Your ride today....

[13 rider]

As of last night I had no plan other than try to do December's 100 km ride in then I stumbled across @Supersuperleeds and @tallliman arranging a possible meet at nice pies cafe in another thread so a bit of route planning for nice pies .Out the door at 0900 took my favorite route round the back of Bradgate park and out to St Bernards Abbey ,Belton ,Diesworth ,Long Whatton ,Kegworth ,Kingston on Soar took a detour from my normal route to add a few miles . Sutton Bonnington ,West Leake ,Gotham ,East Leake ,Costock ,Wysall then again some extra miles to Kegworth ,Willoughby on the wolds and then straight to nice pies with 46 miles on the clock . Got to cafe and mines the only bike parked up ordered a coffee and Beans on toast and looked out the window and @tallliman trek was parked up the next minute @Supersuperleeds is there looked at my bike thinking I now that bike bit of a surprise as they didn't now I was coming .Nice chat while we consume coffee and cake all 3 of us had got 3/4 of our challenge rides in me and @tallliman doing 100km and @Supersuperleeds 100m we all commented that extra bit of motivation of the meet up got us going this morning .So time to head home we all head to Sileby me on the front again and @Supersuperleeds tucked in at the back at Sileby @tallliman turns right for home and me and @Supersuperleeds get to Cossington before parting company . So I just need a few extra miles to get the distance so Rothley ,Swithland ,Cropston and home 65.9 miles in the bag and the metric century challenge completed . Really nice ride and nice meet up in chilly conditions but not to bad for December

 

[hondated]

As of last night I had no plan other than try to do December's 100 km ride in then I stumbled across @Supersuperleeds and @tallliman arranging a possible meet at nice pies cafe in another thread so a bit of route planning for nice pies .Out the door at 0900 took my favorite route round the back of Bradgate park and out to St Bernards Abbey ,Belton ,Diesworth ,Long Whatton ,Kegworth ,Kingston on Soar took a detour from my normal route to add a few miles . Sutton Bonnington ,West Leake ,Gotham ,East Leake ,Costock ,Wysall then again some extra miles to Kegworth ,Willoughby on the wolds and then straight to nice pies with 46 miles on the clock . Got to cafe and mines the only bike parked up ordered a coffee and Beans on toast and looked out the window and @tallliman trek parked up the next minute @Supersuperleeds is there looked at my bike thinking I now that bike bit of a surprise as they didn't now I was coming .Nice chat while we consume coffee and cake all 3 of us had got 3/4 of our challenge rides me and @tallliman doing 100km and @Supersuperleeds 100m we all commented that extra bit of motivation of the meet up got us going this morning .So time to head home we all head to Sileby me on the front again and @Supersuperleeds tucked in at the back at Sileby @tallliman turns right for home and me and @Supersuperleeds get to Cossington before parting company . So I just need a few extra miles to get the distance so Rothley ,Swithland ,Cropston and home 65.9 miles in the bag and the metric century challenge completed . Really nice ride and nice meet up in chilly conditions but not to bad for Decembef

Wish other cyclists were as sociable down here.

 

[13 rider]

Wish other cyclists were as sociable down here.

Have you tried to arrange a little local meet up .That's how us three got to know one another when I bit the bullet and arranged a ride and we have since done another ride with the lads from south Derbyshire . It may be worth posted a thread and seeing if anyones interested nothing to lose

 

[tallliman]

Lovely ride today out through Belton and up to Kegworth the long way. A long drag north east followed into the wind. Stopped to admire the parachutists at Langar Airfield and the war memorial.

Blasted through Hose and then to climb up the side of the ridge. Apparently, there's a challenge to do the 6 climbs from the north side in a ride. Maybe another day! From there, headed to Nice Pies as noted above with @Supersuperleeds and @13 rider. Sandwich and cake finished, a nice ride back home to complete the metric tons for the year.

