Your ride today....

[DCLane]

Simple one; accompanying my 14yo on a 40 mile training ride to then up/down Holme Moss. However a headwind out turned into a strong headwind up t'Moss.

It's bad enough chasing a child who's quicker than you. But having to cope with a gale that reduced the last 1/4 mile of the hill to 5mph was nasty: https://www.strava.com/activities/2492812087

 

[MrBeanz]

Nice easy 25 miles with Gina on the roadies. Getting warm over here!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Congrats to @Andy in Germany for your first imperial 100, a real achievement on that heavy bike !

Today, well, yesterday now, Sunday, was my first leisure ride in over two months.
Work has been hectic, my daily 5 mile flat commute was the only rides I could squeeze in.
I put up the ride on the Glasgow Belles page, but there was no takers, so I took the opportunity to do a wee bit of exploring on my own.
@Yellow Saddle look where I've been, see you there next week
Setting off in the warm drizzle I got across town to join the cycle path to the Erskine bridge.
The plan was to see if I could find the Mar Hall hotel without needing to cross a busy roundabout, to find the path to Boden Boo (a beach on the river Clyde) without using the signposted path that is very rough, also to visit the Erskine garden centre to buy some seeds.
By the time I got to the Exhibition Centre ( my work you can't escape it as most cycle routes pass that way) the wind had fairly picked up, not a day to cross bridges on a bike, but, hey ho, I'm not turning back now.
Along the route, I saw a vast batch of nettles, so I stopped at he pound shop in Clydebank to pick up some gardening gloves and a roll of bin bags.
It's to make organic fertilizer.
Believe it or not, I exhausted all nettles in my vicinity, can't see any on my normal commute either.
The Erskine bridge was hard work with the wind, but at least it had stopped raining.
I found what I was looking for, plus the beginning of another cycle route to the Kilkpartick hills, that looks promising for another trip.
Extravagantly, I've spent £10 in seeds at he garden centre, it is a pricy one!
Picked the nettles on my way back, got home at 35 miles, weather beaten but victorious
Some pictures for you:

Mar Hall hotel and golf course .... posh!

Views from the golf course.

Collected a big bag of nettles, panniers really are the best thing!

 

[gbb]

Set out at 6.00 am for a 14 mile commute, managed 1/2 mile before puncturing. Ahh well, turn round, home, have a cuppa, drive to work. I tried

 

[Stonechat]

Yesterday clubride to Henley

There were 6 of us.
We went via Windsor and Warren Row. The outward journey was more against the wind
Temperature was pleasant for cycling, the heat of day before had gone.
Our stop was a Toad Hall Garden Centre of the road to Marlow

We chatted and emerged suitably refreshed

Returned via Twyford and Drift Road.

As my Garmin 820 packed up I was using brand new Garmin 1030
I need to do a little more setting up, I had not got the pause when stopped set yesterdat, though Garmin and Strava will compensate for this
Need to set up data screens better

49.66 miles @ 15.4 mph ave moving speed
1391 feet vlimbed

https://www.strava.com/activities/2493161238

 

[Denis99]

Nice day down The Mumbles today, decided to take some black & white images for a change.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Nice day down The Mumbles today, decided to take some black & white images for a change.

I like the B&W images, I should try working in black and white more.

Nice bike too...

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Just a wee one this afternoon. Standard lanes around the north of the Hills. At Coddington Cross I decided to vary things so I went by Pegs Farm to turn left and climb over Wellington Heath. That seemed to go quite well. Down through Eastnor I decided another change would be good so I took the climb to White Leaved Oak from Bromsberrow. Again the climbing went quite well. The drop away from Gullet Quarry provided great views and a pleasant freewheel. Just the usual run back for me although the headwind on the Guarlford Road was pretty strong. 39 smiles

 

[pjd57]

a collection of things to do in Glasgow today.
Picked something up first thing on my hybrid. Back home , changed bike and put shorts on since it was warming up a bit.
Haircut, lunch with my daughter , a quick visit to some friends , then home.
Felt great.

 

[AndreaJ]

Out for my usual Monday morning ride on a slightly different route, started towards The Moat Shed but turned for Northwood just before I got there and headed to Waterloo, Edstaston, Ryebank, Foxholes then over The Lowe towards Wem turning before I got to the school to head over the railway crossing to Aston and onto Barkers Green. Back towards Wem turning for Tilley, Ruewood, Nonely, which was hard work going into the wind, through Loppington to English Frankton, round Colemere where I was glad not to meet the large tractor that had been down there knocking branches off trees, into Lyneal, Northwood and back home. It was quite chilly today in the wind and no sun, looks like that's the heatwave over here. 23.8 miles, average speed 15.6mph and even managed to get a QOM on Strava although it was a bit disappointing to find only 2 women had been down that segment.

