Your ride today....

[welsh dragon]

Lovely day here. Chilly in the shade but when I got onto the lanes I could feel the heat coming off the tarmac. Only 12 miles for me today, but I had a really good time. Even just a short bimble does you the world of good.

 

[jongooligan]

The swallows disappeared from County Durham when September arrived but we found them in Shropshire last week. One was watching me from the roof timbers as I took my post ride shower. It was the best ride of the year.

The road between Church Stretton and Little Stretton made a gentle introduction as it's flat and has been bypassed by the A49 so is relatively quiet. The scenery is spectacular with the Long Mynd rising to the right and Ragleth Hill to the left. After Little Stretton a short stretch of the A49 takes you to Marshbrook where the turn over the level crossing takes you onto a nice gentle climb up to Cwm Head.

Although the road is quiet a combination of winding bends and my slow speed meant I soon had a small following of cars. I was enjoying the scenery so much I pulled over to let them pass so I could enjoy it in peace and quiet. Think they must have all been rubber necking too as I caught them up on the descent through Plowden.

It wasn't too long though until I was turning off onto a narrow, gravelly and wet climb to Mydntown and a roller coaster ride through Asterton. My legs were good, the scenery inspiring and the wind light so I enjoyed attacking the short climbs until I got close to Wentnor. There I turned a sharp bend to be confronted with what looked like a wall. I'd been caught unawares and was in the wrong gear, wrestling the bike up the steep gradient I had to stop for a blow at the top.

Top of the hill at Wentnor

My reward was a cooling descent to the River East Onny down to the Bridges which has an interesting looking pub. No time to stop today though as I sped past towards Ratlinghope. It was here my Garmin directed me up a small but steep climb. No problem I could see the skyline so jumped out of the saddle and cranked to the top. Unfortunately, right at the top the Garmin indicated a right turn onto an even steeper climb and there was no sign of the top.

I'd plotted this route a couple of weeks ago and called it 'Long Mynd circuit' so I was a bit miffed to be climbing straight over the hill rather than going around it. Should have checked it before I started. The climb was wonderful though with ever expanding views into Wales in a landscape that seemed to be untouched by man.

On the Long Mynd near Boiling Spring Well

And when you are up you are up, just like the Grand old Duke of York. A top of the world plateau ride through late blooming heather towards the head of the Carding Mill Valley awaits you. When you get there the plunge down Bur Way will test your concentration and your brakes. 'Please, please Mr. Enormous BMW driver don't force me onto this roadside gravel or my back wheel will be away and I'll follow it down into the valley below'.

Doesn't take long to get back down into Church Stretton where Mrs. jg says I have a 'grin like a crack in a pie crust'.

Only 20 miles but what a fantastic 20 miles.

Did a few other rides in the area since I last posted but haven't had any internet access and can't remember the details now. This ride though was unforgettable.

 

[welsh dragon]

Another fantastic day weather wise. 17 miles today.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

A couple of rides to mention.

Yesterday I didn't have much time available so did a shortish loop on the Raleigh: Lyth Hill, Condover, Longnor, Acton Burnell, Cound Moor, Harnage, Cound, Berrington and, for a change, back via Weeping Cross and Meole Brace.

A pleasant ride without much incident (apart from seeing a young motorist not merely cutting the corner at a junction but coming round it hugging the kerb at speed on the wrong side of the road - fortunately I was stopped and out of the way at the time).

20.4 miles at 14.3 mph average. No photos from this one.

Today I only had a short window of opportunity again and set out into quite a chilly but sunny morning following the same route as yesterday for the first few miles (Lyth Hill, Condover, Longnor) but headed from Longnor towards the climb to Folly Bank this time and at the top of the col took a left and carried on climbing to Yell Bank where the view was really nice in these conditions.

I continued through Causewaywood and Ruckley to Acton Burnell and took the familiar way back through Pitchford, Cantlop, Condover and the flatter main road route home.

The roads weren't too bad for the time of morning apart from near the Leebotwood junction (looks like there are roadworks that a few people were trying to avoid). The legs felt a bit tired at the start but eased up as long as I didn't try to push on too fast.

The only thing that spoiled it a bit today was on the A49 section not far from home. A rigid lorry gave a wide overtake but misjudged the traffic coming the other way and had to pull back in sharpish. That would have been okay but he was towing a trailer so I needed to swerve and brake as I got sqeezed into the kerb.

Apart from that it was a really enjoyable ride and I got back with time to spare.

24.1 miles at 13.3 mph average.

Looking towards the Clee Hills from Yell Bank.

A few more snaps from Yell Bank.

The road seems to just drop off a cliff as I head towards Causewaywood.

