Your ride today....

[Glow worm]

My last day off of the Christmas break today. I'd planned a longer ride over Bury way but I stupidly tried to go for a jog yesterday and knackered my quads. Hadn't run for about a year so it was a dumb idea.

So a shortened 20 miler it was first to Upware.

The Cam Washes by the 'No Hurry' pub.

Near the main road I spooked a barn owl that must have been in the verge. I followed it for a good half mile along the A1123.

If you look hard enough its just to the right of the tree. Memo to self- buy a decent bloody camera!
He caught a vole or something and sat in a big ash tree looking very pleased with himself as he wolfed it down.

Small things and all that- I managed to witness the bike computer hit the 24,000 mile mark. Very satisfying!

Headed down through Wicken and stopped for a brew at the visitor centre. The cafe was shut but I had my flask with me so saved myself 2 or 3 quid.

Further along the path along Monks Lode. It's a bit narrow but ok if you're happy to slow for peds as I am.

To the right were a couple more barn owls as well as a short eared owl sharing the same pasture. Not a good place to be a vole today.

Stopped to admire the Konik ponies.

Home at dusk- first ride of the year out of the way, 20 miles or so. Back to the commute tomorrow.

 

[Maverick Goose]

eye of the tiger Glow worm-it was my first today but felt pretty good in the end. If you can keep going through the winter then you can feel well chuffed come the spring.

 

[Elybazza61]

Another commute although gave it a bit more welly for part of it;trying to mix it up on commutes this year rather than just tempoing in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/463380682

 

[Old jon]

First ride since Saturday, photographic heroics called for on Sunday and yesterday as might be expected, was very wet. Eventually got out of the house about ten thirty this morning, aimed the bike roughly at Otley. At the top of Lawnswood I rode into the mist, bang goes the scenery. I turned right in Bramhope onto Creskeld Lane and dropped down to Arthington. It could be an interesting descent except for the debris in the road and the shocking road surface. Not encouraging. On up the valley to:--



Followed by Otley, a sandwich and the main road back home to round off a quiet 29 miles. Off to clean the bike now.

 

[Goonerobes]

A sunny morning whilst I was at work was replaced by rain when I had finished at lunchtime so there was a slight delay to the start of todays ride which although commencing at the end of a shower was soon blessed by blue skys & slight winds as I took to one of my regular midweek New Forest routes.

Puddles were aplenty as I headed north through Furzley, where the local wildlife seemed intent on sharing the roads, & then up through Hampworth to Redlynch where I turned back south passing Lover, Hampworth again, Bramshaw, Copythorne & Calmore for a 30 mile round trip.

https://www.strava.com/activities/463626710

 

[Deleted member 1258]

45 miles the journey, Ye Old Pound Cafe at Henley In Arden the destination. My first ride of 2016 and my first ride since 20th December last year. Dry when I got up but the rain soon set in, by half nine quarter to ten it had stopped so got my kit on, got the bike out and off I went an hour later than planned. The weather wasn't bad, dull and overcast at first but brightening up as the ride progressed, under the wheels wet roads with a lot of the small lanes covered in mud and debris, I had to ride through a couple of flooded sections of road, though not flooded to any great depth. A fairly direct route out through Balsal Common past the Honely Boot, through Haseley and Losonford. On the way back I used the lane behind the cafe then turned though Hockly Heath past Packwood House Badsesly Clinton and Chadwick End and onto Balsal Common then I retraced my steps across Coventry and home. A pleasant ride out that showed how unfit I am now, by the time I was crossing Coventry I'd slowed down and had started to puff and blow a bit.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

2nd commute of the year. I varied my route to avoid the flooding & muddiness issues of yesterday........and got caught in a cloudburst instead. Quite a horrible ride in, being wet and with the traffic not behaving very politely.

Work was slow and dull today so I was glad to get on the road again even if the cycling clothes hadn't dried out fully. A chap in a red VW Golf made up for all the miserable buggers this morning by waiting patiently behind as I signalled to turn off the main road, then giving a thumbs up when I waved in thanks. If only people were always that nice.

There wasn't a lot of wind this evening but it was behind me and helping on the way home which was also good. I did get rained on again but not as much and the worst thing about the trip was the interminable wait for a gap in traffic on the A49 - where were they all coming from?

20.8 miles for the round trip this time at a slightly more respectable 13.3 mph average.

No pictures today I'm afraid.

 

[biggs682]

just back from my first double figure ride on the recently acquired Marin Argenta took advantage of a dry mild night and fairly dry roads to crack a quick 14 ride in .

 

[Saluki]

https://www.strava.com/activities/463931289

Logging on Strava was fun today. I saw my Strava film of 2015. It made me smile anyway. Little things, little minds, you know how it is.

Home to Hospital again. I rode up to Old Felixstowe. My light didn't fall off and I didn't encounter anyone who thought that I was a terrorist. Nice uneventful ride through the Trimeys to Kirton and then to Brightwell, past the BT tower building and onto Martlesham where I turned left at the Crown Chipshop place (will give that a go soon, if I can persuade Hubster that it will be a nice ride to be burning off the chippies).
Along the A1214 to the hospital and, looking at the time, decided to go straight past, down the hill to that horrible roundabout with the Church on the corner with it's illuminated cross that seems to levitate above. Round the roundabout and back the way that I had come, past the hospital again and in the back way. Up that Strava segment - the right way - and took another second off. That was nice. A few PBs tonight, which is always heartening. Not that it really matters but, as I don't really know where most of the segments are in reality, it lets me know that I am retaining fitness and possibly even improving on it. Totally unheard of in January
I went past the dialysis unit to Heath Road and back again as I thought it was rude to stop riding on 19.2 miles. That's a daft distance to stop at.

