Your ride today....

[cosmicbike]

Yesterday's ride report...
I over did it. Well and truly. Still suffering today....
It was once again the Whitegate Way. There's a surprise. It was dull when I set off, but apparently it was to be the best of the weather during the time I was out.
I had decided that I was going to go to the 5 mile mark and turn around and come home. I wanted to maintain the same distance I had done the day before. I know, its nothing huge but it I still all I can manage. Well I set off, and got to my favourite trees (there is a strange calming essence to them and I love to just sit there and absorb it. I know I sound madder than normal, but hey ho, I can easily go and hug one of them if my back would allow... )

View attachment 84027
Today they had a strange greyness to them... but it was nice and calming all the same. Usually I stop and admire them from the other direction. Today, they struck me from this direction... perhaps I should have taken the hint here....

View attachment 84028
The mere, it has no fish because it is too acidic. It is also very good at killing the trees around it. It also happens to be the highest point on the Whitegate Way. Both directions it is now downhill all the way.

View attachment 84029
So there was me. At the 5 mile mark. It looks so inviting just to continue doesn't it! The sun has even come out for me and just down off to the right between 2 trees is the huge patch (and I mean absolutely huge - football pitch and more huge) of ransoms - wild garlic. I could not resist I was almost there... I can have a rest and then stop and turn around and come home. A handful of wild garlic leaves for tea would work really well... so off I went and got some wild garlic, then it was a case of the gate way a the bottom - that would be a good place to turn around... then it was I can see the end of the 'short version of the Whitegate Way'... I may as a well go and complete it, then I can say I did it in its entirety... so I did.

Coming back I stopped for these 2 pictures... (more trees, hope you like trees... thankfully I do!)

View attachment 84030
So the wild garlic patch is now off on the left... and I'm looking at the journey home. I'm also looking at how long it actually took me to cycle all the way one way. Its more than it used to take me to cycle the journey both ways... getting home is going to be hard and it is suddenly dawning on me that I don't have it in me.

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Another excuse for a rest, but after here it is time to just spin those legs and pray they make it home.

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OK - why is it, it always looks nicer behind you. I'm too knackered right now to even get out of my seat and take a proper photo... this is worrying.

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Looks nice behind, but also rather muddy and it is only going to get muddier from here on it and muddier means harder and my back is now hurting me. My legs have nothing left in them and ....

I did make it home, obviously, but I have paid for it and will continue to pay for it for all of today.
https://www.strava.com/activities/274753752 10.8 miles in a dismal 6.1mph. Strangely I managed to get a strava 2015 4th place cup for something! Guess I must just be the 4th person this year to do that segment because it definitely has nothing to do with my time!

I'm not cycling today. I should have been but neither the weather nor myself are up to it. It's a stay in bed and eat day. I think I should manage that if I don't fall asleep whilst I am remote controlling my parents' computer which is downstairs!

Hopefully you'll stop hurting soon. Take the positives and learn that you have found your (current) limitation, the same as you did when you started walking again, and indeed when you first got the trike. By Summer you'll be doing the same ride and thinking nothing of it.

 

[LarryDuff]

32 miles this morning. It was very tough into a very strong wind.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Since Thursday the forecasters have been predicting gales and rain for today, my DS (as I think of him ) cancelled the clubrun, and sure enough I woke to the sound of rain lashing against the windows. But about 10 it dawned on my that the conditions had eased so I ventured out for a couple of hours, turned out not too bad, mostly dry but the wind was a bit character building in places, especially the 2nd time up Leyden Hill. Saw the grand total of 4 other cyclists.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Having been off the bike for a couple of days with a bad back I was in danger of not hitting 300 miles for the week, so got up this morning and thought sod it, got on the bike and went out.

Was very windy, even saw a telephone pole snapped in two, though I can't see how the wind could have done that.

I needed to do 55 miles over the weekend to hit toe 300 so the plan was to ride into the wind for 31 miles, turn and ride home to make a 100km. So I headed out in a southerly direction, taking turns to either go west or stay south. I got to Walcote and took a turn that took me south east for a few miles and gave me a bit of respite from the wind, then I turned west and headed for Catthorpe. Went straight over the M1 M6 interchange - wouldn't fancy doing that on a bike in rush hour - and saw that the route to come back was blocked due to road works.

So I skirted round the edge of Rugby and crossed over the M1 further south and headed down to West Haddon, at this point I came across what looked like the aftermath of a cyclist going down. The bike was leant up against a lamp post and there was an ambulance and two cars, I can only assume the cyclist was in the ambulance, the bike looked fine and I couldn't see any damage on the cars, so fingers crossed for the cyclist.

I then did a loop around Ravensthorpe and Guilsborough and back into West Haddon, then headed pretty much in a straight line north to get back to Leicester and home and only hitting rain for the last 5 miles or so. 64 miles done and my 66th week in a row of doing a minimum of 300 miles.

