Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Threevok
Growing old disgracefully
- Location
- South Wales
My neck of the woods - points 3-4 are my commute
That was a nice run after all the uphill of 2 to 3
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
This morning I took part in a city tour of Herceg Novi by bike. With me being the only participant at 6.30am, and the organiser an Iron Man, we started the ride with a climb to Sveti Ilija on the Croatia-Montenegro border. At 7am and 34c the gravelly climb was as sweaty as the name but the view was worth it.
Then followed a tour round the hilly bits if the town including back trails. Well worth the €65 including bike hire. Tired after a week off the bike and 3 hours' ride. View from the top castle, with the guide Luka.
Then followed a tour round the hilly bits if the town including back trails. Well worth the €65 including bike hire. Tired after a week off the bike and 3 hours' ride. View from the top castle, with the guide Luka.
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Thursday has become the new Sunday. Once more the weather for the weekend looks wet but fortunately I can be flexible with work at the moment. Was inspired by a piece about e-bikes on the TV to explore Kentmere in the south lakes. Out to Milnthorpe and then followed NCR6 through the drumlins toward Kendal. Decided to follow the route through the town on the shared paths but was very tricky, especially as the river path is closed for flood defence work. Eventually emerged the other side and continued to Staveley then up the Kentmere valley. Lovely single track road to the village where I had a rest at the church. I think Maggs cafe has shut unfortunately. I rode to the point the tarmac runs out and while I would probably have been fine on the bridleways I felt I had come far enough. So returned to Staveley for lunch. Home via the lovely Lyth valley. 108 km with 1250 m of climbing.
Pictures are of Kentmere
Pictures are of Kentmere
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Windle
Über Member
- Location
- Burnthouses
A belated one from Sunday gone, a similar area to last weeks road ride but on the gravel bike this time, enabling the exploration of a couple of bits of bridleway that take in some of the closed Darlington to Barnard Castle railway. Down to Piercebridge via the quiet Cock Lane then briefly onto the A67 before deviating round via Carlbury crossing and back along Ulnaby Lane to see if it was cheekily possible to join the old railway route there ~ it wasn't, at least not without a machete anyway, although the route looked easily rideable and used by farm traffic by the looks of it. So a detour into High Coniscliffe, past the Spotted Dog and left along Mill Lane which morphs into the bridleway that runs along field boundaries, past a newish community woodland and then, very briefly onto the old track bed heading east.
The bridleway then heads back north to meet the B6279 near Thornton Hall
where I turned right onto the road
and headed towards Darlington for a mile before heading off through an open field entrance and up a short edge of field track to re-join the path of the railway,
there's not a bridleway sign at the field entrance but bike tracks lead off up the field edge so it's obviously being used. From here I followed the obvious ex-railway route east over the Cocker Beck which despite the path itself being pretty clear had a few areas of arching overgrowth (bramble, rose & nettles) where it was necessary to crouch down and push the bike through underneath.
A short stretch of farm track lead to the concrete underpass beneath the A1M,
then sharp right back down over the Cocker Beck again to the B6279.
I then took the road a bit further east before turning north up one of the Darlington cycle routes, ending up back on the railway route for a while (I stupidly didn't bother trying to see if it was possible to get to the actual railway bridge under the A1M, maybe next time), before going back under the concrete underpass and up to Archdeacon Newton, then back from whence I came via Walworth, Ulnaby, Piercebridge and Langton. My longest ride for over ten years at 25 miles, albeit at a leisurely (too much exploring) 12.5 mph.
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
My third and possibly last stage along the Northumberland coast this morning. Up and out early to drive to Boulmer, where I started out on the NCN1 coastal path to Craster.
The section of NCN1 from Boulmer to Howick is really not suitable for road bikes. It consists, for 2.5 miles, of a rough track punctuated by various gates ....
and other hazards and consisting variously of grass, muddy ruts, sand, stone chippings and, for the last half mile before Howick, a muddy, puddled farm track. That said, I did it anyway, and I'm really glad I did. Some wonderful little coves and hidden beaches can be found from this track that you would never come across any other way, and there are views across the bay to Dunstanburgh Castle.
