Your ride today....

[TigerT]

My ride yesterday....

After Saturdays unplanned ride, I was a little nervous about the condition of my legs at the start of yesterday's planned ride. On the first Sunday of the month, weather permitting, I always try and do a 100km ride. Yesterday, all the stars were aligned : The temperature was ok, the wind was not too bad, and a friend wanted to come along.

So I put together a route where I could collect him on the way and drop hime off on the way home.

I started out at 8:00am to head to our meeting point at Bassersdorf railway station. My friend was late as it was cooler than he expected so he went back for another layer - Better to be comfortable and late! No matter, the sun was out so I sat there and waited patiently.

He arrived at 9:15 and I decided we'd take the shorter but more challenging route to Winterthur that I discovered last week. Don't quite know what got into me as I climbed much better than I ever have done and actually enjoyed it! (Just as well, there was more to come). We enjoyed a fast decent into Winterthur and headed for a coffee stop. Knowing it was a long ride, I grabbed an extra slice of cake for later!

From Winterthur we headed out into the Töss valley. This is my favourite cycle route ever, so beautiful as you have green fields and hills on one side and a river to follow. At the end of the valley, I gave my friend a choice of the shorter route home via Pfäffikon of the longer way to Rapperswil. Both are up hill, but the 2nd is much longer, so he chose the first shorter route.

So more up hill towards Pfaffikon followed by a long gentle descent. Here we stopped for some lunch while I worked out the route home that would take me up to the 100kms.

So we set off on the final stretch on towards Uster, with a diversion to go the long way around the Greifensee, just for the extra distance. I was fine until the last 20kms when we turned full face into the Headwind which had picked up quite a lot by now. It tired us both a bit. With 10kms to go we parted ways and headed off home.

An excellent day out 101kms total and 162 for the weekend.


At the start of the Töss Valley

Stopping for a selfie

Taking a break by some waterfalls

and the map

 

[8mph]

I took a ride into Swindon to buy a spare inner tube. Enjoyed pootling around in a not too busy city for a change.
Had a wander around and felt slightly dizzy. I've been trying to stay in denial of the fact that I've overdone it recently and need more time off the bike. Had a Snickers and a banana and headed back, gently.
I've been getting dizzy when I stand up and my hand grip has been weak for a few weeks, generally, physical work has left me feeling very tiring. I had 6 days off last month and think that I may have to do the same again.

 

[Reynard]

I took a ride into Swindon to buy a spare inner tube. Enjoyed pootling around in a not too busy city for a change.
Had a wander around and felt slightly dizzy. I've been trying to stay in denial of the fact that I've overdone it recently and need more time off the bike. Had a Snickers and a banana and headed back, gently.
I've been getting dizzy when I stand up and my hand grip has been weak for a few weeks, generally, physical work has left me feeling very tiring. I had 6 days off last month and think that I may have to do the same again.

A "like" for the ride, not so much for the feeling *bleurgh*

 

[Goldenretriever]

First time posting a ride if anybodies interested. Usual start to coffee stop at Stiffkey. Hevingham- Cawston- Thurning-Hindolveston, cross main road into Snoring and on to Walsingham. Join coast road at Wells and then short ride to Stiffkey. Home via Langham airfield- Sharrington Hindolveston- Wood Dalling Reepham and Felthorpe. Double smiles today as I saw two Hares they never fail to cheer me up. 61.8 miles at an average of 16.9. Pleased with that

 

[colly]

First time posting a ride if anybodies interested. Usual start to coffee stop at Stiffkey. Hevingham- Cawston- Thurning-Hindolveston, cross main road into Snoring and on to Walsingham. Join coast road at Wells and then short ride to Stiffkey. Home via Langham airfield- Sharrington Hindolveston- Wood Dalling Reepham and Felthorpe. Double smiles today as I saw two Hares they never fail to cheer me up. 61.8 miles at an average of 16.9. Pleased with that

Before anyone else says it I might as well....Snoring....I bet that's a sleepy little place.

