Your ride today....

[fossyant]

Quick 16 miles - usual training route I do. Nipped out during my lunch break and was doing a fair old speed down the Middlewood Way, probably around 18 mph. I could see a fat bike in the distance, but I wasn't gaining particularly quickly. As I got nearer, the clouds of dust were evident from the fat tyres. Dug in and accelerated and passed him doing about 20 mph (hard work on a full suspension trail bike on gravel). Wasn't until I looked over and it was like one of these:-

Amazon product ASIN B07RFCLSXTView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/GUNAI-Electric-Folding-Mountain-Hydraulic/dp/B07RFCLSXT/ref=sr_1_6?crid=20PVBPD1UHCFI&dchild=1&keywords=folding+electric+mountain+bike&qid=1589901363&sprefix=folding+electric+mount%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-6


No wonder. 1000w !

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I will post about two totally different rides if I may, a tale of two halves! Ride one one sunday was one of my slowest but with good reason. My wife has started on another six sessions of chemo and last tuesday was sick all day. By the weekend was fit and rearing to go and decided she wanted a bike ride. Took her round some quiet lanes and she was over the moon with 18.5 miles, apart from her rear end!
This morning I decided on my longest ride since last summer, past Coltishall camp through Dilham and onto the coast road at Bacton. Followed coast road to Cromer then headed inland via Metton, Aldbrough, Blickling and a loop around Reepham to pad out to 61.9 miles at 16.5.
Only thing that mildly annoyed me was chap on nice Colnago and wearing very colourful kit over took me between Dilham and Bacton. He was less than 1 metre from me on an empty road whenhe passed. But then wasn't quick enough to pull away but still decided to expel a snott rocket just in front! Made me smile as looked about my age but my bike has rack and bag, mudguards and dynamo lights so a fair bit heavier. Happily he soon turned off and didn't reply to my saying about the non social distancing pass and expelling of bodily fluids. Lovely ride though and only slight anoyance, nice to catch a site of the sea again.

Best wishes to Mrs Goldenretriever for a good outcome from her treatment.

 

[EltonFrog]

Just a quick utility ride on the hybrid to the shop today, 6.12 miles on a bright, warm, sunny day.

I bought ice cream. Essential? You bet your arse it was. I’ve had a trying morning.

 

[mustang1]

A relaxing 20k today. Warm 25C sunny and a bit breezy.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Third day of riding on the trot and the best ride too, well at least fastest and legs feeling less tired of late. My main objective was to collect a dozen eggs from Stowupland, pre booked ! I then had to go further to justify putting on the cycling attire and it was a warm ride too. On my ride yesterday I had put back another saddle I used to use, that was a mistake, apart from a bit of rubbing I was also too hot in the nether regions. So back went the Prologo with the cut out ( air cooling induction I call it) and I also angled it down a tad more. The most comfortable I have been, result. Well we will see. It might just be that the stars were in complete alignment for my ride today. 22.5 miles at 18 mph with 636 feet of climb 10mph westerly and 20 degrees. A good ride, no close passes but just watch the idiots speeding. 40mph seems to be the new 30. Watch out and stay safe.

 

[Donger]

Another glorious sunny day in Gloucestershire. In my quest to ride every day for a month, I headed off for Arlingham, pausing at Priding for a glug:

On the way to Arlingham, it seemed that everyone with an Audi or a BMW was out proving just how fast it could go. Made for an interesting and stimulating ride, with a need for a few minutes relaxation at the riverbank:

On the way back home, I stopped at Saul for a photo I've been wanting to take for months. Every time I've passed this cottage, there has been a van or a car outside, spoiling the shot. Not this time:

Then followed a catalogue of stupidity on the way home.
1. A family group of five came out of Elmore Church in front of me without looking, and letting the kids ride on the wrong side of the road just before the crest of a hill and a blind bend. I had to call to the father to let me through as they were all the way across the road.
2. A few minutes later, as I was descending from Elmore Court at 28mph, a young lad stood in the middle of the road with his back to me and a whippet by his side, not on a lead. Completely oblivious to the fact that he was at the bottom of a hill whichever direction he looked, and liable to be passed by fast moving bikes in either direction. I called out to him to get his dog out of the road (didn't care about him, but would hate to see his dog injured) and received a foul-mouthed earful in return. Not proud of myself, but I returned some choice Anglo Saxon phrases as I passed.
3. Approaching the canal bridge on Elmore Lane, a middle age couple on bikes were making painfully slow and wobbly progress up the mildest of inclines in front of me. I slowed right down to be patient with them, despite the chap drifting right onto the wrong side of the road right on a blind corner. As we approached the bridge, with him still on the wrong side of the road, I could see a car approaching from the other side of the bridge, so I warned the bloke that a car was coming. He looked at me blankly and continued grinding his way round the blind corner, forcing the oncoming car to stop in panic.
Much as I've enjoyed seeing more people out and about, I'm actually starting to look forward to them all getting back to work. It's getting like a dodgem ride around here.
Rant over. 28 more miles done. Cheers, Donger.

