Your ride today....

[gavgav]

I had a beer or two last night so had something of a lazy getup. However the weather was too good to miss out on so I decided to get out for a Long Mynd ride after lunch.

This has long been one of my favourite places to ride locally but I've neglected it this year having only done the one trip back in March. Since I was a little late getting out and it goes dark so early at this time of year I went the short way - Condover, Ryton, Longnor, Leebotwood and climbing up via Woolstaston and HIgh Park.

Nothing to report on the way to Leebotwood but once on the road to Woolstaston I became aware of a vehicle behind me. Looking back it was a large motor-caravan but was coming up the road very slowly like they weren't sure where they were going. After a while they did come past (fortunately not on the narrow bit) then pulled in just ahead before moving on again. I'm pretty sure they must have been lost but I didn't encounter them again so I hope they found where they were aiming for. It's rather a large vehicle for these lanes and wouldn't have been easy if they'd met any kind of other vehicle.

Being out of practice on this hill I was pleased to find it wasn't too bad and I was able to plod up without needing my lowest gear. I'd like to say I rode the whole thing without stops but at one point I was distracted looking at the view and steered into the bank at the side of the road.

At the top of the climb it was quite a bit colder (I'd climbed over 1000 feet in about 3 miles) so an extra fleece was needed before carrying on across the plateau to the summit. On the way I came up behind a lady walking, dinged my bell and she didn't look round but took her rucksack off and started ferreting around in it. Getting closer I said "Could I come past please" and got the response "Oh, it was you. I thought it was my mobile".

The views from the summit were great as always. I stopped for a short while to take it in and get a photo or two then moved onwards down to the road and doubled back towards Boiling Well and The Burway.

Going downhill I wasn't generating the warmth I had been on the way up so needed a change to full finger gloves by the bottom of The Burway. I extended the ride, coming home via Acton Burnell, and had a quicker trip than on the way out thanks to a bit of a tailwind. The sun was setting behind me and gave a fabulous display which my phone camera has as usual completely failed to do justice to.

32.5 miles at 12.2 mph average which is actually really good for the knockabout bike on this hilly route.

View attachment 154702
The view from the top of the High Park climb.

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Crossing Wild Moor on the way to the summit.

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Up by the Toposcope and the Trig Point

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Heading back down towards Church Stretton now.

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A shot of the sunset but the real colour was much more of a vivid orange than the camera captured.

The sunset was amazing wasn't it! This was my attempt from the back seat of a moving car on the way back from Telford

 

[hondated]

Sadly not much of tgis is actually to do with a bike ride but...
Lieu day off today so just got to drop my wife off at work, pop into mums make sure she's ok, go shopping then bike ride, case out my hopefully 12 or 13 mile commute to work next year.
Fat chance
Got to mums, she's quite poorly and a bit upset (she's 86). Spent some time to make sure she was OK, got a list of bits for her as well. Set off into town....gridlock. Detoured about 4 miles to take another main road in...gridlocked. Gave in and went home, washed the car and walked the dog. Went shopping...it was a bit mental. Pop back into mums, spend a bit more time with her, then home and put the shopping away.
Hmmmm...got dinner to prepare but only now got 2 hours and a bit before picking my wife up...Sod it, quick bike ride but got to make do with only half of my intended distance, so 15 miles total alongside the A1M on the old A1.
4 red kite , a few green woodpecker and various other birdlife.
Home made Chinese curry and rice for tea.
Bike was filthy as well

Never happened as it was intended today but mums chirped up now

Definitely got your priorities right there. Happy Christmas to you and your mum. Oh and of cause to everyone else that may read this.

 

[Jon George]

Frist time in lycra since the pothole off. Only a fifteen mile pootle out to Kirton and back with the occasional twinge stopping any serious exertions, but it was good to stretch the legs. Still on target to have ridden every day of the year, but it looks as though I'm going to fall short of breaking my record of 5 600 miles for the year by a smidgen or two. Not to grumble, I'm still in one piece.
Pic looking towards Bucklesham Hall.

*Edited to remove a comment that might have triggered the kind of debate that's probably better expressed elsewhere on CC.

 

[Elybazza61]

set off early this morning (still misty), and cycled from Cambridge to a village called Thundrige, then came back on a different route/loop (97km on quiet roads with 750 meters of climbing and so far, this is my favourite route)

I struggled today ... I've cycled this route twice before, but today I just felt knackered. I stopped halfway for some water and a pee, and ate a bounty bar and was already feeling knackered .... I felt even worse knowing that I still had 50km of hills

I also hurt my groin halfway (was standing and pedalling up a steep hill and felt a sharp pain in my left leg groin .... so I sat and pedalled up the remaining steep hills. I'm not sure what that was about, but I feel fine now
https://www.strava.com/activities/805473067

Kudos given for that

Little Waterbeach commute on the Graham Weigh this morning;would have been a good morning for a full commute but I was warned off by the brilliantly accurate forecast for fog.

