biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
no ride today but 300+ miles to see a works customer and looking outside no ride tonight 
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Just a shortish ride before work today, with a quick cuppa at a mates house before we pedalled over to the Bike Hut in Kings Heath to look at a few bikes...
It drizzled all the way there and drizzled all the way back, but no wind for a change!
One of the alleyways in Old Kingsthorpe village..
13 miles to keep the legs turning..
https://www.strava.com/activities/434305693
It drizzled all the way there and drizzled all the way back, but no wind for a change!
One of the alleyways in Old Kingsthorpe village..
13 miles to keep the legs turning..
https://www.strava.com/activities/434305693
- Location
- Egham
Only commuting for me the last few days, though a course away from home gave the opportunity to pedal around somewhere new, albeit very early in the morning. Nice sunrise though
Postmanhat
Senior Member
- Location
- Derby
Had my first serious crash in 15 years, 3 weeks ago. Bruised ribs had kept me off since, but nothing was going to stop me today as the longer I kept off the bike, the harder it would be to get back on. Moreover, my stomach is beginning to look like a christmas pudding again. Got utterly drenched for the first half hour, then it eased off. As I began to suffer up a long drag, began to remember how much I love cycling, especially when I turned for a tailwind. Next change of direction brought a bit of buffeting, but also views of the Peak District foothills. Didn't realise how much I'd missed them. About 7 miles from home, the wind suddenly went ballistic in the space of about 30 seconds. With the return of the rain, it was definitely the other side of fun at times. Must have been some hairy commutes tonight!
Still, that was as about as wet and windy as it gets here so no excuses anymore for not going out. 35 miles/1500ft. Felt fine, apart from a bit of arm-ache, which was a new one. Unsurprisingly, didn't see a single fellow traveller despite being on some well-worn routes. Will probably be a few more out on Friday afternoon, when it should also be chucking it down
Still, that was as about as wet and windy as it gets here so no excuses anymore for not going out. 35 miles/1500ft. Felt fine, apart from a bit of arm-ache, which was a new one. Unsurprisingly, didn't see a single fellow traveller despite being on some well-worn routes. Will probably be a few more out on Friday afternoon, when it should also be chucking it down
gavgav
Legendary Member
Did you suggest to him that he could do with a lane of his own, due to the way they drive?!
Usually what happens is that the company gets another truck there and tranships the load, then the driver gets fined for having an insecure load. Or, plod gets someone in to organise the tranship, bills the company, and then fines the driver for having an insecure load.
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Elybazza61
Guru
Tough commute this morning into a stiff SSW wind which equals high HR+slow speed
;still obeyed the HTFU rule and thought about the good it's doing me and how much fitter I'll be for it next summer
.
The title says it all
https://www.strava.com/activities/434791352
;still obeyed the HTFU rule and thought about the good it's doing me and how much fitter I'll be for it next summer.The title says it all
https://www.strava.com/activities/434791352
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Rain.
Lots.
Again!
Lots.
Again!
Stonechat
Guru
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex
No rain here. Quite mild temperatures but WINDY
Went over Chertsey Bridge and went up Holloway Hill and Stonehill road, reaching Valley End, coming back over Chobham Common
Turned left up Hardwick Lane and then across to a loop I often use, Thorpe and Virginia Water
Back via Chertsey
Very windy with occasional nice downwind sections where I could wind up the speed.
Up one short hill was hit by gusts of wind which brought my speed down to about 7 mph.
Good ride though and I am still in shorts!
30.54 miles @ 17.0 mph with 1398 feet climbed.
Considering the winds and everything, pleased with that speed
Set some Strava Segment PRs on downwind sections
https://www.strava.com/activities/434882937
Went over Chertsey Bridge and went up Holloway Hill and Stonehill road, reaching Valley End, coming back over Chobham Common
Turned left up Hardwick Lane and then across to a loop I often use, Thorpe and Virginia Water
Back via Chertsey
Very windy with occasional nice downwind sections where I could wind up the speed.
Up one short hill was hit by gusts of wind which brought my speed down to about 7 mph.
Good ride though and I am still in shorts!
30.54 miles @ 17.0 mph with 1398 feet climbed.