 

[NorthernDave]

With a days annual leave booked today, I made the most of it and got out for a ride with an idea to secure this month's ride in the Half Century Challenge.

Breezy, wasn't it? Very swirly too, meaning it seemed to be in my face a lot of the time...

Still, nowt to do but get on with it. Up to Shadwell via Whin Moor Lane then on to Slaid Hill. Add a bit of mileage down Wigton Lane and back, then a long loop back to the A58 via the fringes of Scarcroft.
Carr Lane to Thorner, then up onto Milner Lane and multiple loops in the lanes between Rigton Green and Compton, admiring the blue flax @colly mentioned up thread.

Back in the saddle, round the loops again and stopped for a breather on the bench overlooking the ridge.

After enough looping, back into Thorner and the long steep climb up Sandhills, then on to home.

32.29 miles (51.96km) at a steady moving average of 11.5 mph.

Happy to get out, happier still to get that qualifying ride done.

 

[ianbarton]

Quite warm today with almost no wind. The fields are full of tractors cutting grass and chopping it for silage. I did my 48k loop through Aston and Wrenbury, climbing up to the top of the hill at Wirswall. I have decided that next time I come this way I can sit at the picnic table to eat my sandwiches. Good views over the Cheshire Plain to the Peak District. A quick visit to B&M in Whitchurch to pick up some marzipan fingers, scones and part baked bread rolls. Continued through Ightfield and Willaston before dropping down to the big pool at Tittenley. I have had back ached for a few days. I was fine while cycling, but it's stiff and painful this evening. Maybe I should have just continued cycling!

 

[gavgav]

Early finish day, from working and a nice warm sunny late afternoon ride, but that ruddy westerly wind was blowing like a goodun yet again.

Out following my regular route, to Betton Abbots and on towards the King Street crossroads, where, like @Rickshaw Phil I was surprised to find the Berrington road closed off, after no warning signs. I wasn’t going that way today, though, as I battled against the wind to Condover, then Ryton and Longnor.

The wind was a mixture of crosswind and tailwind, through Frodesley, Acton Burnell and Pitchford, but was then a partial headwind, for a good proportion of the remainder of the ride and indeed the final stretch back home, was directly into the wind and I was literally having to drop down to almost the lowest gear on a flat road!!

19.86 miles at 13.6mph avg

 

[Mike_P]

Tuesday evening and a road improvement at last on the A59 – whilst the surface is still at a lower unfinished level west from the new roundabout the vertical step to the proper road surface beyond has had a tarmac ramp put against it so for the first time in ages no unnecessary halt in lieu of not mastering the requisite bunny hop. The wind less than Sunday so via Hampsthwaite once again

and the Defy made it up the climb to Clapham Green the quickest this year and so the ride continued up the ridge road to Menwith.

The original plan had been to carry on west but somehow the intended pre 7pm departure had turned into a twenty past 7 one, and it was 8pm once I reached the B6451 and the bike was devoid of lights. So south on the B road along the west side of Menwith Hill and surprised to discover subsequently in a PR on the Strava segment appropriately called “They’re watching you…” Penny Pot east and the Oaker Banks north back to the A59 in around 15 minutes so upping the average speed significantly from the westbound slog to 13.9mph for the 15.96 miles with 1010ft climbed.

 

[welsh dragon]

11 miles for me today. Beautiful sunny, hot day. Very little traffic as

well (hoorah).

 

[wafter]

Yesterday's ride..

Got some nice bits in the post from Germany as per my freshly updated, super-exciting CdF thread - try not to all rush over there at once

Went out with the camera for a change to take some photos for the above thread. Spent about 4hrs out but only half of this riding; up to Cumnor, out along a bridleway to Wootton, Abingdon, back along the cycle path to / around Radley lakes then up to Bagley wood, into town and home.

The weather was fantastic and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. I had some nice exchanges with other road users for a change and my misanthropy was partially abated when I stopped to find a young couple deliberating over what to do with a fledgling they'd found, who were being helped by an older couple on bikes. Sadly from previous experience I suspect the writing was on the wall for the poor little bugger but it was nice to see people trying to help.

