Your ride today....

[totallyfixed]

Well done TF, one or two of those pics are almost in focus, have you been taking lessons from @User14044?

I do try, or at least dr_pink tells me I am trying.
Speaking of which we headed out again, dry even sunny at times, unfortunately the wind was gusting over 40mph which was fine for the first 5 miles, it felt more like April. As it was a circlular route the cross wind was interesting, then 3 miles later it was into a brutal headwind coinciding with the hilliest part of the ride.
Unlike most folk dr_pink loses weight over Christmas,
Can't see her?

Try this one [looks like the bike lost even more]

She got her own back, same hill looking back down, it's about 15% on the last bit

And another one

Only 24 miles, but in the hills with that wind on fixed it felt a fair bit harder. Still fun though.

 

[gbb]

Strewth, I'm unfit. A chesty cough has played havoc with my chest so no cycling for about a month, added to an already poor level of fitness...circa 8 miles on my new hybrid, just to give it some miles to bed in. Gears were a bit awry so a quick tweek en route saw that fixed.
Just country park cycling, 20mph winds, gusting higher so no great speed, just get the legs working.
Round the back of the lakes, bordered by cattle fields I saw a sparrowsized, streaky brown plumage bird with a black head...back to me, but with a little googling, seems it was a Stonechat, never knowingly saw one before. It seems there's at least a pair of them noted on Ferry Meadows park

 

[tallliman]

My, that wind was horrid! Good 31.2 miles completed but the last 4-5 into the wind were horrid, almost stopping me at times. Still, got some climbing done on the route and the gears (apart from a chan off whilst climbing) now make more sense and I'm not getting confused about a lack of a third cog.

122 miles into my holiday aim of 200. Thinking of an imperial half at the weekend to top it off. Hope the wind drops or changes direction.

 

[Jenkins]

I had another ride with no set route, just kept going 'till I'd had enough. The only idea was to use as many different back roads as possible - it's surprising how many miles you can put in using only a small area as I managed 55 miles within 7 miles from home as the crow flies.

 

[Stonechat]

Strewth, I'm unfit. A chesty cough has played havoc with my chest so no cycling for about a month, added to an already poor level of fitness...circa 8 miles on my new hybrid, just to give it some miles to bed in. Gears were a bit awry so a quick tweek en route saw that fixed.
Just country park cycling, 20mph winds, gusting higher so no great speed, just get the legs working.
Round the back of the lakes, bordered by cattle fields I saw a sparrowsized, streaky brown plumage bird with a black head...back to me, but with a little googling, seems it was a Stonechat, never knowingly saw one before. It seems there's at least a pair of them noted on Ferry Meadows park

Hi

Sounds like a Reed Bunting to me!

 

[biggs682]

a wet 13 miles this morning , wanted to do more but i forgot to put my overshoes on and at about the 6 mile point my feet were feeling wet and i dont enjoy cycling with wet feet , dont mind being wet elsewhere so headed homeward

 

[Booyaa]

Beautiful morning for it, up and ready to go with the wife, just as we were heading out her brother, who is with us and the in laws for the Xmas period comes down stairs saying he can't breathe. Now they are all away to A&E and I am minding the kids. Bike going back in the garage. This would have been first time out since August!!

Hope you are all having fun on your festive rides.

 

[gbb]

Hi

Sounds like a Reed Bunting to me!

Could be...ironically you only usually get a couple seconds to absorb as much info as possible. The white collar wasnt particually evident but he/she was hunched up on a fencepost. It was fluffed up which makes it a bit harder as well...a large stonechat perhaps, but Reed Bunting are common and tend to have a slightly longer slimmer body.
Truth is it could be either...I veered towards Stonechat because theyve been seen locally in the last weeks, but the more I think about it, you're possibly right.

 

[Donger]

Probably my last ride of the year, today. 30.7 miles in the drizzle. Only one proper hill but lots of struggling to keep up on the flat. This was my 32nd club ride of the year, but there was no slow group, so the seven of us who turned up all went off together. Rich kindly kept me company at the back, and I stuck with the rest for about 23 miles before finally being dropped and losing contact. Rich went his own way and I went mine. Averaged 13mph in all, which was about my limit after all that Christmas pud and when togged out in way too many layers of clothing.

2,906.6 miles for me this year - that's 500 more than ever before. Only got out there 88 times, so averaged 33 miles per ride, which was another record for me. Think I'll have a rest for a few days, and then start ramping it up again in the New Year..... Alps to climb later in the year. Got to get fitter than this. That's me done for this year. Happy New Year everyone.
Donger.

