VinSumRox
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
Last day of my break in Aviemore today. Forecast was for wind from the south, so decided to do a bit of wind surfing to Inverness. And of course from Aviemore to Inverness is all downhill, isn't it? No it's not!!
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/18595070540?share_unique_id=374
Fuel is expensive up north; this was £8.95 worth 😲.
Carrbridge.
Slochd summit.
A bonus of creating dual carriageways, WE get to use the old roads without the traffic!
NCN 7 in this area is one of the better Sustrans routes I have used. Well signposted, for a start.
Took the easy option to get back to Aviemore!
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/18595070540?share_unique_id=374
Fuel is expensive up north; this was £8.95 worth 😲.
Carrbridge.
Slochd summit.
A bonus of creating dual carriageways, WE get to use the old roads without the traffic!
NCN 7 in this area is one of the better Sustrans routes I have used. Well signposted, for a start.
Took the easy option to get back to Aviemore!
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Dragged the Fuji and other things to the flat today, with its first Oxford utility ride following shortly afterwards.
Started with the long route to the shops which incorporated a decent amount of not-road. It's pretty coarse / rough and while the Fuji and its 32mm tyres handled it well it wasn't ideal with the empty pannier bags chattering incessently - no doubt wearing away a bit more of the rack's tubing..
Picked up a few small bits in town then on to Waitrose to load up on as many large, heavy containers of liquid cleaning products and generally as much awkwardly-shaped stuff as possible.. just about managing to fit it in with one of the bags left open.
Unfortuately the ride took longer than expected and I got caught out by the dusk, having left the lights at home. Made my way back mostly away from the road with just the pitiful but welcome light on the front of my head unit.
Not a particularly enjoyable ride as I'm pretty exhausted and my head is all over the place with all the current change / stuff to be done, while the weather was overcast / latterly chilly and the general atmosphere in the city felt pretty oppressive.
The experience also served to amplify the polar views in my mind about the long-term utility bike. As expected the Fuji's bar end shifters are a bit of a pain when speeds vary significantly and require a lot of rapid gear changes. In this regard the trigger shifters on the Genesis would be far preferable, as would its fatter tyres on less road-centric routes... however I'm already anxious about locking the Fuji up on the street and the Genesis is worth more and likely more thievable..
Started with the long route to the shops which incorporated a decent amount of not-road. It's pretty coarse / rough and while the Fuji and its 32mm tyres handled it well it wasn't ideal with the empty pannier bags chattering incessently - no doubt wearing away a bit more of the rack's tubing..
Picked up a few small bits in town then on to Waitrose to load up on as many large, heavy containers of liquid cleaning products and generally as much awkwardly-shaped stuff as possible.. just about managing to fit it in with one of the bags left open.
Unfortuately the ride took longer than expected and I got caught out by the dusk, having left the lights at home. Made my way back mostly away from the road with just the pitiful but welcome light on the front of my head unit.
Not a particularly enjoyable ride as I'm pretty exhausted and my head is all over the place with all the current change / stuff to be done, while the weather was overcast / latterly chilly and the general atmosphere in the city felt pretty oppressive.
The experience also served to amplify the polar views in my mind about the long-term utility bike. As expected the Fuji's bar end shifters are a bit of a pain when speeds vary significantly and require a lot of rapid gear changes. In this regard the trigger shifters on the Genesis would be far preferable, as would its fatter tyres on less road-centric routes... however I'm already anxious about locking the Fuji up on the street and the Genesis is worth more and likely more thievable..
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Today’s (Saturday’s) ride
Its amazing what a good sleep can do. For the first time ever my watch said it was continuous. I was woken up 3 times by my chemo induced peripheral neuropathy but its usually 43 times! Was it the longer Z1/2 commute or just that its been dry until an hour ago
Anyway it was just 2 of out for the long group ride we met a couple of others at the cafe and after 40mins at 75% (which felt like 66%), my mate needed me to ease up. After the cafe stop my mate went to stop at a pub but one of the riders had to get home so we decided we’d stop at one closer to home before we got there it turned pretty grey and there was occasional wet stuff so we decided to skip it. (I wanted home to watch the Milan San Remo anyway). We made the right decision 20-30 mins after I was home the heavens opened and it was torrential for a bit. I was going to clean the bike in the back garden after the Milan San but during a lull I ran out and got it and put it in the house. Whilst I think it has finally stopped raining 2h later, the bike will get a wipe down instead!
