Your ride today....

[Jenkins]

Last day off work until next Friday and the weather forecast all week has had today being bright sunshine & light winds so I planned another ride around the Norfolk/Suffolk border area starting out in Diss. However I got the bike out of the shed this morning to be greeted by a passing shower and, although it was warm, the sun never came out until I got home and was mostly like this (from near the Wyken vinyards)

Starting out in Diss and then heading through mostly open countryside to Wortham, Burgate, Gislingham and Walsham le Willows and then north through Bardwell

Eventually ending up on the only 'A' road of the day for a fast run up to Euston where I turned off and back onto the preferred quieter roads and what turned out to be one of the best parts of the day - a lovely tree lined stretch on the Rushford road...

...followed by the mixed woodland & open heath area of Knettishall Heath ending up in Hopton.
Somewhere in this area there must have been some form of classic/vintage motorbike rally judging by the amount of BSAs, Triumphs and similar vintage bikes I saw, but the two Honda 4s in one of the groups were a bit out of place. Out of Hopton and up to Garboldisham and East Harling and Kenninghall, across to Banham and finally the run back down to Diss through Winfarthing and Shelfanger to complete another enjoyable day's riding. https://www.strava.com/activities/3808293461

 

[JPBoothy]

Unfortunately Biggin Hill would be quite a trek for you (although not impossible, I have ridden from SE London to E Lancashire in the past ) . There is also a museum and chapel there but they are shut when I'm there. It is a functioning airport too with mainly private jets but occasional airshows are put on too.

I remember those great Airshows on the tv with commentary from Raymond Baxter, although that may have been at Farnborough rather than Biggin Hill. I love the old planes (and most old things really) as they had so much character.

 

[JPBoothy]

What gear ratio are you using? I have done several long forum rides in Cheshire on my SS. I use 52/19 and find that good for whizzing along, ok for slight uphills, and just about ok for the worst climbs that we encountered. I know that there are steep Cheshire climbs such as Swiss Hill and Mow Cop, but I wouldn't even attempt them on the SS!

I have tried a few but have currently settled on a 46/17.. The bike came with an 18 fitted which I found to be a bit too 'spinney' so I dropped to a 16 which I stuck with for about 6mths before my knees begged me to go up a tooth to the 17. It is quite a nice gear really once you get past that initial push off from standing still. I have kept with the 46t large ring because it seemed unnecessary expense to change that until I have to.. However, if I do decide to convert my CAADX to a SS (as it is probably just a whim that will pass) then I will likely go for something a bit more easy going (18t) as it is likely to be the bike for just bobbing around (shops/pub/cafe) on rather than rides of any great length. The trails would be best kept for my other Disc/Drop bar CAADX really.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Yesterday's ride:

The plan was for a trip out with my brother, but unfortunately something cropped up that required his attention so that plan fell flat. I ended up heading out on my own again and chose a tried and tested route for convenience: Longnor, Acton Burnell, Cressage, Walcot, Upton Magna and back via Condover.

I was using the Galaxy and this was its first proper run since tweaking the gears, which shifted so nicely I didn't think about it until about halfway round - it would be good if that has completely sorted the issue. I'd also tweaked the saddle (yes, I know, again) after finding a setup that seems to suit me on the Raleigh. This needed stops for further adjustment before reaching Longnor but was good after that and with a tailwind I was going well through Frodesley to Acton Burnell and slowly catching a guy also going well on a road bike. I didn't quite manage it though before my next turning came up.

From Cound Moor I got some good speed up along the long straight until having to pull in to allow a vehicle past, then sweeping through the bends on the way to Cressage I felt an insect go up the leg of my shorts followed by a sting on the side of my thigh. It was a bee and didn't half smart. On the plus side; the brakes on this bike work pretty well when needing to come to a sudden halt.

Pressing on again it didn't hurt too badly on the way into Cressage but throbbed a bit on the climb out of the valley the other side. Consequently I don't think I was particularly quick up the climb through Eaton Constantine, although some nice figures were showing on the speedo when the road levelled out a bit. The descent along Bluebell Lane was quite fast and I don't think I dropped below 20mph until the next crossroads. I took the longer way to Withington and turned back into the wind which brought things back to normal through Upton Magna, Atcham, Cross Houses an back to Condover. I opted for the direct route back and while the wind direction suited it, the amount of traffic on the A49 meant a long wait for a gap I coud get out into.

34.3 miles at a very pleasing 16 mph moving average despite everything. The sting is quite sore and itchy today.

Only a couple of snapshots this time:

It's still July and I've already seen the first ripe blackberries of the season. I tried a couple and they were tasty.

On the old bridge at Atcham.

