Your ride today....

[HLaB]

A bit of Deja Vu on todays ride. The heavy rain that was forecasted over night was still there in the morning. Whilst the weather radar suggested it wasn’t going to last long it again that put off a lot of folk, so we again merged groups and did the shorter slower ride.




I’m not quite sure what happened to the cafe stop but it was a good job we didn’t stop when I had my own cafe stop back in the house it started to bucket again.




So I had to clean this after:

 

[Dave 123]

11.5 miles after the rain, but it was still under gloomy skies and a bit of mizzle.

The highlight was going the uphill way on the Luson bridleway, but I did have to take my sunglasses off so maybe not much of a highlight!

https://www.strava.com/activities/12358849310

 

[13 rider]

A ride with a difference for me today , I'm currently holidaying on the Isle of Man with my bike of course ,so I think it's the law to ride the TT course, with the rides too and back to the course I clocked up 65 miles so got my qualifying ride in for the metric century challenge . Out the door at first light to avoid the traffic ( not that there is a lot ) and the pretend TTers . Joined the course at Ballacraine at mile marker 8 which required a 13 mile ride with just 1500ft of upness to get too. Headed round the course through places I've seen and heard of like Glen Helen ,Kirk Michael and over Ballaugh bridge where I didn't get any air 😂

This mile marker caught my eye . On to Ramsey where the climbing starts up the mountain ,my helpful wahoo popped up to tell me Id got 5.2 miles and just 1325ft of upness to go thanks wahoo . Up into the mist thankful I put my rear lights on . 43 minutes later I crested the top with no views whatsoever thanks to the mist . Now the fun bit a very rapid descent which got quicker as I came out of the mist ,the straight to the Creg na baa pub was particularly rapid , On Strava I recorded my quickest ever 5 and 10 miles at this point and in 10 mins I'm in Douglas into the pits for a refuel

The mechanics had gone for breakfast 😁

So now it just 8 miles back to Ballacraine down Brae hill which is steeper than it appears on TV . All the time cycling the roads thinking how the hell dare you blast along at 100mph plus they are utterly mad . Turned off the course at Ballacraine up another big hill into the mist then another quick descent and back home for lunch . Only had 1 pretend TTer who I could hear coming for miles so I got out of his way ,on the whole the traffic behaved itself even when I was grovelling up the Mountain. Epic day out so glad I did it just a shame about the mist but I had to fit the ride in around family timings. 65.14 miles with 4885ft of upness

 

[raleighnut]

how the hell dare you blast along at 100mph plus they are utterly mad

Try doubling that, they're getting up towards 200mph at the bottom

 

[13 rider]

Try doubling that, they're getting up towards 200mph at the bottom

Somebody did tell me they clocked someone at 209mph on Sulby Straight 🫨🫨. It made me cringe when you see fairly flimsy padding covering stone walls and the roads surface while better than most UK roads in certainly not race smooth tarmac .

 

[raleighnut]

Somebody did tell me they clocked someone at 209mph on Sulby Straight 🫨🫨. It made me cringe when you see fairly flimsy padding covering stone walls and the roads surface while better than most UK roads in certainly not race smooth tarmac .

Also Sulby Straight isn't, it's more a series of slight curves but it's long enough to get up to full chat.
Great piece of advice given to Steve Parrish by Mick Grant, Stavros asked Mick about the bumps on Sulby straight with the handlebars 'tankslapping' and how to deal with it, Mick said "straight up the middle of the road" Steve said "Why is it smoother" Mick replied "No but the trees are further away"

 

[Donger]

On our way back South we have booked into an apartment in Portpatrick in Galloway (on that hammerhead-shaped peninsula to the West of Stranraer) for a week. The scenery is much less dramatic than up in the Highlands, but it is perfect cycling country. Mostly very gently rolling hills and very much cattle country. This morning's ride was from Portpatrick, following the Irish Sea coast northwards through woods, ornamental rhododendron drives and green fields before doing a clockwise loop through Leswalt and returning back along the coast. 25.5 miles in all.

