Your ride today....

[PeteXXX]

Yesterdays ride, as is oft the case!

A couple of mates were wanting to ride to Oundle to check out the new extension to The Gorilla Firm bike shop, so I said I could ride with them as far as Brigstock, 20 miles away, before having to head back home alone due to babysitting duties.
We ended up drinking coffee at my house at 09:00 before setting off on a decent route I've used to get there before. Basically, it's the route I drive to for w*rk but it's not a bad road to ride, with only 500 yards on the A508 to suffer. After Burton Latimer, there's a 'No Through' road, now cut in half by the A14 dual carriageway, that connects to the original 'main road' via a tarmacked bridleway and bridge. It's a lot safer than having to use the roundabout at Junction 10 to access the road we needed to be on and is Road bike friendly as well, unlike a lot of similar tracks.
Anyway, a mile or so later, we were on quiet little lanes from Cranford to Brigstock , via Grafton Underwood before deciding that we should visit Lyveden New Bield as Bob hadn't been there before.

That's them on the far right of the photo. The half mile track up to the site is not nice riding, but, taken steadily, didn't wreck the tyres, fortunately!
By this time, I needed to head back homewards, and t'other two decided to leave their Oundle visit for another time and ride back with me.

And ring it we did!

As is only fair, I bought the drinks at the cafe on the way back ... But, being a registered Old Fart, I claimed the 10% discount on offer

The 20 miles back were mainly into a bit of a headwind, but nothing too bad, and at least it was a warm wind, not like some that have been endured over the past few months!

On the way back, we spotted a Spitfire parked up at Sywell Aerodrome, so we had to stop for a looksee for a short while.

We got back to my house in time for babysitting whilst Mrs Pete did some shopping and we drank tea and let No1 grandson loose in the garden to toddle off some energy.
A great 50 miles, at 16mph average (which is fast for me!) with good friends, in warm Springlike weather,
The total opposite of today!

It seems like Garmin had bit of a hiccup though as it has dated the ride as the 15th with an elapsed time of 51:49:32
Funny ol' world, eh..

https://www.strava.com/activities/578962311

 

[Elybazza61]

Nice brisk commute in this morning after a bit of a rush to get out.

Overslept a bit and then spent too much time over brekkie while watching the end of yesterdays Giro stage;so a quick wash,contacts in and change in to bike gear and off!(after coming back in as I'd left the bidon in the house).

First proper run with the new Hope 44t retainer chainring and it's working well so far;seems to pull a bit better(prob less slack in the chain) and apart from spinning a bit more speed seems about the same.May get away with a smaller cassette now as I spent most of the time in the bottom of the block;will have to do a proper test on the Haddenham 'hills' to see how it goes.

Hope chainring;

Scenic pic at Mudsummer common;

Last proper ride until Sunday's bash although may have a little light leg spin tomorrow.

 

[mybike]

It seems like Garmin had bit of a hiccup though as it has dated the ride as the 15th with an elapsed time of 51:49:32
Funny ol' world, eh..

My Etrex does that, I usually find there is one or more recorded positions with a previous days date and possibly position. I just use Base Camp to delete them.

 

[PeteXXX]

My Etrex does that, I usually find there is one or more recorded positions with a previous days date and possibly position. I just use Base Camp to delete them.

The rest of the stats were ok, just the date and elapsed time. It might resolve next time I plug the Garmin into my laptop. We'll see.

 

[Stonechat]

Have been doing a series of short spins of around 10 miles this week
Did last one today before the Velothon on Sunday (unless I do a short loosener on Sat)
Feel in good shape

Intention is to try not to get carried away and ride conservatively at a pace I keep to easily 'club run pace'
I have the Tumble and Carphilly mountain to ride up.
The Tumble will be a new experience as the hills here at home in the SE are not more than about 500 feet, and this will be about 1200 feet from memory.

This weeks rides

https://www.strava.com/activities/578032665
https://www.strava.com/activities/578836329
https://www.strava.com/activities/580067614
https://www.strava.com/activities/580933875

Somehow without trying done 48 miles in short rides and missed the rain
Average over 18 mph today and it was definitely not full throttle

 

[Jon George]

As I believe I've said before, I don't normally report on my weekday trashes, but today was something of note: out on Patsy #1 The Carbon and absolutely nailed the 17.83 mile route at an average of 17.25mph - which I don't think is bad for a MAMIL like me. (It might have been a little quicker if I had not inhaled some insect that took some grotesque-sounding coughing to dislodge. )

 

[Gravity Aided]

Tried out the Schwinn Impact with the leather saddle revisited, as the previous ones were too cushy or caused irritation. Very fine weather and light breezes.
68F
Winds S7
Relative humidity 40%
Barometer 30.22
Pleasant.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Nice little 23.4 miler in 1hr.40 ..not a bad afternoon but the wind did its best to stay in my face..
Pic for the hey fever sufferers...and road to Barnack

 

[Old jon]

Had to visit the Everlasting Water Lane road works again today, all the usual decorations were in evidence, plus added extra management, standing around pointing importantly at things. I could not stay to enjoy the spectacle, I had some miles to ride, thirty four point eight of them as it turned out.