It was great to have the motivation to be meeting people for lunch. The impromptu nature of it all was also great as there was little pressure!

Lastly, good to note I finally fixed the squeak!!

 

[Elybazza61]

100k a month challenge completed today with a 103k ride and a pretty fine day to do it too.

Started solo to do a bit extra so went out via Prickwillow and then to Littleport before the long road heading to Mildenhall,then turned off to West Row and past the air base before going to Freckenham and Worlington to arrive at the club ride cafe stop at La Hogue just as the mods arrived so pretty good timing.

After a nice espresso and Bakewell slice and some talking bollocks about bikes it was off again with the mods for the return leg via Soham,Wicken and Stretham;I then peeled off to do final loop via Haddenham to go through the north of Ely villages before a spin around Ely to ensure I did more than 100k.

No pics I'm afraid as the phone battery was low.

https://www.strava.com/activities/792266247

 

[Rustybucket]

https://www.strava.com/activities/792180609/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-GB&v=1480774831

A lovely ride home to lymington today. Perfect conditions had a tail wind and no rain. Was abit chilly thou. Last ride on my mid winter bike for the year now. Lots of mud and muck being splashed about, need my mudguards. I love this route loads of nice small farm roads. Saw loads of cyclists out too!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

No ride today, just the ParkRun this morning

Wangled a 'day-pass' for tomorrow though, probably out with a couple of Wakefield Triathlon Club members?

 

[Dave 123]

Today I took the advice of @Twizit and cycled away from the direction of Polesden Lacey in Surrey. I took the right turn I thought he'd said, but it soon became apparent that I'd gone off piste. It was lovely though. Nice quiet lanes, a bit narrow in places for the fairly swift cars....
We wound through various villages until we saw a sign for Box Hill. Off we went, chugging up on the tandem, a few roadies rolling by us. We were doing fine, it was really pleasant, then it was over... we were at the top. We stopped with the cycling and walking masses and had a tea and shared a flapjack. A roadie admired the tandem, we had a chat and he gave us some route advice.

Up a few more hundred yards and then a stop for the hazy view pic

On further, and I was surprised. I thought it would be well heeled, prime real estate, but it was full of park homes! Another illusion shattered.

A left turn to Headley Common and more ,left, left left brought us to the bottom of Box Hill, it was a really lovely part of the ride.

Back along the main road before crossing into the vineyard before climbing up through the vineyards. We were swimming against the tide of an organised ride, we'd have to be careful!
It was a fairly sleep hill to get up on the tandem, but that's what first and second gear are for.

Here we are with Box Hill behind us

In a short while we were up on Ranmore Common riding through nice Beech, Oak and Birch woodlands before a couple of back lanes with some crunching, short, sharp hills before we were back at Polesden after just over twenty lovely miles.

Strava doesn't appear to be talking to my Garmin today....

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1469958007

 

[gbb]

I need a tonic this morning, felt quite gloomy and didn't sleep well, sun's shining, I want to but my relative lack of fitness makes getting out there harder than it need be. But it's all in the mind I tell myself...so winter longs, padded shorts, Bikesters then on top a T shirt, long sleeve jersey and my Altura jacket, socks then merino socks and winter boots...toasty approaching a bit too warm. If it wasn't obvious...I hate the cold .
Just 19 miles, Pboro to Whittlesey and back alongside the Nene.
Nice and quiet, one Little Egret skulking in a field, loads of fieldfare plus lots of waterbirds.
That's given me a lift

 

[Jon George]

Around the houses again, today, but extended it to 2.2 miles - just to raise a belligerent two fingers to the damaged ribs, the Rorschach bruises and the mild chest infection I now have. From the renewed twinges around my groin and hip, I suspect I may have overdone it.
The bigger debate, however, is do I do the sensible thing and sink into the sofa for the afternoon, or demonstrate a new level of machismo by going to the pub for a couple? I'll let you know ...