I absolutely loved it but with a limited amount of time for a ride, it meant I had to opt to omit Craster from my route and make my way as far up the coast as I could get by road before it was time to turn back.The village of Embleton turned out to be round about my half way point on the northwards part of the ride.
After that I dug deep and put in a bit of a sprint to get up to Beadnell, stopping only once more to get this shot of a distant view across the fields to Bamburgh Castle:
The tide was on its way out by the time I got to Beadnell, which is the furthest north I have managed to get this week.
On the way back, it was strictly road cycling all the way. Ended up arriving back at my car in Boulmer exactly 3 hours after I set off, having done 26.2 miles.
That included lots of stops for photos and just taking in the amazing views ... and about 45 mins covering that first off-road section of 2.5 miles. (The views were amazing). That's probably it for me in Northumberland. Managed to get in four early morning rides covering over 85 miles. Absolutely loved it. Mrs D will not miss me announcing "Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast" every day.
The section of NCN1 from Boulmer to Howick is really not suitable for road bikes. It consists, for 2.5 miles, of a rough track punctuated by various gates ....
and other hazards and consisting variously of grass, muddy ruts, sand, stone chippings and, for the last half mile before Howick, a muddy, puddled farm track. That said, I did it anyway, and I'm really glad I did. Some wonderful little coves and hidden beaches can be found from this track that you would never come across any other way, and there are views across the bay to Dunstanburgh Castle.
After that I dug deep and put in a bit of a sprint to get up to Beadnell, stopping only once more to get this shot of a distant view across the fields to Bamburgh Castle:
The tide was on its way out by the time I got to Beadnell, which is the furthest north I have managed to get this week.
On the way back, it was strictly road cycling all the way. Ended up arriving back at my car in Boulmer exactly 3 hours after I set off, having done 26.2 miles.
That included lots of stops for photos and just taking in the amazing views ... and about 45 mins covering that first off-road section of 2.5 miles. (The views were amazing). That's probably it for me in Northumberland. Managed to get in four early morning rides covering over 85 miles. Absolutely loved it. Mrs D will not miss me announcing "Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast" every day.
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Spiderweb
Not So Special One
- Location
- North Yorkshire
The usual extended ride home from work. Felt pretty good after a week of eating and drinking far too much in the Austrian Alps. The police had closed the road due to an accident around a mile from home so had to double back and ride through the Grimston Park estate, that’s when the rain started! 5-10 mins from home I got soaked!
32.8 miles with an average of 15.3 mph.
32.8 miles with an average of 15.3 mph.
Finally got up to Dartmoor for a ride. I was amazed at how quiet it was, though I guess that could change once the schools break for summer. I've hardly been on my bikes for months so I opted for an flowy cross country ride. Widdecombe hill car park to Buckland Beacon and back, then on to Bone Hill. Perfect conditions for keeping up a pace, short grass, dry but not rock hard. No boggy bits anywhere!
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
Since the purchase of my Brompton last July I have been out on my road bike exactly four times, and ridden less than 100 miles on it. This is a sorry state of affairs.
Today I thought I’d get the roady out and have a blat about before the threat of precipitation kept its promise.
A smidge over 25 of your earth miles around the local towns and villages, and a short stop for a cheeky coffee and pain au raisin.
A few photos for your entertainment pleasure.
Today I thought I’d get the roady out and have a blat about before the threat of precipitation kept its promise.
A smidge over 25 of your earth miles around the local towns and villages, and a short stop for a cheeky coffee and pain au raisin.
A few photos for your entertainment pleasure.
a.twiddler
Veteran
19/7/23
A Painful Experience
Thought I would do a brief ride after tea, following the route of my last ride but on the Spirit this time. While I was getting sorted out outside my back gate an elderly woman stopped to admire the bike. I wittily quipped that I ought to be getting my feet up at my age. “I’m eighty, you know” she said, and it was a bit hard to follow that. I wondered if I would still be able to contemplate cycling by then.
