Your ride today....

[Old jon]

After the winds of yesterday outdoors looked calm this morning. Almost compulsory to take a bike for a ride, not that I needed persuading!

Check the chain tension on the fixed ‘cos I had plenty of time. About half a turn on the adjusters, there is always the temptation to have the chain too tight. And too slack is worse. Anyway, pedal off and aim for the Leeds and Liverpool towpath for the first time in a while. And at seven in the morning it was not quiet. Nor were the roads on the way there and the climb up Cardigan Road to Headingley confirmed this. Think the early starts will be saved for weekend rides now.

Cross the Ring Road by the school, carry straight on then take the right turn onto Church Lane, and after a while pass the church itself. Down to Adel dam and after a bit of a rise turn left to ride more rising road past Golden Acre Park’s eastern side. Down Kings Road to Bramhope and through the outskirts of the place to the Dyneley Arms and then the brisk pedal down Pool Bank. Fastest for a while down there, maybe my spinning legs are returning. The A659 is the left turn out of Pool, ride along that to Otley and the munch by the maypoles.

Refuelled, it is time to ride up the Leeds Road. No need to choose a gear, there is only one on this bike. Just pedal. Almost at the top, just before a row of cottages (Cragg View?) on the left there was an upturned bike and the rider was fixing a flat. Stopped, asked, was told he had all he needed. On I rode. Bramhope is slightly downhill in this direction, which makes the roadworks slalom a little more interesting, but I will still be glad when it is all finished.

Then pass Golden Acre Park on its western side and pedal my way back to Headingley and the right turn to descend to Kirkstall. The road back into town, guessing the towpath would still be busy, and the homeward run after crossing the river on Victoria Bridge. Thirty miles and fourteen hundred and some feet going up, there’s the excuse for a grin. That and a very good ride.

No video, I forgot! Still pics . . .

 

[wafter]

4 July An abrupt ending

The physical shock, the sheer visceral experience of hitting granite at 20mph is hard to describe. The pain comes in a few seconds. At first it is just a feeling of shock. What happened?. Being unable to breathe for a few seconds. The world goes quiet and then with the tidal wave of pain come voices. Faces appear. I stand up and then quickly sit down. I know something is wrong. I can feel the bone ends grating.

It started badly. After I had pushed the bike up the half mile 20 per cent hill at the bottom of which I reside in splendid isolation (the delivery drivers describe it more prosaically) and then gone another two miles back down another long hill, I wondered why my eyes were watering. I reached up to check my glasses. No glasses. Worse, patting my head reveals no helmet either. I have a legendary capacity for day dreaming and not noticing stuff. Hmmm...go back up the hill, down to the house and then repeat the walk uphill again? Or take a chance? It is short route on quiet roads - just 15 miles. I press on.

The back lanes are indeed very quiet despite police warnings about holiday traffic. After ten miles I have seen three cars. The roads are wet after days of rain with a thin layer of mud where tractors have come off the fields. The bike gets dirtier.

View attachment 534302

I stop for a photo and text Madame Crow to assure her all is well. I wonder how I will sneak home without her discovering the lack of helmet. Despite the wind and rain showers the ride is good. I am not rushing. Enjoying the scenery. The hills are getting easier after three months of cycling 600 miles and 50000 feet a month. We are off to France for cycling and campervanning in few days. No return ferry booked. See how it goes. I am looking forward to warm, empty, smooth roads.

Up the penultimate hill and down the other side, thinking about France, thinking about whether to try for a Strava PB on the way home. A bend ahead. Not even conscious of pedalling. A white van fills the road suddenly and I need to squeeze down the side. Everything happens quickly now. One second I am on a bike. The next I am lying on the ground about three metres in front of the bike. I try to process my memories. I braked. The wheels locked. I couldn't slow. I hit the gravel at the side of the road and then into the hedge as the road bent and I went straight. All so fast. Brutal.

The van has stopped. I tell the driver that my collar bone is broken. I am holding my right arm tight to chest. My ribs hurt. Breathing hurts. The pain is intense. The van driver puts me in his front seat and the bike goes in the back. I feel every bump in the road,

We arrive at my house and I can't move. Madame is white faced. I don't know what the van driver told her. I am soaking wet. Madame cuts my new Jersey off me and then it is the urgent care centre in Truro. Three hours, two X rays; I move up the hierarchy of doctors until I need a consultant. The bones don't meet. Sent home with painkillers and an appointment om Monday. On RidewithGPS I can see I was doing 22mph and then zero. Thats why it hurt then.