The weather was dry, but visibility across the sea was variable. The coast of Northern Ireland came in and out of view as clouds rolled in. You can just make it out in this next shot:

The roads everywhere were lovely and quiet. In the first 12 miles I encountered 1 jogger, 1 dog walker, 1 tractor and 1 car.

On the way back from Leswalt (the only real village that I passed through, but one so instantly forgettable as to be unworthy of photos) I took a side road across a rare patch of moorland towards Killantringan Lighthouse. The Irish coast had disappeared again.

Then, back in Portpatrick, I carried on a couple of hundred yards past the apartment to the cliff top above the old abandoned coastguard station.

This was today's route (on my old school "flatnav"):

More to come later this week, weather (particularly wind) permitting.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Yesterday (Monday): Rides over the last week or so have been fairly short & mundane so it was good to have a chance to get out yesterday. Indecision struck again though so it took a while to work out where I was going to go then I changed my mind last minute. The good bikes are a bit blocked in so using the Hawk was a matter of necessity, but after the torrential rain locally on Sunday I expected the roads to be a bit mucky so I didn't feel too bad about using this one.

The weather was windy (just for a change ) and quite a bit cooler feeling so this was the first ride in a while where trousers and a fleece were needed. I headed across Lyth Hill where the track over the top was wet & muddy in all the usual places then turned towards Plealey and Pontesbury along lanes which were mostly clean & dry. I did encounter a bit of a flood on the climb to Habberley and there were more signs of water run off and mud from here onwards.

The ride to Pulverbatch and Wilderley was nicely uneventful apart from meeting an electric VW bus that was going a bit quick for a narrow lane. The wind was behind me for this stretch which made for good riding. I turned off along Pease Lane this time and climbed up to Picklescott. I wasn't quick but the legs felt good for climbing which was good as this lane is fairly steep. The descent from Picklescott to Smethcott was enjoyable but a bit of care was needed at the start as there is so much hedgerow growth sticking into the road.

I headed for Dudgeley to cross the A49 then extended the ride through Botvyle again to make the most of the ride. I had a bit of a moment while trying to be polite & let a motorist by as the verge turned out not to be as flat as it looked so I very nearly fell off. After the summit here the wind was against me but the gradient was mostly helping so I made steady progress back via Longnor, Ryton and Condover. I didn't fancy the flat way back as it would have been directly into the wind on the most exposed section so climbed through Little Lyth instead.

31.3 miles at 11.2 mph average. Strava claims 2166 feet of climbing. Great to get out. This ride has undone the good work I did cleaning the bike on Friday.

The track across Lyth Hill is a bit damp.

At Plealey, a gate with a view of the double hump of Earl's Hill & Pontesford Hill.

At Pontesbury.

More water on the way to Habberley.

The Mytton Arms at Habberley. I still haven't tried this pub. Must get round to it soon.

On the road to Pulverbatch.

The view over Lawn Farm with the northern edge of the Stiperstones beyond.

The view from the top of the climb to Picklescott.

Caer Caradoc as seen from Dudgeley.

Looking towards the Lawley from near to Botvyle. They are very late harvesting this field of wheat.

 

[13 rider]

A reflection on my week on the Isle of Man ,loved it if you don't mind hills it's lovely cycling country ,low traffic ,well behaved drivers ( even the going quicker than they should motorbikers ), reasonable road surfaces and stunning views when not in the mist
Day 1 ,16.8 miles ,1227ft of up
From my base at Port St Mary to Castletown along the main road even at rush hour I wouldn't call it busy .Turned inland up South Barrule the big lump you either have to round or over to get to the rest of the island .Then all downhill to home for breakfast .
Day 2 , 13.1 miles , 1581ft of up
Port St Mary to the most southern point of the island and a view of the Calf of Man