Still nice to give the Weigh a run out as it's been neglected a bit lately.

https://www.strava.com/activities/806064142

 

[Jon George]

Setting a new record total for a year's cycling is tantalising close. I have two planned rides of over thirty miles apiece over Christmas, which would leave me with only 162 miles to achieve my self-imposed target. We shall see, we shall see ...
In the meantime, a ride out to Waldringfield. (I hope I've avoided the worst of the flailing the farmers have been doing to the hedgerows - I couldn't see any thorns on my after-ride inspection.) There was a stillness to the day that made it even easier to ignore the rampaging 4x4s.
The Stillness at The Deben:-

 

[GuyBoden]

Nice steady 50miler to Jodrell bank via Dunham Massey Park. Nice and cloudy, no sunshine, so no squinting at a low sun.
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk...Dunham-Massey-Mobberley-Jodrell-Bank-Goostrey

 

[gavroche]

My ride today is nothing special ( only 12 miles) but means a lot to me. This is my first ride since last October due to the weather and I enjoyed every mile of it. It certainly beats riding on rollers. Now, it is all down to weather conditions for my next one otherwise I will keep the roller rolling.

 

[Salty seadog]

I was never going to be able to do a write up last night! This really is me, so evidently I lived.

I find that road absolutely fine as a route to and from the lands beyond. It was lovely until about 4am when things started to come to life; until then there had been more police cars than anything else - clearly they didn't think I looked suspicious. It was terrifying at 9pm and gradually improved from 10 onwards. I used the southern track in the evening, hopping back onto the road at the farm entrance on the last bend and "sprinting" for the roundabout.

Yesterday afternoon every particle of common sense was telling me not to do the evening leg. So out I went. Some sort of obsessive perfectionism driving me to complete something of no importance whatsoever. On the ride I was firmly convinced I'd completely lost it and was promising to take a total break from all things cycling until the end of the year. I even thought about finishing on 99 miles to teach myself a lesson.

Today I got a nice message from the Strava Yearly Century Challenge Adminsitrator (I think it was intended to be nice anyway) and everything seems a lot saner. Amazingly, it now feels as though it was great fun.

One curiousity - because Over roundabout is on an island, sitting between the twin channels of the tidal river Severn, it could be argued that yesterday's ride included 62 island hops.

All finished off with a large hot toddy - nowadays very much the post-ride drink of choice.

https://www.strava.com/activities/801755283

I have to ask why? I think that would drive me nuts doing the same short circuit over and over.

 

[Aravis]

My main task for the day was to paint a wall. That means waiting a couple of hours between coats. The extremely benign weather forecast was an irresistible invitation...

My plan was to do three loops of roughly equal length, completing an elegant clover leaf. The first, over Edge Hill to Stroud (a climb I can't remember ever having done before) went exactly as planned. It was a bit misty, with no views across the Severn, but rising above the fog in the Painswick valley made it worthwhile. As I was about to start the second phase I found I had a front flat, which for once I was able to fix mid ride in my front room! Heading north towards Tewkesbury, I was tempted into going a little further, crossing the Avon at Eckington and heading across to Upton. It started to rain quite heavily (not in the forecast!) and it turned into a pretty miserable afternoon, but mercifully still with no discernible wind at all. I reached home again on 80 miles at about half past three, with light fading rapidly, and the thought of heading out in heavy traffic for the third loop didn't appeal at all.

I confess that the desire to complete a century is an obsession, and I was in several minds as to what to do next. I didn't really want to do round the houses for the sake of it, and in the end I headed out at 6pm and rode to Tewkesbury and back, turning at the cross in the centre of town, which all things considered seemed quite a stylish way to complete the day's activity. And all painting objectives were completed too.

https://www.strava.com/activities/806512675

 

[Elybazza61]

Nice steady commute this morning heading out via the 20p but this time turning off in Cottenham to head out to Westwick.From there it was down the busway in to Cambridge;had it mostly to myself too,only a couple of other cyclists and some walkers.Turnedd off on to Kings Hedges and in along Milton Road;quick stop at the 'Trose and then to work the usual way down Norfolk and Gwydir Streets to Mill Road.