My progress along the cycle path was hampered by a fallen tree, and I slightly helped a bloke lift his bike (complete with child in-situ!) over the obstacle. I almost met my match on my previously un-explored track to Radley lakes as it was surfaced with large 40-50mm rocks, that were pretty deep in places and caused the front wheel to slide about a fair bit. Thankfully after plenty of panicked un-clippings I got to the other end and had a nice ride around the dirt tracks surrounding the lakes; feeling ever-more confident on the bike than I have on these sort of tracks.

Finally Bagley wood was fantastic; cool, shady and peaceful. I stopped to take some more photos and stayed to bask in the aroma of freshly-cut pine and birdsong that permeated the wood. As the day slipped more into early evening my presence became much less about riding and more about just being there - immersed in the tranqulity of the woodland as blackbirds dived in and out of the undergrowth, swarms of insects hovered backlit by the sinking sun through the trees and bumblebees lazily floated about above the forest floor's carpet of fallen twigs and branches.

Ultimately I managed about 23 miles at around 11.5mph and feel surprisingly achey for it today - partially because of the camera sticking into my back through my rucksack and partially through all the crouching down I was doing to take photos..

A nice day out in a fantastic environment; pics being very bike-centric though due to my reasons for taking the camera and limitations of the single prime lens I took with me.

Just off for another ride now with a mate - first organised social contact I've had since lockdown began. I'm hoping his lack of fitness will be my saving grace as I'm pretty knackered tbh!

 

[Old jon]

I wheeled the fixed out at the incredibly early time, for me, of 7:19. In the morning!! To celebrate this ridiculous hour the sun was shining brightly and everything looked good for a bike ride. Off I pedalled.

Around Holbeck the thought occurred, why not ride the river path I tried last month? Should be quiet at this time in the morning. See how close to Castleford it goes or some such excuse. The Armouries is the easy way onto the waterside, just keep going after that all the way to Methley after a bit of confusion at Lemonroyd Marina. Being honest, confusion was doing well along here. Looking at the map I am not sure where I turned left to cross what I would call the River Aire. But cross it I did and found a St Aiden’s Country Park.

The track I chose was errrr, unsuitable for road tyres but I did fine, if cautiously, and eventually reached Allerton Bywater on what could have been NCN 967 (?) but was also called the Lines, guessing it was once a railway. And onto the A656. Familiar tarmac, and it seemed to have a tailwind too. The road rises, once Ledston Luck is reached it levels, keep straight on at Peckfield Bar and there is a bit of up by the right turn to Micklefield.



There was temptation to ride straight on at the crossroads with the B1217, but those gates at Lotherton Hall must be magnetic or something. I turned right, and once at the gates managed to turn left and ride on to Aberford. Leaving there on Cattle Lane I could see a cyclist in front. There is a left hand bend where the road starts to rise, by the time I reached that the rider was out of sight, but on the level bit before the drop to cross Cock Beck I almost caught up.

Only to be dropped as the road went up to Barwick. The days are long past when I could and did accelerate up hills like that. Made me smile anyway, not sure why. The smile stayed there, through Scholes and for the last eight or ten miles to home, clocking up thirty four of them before returning to my front door. Another good ride out, most of it before the temperature started rising.

The map,

1400 feet of going up, most of it in the last half of the ride,

 

[fossyant]

A quick 11 miles off road again at lunch, using local bridleways and a tiny bit of the canal. Nice circular route. Fairly busy out, and many people at the local country park.

It was a good job one on my strava segments got cut short by a dog walker, had I not, I really would have 'pooped up' a bunch of fly tippers at speed and heavy braking at the end of a segment (you've got to sprint hard up a rise, then brake very hard at the end before a loose gravel right hand turn). As my progress had been thwarted, I wasn't going to sprint the last uphill bit. There was a transit van blocking the bridleway. I saw a load of mattresses and building rubble dumped at the side of a wall next to the van, then saw a guy flinging tyres into the hedge. As he saw me, he said 'uh-oh'. I said nothing, and had to squeeze past another guy getting stuff out of the passenger side. There were three of them.

I did however, freewheel slowly past, taking a long look at the registration. Upon getting to a main road, I hopped off and logged the number on my phone. At this point they drove past and scarpered. Duly reported you skanky B4$T4@@$ !

 

[Arjimlad]

I wanted to ride along Passage Road at Aust to get a view of both of the Severn Crossings yesterday after work from home.

Had a lovely run out and then made my way back along a very quiet Redham Lane running from Northwick, via Ingst to Olveston, where I nearly came a cropper on some terrible potholes. But overall it was a lovely ride.

I got out for a ten mile ride-to-work-from-home this morning, as I won't be able to go out this evening due to a click & collect Tesco slot having been booked.

Sometimes a bit of furlough especially with weather like this would be nice. I have booked some leave either side of the coming weekend though so I might be able to venture north into @Donger territory !