Then on to Port Erin which was very much up then down a stupidly steep hill glad I did it this way ,Then up to Surby and back to base

A Typical lane
Day 3 , 21.4 miles , 709ft of up a flatter day
Port St Mary to Castletown around the airport on to a headland to see if I could bike too the end , unfortunately not road ended and the track was to rough for the road bike , so back to Castletown ,inland a short way but avoided going to far up and back to base
Day 4 , 65.1 miles , 4885ft of up
The TT course ride already reported
Day 5 , 15.8 miles , 1519ft of up
Today rides was an evening one as in the morning so very gusty and you feel the full force of it , thankfully it dropped to allow me to get out , From base straight up South Barrule then back down a different way recording my 2nd fastest 5 miles
Day 6 13.5 miles , 541ft of up , the legs began to feel the weeks efforts
Port St Mary to Castletown and back just slightly inland avoiding the rush hour traffic as again due to the wind it was later when I got out
Stats for the week 145.5 miles ,10462ft of up and down (wheeeee) really loved ever mile but with all the riding and walking we did my legs are still feeling it I could do with a holiday 😁
We had all sorts of weather ,first 3 days were lovely ,even put sun screen on for Saturdays ride ,Sundays was overcast down low but as I climbed you went it too mist which made it a bit chilly , The last 2 days it went windy ,and the wind had a proper bite too it , bit of rain over night but I never got wet apart from the mist on any ride

 

[8mph]

A trip into Tunis to buy tubes and tools

Did an exchange with the shopkeeper and swapped my spd pedals and road saddle for platform pedals and a somewhat baggy, vintage leather saddle. Hopefully ready for a longer trip!

The was a car driving down the tramlines, so I gave it a go

20 slow and sketchy miles in total

Home

 

[Donger]

My favourite sort of ride today, a coastal ride with a very definite destination to it. I drove out to the beach at Sandhead to start a ride out to the Mull of Galloway and back for the latest of my 50km challenge rides. I got out really early expecting the windy and very wet weather predicted by the BBC. In fact it was chilly and windy, but sunny all the way and not a drop of rain. All the way out I had the benefit of a following wind, so I could never appreciate just how strong it was. It was also into the rising sun all the way, so although there were great beach and mountain views all the way, photo ops were limited. Suffice to say it was all one long beach for most of the 14.5 miles.

After about 9 miles I hit the big hill, just after the village of Drummore. One of those hills where you think you've arrived at the top only to see 3 or 4 false summits. The road was extremely quiet, so I was able to weave around a bit and I got up it in one. The last 3 or 4 miles to the lighthouse were what I would call "lumpy" and I was pleased to arrive at the Mull of Galloway to rest my legs and have a hot coffee.

Except I was the first one there today and the cafe wasn't yet open! I parked up, drank in the views and took some carbs on board. A shame there isn't a "Your bike in front of a precipice" thread.

There were great views to be had across the Irish Sea, with the Northern Irish coast near Belfast clearly visible and the Mountains of Mourne
drifting in and out of sight further South. What surprised me was how clearly you could see the Isle of Man:

You could also see (though not in this picture) the "Calf of Man" ..... which I think they ought to have called the "Son of Man". Missed a trick there. Unless Magritte had the copyright on that one. As soon as I set off to retrace my route back to Sandhead I realised what a struggle it was going to be.

What a howling headwind there was coming from the North. The first 4 miles saw me pedalling in a low gear even to go downhill and spinning like mad to crawl up every hill and appreciating every little bit of shelter that came my way. There was some respite on the descent back down into Drummore:

.... but that was followed by a flat straight road on the way to Ardwell that was totally exposed to the North wind and made for heavy going.

I was seriously considering giving up on the 50km and settling for a 28 or 29 miler, as by now I was wrecked. Then I spotted a seal basking on a rock, and the little rest I had while watching it made me pull myself together.