 

[Goldenretriever]

I went through both so yes double Snoring! Little first closely followed by Great

 

[Andy in Germany]

So... this ride actually happened on Saturday. Which, I appreciate isn't "Today"...

The best way to get around this, as far as I can see, is for everyone to pretend it is Saturday, just for the next few minutes while you read this.

Otherwise it would just be silly.

Okay, now that's sorted:

So, it's a lovely Saturday evening and I've just got back... er huff, huff, I'm still out of breath et c. Today the family was going to a well known French sport store, because Beautiful Daughter is starting at the local jazz dance club and needed some dainty shoes, while Middle Son needed some hiking boots he can wear to visit his Godfather who is running a carpentry college in Rwanda, as you do. The aforementioned store is in one of those hideous hellholes, a shopping mall, which are mercifully rare in Germany, but alas they do exist.

I decided that if I'm going to have to deal with this, I'm going by bicycle, God's gift to the introvert. The Shopping mall is a bare 5km away from our apartment but about 200m lower, and this all comes at once, in a hairpin of a road through some old vineyards:

As I am still scarred slightly from a prang caused by driving cycling* too fast down a hill in Devon about 20 years ago, I'm a bit cautious about these gradients, especially with these curves...

But with regular if slightly nerve-wracking stops for pictures, Xtracycle stand just producing enough friction on the road surface not to run away...

We made it down unscathed.

Kudos to the cyclist in the distance who rode up that hill on an elderly drop frame touring bike and full panniers.

Towns start and finish very abruptly in Germany: the shopping mall is a few hundred metres away from here, roughly in the centre of the picture...

And here it is. Let this image stand for all that is awful about shopping malls everywhere: note the ugly building, dingy and poorly designed cycle parking and general toilet plumbing inspired atmosphere.

We shall draw a discrete veil over the next few hours, and return after I'd escaped the madness, packed Beautiful Wife, Daughter, and Middle son on the bus, and departed towards Esslingen...

And... breathe....

Crossing the river Neckar on a bridge for bicycles and pedestrians, Ironically built partly so the minions of a certain large car company can access different buildings the company owns. This is one tip of the ten kilometre long complex.

Through Esslingen. The city is a bit like York, with a beautiful church and city wall, neither of which I photographed because I was following the river which runs around the old city.

Next time, maybe.

Onto the next valley, and the 'Hohenzollern cycle way' named after the Hohenzollern kings who as far as I know neither lived here, or used bicycles. More research required, I think.

Still, it's a good cycleway.

Of course, sooner or later I'd have to climb out of the valley, and searching for something different to look at while grunting my way up a hill I found this route. It's not as fast as my regular tarmacked path but certainly very pretty to make up for it.

Notice photography at top of hill as blatant excuse to stop and wheeze.

And finally, Probably the highest point on the ride, Sun setting slowly, village in sight in the distance, downhill from here, 30k on the clock, plenty of introvert time, happy with self and transport decisions...

*An edit: German English strikes again.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I took a ride into Swindon to buy a spare inner tube. Enjoyed pootling around in a not too busy city for a change.
Had a wander around and felt slightly dizzy. I've been trying to stay in denial of the fact that I've overdone it recently and need more time off the bike. Had a Snickers and a banana and headed back, gently.
I've been getting dizzy when I stand up and my hand grip has been weak for a few weeks, generally, physical work has left me feeling very tiring. I had 6 days off last month and think that I may have to do the same again.

Another like for the ride. Hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[david k]

Good going!

