Your ride today....

[MonsterEnergy]

I went out for a quick cycle to try and hit my target of 100miles this month, and i got 102.56mi. I'm quite chuffed with that. Some may think that's nothing, but considering that some do nothing at all, i though i was quite chuffed with myself.

 

[MonsterEnergy]

Anyone live in Kirkliston that cycles alot?
Be glad of ideas of where you go if so.

 

[C R]

I went out for a quick cycle to try and hit my target of 100miles this month, and i got 102.56mi. I'm quite chuffed with that. Some may think that's nothing, but considering that some do nothing at all, i though i was quite chuffed with myself.

I think it is great. 100 miles a month is a good start, and puts you well ahead of most people, I should think. I myself rarely manage more than 200 miles a month, only 182 this month.

 

[MonsterEnergy]

I think it is great. 100 miles a month is a good start, and puts you well ahead of most people, I should think. I myself rarely manage more than 200 miles a month, only 182 this month.

Okay...thanks. Considering some of my family havent been out the house for months for excercise, thats pretty good. What do you reckon i should try next month...As in mileas target

 

[colly]

An afternoon ride out before the weather closed in. And also the first ride out on new tyres. I have opted for wider deeper tyres (32mm) which fit (only just) and I have to say it's like riding on a cloud. I did stop just after Wetherby to add more air. Being fatter, I found that out of the saddle I could definitely feel the tyre deforming at the back. More air helped of course but the bike even goes around roundabouts in a different manner. I need a pump with a pressure gauge.

As for the ride.
Straight north up the quiet A58 to Wetherby, north again to Walshford and even more north up to Boroughbridge. A quick stop for a drink.
I knew I had made very good time and I knew that the trip back wasn't going to be so easy.
Immediately I set off back it was into a storming headwind. .
South past Marton and Great Ouseburn, through Whixley, over the normally busy A59, now deserted, further south to Cattal and over the small bridge across the River Nidd. Straight on passed Bickerton and Wetherby, off further to the west, and into Thorpe Arch and Boston Spa.
Over the Wharfe and rather than going via Bramham I made for Collingham and the A58 into Leeds.
The last 8 miles or so were a grind to say the least. Long draggy inclines and an unrelenting headwind. When I got to the end of my road I had 49.1 miles on the clock. A simple loop around the block would make it around 51.5 miles.......Should I?

Nah................Bugger it. I was knackered.

49.2 miles and 2300 ft of up.

View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/48001428

 

[C R]

Okay...thanks. Considering some of my family havent been out the house for months for excercise, thats pretty good. What do you reckon i should try next month...As in mileas target

Just do as much as you enjoy. BTW, how's your front derailleur doing?

 

[colly]

View attachment 518707 View attachment 518708

So today was my hardest but most beautiful cycle so far. I decided I would follow a route made from the cycle app I use, little did I know how hard the cycle would be! For over half of my cycle everything was pretty much uphill and boy I was struggling (many times I almost gave up) but I pushed myself through it showing an average speed of around 6.5mph. I realised how unfit I really am when a guy in his 60s (I'm guessing) easily over took me as I was putting every effort I had into it, he smiled and said 'hello' and that was it he was gone. Wow I mean come on I'm 34 years old and just been owned by this guy lol. After pushing myself I noticed about half way into my ride I had the most beautiful view and realised how high I had cycled, I had to take a few shots. I got to finally cycle down the hill, omg it was so amazing I had so much adrenaline in me. Once I finished my route I was like yeah that was hard but by far the most beautiful, enjoyable and satisfying cycle I've had so far.

View attachment 518710 View attachment 518711

That deserves more than a single like.

 

[footloose crow]

Okay...thanks. Considering some of my family havent been out the house for months for excercise, thats pretty good. What do you reckon i should try next month...As in mileas target

Make it a sustainable target. Add 10% to it every month. So next month do 110. Then 121....and so on. By Xmas you will be targeting 200 miles. That would be a respectable 2400 miles a year if sustained.

 

[itboffin]

862 miles in April

 

[MonsterEnergy]

Just do as much as you enjoy. BTW, how's your front derailleur doing?

Erm not sure really. When i was doing a few jumps in my back garden, when i pedalled along, the chain suddenly spun round really fast, like it would when a chain comes off, but after that it was fine....Very strange...I was watching a cyclist cycle past me and when he changed gear, it sounded a much better and smoother sound....Is it different on road bikes?

 

[MonsterEnergy]

Make it a sustainable target. Add 10% to it every month. So next month do 110. Then 121....and so on. By Xmas you will be targeting 200 miles. That would be a respectable 2400 miles a year if sustained.

Thanks...that will be hard, but i will just have to cycle alot more, as i do running aswell, but only up to about 3miles. My plan is mixed with running and Cycling in May, but hopefully if June's weather is sunny, i will try amd fit it all with cycling, with a few rest days, and set a target off a bit more

 

[MonsterEnergy]

Anyone live in Kirkliston that cycles alot?
Be glad of ideas of where you go if so.

?? - Anyone?

 

[C R]

Erm not sure really. When i was doing a few jumps in my back garden, when i pedalled along, the chain suddenly spun round really fast, like it would when a chain comes off, but after that it was fine....Very strange...I was watching a cyclist cycle past me and when he changed gear, it sounded a much better and smoother sound....Is it different on road bikes?

Not necessarily, a good set up makes a nicer sound, but component quality also has a bearing. Keep reading and practicing on the settings and you will get there.

 

[13 rider]

@MonsterEnergy have a look at bikemap website there are some routes from Kirkliston may give you some ideas

 

[Mike_P]

Blue skies and sunny this morning so after it was confirmed yesterday work can be undertaken whenever you want it seemed obvious to go out on the Defy in a northerly direction to make full use of the southerly wind on a couple of hills. Also the fact that I was pretty restless last night with not going out yesterday and just spending time on the indoor trainer watching GCN. After the cross wind on the westerly route towards Hampsthwaite, a whole string of PRs northwards from Hampsthwaite up the eastern Clint Bank and the continuation from the junction with the western Clink Bank, down the long drag to Shaw Mills with a lot of cyclists heading in the opposite direction into the headwind, and then up the climb out of Shaw Mills – one of very few local hill climbs that goes straight up the hillside as opposed to more diagonal and as a consequence equally rarely a more uniform gradient peaking at 15.1% roughly midway and 9.8% overall.

Through Bishop Thornton for a south east approach to Ripley down Scarah Bank which possibly because of the headwind causing a slower decent I noticed just how lightly rutted it is as if a lot of cyclists went down it before the last surfacing dried properly. Just before the north roundabout at Ripley I stopped for a drink and discovered my somewhat elderly water bottle had lost its top. A bigger problem then occurred as I tried to set off and the chain split. Being 3 ¼ miles from home I decided that rather than attempting a roadside fix, which actually transpired later would not have worked as not only was there no quick link in the toolbag but also the pack of 3 I bought seems to have vanished, to walk back home, advantage of using recessed SPDs. It did mean I came across a boundary marker never spotted before on the old Killinghall bridge, of which parts date back to at least the 17th century, over the River Nidd with the newer mid twentieth century A61 bridge beyond.

A passing cyclist in Killinghall offered me his quick link but I declined as I was relatively close to home, while a van driver further on offered a lift which again I declined largely down to an obvious lack of social distancing aboard. New chain now fitted and more quick links to order.
10.03 miles cycled @ 13.2mph avg 768ft climbed bringing all together 356.26 miles and 24,392 ft climbed for April