Your ride today....

[Deleted member 1258]

Desford, Tropical Birdland, the destination, 55 miles the journey. I was planning a ride there a few weeks ago but ended up going elsewhere as the weather wasn't good. The weather today was much the same as its been for a while now, cold and grey, but we seemed to have lost that stiff cold breeze. Not the nicest ride I've done, my legs were fading on the way out and were about done by the time I got to the Cafe, I spent most the ride home working tired legs to just keep me rolling and was glad to get home. I spent Sunday on the Seven Valley Railway, a long day, yesterday morning clearing the back garden, and yesterday afternoon doing house work so its possible I've over done things and paid the price today, I'm going to treat tomorrow as a rest day and see how I go on Thursday.

 

[Goonerobes]

After four weeks off the road with mechanical failure, the winter Roubaix was today back in business sporting a gleaming new frame, courtesy of the Specialized lifetime frame warranty, & new front & back derailleurs courtesy of my pocket!

Despite the sunshine & just a gentle breeze there was still a chill in the air as I made my way around the New Forest on one of my lesser used midweek routes, taking in Bramble Hill & then over the top of the forest to Godshill before looping around to Frogham & Linwood & back across the middle of the forest for home.

36 pleasant miles & a nice smooth ride on the gears, so thank you LBS!

https://www.strava.com/activities/523772113/overview

 

[guitarpete247]

I'm steadily upping my distance after a few months with little or no riding. My distance, speed and hill climbing is getting better. Did the climb up Station Road into Market Bosworth without a breather stop. 18 mile not the usual 16. I hope to be getting into the 50's by the summer hols.

 

[Alex H]

Another sunny day, but with a 20km/hr cold wind keeping the temperature down

Although Spring seems to have arrived with the flowers, the trees still look a bit grey.

If you want to put solar panels on your barn - make sure you cover the whole thing (and probably get someone else to pay for it )

Further along at Saint-Martin-de-Jussac there is this 12th century church.

Then across the Vienne at Saint Brice-sur-Vienne and up the other side of the valley to the start of the old main road linking Saint Junien to Limoges.

As it's so remarkably busy with an excellent surface, today I counted over 30 cyclists on it and it's not Wednesday (Junior schools close on Wednesdays). I've never seen so many people out on bikes, and only 4 of them ignored my 'Bonjour' - both ways, actually - the same 4

Turned off to go to Veyrac, where this bridge was my target. It's stood here since 1626 and is a covered bridge with a dovecote above. The manor it belonged to has long gone - only the bridge remains.

My intention was to go from here to Saint Gence, but reading the map without my glasses was not such a great idea and I ended up crossing the new route national and back on the old Limoges road again at Simply Market near Verneuille-sur-Vienne.

On the way back the 2 roads get quite close and you can just about see them both here

Further along is a boat workshop . I wonder how this can be a profitable enterprise as the Vienne is not navigable to boats of this sort (OK for canoes and kayaks) and the nearest lake that I've seen 'big' boats on is about 1 1/2 hours away.

Back to Saint Brice-Sur-Vienne where the river is it's usual calm self

Finally climbing back up the side of the valley, where this view of Saint Junien can be seen

62km in 3 hours - avg 20.5km/hr which is not bad for me considering the wind.

 

[Pale Rider]

As @MikeW-71 mentioned, only one minor mechanical when my chain popped off the front ring and jammed around the bottom bracket.

I think it's due to a rare combination of me changing gears while pedalling hard on a climb and going over a bump.

Thanks again to Mike who helped me sort it by shoving the derailleur forward, making it much easier to remount the chain.

...update...

I called in to my local bike shop today, eager to tell my mate Chris about my adventures in Calderdale.

When I mentioned the chain pinging off, he took a quick look at the bike and said he would shorten the chain by a couple of links - apparently there was enough length to do that.

His theory being that having the derailleur permanently set a little further forward will put the chain under a bit more tension, making a recurrence of my chain dismount less likely.

Makes sense to me, not that I would have thought of it.

Reading some of the dodgy shop maintenance stories on here, I think I'm fortunate to have him to fettle my bikes.

 

[Mrs M]

Decided to change my routine today and went on our first "night ride" this year.
Just toddled around locally for about an hour (it all counts)
Nice night and just felt relaxing going nowhere in particulat at my own pace. Very quiet roads, just a couple of joggers and dog walkers about.
Went along one of the unlit country roads instead of looping back towards home, won't be doing that again though.
A bit scary
Forgot how reflective the Marathon tyres are, bonus!

 

[Jenkins]

Back to work tomorrow and, having had Monday off the bike for a day of housework and gardening when the weather was dull, grey and cold (again), I was greeted with bright blue skies and light winds so it was time for a decent ride.