I set off in the direction of Wettenhall and stopped at the traffic lights at Darnhall bridge. These now stay at red much longer than they used to since the lights have been made permanent. I got up the other side well enough but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable about climbing on a full stomach so shortly after my tea. Still, as the climb eased and the road evened out I felt better and the speed was not too bad. I was passed by several sportier riders but nevertheless 10-12mph was pretty good going for me. I got speed up down a dip and managed to keep my speed going up the other side. I turned right into Long Lane, down another dip and up the other side. I realised on looking at the map later that I’d just crossed the same stream twice in short order on different roads.
After having done so well up to now, it began to feel like hard work. I noticed that something was rubbing and I stopped to have a look. The rear mudguard was rubbing on the tyre and it was something I’d adjusted previously. It looked as though when the rear suspension vibrated quickly on a bad surface the adjustment of the mudguard moved slightly. I would have to have a good look at it when I had the opportunity to take the rear wheel off.
Some tweaking and then away again. I noticed that the turn off to Eaton on the right was barriered off tonight though it might be passable on a bike if I decided to try it later.
I pressed on. The road still seemed hard work, and three young teenagers overtook me. It didn’t look like a hill but I was certainly having to change down. It didn’t feel such an effort on the Linear last time round though I was equally slow. Eventually the gradient eased then I came to the junction to the left to Calveley Hall lane. I stopped to take a photo to match the one on my last ride.
Once I got going again the road was easier and I found myself freewheeling in places. This was more like it. No tractors everywhere tonight, as there had been on my previous ride.
However, I started experiencing uncomfortable feelings of unreality and sure enough, on trying to read the sign to Calveley school some of the letters danced and disappeared. A migraine attack was imminent, and not having had an episode for many months I knew that my tablets were at home. After rooting about in my bag here weren’t even any Paracetamols. There went my photographic ambitions for the ride. I just had to press on and hope it would clear (highly unlikely) or to get home before I became too debilitated. I pressed on in the direction of Wettenhall while the visual disturbances got worse. Some boy walking by busy on his phone, who was just an indistinct shape, a couple of cars the whole of which I could only see by moving my head. I could hear everything just fine though it had an echoey quality. Fortunately my balance never gets affected much. Carefully looking about at the staggered Wettenhall crossroads to make sense of the fragmented visual information before turning left.
I continued to go surprisingly well considering how my faculties were shutting down. My legs, at least, were still functioning. I came to a stop at some roadworks then was dimly aware of how rapidly the wheels spun up once the lights changed. Rushing at a dip, even though it was a little hard getting up the other side, I didn’t need to go below my middle gear range on the rear hub gear.
My vision was clearing, being replaced by a gradually increasing grinding pain above my right eye.
I could feel my thoughts becoming jumbled. Normally my thought processes work in a stream of consciousness manner using words. When I get an attack I turn into a moron. It’s a pretty good indicator that I’m having a migraine when I try to tell myself I’ve got ??? and I can’t remember what it’s called. Although things are functioning and I know what to do and how the course of it will run I can’t put things into words. I struggle to read things like road signs, assuming my sight will let me, by this stage. I see the letters but they make no sense without intense concentration, which doesn’t help the headache.
Fortunately I was only a few miles from home by now so I kept on ridin’ through the pain, though it was a different kind of pain from that which you expect as a cyclist. The miles went surprisingly quickly and soon I was approaching the long dip to Darnhall bridge traffic lights. I came to a halt behind a procession of cars while the lights on their new regime took ages to change. Fortunately the traffic cleared off quickly with no dawdlers once the green came and I just got going, changed into top and went for it down the hill. I got a good way up the other side before having to go down through the gears. By the time I reached the little summit my head was pounding painfully in time with my heartbeat but became less worse as I took it easier and my heart rate and breathing became calmer.
In due course I reached my back gate, parked the bike and went indoors. I took a couple of belated Migraleve and conked out for a couple of hours.
