Your ride today....

[iandg]

More exploring, a mixed terrain ride with some new roads and tracks from the Ae cafe car park.

Forest track up to the Loch Ettrick/Mitchellslacks road then a few km of road before returning to forestry roads and a final road descent into Park (grabbing a veloviewer explorer tile on the way). A few miles on road then back into Clauchrie Pantation for more forest tracks. The OS map shows 2 tracks heading off to the right that would take me down to Auldgirth - but I couldn't see anything obvious. Headed up a minor track to a dead end, the track I wanted was only a few hundred metres to my right separated by thick wood. I didn't fancy fighting through the trees so retraced back to the road and took the A76 into Auldgirth.

More road passing through Dalswinton and then a left and a climb up to Newlands followed by a track across fields (towards Ellerslea farm) to grab a second explorer tile before turning south and following a track back to the road. Missed the new track I wanted to follow on my left (taking me from North Riddingwood to Auchencairn) so followed the road, and a short stretch of new lane through Auchencairn to join NCN10 to Ae.

Heading back to Ae there was an out and back forest track on my left I wanted to do to grab a 3rd explorer tile that would have upped my square from 8x8 to 10x10 -but unfortunately I was stopped by forestry work, so back to the road and back to the van at Ae car park. Being Wednesday the cafe was closed, so a can of Irn Bru, a Hershey Bar and 3 Reece's peanut butter cups before packing up and heading home. Filled a couple of holes in my vv map and increased my explorer square to a 9x9 and cluster from 170 to 178

https://www.strava.com/activities/3013561353

 

[Shearwater Missile]

14 Jan Good to be out again

The Royal Cornwall Hospital was reported in the Guardian as one of the most overcrowded and under pressure hospitals in England last week. I know. I was there for four days with a blocked bile duct and infection waiting for an operating theatre to become free. I was bright yellow. Useful for a cyclist perhaps but it made me feel unwell, fed up with people asking me if I felt jaundiced.

Today it is the fifth day since I was discharged. Madame Crow is watching me pace up and down. The sun is out and the roads dry but I feel like I have been run over by a bus. She pushes me out of the house and I withdraw my bike from its resting place. This will be a short ride.

It feels good to be on the bike again. My legs are heavy and breath short but I can feel the sun on my face. The deep breathing is taking away the smell of hospital, extinguishing memories of cannulas and over worked nurses, pain and boredom, being moved twice at night as my bed was needed for people who are worse. I want to forget, to lay down some better memories, to cleanse myself of the stink of illness.

Truck Hill reminds me of what I have lost after ten days of lying in bed. Bitter feelings bubble up, dreams are smashed. Pushing the gear lever across convinced there is a lower gear. The fitness I had is like the summit of this hill - a long way off and a lot of work to get there again, heart pounding, bike wobbling, legs weak.

But it is good to feel the wind on my face, to stand up and mash the pedals again, to feel life returning like the first daffodils and snowdrops in the hedgerows. By the time I get home I am completely finished, legs hurting, nose running, throat raw - but happy. Hospital memories have been left behind, blown away in my slipstream and the open road beckons. It will take a few weeks but I will be back on the bike again, chasing down the hills, putting on the miles, revelling in the freedom of the lanes. My glass is half full, not half empty for the first time in a fortnight.

Madame Crow knew best. She always does. I fall asleep on the sofa.

View attachment 500611

My sympathies are with you for the hospital encounter. My wife is not compatible with them either but sometimes needs must. When you get out on the bike again it just makes it all worth it. Good luck in your recovery and just take it steady and enjoy.

 

[gavgav]

Been an utterly ridiculous day at work, where I’m now expected to be doing the job of 3 people, on top of my own job. So I desperately needed a ride, this evening.

Only a short one, but it helped. Usual route up to Heathgates and then down to the River Severn, which I could see was very high again.

Got to the Flood Gates and this time they were correctly closed, as the Towpath was submerged under the River. I bet that council worker, who spent last week cleaning the Towpath, following the last floods, has about had enough of his job as well!

So it was Belvedere, London Rd, loop around the Business Park and home, with 10.6 miles done.

 

[C R]

Ride to the sorting office to pick up a parcel. Just six and a half miles there and back from work, via county hall, past the Hospital and through Warndon with the sun shining, blue skies and no wind, great lunchtime break.

