Your ride today....

[Gravity Aided]

10 miles this day, testing out the Austro-Diamler, town and country ride, but nothing special, except the A-D, which did well. I think it could use a granny gear, maybe after a paycheck or two. I'd ordinarily have one, but not in this BCD.Quite warm,but not windy out today, thunderstorms becoming more prevalent now. I did not see too many people out today, owing to the heat and humidity, as well as two major century rides in the area yesterday.

 

[ColinJ]

Hell's teeth! How in the name of everything holy can the wind possibly be coming from all four points of the compass, yet always against me? Just messed about down the local lanes today, but every which way I turned it was straight into a blustery headwind. Started Southwards to Frampton, then headed first East then North to Whitminster, where I hung a left to head West to Arlingham, which is a dead end. Turned around and headed East again before turning North once more and heading for home....... Through all this, not a single sodding tailwind. 30.5 miles of being buffeted about and battling against the wind. How the hell does that happen?
Rant over. Donger.

Ha ha - bad luck! I have experienced the same thing in the past.

There is a 20 mile loop here - (Valley roads) Hebden Bridge, Todmorden, Littleborough, then a long climb to Blackstone Edge, followed by the longest continuous descent (5.6 miles?) in England down through Cragg Vale to Mytholmroyd, then back along the valley to Hebden Bridge. I got a fierce headwind to Todmorden where there is a 90 degree left turn. Fierce headwind to Littleborough! 90 degree left turn - another bloody fierce headwind on the climb! I bust a gut to get up to Blackstone Edge and dreamed of the long descent to Mytholmroyd. Another 90 degree left turn, and what did I get .. another bloody fierce headwind! So fierce in fact that I had to stand up in a 39/28 gear to actually get DOWN the hill!

 

[ColinJ]

Thursday night was just made for cycling, and with a warm south-westerly breeze blowing I set out after work in Coventry and headed south-west towards the Malvern hills. The Malverns are about 50 miles from Coventry as the crow flies, and quite a bit further on the route I took. I left work just after 4 and headed out of town westwards, towards Chadwick End, then turned south west towards Lowsonford and Wootton Wawen, but careless mapreading led to a few wrong turns and I added on a few miles round here, and made up for it with a dash down the A3400 through Henley in Arden.
Back on quiet roads, I went almost to Alcester before turning south towards Bidford on Avon, and the quiet B road on the south side of the Avon as far as Evesham. Up to this point I had had the Cotswolds on my left horizon, but I followed the Avon to Pershore and then Upton-on-Severn, where the Malverns reared up ahead. The sun was about to sink behind them as I covered the last few miles, and it was about 8.30 and with nearly 70 miles behind me as I climbed up towards Malvern Wells.
The commanding views back eastwards were looking rather dusky by this time but the sun was still up on the western side, so I slogged up the last couple of miles to the Malvern Hills hotel at the southern end of the range, and rode back up the western side where the sun was still big and red and low in the sky. The final fast drop back to Great Malvern felt like a just reward for the effort, and I was at the station in plenty of time for the 21.56 train back to Birmingham.
I got back to Coventry just before midnight and had a few more miles to get home, and I bombed down the empty A road which all felt like part of the fun. 87 miles in total and quite a late evening. I've been catching up with my sleep this afternoon.

Approaching the Malvern Hills
View attachment 91724

The route
View attachment 91725

A nice ride, Rob! I thought of doing pretty much that route as a forum ride one day but it might not happen now because I don't go back to Coventry much since my parents and best mate died. (I still have a sister there, but she tends to come up here to see me.)

If I thought I would get a decent turnout then I would make the effort and come down for an extra trip with my bike, but I am getting a bit discouraged by the low numbers on recent forum rides 'oop north'!

 

[PeteXXX]

I was hoping to get out for an early ride this morning before the family decsended for lunch, but after a couple of long afternoon shifts, where I saw the dawn a'cracking, I really didn't have the energy to get up and going!

Eventually though, I managed a leisurely ride around the town to drink coffee and eat some cake at a mate's house.
Just after I set off, it started to rain. Luckily, skin is waterproof so only my clothes got a bit wet..

My old British Eagle Touristique by the River Nene.

And again, by some rocky ornaments in a local park...

