Your ride today....

[cosmicbike]

After the excitement of commuting the last 5 days/nights, I found there was no crème fraiche in the fridge for dinner Don't panic, it was out with the trusty Brompton and a very sedate amble to Sainsburys in the very warm sunshine. Only 5 miles, but nice to go somewhere other than w*rk.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Up at 04:30 and out of the door just after 5. Boy was it cold, after a mile I stopped and put some woolly gloves on.

I planned to pretty much repeat the CC forum ride from the end of June, that day I did 110 miles but today I was determined to make it 200km. With about 30 miles of the route not being on roads I am used to I plotted the route and mapmyride and uploaded it to my Satmap. I got bored at 105 miles on the planning with the end of the draft route about 15 miles from home so I knew I would have to make up 5 miles or so on the hoof.

Anyway set off in the cold, it definitely did not feel like a July morning, but the sun was out and there was hardly any wind. The first 60 odd miles saw me on the roads south of Leicester and at 20 odd miles had to stop for a comfort break, woolly gloves came off and promptly went back on, still blinking cold, in fact the gloves didn't come off until around mile 45.

After the 60 odd miles I headed into Leicester and was intending to go through Abbey Park, but when I got there it was closed and a police car as well. The whole of the main park was closed so I had to go around it. Found out when I got home that there was a murder there yesterday.

Mile 70 and I was on the roads I don't know very well but enjoyed riding them on the forum ride the other week, took a couple of wrong turns and was a bit slower up some of the steeper bits - amazing what riding in a group does for your times.

Mile 94 arrived at the cake stop. I had fully intended to take a photo, but had wolfed the cake down before I remembered. @tallliman - I'll get the photo next time.

@13 rider they had a sign up saying open Sundays.

Was very hot when I got to the cafe, so enjoyed a 10 minute break sitting outside before setting back off.

When I got to Mountsorrel - 104 miles in, I decided to try and catch some of the missing 5 miles up and looped through Rothley and back into Mountsorrel (just checked on Strava and this added pretty much bang on 5 miles)

After that it was through Watermead Park, up to Great Glen and home. I must have miscalculated the miles somewhere as I finished on 127.95 miles, my second longest single ride.

Thanks to @13 rider who did the forum ride which enabled me to nick the north of Leicester route

https://www.strava.com/activities/631928884

and as an added bonus for all those that stayed to the end (or just jumped to the last line) https://www.relive.cc/view/631928884 - yes there is a spelling mistake!

 

[tallliman]

@Supersuperleeds, be sure that you do! Hehe!

 

[Diggs]

Just a few laps around Thorndon country park in Brentwood this lunchtime. Lovely to be out in the sun for a couple of hours.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Lovely day dawned out there. Steve E appeared as arranged and Margaret P-R was in place with Mrs 26 also as arranged. The north face of May Hill was the call. We took fairly well worn lanes to Dymock (Mrs 26 returned home from Birt's St) but took to less familiar ones to the Gorsely triangle. I tried a different way through the maze but needed to look at the map 2 or 3 times. We made it out the other side in the spot I had hoped for. Now we climbed steeply to Clifford's Mesne to line us up for the steep climb up onto the shoulder of May Hill. The views out over the Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire countryside to Wales were stunning. We dropped to climb again then stopped to go by foot, leaving our bikes behind, to the summit of May Hill. Now we could see more counties with the Severn River turning estuarine in it's winding to the sea. Back in the saddle we discovered that the cafe at Huntley is still closed. So we looped by Upper Ley to Birdwood where I introduced Steve and Margaret to the cafe at Birdwood.

Refreshments absorbed we rode north for Tibberton and the horrid section of unavoidable busy road to Highleadon. Now on familiar territory the pace rose along the Hams. Steve called a pub stop so we took the standard run back through the school for The Plough in Upton. The pints went down well before Steve and I bashed our way home in rush hour traffic to complete a very pleasant and social ride today. 69 miles

 

[mark st1]

A lovely ride ruined by a broken rear mech . Set off in glorious weather with little wind compared to yesterday went over to Cookham Marlow then off up the popular road towards Freith and Lane End was going to make my way to Henley but was enjoying the ride so headed up to Stockenchurch then down the old A40 Aston Hill on one of the best descents I've ever been on not sure if I'd want to come up it but going down wow that was fun must be the best part of a mile long and a cracking road surface to boot. Was holding back as I'm not familiar with the road but next time will be fun. Ended up in Watlington then followed my truckers nose out towards Benson stopping for a quick pic...

Didcot in the background. From there went through the middle of RAF Benson quite a hive of activity with helicopters buzzing around everywhere. From there out onto the Henley road through Nettlebed and down the fair mile descent into Henley over the Thames and up the big hill where I noticed a strange ticking noise but ignored it (at my cost) turned right heading towards the Velolife bike cafe at Warren Row keeping up a good pace deciding in my head what bit of cake I was going to treat myself to and boom a lot of noise and the chain was chucked into the rear wheel. The bottom jockey wheel had shattered coasted and walked the bike to the cafe remembering as I got there at 4.15pm it shuts at 4pm on weekdays

The offending item I bought it cheap off e bay so I can't complain but still rather annoying. Buy cheap buy twice and all that.

Walked to the bottom of the road to the A4 at Knowl Hill and rang my Mrs to come and pick me up. Feckin annoyed lol.
72.8 km (45.2 miles) with 617 m of climbing at an avg of 27.2 kph (16.9mph) in 2 hours 41 which was a premature end .
https://www.strava.com/activities/632069072/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-GB

Cheers
Mark.

