Your ride today....

[derrick]

Had a little ride out this morning to check out the TT route for Saturday. Bumped into one of our club members in Essendon, then rode home together,
https://www.strava.com/activities/893293760
Then in the evening did a Watt bike session, That was a really hard work out. Since coming back from Spain doing a few mountains, My legs have felt really heavy and sluggish, Maybe the older you get it takes longer to recover.
https://www.strava.com/activities/893831876

 

[robjh]

Had today off and luckily it was a beauty. Sunny and warm all day. My Garmin registered 62 degrees f at one point.
Headed off to Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve near Ely. It's privately owned but you can wander around. Was hoping to see the first sand martins of the year but none back quite yet.

View attachment 341652

View from the 'hill'. Ely cathedral on the horizon. There's a couple of benches up there and it's a pleasant spot for a break.

View attachment 341653
Wicken Fen. Blimey I do carry a lot of stuff with me! Still, speed has never been my thing so it's no bother.

View attachment 341654

Another favourite spot for a break. This is Burwell Fen.

View attachment 341655

Reach Lode from the bridge

View attachment 341656

A typical fen road. The flatlands aren't for everyone but I like it. The headwinds can be quite brutal though.
20 miles in total (followed by a 13 mile round trip to the pub tonight) means I'm finally getting some decent miles in this year.

Your photos certainly bring out the best of the Fens. Personally I find that they make for pretty boring cycling, but it is clear that if you seek out the right places, take your time (and get off the tarmac for a bit) there are gems of landscapes to be found there.

 

[Reynard]

Another fen cyclist here. Agree that the wind can be a right killer sometimes, but if you choose your route wisely, it's far from boring. If you can get up onto what for here is the high ground, you can see for miles - the view from Coveney towards Ely is just amazing.

Though I wouldn't recommend cycling in a fen blow...

 

[robjh]

It was a sunny, spring-like day today with a good wind blowing towards the east coast, so I took advantage of it and set off in that direction with the aim of returning by train in the evening.
I started out through Saffron Walden and Finchingfield, where I followed the Dunwich Dynamo route for a few miles to the Hedinghams. I took the quiet A1124 through Halstead to Colchester, where I went to find the Roman city walls, then wandered on foot through the attractive park around the castle and stopped for an open-air coffee. I was slightly surprised to find that Colchester is an attractive town with some fine old buildings and parkland - I don't know why I'd ever imagined otherwise.

I then took back roads to Manningtree which is well situated on the estuary of the River Stour, and rode through woods past the Alton Water reservoir on the way to Ipswich. I was making good time, so decided to do a few additional miles to Felixstowe, which is really as far as I could go in that direction. I'm not keen on cycling in Ipswich. There may be nice parts but I just recall the ghastly maze of fast roads and roundabouts down by the harbour. There is some quite attractive waterfront regeneration going on in parts, but there is still a lot of run-down no man's land behind it (I would love Ipswichers to point out that I'm wrong!).

The Felistowe peninsula has some lovely and quite lumpy rural roads just a short way from the massive A14, and I rode happily through Nacton to Trimley and Felixstowe, which as well as a container port has also an old-fashioned seaside part with beachhuts and a rather minimal pier. I finished the ride down by the beach, and caught the 17.28 train back to Ipswich and another to Cambridge. It was an enjoyable day, and I did 86 miles to Felixstowe, and a few more home after the train.

route

3 miles from home - Coploe Hill; Finchingfield

Colchester - Roman walls (+bike) and castle

Manningtree ; cycle-friendly route by the A14

Felixstowe

 

[robjh]

Another fen cyclist here. Agree that the wind can be a right killer sometimes, but if you choose your route wisely, it's far from boring. If you can get up onto what for here is the high ground, you can see for miles - the view from Coveney towards Ely is just amazing.

Though I wouldn't recommend cycling in a fen blow...

I agree about the Ely view from Coveney, and I also like Ten Mile Bank to Denver Sluice. Or when the road disappears into the seasonal flood waters on the Bedford Levels. Nonetheless, (I find) it can too often be a dispiriting slog to get there so I'm more likely to stick to the little hills of the Essex borders.

 

[Reynard]

I agree about the Ely view from Coveney, and I also like Ten Mile Bank to Denver Sluice. Or when the road disappears into the seasonal flood waters on the Bedford Levels. Nonetheless, (I find) it can too often be a dispiriting slog to get there so I'm more likely to stick to the little hills of the Essex borders.

Bummer, that's a real shame, though there's always the train to alleviate the slog aspect. Guess I'm lucky as the area around Ely is my local patch. Good for cycling and photography.

 

[damj]

Just to spoil recent posts, wonderful photography robjh.

Second day back commuting, bike, piggyback train, bike, work stress , bike, piggyback train, bike home. Only spoiled by idiot behind. I take the second exit, off mini roundabout, driver behind decides to beat me and drives'over' the roundabout into on coming traffic, I hold my own and continue, turning and glaring at the driver who's coming after me now (foolish I know) the car accelerates passed me but pulls into the side blocking me in. I'm boiling now, the female in the car winds her window down and tries to put me straight on something?? I give her a right blasting and move on.
Good to be back on the roads again though.