I think the roads south of Leicester going towards Northampton are my favourite roads at the minute, normally very quiet and you get to go through some cracking villages

https://www.strava.com/activities/275216225

I was in Catthorpe on Suday, approaching from Shawell and turning left towards Catthorpe theres no little lane now, instead you turn left onto a wide straight road thats going to be for motorway access when they've finished, then you turn right into whats left of the little lane to head into catthorpe and the Manor Farm shop and tea room, its quiet now but when they've finished it looks like it might be busy, fast and dangerous to turn right, basicly they've spoilt what used to be a pleasant quiet lane.

https://goo.gl/maps/z2vV4

 

[derrick]

Nice cub ride this morning, We came across another rider who had just came of his bike, we think he hit some gravel on a bend. we all stopped and a couple the guys checked him over he was in a bit of pain with his shoulder, we were right next to Brickendon station, so we put him on a train to Winchmore Hill station which is opposite Bike Boutique our meeting place. we had phoned bike boutique so they were expecting him, they met him of the train took his bike into the shop, then another member of CCLondon took him to hospital, I feel really proud to belong to a club that puts other people first.

 

[gavgav]

My lover has returned to me after 5 weeks.............picked up my bike from the old house and brought it to my new house today .

Dad took me over to my brothers and first thing I did was to put my old saddle back on the bike. I've had knee problems ever since I put the new saddle on in November and therefore it's time to go back to the old one and see if the knee problems continue or not.

Rode the bike back to my new house, via the cycle paths to Reabrook, along the old track bed and through Sutton Farm, before arriving at my new house and introducing the bike to its new shed.

By God it was windy and a headwind for most of the way as well.

Only 4.7 miles but looking forward to being able to get out on it in the lighter evenings that will follow tonight's clock change.

 

[Elybazza61]

Got out on the club run this morning and decided to go with the easy group for a change just to spin the legs around;nice ride apart from the wind but had a nice blat at the end with one of the other guys;

https://www.strava.com/activities/275263033

Oh and realised I'/m over 1000kms for the year which is not too bad considering most of January was a write off.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I was in Catthorpe on Suday, approaching from Shawell and turning left towards Catthorpe theres no little lane now, instead you turn left onto a wide straight road thats going to be for motorway access when they've finished, then you turn right into whats left of the little lane to head into catthorpe and the Manor Farm shop and tea room, its quiet now but when they've finished it looks like it might be busy, fast and dangerous to turn right, basicly they've spoilt what used to be a pleasant quiet lane.

https://goo.gl/maps/z2vV4

Just looked at google maps, looks like I was on the A14 that feeds onto the M6. I had a huge wagon behind me whilst I was on it and he stayed well back giving me total protection. Won't be going that way again even though it was only for a couple of minutes.

 

[david k]

21 miles, first 12 were great then the heavens opened. Me and my mate sheltered in a church for half an hour and decided to cut the ride short, still got soaking wet though

Pity I felt pretty good

 

[Rafferty]

Quick blast around Clayton Vale before home for a pint.
View attachment 83962
A tree, today.

Ahhhhh, a steel bike with a proper fork crown! (Reminisces a time when ALL good bikes were made like this).

 

[Simontm]

No ride today but went the 3 miles and back into Kingston to get new brake pads Took my dad's Norco 3-front cog hybrid...by eck that's a bit different If good tomorrow, new pads on, wash and oil and out. Otherwise, explaining to wife why bike is in kitchen as I put pads on

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Just looked at google maps, looks like I was on the A14 that feeds onto the M6. I had a huge wagon behind me whilst I was on it and he stayed well back giving me total protection. Won't be going that way again even though it was only for a couple of minutes.

Yes I know where you were, at one point when I drove the van I was using the A14 a lot and actually liked that piece of link road as it meant I was nearly at the end of the trip.

 

[Mr.Si]

Took my Wilier GTS Disc out for a 25 miler today. Normally it's a 2 mile commute! Glad I did, despite the weather.

My dad and I did a ride from Lancing to Steyning via Coombes road, then through Steyning and on to Ashurst and Partridge Green, stopped at Stans Bike Shack for a cuppa and then on to Henfield and Small Dole. Back to Steyning via Bramber and then back home to Lancing via the Coombes road.

It is the first decent ride I have done on my new road bike and it was great.

So glad I didn't wimp out due to drizzle and high winds.

The overshoes and under-helmet-cap certainly kept me warm.

It was a 2 hrs ride Including the 20 min stop. Looking forward to the next ride now!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Another taxing ride in the wind yesterday. I managed 17 miles on my old Carrera clunker. Some might question riding such a heavy beast but the weight and those narrow tubes mean less chance of being blown off!

 

[Cyclist33]

Nice cub ride this morning, We came across another rider who had just came of his bike, we think he hit some gravel on a bend. we all stopped and a couple the guys checked him over he was in a bit of pain with his shoulder, we were right next to Brickendon station, so we put him on a train to Winchmore Hill station which is opposite Bike Boutique our meeting place. we had phoned bike boutique so they were expecting him, they met him of the train took his bike into the shop, then another member of CCLondon took him to hospital, I feel really proud to belong to a club that puts other people first.

I'd be disappointed if any club didn't do the same