 

[ColinJ]

I have tried a few but have currently settled on a 46/17.. The bike came with an 18 fitted which I found to be a bit too 'spinney' so I dropped to a 16 which I stuck with for about 6mths before my knees begged me to go up a tooth to the 17. It is quite a nice gear really once you get past that initial push off from standing still. I have kept with the 46t large ring because it seemed unnecessary expense to change that until I have to.. However, if I do decide to convert my CAADX to a SS (as it is probably just a whim that will pass) then I will likely go for something a bit more easy going (18t) as it is likely to be the bike for just bobbing around (shops/pub/cafe) on rather than rides of any great length. The trails would be best kept for my other Disc/Drop bar CAADX really.

Your 46/17 is very close to my 52/19 (only about 1% difference). I would find a lower gear nicer for climbs but too spinney on the local valley roads where I do much of my SS riding.

 

[gavgav]

Yesterday's ride:

The plan was for a trip out with my brother, but unfortunately something cropped up that required his attention so that plan fell flat. I ended up heading out on my own again and chose a tried and tested route for convenience: Longnor, Acton Burnell, Cressage, Walcot, Upton Magna and back via Condover.

I was using the Galaxy and this was its first proper run since tweaking the gears, which shifted so nicely I didn't think about it until about halfway round - it would be good if that has completely sorted the issue. I'd also tweaked the saddle (yes, I know, again) after finding a setup that seems to suit me on the Raleigh. This needed stops for further adjustment before reaching Longnor but was good after that and with a tailwind I was going well through Frodesley to Acton Burnell and slowly catching a guy also going well on a road bike. I didn't quite manage it though before my next turning came up.

From Cound Moor I got some good speed up along the long straight until having to pull in to allow a vehicle past, then sweeping through the bends on the way to Cressage I felt an insect go up the leg of my shorts followed by a sting on the side of my thigh. It was a bee and didn't half smart. On the plus side; the brakes on this bike work pretty well when needing to come to a sudden halt.

Pressing on again it didn't hurt too badly on the way into Cressage but throbbed a bit on the climb out of the valley the other side. Consequently I don't think I was particularly quick up the climb through Eaton Constantine, although some nice figures were showing on the speedo when the road levelled out a bit. The descent along Bluebell Lane was quite fast and I don't think I dropped below 20mph until the next crossroads. I took the longer way to Withington and turned back into the wind which brought things back to normal through Upton Magna, Atcham, Cross Houses an back to Condover. I opted for the direct route back and while the wind direction suited it, the amount of traffic on the A49 meant a long wait for a gap I coud get out into.

34.3 miles at a very pleasing 16 mph moving average despite everything. The sting is quite sore and itchy today.

Only a couple of snapshots this time:

View attachment 537863
It's still July and I've already seen the first ripe blackberries of the season. I tried a couple and they were tasty.

View attachment 537864
On the old bridge at Atcham.

Ouch!

 

[Mike_P]

What a glorious day Friday was or at least until I had chance to think about going out on a bike, the sky started to look a bit iffy and then 15 mins later it was that dark it was tempting to switch the house lights on, so on the indoor trainer watching GCN.
Saturday was dry despite the weather forecast, aside from a heavy downpour during the morning, and as the wind was forecast to decrease in the evening a 7pm ride on the Defy around the Beckwithshaw Norwood Penny Pot circuit, and via the summit of Otley Road in a new PR and another onto Beckwithshaw passing en route a pannier laden hybrid rider.
The wind seemed to have inconveniently mustered all its strength form a noticeable cross headwind on the drag up to Little Armscliffe, during which I passed two mountain bikers, and remainded an annoyance until I turned east for the second fastest time this year along Penny Pot; unusually without seeing another cyclist (just the hybrid and MTB riders seen the whole ride). By passing through the local country park had the first long down grade approach home for some months.
15.58 miles @ 13.8mph avg, 1010ft climbed.

 

[cyberknight]

65 miles in total to Mddleton Hall with the club sunday crew, another strong rider turned up today who rides at a national level so he basically towed us around with my lungs on the floor and hes just ticking over !
https://www.strava.com/activities/3814428272

 

[Dave 123]

A strange ride today. I headed out down to Noss Mayo and along the coast road. Through Ermington and into Ivybridge. As I headed to the moor it started to rain, I had no jacket.

I ended up riding through Plympton, Saltram and the Barbican. I had a flat white and a lemon cannoli.

A spin round the Hoe, and home. My Garmin died about 5 miles from the end. Just about 40 miles.

 

[Donger]

A great 44.8 mile ride for me today. A club ride across the Severn, taking in every quiet little side road that approached the river at the opposite bank to my usual stamping ground. Minsterworth Church, Rodley Sands and The Strand (near Westbury-on-Severn) all made the subject of little riverbank detours before we headed off into the hills along beautiful little lanes via Flaxley, Blaisdon and Longhope.