It’s pretty rare to have an occurrence while I’m out on the bike. Three times in total over the last several decades. The Spirit at least has had its baptism of fire and got me home. Last year, further from home with the familiar Linear, but at least I had my tablets with me. Previously, in the glory days, in 1981/2 near Craig y Nos in the Swansea Valley, en route to a club YHA weekend at Tyn y Caeau in Brecon. I had no solution for migraine back then. I just had to endure it. However, I drank a pint of cola which unexpectedly stopped it. Ah, the things you do when you are young. Was it the caffeine? Sugar boost? Fluid? Who can say after 40-odd years. I remember that it stopped the weekend being spoiled for my clubmates and myself, being that I was the group leader.
Just goes to show how a little unpreparedness can lead to cruel and unusual punishment. Ideally, taking the tablets at the first sign stops it developing beyond the first visual disturbances. At worst, I could be out of commission for a couple of days.
13.63 miles Max 26 mph. Average 8.26 mph. According to Garmin.
Altitude gain 286 ft. According to Bikehike.
A Painful Experience
Thought I would do a brief ride after tea, following the route of my last ride but on the Spirit this time. While I was getting sorted out outside my back gate an elderly woman stopped to admire the bike. I wittily quipped that I ought to be getting my feet up at my age. “I’m eighty, you know” she said, and it was a bit hard to follow that. I wondered if I would still be able to contemplate cycling by then.
I set off in the direction of Wettenhall and stopped at the traffic lights at Darnhall bridge. These now stay at red much longer than they used to since the lights have been made permanent. I got up the other side well enough but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable about climbing on a full stomach so shortly after my tea. Still, as the climb eased and the road evened out I felt better and the speed was not too bad. I was passed by several sportier riders but nevertheless 10-12mph was pretty good going for me. I got speed up down a dip and managed to keep my speed going up the other side. I turned right into Long Lane, down another dip and up the other side. I realised on looking at the map later that I’d just crossed the same stream twice in short order on different roads.
After having done so well up to now, it began to feel like hard work. I noticed that something was rubbing and I stopped to have a look. The rear mudguard was rubbing on the tyre and it was something I’d adjusted previously. It looked as though when the rear suspension vibrated quickly on a bad surface the adjustment of the mudguard moved slightly. I would have to have a good look at it when I had the opportunity to take the rear wheel off.
Some tweaking and then away again. I noticed that the turn off to Eaton on the right was barriered off tonight though it might be passable on a bike if I decided to try it later.
I pressed on. The road still seemed hard work, and three young teenagers overtook me. It didn’t look like a hill but I was certainly having to change down. It didn’t feel such an effort on the Linear last time round though I was equally slow. Eventually the gradient eased then I came to the junction to the left to Calveley Hall lane. I stopped to take a photo to match the one on my last ride.
Once I got going again the road was easier and I found myself freewheeling in places. This was more like it. No tractors everywhere tonight, as there had been on my previous ride.
However, I started experiencing uncomfortable feelings of unreality and sure enough, on trying to read the sign to Calveley school some of the letters danced and disappeared. A migraine attack was imminent, and not having had an episode for many months I knew that my tablets were at home. After rooting about in my bag here weren’t even any Paracetamols. There went my photographic ambitions for the ride. I just had to press on and hope it would clear (highly unlikely) or to get home before I became too debilitated. I pressed on in the direction of Wettenhall while the visual disturbances got worse. Some boy walking by busy on his phone, who was just an indistinct shape, a couple of cars the whole of which I could only see by moving my head. I could hear everything just fine though it had an echoey quality. Fortunately my balance never gets affected much. Carefully looking about at the staggered Wettenhall crossroads to make sense of the fragmented visual information before turning left.
I continued to go surprisingly well considering how my faculties were shutting down. My legs, at least, were still functioning. I came to a stop at some roadworks then was dimly aware of how rapidly the wheels spun up once the lights changed. Rushing at a dip, even though it was a little hard getting up the other side, I didn’t need to go below my middle gear range on the rear hub gear.
