Your ride today....

[Rickshaw Phil]

Yesterday:

I wanted to get out for a ride but with the weather being hot (by my standards) and quite windy I struggled a little for motivation to actually get going. Having torn the bar tape on the Galaxy the other day a trip to Dave Mellor's for some more seemed like a good reason to go so I grabbed the knockabout bike and set off.

I used the cycle path on the old bypass then headed down Porthill Road where I had a "must get in front" pass down the hill from a van. Karma was forthcoming at the bottom of the hill when they hit the speed humps by the pedestrian crossing too fast and launched the back wheels a good foot off the ground.

At Dave Mellors it turned out that the bar tape I'd seen on their website wasn't in stock after all so I've got a slightly higher priced set to try instead.

Having done my shopping I thought I'd make it into a longer ride and headed through The Quarry, which was fairly busy with people enjoying the sunshine, and along the river path to Castlefields, Sydney Avenue and along the old canal path. I had the wind at my back all the way to Upton Magna which made the riding swift and easy.

Turning towards Atcham the wind didn't seem to be slowing me too much. There were lots of people down by the river opposite the Mytton and Mermaid. With it being a Friday afternoon I thought I'd take Chilton Farm Lane which I thought would avoid the traffic a bit and hopefully offer a bit more shade than the road to Cross Houses and Berrington. It did take a while to get a gap in the traffic to cross the A458 so the right choice this time I think.

The headwind was slowing me down a bit on the way to Condover and didn't help much to keep me cool. After the busy road crossing earlier I decided to head over Lyth Hill and again this was the right choice as the A49 was very busy.

A warm 21 miles at 12.4 mph average.

Photos were a bit of an afterthought this time. Heres what I got:

Condover.

A couple of shots from Lyth Hill.

 

[13 rider]

Day 4
An evening ride today giving my legs some more recovery time . Thankfully the wind has dropped which has been strong up until now and you really feel it when high up on exposed roads and it's warming up . Left Earl Sterndale and basically dropped down the valley to Pillsbury then Harrington so I could climb back up the hill as you do . Back to Earl Sterndale via Hurdlow ,14.5 miles and just 1430ft of upness
Day 5
Another evening ride I waited for the traffic to quieten down as I planned the ride the A53 Buxton to Leek road to complete the climb Axe Edge . Earl Sterndale downhill to Buxton then onto the climb of Axe edge .The Strava segment says its 2.4 miles at 4.3% but your climbing before you get to the segment so over 3 miles of up . You leave Buxton and wind your way up to the exposed moorland at Flash . I was slightly concerned about the traffic but no issues at all and really enjoyed the steady climb which rewarded you with some stunning views . At Flash bar it downhill to to Longnor then back up again ,15.5 miles with 1798ft of upness .
Day 6
Get my act together and out the door early 0600 as it's going to be hot today and a longer ride planned today .Earl Sterndale over the A515 to Flagg then Taddington then a long quick descent to Ashford in the water a stunning looking village . Then climb up to Monsal head to Great Longstone back down to Ashford then Buxton . I'd saved the biggest climb of the week until last from Buxton to Moneyash which is 6 miles at 2.4% but has a downhill in it the first section out of Buxton is 2.3 miles at 5.8% ,one of those climbs with several false summits and you think you made it go round the corner and realise no there's more to come ! .Just a case of spin away and finally you make it back to the A515 and then just the climb past the quarry from Brierlow bar to home had to do a loop round the village to take the distance past 50km. As thread monitor of the 50km challenge I berate people for riding just short so I couldn't stop on 30.8 miles could I .31.5 miles 3146ft of upness
Day 7
I wimped out of riding home due to the forecast rain and jumped in the car . For the first 20 mins I was regretting this ,then when the rain started I knew I made the correct choice no matter how early I'd left I would have got wet for most of the ride
Weekly stats 180 miles ,17424ft of upness ,80 velo viewer squares
Bike choice was correct I'd needed every low gear I had and wished for lower at times .
The area is stunningly beautiful and if you don't mind the hills the riding is great very low traffic compared to home (Leicester) road surfaces generally good drivers were well behaved had people pull in for me when I was going uphill on some single tracks. The descents were fabulous with plenty of line of sight and lovely flowing corners for the most part . Just wished I had better legs to explore more but all the walking took it toll on the riding in the end not exactly the most relaxing holiday but I loved it

 

[13 rider]

The view from our accommodation,we were quite high up .

A typical climb ,it's steeper than it looks I'd stopped for a photo not a rest

Random scenery

The old bridge at Ashford in the water

 

[roubaixtuesday]

The view from our accommodation,we were quite high up

Sounds like a brilliant week.

I'll name that road!

