But how will the gap close without intervention?
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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footloose crow
Veteran
- Location
- Cornwall. UK
itboffin
Guru
- Location
- Marlborough, Windshire
It doesn’t even with surgery mine was 2cm now after 10 years the stitches have lost their pull, I can dislocate my shoulder sitting on the sofa get it fixed, it’s doesn’t really hurt it just hurts if that makes sense, I push it back and it’s fine but has ended any chance of me sitting in one place for a long time, flights long drives etc but cycling is all good and pain free 😊
They most certainly do. My latest, when I was 68, pulled together all by itself just a little too well. There is a bit of a step.
Not wanting to start a wall wetting contest, but never had a problem with my collar bones knitting back together. They have had lots of practice.
Grant Fondo
Guru
- Location
- Cheshire
Don't get me started... just not in vogue so they use the 'asbestos biohazard' ploy to demolish and spend £200m on a new building. Grrr.. very sustainable. 30 years ago I lived a couple of streets away from Sir Leslie Martin's St Cross library... not a sniff of asbestos then?
Both great buildings by a great architect. Here's the zoology building before they dropped it. Why the hell wasn't it listed?
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theloafer
Legendary Member
- Location
- newton aycliffe
All driven by Vice Chancellors desire to leave a legacy of a statement building during their tenure, it’s such a waste especially when many of the historic buildings are in a shocking state of repair.
Grant Fondo
Guru
- Location
- Cheshire
bluenotebob
Veteran
- Location
- France
My 192nd ride of 2020 yesterday but only the first time out on my mountain bike. I avoid going ‘off road’ in the winter months, not wanting to encounter la chasse. I was locked down in March and April – and since then I’ve been playing catch up .. putting in long rides, getting used to my new road bike, and trying to get my distance back up to where it should be (I’m still around 1000km ‘behind’).
I decided to have a break from long road rides yesterday and to explore part of the GR37 long-distance footpath. The GR37 between Ploërmel and Josselin mostly follows the old railway line that ran between Ploërmel and Pontivy.
I’d had my RAID (La Pierre mountain bike) serviced the week before so I put her in the van and drove into Ploërmel. A swift exit from the supermarket car park and I was onto the V3 Voie Verte heading south in the sunshine. Over the rise and dropping down towards the Nantes-to-Brest canal. A right-turn off the V3 just after Ville Colliot, a little bit of road and then I was onto the old railway line at le Châtelet de Bézon. Mostly flat and a mix of sand, gravel, earth and stones .. fine in dry weather but it’d be a bit tricky if it was wet.
A gentle incline led me up to a 5-way near la Ville Mena and a stone cross. Then the line dropped again and I was into Guillac. There’s only one old building remaining of the old gare here. Across some fields, back into the woods, then the line runs close to the Nantes-to-Brest canal heading towards Josselin. There were plenty of people cycling and dog-walking on the towpath .. but I’ve already covered 9km of the GR37 and I have yet to see anyone.
Across the D123 at Caheran and back into the woods again. Another 3km of old railway line then the GR37 turns R and heads uphill on a very overgrown path. I pushed and pulled the bike through nettles and brambles and over fallen trees. After about 300m, there’s a road ... but the GR37 goes straight over and carries on uphill on what looked like an even more overgrown track. Enough of that .. my arms are covered in bramble scratches and I’d just spent 5 minutes detaching vegetation from my chain and front sprocket.
Left, downhill, then left again – and I’m onto the canal towpath near the écluse de St Jouan. Heading E and meeting lots of other cyclists. I pulled off the towpath and crossed the canal into St Gobrien. I’ve never been here before but I have passed it dozens (if not hundreds) of times. I wanted to take a photo of the church but it was wrapped in plastic .. obviously undergoing some heavy-duty restoration work.
I was following both the VP12 and the VAB (one of the Compostela pilgrimage routes in Brittany). The route loops round the church, heads off down a ‘No Through’ road, turns R after 150m or so, then goes uphill on a gravel track. It meets another road – the VP 12 goes left, but the VAB carries on steeply uphill on a rough track…I shall follow that another day.
Back to the canal towpath and I headed a bit further E, then off towards Caheran and back onto the GR37. The return to le Châtelet de Bézon took no time at all … back onto the V3, over the hill and back to Ploërmel and the van.
