Your ride today....

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flake99please

We all scream for ice cream
Location
Edinburgh
I managed to squeeze in a 30 miler between finishing work and meeting Son after school. Sunny intervals with one minor shower that caught me about halfway through the route.

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gavgav

Legendary Member
I’ve been away on my cricket club tour, this past long weekend and had booked today off as well, to recover a bit from the excesses. So I decided to head out for a ride this morning, to burn some of it off.

It was a cool, cloudy and windy start to the ride, with me wondering if I should have worn a jacket, but I pressed on down through Meole Village, where I caught and passed a very pleasant lady also out on her bike.

The main road towards and through Hook a Gate, was quiet, but slow with me cycling directly into the strong southerly wind. It then got busier on the climb up from there and on the descent into Annscroft, where an Arriva bus annoyed me, overtaking around a blind bend and then, because a car came towards them, cut across and almost wiped me out with the back end of the bus. Not impressed.

I then turned onto the lane through Exfords Green and Stapleton, which was even busier than the main road! I also met the same lady that I overtook earlier, coming the opposite way! I can’t quite work out what route she took to approach from that direction though, must have been a very hilly and off road effort somewhere? Thankfully things quietened down after that, traffic wise. I turned right in Stapleton and took a road I’ve only ever climbed up once before, normally descend it, towards Shadymoor. I remembered why I tend to do it in the other direction, after ploughing into the wind for 350ft of climbing.

At Wilderley I turned left and then looped around towards the T Junction, where I began the nice long descent to Netley and Dorrington. I did have a bit of a moment, meeting a tractor on a narrow section. I had slowed enough for a controlled stop, but the tractor skidded to a halt, locking the trailer wheels up and planting 2 rubber marks on the road, with a smell of burning. Well you should go a bit slower then shouldn’t you!!

I arrived in Dorrington, had an easy cross of the A49 and then on through Gonsal and Condover, to Lyons Lane, which was nice with not a single car seen on it.

I finally turned North and had the wind behind me now, at Betton Abbots, so I pedalled as hard as I could and tried to get some good speed up. It felt fast, for me anyway and Strava confirmed it as I knocked nearly a minute off my segment times, along what is probably my most regular road ridden on at over 285 efforts. I’m not a big segment competitor but approx 500th out of 4500 is nice for a change.

I arrived home with 21.13 miles on the clock at 13.2mph avg and 1100ft of climbing
 

buzz22

Über Member
Today's ride was "character building"- starting out well and ending in a bit of frustration.
After finishing a busy shift at work this morning I got home and took advantage of the nice weather and a free day.
I headed south down the Princes Highway towards my happy place, Bald Hill. The road off the hwy is smooth and winding so I was able to hit just under 70km/h on the way down, about the only time my dimensions come in handy on a bike.
This area is where Lawrence Hargrave, a British born inventor and engineer conducted his pioneering work on flight in the late 1800's that helped lead to the development of the aeroplane. The road through Royal National Park that leads to the hill is named after him.
The area is now famous as the best hang gliding and para gliding spot in Australia and when the wind is right it's an amazing place to be.
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Photos don't do it justice, the view down the coastline is epic.
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Towards the middle of the photo is "Seacliff Bridge", a bridge built to replace a cliff hugging road that was closed as rock falls rendered it too dangerous to use.
This bridge has now been used by just about every car brand sold here in their advertising, and it's a tourist attraction in it's own right.
While I admired the view I grabbed a quick snack ready for the climb home.
My bike of choice was my 1987 Clamont, the right bike for this ride- great handling and light for climbing, with the Fulcrum Zero wheels on it now it tips the scales at just over 8kg.
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All went well until on a downhill stretch at 60km/h I hit some debris and my rear tyre suffered a cut and a rapid deflation- my swearing game lifted a notch as I managed to stay on while the bike wagged it's tail.
I changed the tube after inspecting the damage and pumped it up then realised my pump was struggling. A quick look confirmed the O ring was split. Damn.
I managed to get enough air in to keep the rim off the road and limped home for the next 20km.
As I said earlier, character building.
In the end I got home slowly but safe and in one piece, total distance 57km.
 
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A few days late with this one :rolleyes:

Saturday was the first proper commute home in ages :ohmy:

Just right temp and a tailwind was a nice way to unwise after a busy Saturday in the shop.

