Your ride today....

[EltonFrog]

My ride today, the first since RLS 100 just a pootle down to the shops to buy 5kg of sugar on the hybrid. Nice and dry, I didn't bother with helmet, gloves and shorts, just tucked my jeans into my socks and off I went along the cycle path to Aldi then Sainsburys. On the way back nearly had a head on collision with another cyclist, the silly twit was too busy chatting to her chum to notice me, even though I thought she was looking straight at me. A bit of swerving & swearing but no harm done.

6.2 miles today.

 

[Elybazza61]

Club ride today with two big groups and a nice stop at the River Tea Rooms in St Ives although I think we did overwhelm them with our numbers.

Good pace for the moderate group with a few of the regular TTers on board;

https://www.strava.com/activities/369399232


Oh and Fridays' commute home just for the record which included some 'nice' drafts from the traffic;

https://www.strava.com/activities/368885955

 

[ColinJ]

Weather forecast got it wrong again today. Reckoned it would be warm, light breeze and dry. It was cool/cold, strong winds and rained! So well done metr...meteor...me..weather people!

If anyone from Skipton CC is reading this, please pass on my thanks to your club members (special thanks if you are one of that group I met today now reading this) for actually stopping and offering help when I punctured on the climb above Crosshills. A pleasing bit of cycling cameraderie there!

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/866086588

Yes, it was a bit disappointing wasn't it! I met a friend in Oxenhope and we rode together in your direction as far as Laneshaw Bridge before turning off and heading back via Trawden and Widdop. We pretty much managed to avoid rain, but some of the roads were still wet, so only just!

The wind was annoying. The sun was nice when the clouds did get out of the way. Of course, it has been nice and sunny since I got home!

In defence of the weather people ... I saw a satellite photo this morning and it showed vast swathes of NW England with clear skies, but just one blob of cloud and rain which happened to be nearby and obviously ended up blowing over us.

We rode up the nasty climb at Thursden and spotted a couple walking their mountain bikes up the steepest section at the start of the climb. As I was passing the woman, she told me that she would normally ride up it but she was on the 'wrong bike'. I thought that she ought to be able to get up almost any road climb on MTB gears, but then I noticed that both of their bikes were single-speeders. Fair enough - I certainly couldn't ride up there on the gear that she had!

Miscellaneous members of Manchester Wheelers rode past us on Widdop Road. I think I recognised one of them as having overtaken me up there a few days ago.

My ride came in at 64.8 km so I did another 0.8 km round the block to bring it up to 65.6 km or 41 miles to further boost my MCL total for the year. I am well over 300 miles up on my target mileage, but will be needing whatever I can get 'in the bank' once the dreary days of November and December arrive and my cycling is curtailed.

 

[Mike_P]

Set off this afternoon and immediately the wind got up, the sun disappeared and it went cold. Trudged up a few back lane hills straight into the westerly and then just as I broke out onto the ridge top road the sun reappeared

Not that the ridge top road was any less windy and I decided to abandon cycling westwards and do the equivalent of a brief evening ride - the hybrid then came alive as a road bike whizzed pass the end of the road and sought to take revenge for being passed too often in the week knowing that a hill lurked around the corner

Did not quite manage it !

 

[cosmicbike]

Been out every day this week, but no rides of any note until today. Took the kids out for a pedal around local quiet roads and tracks, including an opportunity to stroke a horse, plus a visit to see Nessie...

A very nice, sedate 8 miles in pleasant weather, not too hot.

 

[13 rider]

Been out every day this week, but no rides of any note until today. Took the kids out for a pedal around local quiet roads and tracks, including an opportunity to stroke a horse, plus a visit to see Nessie...
View attachment 100242

A very nice, sedate 8 miles in pleasant weather, not too hot.

So that's were Nessie goes for summer holidays . Nice to here your out riding

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Another week without a ride due to the wind and rain, so was determined to get out today and do my longest ride of the year so far.

I headed over to Ironbridge, as not been there for nigh on 12 months before today.

Took the cycle paths up to Harlescott, with the breeze actually quite cool for August, and then joined the old canal path to Uffington, before the gentle climb to Upton Magna.

I then went through Upton Forge and Norton, before arriving at Wroxeter. The sun had been replaced by clouds now and I had to keep moving to stay warm enough not to need the jacket on.

Wroxeter Roman Ruins (not a good day for photography with the light)
View attachment 100181

I followed the NCN route around Wroxeter and found the 1st evidence of just how much rain we had in the monsoon yesterday with a deep flood to negotiate.

I then climbed up Charlton Hill and joined Spout Lane for the serious climb of the day up to Little Wenlock. From there it is a lovely long descent to Coalbrookdale and then into Ironbridge, which was buzzing with tourists, but unfortunately also traffic. I did a loop down to Jackfield and over the modern bridge, before coming back along the river and walking the bike over the proper Iron Bridge.

I then battled with traffic down to the park, where I always sit and eat my lunch. It had got quite cold now and the wind had picked up, with a few spots of rain falling as well and so I was glad I had my jacket with me to put on, indeed I wore it for the rest of the ride.

