Your ride today....

[Jon George]

Having been attracted to the idea of the metric/imperial fifty per month challenge, I've been popping in a few 50kms so far, but decided to go for 50 miler, today. (I've been having upper back/neck problems and I wanted to see how such a long ride might aggravate it.) I essentially went around most of the countryside immediately outside Ipswich. (Shotley, East Bergolt, Hadleigh, Westerfield.) Like a number of others recently, I realised I wasn't going to quite make it via the planned route and had to detour through various estates to make my claim.
Not many photos today - I had my head down wondering what the hell I was doing most of the time.

One of The Orwell - just as I was beginning to warm up and comprehend what I was planning to do.

Oh, crossed fingers, but, so far, no neck pain.

 

[Goonerobes]

After Saturdays little altercation with the ice & tarmac I was in need of some cheering up so what better way than to acquire the new steed that I was planning on getting later in the year, now.

So today's ride was only 13 miles around some local roads just as a little test ride & to make sure there was no lasting damage to my bruised carcass. Pleased to say I loved the ride & nothing hurt!!
https://www.strava.com/activities/246866188

Out in the park & back at home where she'll live until the better weather comes!!

 

[EltonFrog]

@Goonerobes nice bike.

 

[howdenbiker]

My ride home included a stop to pick up my new Selby Cycle Club jacket and shorts :-)

 

[Accy cyclist]

The 4th ride in 4 days,not bad for January! 17 miles of the usual plus i did an 80 minute "power walk" with the dog afterwards.

 

[ColinJ]

The 4th ride in 4 days,not bad for January! 17 miles of the usual plus i did an 80 minute "power walk" with the dog afterwards.

I haven't done much overall in January, but a burst of riding over the past 6 days got 180 kms (113 miles) in!

I will probably not be riding for the next few days though. It was bloody windy today, but it is going to get worse, with wintry showers thrown in ...

Back to the gym bike!

 

[Accy cyclist]

I haven't done much overall in January, but a burst of riding over the past 6 days got 180 kms (113 miles) in!

I will probably not be riding for the next few days though. It was bloody windy today, but it is going to get worse, with wintry showers thrown in ...

Back to the gym bike!

The expected bad weather is the reason why i've done 4 rides on the trot, before it arrives. Maybe it wont be as bad as they say? Anyway i've passed last January's total miles so i'm quite happy. Not that i'm counting!

 

[Cush]

Back to Newcastle yesterday, ride to Carlisle via A69, train to Newcastle, thanks to silly pricing on the trains I had to catch an earlier one than I wanted. (Fares £2.95 on 13.32 £10+ on 14:36, £2.95 on 15:28) but a plus to this, was that because i had two hours to spare in Newcastle I was able to explore the area between the museum of the North (Hancocks) the civic centre and the exhibition park and town moor , some of these places I haven't seen in over 50 + years. Not a great mileage but interesting and riding home along the Plains Road between Wetheral and the A69 at 23:00 was, should we say enlightening, if only because of two souped up mini's overtaking me at sped in a built up area.

 

[PeteXXX]

I had quite a late finish yesterday/this morning, so wasn't really feeling keen on the alarm waking me up at 07:30, ready for a mate ad a friend of his calling round at 08:30 ish for a ride. Never mind, buoyed up with a double espresso, we set out for a very windy circuit of the town, taking in Moulton Village, Pitsford and the Reservoir (we didn't ride round it as I had to be home by 11:30 ish.

A quick stop off at Pitsford Cycles to look at the bikes and stuff, then time to head in the general direction of home.

I've always liked this sign on the wall outside the shop.

We rode back via the flattest route as the chap with us is just starting to get out on a bike. The only hill to get up was towards Merry Toms Crossing to the Brampton Valley Way

It's a bit of a lump to ride up, especially with a raging side and headwind blowing us all over the track. As we got to the town end of the old railway track, the rain started persisting it down. Not much seemed to reach the ground at first as it was being blasted horizontally. Never mind, my Nikwaxing held most of it out, apart from what dripped down my neck and ran down my legs to fill the boots up

At least I had a tailwind on the last 6 miles home after we went our separate ways in the town centre.

22.5 miles, at an extremely leisurely pace in quite rubbish weather. At least it wasn't cold. Typing this now, looking out of the window and being dazzled by the sunshine!!

Off to w*rk now... Booooo

https://www.strava.com/activities/247266400

 

[EltonFrog]

What

A

Blumen'

Awful

Day!

GAh! I had a plan that I would do a long ride today, but I knew as soon as I got up and saw the weather my plans were scuppered. I went out anyway to see what would happen, so 8.30ish off I went, and came straight back because I forgot my water bottles, came back and got them, once on the road and off to Wantage it rained and the wind was up, well up, the cross winds were scary, making me wobble quite a lot, 8.5 miles in at Wantage I decided that perhaps my lights were not up to standard for the weather so I went to the LBS to get some emergency stunt lights but the shop was closed all day. Gah! so, I went to the coffee shop had a coffee and pastry whilst I reviewed the situation, then heavens opened an my bike blew over in the wind.