I ended up taking the long route out from home to Aldeburgh via Woodbridge, Wickham Market, Tunstall Forest, Snape and then returned home by going up the coast to Thorpeness, back to Aldeburgh (by mistake due to a navigation error), Snape, Rendlesham, Woodbridge and back home to a large coffee and a bacon bap.

https://www.strava.com/activities/523824855

Snape...

Standard Aldeburgh pic...

 

[Deleted member 1258]

View attachment 122491 Decided to change my routine today and went on our first "night ride" this year.
Just toddled around locally for about an hour (it all counts)
Nice night and just felt relaxing going nowhere in particulat at my own pace. Very quiet roads, just a couple of joggers and dog walkers about.
Went along one of the unlit country roads instead of looping back towards home, won't be doing that again though.
A bit scary
Forgot how reflective the Marathon tyres are, bonus!

Many years ago, when I hadn't been club riding very long we had the club Xmas dinner in Tanworth In Arden, then a night ride back into Coventry. I remember a clear bright night with a bright moon and twinkling stars that was that bright I could see for miles and could have turned my lights off, a magical ride that still makes smile when I think of it.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I set off with Mrs 26 and met John B. as arranged at Dubwath. We had a plan. Priority was chat with some pedalling tacked on. The route was to Keswick by lanes. We did this with some new tarmac for me before Mrs 26 departed around Bassenthwaite for base while us alpha males (?) took to a new route for me along the flanks of Blencathra. The road was "closed" due to flood damage but we ignored the barrier and carried on regardless. The old railway bridge over the Derwent had been swept aside by the torrents. Just amazing to see many tons of steel displaced like that. Around by Guardhouse took us a little too far towards Penrith but is was easy to track back and take the gated road to Mungrisdale. All good as the chat was flowing well still.

Now onto unfamiliar lanes we headed for Greystoke. Was this village connected to Tarzan? Who knows? The Boot and Shoe Inn did us some lovely grub and the pint of Black Sheep would have made Kevin M. drool. We found the cycle cafe too late and it was this that prompted a memory that I'd been here before. Still on unfamiliar lanes we reached Hesket Newmarket where we began a series of climbs via Caldbeck. We reached a spot where the views out over NW Cumbria, the Solway and to Scotland must be superb on a good day. Today things were misty. I'll be back for that view for sure. We climbed on up to top out at Faulds Brow where a quarry and an information board caught our attention. Then it was a fast descent to Ireby before the last climb to Ruthwaite. Now we dropped at up to 41 mph to Bassenthwaite and a rounding of the end of the Lake to John's accommodation. Just another few miles for me to clock up a very tough metric century (64 smiles). 5740 feet of climbing tells the tough tale and explains our average pace. But the ride, the company and the chats cannot be measured with such numbers. It was just fab.

 

[biggs682]

Another pre work ride this morning trying to crawl back some of my miles so added another 11 .

Just one of my normal loops keeping within 3 miles of the boro , roads nice and quiet loads of birds and rabbits flitting from hedgerow to hedgerow

 

[Elybazza61]

Couple of rides;

Yesterday did a proper longer run on the re-built Helium;

https://www.strava.com/activities/523942410

Still some niggles,primarily the front end which is knocking a bit over big bumps(prob headset/steerer bung needs re-setting/torqueing)

And this morning a nice zone 2 roll for the last day at work until the 4th 0f July.

https://www.strava.com/activities/524400391

Took a detour to the Espresso library again for coffee and a slice of peanut butter cake.

 

[Stonechat]

Peoeple coming later today so shorter ride
Started with a familiar loop through Chertsey, Down Stone Hill, Through Chobham and Vallay End, Looping back across Chobham Common.
Then when aproaching Chertsey, looped up Lyne Lane and back to Staines via Thorpe

A few hardish intervals

22.72 miles @ 17.2 mph
610 feet climbed
https://www.strava.com/activities/524496921

Some problems with gears, and I have entered my first ever TT on FRi!

 

[Maverick Goose]

Peoeple coming later today so shorter ride
Started with a familiar loop through Chertsey, Down Stone Hill, Through Chobham and Vallay End, Looping back across Chobham Common.
Then when aproaching Chertsey, loope4d up Lyne Lan and back to Staines via Thorpe

A few hardish intervals/

22.72 miles @ 17.1 mph
610 feet climbed
https://www.strava.com/activities/524496921

Some problems with gears, and I have entered my first ever TT on FRi!

Good luck with that!

 

[booze and cake]

..........Now onto unfamiliar lanes we headed for Greystoke. Was this village connected to Tarzan? Who knows? .

According to the Greystoke Castle website here: http://www.stafford-house.co.uk/what-to-do/greystoke-castle/

....The next thing that may spring to mind is of course - Tarzan! Apparantly the first manuscript didn't actually mention Greystoke, but was subsequently changed at a later date. The only link being that Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan;s Author) had been a war correspondent and had met a member of the Howard Family during the Boer War and consequently became friends.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Thanks @booze and cake. Mystery solved