Your ride today....

[cosmicbike]

Today was the chosen day to get my metric half in, nice and early in the month. Despite being at deaths door (alright, I have a cold but I am a man), I still fancied my chances.
Bloomin' cold it was, so went with 3/4's, and my nice thermal top and windproof gilet and gloves. The first 5 miles were cold in the shade, warm in the sun and I did wonder if I was overdressed, but the wind soon put my mind at ease, I'd gotten it just right. One of my usual routes out towards Ascot and back, minor variation on the way home, sticking to the A30 from Sunningdale back to Virginia Water. Turned out to be a glorious day, and I'd have loved to stay out longer but errands awaited..
32.6 miles done, that 11 months down, 1 to go

 

[ColinJ]

... I wondered whether I would be able to do the Cragg Vale climb on either of those gears. I knew that I would be okay on the bulk of it which is at about 2-4% ... It looks like I will not be limited to the valley roads on the new bike, but will be able to do my Cragg Vale loop too.

I went out again today and did the full 21 mile Cragg Vale loop in one gear. I used 48/17 this time which is about 2% higher than the 36/13 gear ratio that I used last time. The gear that I intend to use on my singlespeed bike project is 53/19, which sits nicely between those 2 ratios. I coped on the climb so that confirms that the 53/19 gear will be fine for my purposes.

I had intended to do a couple of little diversions featuring moderate climbs but I had been late getting out and temperatures were plummeting so I went straight home to warm up. It was only 5.4 degrees outside by the time I got in and I wasn't really dressed for windchill on top of that low temperature.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just the commute again but not a bad one today. It was clear and bright out but cold so the winter layers have had a bit of use. I went over Lyth Hill in the morning avoiding a section of busy road where I ride directly into the sun then had enough time in hand to take the scenic route through Attingham Park.

The stock take continues (not sure why we have more of most body panels for one particular model than we should have ) and there is a show coming up so there is some new machinery in the showroom being prepared for display.

The ride home was mostly alright but there was an unusual amount of traffic rat-running today - not bothering me but I witnessed quite a near thing between a car and a lorry (near being about 3 inches )

I was glad to leave that bit of road behind and get back onto some quieter lanes where I had a fabulous sunset to ride into. I did stop and take photos but my phone camera really can't cope with the light so they aren't great.

Finally I had one last bit of main road to do which involved a long wait for a gap in the traffic. Don't know why it's so busy out this afternoon.

23.3 miles for the day at 13.3 mph average and this midweek commute gets its mention because on the way to work I rolled over 5,000 miles for the year to date.

Some good autumn colour in Attingham Park.

One of the sunset pictures for what it's worth.

 

[gavgav]

Back on since my tumble at Llandegla. Shoulder is now healing up.

Usual evening route, but well, I met some local 'wild life'. Trick or Treating was still going on with lots of little kids about. Rounded the corner two streets from home, gang of young lads. 'Biker' was shouted, next thing a few rocks whiz past me. I carry on, oh bugger, bigger group of older teens. One jumps out from the crowd and hurls an iron bar at me. Fortunately it clattered off the front wheel without going through the spokes (MTB). Slammed on and gave them some of my mind, but what are you going to do with 15-20 pricks.

Carried on down the farm lanes, didn't see another sole other than 3 badgers. Got upto the next village, and spotted two officers so pulled over and reported it as this particular spot near home regularly has groups causing trouble. The officers took details and were going to call it in. The officers told me to avoid a certain road in that village due to Halloween trouble, but I wasn't going that way. Didn't see another sole, and cut my ride slightly short so I didn't have to come up off the TPT through the local council estate. Decent ride other than that. Absolutely filthy though. Glad I went out despite the idiots.

This is a prime example why I avoid anything whatsoever to do with Halloween. Americanised rubbish that just encourages the yobbish teen element to think they have a right to act like brainless fools (oh hang on they already are them!)

 

[fossyant]

This is a prime example why I avoid anything whatsoever to do with Halloween. Americanised rubbish that just encourages the yobbish teen element to think they have a right to act like brainless fools (oh hang on they already are them!)

According to the cops, the call centres were over run with problems.

 

[cosmicbike]

After a 10 minute job changing the door locks on SWMBO's car taking 2 hours, I wanted to burn off a bit of steam.Since it was nice and sunny, and I'd finished it last night, I took the new (to me) Specialized Roubaix for it's maiden ride. Bought quite some time ago from @Roadrider48 of this parish, I've basically built it with what was supplied, so Shimano Sora groupset with Axis 1.0 brakes and RS010 wheelset. Needs a little adjustment here and there, I think the stem is too long and I need to move the saddle a little, but I'll need to do some longer rides with fettling on route first. First impressions are a comfy bike, think it's gonna be a keeper
11.4 miles in the Autumn sunshine. Back to the commute tomorrow.

 

[kapelmuur]

Chilly this morning, 2 deg C when I set off and an average of 3 deg C for the ride according to Garmin.