My vision was clearing, being replaced by a gradually increasing grinding pain above my right eye.
I could feel my thoughts becoming jumbled. Normally my thought processes work in a stream of consciousness manner using words. When I get an attack I turn into a moron. It’s a pretty good indicator that I’m having a migraine when I try to tell myself I’ve got ??? and I can’t remember what it’s called. Although things are functioning and I know what to do and how the course of it will run I can’t put things into words. I struggle to read things like road signs, assuming my sight will let me, by this stage. I see the letters but they make no sense without intense concentration, which doesn’t help the headache.
Fortunately I was only a few miles from home by now so I kept on ridin’ through the pain, though it was a different kind of pain from that which you expect as a cyclist. The miles went surprisingly quickly and soon I was approaching the long dip to Darnhall bridge traffic lights. I came to a halt behind a procession of cars while the lights on their new regime took ages to change. Fortunately the traffic cleared off quickly with no dawdlers once the green came and I just got going, changed into top and went for it down the hill. I got a good way up the other side before having to go down through the gears. By the time I reached the little summit my head was pounding painfully in time with my heartbeat but became less worse as I took it easier and my heart rate and breathing became calmer.
In due course I reached my back gate, parked the bike and went indoors. I took a couple of belated Migraleve and conked out for a couple of hours.
It’s pretty rare to have an occurrence while I’m out on the bike. Three times in total over the last several decades. The Spirit at least has had its baptism of fire and got me home. Last year, further from home with the familiar Linear, but at least I had my tablets with me. Previously, in the glory days, in 1981/2 near Craig y Nos in the Swansea Valley, en route to a club YHA weekend at Tyn y Caeau in Brecon. I had no solution for migraine back then. I just had to endure it. However, I drank a pint of cola which unexpectedly stopped it. Ah, the things you do when you are young. Was it the caffeine? Sugar boost? Fluid? Who can say after 40-odd years. I remember that it stopped the weekend being spoiled for my clubmates and myself, being that I was the group leader.
Just goes to show how a little unpreparedness can lead to cruel and unusual punishment. Ideally, taking the tablets at the first sign stops it developing beyond the first visual disturbances. At worst, I could be out of commission for a couple of days.
13.63 miles Max 26 mph. Average 8.26 mph. According to Garmin.
Altitude gain 286 ft. According to Bikehike.
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EltonFrog
Legendary Member
Another ride on a little used bike. In the last 12 months I’ve only ridden my MTB three times including today! This is a shame, because I have literally hundreds of miles of traffic free trails right outside my front door.
Any way, a little of ten miles up and back to the Ridgeway, it was windy, wet, cold and sunny. And peaceful, except for a twunt who wouldn’t control their dogs, still, never mind.
I gnats over 10 miles.
Any way, a little of ten miles up and back to the Ridgeway, it was windy, wet, cold and sunny. And peaceful, except for a twunt who wouldn’t control their dogs, still, never mind.
I gnats over 10 miles.
ExBrit
Über Member
- Location
- Southern California
Somehow that typo makes perfect sense.
gavgav
Legendary Member
A couple of rides to report-:
Thursday
First ride with Paul since he did London to Brighton. He’d not been back on the bike since and my injury meant a few weeks off, so we finally got one in together.
I rode to his and we set off for a leisurely chatting ride around Shrewsbury. We encountered a clown in the Bowbrook estate, who followed us along a straight piece of road, revving the engine in his truck, where there was plenty of room to overtake, then decided he’d overtake us around a 90 degree left hand bend, straight into the path of oncoming traffic. Idiot.
We then went through Shelton and Copthorne, Porthill and dropped down into the Quarry, which was busy with people enjoying a sunny evening for a change.
We followed the river towpath, where they’ve extended the painted line, Paul’s view the same as mine, a complete waste of time and likely the drunks will be attracted to it to walk along and test how drunk they are, right by the river!