20.05 in 1:25:00 according to my Garmin. Had a blast, which is what it's all about really

 

[Accy cyclist]

A bit late but i went for a nice? evening ride last night. 17 miles in the cold rain in preparation of the club 55 mile(ish) ride in the morning.

 

[Elybazza61]

Easy zone 1 and 2 plod in to work,nothing much else to say really;

https://www.strava.com/activities/464099557

 

[Stonechat]

Finished off some fettling
Before Christmas I fitted Ultegra Brakes (front and back, they were on a brilliant reduction - I was going to get 105's but these came up)
I have now replaced both gear cables - so all 4 cables are now new. Also replaced the chain. I am not sure how worn it was , but I was getting poor shifting, there was a large amont of gungy oil/grease/dirt mix, and cleaning did not seem to improve it.

The shifting is now pretty good. Maybe a slight tweak needed but it is pretty good.

So having missed out on Sunday due to weather, decided to go to Box hill.
My usual route, through Walton, Esher, Oxshott, Leatherhead, went up via Ryker's cafe, and down through Mickleham.
More or less same route back, apart from through Shepperton a different way.

42.19 miles @ 16.3 mph , 1558 feet climbed
For me that's a good speed for that ride

Added compensation of stop at the Giro cafe in Esher on the way back for coffee and cake.

Strava seems to be having problems, so here is ride on Garmin
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1005434212

Will edit this post when Strava behaves with the ride there

It turned out the fit file had a minor corruption
I fixed it using this tool
http://garmin.kiesewetter.nl/

The ride on Strava is now here
https://www.strava.com/activities/464333707

 

[Old jon]

Was fooled by the weather, as usual. A bright sunny pedal out to Woodlesford ( Holbeck, Hunslet, Stourton, John O' Gaunts ) and through Swillington presented me with a view of Garforth under mist. So I made a swift right turn to Great Preston, followed by a left to Kippax, straight through to find Garforth still in what turned out to be rain cloud. Out to Peckfield, turn left to find this



so to finish the 32.2 miles through Barwick and Scholes, three lanes and the 50 grin factor whizzzzzzz down Boot Hill. Wet and happy.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Quick 5 mile around the villages on the Meta to help clear my headache...damn virus..

first bike ride in a while where i dont need to hose the bike down as all tarmac today bar a mile off firm off road...
dead calm weather with ominous clouds...

 

[Nomadski]

Haven't posted about my first ride on my new CX bike but I went out for a slightly longer ride few days ago to test it.

When I went in for measuring at Dolans office, I was advised to get a 56cm frame. We went through all the usual stuff and a bike was ordered. A few weeks later I still hadn't heard anything so contacted Dolan and got their sales director on the phone saying the person who had done my fit wasn't with the business anymore (uh-oh) and everyone who had looked at my details reckoned I should have been advised to get a 58cm frame.

My Cannondale was a 54cm frame so the jump up was a little alarming, and I did wonder if they had a shortage of 56cm's and were trying to fob me off a little with the 58cm, but they reassured me many of their mechanics had looked at my measurements and didn't understand why a 56cm was advised. So I tried it out and immediately it felt BIG! Not much room for the old man parts when free standing, but the reach felt ok-ish.

So the first ride went ok, but I wanted to try over 30-35 miles as that is where trouble usually kicks in when I havent got a good setup.

So off I went along the various parks through National Route 6, which was even boggier than the first time (pictured) but still gloriously quiet. A fantastic 6 or 7 miles up to Radcliffe.

Cutting across the M60 halfway over reminding me of the M25 crossover en route to Box Hill.

Just prior to arriving at Radcliffe, the river Irwell was showing at its banks some of the debris from the recent flooding that had impacted the area quite hard over December.

From Route 6 I went urban, heading round Radcliffe and Pilsworth until a fellow cyclist came alongside and chatted for a couple of minutes along Moss Hall Road. While he was fully road biked up, my heavier CX bike was getting to my legs a little on the tarmac so I made no attempt to keep to his pace, but was nice to have a friendly chat for a couple of minutes.

He did say the upcoming climb I was about to do was "nice". When a cyclist says a climb is nice, that is usually the point I reroute, but I was out so...

After shooting past my turn off and turning round, I stopped for pics, and to stop coughing (stupid cough) for a moment at the base of the hill.

So up to Ashworth Reservoir I went! A few steep bits slowly ground out, a few flats followed by some more steep bits. It seemed to go on for ages, and every time I was stopping for pics "near the top" I was finding out I wasn't actually near the top at all.

"Ice To See You" (<---------- Yeah, I went there).

By the time I got to the top, I was getting a bit chilly (my fault for stopping so much to take pictures!) and I missed the best shot coming over the top facing the reservoir itself (again due to taking so many photos, and too much Beatles music playing!).

So with depleted phone battery I continued, knowing the hills were mostly behind me.

Along the A680 I started getting quite bad neck ache, and 10 miles later quite a bit of lower back pain too. Something I never had with the Cannondale, and leaves me thinking something isnt right with the bike. It might be just a shorter stem required - my knees and legs were ok, so perhaps that means the frame itself is of an ok size....I need to speak with Dolan.

Anyway, back home muddied, a little damp and cool, but neck and lower back ache aside, I felt good to get out in 2016 and have found another route I can have some fun on.

https://www.strava.com/activities/461403476

Hope everyone had a great New Year, and have a great 2016.