Your ride today....

[gavgav]

Light sunny evenings are back . Bouncing from watching England thrash New Zealand in the World T20 Semi Final, I headed out for a quick spin around Shrewsbury.

Out through the estate, down the old railway track path and up the cycle paths to Heathgates. Then turned through Castlefields and alongside the River Severn which is very high again, following the weekend deluge and indeed is lapping onto the towpath at the weir.

Followed the towpath into the Quarry, where there were loads of people out walking dogs, cycling and running, making the most of the lighter evenings.

Walked the bike across Porthill Bridge, complete with whacking my ankle bone on the pedal

It was pretty sore for a few minutes on the climb through Porthill, before I continued down to Radbrook, through Nobold and Meole Brace. Initially I was going to extend the ride slightly, back up to the old railway path, but as I was all set to loop under the road bridge I arrived to find about 3 inches of thick wet mud under it, where the brook had obviously been out of its banks again

Decided instead to cross by the Retail Park and head home having done 11.6 miles at exactly 11.6mph avg. No prizes on offer for working out how long I was out for

Completed my March mileage at 119.7 miles. Pulled the total back a bit with 90 miles in 4 rides over the past week, as the 1st 2/3 of the the month were pretty hopeless!

 

[Dave 123]

After riding home from work I tinkered with Mrs Daves hybrid, changed pedals etc as she's riding to work for the next week to get fit for our Dutch trip.
She's not been on a solo bike since September, but it didn't take her long as it's just like riding a bike.
An 8 mile loop around Caldecote and Toft. The first half was lovely and quiet, but the straight road from Toft to Hardwick was riddled with speeding, idiot drivers. It was up this road that we saw a Hare in the field.
She reckons her legs have got stronger from the tandem, especially at the weekend when it weighed about 8 tonnes!

 

[cosmicbike]

A pedal out with the West Thames Wheelers 2 for me today. A rather informal club, and one which my Dad was a member of the original. WTW started as a social group, typically riding 0900 - 1500 hrs with a nice pub lunch and a steady pace where any bike would do. It evolved into a 'head down, bum up' club where speed and distance started to become more interesting to some, so Dad stopped going. Since retiring he's met up with some of the original group, and now organises a once a month ride which I try to go along to if I'm off work.
Today I got to be ride leader, so set a steady 11mph pace (slowing for hills of course) from Staines, along to Thorpe Park, through Thorpe and up into Lyne before heading through Foxhills to Chobham. Stopped at the coffee shop just as you get into Chobham, has an quirky little antiques type place behind it. Must be feeling funny as I actually bought coffee and cake for me & Dad!

Back a similar route, playing tail end Charlie this time, heading into Chertsey before splitting off from the group to head home before I got in trouble with the missus.
A thoroughly enjoyable 26 miles in good company. Think we averaged just under 11mph, not bad, given all the group bar me have been retired for a good few years...

 

[Elybazza61]

Nice 80k today although the wind was a bit strong for the first part,flew down the busway though and pleased I kept the pace going to the end as some rides lately I've been running out of steam a bit.

Saw a hare running across a field but most of the time it was head down stuff.

https://www.strava.com/activities/530669896

Bike nicely set up now(yes I know the saddle slopes down a bit but it's really comfy like that)so new bar tape can go on now.

 

[MiK1138]

I can't 'like' your post for that. Hoping said fool stopped and gave details etc.

He did, he just lives down the road and was ever so sorry, and he did come along tonight to make sure i was OK

 

[i hate hills]

Not much to report folks i'm afraid... Monday after work saw me out for another ease back into it runs. Took on a few more hills on my route and found no real ill effects form my chest infection. Quite strong on the hills so i was delighted with that. Four miles of contentment and happyness ......

 

[Jon George]

Well. it being End of Term, my mate Dan was up for Stage 2 of the 2016 Tour De Cochon. I had a longer ride planned for us to do, but as I hadn't quite recovered from a chest infection, yesterday's route was only 28 miles over the course of the day. But we had some fun ... and some beers.

So, from Ipswich to Holbrook and a visit to The Swan and The Compasses (we missed a heavy hail-storm), then on to Chelmondiston, Pin Mill and The Butt and Oyster. The tide was in and the beer-goggles I had on by that stage made it seem a quintessential English afternoon. On to Stutton and The Kings Head for beer and food, and then to Tattingstone and The Wheatcheaf (rounding off the night with several Tawny ports).

Apologises for the selfies (and lack of bicycles) but, as I said, it was damn fine day, with some damn fine beer and some damn fine countryside to ride through.

At Pin Mill with my halo breaking up.

Dan and I celebrating the fact that we've just about to head to another pub.

Me, happy that I've arrived at the next pub without falling off.

Home by midnight - just - and there were no excursions into any ditches or hedges. And next week there should be three of us ....

 

[Katherine]

Not good, Had a damn fool motorist pull away from a kerb right in front of me no signal obviously no mirror, resulting in a nasty gash above my right eye, right knee and shoulder are stiff as a board(they are gonna hurt tomorrow), bike is fine thankfully but i think my phone is knackered

What an idiot.
Ouch. Hope you are resting now. Give your body time to recover.

 

[Katherine]

The lions of Heaton Hall.

A lovely ride to Heaton Park in the cold spring sunshine. Out through Kearsley and my favourite Stoneclough hills, Whitefield and around Heaton Park. Back via Agecroft and some more fun hills. 19 miles of slow and steady ups and wheeeeeee on the downs. No silly passes to spoil it. Just a silly taxi driver who pulled in and stopped on the cycle lane in front of me without warning, so I lost all my momentum at the bottom of Agecroft. Got going again quickly and was in too good a mood to mind.