I had intended to ride to Alderley Edge and ride up the hill to The Wizard pub, but I never felt warm and my legs were saying 'no hills'. So I avoided the hill and rode straight through Alderley Edge dodging the many 4 x 4s that are compulsory transport in the area.

A couple of comments on the cold. The first (and only) cyclist I saw when I got into the country was wearing shorts - a hard man or just a silly one?

My average speed was 5% less than usual on a ride like this, the effect of never being properly warm I guess.

 

[Nomadski]

Haven't posted any of my last few rides, which was a shame as I've been up to shenanigans, but I thought I would jump back into this thread.

So wearing completely inappropriate attire for what would become a very wet and very cold ride I headed out for my 50km a month November challenge ride around an inner loop of Manchester.

Started off very nice, seeing the sights of Chorlton and up to Lancashire's cricket ground.

A Cricket Ground

Followed very quickly by Newton Heaths home ground...

A Football Ground

After this, continued up the way to Salford Quays and thru Media City.

A River

Tellyland

Then followed a distinct drop in temps, and Salford.

Quickly through Salford I ended up eventually across the way to another football stadium belonging to a football team not called Newton Heath.

Another Football Ground

It was at this point, syncing with my chain falling off, when it started to rain and I decided summer socks and shoes were best left to summer, and knee length bibs didn't cut it in the north in November.

The last 10 miles were dark, wet and cold and serious consideration was given to going a direct way home and falling 5 or so miles short of the challenge.

Being the stubborn idiot, I did complete it, but it felt a very long 30 miles, and until I stood in the bath with hot water I had forgotten what my toes felt like.

Next ride: winter boots, winter socks and full length bibs!

 

[Old jon]

Brrr again. But the sun was shining and I am easily fooled so off I went. Past where Kay’s used to be, just another bit of Holbeck wasteland now. Turn onto Water Lane which points almost straight at Great George Street and left onto Crown Point Road to use its bridge to cross the river. There seems to be less traffic delay around the side of the bus station lately, all to the good. The three ‘R’s up to the Oakwood Clock, that might be confusing for folk round here, an ‘R’ is often a relative, ‘R kid’, ‘R mam’. Especially round Osset. Back to the ride. After the clock the road changes character every few yards, as seen on the video.



From the bottom of Boot Hill to the top is still a long chug and it is good to reach the crest. Turn left by the pub to aim at Shadwell and left again eventually reaches Slaid Hill. Turn right at those incredibly poor traffic lights and ride along Wike Ridge. The drop into East Keswick is interesting, followed by the joy of climbing back up again to reach another bit of the A 659 and turn right for Collingham. Only a few hundred yards on the A 58 and turn right at the bottom of Jewitt Lane for a bit more uphill chugging, rewarded by the views from the ridge top on the way to East Rigton. Still fairly high, along the road to Thorner Lane and turn down Milner Lane to ride through Thorner itself. Legs were tiring, left foot freezing and there is Sandhills in front of me. Up again, oh joy. Nearly done now, Skeltons Lane and Red Hall Lane and back on the A 58 again, a not so quick run down the hill and retrace the morning in reverse to reach home 29.1 miles after leaving. Good, that was.
Not lost, just slow mapping

 

[hondated]

After some pains folloewing my off, went to hosp this morning. I have fracture at the shoulder (top of the humerous actually) in a sling now, no cycling/driving for at least 4 - 6 weeks.
View attachment 149611

Sorry to see this I hope your are back out on the bike soon.

 

[hondated]

Back on since my tumble at Llandegla. Shoulder is now healing up.

Usual evening route, but well, I met some local 'wild life'. Trick or Treating was still going on with lots of little kids about. Rounded the corner two streets from home, gang of young lads. 'Biker' was shouted, next thing a few rocks whiz past me. I carry on, oh bugger, bigger group of older teens. One jumps out from the crowd and hurls an iron bar at me. Fortunately it clattered off the front wheel without going through the spokes (MTB). Slammed on and gave them some of my mind, but what are you going to do with 15-20 pricks.

Carried on down the farm lanes, didn't see another sole other than 3 badgers. Got upto the next village, and spotted two officers so pulled over and reported it as this particular spot near home regularly has groups causing trouble. The officers took details and were going to call it in. The officers told me to avoid a certain road in that village due to Halloween trouble, but I wasn't going that way. Didn't see another sole, and cut my ride slightly short so I didn't have to come up off the TPT through the local council estate. Decent ride other than that. Absolutely filthy though. Glad I went out despite the idiots.

Reminds me of a time when I went to a union training course in Whalley Range and one evening I went out for a run. When I got back I was told by locals " you don't run around here " Oopps !