Madame Crow is fussing about where my helmet is and do I need new one? I confess. Hell hath no fury like a woman whose explicit instructions are ignored.

This morning I texted my cycling friend with the story, the possible need for surgery and that I had inspected the bike and it seemed OK.

'Glad the bike OK' he replied.

Man, sorry to hear this - thankfully I've never had a high-speed off but can imagine it's utterly horrible in many way.

Wishing you a swift and complete recovery!

Ha! Yes. I'm here for a few days so carrying more than usual. In one is my repair kit, pump, spare tubes and wet wipes, clothes for 5days, wash bag and sandwiches/ bananas for the ride and binoculars.

In the other is my work laptop, A4 hardback notepad, a Private Eye, and a radio magazine, a largish hardback book ('Greenery' by Tim Dee- it's an exceptional read) plus food for last night - a small pork joint, some spuds, carrots and a leek. More wet wipes and some chain lube. A frozen pint of milk too- still frozen when I arrived remarkably.

In the small pannier at the front my wallet, keys, phone /Garmin recharger plus wires, some drinks and chocolate, and a small radio.

I don't travel light I'm afraid.

Nice work - I'm very impressed by the super practical application of the bike and the amount of gear you've managed to take with you. The most I've ever done outside of recreational circulars is about 25 miles and that bred its own brand of anxiety about the repurcussions of anything going wrong on the way due to the necessity of the journey.

I hope the weather's decent for your return leg!


Following some semi-unplanned baking last night the kitchen was once more on Defcon 5 as there were only three eggs left!!!1!

After waking late this morning I recalled my dire predicament... Knowing that I only had enough eggs for today I skipped breakfast and a shower, getting straight on the CdF with a nice lofi hiphop mix in my ears and headed sedately out southwest into the thick, heavy air beneath the looming black clouds to bother the eggmonger.

Upon arrival at his residence I was disappointed to find but 14 of the precious left, and having feverishly harvested these I pressed on to the farm where I mercifully found a good stock remaining. The outstanding 16 voids in my boxes filled, the honest box appeased and I was on my way.

The ladies loving my ride:

As usual I followed the loop to Abingdon, then Radley, NCN5 into town along the tow path then flounced around a bit as the weather was improving and it was just nice to be out.

I passed what was left of the university Zoology building, which made me a bit sad for the loss of its imposing blocky and brutalist presence:

The weather perked up as the ride wore on, although the gusting wind was constantly flicking the ears of my anxiety. Traffic was predictably heavier; apparently polarised further into those who were hyper-considerate and some utter dickheads. Today's prizes go to the muppet in a Range Rover who just casually cruised past me on the inside / wrong side of a blind country bend because he couldn't wait 20 seconds; despite the fact he was only doing about 30mph so clearly wasn't in a hurry.. as well as the tosser on the woodstock road who must have afforded all of about 3" between his mirror and my bars. I really, really need an air horn to wake up these imbeciles

Idiots aside it was nice to get out and I clocked up around 33 miles and 400ft at 14.0mph and 121bpm for around 1200kcal burned

 

[Gunk]

I agree about the Zoology building, it's a real shame that they couldn't preserve the external structure.

 

[AndreaJ]

Still windy in Shropshire today and I decided to continue with my plan to try some new lanes.Directions written down for the new bit and start off where I know where to go through Loppington passing the pothole repair lorry and work men hard at work, onto Burlton, Marton and now following what seemed like clear directions when I wrote them down towards Petton, back down to Weston Lullingfields which was as expected and I knew where I was which was lucky because the plan was to turn right and head to Cockshutt, unfortunately there was no right turn so I carried on to Bagley, Hordley, Lee, Tetchill, Ellesmere up Grange road which I won’t repeat in a hurry as the road surface was awful even for Shropshire. It did improve further along before I turned to Trench, Sandy Lane towards The Mere back at Ellesmere, Coptiviney, Welshampton, Lyneal, Northwood and home. 34.64 miles @15.5mph in 19mph wind(according to garmin). The wind has finally dropped now so hopefully it stays like this, while there are some amazing views across to Wales on this route that’s the direction the wind comes from.

 

[gavgav]

Monday is normally shopping night, but with this looking like the only decent evening of weather, this week, knocked that on the head and went for a bike ride instead.

Sunny, but still breezy, as I headed out. I’d been going for all of a minute, when I encountered moron number 1 today, chap in a box van who overtakes me and then immediately cuts across the front of me, over the orange painted cycle lane and up the slip road to the football ground and supermarket.

