Your ride today....

[mybike]

Gave the OH the option today. (who am I kidding?) and she said "We ride North". Tolkien has a lot to answer for!

So we headed North along the Grand Union, towards Berko, with many a complaint. I'd decided to wear some padded shorts under my trousers as I wasn't sure whether I'd like them and expected it to be a short run.

Trouble is, I'd told my wife that I'd got to Berkhamstead the previous Monday and she decided, now her bike was serviced, that I couldn't get away with having the longest ride.

Last week, with it being a Bank Holiday the path was busy with people but today there were far fewer. A good few fishing, a few walkers and an occasional cyclist. The pubs that had been spilling onto the canal with cyclists were quiet and we reached the 'port' without much difficulty.

I really don't like those little mooring bollards and the path is narrow enough around here. They even have a barrier at one point that you have to manoeuvre around, and at the other side of the bridge you can see some steps. I really expected some "cyclists not welcome" signs.

We carried on from the point I'd reached, however apparently there was an ulterior motive for this.

which can be seen behind and to my right. The local branch of Waitrose was raided for a newspaper, a mars bar (each) and a bottle of water. Other facilities were also made use of.

We both commented that we'd felt rain drops before we parked but thankfully, despite my forecaster telling me it will rain, there was none. Berko has a few sights, amongst them this:

Which I will admit does not look as shiny as the first time I saw it. I don't think it is quite in the same place either. On the way back we ventured onto some parallel roads since the newly serviced bike had clearly had its tyres inflated to road pressures causing some discomfort on the towpath.

All the photos are my wife's since I forgot to grab my camera. I do need to work out how to carry a camera so I can use it at a brief stop!

So, mileage was 11.2, over about two and a half hours which when stops are excluded gives us a 5.7mph average.

I see I've become a senior member, I'm feeling very old.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I did 25 miles yesterday. My first ride since being hit by a car a month ago. I was a bit nervy,especially when i had a car turning right,across my path situation which is how i was knocked off in the first place but i came back unscathed. I went a fair bit slower than normal and avoided the tea-time rush hour and the main roads but i'm happy i've got back in the saddle!

 

[Gravity Aided]

Well done, @Accy cyclist !

 

[Accy cyclist]

Well done, @Accy cyclist !

Thank you kindly! Things wont be the same but i'm glad i didn't let him end my bike riding!

 

[Katherine]

Thank you kindly! Things wont be the same but i'm glad i didn't let him end my bike riding!

That's great. I hope you feel better for getting out.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Also a white Lamborghini Countach which looked stunning too.

This one?

 

[derrick]

That looks so dated now.

 

[Cush]

Can you tow a caravan with one of those Lambor things? If not sorry not in the market for one.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Can you tow a caravan with one of those Lambor things? If not sorry not in the market for one.

I'd give it a go, for a laugh. There's nowhere to put my bike though
Anyway.
This morning's commute brings me nicely up to 3000 miles for the year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/302808338

 

[contadino]

Today I got to try the new route I'd mapped out for Sunday. 37 degrees, wind strong gusting, 30.6km at avg 23kph. New bit felt a lot hillier than other routes which was a challenge, but I didn't need to get off and walk (thought about it once or twice though). My other routes of comparable length have around 300m of climbing and this was 360m, including a few steep bits. My legs are getting used to having just 12 gears, but not quickly enough.

This new bit is good because I can connect it up to at least 3 other circuits to make a decent ride, but today I was pushed for time and my water bottle was running low. Plus it's mostly in an AONB, loaded with pine trees rather than just vines and olives. Smelt wonderful today. Will defo be using it again.

 

[Jayaly]

I'm two days behind on my ride; this was Sunday. My parents were bringing their canal boat up the Grand Union to start their summer exploring and the kids and I were going to hop on the boat and join them for the day. This always brings the issue of how to get back to the car at the end of the day, so joy of joys, the twelve year old agreed with my suggestion to leave the car in Rickmansworth where the boat was going to moor at the end of the day, and take the bikes down to Harefield to join them. We unloaded the bikes in bright sunshine, put the two year old in the seat on the back of my bike and hit the towpath.

A lovely, gentle ride of about five miles, pointing out ducks, swans, boats and flowers to Smallest Boy, and admiring houses which we would need to win the lottery to live in. Tallest Boy cycled a little way ahead, I suspect because cycling with your mum and baby brother does not exactly make you look like a cool dude. Strangely enough, Captain Cool was happy to stuff his hoodie into my very unstylish bike basket when he got hot.

There was an impromptu short stop while I coughed on the remains of a swallowed fly and drank water to ease the horror. Later I inhaled two more to keep it company. Note to self, don't smile on the bike, even if you are having a wonderful time.Tallest Boy smugly informed me that he had snatched his flies out of the air as he rode to avoid the problem. Smartass.