Considering the winds and everything, pleased with that speed
Set some Strava Segment PRs on downwind sections
https://www.strava.com/activities/434882937
Last edited:
Goonerobes
Its okay to be white
- Location
- Wiltshire
Two weekends of bad weather & going to football this weekend meant my November entry in the "Metric Ton a Month" challenge was looking a bit dodgy so a day off & a rare midweek 100k was called for today.
There was some blue sky around as I set off on a route planned to try & give at least some shelter from the gusty winds that were still blowing & I again headed north-east into the agricultural lanes of the Test Valley where hedge-rows are aplenty. The roads were quieter than I'd imagined they'd be as I passed through Awbridge, Lockerley & East & West Tytherley with the wind still slightly on my tail. However, as I turned back towards the south-east at East Winterslow it was a case of head down & grind away along a series of very short but sharp climbs through Pitton & Alderbury & down towards Downton.
The final leg was back through the New Forest & some tree lined but muddy roads were first up before a quick dart with a tail wind across the more open moors to the next batch of trees for the road home.
63 miles, a few scary moments with cross winds & it started to rain as I got back but Novembers metric is now done!!
https://www.strava.com/activities/434930540/
Not the most picturesque route I'm afraid so please excuse the lack of photos.
There was some blue sky around as I set off on a route planned to try & give at least some shelter from the gusty winds that were still blowing & I again headed north-east into the agricultural lanes of the Test Valley where hedge-rows are aplenty. The roads were quieter than I'd imagined they'd be as I passed through Awbridge, Lockerley & East & West Tytherley with the wind still slightly on my tail. However, as I turned back towards the south-east at East Winterslow it was a case of head down & grind away along a series of very short but sharp climbs through Pitton & Alderbury & down towards Downton.
The final leg was back through the New Forest & some tree lined but muddy roads were first up before a quick dart with a tail wind across the more open moors to the next batch of trees for the road home.
63 miles, a few scary moments with cross winds & it started to rain as I got back but Novembers metric is now done!!
https://www.strava.com/activities/434930540/
Not the most picturesque route I'm afraid so please excuse the lack of photos.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
@Goonerobes
@Stonechat
Hmmmm....you know how to make a man jealous.
No opportunity to ride Thurs/Fri/Sat am/Sun am as I am doing stuff (how busy can semi-retirement be for chrisakes?). Then Sat pm I dare not miss Chelsea vs Norwich as we might get a rare 3 points - haha! So that leaves Sunday pm to squeeze something in with what will no doubt be dead legs after a three week break.
@Stonechat
Hmmmm....you know how to make a man jealous.
No opportunity to ride Thurs/Fri/Sat am/Sun am as I am doing stuff (how busy can semi-retirement be for chrisakes?). Then Sat pm I dare not miss Chelsea vs Norwich as we might get a rare 3 points - haha! So that leaves Sunday pm to squeeze something in with what will no doubt be dead legs after a three week break.
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
just a commute home at lunch time for that had me at one point face planted in a blackberry bush on the way home , only real reason i can find is a punctured rear tyre on the mtb but cant see how that would have caused it but hey
gaz71
Über Member
- Location
- teddington
Horrible journey home _ loads of traffic and very windy.
NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Rare mid week day off on my own (how rare are they?)
Saw Mrs ND off to work, then faffed about a bit having breakfast and getting ready, finally set off at about 8:10am.
Slight local variation on the way out to Thorner to avoid the first part of the usual weekend run that is ratrun during the week. Thorner, then Milner Lane, Collingham, Linton - first bridge over the River Wharf that was in full flood. Round into Wetherby where the river had turned the sports fields into a temporary lake. Out towards Walton, passing a guy on a Colnago then down to Thorp Arch, back over the wharf which was in such spate that the weir just upstream of the bridge was only identifiable by the swirling, churning water marking where the drop can normally be seen. Should have stopped to get a photo, but it's a single lane bridge so I didn't.
The run down to Thorp Arch was a bit grim with an incessant and swirling headwind all the way, which made me decide that I wasn't going to extend the ride via Ulleskelf, Church Fenton and Barkston Ash as the road there is very open and I'd have had the headwind to content with all the way round.
Through Boston Spa and then the long way to Clifford via Bar Lane, where the chain came off...
