Your ride today....

[13 rider]

Today's was my annual 50 mile Charnwood forest charity ride 4th year in a row . I wanted to bag a metric century for the monthly challenge so an extended ride to the start and ride home would get it done .Out the door at 6.45 a tad chilly but shorts and short sleeves with arm warmers was my choice as it promises to warm up . Anstey ,Newtown Linford ,Groby back to Anstey , Cropston and Rothley . Registred pinned my number on and found a few mates to chat with while waiting to go . Went off in the 3rd wave of 20 . Rothley ,Cropston slowly pick off riders as I settle into my pace . I always go hard on this ride trying for sub 3 hours . Around the back of Bradgate Park and the steady incline past the golf course . Into Woodhouse Eaves and onto the first proper climb of Beacon hill . Here I found myself on my own slowly reeling in figures in the distance .Just tagged onto a couple of riders as I crested the hill . Adam I had riden with before and is a strong rider and his mate Steve . A quick descent and onto Priory lane and a steep ramp to start then a rapid descent then the tougher climb which just keep getting steeper . Me and Adam climbed together but Steve had been dropped . Adam said he'd wait at the top for him I pressed on knowing they would reel me in this pattern was to follow on all the climbs . A quick descent of Polly Botts lane and along Ulverscroft lane the sound of aero wheels confirmed Adam and Steve had caught me just before the next climb of Sharply Hill . Left at Old John were again Adam stopped for Steve . Down last the golf course passing riders doing the 20 version heading the other way were Adam and Steve caught me again did I say they were fast . Swithland and back to Rothley with the first 20 miles done but 3\4 of the climbing . We headed up the Wreake valley via Cossington ,Ratcliffe ,Thrussington and Hoby .These 6 miles were pretty flat and had me hanging on the back as Adam pressed on at 22mph . Turned for Ragdale and the last proper climb . Adam dropped me on this one but Steve spun his way up and we past another couple of riders . At the junction Adam waited again and I said see you in five minutes . I really pressed on down the steady descent of Paudy lane but soon the sound of aero wheels could be heard as Adam and Steve caught me and had dragged the other 2 riders along so now we had 5 riders working .Rapid progress back to Barrow the other 2 riders were hanging on but still doing and odd turn . Barrow ,Mountsorrel ,Quorn as we climbed over the railway bridge one of the 2 riders was dropped but shouted to his mate to press on down to 4 .Woodhouse ,Swithland back to Rothley . One last little climb were me and Adam sprinted home calling it a draw. I'd done the 48.6 miles in 2hrs 39 mins which is 18.1 mph with 2900 ft of uppnes well happy with that .

I got a medal that's edible
Made full use of the free coffee and cake . Finally had a chat with the other 2 rides Dave and Mark they hadn't riden with a group before and loved it and couldnt believe how much quicker you are in a group . After much cake I headed home another 5 miles so days total of 64 miles so Mays metric century bagged .A great friendly ride with all money going to a local charity and the sun came out a really good day on the bike but the legs are feeling it now

 

[Dave 123]

A sunny ride to Far de Formentor today. Mrs Dave has hired an electric assist road bike to do the hills on.
Fabulous ride.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2361474243/

 

[TigerT]

After yesterday’s adventures with Thunderstorms and hail stones, I was happy to wake up to dry weather today. It was overcast and windy, but no rain and none forecast.

I decided to do my usual Sunday coffee ride over to Baden and back mixing up the different routes a bit, so I headed out on the first half of the ride as if I was going to do a 30km loop but instead of cutting across, I carried on along the higher route in to Baden.

The ride over was nice but the wind was changing direction a lot with some strong gusting crosswinds. That made life interesting, I didn’t realise quite how much my deeper rims would catch the wind!

On arrival at Baden I decided to try the Velo Parkplatz (Dedicated parking place for bikes). It costs 2 CHF but it’s more secure and covered by video cameras. I was quite impressed. There are pumps, charging points for e-bikes and lockers available. Apparently on week days there is a workshop open that can fix your bike while you’re at work.

After a coffee I headed back towards home on another route. My new bike clearly doesn’t trigger the sensor in bus/cycle lanes out here so I had an annoying wait, until a bus turned up, to rejoin the main road.

The wind was getting quite strong on the way back and I had a headwind trying to stop me for most of the way home. So much so that at one point going down hill, I had to drop to the small ring to keep moving forward. This has resulted in some tired legs!

The sun finally made an appearance just as I got home, so I stopped for a while in a local park to enjoy it while it lasted.

Good to get out despite the wind and good to stay dry. Back to commuting by bike tomorrow so hoping it will be dryer than last week.


Chilling in the park

And the map.

 

[Stonechat]

https://www.strava.com/activities/2361708119
HDW club ride today, just 3of us again. We went to Finhampstead, via Windsor great park, Winkfield Row, Binfisld, Wnnersh and Sindesham. The stop was at California country park, which had some work going on, and a larger than average number of screaming kids.

We returned via Wokingham, then a slightly more northerly path through Billingbear, Winkfield, and through the park again.

