Your ride today....

[ruffers]

Whilst Prepping the house and garden for my step daughters 18th today, I was left with a little window of opportunity to get out on the bike. My better half has gone shopping so with the weather being on top form I grabbed the opportunity to get out.

I haven’t been out since Sunday as I decided to give my legs a rest. Today’s ride was a new loop around villages near me. It’s a loop I wanted to have in my locker for a quick ride out or if I don’t have a destination in mind.

Started in Brandlesholme, through green mount, then onto hawkshaw. From Hawkshaw I took the following picture looking up towards Holcombe Hill.

Then through to Bradshaw and Tonge fold. This then led me through to little lever, Bradley fold and back down Bolton Road leading me back to Tottington.

A really nice loop for me and my goals at the minute. 16 miles today at an average speed of 13.9mph

happy cycling everyone 🚴🏻👍🏻

 

[JPBoothy]

Today's ride was mostly about making pretty patterns!

View attachment 523617

That appears to be pretty much my own stomping ground. The Wirral has some nice lanes that you can link together but a few busy A roads that 'usually' need to be avoided if possible.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Now we can ride with a pal at 2 metres so John B and I met up. John was in charge. So south around the end of the hills and through familiar lanes by Kempley to Linton. We rode the ridges to Mitcheldean and climbed for Littledean taking in a new bit of tarmac for Green Bottom. Then upwards and over for Cinderford. On the way out for Ruardean I spied GV's very own Jamie Baker so a chat ensued. Then continuing up we turned to descend steeply off Howle Hill. We passed through Ross-on-Wye and headed for Hole-in-the-Wall where we sat by the river to eat our sandwiches. Then up and over the Marcle ridge lead us to take the traditional route back. It was quite hot today so thirsty work. Nice to get out with a pal at last. 65 smiles

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Today's ride was mostly about making pretty patterns!

View attachment 523617

That looks like the route taken on the way home from the pub on a Friday night ! I have started giving my routes names, according to shape ie Lasso route, dickybow tie route. Not sure what that one of your would be.

 

[DCBassman]

No ride today, and probably not tomorrow either - I've managed to reduce both bikes to unserviceable hulks by fettling...

 

[ruffers]

That looks like the route taken on the way home from the pub on a Friday night ! I have started giving my routes names, according to shape ie Lasso route, dickybow tie route. Not sure what that one of your would be.

there’s a route near us called the bat loop, and cyclists have been doing it and then donating £5 to the NHS

 

[Chromatic]

Very similar to last Thursday's ride; from Gloucester, through Twigworth, Norton, Wainlodes, Tirley and on to Chacely, instead of stopping there as I did last week I went on to Forthampton to the church there for a pic. The route back was the same as last week except I didn't do the Sandhurst loop at the end.
Just over 25 miles, lots more cars on the main road, fewer cyclists.
Here's a picture of some stocks which are outside the church in Forthampton.

 

[Mike_P]

Took the day off work (at home) today – decided there was no way I going to a get anywhere near a full days work with the weather being too tempting not to continue the ABC challenge on the Defy. So route programmed into the Wahoo and off in search of F initially this morning. All too easy with Farnham, Ferrensby and Flaxby in near quick succession. The climb out of Farnham was popular other than for Shank’s Pony and more riders were towards the top of the climb. Flaxby is notable for its sole through road having to give way southbound, a relic of the days the A59 passed through here and then, eastbound, did a right turn onto the A1.

A brief westerly use of the A59 on its current alignment before achieving the G in the manner of Goldsborough.

Through the village towards Knaresborough but then east on the A59 across the A1(M) to drop down to the A168 where the seemingly predominant normal use of the road was immediately obvious.

The A59 overbridge provided a nice shady spot to change the 4k sportscams battery and the just before Walshford I turned off to head east to the required H of Hunsingore with a loop pass and then through the village, where I disagreed with Wahoos Komoot sourced directions as the way out of the village is pretty obvious yet it wanted me to go down a narrow side street full of builders vans.