Hemet Hair
Its amazing what a good sleep can do. For the first time ever my watch said it was continuous. I was woken up 3 times by my chemo induced peripheral neuropathy but its usually 43 times! Was it the longer Z1/2 commute or just that its been dry until an hour ago
Anyway it was just 2 of out for the long group ride we met a couple of others at the cafe and after 40mins at 75% (which felt like 66%), my mate needed me to ease up. After the cafe stop my mate went to stop at a pub but one of the riders had to get home so we decided we’d stop at one closer to home before we got there it turned pretty grey and there was occasional wet stuff so we decided to skip it. (I wanted home to watch the Milan San Remo anyway). We made the right decision 20-30 mins after I was home the heavens opened and it was torrential for a bit. I was going to clean the bike in the back garden after the Milan San but during a lull I ran out and got it and put it in the house. Whilst I think it has finally stopped raining 2h later, the bike will get a wipe down instead!
Hemet Hair
Marchrider
Über Member
I ken there as well - haven't been over that bridge this year yet
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Out on the Marin again this morning. Missed two days of glorious sunshine and had to hope the predicted rain stayed away. It did. For my outward journey, thinking I'd better do it before it got wet, I followed the tow path of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. In places it is quite well-surfaced, compacted gravel and in others it is either stoney or muddy and rutted, Several fishing competitions were under way, and quite a few anglers left their poles sticking out into the path, making it quite slow progress. Several dog walkers thought it was fine to let let dogs run free, and a couple of spaniels caused a few near misses as they loop-the-looped around my wheels. I've done the stretch from Quedgeley to Hardwicke several times lately, but today I carried on past Castle Lane Bridge:
.... and on through Saul Junction Marina:
.... and the old Cadbury's milk plant at Frampton on Severn:
At Frampton, the path started to deteriorate further:
The big tyres on the Marin made easy work of everything though. After Frampton, I continued out towards Slimbridge, stopping for a moment to take in the view across the marshes towards the River Severn:
I was tempted to call in at the Black Shed .... a favourite with our cycle club back in the day .... but I denied myself the calories of one of their all day breakfasts:
and turned off the tow path at the swing bridge and headed off down to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust instead:
All in all that was about 11 miles outward. For the return, I hit the road, riding through Slimbridge, Cambridge (no, not that Cambridge) and Frampton before turning right at Epney and using another short stretch of A38 and turning for home down Sticky Lane and crossing the canal at the Pilot Inn in Hardwicke. 25.6 miles by the time I got home. No rain, plenty of wildlife (including a swan fight on the canal and a tree full of cormorants or shags by the riverside at Stonebench). Came across one of my neighbours while I was out. He was riding his bike while coaching an eight woman rowing crew on the canal. Reminded me of the time my nephew got thrown out of the rowing club for laughing too much when his coach cycled into the canal.
.... and on through Saul Junction Marina:
.... and the old Cadbury's milk plant at Frampton on Severn:
At Frampton, the path started to deteriorate further:
The big tyres on the Marin made easy work of everything though. After Frampton, I continued out towards Slimbridge, stopping for a moment to take in the view across the marshes towards the River Severn:
I was tempted to call in at the Black Shed .... a favourite with our cycle club back in the day .... but I denied myself the calories of one of their all day breakfasts:
and turned off the tow path at the swing bridge and headed off down to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust instead:
All in all that was about 11 miles outward. For the return, I hit the road, riding through Slimbridge, Cambridge (no, not that Cambridge) and Frampton before turning right at Epney and using another short stretch of A38 and turning for home down Sticky Lane and crossing the canal at the Pilot Inn in Hardwicke. 25.6 miles by the time I got home. No rain, plenty of wildlife (including a swan fight on the canal and a tree full of cormorants or shags by the riverside at Stonebench). Came across one of my neighbours while I was out. He was riding his bike while coaching an eight woman rowing crew on the canal. Reminded me of the time my nephew got thrown out of the rowing club for laughing too much when his coach cycled into the canal.