England
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LUtLDr8shChwJtXs6

 

[13 rider]

Spot on @roubaixtuesday ,we stayed at Jericho farm right on the junction with the road to Brierlow bar .
Yes an excellent week of walking and riding but my legs are feeling it

 

[geocycle]

Just about enough blue in the sky to make a Dutchman’s trousers, as my grandmother used to say, so headed up the Lyth valley. Warm enough and breezy, so pleased we have not had the high temperatures of the south. Great views across from Brigsteer toward the Lake District fells, Coniston horseshoe looked inviting. Back to Levens Hall for lunch only to find a huge queue suggesting it’s popularity had spread. Interesting that good food is more popular than exceptional Elizabethan topiary. So abandoned that plan and continued round to Arnside and had a bakery takeaway, excellent sausage roll and flapjack. 56 miles or 90km with 926m of climbing.

Pictures of Levens Hall, Arnside viaduct and Morecambe Bay.

 

[pawl]

Day 4
An evening ride today giving my legs some more recovery time . Thankfully the wind has dropped which has been strong up until now and you really feel it when high up on exposed roads and it's warming up . Left Earl Sterndale and basically dropped down the valley to Pillsbury then Harrington so I could climb back up the hill as you do . Back to Earl Sterndale via Hurdlow ,14.5 miles and just 1430ft of upness
Day 5
Another evening ride I waited for the traffic to quieten down as I planned the ride the A53 Buxton to Leek road to complete the climb Axe Edge . Earl Sterndale downhill to Buxton then onto the climb of Axe edge .The Strava segment says its 2.4 miles at 4.3% but your climbing before you get to the segment so over 3 miles of up . You leave Buxton and wind your way up to the exposed moorland at Flash . I was slightly concerned about the traffic but no issues at all and really enjoyed the steady climb which rewarded you with some stunning views . At Flash bar it downhill to to Longnor then back up again ,15.5 miles with 1798ft of upness .
Day 6
Get my act together and out the door early 0600 as it's going to be hot today and a longer ride planned today .Earl Sterndale over the A515 to Flagg then Taddington then a long quick descent to Ashford in the water a stunning looking village . Then climb up to Monsal head to Great Longstone back down to Ashford then Buxton . I'd saved the biggest climb of the week until last from Buxton to Moneyash which is 6 miles at 2.4% but has a downhill in it the first section out of Buxton is 2.3 miles at 5.8% ,one of those climbs with several false summits and you think you made it go round the corner and realise no there's more to come ! .Just a case of spin away and finally you make it back to the A515 and then just the climb past the quarry from Brierlow bar to home had to do a loop round the village to take the distance past 50km. As thread monitor of the 50km challenge I berate people for riding just short so I couldn't stop on 30.8 miles could I .31.5 miles 3146ft of upness
Day 7
I wimped out of riding home due to the forecast rain and jumped in the car . For the first 20 mins I was regretting this ,then when the rain started I knew I made the correct choice no matter how early I'd left I would have got wet for most of the ride
Weekly stats 180 miles ,17424ft of upness ,80 velo viewer squares
Bike choice was correct I'd needed every low gear I had and wished for lower at times .
The area is stunningly beautiful and if you don't mind the hills the riding is great very low traffic compared to home (Leicester) road surfaces generally good drivers were well behaved had people pull in for me when I was going uphill on some single tracks. The descents were fabulous with plenty of line of sight and lovely flowing corners for the most part . Just wished I had better legs to explore more but all the walking took it toll on the riding in the end not exactly the most relaxing holiday but I loved it

Pilsbury isn’t that where the dough boy came from Agree that it is lovely area In the past my visits more walking than cycling

 

[13 rider]

Pilsbury isn’t that where the dough boy came from Agree that it is lovely area In the past my visits more walking than cycling

That was my thought when I plotted the route ,didn't see him though

 

[TheDoctor]

I truly wish I was making this up. I'm at The Limpias Museum Park of the Spanish Navy. A riverside shared path, with random bits of naval hardware. There's guns, torpedoes, radar dishes, all sorts. I'll drop the photos in later, but Spain has persistently given me strange and interesting things to ride through!

 

[cyberknight]

2 up ride to tara world peace cafe at etwall , arm definitely improving as although its starting to ache but not enough to affect the ride , thats just my rubbish fitness

Then after sunday lunch i went for a pootle with mini ck 1 to barton marina which was more of a kid and dad time ride as she still struggles on any hill so i need to get a 7 speed mega range cassette

 

[Spiderweb]

Far too much to do in the garden this morning so planned to ride in the afternoon instead. I met up with David from our village at 3.20pm for a ride to Copmanthorpe on the outskirts of York then on to Wetherby, Aberford and back home.
41.3 miles with an average of 17.6 mph.
First time wearing my new Fizik shoes (I must have had them 5 years!) they felt great, really comfortable. Also first time wearing my new Giro Agilis helmet which I bought in the sales last year. Great fit and not quite a mushroomy as my Spesh Echelon.
Back home in time to walk Bobbie🐶

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Wonderful day out in North Wales from Bala.

Imperial century: Bala - Ffestiniog - Barmouth - Dolgellau - Bala with 2800m climbing.

A fantastic diversity of scenery with mountains, beaches, rivers, woods and more.

