gaz71
Über Member
- Location
- teddington
I love the photos you guys put on here.Seems like a lot of you have got some really nice cycling routes,and great country pubs.
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Racing roadkill
Guru
Awww bless him.
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
We drove over to Jo's friends house in Suffolk, unloaded the tandem, then set off into deepest, sunniest, prettiest Suffolkshire countryside.
When you go by car along the A14 it all seems fairly flat, but to the south it undulates a bit more than you'd like. In the village of Whepstead we went up church hill, and believe me, it was indeed a hill. We even had to use the granny ring!
Our tea stop was in the village of Hawstead...
The Maglia Rossa cafe. Very nice too. There were a stack of tandems in the car park, it turns out that the Essex and East London branch of the tandem club were there. Among their number were Alan and Wendy Baird who post on Crazy guy on a bike. Reading their blogs and journals is what inspired me to get a tandem. It's easier to list where they haven't been. They were all lovely folk, including Vivienne, the group organiser who gave us her card....
We were trundling up the hill, not half a mile from the cafe when..... "Kerpowwww!!!!" We now had a hole in the sidewall of the rear tyre!
Off with the wheel, off with the tyre, new tube fitted. But what to do with the hole in the wall? The card that we'd just been presented with was folded in 2 and inserted between tyre and tube. It was good enough to get us back to Risby!
At one point we were cruising fast down a hill, I turned to Jo and said "I'm just waiting for it to go again...."
"Noooooo! Don't say that!"
It didn't.
Not our biggest ride ever (24 miles) but exciting all the same.
A 2 puncture weekend.
https://www.strava.com/activities/569562072
When you go by car along the A14 it all seems fairly flat, but to the south it undulates a bit more than you'd like. In the village of Whepstead we went up church hill, and believe me, it was indeed a hill. We even had to use the granny ring!
Our tea stop was in the village of Hawstead...
The Maglia Rossa cafe. Very nice too. There were a stack of tandems in the car park, it turns out that the Essex and East London branch of the tandem club were there. Among their number were Alan and Wendy Baird who post on Crazy guy on a bike. Reading their blogs and journals is what inspired me to get a tandem. It's easier to list where they haven't been. They were all lovely folk, including Vivienne, the group organiser who gave us her card....
We were trundling up the hill, not half a mile from the cafe when..... "Kerpowwww!!!!" We now had a hole in the sidewall of the rear tyre!
Off with the wheel, off with the tyre, new tube fitted. But what to do with the hole in the wall? The card that we'd just been presented with was folded in 2 and inserted between tyre and tube. It was good enough to get us back to Risby!
At one point we were cruising fast down a hill, I turned to Jo and said "I'm just waiting for it to go again...."
"Noooooo! Don't say that!"
It didn't.
Not our biggest ride ever (24 miles) but exciting all the same.
A 2 puncture weekend.
https://www.strava.com/activities/569562072
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
Superb!
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
I have decided I am not a warm weather cyclist
Did a 55 mile loop today in 22 degree average heat. I was fine for quite a while but I struggled for the last 10 miles. Too hot, too knackered. The killer is going up hills with a tailwind. Should be great. But doing so means you get no cooling breeze. Very easy to overheat
Basic idea was Glossop - Uppermill - Marsden - Almondbury - Holmfirth - Stalybridge - Glossop. Lots of climbing. Lots of country lanes
In truth the run to Marsden was really nice. Nice and warm (still saw cyclists out in longs and jackets!) with not too much climbing. In Marsden I decided to climb Mount Road to the top and then straight back down again. While doing so there were dozens of MTBers flying down in some kind of a race or sportive. Here's the view at the top
From there there were loads of ups and downs on roads I don't often visit....Farnley Tyas anyone?
Run down to Holmfirth where it was rammed with daytrippers. Found the Riverside Café and managed to snag an outside table. I couldn't resist over-ordering
Really delicious. But straight out of the Café and there's a 25 minute climb, with no cooling breeze, at the warmest time of the day. I suffered. Limped the last 15 miles home after the climb. Cracked open a cool beer....hydration's important isn't it?
Did a 55 mile loop today in 22 degree average heat. I was fine for quite a while but I struggled for the last 10 miles. Too hot, too knackered. The killer is going up hills with a tailwind. Should be great. But doing so means you get no cooling breeze. Very easy to overheat
Basic idea was Glossop - Uppermill - Marsden - Almondbury - Holmfirth - Stalybridge - Glossop. Lots of climbing. Lots of country lanes
In truth the run to Marsden was really nice. Nice and warm (still saw cyclists out in longs and jackets!) with not too much climbing. In Marsden I decided to climb Mount Road to the top and then straight back down again. While doing so there were dozens of MTBers flying down in some kind of a race or sportive. Here's the view at the top
From there there were loads of ups and downs on roads I don't often visit....Farnley Tyas anyone?
