Your ride today....

[ColinJ]

Colin - apparently I was one of several with issues; chains, wheels and others. Plus unfortunately one big crash - they're not too bad but don't have front teeth any more..

Ouch!

 

[Glow worm]

Just a quick 15 miler here in the flatlands today. Freezing cold too. My Garmin suggested it was 46 degrees ( about 8c for you young folks) but it felt a lot colder and I needed gloves which I don't normally bother with below 40.

Above is Harrison's Drove, Wicken. I'd ridden along the path from Upware and not seen a soul for ages. Lovely. Heard a Cetti's warbler blasting his song nearby from the bench above. In fact there was no one about at all, I should come out more often on cold, dull days!

I love all things nature, and I love all things human a great deal less, and further along, this piece of useless scum on the cycle path. For some reason it wasn't keen to stick around for a chat. Reported.

Anyway, scum aside, a pleasant 15 miler in a couple of hours or so.

 

[totallyfixed]

Earlswood the destination, 53 miles the journey, a cold grey day with a strong cold wind blowing, followed my normal route across Coventry through Tile Hill and out up Duggins Lane to Balsall Common, found I had a mountain biker sat on my wheel through Balsall Commons, he came past on the slight rise at the bottom of Holly Lane making a comment about me being under geared, I was on my fixed with a 67 inch gear and spinning well, I found I could match him but not catch him so I had great fun chasing him past the Honiley Boot and on through Hasely Knob but then punctured and had to stop. Continued past Hatton Country world then turned right to go though Lowsenford and on to cross the Hockley road above Henley in Arden and rode on to Earlswood, I picked the Craft Centre this time, last time I went onto the Plant Centre, most of the ride home was a slow grovel into the wind and followed my regular route through Kemps Green and Nuthurst then past Packwood house and Baddesley Clinton and on through Chadwick End to Balsall Common then retraced my wheel tracks into Coventry and across the city home, a hard mornings cycling but great fun, I'm going as quickly on the Flier as I did on the Pearson but seem to be working a bit harder and I'm trying to work out how much is the time of year, poor weather and my low fitness, how much is the difference between the two bikes, the flier is a bit heavier and a touch lower quality in the components, could definitely do with better wheels, and how much is just me just getting used to a different bike.

Dave, I will make a guess without looking at the spec that the seat tube angle on the Flyer is a degree or two less than the Pearson, and as you say with it being a tad heavier it will feel a bit more like hard work. The Pearson is a lively bike, a comment also made be a physio friend of mine who also does bike fitting.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Dave, I will make a guess without looking at the spec that the seat tube angle on the Flyer is a degree or two less than the Pearson, and as you say with it being a tad heavier it will feel a bit more like hard work. The Pearson is a lively bike, a comment also made be a physio friend of mine who also does bike fitting.

Genesis seat tube is 74% for the 52, the latest Pearson, Once More Into The Breach, silly name, equivalent to the Touche I think, is 72.5 for the 54 frame, the Flier is a compact frame where the Pearson is more a traditional frame, I guess it will help my fitness and I'll just have to get used to it.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I managed to do my longest ride for about 18 months yesterday. Somehow i battled that freezing Russian wind and did 42 miles! I was knackered when i got home though.I went for a hot bath then slept for 2 hours!
I've noticed that recently March tends to throw up "extreme" temperatures. Three years ago we had a week when it reached 80F in March,yet two years ago we had a week of blizzards with the coldest March in a century if i'm right.

 

[Freds Dad]

I did the Jodrell Bank Sportive yesterday. I opted for the 26 mile route as I don't think I'm up to 50 miles yet plus the 50 route had some tough hills at the end.

Anyway it was the first organised sportive I had done and I was impressed with the set up. I used it to find out how comfortable I was riding in a large group but this ended at the split for 26 and the longer routes. 3 of us went left and everyone else seemed to carry on.

Pleased with the time and there were what seemed to me a couple of steepish hills but I'll let you decide whether they are steep or not.

https://www.strava.com/activities/268474526

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Carrying on with the slowbies thread... (you have to have been reading the newbies thread for this to make sense, sorry)

I was out again this morning after the tinkerings my OH did to my trike recumbent over the weekend.... he more or less the rear derailleur acting as a chain tensioner now for my Rohloff hub but not quite sorted yet... this caused a few early issues like how to get my feet into the pedals without pedalling backwards and not knocking the chain off in the process... and once sorted, because he has the day off work, he joined me for the first 300m before going off to delamere forest for his own mtb bike ride. I don't mind, week days I don't normally have company so it made no difference today.

A quiet run, punctuated by saying hello to various dogs, always a good way to see if the owner wants to talk and one gentleman did... he was very impressed with the trike and had plenty of questions...

Just a couple of pictures - both with a theme... using the mirror which seemed to be where the best of the view was today, perhaps because you could only see a little bit of it rather than all of it....

somewhere around my turning around point...

And a rather familiar bridge.. the light was really not up to much today and hasn't been the last few days sadly.

