Your ride today....

[andytheflyer]

40 miles on the 'bent. Over to Audlem, then Market Drayton (coffee and cake at Jones's) and Whitchurch, then home. Significantly faster than all previous rides, and it felt like it. Done maybe 800 miles on the bent now, so must be getting my bent legs.

Waiting for dry roads to get the Defy out - any mud or cowsh!t and the front brake bridge clogs and I have to stop, take the wheel out and clean out the crud. Gets boring every 5 to 10 miles, so it's the bent until the better weather. Might do the June Anglesey Lanes 100k audax on the bent tho - now there's an idea.....

 

[Racing roadkill]

40 miles on the 'bent. Over to Audlem, then Market Drayton (coffee and cake at Jones's) and Whitchurch, then home. Significantly faster than all previous rides, and it felt like it. Done maybe 800 miles on the bent now, so must be getting my bent legs.

Waiting for dry roads to get the Defy out - any mud or cowsh!t and the front brake bridge clogs and I have to stop, take the wheel out and clean out the crud. Gets boring every 5 to 10 miles, so it's the bent until the better weather. Might do the June Anglesey Lanes 100k audax on the bent tho - now there's an idea.....

Chapeau.

 

[Donger]

Part 3 of my "Metric Century a Month Challenge" today. The "Character Coln" 102km audax from Andoversford near Cheltenhem.

Arrived half an hour early at the start, but still only just got the last parking space at the village hall. At the check-in I donated a fiver to the Steve "Teethgrinder" Abraham collection. I now feel I have a personal stake in his amazing 1 year audax, the "Tommy Godwin Challenge". Go Steve!

Today's was one of the most beautiful routes I've ever ridden in this country, and I recommend the stretch along the Coln to Fairford to everyone. You can always download the routesheet from Audax UK's website.

The "Info" control point at Winson was something of a mystery, as we hadn't been given a question to record the answer to. Took this photo to prove we had been there! (It wasn't needed).

And this is me in Winson:

After 20km or so, I teamed up with a nice lad from Stroud called Jem, as we kept meeting along the route. I kept flying past him at speed as I descended the hills like a stone, and he kept catching me up again on the climbs (as I also climb like a stone). This shot is of the mobile control point at Fairford .... the camper van! Clever idea.

The control point at the furthest point was in a church hall at Fernham near Faringdon, Oxfordshire, where there was a fantastic selection of locally made cakes, and I met up with a few freindly faces I knew from earlier audaxes. Here I did something uncharacteristically spontaneous, and opted to return via the "high route" with Jem instead of the straight "retrace" route that I had prepared for.

They had said we would see the famous white horse cut into the hillside at Uffington if we took the high route. sadly, we didn't. Reckon some prankster must have painted it green. This did not ruin the day, however, as taking this route meant that we stumbled across the wonderfully named "Freke Arms" pub! That made my day. (You wouldn't ever let on to anyone that you first met your wife in the Freke Arms, would you?).

I was wearing my "Fat Lad At The Back" shirt, as I always do for audaxes. I may have to re-think that in future, though and get a "Fattish Lad Nearly At The Back" one . There were 3 different audaxes starting out from Andoversford today, so only 31 started the "Character Coln". Although these things really are not races, I was still secretly chuffed to find out that I was the 15th to finish in 6 hours 10 mins - particularly as I had been suffering a bit climbing the last hill. Those Romans have got a lot to answer for, building their roads so straight and not worrying about contours. The Roman road to Andoversford is straight as an arrow, and not what you want to see going up a hill after 60 miles. Thanks to Jem for sticking with me and seeing me through this today. I may not be able to move for days.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[howdenbiker]

Rode out from Howden towards North Newbald and rode a few hills before coming down into Brantingham and along sustrans 65 along the Humber/Ouse. Saw a lot of riders going in the other direction, perhaps an Audax or Sportive. Just over 40 miles in total.
North Newbald below

Then at a lock on the Humber

A sign that Spring is coming near Saltmarshe

 

[Cuchilo]

They paint the signs on sheep around there ?

 

[howdenbiker]

LoL it does look a bit over the top!

 

[jembullo]

Part 3 of my "Metric Century a Month Challenge" today. The "Character Coln" 102km audax from Andoversford near Cheltenhem.
View attachment 82546 Arrived half an hour early at the start, but still only just got the last parking space at the village hall. At the check-in I donated a fiver to the Steve "Teethgrinder" Abraham collection. I now feel I have a personal stake in his amazing 1 year audax, the "Tommy Godwin Challenge". Go Steve!
View attachment 82538
Today's was one of the most beautiful routes I've ever ridden in this country, and I recommend the stretch along the Coln to Fairford to everyone. You can always download the routesheet from Audax UK's website. View attachment 82539
The "Info" control point at Winson was something of a mystery, as we hadn't been given a question to record the answer to. Took this photo to prove we had been there! (It wasn't needed).
View attachment 82540
And this is me in Winson:
View attachment 82542
After 20km or so, I teamed up with a nice lad from Stroud called Jem, as we kept meeting along the route. I kept flying past him at speed as I descended the hills like a stone, and he kept catching me up again on the climbs (as I also climb like a stone). This shot is of the mobile control point at Fairford .... the camper van! Clever idea.
View attachment 82543
The control point at the furthest point was in a church hall at Fernham near Faringdon, Oxfordshire, where there was a fantastic selection of locally made cakes, and I met up with a few freindly faces I knew from earlier audaxes. Here I did something uncharacteristically spontaneous, and opted to return via the "high route" with Jem instead of the straight "retrace" route that I had prepared for. View attachment 82544
They had said we would see the famous white horse cut into the hillside at Uffington if we took the high route. sadly, we didn't. Reckon some prankster must have painted it green. This did not ruin the day, however, as taking this route meant that we stumbled across the wonderfully named "Freke Arms" pub! That made my day. (You wouldn't ever let on to anyone that you first met your wife in the Freke Arms, would you?).