Back home on 18 and a half miles, blown dry by the breeze

http://app.strava.com/activities/325518338

 

[DaveReading]

Nice ride out this morning to Aldermaston, arriving in time to see the wife completing her 20th mile (running) as part of the Endure24. Hats off to her and all the other participants, who (mostly) looked to be having a great time.

Maybe next year ...

 

[ColinJ]

Me-90k around cliviger, waterfoot and Rochdale. No pics cos it looks dull.

It was a bit grim round here today wasn't it!

I didn't really fancy riding in the chilly, windy, overcast conditions but I had my MCL target to think about, which is precisely why I have it in the first place! I eventually dragged my lazy a*se out and did 26 miles. I kept adding extra little bits on to increase the total mileage, but avoided the big hills because the tops looked worse than the valleys.

Once I make the effort to get out, I nearly always enjoy the ride. I tell myself that I just need to nip out and do 10 miles (whatever), but then add another couple on, then another 5 and so on.

 

[ColinJ]

Phew - I have finally caught up!


This is one of my favourite threads on CycleChat, but after not visiting it for a week or so there are always such a lot of ride reports to catch up on ...

 

[User169]

We are coming over to Utrecht for the start of the TDF then tour across towards the German border and dropping down into Belgium .We will call into Arnhem en route but apart from that any suggestions of good places to cycle in that area would be gratefully received.

Utrecht should be fun! I took in some of the route of the second day yesterday and signs are already going up. Some of the bible-belters are very happy apparently as the route passes through their villages on Sunday.

Not very familiar with east of Utrecht/Arnhem - I'd just decide what you want to see and ride between them. One tip in NL though: the red bike signposts tend take a direct route often alongside main roads, whereas the green signs take more interesting, but less direct routes.

 

[Hill Wimp]

Utrecht should be fun! I took in some of the route of the second day yesterday and signs are already going up. Some of the bible-belters are very happy apparently as the route passes through their villages on Sunday.

Not very familiar with east of Utrecht/Arnhem - I'd just decide what you want to see and ride between them. One tip in NL though: the red bike signposts tend take a direct route often alongside main roads, whereas the green signs take more interesting, but less direct routes.

Thanks DP green routes it is then. Never toured the NL so we want to make the most of it.

 

[Elybazza61]

Bit of a blast for this mornings commute,but still had time to spot a barn owl(couldn't miss it as it came from the trees in front of me),a heron,about 4 robins,some chaffinches and a cormorant.

Apologies for the title for those who don't like swearing;

https://www.strava.com/activities/325792857

And a late post for Saturday's club ride which ended up being just four of us in the rain and drizzle but a good pace none the less;

https://www.strava.com/activities/324410558

 

[biggs682]

had a nice pre 6am 16 miles this morning prior to getting ready for work up the mad mile along past Beckworths and the Airport up to Sywell and along to Mears Ashby and Earls Barton then on to Hardwater cross roads with a quick 30 mph descent down into Wilby and back along to Mears Ashby and then back towards home , even had time to re arrange the bikes in the garage and swap a tyre over .

 

[Levo-Lon]

Took the new build Rt58 for a 20 miler today..neck ache occurred at 15 miles so that's a plus..old frame was end of the road. I won't miss that..
Like this RT58 see a few lads out today..All said hi..nice day here ..

 

[luckyfox]

No ride today...I got a lift into work...and thats all im saying

 

[ColinJ]

No ride today...I got a lift into work...and thats all im saying

It's been a while since I got a lift into work ... and that's all I'm saying!!!!

 

[coffeejo]

The last two miles of yesterday's ride were bleeping awful but the 52 before that were lovely. One of my favourite loops over the Blackdown Hills is to go up Wrangway, drop down to Hemyock, go up, down and up again through Dunkeswell, head back over the top of the hills and then drop back down Staple Hill. Yesterday involved a new route out to Wrangway, including a hill I've been meaning to give a go for ages but never got round to. I had to make an impromptu diversion thanks to a road closure and thought I might as well just do it. Not one to be repeated on the road bike's skinny tyres - and never in winter. Nice views though. The skies were more grey than blue and the headwind stopped me reaching 40mph on the homeward descents but like I said, it was great until the end, hence this post in an attempt to remind me of that. No photos though. Took some but they were crap.