The highest point in Manchester.

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[DCLane]

My youngest has decided he wants to ride to school after Easter .

So today we checked the route; at 6 miles each way it's mostly Greenway but fiddly as it'll use local roads to one Greenway route (NCN699) and then through Dewsbury (NCN69) to the next (NCN66) and off to his school. There's a couple of difficult junctions but as long as he's careful it'll be fine.

Who am I to worry; at the weekend we found out he's been out setting off speed cameras again

The only concern is that it goes past a rough area but hopefully as it's busy he'll be fine.

 

[Glow worm]

I wasn't getting much work done this afternoon so snook off early for a quick 9 mile scoot around Burwell Fen.

Two very early swallows passed over my house earlier heading north, so I was keen to see if I could find any more, as well as anything else that might be about.

Wasn't disappointed either, no swallows but a pair of short eared owls displaying beautifully on Burwell Fen. I'd just seen a pair of little owls too so it was my lucky day. The short eareds will be heading back over the North Sea anytime soon and I'll miss them.

Just the one pic today, the home straight along one of my favourite busy tracks!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

What a lovely spring day. 3 of us out including Mrs 26. The plan was a ride in the Golden Triangle as the wild daffs should be at their best. We got down to Redmarley where the daffs start but Mrs 26 was feeling a bit crook (as the Ozzies would say). So she pottered off on a short route for Newent and the cafe.

Jules and I set off on the loops by Ketford, Oxenhall, Gorsley and back around by Shaw Common for Newent. The daffs en route were stunning. Just everywhere and at their peak. Mrs 26 was safely installed in the cafe when we arrived but a lunchtime rush meant Jules and I had a bit of a wait before we could order. No worries, there's no rush.

We retraced to Shaw Common stopping at Gwen and Vera's meadows which were a stunning display of daffs. On around our next loop we stopped at St Mary's where the churchyard held another display. Then by a different lane we returned to Kempley and another magnificent display in the SSSI.

Now it was time to head back but the daffs kept us company to Bromsberrow where we stopped for a quick look at the nodding star of Bethlehem. Soon it was time to part from Jules. Mrs 26 had recovered well from whatever had limited her earlier and we rolled home after a superb day out pottering in wonderfully dressed and quiet lanes. Many more smiles today than the 67 recorded on my computer.

 

[biggs682]

First ride this morning with this front light fittedhttp://www.gearbest.com/bike-lights/pp_332272.html , its a nice small package with 4 settings that include a flashing mode .

Used it on basic setting going up out of town then switched it over on to the middle and top setting once on to the mad mile and no street lights by far the brightest light i have ever used and by far the smallest one . Well recommended on initial 11.5 mile ride this morning .

Again frosty around the edges and looks like another bright day ahead

.

 

[Alex H]

Yesterday's ride today. A change of general direction, northwards, means going round St Junien by a bit of a convoluted route, which first takes me past the railway station (I am assured there are regular trains, but in 14 years I've only ever seen one)

(Small pictures today as I, erm, adjusted something on my camera when taking a previous shot and never noticed )

After a lot of housing, I come to the Centre Commercial, which has a couple of big supermarkets, lots of other smaller shops and the bowling alley.

Built about 4 years ago, it was only open for about 2 months before being destroyed by fire.

This area also has some spare land for the circus, when it comes to town.

There's also room for the LBS - strange how the name is the same as a local alcoholic beverage - Pineau

From here on it's a nice wide road all the way (mostly up ) to Montrol Sénard. The weather person had said today would be 19° by 16:00, with sunny intervals. I had set off at 13:00 and it was cool and a bit windy, but an hour later it was quite pleasant.

In reading the posts in this thread, I have noticed a large number of photos of various cakes, pies, coffees beers and ice cream. I am most jealous. these things are impossible to obtain here outside of a large village and even then only in July and August. So for all who have posted such a photo, here's a banana

One of the Monuments historiques in this village that I had not seen before (it's in the cemetery) is the cross shown below, dated as early middle age - somewhere around 5th - 10th century.

As I headed away from the village towards Blond, I came across this gem of a fence.

Having spent the last few years doing a lot of DIY, the first thought that popped into my head was - I wonder how often they have to re-paint that?

The road to Blond with a car

From Blond it was back to St Junien via Cieux and Javerdat. It was roundabout here I was overtaken by the 'Best Dressed Cyclist in France'. Red bike with black wheels / tyres, Red water bottles. Guy wearing black shoes / socks, black and red tights & top, black and red helmet and a bum bag which was black with a thin red line round it.

As St Junien is on a hill, it's not so much of a problem going through the middle returning home. This is the reason I avoid it going the other way.

This has been done recently and when I'm driving a car I can see why - No overtaking - if someone wants to park, it only holds up the traffic on that side. No turning left (although I have seen someone try - he gave up ). If you are a cyclist, however, you are blocking the lane and it is a hill ( doesn't look much in the photo) and although French drivers are very good with cyclists, it's not something I would want to do. Downhill is no problem - even I can do 35km/hr with not much effort. After I took this picture an HGV came up the hill and I would guess at 30cm clearance each side

Anyway here's a map of yesterdays route

Total Time 3 hours (spookily only .5km longer than my last ride)

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Who am I to worry; at the weekend we found out he's been out setting off speed cameras again

Corr - I've tried to get my photo taken by one of those camera things. Trouble is the darn cars get in the way sticking to the speed limit.