Your ride today....

[mark st1]

Another run this morning, but the opposite direction to Portland Basin in Ashton - it's much closer than expected and rounded a corner after 6 miles and it was there. Fair bit of renovation works going on, so made access a little tricky. Came back the same way but dropped down into Tame Valley and the TPT near Gee Cross. Total of 12 miles in and hour and a bit. Saw a lad on a BSO leaving Portland Basin, but I couldn't catch him. These 3 and a bit months haven't been good for fitness.

Duckinfield Weighted Bridge

View attachment 121877


Portland Basin Water Wheel View attachment 121878

Portland Basin View attachment 121880

Super smooth surface this side View attachment 121881

Weir in Tame Valley TPT View attachment 121882

Love a water wheel Smart pictures.

 

[Jon George]

My envy at all you people out there enjoying the sun forced me to try a longer ride than just around the block today and so I managed 10 miles (in lycra and spandex and fingerless gloves, no less) out to Levington and back. It was at a gentle pootle, but I'm still experiencing the odd coughing fit an hour afterwards. Still, on the bright side, when I was smoking twenty years ago and was a couch slob, such Man Flu would have had me fighting for breath and thinking about calling the doctor.

A pic overlooking The Orwell.

 

[wait4me]

Middle of March and today was my first ride this year. Excuses aplenty 3 week holiday, man flu, cr.p weather, day after day of wind (the natures not mine).
Judging from the last 2 years I expected a wheezing end to a short ride. After about 3 1/2 miles out I decided it was too b cold so set off back home a mile later a gentleman driving an MR2 decided to pass within 3" of my bars. He ignored my wave, but he was heading towards a closed road and had to turn round I stopped with my bike across his side of the road but was obviously was in a hurry as he went across the road to avoid me. FFS I'm 68 year old don't engage in physical confrontations and would have calmly(ish) explained how dangerous he was. But the bonus for me was I forgot about the cold extended my return a bit, still only did about 10 miles but felt good when home and I'm going again tomorrow

 

[Deleted member 1258]

My usual Thursday loop, 53 miles calling in at Hatton Locks. Last night I raised the saddle another mm and appear to have hit the sweet spot now, I also tweaked the gears a touch, compensated for them settling in, I've got the gears working well now. So it was a nice ride, I was comfortable and strong on the bike this morning and was able to get a good riding rhythm going. The weather was the same as its been for a while now, cold with a bitter strong breeze blowing, cloudy in the morning with the sun breaking through in the afternoon when I was almost home. the ride out with the tail wind most of the time was nice but the ride across Coventry at the end was a slog into the wind.. I left slightly later than I have over the last few weeks but was still among the school run Mums for my ride across Coventry, it was not so busy this morning though. Another enjoyable morning on the bike and I'm looking forward to the summer and some warm sun on my back.

 

[Pale Rider]

A 58 mile out and back to visit a couple of bike shops today.

I was with my mate Steve who was on his CX, so not much time to take pics - you don't get a minute's peace riding with a ruddy roadie.

We set off from Sunderland before 7am and made (reluctantly in my case) good time to Newcastle, where I did get the chance to take the obligatory blinking eye Millennium Bridge pic.

We popped over the bridge then along the north side of the Tyne, heading for Wylam, then Prudhoe in Northumberland, which has become an unlikely cycle retailing hotspot.

There's Giant 'Newcastle' and another shop/cafe called Cycle Art.

The Giant store is as you'd expect, full of Giants.

I still have half a mind to get a CX/gravel bike, and was quite taken with the Anyroad.

Odd looking bike, but it has a triple on the front and fairly high bars for a drop bar bike, both of which I would want.

Across the industrial estate car park is Cycle Art, which is higher end than most shops.

Lots of Cervelo in there, and a Colnago or two.

Their 'budget' range is Ridley, more CX models than you could shake a stick at.

A couple had sensibly low gearing, although they all had compact doubles.

Pick for me was the Sabbaths.

One I particularly liked was a tourer with V-brakes and bar end shifters, makes a lot of sense if you can persuade the head to rule the "I want the latest stuff' heart.

We left the shops and crossed Ovingham Bridge, which is closed to road traffic, but open to cyclists and walkers, but not horses.

Cyclists are supposed to push, which gave me another chance of a quick pic, although it doesn't quite do the beauty of the Tyne valley justice.

One of my mate Steve's redeeming qualities is he does like to stop for a brew, so we had a hot drink and a scone in Wylam.

Pleasantly warm sitting outside in the sun.

We cracked on back to Newcastle, and onwards, not least because as the afternoon wore on it began to get chilly again.

