Your ride today....

[Hyslop]

Actually managed a ride myself today.Wasnt long,an hour and a bit,(Garmin is on the blink,so I cant be precise!)17 miles perhaps.But my,it was good.It must be some three weeks since Ive been out on the roads,most of my recent riding has been on the turbo,round and round the dishwasher! The day was glorious,sunny and not too cold,the views to Dumfriesshire clear and colourful.There was I felt,an air of Spring about the day,which to be honest was in itself very pleasant,makes you feel as though it wont be too long before the longs are off and the shorts are back onActually,saying that,there was one rider actually in shorts-on the windy Solway-madness!

 

[Cold]

Went from Gloucester along the A40 to Huntly planning to head to Ross on Wye but the wind was to strong and I was getting blown about as the lorries were passing ,so decided to turn off and headed through Ledbury and over the hill past Eastnor castle and back to Gloucester.
Was a lovely day but the wind was too strong in certain places and it felt like I was going about 2mph sometimes.

 

[robjh]

I must have got up late or spent too much time over breakfast, as I arrived late at the start point for a regular ride and realised I'd missed them. So I found myself in Cambridge bright and early without a ride to go on, and went off to drink coffee and read the papers in our new(ish) cyclists' café instead.
Two hours (!) later I emerged and decided to take a long way home, so headed SW over the Gogs (Cambridge's mountains, at about 230ft - locals will know where I mean) on the A1307, then climbed to Balsham, descended to Linton and went over the top through Hadstock to Saffron Walden, then up again from Littlebury to Catmere End, from where I followed my favouritest road in this area (pictures below) along the ridge towards Ickleton. About 44 miles in all and a serendipitously pleasant morning.

The narrow road to Cambridge

Crossing the Icknield Way footpath

 

[Stonechat]

What a naff ride we had today(Whalley to Settle)! The Wednesday club run was ruined by three breakdowns. My chain got wedged in the back wheel, another rider's chain snapped and another's wheel collapsed. Not only that but my legs were aching before i set off, due to too much riding over the last 5 days. The other members of the group took turns to keep an eye on me at the back so that i didn't get left behind. I wont be doing a hilly 35 mile ride next Tuesday!

And I thought we were unlucky with 3 punctures, this is a different level of bad luck

 

[Old jon]

Hi @Old jon

There is a group on Flickr dedicated to photos of Potts Clocks, if you're interested: https://www.flickr.com/groups/1008788@N20/pool/
You might even find one or two of mine on there...

Cheers @NorthernDave I was not aware that so many had survived. The one in East Keswick is the only one I have ever seen on a house wall, if you look at the village website, there are pics of the house with and without the clock. Anyway, here are a couple of mine.

 

[Elybazza61]

I must have got up late or spent too much time over breakfast, as I arrived late at the start point for a regular ride and realised I'd missed them. So I found myself in Cambridge bright and early without a ride to go on, and went off to drink coffee and read the papers in our new(ish) cyclists' café instead.
Two hours (!) later I emerged and decided to take a long way home, so headed SW over the Gogs (Cambridge's mountains, at about 230ft - locals will know where I mean) on the A1307, then climbed to Balsham, descended to Linton and went over the top through Hadstock to Saffron Walden, then up again from Littlebury to Catmere End, from where I followed my favouritest road in this area (pictures below) along the ridge towards Ickleton. About 44 miles in all and a serendipitously pleasant morning.

The narrow road to Cambridge
View attachment 117863
Crossing the Icknield Way footpath
View attachment 117864

What's this cafe then?

Might have a look that way for a skive ride.

 

[Old jon]

Out again today, it is great being retired. I also managed a more or less circular route, but one I have done a few times before. Along to Cinder Bridge after the usual Holbeck warmup, John O' Gaunt's and the shortcut to Woodlesford. Rothwell Bike shop open, I may call in one day. Swillington, Garforth, Sherburn via this lot



I took Sir John's Road out of Sherburn to Lotherton Hall, and I also took a sheltered seat in the garden to have a sit down while eating. The deer in the park were as close to the fence as I have ever seen them, but I only had the medium size camera with the short lens, so the deer might as well have been a couple of miles away. Aberford, Berwick, Scholes, three lanes and the descent of Boot Hill all the lot combined to total 35 miles on a windy but warm day.

