Your ride today....

[Edwardoka]

Climbing the walls after yesterday's enforced rest day, and today spent indoors with the rain battering the ground, a weather window opened at about 6:30pm so despite discomfort I took the opportunity to get some miles in.

A bimble through the flooded-in-places Pollok Country Park then over to the Bellahouston Park "velodrome", where I started doing intervals until another fellow joined the track and being a sporting type I let him get about 3/4 of a lap ahead of me before reeling him in over the course of a few dozen laps. He left the track one lap after I overtook him. Spoilsport

About 10 miles on the track at 18mph. including the ride there and back brings me to 19.5 miles at 15.8mph.



I need a new camera.

 

[Mike_P]

Crikey what a difference 24 hours makes – it was glorious sun yesterday evening as the Defy was forced up to Brimham Rock in a clockwise route for once; down to Hampsthwaite and up to Clapham Green, a narrow road that winds up the hill with high hedges so typically limited forward visibility. Was quite busy as well but every one gave plenty of space and apart from one none overtook on a bend. Down to Birstwith – a climb in the other direction I suggested on the UCI thread as a possible viewing location for the Womens road race

Over the toll bridge once again and then the near continuous climb to Brimham via Hartwith interrupted briefly by a near level stretch and a down grade. Once the easterly turn was made the route became one of largely down grades hitting a maximum of 36.9 mph. The NCN section was for once otherwise devoid of cyclists but braking was necessary to creep pass a pair of horses. Once down the final main descent towards Ripley there was a noticeable change in the weather, the wind got up and clouds rolled in. Briefly pondered using the Greenway but the A61 looked too inviting with an empty carriageway so the direct route home 21.12 miles 1618ft climbed Avg 13 mph.

 

[Dave 123]

A short ride with a big hill at the end

https://www.strava.com/activities/2603809913

 

[Slick]

Climbing the walls after yesterday's enforced rest day, and today spent indoors with the rain battering the ground, a weather window opened at about 6:30pm so despite discomfort I took the opportunity to get some miles in.

A bimble through the flooded-in-places Pollok Country Park then over to the Bellahouston Park "velodrome", where I started doing intervals until another fellow joined the track and being a sporting type I let him get about 3/4 of a lap ahead of me before reeling him in over the course of a few dozen laps. He left the track one lap after I overtook him. Spoilsport

About 10 miles on the track at 18mph. including the ride there and back brings me to 19.5 miles at 15.8mph.

View attachment 479349

I need a new camera.

I've seen a few folk on the "velodrome". Always just assumed I'd be bored to tears although I was considering trying out on the "real" thing come winter.

 

[Thomson]

Quick loop tonight on my cannondale synapse. 2019 Been a while since I have had time to go out. A quick (for me) 11.17 miles at a average 16.6mph. Took me 40 mins and 17 seconds. Felt quite strong considering.

My gearing is a 50/34 and 34 cassette. Didn’t need to go to the 34 on a hill I usually do. So happy with that.

Quite fancy a 52/36, for bit more top end. Has anybody made this change?

But all in all a good spin and very much needed. One happy camper.

 

[Old jon]

Don't know whether you've tried on @Old jon but they are the most comfortable bikes I've ridden. I've been troubled lately with neck, shoulder, back and wrist pains but on a recumbent none of these areas is pressured or stressed. The weight isn't on your backside but spread along your spine and pelvis. It's like reclining in one of those Lazy Boy chairs. Wonderfully relaxing.

Nope, but two Hogs in factory trim, one for a whole day at the earnest wish of a salesman. And I built a feet first, a la Royce Creasy. Fast as a fast thing and loads of fun, but after thirty or so minutes had to get off and rest.

 

[Edwardoka]

I've seen a few folk on the "velodrome". Always just assumed I'd be bored to tears although I was considering trying out on the "real" thing come winter.

It's good if there's no-one there - you can get into a rhythm that you can't on the road.
It's also good if the other people are of similar ability, like tonight.
It's not so much fun if you're much faster or slower than everyone else since you're constantly overtaking/being overtaken.

A few years back there was a meetup that would do single file group rides of increasing tempo with every person taking a turn at the front for a lap before peeling off to rejoin the back, until they were unable to jump onto the back at which point they'd be eliminated. In a group of 10-15 I would usually finish 2nd because I wasn't clever enough to use tactics when it was down to the last two. That was ace, I'd do that again in a heartbeat.

 

[Dave 123]

Just a short loop this morning in strong wind. Down the hill in Newton Ferrers and round the corner at Bridge End. The first 100 yards in Noss Mayo were in to a screaming wind. Slowly up the hill and out into the lanes.
The hedges gave me a fair bit of shelter.

Back through Creacombe, a few lumps of tree on the road.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2605910086

 

[Andy in Germany]

Beautiful Daughter views a Picnic as the height of adventure, and yesterday afternoon she was slightly put out that when we went to visit the rabbits we didn't have one.

She was slightly mollified when we promised one in the evening, but insisted it had to be a proper picnic, with a cloth to sit on and everything.