 

[pjd57]

a nice flat run out from Glasgow along the Forth and Clyde canal.
Got to the Kelpies and took a left turn towards Kincardine bridge.
New territory for me.
Almost went on the motorway but thanks to a helpful cyclist I got back on the right path.
Over the bridge and stopped at the start of the Fife coastal path.

Hopefully I will go along it next time and cross back over the Forth Road bridge.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Pete M, Steve E, Jules H and me on this one. The extra sunny weather had tempted Steve out. We took the short run to Tewkesbury and on by Northway to show Steve the thatched cottages at Kemerton. We diverted around the higher part of the village before taking a loop around Overbury - a first for me. Our run was fairly standard although Steve wanted to have a look at the big house at Dumbleton. I had Jules and Pete guessing when I took a little used route from Wormington to Stanton. Stanway Bank came next and then the short run along the Cotswold edge. A 44 mph descent from Snowshill lead us to our cafe in Broadway.
We took the usual return with a brief diversion around Hinton on the Green for a change. My legs were tiring on the way back so a stop in Upton for a couple of pints was just the job. With everyone heading their ways home I struggled over the last miles not helped by a spoke breaking causing a buckle and brake rub. So I have some fettling in my future. 71 smiles

 

[welsh dragon]

Yet another 17 miles for me. Tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be even warmer than today so I will be out again I daresay.

 

[13 rider]

Yet another 17 miles for me. Tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be even warmer than today so I will be out again I daresay.

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You live in a lively part of the country .Always enjoy your photos

 

[welsh dragon]

You live in a lively part of the country .Always enjoy your photos

Thank you.

 

[Spiderweb]

A really warm evening so out on the Tricross at 6.30pm, first ride with lights this season and really impressed with my new Planet X ‘ring of fire’ rear light for £10!
20.61 miles with an average of 18.1 mph, a bit dark for photos but a great spin out.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/deals/q/deal-LIJO3WROF

 

[EltonFrog]

A 5.5 mile utility ride today to town. Lovely day, I should have gone for a longer ride but didn’t have time.

 

[TeeShot]

Out with the lads yesterday for a ride along the prom. Blackpool to Fleetwood and back. Great company, leisurely pace, Costa del Sol weather and ice cream. A grand day out

 

[fossyant]

Quick blast on the MTB, 16 miles and knocked about 3 minutes off my usual time. The Rock Bros 'bell' is good for warning people. Still won't alert a half deaf pensioner with in-ear headphones, but worked fine with the young lad with big over ear ones.
One quick ding, and they step aside. Quick thank you, and no need to put the anchors on.

 

[welsh dragon]

More scores on the doors. Another 17 miles for me. Quite a headwind in places this morning. The trees are shedding their leaves now as well. In the sun it was another cracking day

 

[Aravis]

A spectacular ride yesterday to complete the A-Z towns and villages challenge at Zeals. My wife was returning from Cornwall by car and we agreed to meet at Burnham on Sea in the evening. With those parameters, there was plenty of scope for designing a fine and varied route, and here it is:

Zeals lies between Mere and Wincanton on the old A303. Once south of the M4 I was into territory I don't visit so often. This is the Avon at Bradford basking in the morning sunshine:

Rather than enduring the trek through Warminster on main roads, I picked out a route to the east along the upper Wylye Valley through five villages in quick succession all called Deverill. After the last of these, Kingston Deverill, there was the choice of two routes. I took the easier but longer one via Maiden Bradley which gave an intriguing view of the Long Knoll and Little Knoll, but the right photo opportunity failed to materialise. One for another time, as I frequently say to myself.

Zeals dealt with, I plugged on along the "old" A303, finding it rather dispiriting with long drags gaining height only to throw it away again. It was a landscape I didn't know at all, crossing a succession of river valleys draining to the south coast, again an area I don't often venture into. Where are those Somerset Levels?

Eventually the landscape calmed down. Past RNAS Yeovilton, through Langport and past the spendid Burrow Mump. At Westonzoyland I had to decide whether to take the easy way via Bridgwater and the A38, to cross the Polden Mountains as planned. What is the point of a 24/26 gear it you don't use it? Honour was satisfied.

The final feature on the route was the remote Gold Corner sluice, where the Huntspill river comes into being. It's a spectacular spot, though impossible to photograph in the bright evening sun. A word of warning: the road from the south is extremely rough and clearly doubles as a farmyard for some of its length, if you get what I mean. Yesterday it was just bumpy, but in wet conditions it could be extremely ... difficult.

I rolled up to the sea front at precisely 7pm. The view across the Parrett with Hinckley Point and the Quantocks:

I should've waited a few minutes. But we were both pretty hungry and headed to Tesco just at the right time for final reductions on wraps and sandwiches.