Your ride today....

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.relive.cc/view/904693600

I went out to get brake and gear cables for the Triban 520 today. I thought I'd make a ride out of it on the return. The cables are superb as well. I went for the PTFE sealed brake cables, and standard gear cables from Decathlon.

The ride Home was windy as hell, but not to many choppers out today.

 

[gbb]

Looked at the forecast....today is breezy, tomorrow even more so so off out I set. Breezy ?, a bit more than that I thought .
26 miles and tbf, my legs knew it. several red kite, one backbone and hip skeleton near Wansford....rather large so I assumed a big deer, then 200 yards further on..another one .
Turned round at King's Cliffe and headed back noting quite a few trees down..this one was ok but big, very big.

and I'd already passed another even bigger one earlier in the ride. fully how you pass them hundreds of times perhaps and don't notice.
All good, tired legs and ready for tea.

 

[Osprey]

The rain of Storm Stella passed through overnight so faced only with the forecast 22mph wind I had to get out. Straight out onto the estuary and what a shock. Rapidly changing down gears to try and spin the legs into the direct face of the westerly wind direct off the Irish sea with no obstructions until it hit me. Eventually climbing off the estuary into the farm lanes gave a little shelter. Dropped into PortEynon and on the 13 percent climb out into the face of the wind, my Garmin went into auto pause twice such was my pace. A nice Gower loop of 36 miles though the final 5 miles where once again into the wind. Enjoyed though and another half metric century bagged.

Llanridian salt marsh estuary. Don't you just hate rush hour traffic

 

[Lee_M]

Rode the 'short' Vélo 29 York-Leeds-York Sportive this morning with a mate.

a mate of mine and I travelled up from North Wales (across?) and did the medium ride.

agreed the sewage works stank, and the cycle path certainly wasnt fun on my expensive wheels, but they survived.

I also met the very serious chain gang all in black, and they overtook us way too closely too, they definitely had a problem with being polite!

Actually missed most of the rain, although it certainly was windy.

My main comment was how many major A roads the organisers seem to pick, I'm sure there must have been some quieter roads that could have been used (either that or I've just got used to how quiet it is in Wales!)

Nice ride overall though and did just enought to get my first 100km of the year despite forgetting to start my Garmin for the first 3 miles!

 

[Donger]

"You won't be tired, it's only a hundred" said the organiser at the start of the Character Coln 100km audax this morning. That became the saying of the day, oft repeated sarcastically as we tackled hills and blustery winds for six hours in the Cotswolds.

If I'm honest, although I take a certain pride in having completed my 20th 100km audax today (and so I qualified for my "Brevet 2000" badge), it was my mates who got me through this one. Don't get me wrong, I had my moments ..... leading the train at 20mph from Fairford to Lechlade and part of the way to Faringdon, and some meteorite -style descents at over 34mph. But by the time we climbed the last inexorable hill along the straight Roman road back up to Andoversford, I was pretty much on my knees. My thighs had stopped working, and I was having to use my calves, ankles, body weight and sheer bloody-mindedness to turn the pedals as I winched myself up that last climb. Thankfully I was with my Kingsway CC clubmate Rich and my Cyclechat audaxing buddy @jembullo today, and they did me proud. Waited patiently on the hills and encouraged me all the way home. We got round in 6 hours 10 mins, which I will claim as a veterans' super-heavyweight record, though I'm pretty sure I held them both back by at least 20 minutes. As rides go, this was like bashing your head against a brick wall .... great when you stop. But it was very satisfying to complete it, and some of the little lanes along the River Coln were just stunning Cotswold scenery. The first half was a dream ride. Missed most of the best bits with the camera, as we were either climbing or having too much fun descending. Did take a few snaps though.

One or two photos:
This one was taken by an obliging Japanese tourist passing by in Bibury. He seemed quite pleased to be told "Domo arigato" for his kindness:

The enterprising mobile control at Fairford:

A bit of a cheat (this was one that I took on my 100 miler last year ... but we went past it again today, and it's our favourite pub name. C'est chic, apparently):

Spring has well and truly sprung in Wiltshire:

"You won't be tired, it's only a hundred" he said. Well I'm cream crackered. Still, that's my Metric Century a Month Challenge ride done for March. 63.9 miles today. I shall sleep well tonight.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[NorthernDave]

a mate of mine and I travelled up from North Wales (across?) and did the medium ride.
agreed the sewage works stank, and the cycle path certainly wasnt fun on my expensive wheels, but they survived.
I also met the very serious chain gang all in black, and they overtook us way too closely too, they definitely had a problem with being polite!
Actually missed most of the rain, although it certainly was windy.
My main comment was how many major A roads the organisers seem to pick, I'm sure there must have been some quieter roads that could have been used (either that or I've just got used to how quiet it is in Wales!)
Nice ride overall though and did just enought to get my first 100km of the year despite forgetting to start my Garmin for the first 3 miles!

I'm not surprised to hear it wasn't just us that had fun with the Men In Black.

Looking at the route for the medium ride it takes in the A61 and A659 near Harewood House, which do feature in a lot of sportives, but aren't roads I'd particularly choose to cycle on. In particular I go out of my way to avoid the A659 around there as I find it too fast / narrow. The trouble for the organisers would have been that there aren't many alternatives around there.
How did you find the climb up Rigton Bank and then along Bramham Lane? It's a nice lane but I've been avoiding it for the last few weeks due to the amount of mud on the road.

Edit to add I've just been looking at the times and apparently one rider seems to have finished the 'long' 96 mile course in 3h 9m - which is spectacularly impressive...

 

[Lee_M]

I'm not surprised to hear it wasn't just us that had fun with the Men In Black.