Today's big hill was at Longhope, up the A4136 through Little London. Our route planner (@KingswayRider ) had plotted a little beast of an optional detour up a side lane called Old Lane at this point .... I dipped out and chugged my way up the main road instead. As we passed the side road, I caught sight of the lane I was avoiding and knew instantly I'd made a good call. The kind of wall a lizard would struggle up . One by one, all the others except for @KingswayRider ground their way past me, having aborted their attempts on the wall. I got to the meeting place a few seconds behind the last of the others, and @KingswayRider had somehow got there before me. I suspect EPO.

After another couple of little detours down side roads, there followed a painstakingly sanitised cafe stop at Birdwood Garden Centre, then we headed home via Two Mile Lane, Highnam and the bridge at Over. Apart from what I took to be a deliberate ridiculously close pass on the Bristol Road in Quedgeley near the end of the ride, this was another thoroughly enjoyable club outing. Apparently Garmin was down, so ...I think they'll find... none of the others' rides counted. My "Flatnav" and Halfords trip computer were fine, so my 44 miler does count, and gets me over my 250 mile target for the month.

Cheers, Donger.

 

[cyberknight]

 

[cyberknight]

 

[wafter]

The end of another pitiful week for rides; thanks to the usual distractions / weather / feeling crap for various reasons.

Went out for a fasted ride before breakfast today as I figured I'd had enough on yesterday's carb binge. The brief was simply to get out and see where I ended up, heading out past the indoor pool to assess its state (still closed), then a bit of cross-country to one of the usual roads.

After a bit of rain the gravel bits were still fine but I found the slimy surface of the mud tracks reasonably terrifying on the fat slick tyres; panic setting in every time I slid down into a rut - tramlining due the tyre's inability to ride back up the slippery sides amid the constant fear of the front washing out from beneath me..

Once back on tarmac I headed down through Abingdon, Culham and out the other side of Didcot for the first time on two wheels. The scenery was stunning; flatish but rolling with the Ridgway visible in the distance; separated by many wheat fields and some forboding clouds (apologies for the quality of the pics - the phone has really outdone itself on this occasion and the dodgy colour balance makes it look more grim than it was):

Riding into Cholsey felt more like entering a village in the south of France from the nice old farm buildings, church and surrounding environment:

The church:

Hunting for somewhere in particular I headed south out of Cholsey, up a bit of a hill and then back in again on a slightly different tack. Again the scenery remained fantastic, with the dramatic difference beween the blue sky and selection of white and fluffy, as well as grey and ominous clouds only adding to the atmosphere. Fap knows why this one's come out tiny..

Cholsey sticks in my mind as the nearest town to what used to be Fair Mile asylum; a glorious gothic Victorian mental health facility that closed in 2003. Unlike many similar buildings that have sadly been left to decay or torn down since care in the community made them arguably redundant, Fair Mile has been redeveloped; and pretty sympathetically too.

Some of the more modern structures on the outskirts of the facility have been demolished to make way for a load of not-utterly-terrible red boxes, while the bulk of the main complex remains intact, renovated and now repurposed as flats or presumably business premises.

First stop was the chapel, which was still mothballed:

The admin block at the front of the complex:

One of the converted wings with the chimney of the incinerator behind it:

Finally the entrance to the "Great Hall":

For all the crimes against healthcare committed by the Victorians you can't argue with some of the reasoning that gave rise to these glorious gothic behemoths - that the poor and mentally ill should be provided with facilities to aid their recuperation; which usually included stipulations for open spaces, fresh air, exercise and nature - things that Fair Mile had in abundance and the existing site has largely retained

Next to the great hall was a nice information board with a brief history from the Berkshire Record Office; who have some more info on the facility here if anyone's interested. It was really nice to be back (the last time was creeping around with a camera after it had closed), and see what a largely decent job has been made of the redevelopment.


After this unplanned visit I headed back to the city through Wallingford, which like Cholsey plays host to some really nice old achitecture

I saw many cyclists out including some uncharacteristically friendly rodies (aswell as plenty of the more usual type), and almost got through the whole ride wthout feeling the need to hurl verbal abuse at an idiot; this dashed on the final leg through Oxford when some bloke decided to cross the road without paying any attention; walking across me and causing an oncoming moped to swerve onto my side of the road

Despite the journey being largely sedate my legs were aching somewhat by the time I got back, having covered a shade under 44 miles and 1000ft at 13.4mph and 116bpm. Knackered now but it was good to get out

 

[Spiderweb]

Lots of cycle paths, some gravel, lots of B roads and 2 coffee stops!
44.95 miles with an average of 15.8 mph.

 

[Mark pallister]

V windy this morning making it all right hard work 😓
but pleasant up the Northumbrian coast