We joined cycle paths to Monkmoor and Reabrook, then parted ways at Meole, where I encountered a nervous lady driver who performed an emergency stop, as I pulled up to cross the entrance to the gym. She must have thought I wasn’t going to stop, but I’d seen her in plenty of time with my over the shoulder check!
12.88 miles, at a leisurely 11.4mph avg
Today
I wanted to get a slightly longer ride in, to test how the ankle coped in advance of some hope for more challenging rides next weekend.
It’s been monsoon like wet since Friday evening here and so I dug the Genesis out of the shed for its first ride since early June. I was glad I did as roads were as flooded and muddy as winter, in some places on the ride.
I set off up the cycle paths to Meole and Porthill, then dropped down into the quarry, which was busy and the annual Dragon Boat festival just kicking off with the first race. I decided on something different next, leaving the Quarry at the towpath entrance and crossing the English Bridge, then heading through Underdale.
I joined Monkmoor road, via Underdale Avenue and then rejoined cycle paths to Heathgates and along Whitchurch Rd, through Sundorne and onto the now very overgrown old canal path to Uffington.
A light shower started when I joined the road to Upton Magna, but it didn’t last long. There were lots of cyclists sat outside the cafe by the pub, but I didn’t stop and followed Pelham Road, then the rat run, from Berwick Wharf, which was quiet today.
I paused on Atcham old bridge, for some sustenance and then followed the lumpy route through Chilton, to Betton Abbots.
I was feeling pretty good, ankle only bothering me on a few occasions, so decided to extend the ride through the Business Park and via one of the local newly built estates.
19.33 miles at 11.6mph avg.
Thursday
First ride with Paul since he did London to Brighton. He’d not been back on the bike since and my injury meant a few weeks off, so we finally got one in together.
I rode to his and we set off for a leisurely chatting ride around Shrewsbury. We encountered a clown in the Bowbrook estate, who followed us along a straight piece of road, revving the engine in his truck, where there was plenty of room to overtake, then decided he’d overtake us around a 90 degree left hand bend, straight into the path of oncoming traffic. Idiot.
We then went through Shelton and Copthorne, Porthill and dropped down into the Quarry, which was busy with people enjoying a sunny evening for a change.
We followed the river towpath, where they’ve extended the painted line, Paul’s view the same as mine, a complete waste of time and likely the drunks will be attracted to it to walk along and test how drunk they are, right by the river!
We joined cycle paths to Monkmoor and Reabrook, then parted ways at Meole, where I encountered a nervous lady driver who performed an emergency stop, as I pulled up to cross the entrance to the gym. She must have thought I wasn’t going to stop, but I’d seen her in plenty of time with my over the shoulder check!
12.88 miles, at a leisurely 11.4mph avg
Today
I wanted to get a slightly longer ride in, to test how the ankle coped in advance of some hope for more challenging rides next weekend.
It’s been monsoon like wet since Friday evening here and so I dug the Genesis out of the shed for its first ride since early June. I was glad I did as roads were as flooded and muddy as winter, in some places on the ride.
I set off up the cycle paths to Meole and Porthill, then dropped down into the quarry, which was busy and the annual Dragon Boat festival just kicking off with the first race. I decided on something different next, leaving the Quarry at the towpath entrance and crossing the English Bridge, then heading through Underdale.
I joined Monkmoor road, via Underdale Avenue and then rejoined cycle paths to Heathgates and along Whitchurch Rd, through Sundorne and onto the now very overgrown old canal path to Uffington.
A light shower started when I joined the road to Upton Magna, but it didn’t last long. There were lots of cyclists sat outside the cafe by the pub, but I didn’t stop and followed Pelham Road, then the rat run, from Berwick Wharf, which was quiet today.
I paused on Atcham old bridge, for some sustenance and then followed the lumpy route through Chilton, to Betton Abbots.
I was feeling pretty good, ankle only bothering me on a few occasions, so decided to extend the ride through the Business Park and via one of the local newly built estates.
19.33 miles at 11.6mph avg.