Looking at the route for the medium ride it takes in the A61 and A659 near Harewood House, which do feature in a lot of sportives, but aren't roads I'd particularly choose to cycle on. In particular I go out of my way to avoid the A659 around there as I find it too fast / narrow. The trouble for the organisers would have been that there aren't many alternatives around there.
How did you find the climb up Rigton Bank and then along Bramham Lane? It's a nice lane but I've been avoiding it for the last few weeks due to the amount of mud on the road.

Edit to add I've just been looking at the times and apparently one rider seems to have finished the 'long' 96 mile course in 3h 9m - which is spectacularly impressive...

If Rigton Bank was the very steep but short climb then it was fine, there was a muddy section on bramham lane, but it was dry mud so dirty but not a problem.

as for the fast 96 miler, some of them went wrong and didn't do the back loop from harewood but just followed the signs in harewood house gardens so only did the medium, maybe that was one of them, but with a time like that I'm sure he won't complain!!

 

[cosmicbike]

After an afternoon of gardening duties yesterday I'd earned a little time this morning for good behaviour, and had planned to go out to Hampton Court. The rather stiff breeze put paid to that, as I would have had a headwind all the way home. Instead I headed out to Eton via Wraysbury, headwind all the way. At least it would be a rapid ride home. How wrong was I, as the headwind turned into one of the 360 degree variety An attempt to avoid it by climbing Crimp Hill only led to a tougher little climb than normal, and missed my best by 4 seconds. Must try harder.
22 miles done. Garden fence now removed. Fun with a chainsaw this afternoon

 

[Spiderweb]

A really windy 27 mile ride in North Yorkshire today the head wind in parts was a killer.
Set off to Cawood, Stillingfleet and crossed the river Ouse at Naburn Marina onto Acaster Malbis crossed the old Airfield to Appleton Roebuck where my new favourite secret cafe is still closed for winter. Proceeded up past the old mill and into Bolton Percy on to Oxton and into Tadcaster, the first time I've cycled over the bridge which reopened last month after partially collapsing in December 2015. Up the hill and back home to Towton. The first time out in shorts this year, a lovely ride but knackered!

 

[Dave 123]

Just a little old tandem ride for us today to.... where I ended up yesterday! Waresley GC was the destination so that we'd get a tail wind home.
It worked as well!
On the way past Hayley woods there was a resplendent patch of wood anemone

There were no other patches, just this thick swathe 5'x3'.

We then got battered going down into Gamlingay.

Here is Gamlingay church from the east...

On the right in the pic is a beautiful bright pink magnolia.

Cake to share at the garden centre, and then on the way out we went and saw the lambs, and why wouldn't we?

Just along by Waresley woods we saw our bird of the day, a red kite. It was about 20' above us, but as we were going up a stiff little hill I have no picture!

A blowy 25 miles with some sunshine.



https://www.strava.com/activities/906201550

 

[cyberknight]

56 mile club ride to a disused pit now a centre with a cafe in Cannock

 

[Stonechat]

Time to test fitness with a longer ride. #Intended to do first 50 miler since October and shoulder fracture

Went to Box Hill, down again, then intended to go up Ranmore Common (tough enough) but bad planning etc meant I went up Blagdon Hill at 20%,
Some spits and spots but did not come to anything
3/4 way through and averaging over 16 mph.
Coming home realised it would only be 44 miles so added extra loop
All this last section winds were blowing up and ave speed going down so called it a day with 48.4 miles @ 15.1 mph
1916 feet climbed so a good test passed and think I am ready for club rides again.
https://www.strava.com/activities/906191999

Box Hill climbed in 10 min 3 seconds so no the fastest but a good time

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.relive.cc/view/906281031

66 odd miles with Hargroves Cycles Cycle Club today. I decided to use the Tannus tyred bike. I hadn't ridden it over cattle grids yet. I have now, it coped admirably, it was no different to riding over them with normal tyres. It was a very nice ( if windy ) ride.

 

[13 rider]

Target for today was 50 m to complete another month when I've riden a 50k,50m,100k and 100 m ride . Was pretty windy when I woke so plotted a route which would be headwind out and tailwind back . Out the door 0900 Newtown Linford up Markfield Lane to Markfield ,Botcheston just after some traffic lights I was passed by a Coventry Olympic rider . If you pass me just before a hill please don't don't then slow down or I will chase you down caught him by the top where we went seperate ways .Market Bosworth ,Far Coton ,then turned into the headwind properly through Congerstone ,Bilstone ,Little Twycross .Turned right and had 2 miles of tailwind and I'm flying then turn into the headwind again so a slow grind into Norton Juxta Twycross ( yes odd place name ) climbing out of the village and the Coventry rider goes down it . Orton on the hill and on to Warton on an exposed road which had a massive crosswind .Warton to Witherley now with a tailwind the road to Atterton was brilliant fun slight downhill and a tailwind 26 mph brought a smile to my face . Stoke Golding ,Dadlington dropping out the village who's coming the other way but the Coventry rider again. He must have done roughly the same loop as me but in the other direction.Cadeby ,Market Bosworth ,Thornton ,Markfield and home 55.4 miles in the bag in blustery conditions ride was either a hard slog or flying into a tailwind

 

[Spiderweb]

https://www.relive.cc/view/906281031

66 odd miles with Hargroves Cycles Cycle Club today. I decided to use the Tannus tyred bike. I hadn't ridden it over cattle grids yet. I have now, it coped admirably, it was no different to riding over them with normal tyres. It was a very nice ( if windy ) ride.

Can I ask how much you paid for the Tannus tyres, are they any good? Any negatives and how do they compare with regular road tyres at 100 psi?