I set off for Buildwas and Leighton and had knee pain start again, in the same place I'd had it at the back end of 2014. It steadily got worse for the rest of the journey and with having to battle against a strong headwind for the final 15 miles it was a bit demoralising to be honest

My route back consisted of 2 close passes from drivers on the road to Cressage, which didn't do much for my mood, a long climb up to Cound Moor, and then Acton Burnell, before a slow up and down section to Pitchford and Betton Abbots. I stopped to let the knee rest for a couple of minutes and a kind chap on a bike stopped to see if I was ok, which I said I was, but really it was hurting a fair bit.

Arrived home having done 41.3 miles and also passed the 1000 mile mark for the year. It's taken me a couple of months longer than in 2014, due to moving house and being bikeless for a good 6 weeks I think.

Glad you got out but for the knee. Shoudn't be doing that - perhaps we can have a look at your set up again.

 

[gavgav]

Glad you got out but for the knee. Shoudn't be doing that - perhaps we can have a look at your set up again.

I think that's a good idea. Haven't felt as though I'm sat at the right height since the new pedals have been fitted. Can't really see how pedals affect seating position, but maybe I'm wrong?!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I think that's a good idea. Haven't felt as though I'm sat at the right height since the new pedals have been fitted. Can't really see how pedals affect seating position, but maybe I'm wrong?!

Something to think about. Possibly because your feet are more secure on the pedals now you are using the muscles differently?

Shame I didn't join you on the ride as we could have done some tweaks en route.

 

[gavgav]

Something to think about. Possibly because your feet are more secure on the pedals now you are using the muscles differently?

Shame I didn't join you on the ride as we could have done some tweaks en route.

We must get out for a good ride together when I'm back from Tenby. If I do any evening rides this week I will try adjusting the height a little bit and see how it goes

 

[MikeW-71]

4 miles into town and back on the Boneshaker.

Popped into a local model shop as I'm thinking of making a model railway in N-gauge (the really small ones). I've not had a train set since I was 9, and I feel like it's unfinished business.

 

[Goonerobes]

With one thing or another I didn't have a lot of time today so it was just a spin around the New Forest for me, taking in Minstead, Bolderwood, Linwood, Godshill & Hale on the out-leg & returning via Hampworth, Nomansland, Furzley & Calmore which left me on 45 miles so I added Woodlands & Ashurst for a nice round 50.

A pleasant enough ride but three close passes reminded me why I don't tend to spend much time cycling here at weekends during farkwit tourist season!

https://www.strava.com/activities/369542504

There is apparently quite a large deer population in the forest but I very rarely see any & nearly didn't again today as they soon scarpered!

Were these donkeys trying to pass as horses at the aptly named Horse & Groom I wonder?

 

[PaulB]

Yes, it was a bit disappointing wasn't it! I met a friend in Oxenhope and we rode together in your direction as far as Laneshaw Bridge before turning off and heading back via Trawden and Widdop. We pretty much managed to avoid rain, but some of the roads were still wet, so only just!

The wind was annoying. The sun was nice when the clouds did get out of the way. Of course, it has been nice and sunny since I got home!

In defence of the weather people ... I saw a satellite photo this morning and it showed vast swathes of NW England with clear skies, but just one blob of cloud and rain which happened to be nearby and obviously ended up blowing over us.

We rode up the nasty climb at Thursden and spotted a couple walking their mountain bikes up the steepest section at the start of the climb. As I was passing the woman, she told me that she would normally ride up it but she was on the 'wrong bike'. I thought that she ought to be able to get up almost any road climb on MTB gears, but then I noticed that both of their bikes were single-speeders. Fair enough - I certainly couldn't ride up there on the gear that she had!

Miscellaneous members of Manchester Wheelers rode past us on Widdop Road. I think I recognised one of them as having overtaken me up there a few days ago.

My ride came in at 64.8 km so I did another 0.8 km round the block to bring it up to 65.6 km or 41 miles to further boost my MCL total for the year. I am well over 300 miles up on my target mileage, but will be needing whatever I can get 'in the bank' once the dreary days of November and December arrive and my cycling is curtailed.

Good man, Colin; nice comments there. I've only not been 'around' much recently because I've had a bit of a rich seam of running so I took some time off cycling to mine that seam! Not wishing to brag or anything, but earlier this year, I broke the national record over 5K running on the road and as that 'road' was the Steven Burke cycle track (qualifies as a road as it's a tarmac surface and irregular), it was especially pleasing.

 

[Gravity Aided]

10 miles my ride this day, usual rolling countryside, Univega doing quite well, got her up over 20 mph a few times, just checking things out, you know. Getting in shape for the Tour de Taco.
87F 31C
55% relative humidity
Winds SW9
30.12 Bar (slow fall in the glass)

 

[Philh]

Just a short ride today, I am currently about 25 miles south of Paris, this was a ride for me and my wife to the local town for a coffee. Everything except the bars was shut due to some public holiday. Bank holiday on a Saturday? That's the French.

Anyway this was back at the site


6.1 miles at a slow average of 8mph. I was very patient!

One very useful buy for this holiday has been a bike cave. Keeps the bikes nice and secure and totally dry in the heavy rain we have been having. It attaches perfectly to the cycle rack and there is a hole in the back for a cable lock.