Stayer All Road at Wilburton with the Beer Fest in full flow opposite(I didn't partake) and the sound of someone ruining 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' :wacko:

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Spiderweb

Not So Special One
Location
North Yorkshire
Yesterday’s rides on my Tricross, my usual morning commute of 6.7 miles with an average of 18.8mph followed by an extended ride home.
I headed out to Naburn on the outskirts of York then followed the mostly resurfaced Sustrans route to Riccall. In to Selby then home via Wistow Lordship, Cawood, Little Fenton & Barkston Ash. I saw what looked like a young red deer between Wistow & Cawood.
Lovely steady ride of 43.8 miles with an average of 15.4mph.

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theloafer

Legendary Member
Location
newton aycliffe
had a pootle over to the Tees Barrage and a ride by the river down to the Newport Bridge then over to Hemlington Lake on to Ingleby Barwick where things got a tad confusing circles been done ...lol once we got ourselves sorted ,found the right cycle rout out then headed down towards Yarm.
then off through Aislaby -Middleton ST George back along the A66 cycle path into Darlington then along cyclepath that run by the A167 all the way back into Aycliffe... 53 miles in good company and good weather

https://www.komoot.com/tour/826203599
fire crew in training from Lancaster at the tees barrage
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wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
I needed eggs this morning and with the beater bike still in Oxford I trod the middle ground of normal-ish clothing with cycling shoes and other "serious" appointments to pop to the farm shop in the next village on the CdF.

As usual it felt great to get out; with the refinements of the Genesis feeling particularly good against what I have / would have been using otherwise. Upon arriving at the farm my dreams were shattered; finding not only zero eggs but also a note stating that they were being hiked by 25% to £1.50 per box - seemingly in-keeping with the ongoing decline of toilet paper we use for currency.

Came back via the "naughty route" as it's so much nicer than riding on the road, and couldn't stop at the shop for eggs as I didn't have a lock and in any case the Genesis never gets left anywhere anyway.

All in all a whopping 4.7 miles at a little over 12mph.

Plenty of work to get done today but I'm clinging to the hope of a more substantial ride tomorrow, weather permitting.


*EDIT* The afternoon turned out fairly productive, however I also managed to consume three times my own body weight in questionable carbs, so felt grotty by the end of it.

Knowing I'd feel no better for vegetating inside for the rest of the night I donned the appropriate gear, disregradred the forecast and slightly ominous skies, and got out on the CdF again.

The ride came to about 23 miles; just following my nose and pushing out further south-west than I have done previously. I found a few decent little bridleways and spent much of the rest of the time on quiet B-roads, with the evening sun bathing everything in an ethereal glow as it slowly sank below the low-hanging clouds.

I stopped to take a shot of this church en-route that was flying both the Ukranian national flag and our union flag:

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.. and also did a close-up of the bike with its new twin King stainless bottle cages.. much of which are obscured by the bottles :tongue:

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The cages worked nicely and as usual the bike behaved impeccibly; bar one niggling shifting issue on the RD which I think is down to cable stretch and has hopefully been remedied by half a turn on the barrel adjustor. I love how two years and 4k miles later I still get a tangible sense of appreciation of just how great this bike is every time I ride it :smile:

I got back just as the light was starting to go, accompanied by a credible cover of White Snake's dubious 1987 classic "here I go again" eminating from a mobile stage on the village green.

I rolled past the small crowd and home for a shower and a decent omlette. Feeling pretty good now and as usual very happy with the decision to get out for a bit :becool:
 
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roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
Today's ride was "character building"- starting out well and ending in a bit of frustration.
After finishing a busy shift at work this morning I got home and took advantage of the nice weather and a free day.
I headed south down the Princes Highway towards my happy place, Bald Hill. The road off the hwy is smooth and winding so I was able to hit just under 70km/h on the way down, about the only time my dimensions come in handy on a bike.
This area is where Lawrence Hargrave, a British born inventor and engineer conducted his pioneering work on flight in the late 1800's that helped lead to the development of the aeroplane. The road through Royal National Park that leads to the hill is named after him.
The area is now famous as the best hang gliding and para gliding spot in Australia and when the wind is right it's an amazing place to be.
View attachment 650820
Photos don't do it justice, the view down the coastline is epic.
View attachment 650821
Towards the middle of the photo is "Seacliff Bridge", a bridge built to replace a cliff hugging road that was closed as rock falls rendered it too dangerous to use.
This bridge has now been used by just about every car brand sold here in their advertising, and it's a tourist attraction in it's own right.
While I admired the view I grabbed a quick snack ready for the climb home.
My bike of choice was my 1987 Clamont, the right bike for this ride- great handling and light for climbing, with the Fulcrum Zero wheels on it now it tips the scales at just over 8kg.
View attachment 650822
All went well until on a downhill stretch at 60km/h I hit some debris and my rear tyre suffered a cut and a rapid deflation- my swearing game lifted a notch as I managed to stay on while the bike wagged it's tail.
I changed the tube after inspecting the damage and pumped it up then realised my pump was struggling. A quick look confirmed the O ring was split. Damn.
I managed to get enough air in to keep the rim off the road and limped home for the next 20km.
As I said earlier, character building.
In the end I got home slowly but safe and in one piece, total distance 57km.