Further south on the A168, an issue with Komoots route planning that needing changing was that even set to road cycling it was directing down the adjacent bridleway, the remains of the old northbound A1. Turned off again east, this time to the I of Ingmanthorpe. Bit obscure like Eavestone with a handful, of in this case, very substantial properties, and a single way in and out although ungated in this instance. Of single width with passing places apart from a two lane bridge over the A1(M) and once past the first property beyond that bridge the Wahoo seemed to be of the opinion I should be doing a U turn but I carried on to what appeared to be the end.

ABCs done for the day and west over the A168 to Kirk Deighton where a few seconds earlier as I turned right at the junction would have seen me doored by Postie.

On to North Deighton and then Spofforth

where another sportscam battery change was undertaken. Then via Haggs Road in a new PR and Rudding Lane where for once the traffic lights on the bridge stayed green and consequently a new PR up the climb thereafter. The A661 Wetherby Road into Harrogate which was slightly busy while the A59 Skipton Road was looking like it was back to its status as the second most congested road in the country outside of London

So yet another metric half century with 39.05 miles @ 14.7mph avg and 1759ft climbed, and back home ½ a minute after Komoots predicted timing.

 

[Katherine]

Kenyon Hall Farm shop have just started doing takeaway coffee. Yay! (also ice-cream!)

Less miles than planned because of the heat and later leaving due to some work taking longer than expected. Not complaining though. Still wonderful to be out.

 

[EltonFrog]

A lovely early evening ride today after dinner, don’t usually go out at the end of the day, but I felt like a pootle about on the MTB but when I got to the bicycle storage facility the rear wheel was flatter than a witch’s tit.

Instead I decided to use my road bike instead and have gentle meander around the locale on that, I went to the Hagbournes anti-clockwise this time then towards Blewbury, left to the Astons, left again to the Moretons and Fulscot, on to the sink of bohemian depravity that is Didcot, Harwell village, Hagbourne Hill and home, where some knuckle dragging inbred overtook me on a blind bend and nearly drove head-on to a Tesco van. Twunt.
Apart from that it was a smashing ride.

15.24 miles.

 

[derrick]

Nice ride out this afternoon, lovely and warm with a bit of a breeze, roads where generally pretty quiet. Have got back to enjoying solo rides, But it is nice to share a beer with someone at the end of the ride though, Doing my first ride with a mate on Saturday, socially distanced of course, Looking forward to that, as last time we rode together we where evenly matched,
https://www.strava.com/activities/3483417441

 

[Mr Celine]

On Saturday afternoon I replaced the worn out chain on the best bike and swopped the wheels for my summer pair of handbuilts. It has either rained or blown a gale ever since.
Today the sun was shining and I'm officially on leave all week so time to road test the new set up and do some more normally out of bounds A roads. Today it was the turn of the A697 from near Lauder to Coldstream. This is a shorter route from Edinburgh to Newcastle than the A1 and is popular with lorries which might struggle on the A68 at the Carter Bar. It's also popular with sales reps which is presumably why it has dozens of gatsos.
Today it was nice and quiet. First stop for a breather and a photo was at Greenlaw in front of the war memorial and the old 'town' hall. This building was featured on that programme that Griff Rhys Jones did.

Greenlaw is actually a small village. It has a town hall because Berwickshire needed a new county town after the English stole Berwick. Shortly after this was built it was decided that Duns was better equipped to be the county town and it's never been used for anything much since.
Next stop Coldstream. View looks east towards the bridge, with everything on the far bank being in Ingerlund -

...and looking the other way. The Cheviot on the horizon above the back wheel -

I crossed Coldstream Bridge before turning westwards on the B6350 and stopped to have a look at a curious border anomaly. Said border runs down the River Tweed except for this single field on the south bank which is part of Scotland -

The road is behind the hedge and is wholly in England. The uncultivated strip the bike is standing in is presumably no-mans land. River Tweed off to the right.
Here's the view from the other end of the field -

Anomalous field off to the right. The line of posts, one of which the bike is leaning on, is presumably the English side of no-mans land. All the buildings which can be seen in the distance are on the other side of the river. In the current lockdown it is illegal to fish from the riverbank in Scotland but not in England!
Back on the bike, through Wark and Carham which are the last two settlements before the Border proper -

...which is actually this small burn.

