Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Lille to Oude Kwaremont and back. I set off at 8am but it was already pretty hot. Lille to Roubaix along a superhighway style cycle lane was easy but very stop-start as French light sequences seem to take for ever! Out of Roubaix and in to Belgium and everything got a bit more rural.
The ‘climb’ up to Oude Kwaremont is pretty much the same as my ride from the centre of Winchester up to my house, just with added cobbles. In the dry it was bouncy on 30mm tyres but I can imagine whole other world of sketchiness in the wet. It was great to see all the road graffiti from this year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen. I was on a timer so couldn’t try my hand at the Paterburg, which looks a sterner challenge.
A pharmacy thermometer was reading 33C by the time I got back, so the early start was worth it.
The ‘climb’ up to Oude Kwaremont is pretty much the same as my ride from the centre of Winchester up to my house, just with added cobbles. In the dry it was bouncy on 30mm tyres but I can imagine whole other world of sketchiness in the wet. It was great to see all the road graffiti from this year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen. I was on a timer so couldn’t try my hand at the Paterburg, which looks a sterner challenge.
A pharmacy thermometer was reading 33C by the time I got back, so the early start was worth it.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Sunday club ride 66 miles
4 of us , 2 very strong riders along with me hanging on and a guy whos just come back from a break ,All was well till boot hill in atherstone where he started to struggle and by the cafe at bosoworth battlefield he was starting to struggle on every incline.We ended up giving a gel and a stop at a shop on the way back for more liquid and sugary sweets so we could get home .Made sure he got to his door before i set off for home.Absolutly gasping by the time i rolled up the last hill !
EDIT
just to add i have been getting numb/tingling hands lately so i have raised the stem by 5 mm and it felt i was overreaching .if that doesnt work may try a shorter stem although i dont have the same issue on the commuter with the same reach but less drop
4 of us , 2 very strong riders along with me hanging on and a guy whos just come back from a break ,All was well till boot hill in atherstone where he started to struggle and by the cafe at bosoworth battlefield he was starting to struggle on every incline.We ended up giving a gel and a stop at a shop on the way back for more liquid and sugary sweets so we could get home .Made sure he got to his door before i set off for home.Absolutly gasping by the time i rolled up the last hill !
EDIT
just to add i have been getting numb/tingling hands lately so i have raised the stem by 5 mm and it felt i was overreaching .if that doesnt work may try a shorter stem although i dont have the same issue on the commuter with the same reach but less drop
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Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
It looks like Velo Verde in Screveton, haven't been there for a long time (I might have cheated and looked at the strava route)
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
The Fragrant MrsP and I fancied a little, gentle ride into town for an overpriced iced beverage, and I wanted to test ride the new Brooks saddle that I put on the Brompton, (after a lot of cursing trying to get to grips the stupid pentagrip).
Anyway just a short ride at a pace that hardly raised the heart rate.
Anyway just a short ride at a pace that hardly raised the heart rate.
Mburton1993
Über Member
- Location
- Stalybridge
Kept it local and short today, too hot and then wet for a long ride.
On the Jamis
Never much cared for discs but did appreciate them when it started to properly piss it down
Fun ride.
On the Jamis
Never much cared for discs but did appreciate them when it started to properly piss it down
Fun ride.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Cafe Velo Verde in Screveton https://caffeveloverde.co.uk/ You definitely should check it out, I would more often if it was closer to me. Typically when I used to work up there it wasn't open and the only thing Screveton was known for was:
http://nottsvillages.blogspot.com/2015/07/screveton.html
I've been a couple of times but always sat outside so I didn't recognise it . From home it means dropping into the vale which means picking your climb out of it
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I went on a short flat recovery ride to Crowland today.
I saw an ancient bridge
https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/heritage-sites/heritage-detail/trinity-bridge-crowland
But guess what I didn’t see any Crows just a noisy Black Bird at the cafe. The cafe was really friendly and quaint but they had ran out of cakes at 12:30pm
So I grabbed a breakfast bap there.
It was really scrumptious but it wasn’t really what I was after so I headed to the cyclist cafe at Holly Lodge. Only problem is was 30miles away via a few detours to get OS tiles. It was a flat 30 miles but mywindsock has it right.
The cake was worth it though and I cruised home.
It ended up being a tad more than planned though:
I saw an ancient bridge
https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/heritage-sites/heritage-detail/trinity-bridge-crowland
But guess what I didn’t see any Crows just a noisy Black Bird at the cafe. The cafe was really friendly and quaint but they had ran out of cakes at 12:30pm
So I grabbed a breakfast bap there.
It was really scrumptious but it wasn’t really what I was after so I headed to the cyclist cafe at Holly Lodge. Only problem is was 30miles away via a few detours to get OS tiles. It was a flat 30 miles but mywindsock has it right.
The cake was worth it though and I cruised home.
It ended up being a tad more than planned though:
lazybloke
Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
EDITED - some of the pictures were completely garbled, and so was my English! Hopefully it looks tidier now.
Headed out early this morning, and actually felt cold for the first mile or two. 12 degrees C!