Thank you, it was a nice day for riding, early start meant I got plenty miles in before much traffic, a couple of nice rest stops and I've recovered surprisingly well, that beer must be good for recovery, I will have to make sure I have a few next time also

 

[AndreaJ]

As I don't work on Mondays I went out again today for a different route round the local lanes , this time I headed through Whixall to Alkington, Fenns Bank, Hollinswood, Coton , Braynes Hall ,Abbeygreen, Waterloo, Edstaston, Ryebank, Horton and home. Most of these places are actually in Whixall but it is split into many different areas with no signs to tell you where you are, although there are direction signs for all these places pointing you in the general direction you need to go just to confuse people, lots of people get very lost here. Weather was a bit dull when I left but it was warm enough for short sleeves and the sun soon came out and turned into a lovely spring day. 20.95 miles done with average speed of 15.8mph and first swallow of the year spotted.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Nice pics @Andy in Germany!
That twisty downhill is the kind that gives me the

 

[arranandy]

Did the Ronde van Vlaanderen Cyclo on Saturday along with 16000 other cyclists. I had originally entered for the 174km route but due to my left knee giving me pain from about 40km I ended up doing the 139km route which started/finished in Oudenaarde.
Anyway what a day out, the cobbled climbs are brutal and I doff my cap to the pro riders who just fly up them. Add to that the flatter sections of cobbles and the constant rolling nature of the course it was a challenging ride. The only climb I had to walk was the Koppenberg as it ramps up to 22% gradient on rough cobbles. All the other climbs were hard but do-able.
The whole event was superbly organised and the atmosphere was brilliant. Loads of spectators on the climbs cheering us on and the main square in Oudenaarde after the finish was a big party. I'm already thinking of doing it again next year
A few photos taken by the event team on the route

RvV3

• arranandy
• 8 Apr 2019

RvV2

• arranandy
• 8 Apr 2019

RvV1

• arranandy
• 8 Apr 2019

And Strava
https://www.strava.com/activities/2269811229

 

[Andy in Germany]

Nice pics @Andy in Germany!
That twisty downhill is the kind that gives me the

Thanks Pat. I try and take pictures that will be interesting to non-cyclists.

And yes, that hill gives me the heebie-jeebies. It's not unusually steep for the area, but it is longer and more windy than most. I make sure the brakes are nice and tight before I ride down it...

 

[Dark46]

This ride is yesterday.
A friend of @Donger and mine were invited to go cycling in the Cotswolds around Tetbury yesterday how could we refuse?

Rob came to me at about 0815 and we put our bikes on top of my car. We set off and I had to try to remember how to get ro her house lol.

I would love to give a road by road account of the ride but I can't. To be honest I really haven't a clue which way well went.

The countryside and the company was great it could only have been bettered if @Donger was present. With the sun going out on route it was a great ride, there were a few inclines but nothing much as Claire had already done a lot the day before. To the relief of both me and Rob.

At Tetbury we stopped at a well known cycling coffee stop of the Blue Zucchini, it was very nice and the coffee's and bacon sandwiches went down really well. The unusual thing here was the they dont except cash as its card purchases only.

Well I can say that we went passed Chavanage House on the way back which is a well know place to Colnago cycle owners.

At the end of the 30 mile ride it was another nice chat and coffee before recounting our bikes on my cat6abd heading for home.

As Claire said hopefully there will be many of these rides in the future, with @Donger too.

 

[Cavalol]

As I don't work on Mondays I went out again today for a different route round the local lanes , this time I headed through Whixall to Alkington, Fenns Bank, Hollinswood, Coton , Braynes Hall ,Abbeygreen, Waterloo, Edstaston, Ryebank, Horton and home. Most of these places are actually in Whixall but it is split into many different areas with no signs to tell you where you are, although there are direction signs for all these places pointing you in the general direction you need to go just to confuse people, lots of people get very lost here. Weather was a bit dull when I left but it was warm enough for short sleeves and the sun soon came out and turned into a lovely spring day. 20.95 miles done with average speed of 15.8mph and first swallow of the year spotted.

Haven't been round there in years, used to go to Furber's old yard, I believe it's a nature reserve now? Must be loads of nice places to cycle round there, might take the mountain bike up there one day and drop in on my old mate in Bettisfield, if he's still there.