Your ride today....

[GrumpyGregry]

Four wine cases filled with surplus stuff and two large carriers of books and CD's taken to Oxfam in the rain then on to the supermarket for the shopping.

Nobber driver tried her best to kill me on the roundabout outside Waitrose but I had already sussed her plan and was braking hard, brilliant things discs, before she pulled out on me.

Then, as I was locking bike up, nobber #2, a pedestrian, who had seen my braking skillz, came over and took me to task "If you are going to ride like that" nope no idea either "you should at least wear a helmet"

 

[Saluki]

https://www.strava.com/activities/432793467/segments/10408576664
The original home to hospital route tonight. I was in 2 minds about going. The rain had finally stopped so that was good, the wind had got up somewhat, not so good. I had wanted to go out during the day but the rain was coming in sideways - Welsh rain, in Suffolk - and I didn't fancy getting soaked to the skin today. Anyway, my new boots arrived and I wanted to take them out to see what they were like.

The boots are a small size 43. I believe that's a 9 in English. My Clarkes shoes are 71/2s, my cowboy boots are 71/2s, my horse riding boots are 71/2s but all my cycling stuff are a size 43. Go figure (climbing friction shoes are a size 6 but that's another story). They fit beautifully and that's all that matters. I had fun and games clipping in as the cleats are not exactly in the same place as they are on my Shimanos and that threw me a bit.

The wind was very blowy. The BBC reckons 40mph but I don't think that it was anything like that. I decided to take Eric the CX anyway, as he's slightly less skittish in the wind. The wind coming from the side was interesting but I took a steady pace and leaned in a bit, not too fast so I had time to react if I got badly blown but not too slow that I was going to fall off. The rain held off for the first half of the ride too, which was nice of it. I decided to go down Straight Road to Foxhall and in on the Bucklesham Road and not my originally planned straight along the Felixstowe Road, simply because the side wind was a bit tiring and I thought that half a mile of the wind at my back might be nice. It was.
The wind at my back was rather good as, once I'd turned right at that 'bogey-man' roundabout, I got a PB on the Bixley Road segment, on a CX bike with knobbly tyres so I was mightily impressed with myself. But as we all now know, Strava means nothing now we have the 'Sausage Shop Timing', which was 2 minutes faster than last time I rode past on the CX, but 2 minutes slower than when I rode past on the roadie. Home to S.S was 14 minutes.

11.34miles averaging 14mph. Thank you windy weather

 

[Gravity Aided]

7.2 Miles today, a tad windy, trying to get out before the 3-4 days of rain forecast for the week shows up. Week after next will be Thanksgiving, and I'll work that into about 5 days off. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. It will probably be chillier after the weather goes through, so for my longer ride that week I may have to carry tea apparatus for a mid-way stop. Today was rather warm and sunny for November. The Technium says hello.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/136312243@N03/23033171981/in/datetaken/
64F
Winds SW16
33%relative humidity
30.23 barometer, and steady
clear

 

[DCLane]

This morning I went to pick up a bike I'd reserved I'm Hong Kong from Cyclesense, Tai Wai. They had a Merida 901 road bike ready - £12 for 9am-11pm - and I spent the day going round the New Territories, covering just under 80 miles: https://www.strava.com/activities/432965530

Lots of riders were out, with stalls along the cycle routes. The UK could learn something here; bespoke cycle routes which meant loads of people on bikes. There were far more than I anticipated, although much of the riding was very poor. Also, almost all the riders had their saddles way too low

I've had great fun, despite some showers, and seen a part of Hong Kong I hadn't considered going to before.

 

[hedder2212]

Just a quick pootle to tesco to get some chicken fillets today...
Came out with my mate to find some little twonker trying to nick me pannier bags and dealt with it
Popped into poundworld on the way back and got some cable ties to stop that happening again
Then i decided that id race some bloke on a cannondale in lycra while i was on my ancient P.O.S winter bike wearing jeans and steel toe capped boots i won legs and chest now hurt

 

[Levo-Lon]

Suprisingly good ride today,warm and sheltered from the strong winds..
Wakerley has a mtb Demo day Rutland Cycles..totally rammed..bikes everywhere..

 

[Alex H]

Started off misty here today, so I left it a couple of hours before setting off in the sunshine.

The roundabout in Roechechouart is decorated for Toussaint with the traditional funeral flower - Chrysanthemums.

On the way to Chassenon, I found out that the Charente had not paid their sunshine bill for today. This is the valley of the Vienne (normal view here is about 5km)

Unfortunately, I had no lights on the bike and was wearing sunglasses.

Fortunately, the visibility was about 200m when I looked over the glasses and I had a bright yellow jacket on.

The weather had improved a bit by the time I got to Chabanais - where the Christmas circus is coming to town.

I've been meaning to take a picture of this shop for a long time - but it never seems to be open. It's an English grocer , but unfortunately does not seem to be too successful, probably due to the Super-U up the road stocking UK products as well.

Back along the north side of the Vienne to Etagnac, crossing the river at my 'new' bridge. The International Paper plant at Saillat in the distance.

Passed this 'garden' on the way back home.