 

[ruffers]

14 Jan Good to be out again

The Royal Cornwall Hospital was reported in the Guardian as one of the most overcrowded and under pressure hospitals in England last week. I know. I was there for four days with a blocked bile duct and infection waiting for an operating theatre to become free. I was bright yellow. Useful for a cyclist perhaps but it made me feel unwell, fed up with people asking me if I felt jaundiced.

Today it is the fifth day since I was discharged. Madame Crow is watching me pace up and down. The sun is out and the roads dry but I feel like I have been run over by a bus. She pushes me out of the house and I withdraw my bike from its resting place. This will be a short ride.

It feels good to be on the bike again. My legs are heavy and breath short but I can feel the sun on my face. The deep breathing is taking away the smell of hospital, extinguishing memories of cannulas and over worked nurses, pain and boredom, being moved twice at night as my bed was needed for people who are worse. I want to forget, to lay down some better memories, to cleanse myself of the stink of illness.

Truck Hill reminds me of what I have lost after ten days of lying in bed. Bitter feelings bubble up, dreams are smashed. Pushing the gear lever across convinced there is a lower gear. The fitness I had is like the summit of this hill - a long way off and a lot of work to get there again, heart pounding, bike wobbling, legs weak.

But it is good to feel the wind on my face, to stand up and mash the pedals again, to feel life returning like the first daffodils and snowdrops in the hedgerows. By the time I get home I am completely finished, legs hurting, nose running, throat raw - but happy. Hospital memories have been left behind, blown away in my slipstream and the open road beckons. It will take a few weeks but I will be back on the bike again, chasing down the hills, putting on the miles, revelling in the freedom of the lanes. My glass is half full, not half empty for the first time in a fortnight.

Madame Crow knew best. She always does. I fall asleep on the sofa.

View attachment 500611

great read, and happy recovery 👍🏻

 

[jongooligan]

Haven't been out since 21st December cos of a bad back and man flu which just will not go away but @footloose crow has put me to shame with his willingness to get out after what sounds like a serious illness.

I'll go pump up the tyres now.

 

[Oxford Dave]

Third day of my return to bikes after a 12-15 year lay-off. First day was 2.8 miles, second 3.6 and today's was 8.8 in exactly one hour. Hardly record breaking but not bad for a 62 year old who hasn't taken any serious exercise for several years.
My daughter's partner is coming over for lunch and a pint today, but I doubt he'll be too impressed with my achievements as he recently completed a ride from Spain to Vietnam!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

A couple of rides to report on:

Yesterday: After a couple of wet days I wanted to make the most of a dry (but blustery) day and aimed to head up to the Stiperstones and the Long Mynd. I started off heading over Lyth Hill and dropping down to Exfords Green then straight into the wind through Plealey, Pontesbury and Minsterley. This went alright at the start but the wind was making itself felt before I even left the village. On the more exposed side of Lyth Hill it was a low gear plod against the wind for miles but I consoled myself with the thought that it would be helping me later on.

Between Pontesbury and Minsterley was a struggle and I seriously contemplated changing the route but stubbornness kicked in and I chose to stick with it. The A488 is closed at Hope for roadworks at the moment which was nice as far as Plox Green as there was less traffic than usual but instead meant there was extra traffic on the Stiperstones road as people try to avoid the closure. I was slow but steady up the climbs as I wound my way up through Snailbeach, Stiperstones village and Pennerley. I had to duck into a gateway just after Crowsnest to allow two cars to pass each other on a tight bit and spotted a bus taking to an unmetalled track as a way round the main-road closure.

Nearing The Bog I was starting to flag. The bug I had last week has taken more out of me than I anticipated so the last few climbs were extra slow with the odd rest stop. On the way down the other side the wind was from the side which made things interesting on this very exposed track with cattle grids.

Reaching the Bridges it was clear that my plan of climbing up to the summit of the Long Mynd wasn't going to happen this time. I headed through Ratlinghope where I did catch another cyclist whose tracks I'd been following for a few miles. Not long after that I paused in a gateway to finish off a bit of cake that I hoped would give me the energy for the next climb - unfortunately it didn't, and sat rather heavy to boot which made the long climb up to Wildmoor very stop-start.

By the time I got to High Park I had the wind behind me and it is mostly downhill to home. I opted to take a zig-zag route towards Plush Hill then Gogbatch before crossing the A49 and getting onto very familiar lanes. I had a pretty good tailwind now but had no energy at all so the speed was nothing to brag about for the rest of the trip.

34.8 miles at 9.9 mph average and a 32.6 mph top speed. A bit overambitious when getting over a flu-like bug but it seems a bit churlish to moan after reading @footloose crow's write up. I wish you all the best for a speedy recovery.