There used to be a stone 'England' marker on the far side of the bridge but it seems to have disappeared. The image on Google streetview seems to have been taken shortly after its demise in a road traffic collision. There is a 'Welcome to Northumberland' sign out of shot round the corner.

From here I ground my way west into the headwind (which was supposed to be from the south) but did manage to summon up enough energy for a short loop at the end of the ride to take it over 100k for the first time this year.
The map-

65.7 miles @ 16.0 mph, 1074m up.

 

[ruffers]

Took the day off work (at home) today – decided there was no way I going to a get anywhere near a full days work with the weather being too tempting not to continue the ABC challenge on the Defy. So route programmed into the Wahoo and off in search of F initially this morning. All too easy with Farnham, Ferrensby and Flaxby in near quick succession. The climb out of Farnham was popular other than for Shank’s Pony with more riders were towards the top of the climb. Flaxby is notable for its sole through road having to give way southbound, a relic of the days the A59 passed through here and then, eastbound, did a right turn onto the A1.
View attachment 523692
A brief westerly use of the A59 on its current alignment before achieving the G in the manner of Goldssborough.
View attachment 523701
Through the village towards Knaresborough but then east on the A59 across the A1(M) to drop down to the A168 where the seemingly predominant normal use of the road was immediately obvious.
View attachment 523700
The A59 overbridge provided a nice shady spot to change the 4k sportscams battery and the just before Walshford I turned off to head east to the required H of Hunsingore with a loop pass and then through the village, where I disagreed with Wahoos Komoot sourced directions as the way out of the village is pretty obvious yet it wanted me to go down a narrow side street full of builders vans.
View attachment 523699
Further south on the A168, an issue with Komoots route planning that needing changing was that even set to road cycling it was directing down the adjacent bridleway, the remains of the old northbound A1. Turned off again east, this time to the I of Ingmanthorpe. Bit obscure like Eavestone with a handful, of in this case, very substantial properties, and a single way in and out although ungated in this instance. Of single width with passing places apart from a two lane bridge over the A1(M) and once past the first property beyond that bridge the Wahoo seemed to be of the opinion I should be doing a U turn but I carried on to what appeared to be the end.
View attachment 523698
ABCs done for the day and west over the A168 to Kirk Deighton where a few seconds earlier as I turned right at the junction would have seen me doored by Postie.
View attachment 523697
On to North Deighton and then Spofforth
View attachment 523696
where another sportscam battery change was undertaken. Then via Haggs Road in a new PR and Rudding Lane where for once the traffic lights on the bridge stayed green and consequently a new PR up the climb thereafter. The A661 Wetherby Road into Harrogate which was slightly busy while the A59 Skipton Road was looking like it was back to its status as the second most congested road in the country outside of London
View attachment 523695
So yet another metric half century with 39.05 miles @ 14.7mph avg and 1759ft climbed, and back home ½ a minute after Komoots predicted timing.
View attachment 523693
View attachment 523694

great write up 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

 

[JPBoothy]

That looks like the route taken on the way home from the pub on a Friday night ! I have started giving my routes names, according to shape ie Lasso route, dickybow tie route. Not sure what that one of your would be.

Possibly the 'where the #### am I' route

 

[delb0y]

Quick ten miles round the lanes after tea as I continue to try and find some of the fitness that I lost during the first part of the lock-down. Alas, not sure where it's hiding.