51.27 miles @ 15.9 mph 1772 feet climbed.

Rather chilly at the start, I was ok In Bib Tights and long sleeved top.
By the end I was overdressed.

 

[delb0y]

The bimbliest of bimbles today. Just 12 miles around town again doing deliveries for SWMBO.

 

[EltonFrog]

I popped down to the shops today on my BSA Tour de France, such a nice day, no special clothing, no bone dome, didn’t even bother to put air in the tyres.

On the way out I saw a notice that there was going to be tea and cakes in the church at East Hagbourne at 3pm, so I took my time and headed for the church on the way back. There was a great selection of cakes, there were pots of tea a plenty but unfortunately for me there were far too many god botheres in the place so I left for their own safety. I went to the pub instead and had half a shandy and some Salty Seadog crisps.

Then home via Blewbury, rounding up to 10 miles round the village.

I really enjoyed the little pootle about this afternoon, I even managed to scalp a lycra roady on the way home. I nearly feckin collapsed after though.

East Hagbourne Village Cross.

The War Memorial

 

[Donger]

Nice pics of deer, but are there still kangaroos at Inverinate? ....
If you'd carried on another mile you could have added wild goats to your list of wildlife. There is a herd of them around Carrifran that can often be seen from the A708.

I know the sign you mean, @Mr Celine . On the Carr Brae viewpoint road where the off-gridder hippie types seem to hang out. Not there any more. We have met piglets there before, and the wild goats were up there this week with a couple of horses when we drove past in the car. That was also where I had my close encounter with the eagle the other day. There are now Llamas at Shiel Bridge, but very much domestic stock! The best road sign around those parts nowadays is the one stating "Glenelg (Earth) twinned with Glenelg (Mars)".

 

[pawl]

I popped down to the shops today on my BSA Tour de France, such a nice day, no special clothing, no bone dome, didn’t even bother to put air in the tyres.

On the way out or saw a notice that there was going to be tea and cakes in the church at East Hagbourne at 3pm, so I took my time and headed for the church on the way back. There was a great selection of cakes, there were pots of tea a plenty but unfortunately for me there were far too many god botheres in the place and left for their own safety. I went to the pub instead and had half a shandy and some Salty Seadog crisps.

Then home via Blewbury, rounding up to 10 miles round the village.

I really enjoyed the little pootle about this afternoon, I even managed to scalp a lycra roady on the way home. I nearly feckin collapsed after though.

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East Hagbourne Village Cross.
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The War Memorial
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Say 999 Hail Marys and your sins will be absolved.Then again I’m not sure.

 

[EltonFrog]

Say 999 Hail Marys and your sins will be absolved.Then again I’m not sure.

I’ve worked hard for my sins, I don’t want them absolved thank you very much.

 

[NorthernDave]

Lovely blue skies here this morning and with nothing to do until mid-afternoon, I was out just before 9 and up onto Coal Road.
Up Red Hall Lane, along the A58 and the wend along Whin Moor Lane onto Gateley Lane and into Shadwell.

I was huffing and puffing like no-ones business this morning though, and while it sometimes takes me a while to get into a rhythm it really wasn't happening today and I kept finding myself dropping down through the gears.

Down the hill through the village (this bit was fine...), but the short sharp incline back up to the A58 had me metaphorically on my knees.
I had intended to cross over the main road and head for Thorner, but every route out of there is uphill and I really wasn't sure I'd cope with that much climbing in one go.

So, right on the A58 back to Coal Road, up the hill (in the absolute lowest gear), over the roundabout and then local roads down to home.

6.36 miles (10.24 km) in 33 mins at an average of just 11.5 mph.

Not the ride I'd envisaged and a bit of a downer after things had been looking like they were improving recently. Hopefully it's just the come down after a week away and I need a rest.
At least I got a few miles in.

Sorry, no pics today for obvious reasons but here's the map:

And just to prove that maybe things are just sometimes meant to happen like that, it takes my total mileage on the Giant to 2,222.2 miles - I couldn't have done that if I'd tried

 

[pawl]

I’ve worked hard for my sins, I don’t want them absolved thank you very much.

No problem keep them for another time.

 

[Spiderweb]

Out on the Tricross after lunch, a very mild 14 degrees. 53 miles with an average of 15.1 mph.

 

[NorthernDave]

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Out on the Tricross after lunch, a very mild 14 degrees. 53 miles with an average of 15.1 mph.

I know that bench - I had my bike propped against it yesterday

 

[iancity]

Enjoyed the sunshine,not the flies though :-(

Couldn't resist for the title of the ride

 

[Donger]

If you'd carried on another mile you could have added wild goats to your list of wildlife. There is a herd of them around Carrifran that can often be seen from the A708.

Have just got it that Carrifran is near Moffat, not Inverinate! That actually was the point I got to, but I had no way of knowing it until I searched the name on Google Maps. Funny that there are wild goats at Inverinate as well. Saw them at Shiel Bridge, alongside the A road in Inverinate and up near Carr Brae. The things get everywhere, it seems. Saw signs for red squirrels near Carrifran but didn't see any.