I was wearing my "Fat Lad At The Back" shirt, as I always do for audaxes. I may have to re-think that in future, though and get a "Fattish Lad Nearly At The Back" one . There were 3 different audaxes starting out from Andoversford today, so only 31 started the "Character Coln". Although these things really are not races, I was still secretly chuffed to find out that I was the 15th to finish in 6 hours 10 mins - particularly as I had been suffering a bit climbing the last hill. Those Romans have got a lot to answer for, building their roads so straight and not worrying about contours. The Roman road to Andoversford is straight as an arrow, and not what you want to see going up a hill after 60 miles. Thanks to Jem for sticking with me and seeing me through this today. I may not be able to move for days.
Cheers, Donger.

Great to meet you today, thanks for making my first Audax a fun one. Anytime you need a riding buddy for more Audax rides, just give me a shout. Failing that perhaps we should meet down the Freke Arms for a swifty!

 

[gavroche]

My first ride for a month. 15 easy miles. Didn't see anyone I know, nothing special to report, just happy to go on the bike again.

 

[derrick]

Great day's riding, A group of us joined CCLondon for there first 2 up TT of the year. what a great event was really hard. But was enjoyed by all. 20 miles against the clock. pushing yourself hard, finishing on a hill, being cheered up the last 100 yards, Felt like i was a TDF finisher, then all down the pub, three pint's later it was time for the 14 mile ride home. A really good way to spend an afternoon.

 

[andyfraser]

I went out for a quick loop on my fixed around the cycle paths and back roads. I thought I'd head home along NCN45. It's unpaved but I thought I'd be ok if I took it easy. I currently have 25mm tyres fitted but it wasn't too bad, until I found out they'd dumped a whole load of gravel along the path! Not only did it get hard going but a couple of times my rear wheel went left while my front wheel went right! I manged to stay upright but I won't be going down there again unless I get a MTB.

 

[Gravity Aided]

A twenty mile loop from Wetherby to Rufforth returning via Tockwith and Cowthorpe. I hadn't realised that the route would take in the site of the battle of Marston Moor where Cromwell's Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists.

View attachment 82533

View attachment 82534

View attachment 82535

A like for you, Vernon, but not for Cromwell.

 

[Gravity Aided]

7.2 miles this day on my Specialized Hardrock, now that good weather is in bloom hereabouts. Usual circuit, saw a Red-Tailed Hawk and a Red Winged Blackbird. The Red Winged Blackbird is often our first harbinger of spring. Good weather, if a wee bit windy.

 

[raleighnut]

North of Leicester isn't flat. The south is and that's why I do most of my riding that way

I was born in Enderby and there are some good hills down that way, Croft hill and Earl Shilton to mention a couple.
One of my favourite old routes takes in both of these in by going back to Enderby and through to Thurlaston, heading through the ford (or over the bridge if it has been raining) then coming back through Kirby Mallory and Desford so that I have the option of going on to Ratby/Groby or bailing out and nipping home (to the edge of Glenfield) if I was a bit kippered.
Hopefully later this year I will be back on 2 wheels and able to get back to riding out that way again but the leg is still very painful and the trike weighs a ton so hillclimbing is out for now, (battery 'life' is quite limited so I cannot get more than 10 miles from home for now)

 

[ColinJ]

I went out for a quick loop on my fixed around the cycle paths and back roads. I thought I'd head home along NCN45. It's unpaved but I thought I'd be ok if I took it easy. I currently have 25mm tyres fitted but it wasn't too bad, until I found out they'd dumped a whole load of gravel along the path! Not only did it get hard going but a couple of times my rear wheel went left while my front wheel went right! I manged to stay upright but I won't be going down there again unless I get a MTB.

I wish that they would not do that!

They did it on the towpath of a local stretch of the Rochdale canal a few years ago and I hated it. The last thing you want is to be sliding sideways towards the edge of a canal. Fortunately, the gravel ended up getting skidded and washed off into the canal over a year or so, and it was not replaced.

I suspect that it was done to slow riders down on what is a fairly busy, narrow length of towpath.

 

[andyfraser]

I wish that they would not do that!

They did it on the towpath of a local stretch of the Rochdale canal a few years ago and I hated it. The last thing you want is to be sliding sideways towards the edge of a canal. Fortunately, the gravel ended up getting skidded and washed off into the canal over a year or so, and it was not replaced.

I suspect that it was done to slow riders down on what is a fairly busy, narrow length of towpath.

Luckily there's no water near this stretch of path.

I had a look on fixmystreet.com and someone reported that the path had been churned up in January and I'm wondering if they've put the gravel down as a quick fix. Whatever the reason they've made it dangerous.