 

[Pale Rider]

It's very much closed and it's not the 'old problem' bit just south of the Inn at Whitewell @ColinJ . The road has subsided along the very low bit by the river, between the Inn at Whitewell and The Dunsop Bridge junction. Going northwards yesterday I thought I'd have a look rather than take the detour and, about 1km from the Inn, I came across a complete lack of road: a deep hole about 20m wide, full width of the road. 'Fortunately', the people working there directed me round the back of some farm buildings: 60-70m on a muddy, but paved track and back on the road :-)

Unfortunately, that's not the major closure. About 2km short of the Dunsop Bridge junction lots of large machinery, about 3-400m of obliterated road and an awful lot of high fencing appeared. They're putting 10-15m long slabs of metal in on the river side with a rather large pile-driving machine accompanied by a great many diggers. There's an access route to the site, formed by boards across the field to the left (west) of the road, clearly heading for the nexus of machinery. I walked along it to have a closer look (still outside the substantial, metal barriers and very much not on the site or obstructing anything). When it was clearly curving back in to the collection of machines on the road and I was about to turn back, I met another cyclist. He was on the other side of the temporary, barbed wire fence separating the access road from the grassy field and had entered through a gate just north of the works. After some discussion, we both crossed the post and wire fence at this point, with considerable caution to avoid damaging either us or the fence, and he walked off along the boards and I squelched through the wet grass for a couple of hundred metres to the handy gate. There's considerable damage to the dry stone wall in at least two points near the northern end of the closure, demonstrating why clambering over dry stone walls is a really bad idea (as well as wholly unnecessary).

So, in summary, it's very closed indeed, both to cyclists and pedestrians, and I won't be doing that again. I persisted since the huge detour would have left me very short of daylight to get home. The only real obstacle is the fence, but it's about chest height with barbed wire along the top, so definitely inadvisable. All they needed to do was put a gate in it at the point I crossed, but presumably whoever owns the field doesn't want people walking across it :-\ Then again, they probably didn't want a great, boarded track across it either.

You certainly did a proper job of scoping that stretch.

Nothing I could possibly add from my one trundle along there, apart from I was struck by the preponderance of very expensive motor cars parked outside the houses.

Oh, and I nearly clouted an oncoming car trying to keep up with @ColinJ on a descent.

 

[Donger]

Ever had one of those rides where you keep hearing a rattle but you just can't track it down? I had one of those this morning. A rare Saturday morning outing for me, as I'm going to have to miss my club ride tomorrow. Quite fancied doing a 28 miler to bring up the 16,000 mile mark since I started in January 2009.
Set off with a purpose, and at a decent pace, only to hear the dreaded rattle rattle clatter rattle from somewhere vaguely in front of me.

Pulled into a lay-by and twanged all my front spokes. Nothing. Checked the magnet on the front wheel wasn't touching the sensor. Nope. Checked the nuts on the front mud guard were on nice and tight. Yep. Any play in the bottom bracket? Nope. So off I went. Immediately, rattle rattle clatter rattle again. Pulled into the next farm gateway and did all the same checks, and also checked the rear spokes, just in case. Nothing. Wondered whether there might be something stuck in the mud guard. Nope. So off I went again. Rattle rattle clatter rattle it kept going.

At one point I took a foot out of my pedal strap and pressed it against the front mudguard while I was still moving, just to see if it really was the mudguard. Nope. After an hour of riding, I'd done only six miles, with all the stopping and checking.

THINK! What was different today from the last time I'd been out? D'oh! What a plonker! It only turned out to be my thermos flask that I'd put in the metal bottle cage for the very first time. The moment I took it out and stowed it away in my back pocket the noise went away and never returned. Nothing wrong with the bike at all.

Raised the pace after that, and did a highly enjoyable loop out via Frocester, Cam and the Slimbridge roundabout and back via Frampton on Severn, Epney and Elmore. Glorious sunny weather today. It was probably a bit cold, but I had my bib tights and long sleeved windproof base layer on today, so didn't feel it at all. 28.2 miles done, taking me ahead of last year's end of November total and still looking good for my first ever 3,000 mile year.

Long may this weather continue. Cheers, Donger.

 

[cosmicbike]

Managed to dodge the rain for the commutes in and out of work yesterday, and it stayed dry last night for my Cubs firework display and bonfire which was nice. Met Office reckoned on 2 degrees this morning, so out with the base layers and the first time I've ridden long trousers on a commute this year, back to the winter boots too, nice to have warm feet.

 

[Dave 123]

Our ride today was via Floor Coverings of Dry Drayton to pick the colour of our new kitchen floor- an insurance saga of 10 months.....

From there we crossed the A14 and then turned to Longstanton. It's only 7 miles from Hardwick but it's probably about the 5th time I've been. A nice church, but not much else.

It's not far from here to the newly planned town of Northstowe, it's just diggers and a few half built houses at present, but watch this muddy space...
Through Willingham, still clinging on to orchards and cut flower holdings and then into Rampton, another little place out in the flatlands.

Just as we got into Cottenham we left it again heading toward Oakington.
Last time we came this way we passed the Cuckoo Hill farm shop who sell Longhorn beef, I said we'd call in one day. This was that day.

They do nice quality stuff on a small scale. We bought some sausage meat and 3 lamb shanks (no longhorn!)

So we had added ballast on the way home to steady us in the stern, cool north westerly, good job too.

The garmin read 22.22 miles once home.

https://www.strava.com/activities/766517168