Run down to Holmfirth where it was rammed with daytrippers. Found the Riverside Café and managed to snag an outside table. I couldn't resist over-ordering
Really delicious. But straight out of the Café and there's a 25 minute climb, with no cooling breeze, at the warmest time of the day. I suffered. Limped the last 15 miles home after the climb. Cracked open a cool beer....hydration's important isn't it?
A lovely ride around north Essex and Suffolk with a few members of the Suffolk Ctc.
Problems with loading Strava at the start of the ride, so tried after lunch at Groton therefore only half a ride on the attachment.
Coffee stop at Hearts Delight garden centre, Lawford, lunch at the pub in Groton as mentioned.
Tea stop at the Harvest Moon cafe on the A12 at Capel. A great day out, just over 60 miles through
some wonderful Suffolk/Essex countryside.
Hopefully Strava will behave next time and I can record the whole ride.
https://www.strava.com/activities/569685624
Problems with loading Strava at the start of the ride, so tried after lunch at Groton therefore only half a ride on the attachment.
Coffee stop at Hearts Delight garden centre, Lawford, lunch at the pub in Groton as mentioned.
Tea stop at the Harvest Moon cafe on the A12 at Capel. A great day out, just over 60 miles through
some wonderful Suffolk/Essex countryside.
Hopefully Strava will behave next time and I can record the whole ride.
https://www.strava.com/activities/569685624
Today's ride was the Hop Garden 200km Audax from Meopham in Kent. I cycled to the start, a ride of 15 miles to meet up with @martint235 of this parish. At 6.30am the weather was absolutely glorious. Very close to home I took this pic (in fact, the only pic I took today - sorry).
What you can see is the whole of London in the distance. the tall white spire on the left is the Shard, to the right of it are the tower-blocks of Bishopsgate, The Cheesegrater, The Gherkin, Walkie Talkie etc. The tower blocks to the right of the pic are at Canary Wharf in the Docklands.
Today was going to be a hard ride. The first and last 3rds are especially hilly, made even more harder with the blazing sunshine and high temperatures. Before leaving I grabbed Ianrauk Jnrs factor 50 and splashed it all over, and a good thing I did too.
We were making very good progress but just before our lunch stop in Hythe, Martin started suffering from cramps in the legs and hands. We though a nice fried brekkie would help sort it but it wasn't to be. Martin had to stop every now and again to massage his legs to help get them working. He managed to get to mile 85 and decided the best thing to do was bail. He was in pain and he knew he was holding me up. He made his way to a train station whilst I jumped on the wheels of some other riders (a couple we rode with on the same ride last year), and some riders jumping on my wheel. By now it was really hot out there. I'm not one for drinking lots of fluids on rides but today I forced myself. At the next 2 food controls buying can's of coke and refilling my bidon. But I got round, chatting to a good few other rides including a chap over from Dubai (I stopped moaning about the heat then,
) and an amazing 80 year old on the shorter 160km ride. I was gobsmacked at his speed for his age. Chapeu Sir.
The last 25 miles of the Audax were really tough, including the climbs of Red Hill and the absolute mare they call Birling Hill.. a beast of a climb..made even more so by the hot conditions. Once over Birling it's mainly 5 or so miles downhill to the end control.
Audax card handed in and checked, a quick cup of tea and another refill of the bidon and it was a fair pootle of 15 miles to home to a nice big plate of Mrs Ian's home made cottage pie and copious mugs of tea..
So.. 163 hot and hard miles for the day. It's going to be an interesting commute tomorrow as my legs really are complaining.
Century ride # 11 for 2016, # 177 over all... oh yes, a new Eddington number to boot. Sorry there are no pics, the route of this Audax take in some really stunning views.
What you can see is the whole of London in the distance. the tall white spire on the left is the Shard, to the right of it are the tower-blocks of Bishopsgate, The Cheesegrater, The Gherkin, Walkie Talkie etc. The tower blocks to the right of the pic are at Canary Wharf in the Docklands.
Today was going to be a hard ride. The first and last 3rds are especially hilly, made even more harder with the blazing sunshine and high temperatures. Before leaving I grabbed Ianrauk Jnrs factor 50 and splashed it all over, and a good thing I did too.
