Your ride today....

[Gravity Aided]

Very sharp handling bicycle, the height of the frame makes those rear chain stays very short (relatively) for a sport/tourer . It was originally sold locally by the local Trek dealer. The only two labels are this dealers, and the 50th anniversary 531 tubing label, no license/registration labels, which are quite unsightly in this town. A few nicks in the Imron paint, but I can get Testors' French Blue, which is a perfect match, I am told. It still has the very pretty Trek headbadge in brass, as well.

 

[Donger]

13th club ride of the year, and not the best. Ridden at more like intermediate speed, and blew me out the back of the peloton repeatedly. Stuck with it until we'd done the day's big hill (Chalford Hill, on the way out of Stroud in the Cirencester direction) and ridden through the lovely village of Minchinhampton. Got dropped again before Nailsworth, then went my own way rather than hold everyone up.

I had to get back smartish to pack for my hols and help my neighbour fix a fence, so took the most direct route home through Nailsworth and Stroud. Had another game of Shimano Roulette on the way home, with the big ring only engaging intermittently. So I fiddled. (What could possibly go wrong?). Mistake! Then got overtaken by the rest of the group on the way home anyway! Got to Kingsway with the tail end of the peloton just visible in the distance in front of me. Another 36.4 miles, takes me up to 940 for the year so far.

Off for a Channel hop soon, so I'll be posting ride reports from Kent and the Pas de Calais later in the week. Fingers crossed, looks like the weather might just hold ....
Cheers, Donger.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Lovely blue skies out there but still chill air. Just a quick one today around the standard 34 mile loop. Lots of riders out and about some even in shorts. To chill for me yet. I upped my pace quite a bit over the final 14 miles, giving Sara P. a cheery "Hi" as I went past her group. My extra efforts paid off in that I notched the average pace up to set a fastest paced ride this year. Must be spring.....

 

[Dave 123]

So after a week in Mallorca and a week in Holland, including a nice 20 mile ride in a 360° headwind yesterday round the Hook of Holland I thought I'd nip out on my road bike this morning.
I was suckered by the bright sunshine, for the past 2 weeks it = warmth...

Not here, not today!

I was out in shorts and my summer weight road bike shoes. Big mistake!

Down and around to Chapel Hill, then up over to Barrington, nearly as many cyclists as in Mallorca! There were cowslips and bluebells flowering away in the verges.

A short spell on the A603 before turning for Wimpole. The queue to get into the driveway for the estate must have been 150 cars long, but I rolled on by.

Just past the entrance in the paddock I saw the funniest thing. A little black lamb was doing what lambs do, having a gambol in the sun. The 2 shire horses were in a world of their own until one of them saw the lamb from the corner of an eye.
They were off like a shot!!! They crapped themselves as horses will do. The lamb followed on, spooking the silly buggers even more! I got a picture just as they stopped

The pair of them were giving the lamb dirty looks.

Up the hill and saw a swallow, then some goldfinches before turning for the Gransdens. Saw another swallow before I got home.

Just over 30 miles today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/547958500

I'm missing Mallorcan sun and Dutch cycle lanes!

 

[gbb]

I don't like the cold...
Sun was streaming inthe windows this morning, looking good I thought. General busying myself around the house and out on the bike at 11am. Got 1/2 mile down the road....turned round to put my jacket on..too blooming chilly.
P'boro, toward Wansford, Kings Cliffe, Apethorpe, Nassington, Elton and back to P'boro.
26 miles at the ungodly speed of 14.5mph...why do I even bother clocking the averages like I used to, I'm not going to turn the clock back 10 years am I...

A good few RedKite, a Buzzard, bluebells are poking through, primroses alongside the verges...springs well on the way...ooh and a good few swallows flitting across farmland.

And home to a lovely roast pork sunday dinner

 

[TheDoctor]

Up to Weston, then Clothall to Baldock and then Gregg's at Letchworth for coffee and a sausage roll. It was then that the key snapped in my lock...
Wilko cutters at £3.99 will eventually chew through a cable lock. DAMHIKT.
Back home via Willian, for 22 single speed miles

 

[Mrs M]

After yesterday's snow I looking forward to getting out today
Mr M wanted to watch the football and his legs were too tired from golf yesterday ( played at Trumpton and got soaked) so I went out alone.
Nowhere in particular just toddling around enjoying the sun and signs Spring may be here at last.
Testing out my new jacket and a bit too warm for today.
Good for sweating off a few lbs I thought (kind of mobile sauna so I carried on).
Only out for around an hour or so as a few things to do this aft', may go out again later though .

 

[Tin Pot]

125km +980m.

Then ran 10.5km, +75m.

 

[CharlieB]

Last night, I was struggling for somewhere to go today. Then this thread appeared in the Café. Curiosity fired, and Soulbury being only 20 miles from me, it became the mid-point for a nice little Chilterns circular. More like a very elongated north-south rectangle, truth be told.
Nonetheless a very nice 41 miles with 665m of climbing from Chesham via Pitstone, Cheddington, Mentmore, Wing, Soulbury, Stewkley, Wingrave, Long Marston, Tring (and the awful Hastoe Hill, which I've never yet succeeded in riding all the way up) and Chesham.
I'd recommend the Chilterns to anyone.
For much of the route, a humungous sportive was coming in the opposite direction - I would estimate at least 400 riders strung out over 15+ miles.
Thank you to @Inertia for posting the thread in the first place.
I'd post a photo of the offending boulder to prove it, but I can never get photos to post on here!