Beautiful machine you have there. Looks about my size too!
 

roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
Woke to rain but it passed, so we decided to go ahead with the planned ride.

Flat Cheshire lanes to start with then the climb of Gun Hill from Rushton Spencer, taking the back lanes through Heaton first to avoid the rat run.

Then up through Thorncliffe to Morridge. A beast of a climb, very long with steep sections but not consistent. The only relief was watching the effortless soaring of a buzzard using the wind to float low whilst hunting.

Summit attained at 460m or so, and rest and recuperation were necessitated before continuing. The views from here are stunning, with Ramshaw Rocks and the Roaches close up, but stretching all the way to the Long Mynd and various Welsh ranges I couldn't name too the far horizon:

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Our original plan was Hartington, but that seemed a little too challenging at this point with lunch urgently required, so we descended the lanes to Longnor with stunning views of the Peak before us.

Appetites assuaged with jacket spuds at the Cobbles cafe, the long climb to Flash Bar awaited, which wasn't as brutal as I expected, thankfully.

Now over Axe Edge and down the Cat, an experience not enhanced by the total farkwit who overtook us whilst we were signaling right to descend to Lamaload.

The lonely Lamaload road and a final climb up Deadman's Hill opened more fabulous views over Manchester and to Kinder Scout, and a rapid descent home.

58 miles, 1500m climbing. A bit jiggered now!
 

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
Woke to rain but it passed, so we decided to go ahead with the planned ride.

Flat Cheshire lanes to start with then the climb of Gun Hill from Rushton Spencer, taking the back lanes through Heaton first to avoid the rat run.

Then up through Thorncliffe to Morridge. A beast of a climb, very long with steep sections but not consistent. The only relief was watching the effortless soaring of a buzzard using the wind to float low whilst hunting.

Summit attained at 460m or so, and rest and recuperation were necessitated before continuing. The views from here are stunning, with Ramshaw Rocks and the Roaches close up, but stretching all the way to the Long Mynd and various Welsh ranges I couldn't name too the far horizon:

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Our original plan was Hartington, but that seemed a little too challenging at this point with lunch urgently required, so we descended the lanes to Longnor with stunning views of the Peak before us.

Appetites assuaged with jacket spuds at the Cobbles cafe, the long climb to Flash Bar awaited, which wasn't as brutal as I expected, thankfully.

Now over Axe Edge and down the Cat, an experience not enhanced by the total farkwit who overtook us whilst we were signaling right to descend to Lamaload.

The lonely Lamaload road and a final climb up Deadman's Hill opened more fabulous views over Manchester and to Kinder Scout, and a rapid descent home.

58 miles, 1500m climbing. A bit jiggered now!
I stopped in the Cobbles cafe when I rode up to Earl Sterndale as I was early lovely little cafe . I did Axe edge from Buxton really enjoyed it
 

chriswoody

Legendary Member
Location
Northern Germany
Lovely summer's day today with temperatures in the high twenties. It's not properly rained for weeks now and we are experiencing quite a worrying draught, everything is looking wilted and the risk of wildfires in the forests is really high. I decided to make a combination today of some of my more favorite trails in the forests and take in some new trails as well. I headed North as usual over the quite roads and between fields of corn, it's quite open here and the sun was beating down and it was with some relief when I reached the shade of the forest.

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The ground here is baked hard and the going is rougher than normal, my speed drops to avoid battering my body too much. There's been a lot of logging activity as well and the cut logs lie around waiting to be picked up.

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After the initial rough forest trails I turn onto a gravel fire road and fly along enjoying the solitude and bird song. I weave my way further North over the next kilometres and the trail turns from gravel to sand. My wheels dig in to the soft surface and despite the fat tires and low pressures, it's so dry and powdery that I'm reduced to pushing some sections.

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This pattern repeats itself on and off for a while now, riding fast, then hitting a soft patch that sends my wheels flying and then resorting to pushing.