Crossing Lyth Hill near the start. Lovely sunny conditions.

Between Exfords Green and Plealey. The flag shows how breezy it was.

At Snailbeach.

Not far from Pennerley, looking back down the valley to Stiperstones and Snailbeach.

A view up to the Stiperstones from the road to The Bog

Later on: a pause at Wildmoor Pool.

The residents enjoying their lunch.

View from Plush Hill before I descend to Gogbatch.

Today: Doug had mentioned wanting to get out which gave an incentive to get going even though I still wasn't feeling great from yesterday. There was rain forecast for about midday so it couldn't be a long ride and it was quite windy again so we settled on the short version of the Acton Burnell loop.

It was another fairly slow plod into the wind to start with and for once Doug was going quicker than I was. By Ryton I found the legs easing a bit so it was less of an effort to keep up and by the time we paused for a drink at the crossroads after Longnor I was feeling practically back to normal.

The wind at this point seemed to be more of a south-easterly than the southerly I'd been expecting. It meant that it wasn't helping as much as hoped on the way to Acton Burnell but from there onwards it was in the ideal direction to help the rest of the way home and we cruised along at some pretty good speeds in addition to this the A49 was almost empty (in our direction at least) so it was a good end to the trip. The rain started shortly after we got back

17.1 miles at 12.3 mph average with another good top speed of 30.3mph. I feel much better for having got out.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Up and over the Wyche for me to start. Pete M was there in Colwall. We made it down the lane as a shower started so into the church we sheltered. First Rector was in 1275. We didn't hide for long and we were soon turning at Peg's Farm. I didn't have any go on this ride so far so the struggle continued over the Munsley lump and along the flanks of the Marcles. The cafe at Much Marcle didn't come too soon.
I felt a bit more like it as we headed for Ledbury by Leddington. We couldn't take our usual escape from Ledbury as a huge oak had fallen across the road. So we diverted by Cut Throat Lane and Petty France. Back at Colwall I just had the Wyche to climb for home and a cup of tea. 38 smiles

 

[Dave 123]

Just a 10 mile loop this morning, it’s Georgia’s 18th birthday today so I could only squeeze a Battisborough loop in. I took it steady as it was very Slippy


https://www.strava.com/activities/3021094438

 

[ruffers]

Just a 10 mile loop this morning, it’s Georgia’s 18th birthday today so I could only squeeze a Battisborough loop in. I took it steady as it was very Slippy


https://www.strava.com/activities/3021094438


View attachment 500962

View attachment 500963

View attachment 500964

View attachment 500965

Great pictures 👍🏻

 

[ruffers]

Just a 10 mile loop this morning, it’s Georgia’s 18th birthday today so I could only squeeze a Battisborough loop in. I took it steady as it was very Slippy


https://www.strava.com/activities/3021094438


View attachment 500962

View attachment 500963

View attachment 500964

View attachment 500965

Oh and happy 18th Georgia 🎂

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Pete M, Steve E, Rob A, Mrs 26 and me turned out dressed for a ride. Jules H was in mufti sans bike. Ledbury was the call so we headed through the Castlemorton lanes for Berrow. There was a small bit of easily dodged ice on the lane but it wasn't much of a problem at all. Roadworks at Pendock slowed us but before long we were riding the ramp to Redmarley. Around by Donnington lead us to Ledbury and the cafe.
Rob headed for British Camp, Pete for Petty France while 3 of us took to climb Hollybush. Mrs 26 headed for the crossing of the common while Steve and I went by the Castlemorton lanes again. Lovely ride in glorious sunshine and no windchill. 45 smiles

 

[geocycle]

First ride to the Dales this year! Delayed start to let ice melt then lovely sunny day. Didn’t see Ingleborough as a cloud sat on it all day. First picture shows snow on Whernside. Up to Clapham where the falls looked amazing then over to Ingleton. Lunch with the cavers in Inglesports.

 

[DCBassman]

First ride of the year due to weather and lurgy, and a test ride for the Merida MTB, so just a short one to make sure the bits I've fitted didn't fall off.
They didn't and I didn't, so OK. But it's waaaay too cold for me to be out on a bike, even in this glorious sunshine.
Frost on the ground at 3pm, north end of Grenofen tunnel.

The Merida is not my kind of bike at all, more on this in the build thread.
6.21 miles at 7.4mph avg, 482 feet of up.
Brrrr!