Put it back on and heard a noise behind me - all the cows in the field on the other side of the road were staring at me. Maybe they've never seen anyone putting a chain back on? Anyway, they're vicious sods are cows, so I got on my way before they figured a way out of the field.
Down to Bramham - when the chain came off again!!!! Put the blooming thing back on again and climbed Town Hill, then out via Toulson lane before turning right and dropping down to Stutton after crossing the A64 bridge. Entered the village via Fanny Lane and as i took Mill Lane to get onto the A162 noticed the fields there were flooded and the beck was within inches of topping the bridge.
Onto the A162 and the drag up to Towton, where I passed a cheery lady on a Cube and once through the village took the fork to Saxton.
The run from Saxton to Lotherton Hall was a struggle as I was back into the headwind and progress slowed significantly.
Down to Aberford, dodging the wind behind hedgerows and on towards Barwick - where the bloody chain came off again.
Back on, I pressed on through Barwick and then a relentless slog to Scholes and down Leeds Road into the wind again.
Coming down Leeds Road I decided to do a test to see just how bad the wind was - doing 26mph I stopped pedaling, letting the bike freewheel. Despite going downhill, within 100 yards my speed had slowed to just 11mph. I pedaled the rest of the way down the hill, then round and up to home.
34.78 miles in 2hrs 25m at an average of 14.4 mph with 1576ft climbed. Good use of the time and it sure beats working on a Wednesday.
I've tweaked the front mech and it seems to be changing OK, so we'll see on the next ride out.
Saw Mrs ND off to work, then faffed about a bit having breakfast and getting ready, finally set off at about 8:10am.
Slight local variation on the way out to Thorner to avoid the first part of the usual weekend run that is ratrun during the week. Thorner, then Milner Lane, Collingham, Linton - first bridge over the River Wharf that was in full flood. Round into Wetherby where the river had turned the sports fields into a temporary lake. Out towards Walton, passing a guy on a Colnago then down to Thorp Arch, back over the wharf which was in such spate that the weir just upstream of the bridge was only identifiable by the swirling, churning water marking where the drop can normally be seen. Should have stopped to get a photo, but it's a single lane bridge so I didn't.
The run down to Thorp Arch was a bit grim with an incessant and swirling headwind all the way, which made me decide that I wasn't going to extend the ride via Ulleskelf, Church Fenton and Barkston Ash as the road there is very open and I'd have had the headwind to content with all the way round.
Through Boston Spa and then the long way to Clifford via Bar Lane, where the chain came off...
Put it back on and heard a noise behind me - all the cows in the field on the other side of the road were staring at me. Maybe they've never seen anyone putting a chain back on? Anyway, they're vicious sods are cows, so I got on my way before they figured a way out of the field.
Down to Bramham - when the chain came off again!!!! Put the blooming thing back on again and climbed Town Hill, then out via Toulson lane before turning right and dropping down to Stutton after crossing the A64 bridge. Entered the village via Fanny Lane and as i took Mill Lane to get onto the A162 noticed the fields there were flooded and the beck was within inches of topping the bridge.
Onto the A162 and the drag up to Towton, where I passed a cheery lady on a Cube and once through the village took the fork to Saxton.
The run from Saxton to Lotherton Hall was a struggle as I was back into the headwind and progress slowed significantly.
Down to Aberford, dodging the wind behind hedgerows and on towards Barwick - where the bloody chain came off again.
Back on, I pressed on through Barwick and then a relentless slog to Scholes and down Leeds Road into the wind again.
Coming down Leeds Road I decided to do a test to see just how bad the wind was - doing 26mph I stopped pedaling, letting the bike freewheel. Despite going downhill, within 100 yards my speed had slowed to just 11mph.
I pedaled the rest of the way down the hill, then round and up to home.34.78 miles in 2hrs 25m at an average of 14.4 mph with 1576ft climbed. Good use of the time and it sure beats working on a Wednesday.
I've tweaked the front mech and it seems to be changing OK, so we'll see on the next ride out.
Dave the Smeghead
Über Member
Somedays you're up for every fight. Somedays you think "I can't be bothered with this sh*t" and somedays you think "I could explain everything to you but speaking for that length of time in words of one syllable and no longer than seven letters because you'd never understand it if I used grown up words". Well it was one of those days!