I called into the big supermarket for a few things .. hardly anyone was wearing face masks. They’ve already forgotten the virus… how shockingly dispiriting.
The quiet GR37
The busy canal towpath
I decided to have a break from long road rides yesterday and to explore part of the GR37 long-distance footpath. The GR37 between Ploërmel and Josselin mostly follows the old railway line that ran between Ploërmel and Pontivy.
I’d had my RAID (La Pierre mountain bike) serviced the week before so I put her in the van and drove into Ploërmel. A swift exit from the supermarket car park and I was onto the V3 Voie Verte heading south in the sunshine. Over the rise and dropping down towards the Nantes-to-Brest canal. A right-turn off the V3 just after Ville Colliot, a little bit of road and then I was onto the old railway line at le Châtelet de Bézon. Mostly flat and a mix of sand, gravel, earth and stones .. fine in dry weather but it’d be a bit tricky if it was wet.
A gentle incline led me up to a 5-way near la Ville Mena and a stone cross. Then the line dropped again and I was into Guillac. There’s only one old building remaining of the old gare here. Across some fields, back into the woods, then the line runs close to the Nantes-to-Brest canal heading towards Josselin. There were plenty of people cycling and dog-walking on the towpath .. but I’ve already covered 9km of the GR37 and I have yet to see anyone.
Across the D123 at Caheran and back into the woods again. Another 3km of old railway line then the GR37 turns R and heads uphill on a very overgrown path. I pushed and pulled the bike through nettles and brambles and over fallen trees. After about 300m, there’s a road ... but the GR37 goes straight over and carries on uphill on what looked like an even more overgrown track. Enough of that .. my arms are covered in bramble scratches and I’d just spent 5 minutes detaching vegetation from my chain and front sprocket.
Left, downhill, then left again – and I’m onto the canal towpath near the écluse de St Jouan. Heading E and meeting lots of other cyclists. I pulled off the towpath and crossed the canal into St Gobrien. I’ve never been here before but I have passed it dozens (if not hundreds) of times. I wanted to take a photo of the church but it was wrapped in plastic .. obviously undergoing some heavy-duty restoration work.
I was following both the VP12 and the VAB (one of the Compostela pilgrimage routes in Brittany). The route loops round the church, heads off down a ‘No Through’ road, turns R after 150m or so, then goes uphill on a gravel track. It meets another road – the VP 12 goes left, but the VAB carries on steeply uphill on a rough track…I shall follow that another day.
Back to the canal towpath and I headed a bit further E, then off towards Caheran and back onto the GR37. The return to le Châtelet de Bézon took no time at all … back onto the V3, over the hill and back to Ploërmel and the van.
I called into the big supermarket for a few things .. hardly anyone was wearing face masks. They’ve already forgotten the virus… how shockingly dispiriting.
The quiet GR37
The busy canal towpath
Grant Fondo
Guru
- Location
- Cheshire
Still looking good 60 years on!
twentysix by twentyfive
Clinging on tightly
- Location
- Over the Hill
Yesterday's Ride
Time for a long ride. So out over the hills by Bromyard and Leysters. A dodge across the busy A49 to go by Eye. Then on to the River Arrow for a picnic lunch at Eardisland. Along the river for an explore of new lanes to emerge at Eardisley which has some black and white buildings. Next it was onto Weobley to climb over to Burghill. Across the A49 it was back onto better known roads. So Sutton St Nicholas and down to the River Lugg at Larport. A bit of up and down on the flanks of the Marcles. The run to Gold Hill has some leg testers after more than 80 miles. After Bosbury the final climb over The Wyche has to be done before the descent home. Lovely ride in unfamiliar and new lanes. The temperature was just right, the wind wasn't too bad and the rain, when it came, was somehow quite refreshing. 101 smiles
Time for a long ride. So out over the hills by Bromyard and Leysters. A dodge across the busy A49 to go by Eye. Then on to the River Arrow for a picnic lunch at Eardisland. Along the river for an explore of new lanes to emerge at Eardisley which has some black and white buildings. Next it was onto Weobley to climb over to Burghill. Across the A49 it was back onto better known roads. So Sutton St Nicholas and down to the River Lugg at Larport. A bit of up and down on the flanks of the Marcles. The run to Gold Hill has some leg testers after more than 80 miles. After Bosbury the final climb over The Wyche has to be done before the descent home. Lovely ride in unfamiliar and new lanes. The temperature was just right, the wind wasn't too bad and the rain, when it came, was somehow quite refreshing. 101 smiles
a.twiddler
Veteran
A lovely part of the country.