Lots of school traffic - and pupils - around Heworth, one of whom called out the classic line: "Give us a ride on your bike, mister."

Remarkably, I was allowed to stop for another cuppa as we neared Sunderland.

That was probably because Steve forgot to bring a bottle - you can see his empty cage in the Ovingham Bridge pic.

Despite what I would call pressing on (which will have done me no harm), it was still late afternoon by the time we got home.

I wonder where the time went, but I suppose it proves the saying about time flying when you are having fun.

Here's the links to the shops, worth a visit if you get the chance.

http://www.giant-newcastle.co.uk/en-GB/

http://cycle-art.co.uk/

 

[gavgav]

A glorious sunny day in Shropshire enticed me out for an early evening ride after work. However......I really didn't have enough layers on, as it was ruddy freezing cold out there and I should have had full winter gear on! I hope it warms up soon.

Took the cycle paths to Heathgates and then the old canal path to Uffington, before joining the road to Upton Magna.

Climbed up East Haughmond, spooking a very skitzy horse in a field, who was bucking and bronking so much that I thought it was going to jump the hedge into the road . I also came around the corner, at the bottom of the climb, to see 2 deer in the road! They soon scarpered into the nearby woods.

Took the nice downhill section towards the Pelham Rd and stopped to change my gloves to the full winter one's.

Arrived back in Upton Magna and then continued to Berwick Wharf, Atcham and Betton Abbots, before joining the horrid A458 for the short section and back home.

17.7 miles

 

[Pale Rider]

A glorious sunny day in Shropshire enticed me out for an early evening ride after work. However......I really didn't have enough layers on, as it was ruddy freezing cold out there and I should have had full winter gear on! I hope it warms up soon.

Took the cycle paths to Heathgates and then the old canal path to Uffington, before joining the road to Upton Magna.

Climbed up East Haughmond, spooking a very skitzy horse in a field, who was bucking and bronking so much that I thought it was going to jump the hedge into the road . I also came around the corner, at the bottom of the climb, to see 2 deer in the road! They soon scarpered into the nearby woods.

Took the nice downhill section towards the Pelham Rd and stopped to change my gloves to the full winter one's.

Arrived back in Upton Magna and then continued to Berwick Wharf, Atcham and Betton Abbots, before joining the horrid A458 for the short section and back home.

17.7 miles

Never mind the horse Gav, it's the deer I'd be worrying about.

Beware of horned beasts, as the saying goes.

 

[Goonerobes]

Similar to @gavgav above, I too was lulled into a false sense of warmth by the clear blue skies & actually went out in shorts but got as far as the front garden before coming back for my Nora Batty knee warmers!

Regular mid-week sortie, down to the flatlands of the southern half of the New Forest with the chilly easterly breeze mixing with the chilly coastal breeze & combining to block out any warmth from the bright sunshine that stuck around all afternoon.

There were a fair others out today as I took in Colbury, Beaulieu, Norleywood & East Boldre for a 30 mile round trip.

https://www.strava.com/activities/519389030

 

[Elybazza61]

A 58 mile out and back to visit a couple of bike shops today.

I was with my mate Steve who was on his CX, so not much time to take pics - you don't get a minute's peace riding with a ruddy roadie.

We set off from Sunderland before 7am and made (reluctantly in my case) good time to Newcastle, where I did get the chance to take the obligatory blinking eye Millennium Bridge pic.

View attachment 121920

We popped over the bridge then along the north side of the Tyne, heading for Wylam, then Prudhoe in Northumberland, which has become an unlikely cycle retailing hotspot.

There's Giant 'Newcastle' and another shop/cafe called Cycle Art.

The Giant store is as you'd expect, full of Giants.

I still have half a mind to get a CX/gravel bike, and was quite taken with the Anyroad.

Odd looking bike, but it has a triple on the front and fairly high bars for a drop bar bike, both of which I would want.

Across the industrial estate car park is Cycle Art, which is higher end than most shops.

Lots of Cervelo in there, and a Colnago or two.

Their 'budget' range is Ridley, more CX models than you could shake a stick at.

A couple had sensibly low gearing, although they all had compact doubles.

Pick for me was the Sabbaths.

One I particularly liked was a tourer with V-brakes and bar end shifters, makes a lot of sense if you can persuade the head to rule the "I want the latest stuff' heart.

We left the shops and crossed Ovingham Bridge, which is closed to road traffic, but open to cyclists and walkers, but not horses.

Cyclists are supposed to push, which gave me another chance of a quick pic, although it doesn't quite do the beauty of the Tyne valley justice.