 

[PeteXXX]

Todays ride (for a change) was on the CX up the Brampton Valley Way via Market Harborough and Foxton Locks.
I was thinking of riding all the way to Leicester 'Off Road', but the canal bank degenerated into a bit of a mud-fest a few miles up from Foxton. Summertime might be alright, but not this time of year!

My alternate route, according to the OS map, was a bridleway/farm track that was mucky but rideable until it crossed a road. It then also turned into an impossible trail at today, especially on the tyres the CX was wearing!
I decided to treat myself to a bit of tarrnac for a few miles when I was level with Fleckney and Kibworth Beauchamp on a road that would take me back towards Foxton again.

I've not heard of the Guthlaxton Trail before, but know that Route 6 is my way home. I've not had the pleasure of riding up the hill from Saddington to Gumley either! That was a surprise! Bloomin' steep for half a mile or so.

Once back near Foxton, I dropped back down onto the (more rideable) canal banks to the flight of locks and stopped to grab a pic of a sculpture of a 'horse and boy' that is part of the history of the canals. Anyone who gets the chance should visit Foxton Locks for the day. So much history there, plus a pub and restaurant. It does get really busy in the good weather and summer, but still worth the effort!

Anyway. Time to head back towards home, with a stop for sustenance at the Waterloo cafe.

It's not often that you get that many cherries in a Madeira cake, but they do make their own. The bacon sarnie and black coffee hit the spot as well.

Riding back down through the tunnels on the old railway line was into a bit of a side/headwind, but nowhere nearly as bad as I've known it in the past, so I was making good progress. The rough surface was taking its toll on my wrists though.. I usually take the full-suss there so really noticed the difference! But at least I was sort of clean as the mudguards were doing their job.
Once back to the old railway station at Chapel Brampton, I was back on tarmac for the remaining 8 or 9 miles home. Blessed relief as I'd been shaken around so much that my teeth were in upside down!

Back home on 65 miles with a bit of rain and drizzle on the way, but mainly just cloudy with an odd bit of sunshine here and there.


https://www.strava.com/activities/485821306

 

[Saluki]

https://www.strava.com/activities/486061969/segments/11659419665

First ride of the month and after the debacle that was Saturday's ride and the exhaustion of the ride before, I had decided to have a couple of days off and eat chips and cake (well salad, rice cakes and a couple of baked potatoes actually, but the thought was there.

Nice wee pootle into Ipswich on Eric the CX. Nothing much to report, all nice car passes, some of them gave me so much room I was considering changing my deodorant. I forgot to take my lid. I didn't notice until I was up the road a bit and couldn't be fagged turning round and going back for it. It would have wound the dogs up and then they'd have barked and it would just be a PITA, so I carried on without it. It was rather nice, very free feeling. It wasn't a cold night, particularly, so my head wasn't freezing.

14.06 in an hour and 3 mins.

 

[User19783]

[QUOTE 4140615, member: 9609"]this has to have been the nicest day of the year so far, no flooding, no heavy rain, no ice, no wind - all a bit weird really

heading into the valley

high up

looking back in

[/QUOTE]
Awesome
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Jon George]

Yesterday's ride was an exercise in bloody-mindedness: I had planned to do about 40 miles and I wasn't going to let the excesses of Wednesday night/Thursday morning stop me.
I had also planned to head out to Orford, but the suspiciously great tailwind during the first few miles suggested a horrible headwind coming back, so I turned into it and headed around the North and North West of Ipswich. About 38 miles in total and very, very slow.
I took my camera, this time ...

This out near Playford.

This out near Helmingham Hall.

And this out at Barham Church.

 

[Stonechat]

Real comedy of errors
When I took the dog out was fine drizzle, so delayed a bit before going oout.
Needless to say over half the ride was in exactly the same conditions.
Snd problem, was planning a route an Strava, and the site kept ballsing iit up, so in the end did it on Garmin. Did niot really check it.