When we reached the boat, the bikes went onto the top and we cruised back to Rickmansworth at a fraction of the speed while Smallest Boy 'helped' Grandad steer the boat. Tallest Boy admitted to loving the ride, and claiming that he could have easily done the 13 miles going all the way from home would have entailed. Which is good, because that's my plan next time.

 

[andytheflyer]

Looking at the forecast for later in the week, today had to be the day for a metric century on the Defy. Which leaves me still to clock one up on the 'bent before the Anglesey Lanes 100k audax next month.

So, relying on my sailing experience to 'get the upwind legs in at the start so you can run all the way home' I plotted a course west to Oswestry with the wind on the nose, then on the starboard bow and SW to Maesbrook, and Melverley (with cracking views of the Breidden Hills) before turning onto the dead downwind run (avoiding involuntary gybes) and E for Nescliffe and Harmer Hill. That left a short run (actually a beam reach) up to Wem for coffee and a brie and bacon sarnie at the Town Hall. For those who pass through Wem, you need to try the Town Hall Cafe - it's very good. Closed Sundays though.

Some showers as far as Oswestry, but missed the wetter ones, then sun (and too warm for longs and 3 layers on top). And wind. Did I mention the wind?

This is a very rural area, very small villages, no shops or garages, nowhere en-route to stop for sustenance between Oswestry and Wem before the (few) pubs open.

Half an hour later I persuaded the legs to carry me onward through the lanes around Whixall, and on through the hilly Wyches. Had to add a short loop to get me to over 70 miles for the day - well I couldn't log only 68, could I?

Wore my new DHB bib tights with the 'all day pad'. Bit of a gamble for a first outing on a long ride, but only mildly sore now, and that's without any pad cream.
Had my usual long ride muesli breakfast, and with a handful of wine gums, a bottle of squash and a bottle of energy drink, I got round in good order. But I did fall asleep in front of the Giro.......

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

Now that my new job is settling down a bit and I am finally in the building I am to be based from, I decided to cycle from Fenchurch Street to Berkeley Square. Used the Boris Bikes today but now that I have trailled it will do it tomorrow on my Tern Joe D21. Nice route especially alongside the Palace (and Her Majesty was at home) except for the myriad of people appearing to be leaving a Garden Party and heading back to their cars. Most seemed either inebriated or just not looking where they were going - quite frustrating.
Some of the traffic was tedious in a somewhat dangerous way (yes I am talking about you Mr Tourist Bus Driver), but good to do and looking forward to tomorrow to do it again.

 

[Goonerobes]

A deceptively chilly ride around the New Forest for me today, so despite the sunshine it was on with a base layer & jersey as I headed south through Colbury towards Beaulieu, turning back north just before towards Lyndhurst & the westerly crosswind. With quietish roads I decided to go around the Lyndhurst one way system (not recommended in the summer months) & head up the A337 to Cadnam & pick up a tail wind to Ower & the resulting increase in speed meant I had a little more time so a quick about turn on on through Woodlands & Ashurst for a flat but reasonably speedy 30 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/303010812

The cricket pitch (shared with the wildlife!) & pavilion sporting a new thatched roof at Boltons Bench Lyndhurst.

 

[nickyboy]

On Sunday a cycling buddy was doing the Fred Whitton Challenge; 112 miles ans 12,000ft of climbing. So I felt a bit guilty at home so planned a longish, hilly ride. 65 miles and about 6.500ft of climbing. Nothing like the Fred but tough enough. It proved to be tougher than I had imagined too.

A bit of a weird route. Over Holme Moss and then through some little towns taking me anticlockwise around Huddersfield. Through Brighouse & Rastrick (didn't see a brass band there though) and then back over the very high and exposed Newhey Road to Uppermill, from where it's a pretty straighfroward run back to Glossop.

Ummed and aaahed re what to wear. Forecast was ok-ish, no rain but wind was going to pick up later in the day (more of this later). Shorts, thermal and short-sleeved top. Up over Holme Moss, taking it fairly easy as I had a long way to go. Got passed by a couple of super-quick guys who were competing in Holmfirth duathalon. They'd already done the ascent from the other side, shot down my side, turned round and came straight back up. Mental.

Started to get a bit hot so had to stop by the roadside to take off the thermal. Sorry car drivers of Yorkshire for the sight of my naked upper half. Loads of up and down stuff, then turned at Brighouse and started the long climb SW....into a strengthening SW wind. As I climbed, it got more and more exposed, more and more cold, more and more windy. Stopped to put thermal back on (again sorry car drivers of Yorkshire). I was doing about 7mph up a 3% gradient into a 30mph headwind. For miles. It was the only occasion when I would have happily chucked the bike in the back of a car and driven home. It was truly horrible.

Finally dropped down into Uppermill. Hot chocolate and cake. Last 12 miles home were OK. Still a headwind but a bit more sheltered. When I got back Mrs N asked me to wash her car when all I wanted to do was put my feet up and have a nap. Oh, and I had a beer when I walked through the door to cheer me up after my Newhey Road experience