Your ride today....

[postman]

Ok i am buzzing.We have been busy,so it was a mountain bike tootle through the local woods only.But i feel fantastic,full of beans.Called for a coffee at one stop and a coffee and a monkey shoulder whisky at another.No mileage to report ,but the satisfaction is massive.Due to other things coming up over the weekend and Monday next ride will be Tuesday,looking forward to that.

 

[postman]

British Standard Summer this morning. I have had plenty of practice at this one, here comes more! Wheel out the fixed and ride off.

Mizzle, drizzle and straight down persistent in varying amounts, by the time I reached Oakwood and its clock things were rather wet. Turn left and pass the posh Roundhay Park gates, the adjacent former tram terminus is now a car park, and continue to Moortown Corner and the Harrogate road. Turn right, noticing that there was little traffic about, and pedal north as far as the bridleway to Eccup reservoir. This is pretty well surfaced (with the odd aberration) all the way to the dam wall. Which was clear of parked cars, a very unusual state of things.

Keep riding, the village of Eccup is next. How big is a village? Is it the number of houses, few in this case. Or is it area? The New Inn at Eccup is a fair distance from Village Road, which I guess could be the main street. And which I rode along to that awkward turn left, the opposite direction to the pub just mentioned. Five Lane Ends next, turn right to reach the eastern side of Golden Acre Park and right again to the top of Kings Road. And the first bit of downhill for a while to the roundabout at Bramhope. Where the state of soggy me decided to turn left and head home.

This is a well worn stretch of road. Lawnswood, across the Ring Road to reach Headingley and then down the hill to Kirkstall. Given the dismal dampness of the morning I guessed, correctly, that there would be few people using the towpath towards Leeds’ centre. And I was almost there before I remembered the camera hung under the handlebars.



A short diversion through Hunslet, just ‘cos right turns across four lanes of traffic are not my favourite thing, and a distance up the main road takes me almost home. Of course I was smiling, a hot shower was next! Twenty four miles and eleven hundred feet of up, a gentle ride that was a lot of fun, oddly.

Where I went . . .

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and the ups and downs of it

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I know these area well,my part of the woods,you give great descriptions.Keep it up.

 

[13 rider]

Jun

Well, first off for a few years today... riding the NCR72 to Prudhoe avoiding a dog.

I'd approached slowly but didn't unclip as I'd normally do which just goes to show... sadly the dog ran back across the path, managed to avoid hitting it, just grazed an elbow + knee. Bruises forming nicely this morning! [Post edit: bike's fine, it landed on me!]

Carried on to the cafe at Prudhoe to get cleaned up then rode home via Ovingham to see our recently finished social rent housing scheme. Just over 23 miles instead of the 44 mile planned trip to Hexham. Takes 2020 total over 600miles which is better than last year.

Well done on saving the bike by using yourself as padding . Hope you heal quickly

 

[Binka]

3rd trip out on the new bike. Parked at clumber Park and biked to Sherwood and back. With some extra loops. I'd been unsure whether to get a "pure" road bike or not but pleased I went for the AR option now.

 

[13 rider]

3rd trip out on the new bike. Parked at clumber Park and biked to Sherwood and back. With some extra loops. I'd been unsure whether to get a "pure" road bike or not but pleased I went for the AR option now.

Nice bike . I have to ask about the named ramblers ?

 

[Binka]

Was wondering if anyone would notice! 😁😁. No idea really. Someone I stopped and chatted to said they’re quite a common sight in the area!

 

[GetFatty]

Up to the planes at Biggin Hill as usual

 

[Mark pallister]

Family 50

 

[bluenotebob]

Another 2020 Loony Challenge ride for me today. I headed into Mauron on fast roads – 10km of energetic riding but the roads were mostly quiet as it was lunchtime. 27km south on the local Voie Verte – relaxed and easy riding – to the Nantes-to-Brest canal at le Pont des Deux Rivières. I followed the canal towpath west for 28km past Josselin and up to the écluse de Griffet. The towpath was pretty busy – lots of kids cycling, and a few long-distance tourers (following EuroVelo 1). I used a quiet lane to get to les Forges then it was 30km home via the Forêt de Lanouée.

95km today which takes me to 4509km for the year – just over halfway to my annual target of 9000km…. a target set when I thought I’d have 12 months of the year in which to cycle, rather than 10...

The Moulin de Carmenais on the Nantes-to-Brest canal

Approaching Josselin from the east on the canal towpath

A thatched well at les Cinq Chemins in the Forêt de Lanouée

 

[wafter]

Thanks to yesterday's surprisingly tiring effort I got to sleep relatively early for once; a good job since I had a bloke popping round early this morning to pick some stuff up.

After that was dealt with I found myself fully clothed at an unusually early hour and as my throughts turned towards breakfast I recalled that I only had enough eggs to last me for the weekend (or less). Mere moments later I was heading out on the CdF along the usual route; for once wonderfully anxiety-free about the prospect of finding the cupboard bare as I was about 2hrs earlier than usual.