So, Office Lock, towpath to Viaduct Road. At the bottom of Cardigan Road there are still the terraced houses built at the beginning of the 1900’s. As the pedals turn up the hill to Lawnswood Ring Road, house gardens appear, semi detached, bigger gardens and then the all out detached with long drives and, well you get the idea. Cross the Ring Road and keep straight on to the next set of lights. Turn right ( houses and gardens even bigger ) onto Church Lane, pass the church and carry straight on for Eccup. The one and only road then descends through Weardley to the A 659.



Turn right for Harewood Bridge and left onto the A 61 for a mile or so then turn right for Kirkby Overblow and Sicklinghall, eventually Wetherby. It is a few rides since I pedalled up from the bottom of Bardsey to the top of Scarcroft, so today I gave that another sweat, having to ride through Collingham first, ‘cos that’s geography for you. Anyway, top of Scarcroft, through the Red Halls and Hooray!!! Boot hill. Still had the silly grin when I reached home.

 

[Goonerobes]

With Saturday looking to be a bit of a wash-out I added an extra few miles & a few extra feet of going up to my regular midweek route today which saw me take in Minstead & Bolderwood before 4 miles into a hideous forest headwind followed by 4 miles of "flat as a pancake" road to take me to the half way point.

The second half was about as hilly as the New Forest can get, going up through Godshill, Woodgreen & Hale before returning down through Lover, Hampworth & Furzley for a 40.5 mile round trip with plenty of dandelion seeds & bugs consumed along the way!

https://www.strava.com/activities/581115740

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I broke free from the usual round of Severn valley routes and headed West into a stiff breeze. The ups slowed me but I seemed to have the measure of the wind mostly although the Bishops Frome to Burley Gate section was tough. It usually is tho' as it's a long up ramp and exposed too. It was good to reacquaint myself with the road tho'. As always the run to Withington was quiet although I did have to mix in with traffic briefly to Bartestree. The lane from there to Larport is still as rough as ever tho'. A bit more traffic to Mordiford and I could cross the River Wye for the run along the valley to Hoarwithy. This section is always lovely as well as quiet.

I recrossed the Wye at Hoarwithy and began the climb away out of the valley. The wind was now at my back but with the ups coming one after another it didn't make much difference. The climbing eventually tops out on the Marcle ridge and I dropped away at almost 40 mph. Now the wind helped as I scooted over to Bromsberrow and on into the Castlemorton lanes. I'd had some drops of rain and now it seemed to get worse. I rode out of it onto dry roads to complete the ride by Guarlford. Super miles (67) today and that summer steed seems to have put some power (15.3 mph) back in my legs. No complaints from me.

 

[Dave 123]

Just a 20 mile breezy loop around the Gransdens for me tonight. It was one of those rides where it was a real struggle, I think I need some sunshine!

The highlight was as I was just passing the maggot farm. First I heard lots of twittering and tweeting, then the Sparrowhawk flew across the road low, just in front of me pursued by a mixed bag of angry small birds seeing him off.

https://www.strava.com/activities/581335405

 

[mybike]

The rest of the stats were ok, just the date and elapsed time. It might resolve next time I plug the Garmin into my laptop. We'll see.

They would be, it just takes a single recorded position to do that. These days I reset the track before I start out.

 

[cosmicbike]

Trying to get the campervan finished for it's first trip next week, but needed a break so planned a 12 mile loop round Chertsey. Route changed due to wind direction, so needs up doing 17miles round Windsor Great Park instead.

 

[Glow worm]

Off on holiday to Spain for a week tomorrow so rode my old beast over to Horningsea to the LBS for them to see if they could figure out what's causing a very annoying clicking sound coming from somewhere or other- I suspect bottom bracket but who knows.

Rescued by Mrs G from there and then borrowed her bike for a final circuit of my local patch before going away.

I met this lovely lady on Tubney Fen. She was giving me the evils. And quite right too. Probably wondering why I was on such a daft bike.

My wife's bike is very tiny, and my knees were somewhere near my ears whilst pedalling, it was only 10 miles but blimey it felt like 100 at the end!