Continued through Meole, Nobold and Hook-a-Gate, where the New Inn has re-opened and they have a decent sized marquee outside, to help get more numbers in. As I left the village, climbing the hill, encountered Moron number 2, who comes up behind me, revving loudly, decides to try and overtake on the brow of the hill, into the path of another car, gets alongside me, slamming on his brakes, swerving back in behind and then bounces the engine off the Rev limiter as he mounts the second attempt, with a smell of burning clutch wafting into the air behind him.

The lane through Exfords Green, to Stapleton was busy, so I was glad to reach Dad’s and have a chat for half an hour.

Set back out and headed through Gonsal, Condover, along Lyons Lane, where I met 2 cyclists, riding abreast on the narrowest section, who didn’t move over at all, to the point where I had to swerve into the gravel by the verge, to avoid pedals clashing! The chap gives me a “alright mate” to which I responded “no, try moving over”. I’m normally a mild mannered person, but with Saturday’s ride and tonight’s, my patience finally snapped.

Have people just engaged idiot mode, now that lockdown has been eased, or what?

14.88 miles at 14.1mph avg.

 

[Archie_tect]

The Airport 12 mile loop today into the wind so tiring getting home, but on my old Dawes 10 speed Lightning for a change!

 

[Stonechat]

Third Post lockdown ride on Sunday

Went through Ripley and East Clandon to Staple Hill.
Climbing this I settled down behind another cyclist to help pace me iup. At the top I found it was Dave from the local cycling club. Nive to see him.

I missed the turning up Crocknorth, but managed to regain my return route via Effingham.

It wsa quite windy enough to raise the effort needed.
41. miles with 1319 feet of climbing. Ave moving speed 15.9 mph
https://www.strava.com/activities/3716741940

 

[colly]

4 July An abrupt ending

The physical shock, the sheer visceral experience of hitting granite at 20mph is hard to describe. The pain comes in a few seconds. At first it is just a feeling of shock. What happened?. Being unable to breathe for a few seconds. The world goes quiet and then with the tidal wave of pain come voices. Faces appear. I stand up and then quickly sit down. I know something is wrong. I can feel the bone ends grating.

It started badly. After I had pushed the bike up the half mile 20 per cent hill at the bottom of which I reside in splendid isolation (the delivery drivers describe it more prosaically) and then gone another two miles back down another long hill, I wondered why my eyes were watering. I reached up to check my glasses. No glasses. Worse, patting my head reveals no helmet either. I have a legendary capacity for day dreaming and not noticing stuff. Hmmm...go back up the hill, down to the house and then repeat the walk uphill again? Or take a chance? It is short route on quiet roads - just 15 miles. I press on.

The back lanes are indeed very quiet despite police warnings about holiday traffic. After ten miles I have seen three cars. The roads are wet after days of rain with a thin layer of mud where tractors have come off the fields. The bike gets dirtier.

View attachment 534302

I stop for a photo and text Madame Crow to assure her all is well. I wonder how I will sneak home without her discovering the lack of helmet. Despite the wind and rain showers the ride is good. I am not rushing. Enjoying the scenery. The hills are getting easier after three months of cycling 600 miles and 50000 feet a month. We are off to France for cycling and campervanning in few days. No return ferry booked. See how it goes. I am looking forward to warm, empty, smooth roads.

Up the penultimate hill and down the other side, thinking about France, thinking about whether to try for a Strava PB on the way home. A bend ahead. Not even conscious of pedalling. A white van fills the road suddenly and I need to squeeze down the side. Everything happens quickly now. One second I am on a bike. The next I am lying on the ground about three metres in front of the bike. I try to process my memories. I braked. The wheels locked. I couldn't slow. I hit the gravel at the side of the road and then into the hedge as the road bent and I went straight. All so fast. Brutal.

The van has stopped. I tell the driver that my collar bone is broken. I am holding my right arm tight to chest. My ribs hurt. Breathing hurts. The pain is intense. The van driver puts me in his front seat and the bike goes in the back. I feel every bump in the road,

We arrive at my house and I can't move. Madame is white faced. I don't know what the van driver told her. I am soaking wet. Madame cuts my new Jersey off me and then it is the urgent care centre in Truro. Three hours, two X rays; I move up the hierarchy of doctors until I need a consultant. The bones don't meet. Sent home with painkillers and an appointment om Monday. On RidewithGPS I can see I was doing 22mph and then zero. Thats why it hurt then.

Madame Crow is fussing about where my helmet is and do I need new one? I confess. Hell hath no fury like a woman whose explicit instructions are ignored.