I carried on about a mile beyond where I'd left the car .... needing another drink break on the way .... before turning around and letting the wind blow me back to my parking spot on the beach. Finished on 31.1 miles (50.0km), knackered, sweaty but happy. Another great holiday ride and another stretch of UK coastline added to the repertoire. Happy days.

 

[Donger]

Almost forgot. Here's today's Flatnav shot

(Not my legs! Map placed on bed next to a pair of boots).
EDIT: Actually I think they are my legs!

 

[raleighnut]

A reflection on my week on the Isle of Man ,loved it if you don't mind hills it's lovely cycling country ,low traffic ,well behaved drivers ( even the going quicker than they should motorbikers ), reasonable road surfaces and stunning views when not in the mist
Day 1 ,16.8 miles ,1227ft of up
From my base at Port St Mary to Castletown along the main road even at rush hour I wouldn't call it busy .Turned inland up South Barrule the big lump you either have to round or over to get to the rest of the island .Then all downhill to home for breakfast .
Day 2 , 13.1 miles , 1581ft of up
Port St Mary to the most southern point of the island and a view of the Calf of Man
View attachment 745037
Then on to Port Erin which was very much up then down a stupidly steep hill glad I did it this way ,Then up to Surby and back to base
View attachment 745036
A Typical lane
Day 3 , 21.4 miles , 709ft of up a flatter day
Port St Mary to Castletown around the airport on to a headland to see if I could bike too the end , unfortunately not road ended and the track was to rough for the road bike , so back to Castletown ,inland a short way but avoided going to far up and back to base
Day 4 , 65.1 miles , 4885ft of up
The TT course ride already reported
Day 5 , 15.8 miles , 1519ft of up
Today rides was an evening one as in the morning so very gusty and you feel the full force of it , thankfully it dropped to allow me to get out , From base straight up South Barrule then back down a different way recording my 2nd fastest 5 miles
Day 6 13.5 miles , 541ft of up , the legs began to feel the weeks efforts
Port St Mary to Castletown and back just slightly inland avoiding the rush hour traffic as again due to the wind it was later when I got out
Stats for the week 145.5 miles ,10462ft of up and down (wheeeee) really loved ever mile but with all the riding and walking we did my legs are still feeling it I could do with a holiday 😁
We had all sorts of weather ,first 3 days were lovely ,even put sun screen on for Saturdays ride ,Sundays was overcast down low but as I climbed you went it too mist which made it a bit chilly , The last 2 days it went windy ,and the wind had a proper bite too it , bit of rain over night but I never got wet apart from the mist on any ride

No speed limits on the Island except where posted, the de-limit sign means just that whereas in the UK it means 'national speed limit' applies

 

[lazybloke]

Had sore legs this week from running, and figured i needed to loosen up the muscles with a short bike ride today.

Theres a handly flat cyclepath that more or less follows the river past Box Hill. Handy for shake down rides, but unfortunately adjacent to a noisy dual carriageway, so instead i stuck to nearby lanes and the North Downs Way through the vineyard, with Box Hill opposite in the sunlight.


The vines had a crop of tiny grapes, but with a lovely delicate flavour and sweetness; must be almost harvest time.



The sunlight was warm, but it was decidedly cool under the canopy of shade, especially a north-facing slope in woodland.

15km in a very lazy hour (or so).

 

[Dave 123]

A Friday after work ride of almost 12 miles through local lanes, had I have known I was sticking to tarmac I’d have taken my road bike.

Anyway, my first near death experience was within the first mile when an oncoming Sainsbury’s delivery van had to do an emergency stop for the prick who did a silly overtake. I thanked Mr Sainsbury with a wave, he shook his head in an exasperated manner.

The next two were in tiny lanes on blind bends. Funny how you can sense things…

These were nobody’s fault, just narrow twisty roads..

This drystone wall has taken a few weeks.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12400372638