Your ride today....

[Marchrider]

the first 10 mile was an absolute joy, the sun seemed to have a little warmth, the roads were good and I had a gentle breeze behind

but then it changed clouded over wind picked up and it was that horrible raw coldness, and the minor roads were awful with ice
here I am riding up the streams praying there is no ice under the water - that is a certain off

my favourite little church and I was in need of some absolution, there had been 2 boxes of xmas mince pies left in the workshop over xmas, and I had been the only one going in, and temptation got the better of me, seemed a shame to waste them - this morning everyone was back and they were wondering where the pies had gone. LOL - they blamed me

but then it was back on the dodgy road for mile after mile of raw coldness, so much ice where water had flowed out of fields onto the roads and froze
never mid there was a bit of a sunset

it was too far today, the last 10 mile was a struggle, I think the cold just got to me
47.2 miles

YTD 149 / day 7 x 365 = 7770 / 6500 = 19.5% ahead

 

[Marchrider]

And another perfect day, just loving this weather, -3 when I set off and only +1 when I got back, but that sun just never stopped shinning, even had to take a layer off, if only we had a bit of snow it would be perfect

roads were a bit dodgy in places, but it comes with the territory - better than warm and wet

haven't worked out the distance yet but probably 25 ish. Had to be somewhere this afternoon otherwise I might o just stayed on the road all day

 

[ianrauk]

@Marchrider I love the first pic on your post. Where is that?

 

[sevenfourate]

@Marchrider I love the first pic on your post. Where is that?

Agreed. And equally inquisitive !

 

[Marchrider]

Agreed. And equally inquisitive !

They are the Eildon Hills near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, they are not very high but are very prominent in the landscape - and they look particularly big with snow on them

 

[13 rider]

They are the Eildon Hills near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, they are not very high but are very prominent in the landscape - and they look particularly big with snow on them

The hills confused me , I thought you might be based in March Cambridgeshire from your user name , but that March isn't exactly known for it's mountains

 

[Marchrider]

The hills confused me , I thought you might be based in March Cambridgeshire from your user name , but that March isn't exactly known for it's mountains

Scottish Marches, link, in particular the middle & east marches is where nearly all my riding is done - I had tried to call my self 'Rider of the Marches' but it was difficult signing up and somewhere along i managed to somehow get MarchRider - it doesn't matter

great cycling countryside, a myriad of little roads and little traffic - I can usually manage to not ride the same road twice n the same week which stops it getting tedious

 

[Marchrider]

This amazing weather just keeps on going, another perfect day

Bang on the Scottish English border

even the ice on the minor roads is slowly disappearing

but what there is is becoming more lethal - crossing that border again

29 mile
YTD 209 / day 9 x 365 = 8476 / 6500 = 30% ahead

tomorrow (fri) will be interesting, only 18 mile to finish my week off (and have all of saturday off), but I have agreed to be in the workshop by 11 - so I am going to have to be up and out early, and its -8 now, it will be colder at first light. I will just head out onto a quiet road that I know is well gritted and get it over as soon as pos

 

[HLaB]

Just a short one today for me. My mates met at 9am but it was still -4deg C and the meet was 12miles away, so I had a lie in. Went out for a walk on the trails I could cycle, they were covered in ice but not slippy. So I came back and cycled the 5 mile route on my gravel bike. Didn’t get far and the p’ture from the last time I rode the bike (before Christmas) which has stayed good since then reopened. Getting off the bike it sealed but two minutes later it would open again. I went through that cycle a few times. Eventually used a CO2 cannister and I think it sealed it 🤞 and I got a bit longer but a brand new p’ture opened up. Came home used the track pump to over over-pressurised the tyre and it kept pressure for circa 30 mins until 8 min into another ride, same story, wouldn’t seal on the move but would seal stopped but would reopen on the move. I’ve come back and did the same (over pressurising with a track pump) and the tyre has stayed solid for hours. I’ll probably take the bike out tomorrow if its icy first thing and if it happens again I’ll be looking for a new brand of sealant. I’ve used Stans Race for 1000s of miles and never used a dynaplug (things have always sealed on the move and stayed sealed). Whereas Peaty’s with tyres which are less than 50 miles old (WTB Raddlers the same brand) I’ve had several p’tures that have refused to seal on the move or stay sealed. The only draw back to Stans Race is can clog things up 😕

 

[cyberknight]

club ride cancelled for the second week in a row to be fair on late shift last night so its a struggle to get up and out the house by 8 am if i dont get to bed till around 1.30 am .

 

[Dave 123]

My first ride since the beginning of December.
After visiting my lad in Cambridge one weekend, my mate came down on the next weekend and gave me the mother and father of all lurgy! So that was Christmas and new year out the window!

So today it was a gentle loop around Battisborough, taking in the Luson bridleway.

It wasn’t cold, very little wind and filthy roads eased me into 2025.

Not much wildlife about.

My lungs felt clear riding up Bridgend!



https://www.strava.com/activities/13325714659

 

[13 rider]

My first ride since the beginning of December.
After visiting my lad in Cambridge one weekend, my mate came down on the next weekend and gave me the mother and father of all lurgy! So that was Christmas and new year out the window!

So today it was a gentle loop around Battisborough, taking in the Luson bridleway.

It wasn’t cold, very little wind and filthy roads eased me into 2025.

Not much wildlife about.

My lungs felt clear riding up Bridgend!



https://www.strava.com/activities/13325714659

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That's looks tropical compared to what most of the rest of the country looks like my estate roads had frost on all day 🥶

 

[Dave 123]

That's looks tropical compared to what most of the rest of the country looks like my estate roads had frost on all day 🥶

I spoke to a friend in Cambridge this evening. He said it was bitterly cold, but here it was jumper weather.

 

[HLaB]

Two short rides earlier to test what PSI that Peaty’s was happy with. In reverse order:



Each one was a failure with the p’tures reopening up

I did contemplate more psi iterations, then I thought feic it, I’d go for 60psi the tyre had styed solid overnight at that. It was fine for about an hour/10 miles and the tyre stayed rock hard, Then it was the same old story.







Came home pumped the tyre up to 60psi again and nearly 4h later its still solid but new ‘Orange’ sealant ordered anyway!

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Back from only my fourth ride of the year, all less than 25 miles so haven’t accumulated even 100 miles yet. I didn’t ride at all last week, far too cold and icy. But the thaw reached us yesterday so I enjoyed a chilly Sunday morning spin down to Portobello and Musselburgh. This morning, less cold but very windy, I used the Loanhead cycle path for a loop around Roslin, came back using the shelter of Blackford Glen to avoid the wind that would have hit me on the Braid Hills road.