Headed from Leatherhead to Dorking on the A24 cycle path. A little noisy, but looked beautiful in the morning light, then out through the villages.
Tranquil End? Sounds like a branch of Dignitas.
Reached Hookwood and jumped onto NCN21 that heads south past Gatwick Airport. A lovely bit of cycling infrastructure - quiet and in places rather gorgeous; particularly the ponds, one stuffed full of flowering waterlillies.
Did I say quiet?
And then....
Flippin' 'eck!
Went past Gatwick, the current 'South Terminal' as well as the original 1930s airport building; The Beehive. My Grandparents used to tell me about flying from here - no security, no 'air-side', you could walk in off the street to visit the duty-free shop!
Made my way on the perimeter roads to the other end of the runway. We first moved to the area nearly 50 years ago. My dad would always stop the car at various points around the airport and tell me about the planes; Comets were flying back then...
IT's amazing how much of the perimeter fence is now dense mature woodland; in the late 70s much of it was completely bare.
A slight "depth of field fail" with this photo.
BAck to my youth, we used to drive past a field full of planes; a guy had dreams of starting up a museum. He's gone now, but the museum did eventually open (https://www.gamc.org.uk/about). The planes have moved out of sight or into sheds; I must visit...
It was heating up; 24 C already, and the sun was feeling fierce. My drink was getting low so I popped in at my parents for a refill (they're still in the same house), then zoomed home the last 10 miles. Caught up with these two but utterly failing to overtake them.
42 miles; average of 14 mph.
Headed out early this morning, and actually felt cold for the first mile or two. 12 degrees C!
Headed from Leatherhead to Dorking on the A24 cycle path. A little noisy, but looked beautiful in the morning light, then out through the villages.
Tranquil End? Sounds like a branch of Dignitas.
Reached Hookwood and jumped onto NCN21 that heads south past Gatwick Airport. A lovely bit of cycling infrastructure - quiet and in places rather gorgeous; particularly the ponds, one stuffed full of flowering waterlillies.
Did I say quiet?
And then....
Flippin' 'eck!
Went past Gatwick, the current 'South Terminal' as well as the original 1930s airport building; The Beehive. My Grandparents used to tell me about flying from here - no security, no 'air-side', you could walk in off the street to visit the duty-free shop!
IT's amazing how much of the perimeter fence is now dense mature woodland; in the late 70s much of it was completely bare.
A slight "depth of field fail" with this photo.
BAck to my youth, we used to drive past a field full of planes; a guy had dreams of starting up a museum. He's gone now, but the museum did eventually open (https://www.gamc.org.uk/about). The planes have moved out of sight or into sheds; I must visit...
It was heating up; 24 C already, and the sun was feeling fierce. My drink was getting low so I popped in at my parents for a refill (they're still in the same house), then zoomed home the last 10 miles. Caught up with these two but utterly failing to overtake them.
42 miles; average of 14 mph.
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Ian H
Ancient randonneur
Pick the hottest day of the year, add in a leg-sapping headwind, then go ride a 600. The word 'sweltering' doesn't do it justice.
I finished with less than 2 minutes to spare, and discovered that, if you're that late, you get a cheer.
Chris's photo of me following two wheels at once.
South Yorkshire scenery
Let the wind blow (right in your face)
Snap! @HLaB
I finished with less than 2 minutes to spare, and discovered that, if you're that late, you get a cheer.
Chris's photo of me following two wheels at once.
South Yorkshire scenery
Let the wind blow (right in your face)
Snap! @HLaB
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Awesome ride. That headwind was immense. Very occasionally it disappeared for a brief second but within moments it was like hitting a brick wall :-)
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
By contrast, a nice gentle evening pootle around Severnside. Once I'd made my way against the wind to Saul, I did a few loops around Saul, Priding, Overton and Fretherne, taking in regular views of the River Severn.
A nice little loosener after spending a day helping my nephew to move house .... and straining muscles I'd forgotten I had. Just the 23.3 miles today, but really enjoyable, with a few hare sightings as the sun got lower in the sky.
A nice little loosener after spending a day helping my nephew to move house .... and straining muscles I'd forgotten I had. Just the 23.3 miles today, but really enjoyable, with a few hare sightings as the sun got lower in the sky.
ianbarton
Veteran
Sunday's ride. Now about 12 weeks post knee operation and back doing short rides of around 15-20 miles. The forecast warned of thunderstorms in the afternoon. As I was setting off the clouds were gathering, but I was hoping the storms would miss me. A couple of miles into the ride the heavens opened. It was a full performance: loud thunderclaps and some sheet lightning. This persisted until I got to Ightfield when it stopped raining.
On the way back home the woman guiding a big herd of cows across the road kindly let me pass. I walked into the kitchen dripping rain allover the floor and sat down to a large mug of coffee and some chocolate biscuits.
On the way back home the woman guiding a big herd of cows across the road kindly let me pass. I walked into the kitchen dripping rain allover the floor and sat down to a large mug of coffee and some chocolate biscuits.