 

[13 rider]

After two days of family commitments it is xmas after all . So today I was free to do what I want .So up at 0830 and out by 0930 under dark grey sky's but not much wind. Up through Newtown Linford up to Markfield and out to Thornton reservoir through Thornton,Bagworth and ,out over the A447 to Odstone . leaving Odstone a bunch of four cyclist crossed the crossroads in front of me heading my way so are saw a chance of wheel sucking so picked the pace up a bit just as I caught them they stopped for a call of nature so much for wheel sucking .Through Congerstone and round the back of Market Bosworth through Far Cotton ,Shenton ,Darlington ,Barwell, approaching Kirby Mallory it starts to spit of rain so up the pace a bit through Peckleton ,Desford ,Ratby ,Groby ,Newtown Linford and Home 39.5 miles done it fairly pleasant conditions if a bit damp at the end .Loads of riders out today all in a friendly mood . More new roads discovered I don't ride this way very often and I can't figure out why because I always enjoy it out there . 75 miles to get in before the new year to reach 3500 for the year . I will be out tomorrow I think

 

[Supersuperleeds]

After two days of family commitments it is xmas after all . So today I was free to do what I want .So up at 0830 and out by 0930 under dark grey sky's but not much wind. Up through Newtown Linford up to Markfield and out to Thornton reservoir through Thornton,Bagworth and ,out over the A447 to Odstone . leaving Odstone a bunch of four cyclist crossed the crossroads in front of me heading my way so are saw a chance of wheel sucking so picked the pace up a bit just as I caught them they stopped for a call of nature so much for wheel sucking .Through Congerstone and round the back of Market Bosworth through Far Cotton ,Shenton ,Darlington ,Barwell, approaching Kirby Mallory it starts to spit of rain so up the pace a bit through Peckleton ,Desford ,Ratby ,Groby ,Newtown Linford and Home 39.5 miles done it fairly pleasant conditions if a bit damp at the end .Loads of riders out today all in a friendly mood . More new roads discovered I don't ride this way very often and I can't figure out why because I always enjoy it out there . 75 miles to get in before the new year to reach 3500 for the year . I will be out tomorrow I think

I nearly went out to Market Bosworth today, but decided to go t'other way and went east instead. I don't get out that way enough either

 

[Supersuperleeds]

52 miles today, hardly any wind, but it did drizzle for the last 15 miles or so, so I was a bit damp by the time I got home. Bike desperately needs a clean.

A fair few riders out again, but not as many as yesterday. 200km of this darn challenge left, if BBC forecast is right, I need to get out and break the back of it tomorrow and Tuesday as Wednesdays weather looks awful.

https://www.strava.com/activities/457259426

 

[Old jon]

Thought I would go look at the floods, we did go last evening in the failing light, in Leeds the river apparently peaked at 11 pm. Anyway, away to the towpath I pedalled. The canal and river run next to each other, and parallel to Whitehall Road, upstream of the railway station, I think you can guess, the river is on the right of the picture.

Not long after I took that pic, I had walked back to the bike and was talking to another sightseer and BANG went the back tyre / tube. I was not going to fix it just there, way too wet, and further on there is a lock where I could hope the canal was higher than the river. So I pushed the bike a bit further . . .

To see the river emptying into the canal. I carefully walked through that, and found a dry stretch of towpath about fifty yards further on.

Tyre and tube off and I found a 6mm long rip in the tyre. Nothing in the rip, where the sidewall sort of turns the corner into the tread band. Scratched my head a bit at the size of the hole, I could imagine the tube squeezing itself out of that. So, a patch on the inside of the tyre, new inner tube and a visit to Evan's, the NBS for a couple of spare tyres. Reached home after 6.2 miles and I am now going to change tyres. Better ride tomorrow I hope.

 

[13 rider]

52 miles today, hardly any wind, but it did drizzle for the last 15 miles or so, so I was a bit damp by the time I got home. Bike desperately needs a clean.

A fair few riders out again, but not as many as yesterday. 200km of this darn challenge left, if BBC forecast is right, I need to get out and break the back of it tomorrow and Tuesday as Wednesdays weather looks awful.

https://www.strava.com/activities/457259426

Im just back in form cleaning the bike some of the lanes were a bit dirty to say the least couple of flooded sections just a couple of inches across the whole road. Get out there and clean yours then time for

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Im just back in form cleaning the bike some of the lanes were a bit dirty to say the least couple of flooded sections just a couple of inches across the whole road. Get out there and clean yours then time for

I'm watching Spectre instead, might give the chain a wipe before I go out tomorrow