The sun peeked out after a cold and drizzly start, and we finished in glorious sunshine alongside Llyn Tegid.

Drizzly start on the descent to Ffestiniog:

The lanes bejewelled in amethyst foxgloves:

A third breakfast in Barmouth:

And the final, and highest climb of the day back to Bala:

 

[postman]

i did it Otey first ride since September 2020. Loved every min of it.No problems no tiredness no aches no cramp.Just superb.

 

[Noodle Legs]

So this past Saturday myself and a good friend switched from our usual “lumpy” format 😏 and went for the flats by way of the Lincoln 262 sportive. The name is a little misleading given that it actually started in York, then down to Lincoln and back to York again but it is what it is! 🤷‍♂️

Setting off just after 6am we were quickly caught by a very fast group and with a little gentle persuasion from my good friend, we managed to get on and stay on their wheels and draft effortlessly for a good 40 miles at around 23mph average! All was going great guns until my chain came off and we lost the draft. Quickly getting it back on, we put in a monumental effort of almost 30mph average to get back on to the group but I didn’t quite have that last turn of speed to make it and so we had to ease up and make our own way to the feed. 🤦‍♂️

We only had another four or five miles to the feed anyway and so the plan was to get back in with them at that point. Another fast group who were chain ganging passed us and we got on, rinsing and repeating the blistering form to the feed stop just outside Scunthorpe.

It was a very quick stop but a welcome one and no sooner had we stocked up and had a bite, and it was time to head off with those fast boys again. Settling into a nice draft, we got into Scunthorpe itself and that’s when things went a little “Pete Tong”…. We hit a punchy little climb just as I was stuffing my face with a pain au chocolat and long story short I had to spit it out so I could get enough oxygen into my already burning lungs to stay with them!

Cling on I did, and then shortly afterwards there was a diversion from the original route in place at which point there was no marshal, so we had to try and figure it out ourselves as the route arrows weren’t all that forthcoming. I got some text message about a diversion but even that was vague! Turns out there was a level crossing that was closed off and there was absolutely no getting through, so we had to turn round, back through Scunthorpe and then wing it down to Kirton in Lindsey where we could pick up the route again. During this time there was a couple more punchy climbs where we got separated from the fast groups and so we were on our own at this point, relying on Jon’s local knowledge to get us back on track.

Before long we were in Stow just outside Lincoln for the next feed, at this point 108 miles in having done my fastest 100 miles ever at 20mph average, the forecasted rain showers at this point being barely a few spits and spots here and there. Ramming our faces with more food and drink we soon cracked on north back towards York, picking off a few riders and settling in with others for a draft recovery before pushing on again. Only 21 miles and barely an hour had lapsed and we were at feed number 3 at Burringham which was the same location as number 1 only this time there was a “barbecue” which actually turned out to be a few sausages and not much else! But it was nice all the same! 🤤

Faces filled again and pockets bulging from all the goodies we lifted, we managed to chase down and sit with a big group up to Howden where there was a water stop. We hummed and hawed about stopping here but having done around 150 miles at this point it’s fair to say our “delicate regions” were thankful for the rest!

After here it was pretty much back the way we came, rocking up back in York just after 4:30pm.

My longest ever ride, just over 177 miles, an extra few miles ridden due to our diversion cock up in sunny Scunny at an impressive 19mph average overall. I barely manage that on routes less than a sixth of that distance so definitely not too shabby!

A great route, a great ride with a great riding buddy and definitely one for the memories! 👍

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

This morning could have gone better so it was nice to get out for a ride this afternoon. I used the Raleigh and set out on one of my regular routes: Condover, Longnor, Acton Burnell, Cressage, Eaton Constantine, Walcot, Upton Magna, Atcham and back via Condover again.

The wind was fairly light and from the north so I had it helping on the way to Longnor but not hindering too much to Acton Burnell. The roads were fairly quiet - even the main road, which is always appreciated.

Top speed of the trip (31.4 mph) was achieved on the descent towards Cound Moor and long straight afterwards was enjoyable even though I'm used to having a tailwind to make it a bit easier.

The climbing to and through Eaton Constantine always seems a bit of a plod, although I wasn't really as slow as I thought. I spotted another cyclist way in the distance ahead as I left the village and to my surprise managed to reel them in before my turning for Uppington. It looked to me like he had the saddle a tad too high as there was a lot of hip rocking going on.

The descent of Bluebell lane was enjoyably brisk but not quite as fast as usual as I still had a bit of a headwind. After Walcot I thought I'd take the long way round to Withington. On the way to Upton Magna the road curves round until I started to pick up the tailwind so it was a good run through there (the cafe was popular today) and on the way to Atcham then Cross Houses. I took my usual way back through Berrington and along Lyons Lane to Condover then ran out of energy a bit for the last couple of miles or so and had to ease the pace.

34.6 miles at a pleasing 15.7 mph average. Enjoyed that.

Only a couple of snaps as I was concentrating on the ride:

Lovely conditions to be out in: sunshine, just pleasantly warm and not too windy.

At Withington.