So we did.

Civilisation is reaching Germany: we can now buy decent salt and vinegar crisps, even if they get the name wrong.

Even better, her brothers came too.

We played Frisby. Here you can see them trying to retrieve the Frisby from the nettles. Again.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

My ride yesterday. As the forecast was for very strong winds I thought I`d better get a ride in as I had had two days break. As it was the wind speed was 21 mph with 33 gusts. I think that I may have chosen the wrong route as I had a lovely tail wind out and averaged 19mph by the halfway stage. When you get a tail wind like that you feel super human and that you are gliding on air. However, by the time I got to Wickham Skeith (virtually flat) and turned left to Finningham it started to become a different story, yes a head / side wind. Slowly that 19mph averaged started to erode bit by bit. The gusts were not a real problem, only one that blew me into the verge, but the heat was not what I was expecting, it was 25 degrees C. I have had to change my route recently because of stone chippings, as they are the cyclists curse. I had a good ride, ending up at 24 miles and 17.5 mph average. It was the strongest I have felt for sometime, as for ages my legs have been constantly tired. Pleased I got out but I certainly won`t be out today.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

A few weeks ago @tallliman organised a ride for today to Lincoln. Well as the day got nearer the weather forecast got worse and worse, but we decided to give it a go and see how far we'd get. Original plan was a hundred miler for him and @13 rider and myself were going for 200km

Out of the door just before 6am for a five mile slog against the wind, which saw me average a whopping 13.6mph, before turning for a 20 mile wind assisted jaunt to Stanford Upon Soar for the 8am meet wih @13 rider and @tallliman.

I quickly realised I was going to be very early as I got the average speed up to 17.7mph Even with adding on another 5 miles I was at the meeting point at 7:40 ish.

@tallliman turned up 5 or ten minutes later and unusually @13 rider wasn't early as he rolled up pretty much bang on time. The inner tube over his shoulder giving away the reason why.

Anyway off we go, wind isn't too bad but it is pretty much behind us and we motor along. The further we got the wind seemed to get stronger and at one point we were freewheeling up hill doing 20 mph

Got to 90 miles (85 for @13 rider and over 100km for @tallliman) and we decided we probably should have a stop! Coffee, cold drinks and sandwiches consumed and we decided we would carry on. We went over the ridge just north of Lincoln and got to the A46 and decided we would cut the ride short as the wind was now really whipping up. 11 miles of head wind back to Lincoln convinced us all we had taken the right decision.

At the station we are 40 minutes early for the train so nip to Costa for a brew and then onto the train.

111 miles for me, 105 for @13 rider and 84 for @tallliman

Whilst waiting for the train I decided I was going to get off the train before Leicester and get the days distance up to 200km so I had another qualifying day for the lunacy challenge. So off the train at Sileby with @13 rider and I did another 15 miles pretty much into the wind to break 200km for the day. That 15 miles was harder than the earlier 111. I got hit by a massive gust of wind that took me right across the road. Luckily it was a one way road and no one behind me as I must have been pushed 15 feet to my right and there was nothing I could do about it.

Thanks fellas for the company, it is so much easier riding with others

The 111 mile link:
https://www.strava.com/activities/2607451099

 

[13 rider]

As reported above I rolled out this morning to ride to Lincoln . Bike choice last night was my trusty Defy rather than the new TCR which has deep section rims which would have been very interesting in parts .A few early miles then just 3 miles before meeting point I puncture !! . The irony is the TCR runs tubeless so probably wouldn't have noticed the puncture . A very friendly cyclist stopped and help me finish the job off and used his co2 saved a bit of time so I got to meeting on time . Thanks very much .
A great ride in great company wind wasn't quite as bad as forecast but got iffy as we agreed to cut it short . The 7 miles home from the station was a real slog

 

[tallliman]

It was a good day out today. Not sure I've done 100km without food too often and 85 miles in that wind was definitely the right decision.

The 3 miles home were achieved 2 mins slower than normal because of the wind!

 

[MrBeanz]

Another 13 mile climb, 3,036 ft of gain. I started riding this mountain again 5 weeks ago. Each time has gotten better. Seems I have shaved 11 minutes off the first 8 mile climb since my first ride 5 weeks ago. 2300 ft gain on the 8 mile climb. So I gotta be happy with that. But today I was only 11 seconds faster on the climb than last week, but that is still improvement.

Getting acclimated to the 100+ degree temps here on the climbs. Today it was cooler. low was 59 degrees but getting used to the 105, I felt like I was freezing at the start of the ride ha ha!

Fat Bastard jersey at the top of the 3,036 ft climb.

 

[pjd57]

I had planned a ride with my mate this morning, but after he'd been soaked several times on his work runs this week he saw the weather forecast and binned it.
I woke up to bright sunshine , much later than normal and headed out for a few miles to get something printed.
Back home and the promised monsoon seemed to have missed Glasgow, so decided on a nice easy run down the canal to Bowling.
30 more miles done, and only a few spots of rain.

The Erskine bridge just above the wall.