 

[Spiderweb]

A bit windy but a lovely afternoon for a spin after work. Out on the Tricross from work, 34.9 miles with an average of 15.2mph. Met a lovely older gentleman on the Sustrans cycle route at Naburn, following some I’ll health he bought a bike and has been riding the same Sustrans route from Selby, about 22 miles, pretty much everyday since 1998!
We spoke for about 20 mins, when I left he said if you see me again stop and chat, I certainly will.

 

[pawl]

Nice day down The Mumbles today, decided to take some black & white images for a change.

View attachment 473460 View attachment 473461 View attachment 473462 View attachment 473463

Love the black and white pictures

 

[DCBassman]

On the Scott.
A loop north of Tavistock via Iron Railings Cross and Brentor Church,

then down and around Burn Lane, then left onto Mary Tavy road.

Through Mary Tavy, past the church whereupon NCN27 deteriorates to walking only almost all the way to Peter Tavy.

River Tavy.

Swoop back down to the old Tate & Lyle factory on the A386, then 27 again into Tavistock. Along the Viaduct Walk NCN270, down through Monksmead, and return through the centre of town.
16.82 miles, avg 9.2mph, 1270ft elevation gain. Hot!

 

[Old jon]

Another bright morning, maybe warmer also. Time to take the fixed for another ride, so aim for the flatter bits around here. That is the bottom right hand quadrant of the local map more or less, mind, if you travel further east things become even flatter. Just too far to ride today.

Away through Holbeck, busy place today with street lighting being attended to, and out of there for a wind assisted ride through Hunslet on the way to climb to John o’ Gaunts. It does not seem to be much of a climb, near the top the modern map has a spot height of 67 metres, say 220 feet, and an old map gives a height of 90 feet at the junction of Water Lane and Globe Road, roughly where Hardinges Tower Works used to stand. Anyway, the climb feels to be more than that. But once at the top there is a descent to enjoy, so all is well. Straight on goes to Castleford.

There are more appealing rides, turning left through Woodlesford is one of them. At the bottom of the hill, past the railway station, turn left to head towards Swillington. Once across the canal and river the road tends upwards again, and indeed does this all the way until Garforth is in sight. There is a satisfying drop to the roundabout followed by the rise around the northern edge of the town, crossing another railway line on the way. Staying on the A 642, out of town to where a huge roundabout straddles the M 1 and its assorted slip roads. Today, rather than use the B 1217 to Lotherton I pedalled almost all the weary way around this roundabout to take the road towards Peckfield Bar, just to turn left towards Micklefield.



Turn left, this was once approximately the A 1. The next junction, turn right towards the gates at Lotherton Hall, yup, a mile away from that roundabout I had recently crossed. Left when the gates are reached, there was a group of riders mostly entering the gates as I did this. One or two missed the turning, which is just about blind from that direction. At the other end of Lotherton Lane, in Aberford, another bunch of cyclists were just turning northwards. So did I, they went straight on and I turned left to ride the ups and downs on the way to Barwick. The ups and downs continue after the village and all the way through Scholes to the A 64. No drama here, ride along to Thorner Lane, then Skeltons Lane, which felt uphill today, and Red Hall Lane to the Wetherby Road.

Down that hill, turn right. On the pavement, walking towards me, but as I later realised towards the bus stop, was a mother and child. The mother had one of those startling haircuts, I noticed. Ride on, past the park gates and towards the lights at the Oakwood Clock. And there the two of them were again. They either caught a bus or walked rather briskly. Backwards. Ah well, down the various roads leading towards the bottom of Eastgate. Most of the roadworks here seem to have finished, and what appears to be an obstacle course has been left for cyclists to play on. Yep, it’s a cycle lane. It is fun, especially when the three ginormous plant pots are strategically placed it the middle of it. Both ends are indefinite, I think maybe you devise your own entrance and exit points. I certainly did, I was going home, the last few streets across the river and up the last climb on Dewsbury Road. Along the street to the house I call home. Thirty miles, and a grin. What a good ride.

The map

 

[Glow worm]

I left Zoutelande (NL) yesterday to do the 62 miles to the Harwich ferry at Hook of Holland.

This ride takes you along 3 major sluices on which roads (and of course fantastic cycle paths) have been built. Riding across these amazing structures really does bring it home just how vulnerable the Netherlands is to the sea. Mind you these things look pretty robust.

These are popular routes. I was lucky yesterday, the wind wasn't too bad, but it must be impossible in a gale.

I had all day as was aiming for the night ferry so savoured every mile at a nice easy pace.

After the Maaslius ferry, it was the final 8 or so mile slog into the wind to the Hook.

I had to do a double take here as I'm sure Harwich is further than that!

The boat.

Found a nice sunny bar on the main square at the Hook and met a few locals who were great fun.

First on the ferry and first off this morning with a lovely chap who had just completed a six thousand km ride around Europe. Impressive.

The last sixty miles from Harwich to home were a bit of a slog to be honest, throw the lousy British drivers into the mix and I was ready for home by the end of it. Back now, mini tour sadly over but I've loved every minute.

Now, where to next year? (Reaches for map of Europe!)