We were making very good progress but just before our lunch stop in Hythe, Martin started suffering from cramps in the legs and hands. We though a nice fried brekkie would help sort it but it wasn't to be. Martin had to stop every now and again to massage his legs to help get them working. He managed to get to mile 85 and decided the best thing to do was bail. He was in pain and he knew he was holding me up. He made his way to a train station whilst I jumped on the wheels of some other riders (a couple we rode with on the same ride last year), and some riders jumping on my wheel. By now it was really hot out there. I'm not one for drinking lots of fluids on rides but today I forced myself. At the next 2 food controls buying can's of coke and refilling my bidon. But I got round, chatting to a good few other rides including a chap over from Dubai (I stopped moaning about the heat then,
) and an amazing 80 year old on the shorter 160km ride. I was gobsmacked at his speed for his age. Chapeu Sir.The last 25 miles of the Audax were really tough, including the climbs of Red Hill and the absolute mare they call Birling Hill.. a beast of a climb..made even more so by the hot conditions. Once over Birling it's mainly 5 or so miles downhill to the end control.
Audax card handed in and checked, a quick cup of tea and another refill of the bidon and it was a fair pootle of 15 miles to home to a nice big plate of Mrs Ian's home made cottage pie and copious mugs of tea..
So.. 163 hot and hard miles for the day. It's going to be an interesting commute tomorrow as my legs really are complaining.
Century ride # 11 for 2016, # 177 over all... oh yes, a new Eddington number to boot. Sorry there are no pics, the route of this Audax take in some really stunning views.
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- Location
- Egham
Got out before 8 this morning as I figured it would get busy, the sunshine tends to have that effect. Plan was for a quick 25 miles and I set my pace to suit. All familiar roads thought I, as I headed from Chobham out towards Windlesham. Shortly after I found myself lost, so much for familiar roads! Oh well, quick Google maps and off I went again, emerging in Lightwater. As I came back through my usual route it got busy busy with cyclists, turns out the Woking Bikeathon was on today.
A very quick (for me), 32.8 miles at 16.2mph, and nice to get home before it got too hot.
A very quick (for me), 32.8 miles at 16.2mph, and nice to get home before it got too hot.
Diggs
Veteran
- Location
- Billericay, Essex
You know how it is, you wait weeks for an update from me and then two come along at once.
The Rotary Club of Basildon's ride today and I can't believe how beautiful the weather was.Plus a really enjoyable ride. No real surprises with a fairly local route.
A golf club is ideal to start and end of a bike ride, as there are people dressed as silly as you are
The Rotary Club of Basildon's ride today and I can't believe how beautiful the weather was.Plus a really enjoyable ride. No real surprises with a fairly local route.
A golf club is ideal to start and end of a bike ride, as there are people dressed as silly as you are
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
15 miles this day, beautiful weather after this mornings' storms. Not so windy as to disorder a dandelion, so I rode a folded loop,even over by the Kongskilde Factory near Hudson, something it may be a bit difficult to do here now and then due to the wind. I also chased a few lycra types just to get an idea of comparitive speed. In all, a marvelous day out.
66F
19C
Winds S9
Relative humidity 55%
Barometer 29.96 steady
Partly cloudy
Postcard weather.
66F
19C
Winds S9
Relative humidity 55%
Barometer 29.96 steady
Partly cloudy
Postcard weather.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Not had a good few days. My back has been bad, stiff and painful.
Had a ride round the caravan site next door to ours as some idiot left a BBQ on near the UPVC veranda = massive fire burnt out caravan, and damage to others.
Tried out a couple of routes round the dunes on the MTB. Managed about half a mile down the beach as it was more pebbles than sand. Only 8 or 9 miles in total. Back sleeping on the settee tonight.
Had a ride round the caravan site next door to ours as some idiot left a BBQ on near the UPVC veranda = massive fire burnt out caravan, and damage to others.
Tried out a couple of routes round the dunes on the MTB. Managed about half a mile down the beach as it was more pebbles than sand. Only 8 or 9 miles in total. Back sleeping on the settee tonight.
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
You had me confused there, until I noticed the extra 30 miles going to / from the start / finish
Chapeau!
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
It's still way short of where I was.
Stonechat
Guru
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex
Yesterday's ride
Thought I was entered for an event, somehow I wasn't!
So made up a loop on some quiet Berks lanes, and did a hrd 10 mile, then meandered back through Windsor mostly on nice quiet roads
Whenever I stoppped briefly seemed hot so kept going
50.67 miles at 16.7 mph
1083 feet climbed
https://www.strava.com/activities/569319552
Feeling good for the Velothon in a couple of weeks
Thought I was entered for an event, somehow I wasn't!
So made up a loop on some quiet Berks lanes, and did a hrd 10 mile, then meandered back through Windsor mostly on nice quiet roads
Whenever I stoppped briefly seemed hot so kept going
50.67 miles at 16.7 mph
1083 feet climbed
https://www.strava.com/activities/569319552
Feeling good for the Velothon in a couple of weeks
