Your ride today....

[PeteXXX]

With the usual late finish this morning, and having scraped the ice off the car windows at 01:00 ish, I knew it'd be a nippy ride this morning.
Sure enough, the frost was still covering a lot of the tarmac so I took it steady and tried to use the sunny patches as much as possible.
I only had a short while to ride, and had one present to collect from a shop a few miles away. Happily, they didn't mind me taking the CX into the entrance area so I could do my shopping in the knowledge it'd still be there when I finished!

I took a longer route home, as I still had a while before my pass ran out!

As I cut through one of my favourite trails towards home, I had a few slippery moments on the defrosted mud.. It was actually safer when it was still frozen!

Back home on an estimated 12 or 13 ish miles as Strava threw a wobbly and only recorded 3.9 of them.

Smashing, if freezing, little ride before having to get home for babysitting, lunch and w*rk this afternoon... Booooo

 

[Old jon]

Ouch! That breeze hurts, and that is just taking the bike out of the shed. Twenty two miles later most of me had warmed up, left foot frozen being the exception. Today was always going to be a short ride, and the edge to the weather just confirmed it.

The ride started with a hiccup, not one of mine though. Or maybe. Just riding along Jack Lane and I could hear some odd beeps. Ignored because its not the best road to ride on, cars parked, some traffic, keep the mind on the riding sort of thing. By the time I reached Sweet Street I could stop. The Garmin was just turning off, so I guess I forgot to start it. Hiccup over.

Water Lane, Great Wilson Street and across Crown Point Bridge, f f f fingers going numb. Start climbing Roundhay Road and things become less cold, by the time I reached the Oakwood Clock I was warm enough to mist my glasses. That helps, does it not? Up Boot Hill and the exertion is really paying off. Turn right onto Red Hall Lane, Skeltons and Thorner Lane, another right to head towards the A 64, but not for long. Right again, through Scholes and the surprisingly gentle climb to Barwick.



Out towards Garforth on Long Lane, one of @NorthernDave ’s favourite bits of road. It is a lot wider, and has a lot more housing than I remember. Once in Garforth, turn right for the Selby Road roundabout, up the hill and through Swillington. After the river and canal are crossed its that steeper than it looks road past Woodlesford station followed by the wend past John o’ Gaunts, drop to Swillington and through a large lump of Hunslet to home. Pretty good really.

A garmin hiccup. Just occurred to me, I have also seen it spelt hiccough. The spell checker agrees.

 

[Salty seadog]

It's good enough for American HAMR challengers.

Had to google that...

 

[derrick]

Nice ride out this morning in the sun, 36 miles nice steady pace, roads were nice and quiet was good to get out in the week, have not had the time lately work getting in the way of enjoying myself. Hopefully in the new year the work will ease off and i can get back into week day rides.
https://www.strava.com/activities/808601856

 

[GuyBoden]

Very slow, mainly dry, 36 mile potter around Budworth and Tatton.
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/osmaps/route/963859/Preston-Brook-Budworth-Tatton

 

[kapelmuur]

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.

90% of my rides are on rural lanes and I see plenty of debris from thorn hedge cutting on the road.

I use Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres and have had 1 puncture in 5 years (touch wood!). Worth a try?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

90% of my rides are on rural lanes and I see plenty of debris from thorn hedge cutting on the road.

I use Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres and have had 1 puncture in 5 years (touch wood!). Worth a try?

Ooo - thanks for the recommendation. I'll give those a go next time

 

[Elybazza61]

Couple of rides today which brought up the 12,000kms for 2016.


First a little roll in to work from Waterbeach;

https://www.strava.com/activities/808424971

Then a nice ride home in the December sunshine

Only downer was the Garmin throwing a few glitches, might need a re-boot.


https://www.strava.com/activities/808586341

 

[Dave 123]

So, my 7 miles to work was unremarkable, dark, but unremarkable.

The return was dark, but slightly more fun.

After a couple of hours in the Pint Shop all was well, but then Tim accidentally ordered a double round! I duly obliged. 6+2 and all that....

What a ride home! Leisurely, funny, bumpy, squishy, wiggly and sketchy!

 

[Jon George]

A little 27 mile jaunt North of Ipswich for the first Christmas stage of this year's La Tour De Le Cochon (pubs, cycling and pork-pie.) First stop was The Moon and Mushroom in Swilland for lunch with my wife (she took the car), where I tucked into a pint of mild.
(Excuse the quality of the photo - I couldn't be bothered to take another as the beer was so good.)

Then headed out to The Three Horseshoes at Charsfield and then on to The Cherry Tree at Woodbridge.
Got back to Ipswich as the sun was setting and managed to get home in time to go out for a curry. Great ride.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Lovely ride through billericay,up to stock and around the hanningfields in essex.

https://www.strava.com/activities/808655964

The only other thing was an annoying squeak/rattle but i can't fathom where it's coming from?

 

[cosmicbike]

Up the high street early to beat the rush, apparently we must have M&S stuffing so off I went in the dark. Glad I did, the foody bit of M&S was already busy. 5 miles, and I think that's all for today. Hopefully get a decent ride in tomorrow...

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Weather was a bit windy and rain was threatened but Rich B, Mrs 26 and me headed over to Upton for John G and Margaret P-R. The plan was more about the beer than the ride today as Christmas is upon us. We took to riding via Bredon School for the Mythe where Rich's tyre went down. Looking at the pathology of this one the recommendation was "new tyre required". Sorted we went by the White Rabbit to loop back to Upton. Margaret picked Graham R up from home while we gathered in the Three Kings. The beer here is excellent. Julian H. turned up as did Mark L and Steve E. A few pints of excellent beer may have been disappeared. Some were getting the hunger pangs so Graham, Rich, Margaret, Mrs 26 and I rode to The Swan in Hanley Swan for more ale and some food. Steve and Jules joined us on 4 wheels. With more damage done to the local beer stocks we took our separate ways home with Rich and I getting back just as the forecast deluge began. The rain was late and so were we. All good with a super social outing where it definitely was not about the bike. Much more than the 32 smiles suggests.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

an annoying squeak/rattle but i can't fathom where it's coming from?

Knees?

 

[Mireystock]

Certainly a pub all out there on its own, the Three Kings !