the top of the road I was really struggling and decided to go home. Onto Colliers Row Road and into a bugger of a headwind. A quick stop to regurgitate some of my breakfast and more wobbly wind bashing followed.
Shortly before turning left onto Longshaw Ford Road I again had to do an emergency stop to regurgitate pretty much everything in my stomach and as if that wasn't enough, my body tried ridding me of my lungs. Nice. It was on my coat collar and arms too. Jeez I'm in sh*t shape.
Perk of the ride was hitting 30mph into Bamber Bridge via gravity and wind power alone. A doddle through the estate and home again.
Mucky, sick covered cycling gear into the washer and bike waiting in the hall for another wash. Might do that tomorrow when I feel better.
You know those people who answer "You're mad" on finding out our chosen interest in life? I think they might be onto something.

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First of all apologies for the actions of those idiots on the motorbike I can assure you that they are not representative of all of us motorcyclists. I was hoping as I read the thread you were going to say that you caught them up and gave them a good hiding but again hopefully they will do it to the wrong bloke one time and get what they deserve. Again hopefully your stomach bug has now cleared up. I don't know why but even though I am often on Spa's website none of the photos of their bikes look as good as yours. In fact they look far better quality than I thought they were and even the badge they fit really looks great.
Mmm even more tempted to buy a frame set now. Remember dont let the B's get you down.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Steady 10 miles for our clubs traditional new years day ride at Sherwood pines. 4 adults with 5 kids. Blue and green done and some epic riding from the 2 littlest riders at 6 and 7 years old.

We won't mention the tree incident though will we @RealLeeHimself

Great ride today around Pines. Some top riding by the kids - every descent attempted and conquered.

The tree incident has morphed into a heroic attempt to defeat the hugely technical trail with some top skills coming into play. At least according to the boy. By tomorrow he’ll have saved the world from an invasion of tree people