Got ready and found that the newly replaced inner tube was flat, no9 puncture, but silly bustard that I am used a freebie cheapie one. Mistake, had a slow leak near the valve.
Replaced that and will bin in and a similar one,

Started the route in the aforementioned drixzzle
Just kpe following the route.
A narrow lane turned to a dirt route then a canal side track.
I had to reallt improvise from here, eventuall got the route back on track

Objective was to do some hills, which I did a fair few last year, but not for a while
So up Newlands Corner, Down the other side and up the rather harder Combe Lane (aka Combe Bottom)
Then Crocknorth.

So many wrong tturns, guesses asll made it back o with 45.9 miles done, at a slow average of 15.0 mph.

I could tell going up Combe Lane that I have lost a bit of leg strength, need to do m.
However general fitness is plasingly good.
1883 feet climbed, with three tough ne reaches about 18% at the hairpin to the top.

https://www.strava.com/activities/486411369

 

[Old jon]

Another dry day ! Too good to miss, a little thought and off I went. Otley was the turn point, I did the usual canal towpath to Viaduct Road, every other route towards Headingley realistically goes through Leeds town centre, traffic lights all over. Lawnswood next, cross the Ring Road then turn left on Otley Old Road, which grinds slowly up to the Cookridge water tower, drops a little and then turns left to pass to the East of the airport. There was an enormous plane landing, so I stopped at the top of the hill to breathe a bit better. Further on I crossed the Bradford / Harrogate road and after a bit more puffing and panting came to this bit here . . .



There is a heck of a lot of ironmongery scattered along that road, I wonder what it all services, 'cos there are very few houses up there. Sandwich munch in Otley again, home along the main road and just as I reached the towpath I felt that deflating feeling. Took a bit of the shine off, swapped inner tubes and home I continued, to clock up 27.2 hilly ( for me ) miles.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I planned to do this month's imperial today. The route I had planned, was going to have me leaving in okay(ish) weather, hitting a bit of gash weather about half way through, then getting back in okay(ish) weather. However, that was the Met office take on it, and it was massively wrong. Given the hell and high water conditions I actually awoke to, I decided on the Boardman MX. Unfortunately it decided to undo it's hub cones ( yet again) I couldn't find my cone spanners, so I abandoned the imperial and just went for a short jolly on the stalwart old faithful BTWIN Riverside 3. It's a bit like a manky smelly old dog, I've had it for years, and it resembles a bit of a heap, but it's been exceptionally reliable, and I've only had to do routine maintenance, and replace a 5 quid bottom bracket in 4 years.
So I did this
https://www.strava.com/activities/486438264

Then later I went and got some new cone spanners and did this.

https://www.strava.com/activities/486495884

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. I have organised a Skyride social, and 3 people have signed up, who I've not seen before. The weather is supposed to be apocalyptically bad tomorrow ( according to the Met office) so I'm getting the shorts and short sleeved jersey out.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Got to grab this one today as tomorrow's weather is for a monsoon. Still blowing out there and not too easy to ride in either. When will it blow itself out? So off I went around the north of the Hills giving a couple of lads who were litter picking in the lane a nice thanks. As I turned for Winthill another rider joined me and we began to chat. Lee was happy to join me on my way around so we took in an amazing sight of crocus in full flower below Coddington Church. I know this spot and this was the best show I've seen for several years.

We continued with the chat as we headed over Munsley and on past Trumpet. Large flocks of Fieldfares were stirred into action as we went by. Lee was happy to head south along the eastern flanks of the Marcles where the Hills helped to shelter us from that persistent wind. At Much Marcle Lee headed back for Ledbury as I took to the crossing for Tiller's Green. Here my usual lane was closed for works on a small bridge. I asked an engineer but he said there was no way through. So I had to take the busy section of road for Dymock. I took the chance to go by Ryton rather than head back on route although my adopted change joined the planned route at Bromsberrow. From there I got the benefit of the tail wind but by then my legs had had enough. Nice ride with an unexpected companion but I do wish that wind would desist.