This morning I texted my cycling friend with the story, the possible need for surgery and that I had inspected the bike and it seemed OK.

'Glad the bike OK' he replied.

Hope you mend fast .........'grating bones' . Gave me the willies

 

[Arjimlad]

@footloose crow Ouch - not something I have experienced yet but I hope you GWS - Can you still go to France ?

I devised an extended route to work for this morning. I wanted to avoid j14 of the M5 at Falfield & found this lane on RWGPS mapping. Little did I know Gambril Lane is mostly a stony farm track with some steep downhill sections. I got off just the once and really enjoyed this little adventure exploring a new route. Next time with the Giant Revolt rather than the TCR !

 

[ianbarton]

I had to go to the Warfarin Clinic in Nantwich yesterday. Rat poison levels a bit high, but nothing to worry about. I decided to cycle via the back lanes to Whitchurch. I wasn't concentrating and after a while realized I had missed the turn off the main road and was heading towards Wrexham. Not to worry, there are plenty of other turns that would get me back on track. I took the first road to the left and soon became lost in the maze of unsignposted lanes. I got the phone out, but there are so many small lanes it's difficult to work out the best route. Eventually, I spotted a sign to Cholmondeley and was soon back on a road I recognized. Even better news the Cholmondeley Arms has now re-opened!

I followed parts of NCN 70 and 45 back to Marbury, where the Swan pub is still closed. I had a brief rest on the bench round the oak tree opposite the pub before continuing to Whitchurch. I stopped at B&M Home Bargains to get some marzipan fingers and other goodies. I was definitely running out of steam, so ate half the packet of marzipan fingers. After battling against the headwind most of the way, it was behind me all the way home!

 

[Mike_P]

Ebike this morning to the office to collect some paperwork, odd spot of rain going and advoided TTLs and most of a cycle track by use of a car park, path and across a grassed strip of land. Definite advantage of going this way was no problems crossing the A61 with traffic stationary due to the TTLs. On the return it was noticeably raining and after the car park stayed on the cycle way for a while as it looked a long wet way to the outside of the bend. Typically as it was raining I had to wait for the moving queue of TTL traffic to pass.

 

[Old jon]

An odd one this morning. Bits of the rest of life might limit cycling for a few days, so it made sense to have a ride this morning. In the drizzle. Right, a short gentle journey was intended, and amazingly it happened. Stuff does go right.

Downstream at the side of the River Aire was the idea, so after wandering through a bit of Holbeck and past the southern end of Leeds Bridge I reached the Armouries. And a signpost, pointing downriver, telling me this was the Transpennine Trail, maybe also NCN 67. A lot of the old buildings have gone, though the big mill on Goodman Street is still there. Been empty a long time. Housing next, then the start of the Aire and Calder Navigation. There is a weir on the river not far downstream.

Crossings. The Aire and Calder first, then the Aire itself on a rather narrow bridge. Further downstream there is a bridge, wide and wiggly, back across the river. Which wanders off around the eastern side of Thwaite’s Mill. The canal stays on the other side, but has to be crossed to continue. And then it is crossed again, by going up to and over a road bridge. And then down the other side on a flight of steps. Would not like that with a heavy bike. Then the well surfaced path goes on.



Across the waterway again at Fishpond Lock and almost all the way to Lemonroyd Marina. Turn away from water here and head towards Oulton on Fleet Lane, the rain had become wetter. Take the third exit at Oulton roundabout, it is not often I ride in this direction on this road. It is still uphill to John o’ Gaunts though. And downhill almost all the way to home after that. One hundred and six yards short of fifteen miles, calculators are so useful, and flat except the bit to John o’ Gaunts. Happy rider.

This way, clockwise,

 

[Dave 123]

A 25 mile ride on which I felt tired all the way around. Up over Westlake and through Ivybridge, Stowford Mill soon to become posh houses.
Harford and Cornwood, then home

https://www.strava.com/activities/3726467017

 

[ianbarton]

This morning I texted my cycling friend with the story, the possible need for surgery and that I had inspected the bike and it seemed OK.

'Glad the bike OK' he replied.

That' was very unlucky. I have had a couple of close shaves when something suddenly appeared around a bend on a single track road. I hope you have the pain under control and you don't need an operation on the break.

 

[wafter]

In addition to yesterday's 33-miler on the CdF I went out for a waft around town late evening as the weather was so much nicer (cooler, clearer) and I was "rewarded" by finding another bike!

Today I ofo'd into town to get a haircut (still undecided as to whether this was wise, although I was reaching the end of my tether); quite a few people about but the covered market was pretty dead..