If you're going to have one (or two) have a big one (or two)

At a guess, they are about a metre across. Goodness knows how much they weigh, but that's an awful lot of soup

44km in 2 hours

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Earlswood the destination, 50 miles the journey. Woke up this morning to a dull grey day, looked out the kitchen window and looked at the trees getting blown horizontal by the hoolie that was blowing, I abandoned plans to ride out to the forestry centre and instead opted for a ride to earlswood by a fairly direct route, I hadn't been out on a Sunday for several weeks otherwise I would have called the ride off. Slow hard slog out to the Cafe, my average was down to twelve mph, but it stayed dry for the whole ride and the roads weren't bad, a bit of leave mulch and mud about in places but I've ridden worse, and it just needed a bit of care at times, the ride back was better, I spent a lot of it flying with a tail wind, I was on my fixed and as the ride progressed and my legs tired my max cadence dropped off a little and I wasn't able to take as much of an advantage of the tail wind, I still spun up to 28 mph on the Beak Avenue descent passed the Craftsman pub though. This wasn't the best ride I've done but I got out and got a ride in which was important, and dispite the less than ideal conditions I enjoyed the ride.

 

[Donger]

This one could easily have turned out like National Lampoon's Vacation. I had suggested a 43 mile club route from Gloucester to Weston's Cider Mill at Much Marcle in Herefordshire and back ... long before it became clear that 40mph winds were forecasted. I woke up abruptly in the night with the sudden realisation that I hadn't checked whether the visitor's centre café would be open on a Sunday. I had visions of the eight of us battling our way through ferocious headwinds for two hours, driven on only by the thought of a pint of cider and a much needed sit down, only to find that Wally World was closed. This would undoubtedly have made me persona not grata in these parts.

Fortunately they do open on a Sunday, and the winds were only in the high teens of mph and for the most part from the side. Turned out to be one of my favourite rides of the 27 club rides I've been on this year. Lovely quiet lanes between Taynton-Newent-Kempley-Much Marcle-Dymock, and although there were a few feisty little hills, none of them were big enough for me to remember them for long. The smell of cider wafting in the air after we passed the great little 1930s garage in Much Marcle and approached the cider mill is a memory that will stay with me though. Nice to see @Dark46 back on a bike and back in the fold too.

 

[Stonechat]

In my inimitable style always chop a bit from your ride
I did not pause the Garmin at the coffee break and put it in my pocket, but did pause it when we started

Windy weather and the promised headwind on the return leg was not as good as it should have been

However ...
Nice ride to Milford via Seale
Back via Godalming, Shackleford and Wanborough

With the wind and much more climbing than normal for this club, it was a tough ride.
However did keep up and had a good workout

Before leaving, last minute panic
CLothes from last two ride were in the washing machine (am I the only one daft enough to do this?)
Only had thickest tights so instead wore shorts (I was the only one!) but was not cold
New Castelli top pressed into action and this was great

Including the missed off section and making allowances for my daftness using Garmin

62 miles (metric century), at about 15.6 mph, 2290 feet climbed

https://www.strava.com/activities/433201867

 

[13 rider]

Got up this morning and its blowing a gale . So a morning of fixing toilets seats and freezers doors and defrosted the freezer and looking wistfully out the window a 1300 the wind had dropped to just about acceptable levels . So out with the bike .headed for the hedgerows and hills around Ulverscoft and Woodhouse for some shelter from the wind .So through Newtown Linford up Ulverscoft lane and up the climb of Priory lane down past the golf course and left at the crossroads up the climb before Swithland wood left at the triangle and left towards Woodhouse eaves . Headed for a bit of strava segment racing a mate I follow is Kom on a obscure segment in Woodhouse I'd not riden so today was attack the Kom time . Wind was slightly wrong but full attack mode and I'm 2nd fastest ever still 19 secs short of Kom I might have to try again in perfect conditions .So back out of Woodhouse through Swithland into Rothley turn for home in Cropston and hit the headwind wow its windy. So quick dog leg left into Thurcaston then right at the crossroads and up the climb out of the village and downhill into Anstey was doing 16mph downhill the wind was that bad normally I'd be doing 25 plus .18 miles done at 14.5 mph not bad in the conditions still nice and warm but the wind was awful

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.strava.com/activities/433164798

55 odd miles with my adopted club today.

Then Santa turned up, a bit early admittedly, but the look on the young kiddies faces, was a picture.

.

 

[Old jon]

Not raining this morning, so I unzipped the windproof fleece liner from the new waterproof and off I pedalled. The fleece worked well indeed, but the rain came, on went the waterproof about halfway down Marshall Street. And off I pedalled again. Along Crown Point Road, I began feeling like one of those boil in a bag meals, so off with both top layers, fleece in saddlebag ( only just enough room ) and waterproof on back. Right choice, all the rest of the 28.8 miles needed no changes, it gently rained pretty consistently and the wind was a bit of a nuisance . . .
A 58 out to Collingham, Wattle Syke and West Woods Road to the top of Bramham, Thorner, Skeltons Lane, Red Hall Lane, descend Boot Hill and past the old park gates, Roundhay Road and home. Rather glad I did it.

 

[biggs682]

Tad windy and grandparent duties first thing today.
Managed to walk all the way around Pitsford reservoir just before lunch time.
Then some repairs and garden duties before getting the tandem out as my partner's new year resolution was to get out on it, so we did

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Short spin yesterday and I found these, never seen them before.

They were on the road between Ashley and Mobberley. By my reckoning that makes three owls, two hares and a green man on that stretch. I'm sure there's a Christmas carol in there somewhere.