I let the rain pass, and decided I would crack on and head roughly in the direction of home, took a wrong turn and headed into the wind for about 5 miles, in Childrey I stopped to check which way to go, the wind blew my reading glasses from face into the middle of the road, and when I turned the bike around to set off again the wind lifted the bike off the road. That was it, I had had enough. I set off home, trying to find sheltered routes and at the same time trying to get some miles in, it didn't seem to matter which direction I was going there was always a cross or a headwind to sap the en.

35.18 today, not as much as I wanted to do, but I was not feeling the love today so feck it!

Shop closed for "Staff Training"

Wetness

Nice pastry

Grey clouds at Childrey

And windy

Tree down

I saw this house in place called Ginge, gutted by fire, that must've been terrifying.

Nearly home

Dirty bike, never did drink the contents of the water bottles.

 

[ColinJ]

What

A

Blumen'

Awful

Day!

...

Dirty bike, never did drink the contents of the water bottles.

View attachment 78151

Well done for trying to get a decent ride in, but ...




... couldn't you squeeze a set of Crud Roadracers or other bodge mudguards onto your poor bike!

(I just put some new Cruds on mine and have been grateful for them on 2 wet, mucky rides since then.)

 

[EltonFrog]

Well done for trying to get a decent ride in, but ...




... couldn't you squeeze a set of Crud Roadracers or other bodge mudguards onto your poor bike!

(I just put some new Cruds on mine and have been grateful for them on 2 wet, mucky rides since then.)

I could, but I can't be bottomed. I do own some proper mudguards for that bike, for winter use, I took them off last summer and I never got round to putting them back on. Too late now to put them back on, it'll be summer again in a minute.

 

[ColinJ]

I could, but I can't be bottomed. I do own some proper mudguards for that bike, for winter use, I took them off last summer and I never got round to putting them back on. Too late now to put them back on, it'll be summer again in a minute.

You know what you have just done, don't you - doomed us to the longest winter in history ...I bet it will still be snowing in May!

 

[cosmicbike]

Set out this morning into a fine misty rain, safe in the knowledge that if I stayed North of the M3 then it would be a dry ride. The plan was a flattish route (unplanned of course), aiming for another 30 miler. All nice going out through Lyne and onwards towards Chobham, the misty rain clearing after the first few miles. As I approached Chobham it started raining, not hard enough to worry about, but I detoured out into Chobham Woods via 'The Steep' (not sure how that fits with the flat ride principle..) to give shelter if needed. Might as well have not bothered as the rain stopped as I came back out of the woods by the M3. And then started again in earnest, absolutely belted down. Cue bike thrown in hedge, closely followed by me. Stood for 5 mins waiting for it to ease up, then gave up, put the overtrousers on and got on with it. I ended up doing the reverse of a ride last week, out through Sunninghill & Windlesham. Never really brightened up, and that wind was a nightmare. Found myself near home with only 28 miles done, so a lap round Virginia Water and Thorpe, where I came across a nobber who thought overtaking a cyclist in a strong primary approaching a T junction was a good plan By this time it was pouring down again, so he got his nice Lexus knob extension all wet on the inside because he was desperate to wind the passenger window down and tell me how nice my bike was (at least, I think that's what he said...).
32.7 miles, and a flat ride which included the most climbing I've ever done on a single ride, 1608ft. Have to say it was a tough ride today, would have gladly given up at the 28 mile mark, but that nagging target of 31.07 miles was there again. It's still your fault, @ColinJ

 

[ColinJ]

Set out this morning into a fine misty rain, safe in the knowledge that if I stayed North of the M3 then it would be a dry ride. The plan was a flattish route (unplanned of course), aiming for another 30 miler. All nice going out through Lyne and onwards towards Chobham, the misty rain clearing after the first few miles. As I approached Chobham it started raining, not hard enough to worry about, but I detoured out into Chobham Woods via 'The Steep' (not sure how that fits with the flat ride principle..) to give shelter if needed. Might as well have not bothered as the rain stopped as I came back out of the woods by the M3. And then started again in earnest, absolutely belted down. Cue bike thrown in hedge, closely followed by me. Stood for 5 mins waiting for it to ease up, then gave up, put the overtrousers on and got on with it. I ended up doing the reverse of a ride last week, out through Sunninghill & Windlesham. Never really brightened up, and that wind was a nightmare. Found myself near home with only 28 miles done, so a lap round Virginia Water and Thorpe, where I came across a nobber who thought overtaking a cyclist in a strong primary approaching a T junction was a good plan By this time it was pouring down again, so he got his nice Lexus knob extension all wet on the inside because he was desperate to wind the passenger window down and tell me how nice my bike was (at least, I think that's what he said...).
32.7 miles, and a flat ride which included the most climbing I've ever done on a single ride, 1608ft. Have to say it was a tough ride today, would have gladly given up at the 28 mile mark, but that nagging target of 31.07 miles was there again. It's still your fault, @ColinJ

That's the spirit!

I got battered by the wind yesterday and it is worse today, so I stayed indoors in the warm.