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I'm feeling tired from the effort and after an enjoyable few kilometers on a gravel fire road, I take a break next to a small lake in a clearing. The air is alive with the colour of hundreds of dragonflies and I watch them for a while, soaking up the peace and solitude.

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Onwards the trail switches from gravel to hard packed mud as we fly along under the shade of a dense patch of forest, eventually emerging at the edge of a small village. rutted tracks lead me onwards between fields towards the next patch of forest.

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For several kilometres now I'm on delightful gravel fire roads and my speed increases as the roads rise and fall, weaving from between patches of forests and fields. A small road section leads me through a small town and then it's back under the shade of the canopy and towards some small trails I'd not traversed before. I'd been led here by the promise of some small lakes, alas, whether it's the current heatwave or the drought, there is nothing to be seen. Though tall reeds and stands of willow are evidence that the ground here is wet, just no lakes to be seen, maybe I'll pop back this way in winter.

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For know though, after a short break, it's on with the last kilometres of gravel before hitting the final short section of quiet country roads that will bring me home. Just over 42 kilometers of joyful summer riding and then out with the dog and down to the river for a short swim to cool myself off.
 

gavgav

Legendary Member
I bagged an early entry for my July Half Century Challenge, on a dull and breezy day, which June seemed to be like every day and July has continued in the same vain.

I started out along the cycle paths to Heathgates and Sundorne, then along the old canal path to Uffington, before joining roads to Upton Magna, Withington and Isombridge. I’d had the wind behind me so far and was making good progress.

At Longden on Tern I turned into the wind for the first time and it was a battle on the climb up to High Ercall, where I turned off up Silver Hill and onto the very quiet lanes to Ellerdine and High Hatton, turning into the wind again to Stanton upon Hine Heath. I couldn’t believe how quiet it was, going approx 5 miles without seeing a car! It was however very wet on the lanes, due to a biblical thunderstorm that had hit Telford and surrounding areas on Thursday evening, causing widespread flooding. In Shrewsbury we hardly had a drop of rain!

From Stanton I looped around to Moreton Corbett, where I paused at the castle ruins.
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I then joined the main road to Shawbury, which unfortunately has recently been surface dressed and is full of chippings. I’d been on the road about a minute, when I experienced what must be the most idiotic close pass I’ve ever had whilst cycling. An absolute brainless moron in a Black Volvo came flying past, within inches of me, doing what must have been 60 mph in the 20 mph speed limit, showering me in chippings and dust. I was absolutely fuming and shouted loudly at him with plenty of hand gestures. I hoped he’d stop ahead, so I could take him to task over it, but perhaps fortunately he didn’t. I’ve never wanted a helmet cam more than today.

I crossed the A53 in Shawbury and joined the lanes to Bings Heath, then climbed up Ebury Hill, descended and then climbed back up East Haughmond, before the very fast descent to Upton Magna again.

From there I took the Pelham Road to Berwick Wharf, overtaking a couple of ladies on bikes, then joined the rat run to Atcham, crossing the old bridge where a family were out and included a very young lad on his balance bike. He pulled a face of amazement and pointed at my bike 😆 as I said hello, definitely a future keen cyclist there!

The lane to Cross Houses was quiet, as was the short section on the A458 and the lanes to Berrington and Betton Abbots were car free, which was nice.

Unfortunately, as I approached home, the ride was somewhat soured as I came across flashing blue lights and utter carnage at a nearby junction. 3 cars had been involved in a very serious road accident. The road was closed, but I could get by on a cycle path, as fire engines and ambulances were just arriving. 2 of the cars were in a very bad mess, bits strewn everywhere and not long after I got home, the Air Ambulance came in and landed on the road nearby. Serious injuries likely.

41.54 miles at 13.2mph avg
 

lazybloke

Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
Location
Leafy Surrey
Enjoyed a bright sunny Saturday exploring Romney Marsh with a pal.
Managed to find a couple of hills between Appledore and Rye, but otherwise it was a completely flat 45 miles under wide open skies.

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First stop was Rye, where we showed the tourists how to cycle up the cobbles or Mermaid Street. East through Lydd to Dungeoness to see the bleak end-of-world landscape - dotted by lighthouses, Prospect Cottage, railway, and enormous nuclear power station!

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Then up the coast and over the miniature railway to New Romney and into the lanes through a couple of quaint villages back to Appledore.

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The texture in that sky.
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A very enjoyable 45 miles or so.
 
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