 

[ianrauk]

@mark st1 , sorry to hear about that. Every time I see the bike I get a little bit emotional lolol... So had a bit of a shock when I read your Strava heading. We were only talking about your jockey wheels on sunday.

 

[mark st1]

@mark st1 , sorry to hear about that. Every time I see the bike I get a little bit emotional lolol... So had a bit of a shock when I read your Strava heading. We where only talking about your jockey wheels on sunday.

Just glad it was close ish to home and even more glad it wasn't last Sunday !! Bike is lush mate love it never enjoyed a bike more than this one makes me want to extend rides further and further. Back on the road by the weekend no doubt

 

[cosmicbike]

A lovely ride ruined by a broken rear mech . Set off in glorious weather with little wind compared to yesterday went over to Cookham Marlow then off up the popular road towards Freith and Lane End was going to make my way to Henley but was enjoying the ride so headed up to Stockenchurch then down the old A40 Aston Hill on one of the best descents I've ever been on not sure if I'd want to come up it but going down wow that was fun must be the best part of a mile long and a cracking road surface to boot. Was holding back as I'm not familiar with the road but next time will be fun. Ended up in Watlington then followed my truckers nose out towards Benson stopping for a quick pic...

Didcot in the background. From there went through the middle of RAF Benson quite a hive of activity with helicopters buzzing around everywhere. From there out onto the Henley road through Nettlebed and down the fair mile descent into Henley over the Thames and up the big hill where I noticed a strange ticking noise but ignored it (at my cost) turned right heading towards the Velolife bike cafe at Warren Row keeping up a good pace deciding in my head what bit of cake I was going to treat myself to and boom a lot of noise and the chain was chucked into the rear wheel. The bottom jockey wheel had shattered coasted and walked the bike to the cafe remembering as I got there at 4.15pm it shuts at 4pm on weekdays

The offending item I bought it cheap off e bay so I can't complain but still rather annoying. Buy cheap buy twice and all that.

Walked to the bottom of the road to the A4 at Knowl Hill and rang my Mrs to come and pick me up. Feckin annoyed lol.
72.8 km (45.2 miles) with 617 m of climbing at an avg of 27.2 kph (16.9mph) in 2 hours 41 which was a premature end .
https://www.strava.com/activities/632069072/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-GB

Cheers
Mark.

Liked for the ride, not the broken bike
Coffee and cake good at Velolife? Need to get my metric half in and thinking of heading that way perhaps..

 

[Salty seadog]

@mark st1 , sorry to hear about that. Every time I see the bike I get a little bit emotional lolol... So had a bit of a shock when I read your Strava heading. We were only talking about your jockey wheels on sunday.

Is that your old Roubaix then Ian?

 

[mark st1]

Liked for the ride, not the broken bike
Coffee and cake good at Velolife? Need to get my metric half in and thinking of heading that way perhaps..

Thanks mate no big deal just annoyed about the premature end to a good ride. Yes mate top notch lovely cake good atmosphere and the guys that work there are a good bunch.

 

[ianrauk]

Is that your old Roubaix then Ian?

It is indeed. Sold it to Mark who rides it like he stole it.
I just wasn't riding it so it was sitting in the shed as a cobweb collector. It needs to be ridden and enjoyed and Mark is doing that.

 

[Salty seadog]

It is indeed. Sold it to Mark who rides it like he stole it.
I just wasn't riding it so it was sitting in the shed as a cobweb collector. It needs to be ridden and enjoyed and Mark is doing that.

aaahh, must have been fairly recently then as it was only 2-3 months ago you offered to let me try it when I was looking at the Roubaix, I have now got the full carbon disc equipped Roubaix with the cobble gobbler seatpost and I am liking it very much.

I read your comment that since getting the Van Nic you had rather neglected the Roubaix....

I may look into ti for my next purchase as I was astounded that you can pick up a ti Van Nic with dura ace for less than £3000.......still a little paranoid about carbon but that doesn't stop me from keeping two full carbons indoors....

 

[Elybazza61]

Hard(ish) ride in today;took the Helium out a bit earlier than usual and headed down the A10 and ground it out in a harder gear than normal with the cadence at around the mid eighties rather than the usual mid nineties.

Once in to Cambridge headed out to the Gogs for some passes up and down the Worts Causeway/Shelford road and Lime Kiln Hill in both directions again using a lower cadence than usual.

Nice little work-out but need to do some more before the end of the month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/632812244

Helium on Lime Kiln Hill;

 

[ianrauk]

aaahh, must have been fairly recently then as it was only 2-3 months ago you offered to let me try it when I was looking at the Roubaix, I have now got the full carbon disc equipped Roubaix with the cobble gobbler seatpost and I am liking it very much.

I read your comment that since getting the Van Nic you had rather neglected the Roubaix....

I may look into ti for my next purchase as I was astounded that you can pick up a ti Van Nic with dura ace for less than £3000.......still a little paranoid about carbon but that doesn't stop me from keeping two full carbons indoors....

Yep. 'twas a couple of weeks back.
I was loath to get rid of it as it is such a lovely bike but as I said it just wasn't being ridden due to my Van Nick. After seeing @mark st1 ride it last Sunday on our Brighton trip. The sale was fully justified.
I have never had any fear over carbon, it's a much tougher material then one might think. I would certainly buy another carbon frame one day.