 

[Stonechat]

Club run with the H & DW
Weather was odd, started really cold with a hard frost
When the sun was out and we were in a more sheltered place it seemed OK
Sun in and it seemed different

We went to Marlow, going via Old Windsor, Eton Dorney, Maidenhead and Cookham
Garden centre where our stop was, was outside Marlow at the top of a fairish hill

Suitably replenished (though not with anything hot as there was apparently a fair wait), we headed through Hurley and Warren Row
Those who hadn't seen it had a peek at the Velolife cafe that we stopped at three or so weeks ago
Some nice quiet roads on some of this route
Route continued through White Waltham and onto the familiar Drift Road, through the Park with a diversion and home

Still getting used to the Different pedals and shoes, and cleat position on the left needs a tweak.

54.31 miles @ 15.3 mph, and 1677 feet climbed

https://www.strava.com/activities/548107918

 

[Keith Oates]

Today was lovely sunshine and I saw many riders out riding, some as large groups, some in pairs and many single riders. It was still a little cool but the ride was very satisfying and a distance of 44.2 Kms achieved. When I got home my wife had prepared a very tasty OXTAIL meal which disappeared very quickly.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Stonechat]

Last night, I was struggling for somewhere to go today. Then this thread appeared in the Café. Curiosity fired, and Soulbury being only 20 miles from me, it became the mid-point for a nice little Chilterns circular. More like a very elongated north-south rectangle, truth be told.
Nonetheless a very nice 41 miles with 665m of climbing from Chesham via Pitstone, Cheddington, Mentmore, Wing, Soulbury, Stewkley, Wingrave, Long Marston, Tring (and the awful Hastoe Hill, which I've never yet succeeded in riding all the way up) and Chesham.
I'd recommend the Chilterns to anyone.
For much of the route, a humungous sportive was coming in the opposite direction - I would estimate at least 400 riders strung out over 15+ miles.
Thank you to @Inertia for posting the thread in the first place.
I'd post a photo of the offending boulder to prove it, but I can never get photos to post on here!

Yes I did Chiltern Sportive (the wiggle one) last year, quite tough

 

[DCLane]

Rode the GHS Memorial Ride from Dewsbury-Pocklington; 100 miles in under 8 hours to get a certificate.

Well, I was supposed to be riding it with my club but tagged onto a couple of local fast clubs with a few others. The result is that I saw them at the mid-point (they arrived as I was leaving after lunch) and they're still out there ... somewhere.

 

[13 rider]

Today's target was 50 miles. Out a 0930 into sunshine if still a bit chilly . Anstey to Cropston and Id already passed more cyclist than yesterday's 17 mile passed the couple who live near me getting on there tandem .Round the back of Bradgate park and into Swithland and Quorn and Rothley for a bit of strava segment chasing and onto Cossington . Where once again my phone stopped recording strava at the same point as last week. Up humble lane and up the Wreake valley The roads seem to have become a super cycle highway I've never seen so many riders everyone was out .Through Ratcliffe on the Wreake ,Thrussington ,Hoby to Asfordby and up Saxilby hill into Saxilby and Grimston and out to Willoughby on the Wolds On to Wysall ,Costock ,East Leake ,West Leake and Sutton Bonnington where I stopped for a rest and looked at my phone to see it had stopped recording . On to Normanton on Soar up the climb out of the village . Through Stanford on Soar and a call of nature was called for .Just got going again on a climb when a guy on a roadie flew by me . So competitive me came out and started chasing him down but he was properly flying I was holding him but not gaining at the junction at Cotes he went left but I went straight on through the bollards .as I came to the junction guy on the roadie went by as he'd been to the junction and swung a left .He had dropped his pace so as I was going right i pulled alongside he was surprised to see me don't think he knew I took the short cut . Right up Cotes lane and the next thing he flew by me again think I upset him so full gas again managed to hold him for a while but he was slowly pulling away but at the last climb he slowed and a took loads of distance back got to with 10 yards by the t junction but he got a traffic break but I had to wait for quite a while so that was the end of the silly racing. From Barrow on Soar to Quorn ,Mountsorrel and up the nasty short steep climb of bond lane .Then Rothley Cropston and Home 57.7 miles in the bag in sunny but still a bit chilly . loads of riders today including 3 tamdens 1 of which were a young couple I find most tandems riders are of the more mature vareity . Oh the the segment chasing went well I am now King of the mountain my first one ever something I never thought I could get .I suspect my mates who follow me on strava will be attempting this segment soon I'm ready for you

 

[Goonerobes]

As the weather forecast looked fine & because of a 50% discount offer I made a last minute decision to book the Longleat Lionheart sportive today, just for somewhere different to ride. (although I hadn't taken into account leaving home at 6am to get there!)

A frosty car greeted me & the temperature was still below freezing upon arrival at the start so winter clothing was in order as we wound our way around the estate & onto the first climb of the day, just 3 miles in & averaging 8% gradient, so a bit of a shock to the system but easily dispatched with still fresh legs.

The next 30 or so miles were up & down on country lanes, some muddier than others & in pretty poor condition if I'm honest so the feed stop at 33 miles in the village of Bruton was a welcome break from the battering my hands & arse were taking from the roads.

Suitably refreshed it was onto arguably the toughest shortish climb I've done, named King Alfreds Tower it was a closed road climb & a 1.4 mile 518ft jobby, with the last third of a mile a 14% gradient so every ounce of strength was required to haul myself to the top where a small crowd had gathered to urge people on & commiserate with the odd one or two that walked it.

More muddy lanes followed through the ups & downs of the Wiltshire & Somerset countryside & the organisers even managed to fit two more category 4 climbs in before the end, the last of which on 51 miles was certainly not appreciated by my legs.

61.3 miles & it warmed up & stayed dry but at an average of 77 feet of climbing per mile it was a tough old day & I even got cramp in my leg on the drive home which was a little inconvenient to say the least!!

https://www.strava.com/activities/548165572