Your ride today....

[Nomadski]

@Donger Have loved your series of pictorial trips, that whole area looks like an amazing place to cycle.

 

[Donger]

@Donger Have loved your series of pictorial trips, that whole area looks like an amazing place to cycle.

Believe me, it is. The Herault is a beautiful departement. We've also stayed in the Aude a couple of times, and I just love cycling in Languedoc. Hills, gorges, vineyards, and amazing villages. A few years back I only ever dreamed of being able to cycle some of these roads. Taking up audaxing and joining a club has got me fit enough to actually do it, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Of course it helps to have an understanding missus who keeps giving you a free pass to go off wandering.

 

[Nomadski]

Believe me, it is. The Herault is a beautiful departement. We've also stayed in the Aude a couple of times, and I just love cycling in Languedoc. Hills, gorges, vineyards, and amazing villages. A few years back I only ever dreamed of being able to cycle some of these roads. Taking up audaxing and joining a club has got me fit enough to actually do it, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Of course it helps to have an understanding missus you keeps giving you a free pass to go off wandering.

Whereabouts were you based?

I'm going to just outside Brindisi to do my first bit of none UK cycling, bar the French Revolution sportive, at the end of July and really looking forward to some completely alien roads.

 

[Dave 123]

@Donger
Looks rubbish. Come back, you know you want to!

 

[Donger]

Whereabouts were you based?

I'm going to just outside Brindisi to do my first bit of none UK cycling, bar the French Revolution sportive, at the end of July and really looking forward to some completely alien roads.

It's a village called St Nazaire de Ladarez, 20 miles or so NW of Beziers, on the edge of the Haut Languedoc regional natural park. There is a "Route Velo Herault 14" cycle route with direction signs sending everyone up the Orb Valley from Murviel via Cessenon to Roquebrun, Vieussan and Olargues. Above that it gets really mountainous, and I'd love to have crack at the "Col de Fontfroide" which looks as good as many a 1st cat Tour de France climb.

Enjoy your trip .... but watch out for those Italian drivers! Hope the roads are as empty as they all are here.

 

[Nomadski]

It's a village called St Nazaire de Ladarez, 20 miles or so NW of Beziers, on the edge of the Haut Languedoc regional natural park. There is a "Route Velo Herault 14" cycle route with direction signs sending everyone up the Orb Valley from Murviel via Cessenon to Roquebrun, Vieussan and Olargues. Above that it gets really mountainous, and I'd love to have crack at the "Col de Fontfroide" which looks as good as many a 1st cat Tour de France climb.

Enjoy your trip .... but watch out for those Italian drivers! Hope the roads are as empty as they all are here.

Yeah the drivers do worry me, but I'm hoping the area is going to be quiet as it's far from being a tourist trap apparently.

Will have to check that area out, I did enjoy cycling around a small part of northern france last summer, would like a bigger play field to venture round.

 

[PeteXXX]

Yesterday's ride, posted today as usual.. Just a quick pop into town on the old SS bike to put some £££ into the bank (a nice feeling as cash usually flows the other way!)
I took the old single speed today as I had to leave the bike in the Market Square for a while...
I headed home via the A45 underpasses

so I could get fed and watered before w*rk.

14 miles and a pleasant leg stretcher before the weekend ride...

http://app.strava.com/activities/338108154

 

[jhawk]

An amazing ride today!

40 kilometres all-told, according to my now-functional cycling computer!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures.

 

[vernon]

Forty two miles along highway 20 to Rockport. Some awe and wonder moments included seeing a 125 truck train that took forever to pass and a trio of eagles soaring overhead. Still in the throes of a heatwave and got through ten pints of fluids.

 

[Keith Oates]

Can you or have you ever had Elk Pie?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Simontm]

So another metric ton - this time 63 miles, mainly urban: Hampton-Hounslow-Uxbridge then all of a sudden you're in countryside and Buckinghamshire

Headed through the Chalfonts into Amersham.


Had a quick coke then up and over to Beaconsfield -Gerard's Cross-Stoke Poges- Slough- Datchet- Wraysbury-Staines- along the tow path to Chertsey then up on road to Walton. Back onto the tow path to Hampton Court getting a bit annoyed at oncoming cyclists hogging the path when there's usually plenty of room in both directions. Hampton Court then home.

 

[13 rider]

Saturday ride this weekend busy again tomorrow . I am in the half century a month challenge and have decided to do both 50m and 50 km ride each month with the 50 m in the bag today's ride was to get the 50km ride done. Set off early 0730 due to temperate Anstey to meeting place at Cossington via Cropston and Rothley. Met up with mate Andy and set off up humble lane really attacked the climb and did a strava pr segment .then just relaxed into the ride .Out through Ratcliffe on the wreake , Thrussington ,Hoby ,Asfordby here we crossed the main A606 and headed out the quiet lanes around Gaddesby and back to Rearsby ,Thrussington ,Ratcliffe on the wreake .Then went for it on another strava segment and another pr up a climb .then back down humble lane to Cossington , on to Rothley where I passed another mate headed in the other direction we both realised who we were as we flew past.On to home via Cropston .35.2 miles done at 15mph in lovely conditions if still windy just getting warm as I got home . loads of riders out today including Leicester road club who were really flying in the other direction . Might be last post for a while as I am off to Cornwall next week with limited internet access so keep riding I catch up with the thread when I get back hopefully may be able to post some Cornish rides as the bikes coming with me

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.strava.com/activities/338736498

Winchester's wonderful hat fair. Mad as box of frogs, but I haven't had summer without it.

Puppet dog, that really fooled a real dog.

The epitome of the hat fair, I've no idea, but they were brilliant.

Lilly pads in
the sun.

 

[Goonerobes]

After visiting the Test Valley last week it was back into Wiltshire again today for a slightly lethargic & slightly shorter ride than of late.

Heading out across a breezy forest I was glad to reach the tree cover at Linwood & the hedgerow cover through Ibsley, Sandleheath & Damersham en-route to my favourite local hill at Howgare Road where lunch was taken overlooking the Wiltshire countryside & watching a few other cyclists coming up from the other side.

Lunch done, the road down was a little tricky as the heavy overnight rain had washed stones & debris across the already dirty agricultural lanes around Broad Chalke so caution was in order before trying a different variation of my route back through Coombe Blissett & heading along the flat lanes of Homington, Odstock & then down through Downton & the forest again for home.

63.4 miles & metric ton number 16 for the year so far.

https://www.strava.com/activities/338840343

A view I never get tired of seeing at the top of Howgare Road. (apologies if you do!)

The 13th century St. Michael & All Angels church at Coombe Blissett.

The obligatory wildlife picture which really doesn't do justice as to how tiny the little fella was.

 

[vernon]

Can you or have you ever had Elk Pie?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They can't make a big enough crust.