Glad you had some respite - I'm well familiar with the impact of poor sleep and you've evidently got more on your plate. I always admire the positivity and stoicism in your posts
Is that a new bicycle? One that's made of the correct metal yet has the bouncy forks?
I didn't know Marin did steel hardtails; it's certainly not a particularly common format.
I'd really love to get the Ragley out around the outskirts of Oxford as there are some cracking trails that are a bit much for the (currently unuseable for other reasons) gravel bike(s).. however there are currently many things stopping me..
Today's ride isn't really worth mentioning, but I'm going to anyway since I've got a load of more important things to put off..
Awoke for the first time in the flat, feeling utterly knackered after a predictably appalling night courtesy of my skinny camping mattress and 40yr old sleeping bag. Eventually going out on the bike seemed like the least-worst option so I headed out for a gentle tour of the charity shops and others, in the hope of scoring some furniture / other necessities.
Unsurprisingly I came up empty-handed, however was somewhat heartened to see some nice mid-century / G-Plan stuff (that just happened to be unsuitable) so there's hope.
While both mentally and physically exhausted it was nice to be out and I had a few nice little interactions with folks; reminding me of how time on the bike makes me much less of a bastard. The least unamusing event was probably being passed by a chain of racing snakes on placcy bikes, which I tagged onto for a bit just for the crack.
Utterly shattered and jaded once back to the flat though. At least I've managed about 104 miles this week, which is a lot for me.
VinSumRox
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Thought you might
sevenfourate
Devotee of OCD
- Location
- Lowestoft, Suffolk
Glad you had some respite - I'm well familiar with the impact of poor sleep and you've evidently got more on your plate. I always admire the positivity and stoicism in your posts
I didn’t realise. And I’ve just googled: ‘peripheral neuropathy’ 😳 Kudos for your cheery posts and ever present smile 😁
Good health to you Sir @HLaB 🕵️
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Yes on both counts. Picked it up in January and I've ridden it 5 times so far. I'm not planning on any daredevil downhilling or extreme mud-plugging on it. Just wanted something a bit different from my road bike. The plan is to start hitting the hills again, making use of the big gear range and to do a few canal/railway paths with the benefit of a bit more grip. Still getting used to the bouncy forks. At times they still give the feel of a front wheel puncture. For me it had to be a steel frame. With me being a 300lb-er, I don't trust any of these alloy or carbon bikes.
Great work! Sounds like you have a similar attitude to mine - minimal shredding, just the ability to comfortably travel over rougher stuff. Have you tuned the forks with a shock pump? I'm yet to get around to that despite having had the bike for over a year...
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Finally got out for a ride after working 6 days a week for about 6-7 months i have hardly ridden at all and add a lingering cold means my fitness is dismal !
Back/hip still a bit tender from yesterday when mrs ck reversed the car into my by accident so i didnt plan a route in case i was too sore but although niggly it didnt hurt so i plodded onwards heading generally towards market bosworth , about halfway there i saw a bike leaning against a wall so i stopped to see if everything was ok and the owner got out of the car as she was waiting for her ride buddy as they live far enough apart that they meet up in cars to ride .
I decided to head to bosworth battlefield cafe and caught up with a trio of riders who followed me to the cafe so we shared a table and a chat before i headed for home .
I think i pushed a bit too hard before the cafe as heading home i had nothing in the legs and the headwind didnt help so i struggled home stopping a few times .Everything hurts now even though for me this would have been a very slow and shorter ride so i can tell how far i need to go to get back to fitness.