I nearly made my average speed into double figures (metric - give me a chance!) to day with an average of 9.9kph according to strava. Wonder if it will be 10kph in garmin . Definitely a contender for the slowbies group. I might even start my own thread! https://www.strava.com/activities/269070096

 

[Dirk]

Just over 20 miles this morning. Had a ride in to Barnstaple to have a look at the LIDL cycling gear. Was really after a red and black soft shell jacket, but they had none in either of the stores. Missus bought a couple of tops to go on with.
Stopped of at Wetherspoons for a couple of sausage baps and coffee, before returning home via Tescos and the marshes. Dropped in to Gandy's farm, on the way, for the weeks veg.
Amazing how little I use the car these days!

 

[Accy cyclist]

I managed 23 miles this afternoon/evening,not bad after those 42 freezing miles yesterday!

 

[Spartak]

Got out for an hour this morning

https://www.strava.com/activities/269051019

Riding thru the South Gloucestershire towns & villages of Pucklechurch, Westerleigh, Coalpit Heath & Winterbourne.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Earlswood the destination, 53 miles the journey, a cold grey day with a strong cold wind blowing, followed my normal route across Coventry through Tile Hill and out up Duggins Lane to Balsall Common,

Great to see a mention of Earlswood, one of my earliest cycling destinations when I was a kid, brought up in Shirley. And Balsall Common too, used to commute through there to the campus when I was a student at Warwick Uni ( lived at home in my first year).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

It was a wet ride today.... and a very wet Whitegate Way... full waterproofs were the order of the day - first time around as well and I found a problem.. nothing to do with the trike, more to do with me. I can just about get the waterproofs on, but getting the elastics under my feet was interesting: note to self - do this before you put them on!
Just the regulars out today... the dog walkers who don't mind a touch of rain.

And mud was the order of the day.

So on a wet miserable day, what exactly do you photograph. Well I found a field of cows with red elastic bands around their tails, but the cows in the field next door didn't have red elastic bands around their tails. I found a donkey in a field with cows - evidence below.

I found that it still looks better behind you when it is raining...

Oh and I found the that I am really starting to dislike the scout camp area...

As you can see there are 2 routes. On 2 wheel the best one has always been the left hand one at speed - there's a hidden dip and back up again but its easy at speed and just coasting. The right hand one has a deep muddy puddle there, but neither really work well on a trike... I am still taking the left hand line at the moment. The right hand line is thick deep mud and really not good on a trike!

Oh and I found that being warmer made my average creep up and I made it to the magic double figures (metric - don't get too excited!) mark. yeh.
12.2kph with an average of 10.0kph... told you! https://www.strava.com/activities/269548301

 

[Alex H]

Another sunny day following overnight frost . Not so hot that it's shorts time, so long everything and a windproof jacket is the order of the day.

Usual road to Saint Cyr and then turn left across country to the road that joins Cognac-la-Forêt to Séreilhac.

"Mole he is burrowing his way to the sunlight"



Found these coos trying to blend in with the locals. Would have worked if they had shorter hair

Cycling in the Limousin in the winter /spring does get a tad tedious at times

(Especially if you wander off route)

Back by Cognac-la-Forêt passing yet another new build. (More plots for sale in Cognac-la-Forêt if you're interested )

A very pleasant 37km in 1:47:00

 

[13 rider]

After Sundays shorten ride due to mechanicals today's target was march's 50 miler and possible 100 km . Set off from Anstey through Cropston , Rothley on to Cossington started the climb up humble lane when a guy on a roadie shot pass ,half way up he was no longer pulling away so the competitor came out in me quick acceleration and I was closing the gap as we crested the summit I was on his back wheel where he promptly accelerated and left me for dead . Onwards to Ratcliffe on the wreake,Thrussington,Hoby,Asfordby and on to quiet country lanes to Ab Kettleby,Holwell,Hose,Long Clawson and over the boarder into Nottingshire through Kinoulton,Owthorpe,Cropwell Bishop,Cotgrave,Plumtree,Keyworth back into Leicestershire .feeling fine so the 100km target it is.On to Widnerpool,Willoughby on the wolds,Grimston,Saxelby,Asfordby now heading back home back through Hoby,Thrussington,Radcliffe on the wreake,Cossington and on to Rothley ,quick check on the milage and I was going to be short so change of route through Swithland,Cropston and home to Anstey 66 miles done at 12.1mph first 100km under my beltreally enjoyable ride despite the drizzle and gloomy conditions the sun finally came out 30 mins from home at least the new waterproof gillet had a test

 

[contadino]

I didn't get the chance for my usual exploratory Sunday ride, so as there is nothing flashing red on my todo list, headed out late morning. At 15 degrees it was a fair bit colder than I expected and the base layer/winter cycling top wasn't really enough, especially up on the hills where the vinyards are. I have an old waterproof top which, whilst not completely waterproof now, at least keeps the wind out, and I wish I'd taken it. And long-fingered gloves.

Anyway, I explored some new lanes, and re-covered the new bit I found a few weeks back. 35 km at an average of 17.9kph...which included being stopped twice by neighbours asking to buy eggs (Yeah sure, there's a couple of dozen in my back pocket. I always take them out on the bike with me.)

http://app.endomondo.com/workouts/487556916/19965740