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
A traditional view of Manchester from Werneth Low featuring the approaching incessant drizzle.
Much to my surprise it never arrived!
A very pleasant 35 miles including a brutal climb up to Werneth Low new to me. Probably the nearest double arrow climb to me I've not done before.
Much to my surprise it never arrived!
A very pleasant 35 miles including a brutal climb up to Werneth Low new to me. Probably the nearest double arrow climb to me I've not done before.
Oh wow! Blue skies, gentle breeze and the time to take a bike out for a ride. Just, go pedal.
Holbeck is downhill from here, gives the legs a chance to become used to moving. Away through Hunslet, fair flat and a following breeze and then then first rise to John o’ Gaunts. Through Oulton taking the Methley road out, the same road takes me to Castleford and the bridge over the River Aire. This far had been more or less autopilot. You know, awake and all that but not thinking much about where I was going, just enjoying how I was going. The how was about to be steeper for a couple of miles.
Riding the fixed today, and on one of the less steep bits it occurred to me that I have not ridden down this road. I reckon both directions would be similarly energetic on the fixed, so some time soon I will find out. The road starts to level as Ledston Luck is passed, just before reaching Peckfield Bar. Turn right, it’s the A63 towards Selby, and at the next roundabout turn left to ride through Micklefield. Which seemed quite busy this morning, more pedestrians than I have seen here for a while.
This road is the old Great North Road, the A1 when I was young. At the crossroads with the B1217 I resisted the magnetic pull of the gates at Lotherton Hall and went straight on to Aberford. And straight through Aberford to Bramham Crossroads. Turn left on the A64 and suffer the surface of that all the way to the Fox and Grapes. Just beyond there is the road to Potterton.
And the way out is to Barwick in Elmet. There is more to be seen here today, a lot of vegetation has been cut back, I think. Walls are visible, and the view over the tops of walls. It is a small village, soon fields are back on each side until Scholes is reached. Ride over the former railway line to the A64 again. Not for long, Thorner, Skeltons and Red Hall Lanes dogleg to the A58 and that descent towards the Oakwood Clock, and ultimately Crown Point and the bridge there, back across the Aire. Reached the street where I live soon after, with the usual smile even though the legs are feeling the thirty seven miles today. The longest ride so far this year on the fixed, and 1600 feet of up. Great.
Red squiggles
Holbeck is downhill from here, gives the legs a chance to become used to moving. Away through Hunslet, fair flat and a following breeze and then then first rise to John o’ Gaunts. Through Oulton taking the Methley road out, the same road takes me to Castleford and the bridge over the River Aire. This far had been more or less autopilot. You know, awake and all that but not thinking much about where I was going, just enjoying how I was going. The how was about to be steeper for a couple of miles.
Riding the fixed today, and on one of the less steep bits it occurred to me that I have not ridden down this road. I reckon both directions would be similarly energetic on the fixed, so some time soon I will find out. The road starts to level as Ledston Luck is passed, just before reaching Peckfield Bar. Turn right, it’s the A63 towards Selby, and at the next roundabout turn left to ride through Micklefield. Which seemed quite busy this morning, more pedestrians than I have seen here for a while.
This road is the old Great North Road, the A1 when I was young. At the crossroads with the B1217 I resisted the magnetic pull of the gates at Lotherton Hall and went straight on to Aberford. And straight through Aberford to Bramham Crossroads. Turn left on the A64 and suffer the surface of that all the way to the Fox and Grapes. Just beyond there is the road to Potterton.
And the way out is to Barwick in Elmet. There is more to be seen here today, a lot of vegetation has been cut back, I think. Walls are visible, and the view over the tops of walls. It is a small village, soon fields are back on each side until Scholes is reached. Ride over the former railway line to the A64 again. Not for long, Thorner, Skeltons and Red Hall Lanes dogleg to the A58 and that descent towards the Oakwood Clock, and ultimately Crown Point and the bridge there, back across the Aire. Reached the street where I live soon after, with the usual smile even though the legs are feeling the thirty seven miles today. The longest ride so far this year on the fixed, and 1600 feet of up. Great.
Red squiggles