View attachment 121921
One of my mate Steve's redeeming qualities is he does like to stop for a brew, so we had a hot drink and a scone in Wylam.

View attachment 121922
Pleasantly warm sitting outside in the sun.

We cracked on back to Newcastle, and onwards, not least because as the afternoon wore on it began to get chilly again.

Lots of school traffic - and pupils - around Heworth, one of whom called out the classic line: "Give us a ride on your bike, mister."

Remarkably, I was allowed to stop for another cuppa as we neared Sunderland.

That was probably because Steve forgot to bring a bottle - you can see his empty cage in the Ovingham Bridge pic.

Despite what I would call pressing on (which will have done me no harm), it was still late afternoon by the time we got home.

I wonder where the time went, but I suppose it proves the saying about time flying when you are having fun.

Here's the links to the shops, worth a visit if you get the chance.

http://www.giant-newcastle.co.uk/en-GB/

http://cycle-art.co.uk/

Nice Ridley;if it was me I'd get the cross rather than the tourer but then I'm a roadie

 

[Elybazza61]

Todays commute was under grey skies and drizzle,pretty miserable really and actually felt colder than yesterday despite being a couple of degrees warmer.

Took a bit to get going but got on the cyclepath from Waterbeach and bagged a couple of Strava cups;end of the run was littered with dog walkers with one mutt flying out in to the path in front of me,had to stop to let another cyclist by while a walker was trying to keep his dogs out of the way.
Quick nip in to Waitrose for a sandwich and decided to look for a new cafe that has opened;nice Americano and Portugese custard tart with some Nick Drake in the background chilled me out and then back to reality and off to work(didn't bother to re-start the Garmin as it's all stop start to work);

https://www.strava.com/activities/519986642

Couple of pics;

Jesus lock;

And sustinance;

This is the place;

http://www.espressolibrary.com/

 

[mybike]

Todays commute was under grey skies and drizzle,pretty miserable really and actually felt colder than yesterday despite being a couple of degrees warmer.

Took a bit to get going but got on the cyclepath from Waterbeach and bagged a couple of Strava cups;end of the run was littered with dog walkers with one mutt flying out in to the path in front of me,had to stop to let another cyclist by while a walker was trying to keep his dogs out of the way.
Quick nip in to Waitrose for a sandwich and decided to look for a new cafe that has opened;nice Americano and Portugese custard tart with some Nick Drake in the background chilled me out and then back to reality and off to work(didn't bother to re-start the Garmin as it's all stop start to work);

https://www.strava.com/activities/519986642

Couple of pics;

Jesus lock; View attachment 121956

And sustinance;

View attachment 121957

This is the place;

http://www.espressolibrary.com/

It's the sausage in a bun at Waitrose that gets me.

 

[cosmicbike]

I'm still chasing this climbing challenge, but also had set myself a target of 1000 miles between January 1st and my 40th birthday, and found myself needing to make 23 miles today to hit the target. Sorry no pictures, too cold and despite doing more climbing in a single ride than ever before at 507m, and completing a metric 50, I struggled to get warm. Winter boots and thermal socks couldn't keep my toes warm either.
Not to worry, despite the rubbish weather I've hit my mileage target, and now 75% through the climbing challenge
Gonna eat me a big bit of birthday cake tonight

 

[Jon George]

View attachment 121934
View attachment 121937
View attachment 121935

I really like the photo of the horse drinking - fabulous!

 

[Stonechat]

Another day and more hill reps (of a different sort)

Went through Egham and up Prune Hill, up to Bishopsgate and through the deer park of Windsor Great Park. Deer much in evidence.
Too the Drift Road loop , but when I got to Hawthorn Hill did my hill reps. These were hard efforts on a shallower hill. Hill was not really long enough for them.

Then completed the Drift Road loop and donw Drift Road, tunrning right at the top all the way to Holyport.
Then turned right towards Windsor.
Came back via Old Windsor

Brr yes @cosmicbike it was cold, perhaps that was the reason I kept going at a good speed (and I am considering entering 25 mile TT on Good Friday - own benefit)
After 12 miles I had felt legs at bit achey, but second wind and going really well at the end

47.31 miles @ 17.1 mph (Garmin said 17, Strava 16.9, but I use Garmin average moving speed, seems to give most consistent results)
1342 feet, so no major hills.

https://www.strava.com/activities/520109708

Will have to check for a fly-by on Strava @cosmicbike we were in some of the same areas

Pleased with the speed - pity I didn't do a bit more and make it 50 miles in 3 hours

 

[cosmicbike]

We did indeed fly by @Stonechat , just by the pub at Bishopsgate
You're still a bit quick for me