Did somehow manage to accidentally stop the Garmin(probably while re-fitting it at Waitrose)but still a nice 36K.

https://www.strava.com/activities/806817128

And a Happy Christmas from that Cambridge;

 

[Buck]

Well, it's been a while since I posted on here as I've not been out on my bike for a couple of months - work has been manic; both boys have had birthdays (weekends of parties ) and we've had work done on the house which has meant that cycling has taken a back seat

Today my car was in for its MOT - I normally get this done whilst I'm at work as it is not too far away from the garage but couldn't get that sorted this time around so, as I have now finished for Christmas I thought I'd chuck the bike in the back of the car, drive in and cycle home!

I'm not a commuter but today I felt a bit like one as I rode on the busy main roads out of Brighouse. I headed out on the A644 towards the motorway and navigated around the roundabout to head towards Cooper Bridge. Whilst it is an A road, this stretch is quite twisty and narrow and has double white lines nearly all of the way. Christmas greetings to the lorry driver that hung well back until safe to pass and didn't put any pressure on me! At the lights I joined the cycle lane (shared pathway with pedestrians) then right at the lights towards Mirfield rejoining the main road.

I turned right about half a mile further on, over the (very full) river Calder and up Wood Lane which would be the steepest part of the ride with a couple of 11% stretches. Part way up I felt a little "off" - I put this down to perhaps not enough breakfast (I don't/can't eat much first thing on a morning) plus not being on the bike enough of late! So a 5 minute stop to (i) get my breath back and (ii) let the nausea pass then I was on my way again up to the junction and a right then left at the lights.

I was now on the tops and pretty exposed and boy was that wind a battle! The weather was grey and dreary but not too cold but that wind was pretty strong and unforgiving. I just dug in and kept turning the pedals.

Liley Lane is a busy road and a local accident blackspot so I was quite wary cycling along but again lots of courteous drivers so all good. Up a couple of steep parts peaking at around 14% then I got to Grange Moor and the main Wakefield Road.

Straight on or right? Right won out and after a short stretch on the main road I turned left and headed on towards Emley mast. As I cycled past the mast I confess to letting out a few choice words as the headwind was unforgiving and it felt as though I was almost at a standstill

Into Shelley I decided to take the slightly longer route back as the roads would be quieter so a route through Lower Cumberworth then Upper Cumberworth before heading back down into the village and home.

In the last 100m or so it started to rain so almost perfect timing - in and dry for a nice hot shower. (Looking out now it's raining quite heavily so glad I missed all of that)

Overall a nice ride and I realised despite my 'bonk' that I had missed getting out and enjoyed my ride!

17 mile, 1467ft climbed

1509 miles year-to-date (maybe I'll get one more ride in this year but either way, I passed my 1,000 target for the year)

Merry Christmas !!!

 

[Elybazza61]

Not such a nice commute this morning gusty headwind and a couple of squally showers put a dent in my enthusiasm but a case of HTFU helped me spin through it,not the fastest of commutes though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/807649611

Only 41kms to go now so should do the 12,000 for the year tomorrow;might get the train in and have an assisted ride home to celebrate;then it'll be the start of the festive 500 on Christmas Eve.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Time for a solo outing around the old loop. I packed my binoculars with the intention of stopping on the Hams at Ashleworth for a bit of birding. The ride out over the common was fine until my rear tyre felt squelchy. Rats. It was yet another thorn. These dratted hedge cutting methods leave much to be desired. Sorted I headed for the lumps at Redmarley and dropped away for the turn at Highleadon. A Kestrel sat on a post and watched my pass beneath. The Woolridge climb came and went. I forgot to check out the view but it was fairly misty anyway.

Down on the Hams I found another enthusiast in the bird hide. I spent some time checking out the winter wildfowl. Something spooked the Lapwing so we were treated to a lovely sight of the flock circling. It was just a false alarm tho'. Back in the saddle I had some help from the breeze. It was quite a brisk ride. Some dark low clouds rolled in and dropped a tiny bit of rain on me over the last few miles. All good tho'. Miles and birding. Nice to get my eye in on the feathered friends again.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I have to ask why? I think that would drive me nuts doing the same short circuit over and over.

It's good enough for American HAMR challengers.

 

[cosmicbike]

After a couple of days of 'popping up the high street' rides, or not riding at all, really had to get out this morning. Can't say I was in the mood for it as the family are all home now on the Christmas break, and I usually do my riding when they're at school/work. A faster than I thought 14 or so miles, and nice to try the bargain Polaris bib tights and socks, very comfy indeed.
Looking forward to January when I get motivated by another Cyclechat challenge...