Back/hip still a bit tender from yesterday when mrs ck reversed the car into my by accident so i didnt plan a route in case i was too sore but although niggly it didnt hurt so i plodded onwards heading generally towards market bosworth , about halfway there i saw a bike leaning against a wall so i stopped to see if everything was ok and the owner got out of the car as she was waiting for her ride buddy as they live far enough apart that they meet up in cars to ride .
I decided to head to bosworth battlefield cafe and caught up with a trio of riders who followed me to the cafe so we shared a table and a chat before i headed for home .
I think i pushed a bit too hard before the cafe as heading home i had nothing in the legs and the headwind didnt help so i struggled home stopping a few times .Everything hurts now even though for me this would have been a very slow and shorter ride so i can tell how far i need to go to get back to fitness.
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Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
So far I've just set the adjuster to a medium setting. Haven't added any oil or air. Seems about right to me. My wrists and elbows have always been my shock absorbers, and my arms often ache as much as my thighs the next day .... but not since riding the Marin.
chriswoody
Legendary Member
- Location
- Northern Germany
Lovely spring weather again today, we've pretty much had two weeks of blue skies and sunshine. Over the last few weeks I've undertaken some comprehensive work on the bike, converting it to 12 speed by changing the internals of the shifter, adding a MTB wide range cassette and GX Eagle Derailleur, overhauled the brakes and replaced some worn out bearings amongst other work. Today was another shakedown run and the bike felt fantastic, like a brand new bike again, a real joy to ride.
I decided to head North and ride some lovely fast gravel roads in the forest. First though I had to navigate through some rougher forest trails past tall pines.
The gravel roads beyond saw me picking up some wonderful speed before it was into the infamous sands at Wildech. the dry spell of weather has really dried them out and it was a fun few moments as the bike scrabbled for elusive grip and I battled to remain moving forward.
The reward is several more kilometres on firmer gravel roads where the paths swoop up and down under the canopy of pines and not another soul to be seen. After a while I emerge onto the shores of Anglebeckteich and stop for a well earned break in the sun.
From here I head up onto the heathland and then back into the forest. Another long gravel road awaits and I pick up a good head of steam through the forest. A herd of deer, panicked by my presence runs alongside me for a short stretch before crossing ahead, I stop to let them go and watch them disappear into the depths of the forest.
A small nature reserve is traversed before I head down into Reberlah and onwards. The bike is feeling fantastic and the Spring sunshine is feeling wonderful. I break cover from the forest for a short while before plunging down into the forest again.
The final section is a short 4 kilometres on quiet country roads as I head back into town. Today was 46.4 km, bringing the total this week upto 136 km since the major overhaul.
I decided to head North and ride some lovely fast gravel roads in the forest. First though I had to navigate through some rougher forest trails past tall pines.
The gravel roads beyond saw me picking up some wonderful speed before it was into the infamous sands at Wildech. the dry spell of weather has really dried them out and it was a fun few moments as the bike scrabbled for elusive grip and I battled to remain moving forward.
The reward is several more kilometres on firmer gravel roads where the paths swoop up and down under the canopy of pines and not another soul to be seen. After a while I emerge onto the shores of Anglebeckteich and stop for a well earned break in the sun.
From here I head up onto the heathland and then back into the forest. Another long gravel road awaits and I pick up a good head of steam through the forest. A herd of deer, panicked by my presence runs alongside me for a short stretch before crossing ahead, I stop to let them go and watch them disappear into the depths of the forest.
A small nature reserve is traversed before I head down into Reberlah and onwards. The bike is feeling fantastic and the Spring sunshine is feeling wonderful. I break cover from the forest for a short while before plunging down into the forest again.
The final section is a short 4 kilometres on quiet country roads as I head back into town. Today was 46.4 km, bringing the total this week upto 136 km since the major overhaul.
Cool - it's probably not so critical if you're doing mild cross-country stuff; but potentially worth looking into if you're at the north end of regulation weight!