Sure enough there were plenty left, I filled my boxes and was on my way. The return leg took me back across to Abingdon then north into town and just to extend the ride a bit more out to Marston and back across Port Meadow.

The weather was the usual grey muggyness with a side of irritating but tolerable NW breeze, but it felt good to get out and my legs felt a bit less leaden compared to yesterday. The quality of traffic seemed to be better today; only one close pass and one pillock in a Range Rover who gave me enough room but forced the oncoming car to clip the verge as a result; eliticing a cloud of dust and justified use of the horn

As with most of the public spaces encountered today the ride along the cycle route from Abingdon was mercifully quiet but still proved "eventful". First I narrowly missed running over the head of an especially thick dog after it obliviously meandered right in front of me - good job I'd already slowed down; braking to a stop inches away from disaster. It seems that most dog owners are great at getting themselves out of the way, but many fail to recognise their bloody dog is their responsibility too..

The fun didn't stop there as shortly afterwards I slowly rounded a bend to be confronted by two pensioners coming the other way on bikes side by side and occupying the full width of the path. Neither seemed bothered about giving me any room and I ended up so close to the flora on my side I collected some in the mudguard

I saw a few cyclists about on the roads but not the swarms I've seen previously; probably due to a combination of the weather and more people being forced back to their pre-'rona grindstones.

A bit over 32 miles and 400ft at 14.1mph and 126bpm for just under 1300kcal burned; my legs feeling like I'd worked a lot harder than I had by the time I'd got back.


Post-return I managed to break the vacuum like a tit (more money! ) and had no decent food so commiserated with a burger from Peppers in Jericho . Phoned the order in and rode over on the ofo to collect; had to wait far longer than necessary thanks to some self-entitled old woman who pushed infront of me as I waited at the door with a dismissive "I'm only collecting" then proceeded to stand and talk at length in a very-much-"I'm not collecting at all" kind of way

Dinner finally acquired it was consumed whilst sat on the war memorial at St. Giles:

As great as it was it didn't fully satisfy and I dropped into Waitrose on the way back to see what reduced goodies I could score - coming away with the salad that justified the trip as well as ordinarily £12's worth of quality scotch eggs, sausage rolls and pork pies for three quid. I'm happy to say that the ofo is helping me win the battle of weight loss one ride at a time

As I rode away I noticed I'd forgotten to remove my DIY kitchem paper mask; making me feel at least 50% more hardcore on the ride home..

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Met up with a friend in Pott Shrigley and off into the Peaks.

Up the brickworks then Windgather to Pym Chair where the majestic view across to Kinder Scout opens up

Thence over the dam of Errwood reservoir

and the most demoralising view in the whole Peak District: the old inclined plane leading to the top of Long Hill, alas now without the fixed engine to assist the ascent.

Now, Eccles Pike, one of my favourite climbs and even a little sunshine in the view across Coombes reservoir.

Finally, a last effort up the lanes beyond Chinley- very little frequented local lanes for local people - and home.

42 miles and 1350m climbing. Not too shabby for an after work ride.

 

[wafter]

3rd trip out on the new bike. Parked at clumber Park and biked to Sherwood and back. With some extra loops. I'd been unsure whether to get a "pure" road bike or not but pleased I went for the AR option now.

I hear that.. granted there's still an amount of novelty but in the three months I've had my bit-more-than-just-road bike it's covered about 1400 miles to the road bike's 55ish. I'd not want to get rid of one, but if I had to the choice would be pretty easy.

 

[Binka]

I hear that.. granted there's still an amount of novelty but in the three months I've had my bit-more-than-just-road bike it's covered about 1400 miles to the road bike's 55ish. I'd not want to get rid of one, but if I had to the choice would be pretty easy.

yep, the good thing is is that it seems as good as my old road bike on the actual roads. Win, win.

 

[wafter]

yep, the good thing is is that it seems as good as my old road bike on the actual roads. Win, win.

Grand

I reckon I lose about 15% on the average speed but the geometry of the road bike is more aggressive so I suspect much of that is aero drag and it's not really a fair comparison of the defining features that separate all-road and road bikes. Last time I used the road bike it certainly felt quick and nimble by comparison, although (as their usage shows) most of the time this is trumped by the AR bike's versatility and comfort..

 

[GetFatty]

My posts are going to get a bit boring as I go to the same place every day at the moment. Today's ride was notable though. I was cycling up Westerham Road from the Keston Mark and a guy was coming in the opposite direction. Now this is a long drag up but the way back is a joy, I easily hit 35mph+ but it takes concentration. This guy took time out to tell me to wear a hat. Puzzling as I was wearing a cap (those who know me know that my slightly thinning scalp needs protection from the sun, can't be too careful) so I assume he meant a helmet. Given the relative speeds it was over too quickly for me to tell him where to stick his hat. You never know he might read this.

Live animals: 2 (fox and a squirrel). Dead animals: 1 (badger). Anyway here's a picture of a plane