 

[13 rider]

So today's target was 50 km to complete this years half century challenge .Up early but white over outside so dithered until 1000 and out the door in chilly conditions .Decided to head up the Wreake valley as I not been there for a while . So Anstey ,Cropston ,Rothley ,Cossington up humble lane and out along the Wreake valley until I turned for Ragdale this bit of road was again really busy with riders as usual . Dropped into Ragdale then the climb out a nasty climb heading back to Barrow on soar approaching Paudy lane a group of Coalville wheelers turned just in front of me caught them soon . They were going at bit slower than me but fast enough to make overtaking an effort so I decided to sit in and wheel suck them . A rider came by us and that was it full gas as they chased him down quite glad I didn't overtake them . At Barrow I went right to Quorn and they swung left thanked them for the tow through Quorn and onto Mountsorrel and coming the other way the Coalville wheelers turning into their coffee stop at Stonehurst farm . Had to put a loop through Swithland in to get the miles so . Got home with 31.4 miles in the bag so 50 km in the bag just so the second year running the half century done just need a 50 miler in December to completed 2 years of half metric and imperial rides . The sun managed to show it self but still chilly throughout

 

[Donger]

The club ride was cancelled this morning due to ice. I'd been out late last night anyway, so for once I had the luxury of a Sunday morning sleep in.

I've still got to do my Metric Century a Month ride for December, and the weather isn't looking too clever, so I thought I'd use today to try out some cold weather clothing combinations in advance. Discovered I could get one large pair of full finger gloves on over another slightly smaller pair, and that I could fit my helmet on over two skull caps. With three layers on my arms and four on my core, I set off layered up like Scott of the Antarctic for a 20 mile loop to Minsterworth, Oakle Street, Highnam and the Kingsway estate to test out the kit. Apart from a cold face, I was still toasty when I got home, so it was well worth trying it out.

There was a little ice in a few places, mostly in the shadows of trees and dark corners that the sun had not yet reached, but the main roads were fine. Actually really nice out there today .... cold and crisp, but not a cloud in the sky. (Got to make hay while the sun shines). Well done to everyone who made it out earlier, when it looked really treacherous. And a big well done to those of you who have already got out there in the cold and successfully finished your Imperial Century, Metric Century and Metric Half Century challenges for the year. Cheers, Donger.

 

[dim]

a 100km ride for the December Strava Gran Fondo Badge .... a frosty start (frost on the ground, but it soon melted):
https://www.strava.com/activities/793416191

here's the Relive video:
https://www.relive.cc/view/793416191

a really nice route. It starts and ends in Great Shelford Cambridge, and loops through Thundridge, passing through small villages such as Fowlmere, Barley, Barkway, Patmore Heath etc

Over 700 meters of climbing on very quiet good roads (I've only recently started trying to do some decent hills... and I need to try and spin a bit faster). I designed this route using Strava Heatmaps, and will most probably ride it once a month:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17957901

I had to ride 5km further at the end so as to get the 100km, as the route is only 95km long

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

No ride today, just the ParkRun this morning

Wangled a 'day-pass' for tomorrow though, probably out with a couple of Wakefield Triathlon Club members?

The 'WTC' ride didn't happen, & it was going to be only with Gail

Out slightly later than planned
A few sharp climbs (including Bolton Wife Hill, Jebb Lane), fast descents ('Haigh Bank', to jct 38/M1), lots of rough surfaces


No strava/GPS trail/Garmin, whatever, just a rough following on Mapometer (should be a public map

http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4446077.html

 

[dim]

A touch frosty here this morning but the sun was out so the single speed was pressed into service once again

Stiff enough to get me out the saddle
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Cruelty hiking up Montgomery Street with only one gear
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At least it's easier than Polnoon Street, but still a tough climb
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Worth the effort though
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More out the saddle
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Can just about see the wind farm in the distance
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Glasgow in the distance
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That was slippy coming down
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very nice photo's .... what tyres are you using?