 

[Jon George]

[QUOTE="robjh, post: 4715149, member: 1824"There may be nice parts but I just recall the ghastly maze of fast roads and roundabouts down by the harbour. There is some quite attractive waterfront regeneration going on in parts, but there is still a lot of run-down no man's land behind it (I would love Ipswichers to point out that I'm wrong!).[/QUOTE]

There are some stunning aspects to Ipswich (Christchurch Park is one - the mansion is where my wife and I got married The first to do so), but woe betide any outsider trying to negotiate the one-way system near the docks - damn near lethal to the uninitiated or faint of heart.

If you you want tourist hot-spots to cycle past, please PM me for advice.

 

[robjh]

There are some stunning aspects to Ipswich (Christchurch Park is one - the mansion is where my wife and I got married The first to do so), but woe betide any outsider trying to negotiate the one-way system near the docks - damn near lethal to the uninitiated or faint of heart.

If you you want tourist hot-spots to cycle past, please PM me for advice.

Thanks, I'll look out for Christchurch Park next time I'm there (which isn't often). So far I've not got beyond the docks area and the station

 

[Stonechat]

Had a little ride out this morning to check out the TT route for Saturday. Bumped into one of our club members in Essendon, then rode home together,
https://www.strava.com/activities/893293760
Then in the evening did a Watt bike session, That was a really hard work out. Since coming back from Spain doing a few mountains, My legs have felt really heavy and sluggish, Maybe the older you get it takes longer to recover.
https://www.strava.com/activities/893831876

Yes that is definitely true about recovery time. However I also find that post ridie stretching helps, just after the ride and then again in the evening, and as needed. Can't say everyone will need the same though
I have been using wattbike a fair bit, everytime I want to go out it's miserable, and I am trying to build fitness after my should fracture.
very damp this morning so will probably be on Wattbike again.
However it's not building my endurance which I do really need

 

[Old jon]

A few firsts for the fixed today. First fifty kilometre ride, 32.4 miles or 52.2 kilometres. First time I have ridden it up Garforth Cliff, just managed that. First visit to Sherburn in Elmet, and the first two hundred miles ridden on the fixed. I had better write it all in order.

The archeological dig at the end of Water Lane is threatened to last a few more months, and I was travelling southeast this morning. So off Dewsbury Road to Tunstall Road and a cavort through the well travelled reaches of Hunslet, to the climb to John o’ Gaunts and the waterway crossings at Woodlesford. More climbing, up to Swillington and some more after the village, which gives a drop to the Garforth roundabout. I reckon the grey cell was not in gear, ‘cos I turned right there, without any thought at all. Then realised I was going towards the cliff, already mentioned. Once at the top, it is all pretty easy going, Peckfield Bar, the Micklefield roundabout close to the old Boot and Shoe. Sherburn was reached via the B1222, fondly remembered as Sherburn Bends.



In the village, turn left on Sir John’s Lane, which probably changes its name a time or two as it passes Cold Hill Farm with that sharp little hill, and reaches Lotherton Gates. A right turn to go to Aberford and a left for the up and downery to Barwick, followed by more of the same to Scholes. After which, it is just straightforward, the Boot Hill descent livens things, followed by the trail across Leeds and to that little corner of it that I live in. Fair weather, little breeze and a few other cyclists out. Sorted.

Map, still fascinates,

 

[The Bystander]

I didn’t care for the drizzly, misty conditions much but I did enjoy the absence of the blustery south westerly wind that seems to have been blowing since Doris passed by. The drizzle gave way to proper rain and I thought that given the conditions a short loop through Harrington would suffice.

Last time out I was in the mood for a ride but my legs weren’t. This time it was the other way round so on the return part of the short loop I turned off to add another few miles to Old. When I reached Old I thought the less direct route via Walgrave would be better. When I reached Walgrave I continued on to Hannington where, instead of turning for home, I turned towards Holcot and added another loop across Pitsford Water to Scaldwell and eventually back to Old again and this time back to home.

One short loop that led to another and another (and the rain stopped for the third one).

3Loops

• The Bystander
• 10 Mar 2017
• 1

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.relive.cc/view/894708924

65 odd miles up to Salisbury and back today.

The weather turned a bit gash on the return, but overall, a nice ride.

 

[Elybazza61]

Couple of rides today and first commutes for a while.

First was a short ride to the Science Park in Cambridge from Waterbeach station partly along the river.

Then a proper ride back home via the busway and then Cottenham and the good old twenty pence road.

Irony is that it looks like I'll be changing jobs again so will be some different commutes to come.

https://www.strava.com/activities/894833808

https://www.strava.com/activities/894833863

 

[EltonFrog]

A gentle ride out late afternoon to meet the Fragrant Mrs P for dinner after one of her bonkers commutes that she does this time of year. Just over 16 miles today to the Red Lion and back. No photos today 'cos it was grey when I left and dark on the way back .